"Superman" From The Essential Superman Encyclopedia by Robert Greenberger and Martin Pasko
There was only one being who was respected, revered, celebrated, feared, and hated on Earth, across the stars, and throughout time itself. The survivor of a doomed planet, he was raised on a world that was alien to him, where he gained powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal humanity. A quirk of fate taught him to value and respect life absolutely, so that his amazing abilities were used to wage a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the universal principles of honor, compassion, determination, and personal integrity that turned Kal-El of Krypton into Superman.
His greatest significance was that he may well have been the one truly indispensable figure in all Creation – which perhaps explains why, in all the myriad parallel dimensions, there was always some form of Superman, just as there were always powerful forces that rose to challenge him, and millions of beings in a vast universe teeming with life who always needed him.
A. Origin
1. The Original Account: The Superman of the Pre-First Crisis Earth-2
“As a distant planet was destroyed by old age, a scientist placed his infant son within a hastily devised space-ship, launching it toward Earth! When the vehicle landed on Earth, a passing motorist, discovering the sleeping babe within, turned the child over to an orphanage. Attendants, unaware [that] the child's [physiological] structure was millions of years [more] advanced [than] their own, were astounded at his feats of strength. When maturity was reached, he discovered he could easily: Leap 1/8th of a mile; hurdle a twenty-story building... raise tremendous weights... run faster than an express train... and that nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin! Early, Clark [Kent] decided he must turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind. And so was created... SUPERMAN! Champion of the oppressed, the physical marvel who had sworn to devote his existence to helping those in need” (Action Comics #1, June 1938).
2. Addenda and Revisions
Every inhabitant of this “distant planet,” which was documented as Krypton (Superman [first series] #1, Summer 1939), was said to possess super-human strength, X-ray vision, super-speed, and most of the other powers associated with later incarnations of Superman (Action Comics #1, June 1938; Superman [first series] #33, March-April 1945; Superman [first series] #53, July-August 1948). At the moment of Krypton's destruction, scientist Jor-L and his wife Lora sent their infant son Kal-L to Earth. Jor-L's brother Zor-L heeded the warning and built a ship containing digital scans of life in the city of Kandor to help educate his daughter Kara during her long trip to earth, in suspended animation. This slower ship reached earth may decades after Kal-L arrived and became an adult. The Superman of Earth-2 welcomed her, and she began a crime-fighting career under the name Power Girl (All Star Comics #58, January-February 1976; others).
As the research of later historians was able to provide further details, the “passing motorist” who found the infant Superman became a couple, John and Mary Kent (Superman [first series] #1, Summer 1939, and #53, July-August 1948; others), who adopted the orphan from space and named him Clark Kent. Conflicting accounts were offered of the infant's brief stay in the orphanage, differing in details about how long he remained there and whether his superpowers were actually revealed there.
The Earth-2 Superman, who never fought crime as Superboy, had a very different life from the Superman of Earth-1. In that reality, the pleas of Jor-El – as his name was spelled in the Earth-1 universe – to rescue the populace in a fleet of rocket ships that would take them to another world fell on deaf ears, as the planet was focused on the celebration of the ten thousandth year of Kryptonian civilization (Action Comics #223, December 1956). Jor-El's discovery that the planet's Uranium core had been building up “a cycle of chain-reactions” that would lead to Krypton exploding like a planet-sized nuclear weapon seem so preposterous, few gave it credence. Although Jor-El was the planet's foremost scientist, he was ignored by the ruling Science Council, dooming his people. He begged his wife Lara Lor-Van to accompany their child to Earth in the experimental escape-rocket prototype that was too small to fit the entire family of three. Instead she chose to remain at her husband's side and watch as their race's last hope began an unprecedented journey.
After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Krypton was depicted as a cold, sterile world whose inhabitants repressed their emotions, but some feelings – such as those associated with the maternal instinct – were not so easily denied. Lara was horrified by the notion of sending her only child to the “barbaric” planet Earth, but was given little choice.
Kal-El landed near the farm of Jonathan and Martha Kent and the couple decided to keep the baby, taking advantage of the isolation imposed by a protracted winter to create the appearance that the baby was naturally Martha's, born on the farm when the Kent's could not drive through a storm. Clark's powers slowly developed as the boy grew, his body absorbing more and more yellow solar energy until his abilities matured and fully manifested themselves when he was a high school senior. Thus Clark Kent did not become the red-and-blue-clad super hero until adulthood (Man of Steel #1-6, October-December 1986).
The Infinite Crisis altered Clark's personal history so that his powers manifested themselves at age twelve when he accidentally broke his friend Pete Ross's arm. After learning the truth of his origins from his parents, he decided, with their inspiration and encouragement, to use his abilities for good works. While surreptitiously performing rescues and other benevolent deeds, never showing himself, young Clark began to spiral down into depression. Hoping to help her adopted son embrace his Kryptonian heritage and be proud of who he was, Martha Kent made him the Superboy uniform (Superman: Secret Origin #1, November 2009).
