Despite the fact that they live in two different universes, Superman once helped Doc Brown from the Back to the Future movies unlock the secret of traveling through time -- even if it is in the last way any fans would expect.
Movie audiences will remember the end of the original Back to the Future, where Doc reappeared in his plutonium-powered DeLorean time machine in the year 1985, to warn Marty McFly and his girlfriend Jennifer that they needed to come to the distant future of 2015 to save their children. Doc reveals that he has made some upgrades to the time machine, now running on ordinary garbage thanks to a matter-energy converter called “Mr. Fusion,” and capable of flight thanks to a “hover-conversion.” In Back to the Future Part II, Doc also revealed to Marty that he’d picked up several other useful future gadgets and even visited a rejuvenation clinic that had de-aged him by a few decades.
All of this, however, begs the question: how was Doc able to pay for all this future gear? Money is still in use in 2015, after all, and items actually cost considerably more than they did in 1985, thanks to inflation (the hover-conversion alone cost a whopping $39,999.95). Plus, Doc had already spent his family fortune building the time machine, meaning he was already pretty low on funds. The answer? Superman.
Thanks to the IDW Back to the Future comic book series which offers stories by screenwriter Bob Gale that take place between the Back to the Future movies, and beyond, readers can find the answers to many burning fan questions. Back to the Future #4, for instance, lets readers experience Doc’s first visit to 2015 from the scientist’s point of view. According to the comic, Doc fortuitously arrived in 2015 during a nostalgic “1980s Car Expo,” which helped him avoid questions of why his car couldn’t fly. Moreover, Doc even won first prize in the car show since everyone was so excited to see a real DeLorean. The prize turned out to be a 10%-off coupon for a hover-conversion – which still left Doc on the hook for $36,0000.
As Doc explored the Hill Valley of 2015, he realized the future had much to offer – but also that he couldn’t afford any of the amazing gadgets and inventions. Hoping to raise some fast cash, Doc tried to pawn some gadgets from 1985, but quickly discovered that inventions like VCRs and cell phones were worth next to nothing in the future.Finally, Doc visited the library where – after learning how to use some fantastic future invention called the “Internet” – he conducted some research and discovered “the single greatest investment in the history of man.” Jumping back into the DeLorean, Doc traveled to April 18, 1938 where he invested a single silver dollar into buying ten copies… of Action Comics #1.
That’s right – the single greatest investment in the history of man turned out to be a comic book showcasing the first appearance of Superman. While each issue only cost Doc ten cents in 1938, by 2015 he was able to sell a single copy for the low ball price of 2.5 million dollars. Realizing he was now set for life and could simply sell a comic book anytime he was low on cash, Doc went on a shopping spree and got his car hover-converted, purchased a Mr. Fusion device, and added years to his life at a rejuvenation clinic.
It’s a hilarious explanation for why Doc Brown never seems to be hurting for money after the original Back to the Future, and one that any comic book fan can appreciate. It is strange, however, that Doc would be perfectly fine padding his wallet with valuable Superman comic books when he reprimanded Marty for basically trying to do the same thing with a future Sports Almanac in Back to the Future Part II. Nevertheless, it’s a fun story that takes readers on a joy ride between the seconds of the Back to the Future saga.