"Karl Kesel wanted to change his powers, I wanted to change the costume and we fused the two ideas," says Dan Jurgens, writer and artist on Superman. It's the same Clark underneath the cape, except the cape has been nixed, as has the famous costume that he has worn almost without exception since World War II.

And his powers have changed, too. Goodbye living solar battery, hello being of energy, zapping from place to place, bullets passing through rather than bouncing off. "Briefly, Superman has become a sentient packet of electromagnetic energy, which encompasses quite a bit," explains Roger Stern, writer of Superman: The Man of Tomorrow. "He's much faster in this form, now being able to travel at light speed (and it takes him a while to get the hang of that!). And his perceptions of the world around him have changed. The next few months will be a learning experience, as Superman discovers what he can and can't do."

As an added wrinkle, when he shuts the powers off, Superman becomes a regular guy, complete with the vulnerabilities of all human beings. "They'll give him a whole new set of problems and challenges," says Stern. "As Clark, he'll be as vulnerable to danger as any mortal man. He'll have to adjust to being an ordinary man – bereft of the powers he'd grown used to over the years – in his civilian identity." The changes will have a profound effect on Clark's personality because "he no longer has powers in that identity," according to Jurgens.

The immediate future of Superman promises to be in constant turmoil, as reactions to the new powers and costume will meet with mixed reviews in the DC Universe. "Lois is, of course, concerned for her husband, but she takes it better than the general public – many of whom will be wondering if this guy in the new suit is really Superman," says Stern.

"Batman's reaction can be seen in JLA," says Jurgens. "As for the citizens of Metropolis, they will become rather uncomfortable with the new Superman!" Conservative Daily Planet columnist Dirk Armstrong's reaction in Adventures of Superman #545 will probably bring negative publicity matching the fervor of J. Jonah Jameson in Spiderman's universe. Meanwhile, upcoming storylines will include Metallo and a Kandor storyline. Stern also promises "big plans for Luthor."

Jurgens says that the first hint that Superman's powers were amiss came in Superman #116, which concluded "The Bottle City," a three-part story that almost trapped Superman in Kandor. It is the phasing process that Superman is exposed to (his body adjusts to being between the reality of Earth and Kandor) which messes up his DNA and changes his powers (as explained in Superman #122).

Tampering with the legend is nothing new for DC Comics, who has been tweaking the Man of Steel for more than a decade. John Byrne reinvented him in The Man of Steel, a six-issue mini-series in 1986. Over the years, Superman had just become too powerful, his universe too complex with inane characters. Byrne changed all that by taking Superman down a notch -- he was still more powerful than a locomotive, but now he could sweat, he could be hurt, he could get tired. And he was once again the sole survivor of Krypton. Other parts of the Superman mythos have been recreated since that time, including a new Supergirl and a new Superboy, but writers have essentially stayed true to the more human interpretation of the sole-surviving strange visitor from another planet with powers far beyond those of mortal men.

Since that time, Superman has overcome a large amount of change. Breaking a 50-year-old code, he actually killed three Kryptonians, General Zod, Quex-Ul, and Zaora, in a pocket universe in 1988 (Superman #22), and wound up spending months soul-searching in space. He was killed back in 1993 by Doomsday (Superman #75), but was subsequently brought back to life. He returned to action with long hair, a fashion statement only recently changed for another major event, his wedding to Lois Lane (Superman The Wedding Album #1). He also lost his powers last year during The Final Night, but he got them back during a risky trip to the sun (Superman: The Man of Steel #64).

It's probably a safe bet that Superman will be returned to his traditional form. . . eventually. Even Jurgens jokingly asks "Is anything really permanent in comics?" when asked about the changes in Superman's powers.

But the more immediate question is whether fans will accept this new version of Superman. "It's never easy to predict what fans will like or dislike," says Stern. "I think that READERS will enjoy our stories."

As a regular reader, I must admit that the change is being handled very well so far, but perhaps enough is enough. This latest change follows a somewhat disturbing pattern of behavior surrounding Superman for the past few years. Sometimes it seems that Superman fights himself more than anyone else. Don't get me wrong: Superman's self-imposed exile from earth was great. His death and subsequent rebirth was cool. Even his loss of powers resulting from The Final Night made for some good stories.

But maybe it's time the writers realized that their best material comes from changing Superman's personal environment rather than his powers. I'm enjoying a recent subplot where Kent has been taking Perry White's place in The Daily Planet. The whole Lois engagement-on engagement-off relationship was good reading. The return of Lori Lemaris has added an interesting wrinkle to his life. Jimmy Olsen's career move to television has brought some interesting stories. And Luther, before the silly cloning, destruction of Metropolis, deal with the devil for a new body storyline, created an intense power struggle in Metropolis.

What has made Superman so successful recently has been an excellent team of writers, quality villains, and a grand supporting cast. They've taken some creative chances that have really paid off, but will this gamble roll snake eyes? This latest identity crisis is an effort to make Clark Kent more human, but I just don't see it making Superman more super. Tinkering with a legend is one thing, but trading it in for a new model is something else entirely.