B: The Secret Identity
“Now listen to me, Clark!” cautioned John Kent of Earth-2 while Clark was still very small. “This great strength of yours – you've got to hide it from people or they'll be scared of you!” “But when the proper time comes,” added Mary Kent, “you must use it to assist humanity” (Superman [first series] #1, Summer 1939).
Over the years, this Clark Kent wrestled with the duality of his nature, wondering who he was: Kal-L, orphan from Krypton; Clark Kent, farm boy; or Superman, the Man of Steel. At different times, he experimented with being one or the other but always concluded he was the son raised by the Kents to use his gifts honorably, respected all life and defending it against all threats at any cost.
In choosing an occupation as an adult, Clark adopted the guise of a mild-mannered reporter, confident that people would not mistake him for the barrel-chested, colorful super hero he became. Most observers bought into the ruse when he came to work for editor George Taylor at the Daily Star. The majority of his colleagues accepted the imposture here on Earth-2 and, later, on Earth-1, where very few people, including Lois Lane and Lana Lang, seriously suspected that Clark was the Metropolis Marvel, although as time went on Lois's suspicions intensified. Some chroniclers speculated that others, such as Daily Planet editor Perry White, may have been less taken in but pretended otherwise, although no concrete evidence of this was ever presented.
On Earth-1, Jonathan and Martha Kent never hid Clark's origins, speaking openly of the rocket that brought him to Earth. As his powers evolved, so did his ability to recall his life on Krypton (Action Comics #288, May 1962). The teenage Superboy retained dim memories of his brief time as a toddler on his homeworld, which he augmented by using a Kryptonian Mind-Prober Ray (Superboy [first series] #79, March 1960; others). Clark learned that he could also access events from the past “by overtaking and photographing light rays that had left Krypton before it exploded” (Superman [first series] #132, October 1959). During the course of his early life, the Kal-El of the pre-First Crisis earth-1 continued to find artifacts from Krypton, many of them incorporating recordings or writings made by his father. Chief among the objects recovered was the Phantom Zone Projector, a device that could send people and objects into a limbo-like realm. This dimension was discovered by Jor-El, who urged its use as a maximum-security prison for Krypton's most dangerous criminals. A disproportionately large its way across the many light-years to Earth, including many now radioactive fragments of the planet itself, which would prove deadly to superpowered Kryptonians. Some historians theorized that Kal-El's rocket had ripped open a warp in space through which many Kryptonian artifacts and other survivors were sucked, emerging from the warp in close proximity to earth's orbit, from which they eventually fell into Earth's atmosphere (Action Comics #500, October 1979).
C. The Costume
In all realities, Superman wore on costume, a blue body stoking with red cape, red boots, and red trunks with a yellow belt. On his chest was the red-and-yellow S-shield, which became a symbol for justice throughout the known universe. An all-yellow S-shield adorned the back of the cape. The differences among the various Supermen's garb were minor stylistic variations, such as the shape of the boot tops or the color scheme of the S-shield, but otherwise the uniforms have remained consistent.
The stylized S-insignia has come to mean different things through the years. For most of the chronicles, it stood simply for Superman and, on Earth-1, fro Superboy, Supergirl, and a host of Kryptonian pets, such as Krypto, who came to Earth, were endowed with superpowers, and wore capes, collars, or harnesses incorporating the S-shield into their design. A mirror image of the shield was worn by the imperfect duplicate of Superman, Bizarro, in most of his incarnations. After the Infinite Crisis, the stylized S-shape became a character in the Kryptonian alphabet and was identified as the El family crest, which all members of the House of El were entitled to wear. Heroes on the post-First Crisis Earth wearing the S-shield carried with it the responsibility of Superman's endorsement. Among those have been his clone, the Kon-El Superboy, the Matrix Supergirl, Steel, the Eradicator, and Mon-El.
The Superman of Earth-2 described his uniform as something “constructed of a cloth I invented myself which is immune to the most powerful forces!” When Kal-El was being raised on Earth-1 as Clark Kent, Martha Kent outfitted him with a red-and-blue playsuit, made by reweaving the blankets found with the rocket ship that brought him from Krypton (Superboy [first series] #8, May-June 1950), which were themselves indestructible and could withstand the wear and tear inflicted on them by Superbaby's exercise of his superpowers. Martha thereafter rewove the playsuit into the familiar red-and-blue uniform complete with cape. In both cases, Clark participated in the making of his super-clothing by helping to cut the indestructible threads with his heat vision (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961). At the same time, indestructible plastic from the rocket was used to fashion a pair of eyeglasses so young Clark and the young hero would not be confused as the same person (Superboy [first series] #70, January 1959). It was essential that the glasses, too, be indestructible sot that Clark could use his vision powers through them – particularly his heat vision – without destroying them. The Boy of Steel later had Ma Kent use the remaining blankets to create a second, primarily yellow costume, but it had the unexpected side effect of deflecting much of the yellow sun's energy from his body, and Superboy returned to his traditional outfit (The New Adventures of Superboy #18, June 1981).
