Instead of broadly lampooning a genre of comics, 'Superduperman' levelled its sights on a specific and recognizable comic character". In his book Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels: A History of Graphic Narratives, Robert Petersen observes: "In April 1953, Mad #4 included a parody of Superman, 'Superduperman', which originated a new formula that would significantly raise the popularity of the new magazine. Until Mad #4, the magazine had not been one of EC's top-selling titles, but "Superduperman" revolutionized their format and led to sales success. The conflict between the two characters also parodies the National Comics Publications v. Clark Bent uses his X-ray vision to peer into the women's bathroom, and Captain Marbles has abandoned good deeds for the pursuit of money.
Kurtzman's script subverts the admirable image of the superhero. Hoping this victory will be enough to sway Pain, he reveals his alter ego, only to be rejected again the story closes with Pain's putdown: "Once a creep, always a creep". Superduperman is unable to harm Captain Marbles until he provokes Marbles into punching himself in the head. Bent changes into Superduperman to help save the day, but "boy reporter Billy Spafon" reveals himself to be the monster, "Captain Marbles". Meanwhile, an 'unknown monster' is stalking the streets of the city. The plot parallels the Superman scenario of the period: "Clark Bent" is a lowly assistant to the copy boy at The Daily Dirt newspaper, where he tries, unsuccessfully, to woo the disgusted "Lois Pain". Writers such as Alan Moore have cited this story as an influence. Lampooning both Superman and Captain Marvel, it revolutionized the types of stories seen in Mad, leading to greatly improved sales. " Superduperman" is a satirical story by Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood that was published in the fourth issue of Mad (April–May 1953).
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