Writer Paul Dini brings Lobo, the hog-riding intergalactic bounty hunter, to vivid life in all of his rough-edged charm in a fun two-part episode. "The Main Man" begins with Superman testing the rocket that brought him to earth from Krypton for a team of scientist at Star Labs. The scientists had refitted the rocket into a deep space vessel for Superman so the Man Of Steel could take it into outer space if the need arises. Meanwhile, in another part of the galaxy, Lobo is busy bringing back his latest bounty when he is captured and brought aboard a starship belonging to the Preserver. The Preserver has a collection of rare, extinct species kept in special cages throughout his ship, and he is in the market for a new specimen: the last Kryptonian. He offers Lobo a King's ransom in jewels if he will go to earth and capture Superman.

With greed being one of his many vices, Lobo quickly agrees. He heads to earth, namely Metropolis, and when he can't find Superman, he decides to get the Man Of Steel's attention by shooting up a police station with his ray gun. It works, when Superman arrives, he gets into a knockdown, drag-out battle with Lobo, whose strength matches his own. It's the sort of entertaining, super-heroic battle that was once seen only in comic books where the combatants get flung through buildings and generally do as much damage to the city as they do to each other. Eventually, Superman decides to take his rocket ship into the stars in an attempt to spare earth any more damage by leading Lobo away. However, this altruistic act of the Man Of Steel's winds up putting him directly into the sights of the Preserver. Superman ends up in a glass cage aboard the Preserver's ship, with illumination provided by an artificial red sun that saps his strength. But just as Lobo's about to run off with his haul of jewels, the Preserver has another nasty surprise up his sleeve.

The Main Man works so well because it is a genuinely funny episode. Lobo looks like a Hell's Angel biker with the attitude of a professional wrestler; he's basically a dude whose main goal in life is to party as hard as he can while causing as much damage as he can get away with. At first he vastly underestimates Superman, whom he mistakenly tags as being an overly polite boy scout. In one great scene, after Lobo has beaten Superman unconscious, Lois tries to come to his aid by beating Lobo with a crowbar. Lobo easily subdues her and then closes his eyes in an attempt to kiss her--just then Superman wakes up and slugs him. As Lobo goes helplessly careening through the air, he lets out a string of curses at Superman just before he slams into another building. It's just this freewheeling attitude, a determination not to take itself too seriously, that makes "The Main Man" a Superman episode that's worth watching over and over again.