In time, Clark added a pouch to the interior lining of the cape where he kept his civilian clothes, made of a synthetic material devised by the Boy of Steel that could be compressed into a very small packet and subsequently expand, wrinkle-free. Later, when Clark Kent reached adulthood, the costume's belt buckle was modified to house his Justice League of America signal device.
In the post-First Crisis reality, it was documented that Superman's costume was not itself indestructible per se, but that the Man of Steel possessed a low-level telekinetic ability that allowed him to generate a force field around his body. This field not only allowed him to defy gravity but also protected his costume, with the exception of his cape, which usually trailed beyond the range of the field and often got shredded in battle (Man of Steel #1-6, October-December 1986).
Various circumstances periodically required Superman to adopt other costumes. Upon his revival after his murder by Doomsday, the Man of Steel used a predominantly black solar outfit to quickly reabsorb energy from the sun (Action Comics #689, Late July 1993). And later, when transformed into an energy being, he maintained his bodily integrity in an an all-blue containment suit (Superman [second series] #123, May 1997; others). In the wake of massive deaths during the Imperiex War, Martha Kent prepared a new costume for Superman, one whose S-symbol was set against a background of black as a symbol of mourning (Superman [second series] #174, November 2001).
D. Derivation of the Superpowers
The Earth-2 Superman's powers and abilities were at first reported to be native, because the Kryptonian people were described more than once as a “super-race” (Superman [first series] #73, November-December 1951; others). They also possessed some of the vision powers Superman displayed and were considered far ahead of Homo sapiens on the evolutionary scale (Superman [first series] #53, July-August 1948).
The origin of the Earth-1 Superman's powers, however, was a result of his displacement to a different environment. In the words of one account, “Everyone knows that Superman is a being from another planet, unburdened by the vastly weaker gravity of Earth. But not everyone understands how gravity affects strength! If you were on a world smaller than ours, you could jump over high buildings, lift enormous weights... and thus duplicate some of the feats of the Man of Steel!” (Superman [first series] #58, May-June 1949). Some latter-day accounts of the origin of the Earth-2 Superman's powers make this assertion as well, so the notion that the Kryptonians of the Earth-2 universe were super-beings in their native environment may be apocryphal.
During the Earth-1 Superman's adventures, the chronicles ascribed his powers not only to Earth's lighter gravity but also to the difference in solar radiation. Krypton orbited Rao, a red giant, while Earth orbited Sol, a smaller yellow sun “These rays,” the Man of Steel told Supergirl, “can only affect people who were born in other solar systems than Earth's! And only yellow stars like earth's sun emit those super-energy rays! On planets of non-yellow suns, would not be super-powered, even under the low gravity!” (Action Comics #262, March 1960). Soon after the theory was modified by subsequent historical research to state that “my muscles automatically became super-strong in Earth's light gravity! I'm like the ant, which, if it were man-sized, could carry a locomotive! Grasshoppers could leap over buildings!” It was also revealed that the yellow-sun radiation “super-energize[d Superman's] brain and five senses to give [him his] other non-muscular super-powers! Also, those yellow-sun rays, which only tan Earth people's skin, hardened [his] like steel” (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961). As a result, any living being from Krypton would gain the same set of powers and abilities as Superman's if exposed to the same conditions.
The strength of a solar system's sun had an impact on not just Superman's powers but also those of other super-people who gained their abilities from other stars. Exposure to red solar radiation immediately sapped Kryptonians of their powers – a recurring problem, especially whenever Superman visited Lexor, the world that worshiped Lex Luthor (Action Comics #318, November 1964).
With the exception of the postulation regarding the psionic ability that created a force field around the Man of Steel, the scientific explanation of Superman's abilities remained relatively unchanged in the various other realities. The force-field attribute was short-lived, however, as subsequent energy and lighter-gravity explanation.
1. Super-Speed and the Power of Flight
The Earth-2 Superman was initially reported to be able to leap an eighth of a mile, launching himself from street to rooftop or across the Metropolis skyline. Either this was a misperception by the earliest eyewitnesse3s, or perhaps, as Superman gained experience as a crime fighter, his powers and abilities developed over time, in much the way a dedicated bodybuilder increases mass and strength. In any event, in short order the Earth-2 Superman was said to “fly like a bird” (Action Comics #60, May 1943) – and that power increased until a text proclaimed, “Light travels 186,000 miles a second, but has nothing on Superman, who finds himself hovering over the jungles of Burma in the wink of an eye!” In time, this Superman, and subsequently the Superman of Earth-1, used his flight powers to move fast enough to pierce the time barrier or oscillate his body so fast that no human could see him. The chroniclers soon discovered that the pre-First Crisis Supermen could survive without oxygen, and therefore their powers of flight enabled them to leave Earth's gravity and traverse the stars, flying to distant galaxies in relatively short periods of time.
While Superman's speed was said to be immeasurable, he repeatedly raced the Flash – both the earth-1 and Earth-2 version – and was beaten by both, most likely given their ability to tap into the otherworldly Speed Force (Superman [first series] #199, August 1967; DC First: Flash/Superman #1, July 2002; others).
