It’s been a long time coming, but the first attempt at bringing a DC superhero to life on film has finally come full circle, thanks to Superman. Making their first appearance opposite beloved Superman actor George Reeves, the mysterious “Mole Men” are now officially a part of DC Comics canon, after three-quarters of a century.

Superman Brings The First DC Movie Villains Into Official Comic Canon

The Mole Men First Appeared in George Reeves’ Superman and the Mole Men (1951)

The number of people who ‘grew up’ with George Reeves as their live action version of Superman grows smaller, but as the first actor to depict the Man of Steel in either a feature film or TV series, his place in superhero history is untouchable. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of his first movie antagonists, the titular underground denizens of Superman and the Mole Men (1951).

While Kirk Alyn had portrayed the hero in prior Superman film serials, it was George Reeves cast for the Mole Men, functioning as a pilot episode to greenlight the subsequent Adventures of Superman (1952) TV series. The feature saw Lois Lane and Clark Kent investigate the emergence of little green men from underground tunnels. And in DC Comics, history has just repeated itself.

Superboy Discovers The Mole Men Mech in Superman Unlimited Comic

In the pages of Superman Unlimited #7, Superman’s son (and also fellow ‘Superman’) Jonathan Kent carries out an investigation of his own in Smallville, Kansas. While digging into unexplained phemonena around town, Jon ends up being attacked by a massive ‘mole mech,’ piloted by a group of extremely familiar halflings.

The Mole Men Finally Move To Smallville, 74 Years After Their Debut

Superman Unlimited #7 by Dan Slott, Jeremy Adams, Lucas Meyer, Marcelo Maiolo

Superman Superwoman and Steel Welcome The Mole Men in DC Comics

The original feature film made sure to explore the Mole Men as more than a one-note ‘villain,’ with the moral of the story centering mainly on the townspeople’s prejudiced, violent, and unnecessarily fearful demeanor towards the outsiders. Now 74 years after they first appeared on film, Jon Kent is the perfect hero to prevent hostilities altogether.

A simple apology, an instant acceptance of the misunderstanding, and it’s ice cream all around for the Mole Men and citizens of Smallville. And while the original film ended with the Mole Men retreating into their tunnels without any reconciliation, their new entry into canon is far more neighborly. Which means this likely won’t be the last story for DC’s Mole Men, either.

Superman Unlimited #7 is available now from DC Comics.