Superman's Coolest Trick is Turning Into a Giant Dragon
Superman is known for his long list of powers, and whether it's incredible flight or freezing ice breath, it seems the man has a power for just about every occasion. While his abilities span a wide array, shapeshifting and transformation typically don't make the list. But that trend was broken in spectacular fashion with Action Comics #303, when the Man of Steel actually turned into a giant dragon.
To understand how and why this transformation occurred, one must first understand the different kinds of Kryptonite. While most people are familiar with Green Kryptonite and its effects on Superman, there are actually over twenty other Kryptonite variations. The important one for this instance is Red Kryptonite. Of all the variations of Kryptonite, Red Kryptonite produces the most bizzare side effects, with the fact it causes bizzare side effects being the effect itself. While most types of Kryptonite have a singular, consistent effect, such as weakening or removing powers, the effect of Red Kryptonite varies time to time and never has the same effect twice.
When a mysterious egg crash lands on earth, Superman is on the scene to investigate. He quickly recognizes the egg as the product of a dangerous dragon-like species known as drangs. Drangs were monstrous creatures that wreaked havoc on the planet Krypton, and using his power of perfect memory, Superman recalls that in an effort to protect Krypton the drang eggs were shot into space. Unfortunately for Superman, one such drang egg flew through a cloud of Red Kryptonite upon its entry to earth, coating it with the substance.
While it turns out the egg itself was smashed in the crash to earth, the effects of the Red Kryptonite turn Superman himself into a drang, and, being he rises from the egg, it is quickly assumed that the drang killed Superman.
The issue carries on following Superman as he is confused for a giant space monster, dealing with his inner conflict of knowing who he is without being able to explain. Everywhere he goes Superman is taken as evil, leading to the entire world turning against him, and some large scale military attacks on his beast form. Ultimately, it is his ability to express the truth about his identity to Supergirl that saves him, allowing her to communicate what happened until Superman reverts back to normal. And bringing to an end one strange story revealing Superman is luckier than he realizes, having been born into a humanoid body, as opposed to that of a giant dragon.