2. Super-Strength
From the moment he burst onto the scene, hefting an automobile over his head with his bare hands, Superman's strength was usually the first thing people talked about. His demonstration of prowess, like speed and flight, grew over time until he could shatter planets with hi fists.
When Superman performed for charity, it was often a feat of strength such as hitting a baseball into orbit that was most impressive to the crowds. One of Superman's most often-repeated stunts was squeezing a lump of coal in his fist, mimicking the natural process by which diamonds are formed by applying so much pressure that the coal was transformed into a glittering gem (Action Comics #115, December 1947; others).
On Earth-1, while still a teenager, Superboy was said to be able to press five thousand toms with one hand, calling it “a cinch” (Adventure Comics #361, October 1967). His super-breath was powerful enough to nudge a planet through space (Adventure Comics #293, February 1962) or freeze the air around objects. His super-lungs allowed him to hold his breath indefinitely. His invulnerability was said to be absolute: He could withstand the power of a thousand H-bombs (Adventure Comics #366, March 1968).
In the post-First Crisis realities, Superman's strength was largely immeasurable, and one of the hardest lessons he had to learn was regulating his blows so that, in one moment, he would not kill a mortal man with a punch, but then turn on a dime to unleash a blow that could stagger a super-powerful combatant such as Mongul.
3. Invulnerability
Initially, it was nothing less than a bursting shell that could penetrate Superman's dense skin. The chroniclers of his Earth-2 career contained accounts of his enemies attacking him with a variety of energy rays, such as the Ultra-Humanite's energy gun, which could render the Man of Tomorrow unconscious.
In time, though, less and less could stagger, let alone hurt, the hero. He was even able to withstand the high temperatures generated by a star (Action Comics #161, October 1951). On the other hand, a hydrogen bomb's detonation left him with a slight headache (Superman [first series] #87, February 1954).
Earth-2's Superman was not immune to aging, though it occurred more gradually and he appeared to fully possess his powers and abilities until his death. On Earth-1, Superman was apparently immune to disease and aging, effectively making him an immortal (Superman [first series] #136, April 1960). A different account, however, noted, “Though Superman is the mightiest man on Earth, even he cannot live forever!” (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965). The latter statement appeared to be the correct one, as various accounts of potential futures viewed by Superman showed him slowly and gracefully aging at different rates, although there would always be a time when he passed away.
Given his invulnerability, the Man of Steel could not tan or sunburn. The post-First Crisis Superman needed help from his heat vision to properly shave each morning, and also used his vision powers to give himself a haircut when needed, but the hair o the Superman of Earth-1, like his fingernails, did not grow in Earth's environment; manicures, haircuts, and shaves were unnecessary.
In all cases, his level of powers, including invulnerability, waxed and waned based on the radiation emitted by the nearest star.
4. Vision Powers
The Superman of Earth-2's eyesight was exceptionally keen, but his range of vision powers developed gradually. His first ability, “telescopic X-ray vision,” developed incrementally, beginning a year after he began to fight crime (Action Comics #11, April 1939; Action Comics #18, November 1939, and #20, January 1940). In time, he realized that the X-rays his eyes emitted could not penetrate lead objects, one of his most consistent limitations.
Attempts to focus on minuscule objects led to his discover of his microscopic vision, letting him see even things that existed on the molecular level (Action Comics #24, May 1940). The Earth-2 Superman’s X-ray vision was initially said to generate a certain degree of heat and could be used to melt objects (Action Comics #139, December 1949; others). But heat vision as a discrete power per se – sometimes referred to in connection with the post-First Crisis Superman as laser vision – was first manifested by the Superman of Earth-1 (Action Comics #275, April 1961). The vision powers remained consistent in post-First Crisis incarnations of Superman.
5. Super-Hearing
Much as the pre-First Crisis Earth-2 Superman debuted with all his other senses far more acute that those of mortal humans, his hearing was said to be sensitive enough to perceive many sounds humans could not (Action Comics #8, January 1939). Over time, his hearing improved drastically. At least one chronicle reported that the Man of Tomorrow could hear radio waves (Superman [first series] #7, November-December 1940). The Earth-1 Superman’s super-hearing was powerful enough to isolate a distinctive voice from thousands of miles away, and perceive even the slightest sounds, such as the footfall of an ant. Superman could also trace the source of sound waves across millions of miles of interstellar space. His superior hearing remained consistent in his subsequent incarnations on the post-First Crisis Earth and post-Infinite Crisis New Earth.
6. Super-Breath and Related Powers
Like most of his other abilities, the lung power of the pre-First Crisis Superman of Earth-2 developed gradually over time. The first documents of this power reported that the Man of Tomorrow could hold his breath for hours underwater. With the greater lung capacity came the ability to exhale with concussive force (Action Comics #20, January 1940). Later, that ability allowed him to hold his breath during his journeys from planet to planet. Inhaling mightily to create a powerful vacuum was a trick this Superman used on numerous occasions to thwart the escape attempts of such foes as the Toyman (Superman [first series] #49, November-December 1947).
