First Use Of This Particular Swear Word In A Superman Comic? Spoilers

Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Superman | Tagged: Manchester Black, superboy prime, swear

First Use Of This Particular Swear Word In A Superman Comic? Spoilers

Is this the first use of this particular swear word in a Superman comic book? Will it be the last when they realise what it means? Spoilers

Published Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:45:10 -0500
by Rich Johnston
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Article Summary

• Superboy Prime is hurled through Superman continuity, confronting reboots, rebirths and the sins of his past.
• Manchester Black turns the story into a fourth-wall blitz, taunting Superboy Prime across fractured realities.
• Superman #39 may feature the first use of “wanker” in a Superman comic, adding a surprising British edge.
• Manchester Black’s British roots are traced through his Authority-inspired origins as Superman closes in on Prime.

Superman #39 by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora is published today by DC Comics. And if today's Ultimate Endgame #56 was a little fourth wall breaking, the continuing adventures of Superman Prime and Manchester Black are more of a fourth wall Blitz.

As Superboy Prime is beseiged on all sides from the sins of his past, even if he can't research Fandom.com to look them all up right yet.

As he remembers all the lives, reboots and rebirths that came before…

Ans up against his geratest sin of all, the Silver Age Superman, who fights him as only the Silver Age can…

You know he uised to do this kind of thing every month. No one worries about gravitational effects back then.

But as Superboy Prime flips through all kinds of realities, as seen on the cover… Manchester Black is there to remind him about the world he brings with him.

As wel get the set up for Manchester Black's new fourth wall replastering abilities…

And as we get one swear word that isn't allowed in a Superman comic book…

…We get one that is. For the first time, I think, for a Superman comic book. Marvel got there first of course, with Captain Britain calling a bunch of elves wankers in The War Of The Realms back in 2019…

And more famously, Captain America #366, back in the day…

Though that may have been accidental. And as to Manchester Black being British…

And yes, Manchester Black was created by Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke for the Superman story, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice And The American Way? But Superboy Prime really should know this: it was a parody of the characters Jack Hawksmoor and Jenny Sparks, created by British writer Warren Ellis with artist Tom Raney for Stormwatch, before moving them to The Authority… so he probably is mostly British. And he comes with a warning…

Superman is coming… the current one, I mean. And not because of all the wanking.

Superman #39 by Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora
Superboy-Prime loves comics. He's a Wednesday Warrior and has read a lot of continuity. But a classic Superman villain has banished Prime into different issues he hasn't read! Get ready for a wild ride across the DC Universe as Prime is dragged kicking and screaming across past events, lost reboots, relaunches, and restarts! If he doesn't find his way back to Metropolis, he will be lost forever! $3.99

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