The Earth-1 Superman had far greater lung capacity, to the extent that he could blow out a star (Superman [first series] #91, August 1954). He could also freeze objects with his breath (Superman [first series] #129, May 1959; others). This Superman was also said to be capable of surviving for long periods, if not indefinitely, without air (or food or water, for that matter). The Superman of the post-First Crisis Earth, however, did not possess inexhaustible lung capacity, and when he exiled himself from earth for a year, he carried a mask and oxygen tank to replenish himself as needed (The Adventures of Superman #450, January 1989; others).
One of the stranger uses of his super-breath was documented only once, and therefore may be apocryphal. “The force of my super-breath will create an artificial aging effect [on this document],” he claimed, “so the writing will appear centuries-old!” (Action Comics #269, October 1960).
The Man of Steel's super-lungs have remained largely consistent through his many incarnations. While wearing his black solar suit during his climactic battle with Mongul and the Cyborg Superman (Superman [second series] #82, October 1993), Superman sustained a blast channeled through the body of the Eradicator that gradually caused his power level to rise to an uncontrollable level. Although much of the excess energy was drawn off by the Parasite (The Adventures of Superman #512, May 1994), Superman was nonetheless able to travel in space unaided from that point forward.
7. Vocal and Ventriloquial Powers
Even the comparatively primitive Superman of the pre-First Crisis Earth-2 trained himself to use all his special gifts with incredible accuracy. Among these traits was ventriloquism, which he first employed to rescue Lois Lane from kidnappers (Superman [first series] #13, November-December 1941). In time he appeared capable of mimicking voices utterly convincingly; he used that skill, as well as what came to be known as “super ventriloquism,” to give voice to the first incarnations of the dummies and robots he used to protect his secret identity.
His powerful voice could be used as a warning system, replacing loudspeakers and megaphones. Once, he managed to send his voice via radio waves, alerting police to an underworld hideout (Action Comics #60, May 1943). His voice was measured as capable of achieving a volume of more than one million decibels (Superman [first series] #65, July 1950), and its reverberations were known to shatter sheets of ice or make building crumble. These vocal skills remained consistent in Superman's subsequent incarnations, although the latter iterations rarely used them.
8. Mental and Intellectual Powers
The Superman of Earth-2's intellect was superior thanks to his Kryptonian upbringing and continued reading, usually done at super-speed, but he appeared to have innate mental processes that were first documented when he instantly translated a mermaid's language (Superman [first series] #14, January-February 1942). He was said to have a photographic memory, retaining countless facts and details, allowing him to function as a walking computer and aiding his war on crime (Superman [first series] #5, Summer 1940). Superman used his ability to study books in seconds to become an instant expert on many subjects, such as the time he memorized a complete medical text before performing complex eye surgery on a little girl. The Man of Steel's mind appeared to have total command over his body, allowing him to temporarily halt the beating of his heart to fool villains into believing him dead (World's Finest Comics #54, October-November 1951).
The original Superman also appeared able to hypnotize others, and first used this power of “super hypnotism” on Lois Lane (Action Comics #32, January 1941). The most common application of this power was to erase from people's minds the knowledge that Superman was Clark Kent, in the event someone other than a trusted confidant either learned the secret or had to be entrusted with it temporarily.
Superman's combined intellect and senses enabled him to be keenly aware of his surroundings, skills that helped not only the super hero but also reporter Clark Kent. His memories of Krypton and its technology, combined with his native intelligence, allowed him to devise, design, and construct super-tools and weapons as needed. He created the Superman Robots, putting him years ahead of most scientists on Earth.
After the post-Infinite Crisis Superman lost his powers following a battle with Superboy-Prime, it took a year for the sun's radiation to “recharge” his body. The experience seemed to leave his brain working at a faster level that previously, increasing his crime-fighting effectiveness (Action Comics #840, August 2006).
9. Miscellaneous Powers
The various incarnations of Superman were reported to have other senses and abilities that were documented only sporadically, raising the question of how many of these accounts, if any, were apocryphal. For example, he was said to be able to sign his name with either hand, identically. According to one account of the Earth-2 Superman, his alien blood could cure the ill if transfused (Superman [first series] #6, September-October 1940). This led many fanciful, definitely apocryphal accounts of his mighty powers being shared with others in the process.
Only Earth-2 Superman appeared able to alter his features with “superb muscle control,” allowing him to disguise his appearance without artificial aids or makeup (Superman [first series] #18, September-October 1942). In time, though, he used this skill less frequently until he stopped altogether (Action Comics #115, December 1947).
E. The Invulnerabilities
1. The Kryptonite
Superman in most realities was vulnerable to the radioactive remnants of Krypton. Depending on proximity and duration, the green-glowing substance left him weak and powerless, or, given sufficient exposure, could result in systemic poisoning and death. On Earth-2, there was only the green variety of kryptonite. On Earth-1, an entire spectrum of varieties of the radioactive mineral developed, each with different effects on Kryptonians. Most of these forms of kryptonite have endured throughout the different realities, following a brief period just before the First Crisis when all kryptonite on Earth was believed to have been eliminated.
2. Magic
The Man of Steel learned early in his career that his powers were no match for the supernatural. Magic affected the Earth-2 Superman much as it did other living beings (Superman [first series] #14, January-February 1942). Anytime any version of Superman confronted a demon, magician, warlock, witch, or sorcerer, he was exceedingly wary, usually relying more on his intellect than superpowers to escape danger. Much of that was a skill developed while regularly outwitting Mr. Mxyztplk of Earth-2, and Mr. Mxyzptlk of Earth-1.
Once, the Earth-1 Superman asked Earth-2's Doctor Fate if this weakness could be removed, and the sorcerer said it was possible. After the ensuing adventure, however, the Action Ace came to recognize that even he needed limitations (World's Finest Comics #208, December 1971).
3. Virus X
The incurable Virus X was fatal to Kryptonians. A strain of the disease survived the planet's destruction and mutated into a form that could kill even the seemingly invulnerable Man of Steel (Superman [first series] #156, October 1962; others).
4. Other Vulnerabilities
Solar radiation other than a yellow sun would weaken or rob Superman of many of his amazing abilities, and his X-ray vision could not penetrate lead objects.
Enemies preyed upon his moral code, turning it into a weakness. Innocent lives were frequently endangered, forcing the Man of Steel to abandon a battle to save people. As a result, he greatly feared that once the world learned his secret identity, his friends and loved ones would be targets. That was certainly proven to be the case, as attacks by Manchester Black and Conduit, among others, demonstrated.
F. The Equipment
Even with all his powers and abilities, Superman found himself in need of tools, equipment, and weapons to complete his missions. The first such example was a suit of lead armor the Superman of Earth-2 fashioned to deal with a runaway atomic reactor (Action Comics #124, September 1948). Soon after, he built an increasing number of robots to aid his fight against crime and protect his secret identity. Other devices he constructed included a miniature camera concealed inside a special ring, to keep incriminating photographic records (Action Comics #123, August 1948). He also built a K-Detector, designed to help him locate kryptonite that might have been used to trap him (Action Comics #158, July 1951).
On Earth-1, Superboy was building Superboy Robots early in his career, and no sooner did Supergirl arrive on Earth than Superman built her the first of several Supergirl Robots. Once, when his powers were at an ebb, he fashioned a Supermobile out of the nearly indestructible metal Supermanium.
The Earth-1 Superman, and subsequent incarnations, built a special wristwatch as a gift to Jimmy Olsen. The watch could emit a supersonic signal that only Superman could hear, allowing the cub reporter to summon him with the high-frequency sound in times of need, providing no natural phenomena got in the way.
G. The Man Himself (as Clark Kent)
Clark Kent had black hair and blue eyes, and as an adult stood six feet two inches tall, with a chest measurement of forty-four inches and a thirty-four-inch waist (Action Comics #297, February 1963). His rocket from Krypton landed in an open field (Action Comics #141, February 1950) on the outskirts of Smallville (World's Finest Comic #57, March-April 1952; others). The proud foster parents named their new son Clark, which was Mary, and later, Martha, Kent's maiden name (The Adventures of Superman novel, 1942; others).
Little was recorded about the Earth-2 Superman's upbringing. He was raised by the Kents in Smallville but was reported to have attended high school at Metropolis High, where he was nicknamed Specs and became known as his class's “quietest boy” (Superman [first series] #46, May-June 1947).
Clark lived with the Kents until the elderly pair died and he made his way to metropolis, where he gained work as a reporter for the Daily Star under editor George Taylor. Fellow reporter Lois Lane thought Kent too mild-mannered for her tastes and disdained him. “As a reporter,” Kent once said, “I have a hundred underworld and police contacts that make it easier for Superman to fight crime!” (Action Comics #139, December 1949).
Even after becoming the Man of Steel, Clark Kent continued his work as a reporter, enjoying the challenge posed him by rivals Lois Lane, Perry White, and others. In time, he became one of the most respected reporters in America. As a result, when the Earth-2 Clark allowed Superman to scale back his activities in the 1950s to marry Lois Lane, Clark had time to concentrate on his career as a journalist.
When the villainous Wizard cast a spell on Superman, forcing him to forget his heroic persona, the more assertive Clark allowed Lois to give him a second look – and romance blossomed. They dated, leading to his proposal and ultimately their marriage. During the honeymoon, Lois discovered Clark's secret and forced the Wizard to undo the spell (Action Comics #484, June 1978). The Earth-2 Batman, and later his wife Selina Kyle, were close friends of the Kents.
Upon Daily Star editor in chief George Taylor's retirement in the early 1950s, he proposed a competition between Kent and veteran reporter Perry White for his job. Perry proved the better reporter by a nose but, ironically, lost out to Clark because Taylor believed the better reporter should remain in that role rather than being tied down to a desk (Superman Family #196, November-December 1979). As Clark moved into the editor's office, Superman slipped into semi-retirement, a condition that he continued for many years.
Accounts of the Earth-1 Superman and subsequent incarnations saw Clark Kent being raised on his foster parents' farm outside Smallville (Superman [first series] #152, April 1962; others). When Clark was still a toddler, the Kents decided it made sense to live closer to town. Jonathan sold the farm to Alex and Lila Crowley (Superboy [first series] #196, July 1973) and bought a general store (Adventure Comics #149, February 1950; Superboy [first series] #6, January-February 1950; others) from Whizzer Barnes (Superman: Last Son of Krypton, 1978).
The youth attended elementary and high school in Smallville, where he met his lifelong friends Lana Lang (Superboy [first series] #10, September-October 1950) and Pete Ross (Superboy [first series] #86, January 1961). Once Clark graduated from high school, Jonathan and Martha chose to take their first extended vacation, a trip to the Caribbean Islands. While there, they found Pegleg Morgan's 1717 diary leading to a treasure chest; by touching its contents, both contracted a rare tropical disease that proved fatal (Superman [first series] #161, May 1963). Hours after Martha passed away, Jonathan managed to speak with Clark before dying, reminding his son always to use his powers for the benefit of the world. After the funeral, Clark left Smallville for good (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961).
An orphan once more to eighteen, Clark Kent buried his parents, intending to sell the family home, attend college, and eventually move to Metropolis. Years later, in an act of friendship, Pete Ross tried to have the house condemned and razed to protect its secrets, but he changed his mind when he saw how much it meant to Clark (Superman [first series] #270, December 1973). Clark did quietly leave Smallville, though it was a much bigger affair for his costumed alter ego, with the entire town turning out to wish him well. The population assembled in formation so that from Superboy's point of view in the sky overhead, they spelled out FAREWELL SUPERBOY, WE'LL NEVER FORGET YOU! Superboy returned with the world's largest cake and made certain every citizen had a slice. Most were said to be preserved as souvenirs (Superman [first series] #97, May 1955).
While attending Metropolis University, Clark started to think of himself as Superman, beginning when he need to evade a lie-detector test conducted by Professor Thaddeus V. Maxwell (Superman [first series] #125, November 1958). To the general public, he was still considered Superboy while he was in college (Superman: The Secret Years #1-4, February-May 1985). At this time, he had already decided upon a career in journalism (Action Comics #144, May 1950).
This Earth-1 Clark landed a job at the Metropolis Daily Planet, where he formed a circle of friends including editor Perry White, reporter Lois Lane, and cub reporter Jimmy Olsen. His childhood sweetheart, Lana Lang, reentered his life, working briefly at the Planet before joining TV station WMET and later working with him t WGBS. While Clark was a seasoned reporter, he was put before the camera first as a field reporter and later as an anchor when Morgan Edge's Galaxy Communications bought the Daily Planet (Superman [first series] #233, January 1971). The scheduling demands of television news reporting encroached on his ability to function as Superman spontaneously, but he was eventually allowed to do some reporting for the Planet in addition to his TV work and regained a measure of freedom. Clark remained a good friend, a good neighbor, and a likable guy despite his retiring demeanor.
The Clark Kent in the post-Crisis reality developed his powers later, and as a result his personality was more outgoing. Because this Clark never became Superboy, he did not see the need, in adolescence, to develop the timid, reticent characterization for Clark that his Earth-1 counterpart used to distinguish his two personae. Consequently, he felt free to explore and exploit his natural athleticism, becoming the quarterback for the Smallville High football team (Man of Steel #1, October 1986). When he first began his crime-fighting career as Superman, he did so without a costume, and when the public adulation seemed to overwhelm him, he retreated. Ma and Pa Kent counseled him and helped him develop two separate identities, including donning glasses to create a new personality for Clark Kent and fashioning the costume he would wear as Superman.
This Clark was an accomplished reporter and bestselling novelist, easily winning a position with the Daily Planet when he landed the first accurate coverage of the arrival of this reality's Superman, earning him rival reporter Lois Lane's enmity for a time.
After the events of the Infinite Crisis, which split the single positive-matter universe into fifty-two parallel universes, Clark Kent was a normal twelve-year-old on New Earth – or, at least, he believed he was. After Pete Ross broke his arm trying to tackle Clark, the adolescent began to experience the manifestation of his powers, leading to a disastrous event involving his heat vision that nearly burned down the Kent barn. To Clark's relief, Ma and Pa devised a pair of glasses with special lenses (these, too, made from the rocket that brought him to Earth) that helped contain his heat vision in case it spontaneously activated again. And when he started to fly, his parents revealed the truth to their adopted son. Clark was frightened and confused when he was shown the rocket in which he'd landed on Earth. When he touched it, the Sunstone crystal was activated, giving the boy glimpses of life on Krypton, including holographic images of his birth parents.
Clark subsequently felt like an outsider, forced to hide his powers and who he truly was. He became uncomfortable around everyone, even the first girl he kissed – Lana Lang. Feeling literally alienated and , curiously, somewhat ashamed of his Kryptonian roots, he withdrew. He was forced into action and saved people from tornadoes, car accidents, and other disasters at super-speed. At such times he was an invisible blur, never revealing himself as the hero of the moment.
His adopted parents were the ones to help Clark embrace his Kryptonian descent, as anyone else on Earth would their ethnic background. After Clark's clothes continued to be ripped to shreds during his good deeds, Ma created a uniform based on the clothes the Kryptonians wore, adorned with the symbol of the House of El, thus creating his Superboy costume. But this Superboy was never seen by the public; he was a modern myth, like Bigfoot or the Men in Black. The tabloids called him “Super-Boy,” but no one truly believed he existed.
Clark eventually grew comfortable with being a man of two worlds – and the name Superman would come to mean exactly that to him (Superman: Secret Origin #1-6, November 2009-September 2010).
H. The Man Himself (as Superman)
Son after coming to work at the Star, the Earth-2 Clark Kent made his first appearance in costume as Superman and caused a sensation. He rapidly gained headlines for his work, which had as much to do with combating social injustice as fighting crime. He exposed corrupt politicians, unsafe work conditions, and illegal sports competitions while also preventing robbers, murderers, and racketeers from profiting.
At much the same time as costumed “mystery men” had taken to doling out vigilante justice in the name of law and order, the arrival of Superman captivated first a nation and then the world. As if in response to his arrival, more deadly criminal scientist and costumed foes emerged, beginning with the Ultra-Humanite and Luthor, followed soon after by the masked criminal the Archer.
Superman chose not to intervene in World War II, letting men settle their differences rather than using his powers to mold a world in his image. He did, however, let Clark Kent comply when drafted, but when he reported for his physical, Kent flunked by using his X-ray vision powers to read a chart from another room (Superman [first series] #25, November-December 1943). Instead Superman remained active in America, stopping spies and saboteurs in addition to working to raise money through war bond sales. His very presence was a morale booster when the nation needed it most.
As the war wound down, a new breed of threat arrived in the form of the magical prankster Mr. Mxyzptlk, followed by the annoying Prankster and J. Wilbur Wolfingham. The Toyman proved a greater challenge with his uncanny ability to escape prison, but even his crime sprees were easy to contain.
Traveling through time to trace the path of a mysterious meteorite he later called kryptonite, the Earth-2 Superman learned of the existence of Jor-L and Lora and the fact that he was their son (Superman [first series] #53, July-August 1948). Soon after, Lex Luthor learned of kryptonite and escalated his campaign to destroy the Man of Steel.
By the early 1950s, Communist paranoia gripped the country, and the remaining members of the Justice Society of America chose to disband rather than reveal their identities to Congress's Joint Un-American Activities Committee. Time passed and with it came the discovery of parallel universes, which led to the JSA meeting their Earth-1 counterparts, the Justice League of America. After several of these meetings, the two Supermen finally met (Justice League of America [first series] #73, August 1969). The original Man of Steel returned to duty with grater regularity. Then came the spacecraft containing his cousin Kara, marking the first time the Earth-2 Superman met a fellow Kryptonian. As Power Girl, she was added to the ranks of the Justice Society, in which she fought alongside her cousin on numerous occasions (All Star Comics #58, January-February 1976; others).
Power Girl was given a home by cousin Clark Kent and his wife Lois Lane as she acclimated to life on Earth. With Kara here, the again Clark felt he could let Superman slip into permanent semi-retirement, and it was his endorsement that won her full membership in the legendary JSA (All Star Comics #64, January-February 1977).
This Superman returned to active duty only once more, when his entire reality was threatened during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Working with his Earth-1 counterpart, he led the combined forces of heroes and super-criminals drawn from across the five remaining positive-matter universes. The climax of the confrontation left a single positive-matter universe, and there appeared room for just one Last Son of Krypton. Alexander Luthor, Junior, of Earth-3 offered Superman and his wife Lois a home: a crystalline limbo realm that existed in some other reality. The couple accepted and, with a wink, left the known universe in his younger counterpart's hands (Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, March 1986). For a complete accounting of the Earth-2 Superman’s experiences beyond this point in time, see Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis).
On Earth-1, Clark was conscious of protecting the secret of his powers and was conflicted about what to do.
And so, at first, he donned the costume but moved quickly, becoming a red-and-blue blur to the citizens of Smallville, but gradually began letting himself be seen. Slowly, the town came to accept that a powerful young hero lived among them. He caught a robber and introduced himself to the gaping police officers as “Superboy, foe of all criminals” (Superman [first series] #144, April 1961). According to one account, this first exploit occurred when he was eight years old (The New Adventures of Superboy #1, January 1980).
Over time, Clark realized he need a variety of ways to protect his secret identity. Thus he dug a tunnel from the house at 321 Maple Street to an exit outside the town, in addition to tone that connected the Kent house to the general store where he worked after school. The basement also became the place where he kept several trophies and devices such as the Phantom Zone projector (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961). After he built the series of Superboy Robots, several of them were kept in the basement as well.
The Kents insisted Clark maintain a normal civilian life as much as time and circumstance allowed. In addition to doing chores around the house and attending school, they wanted him to have a circle of friends and to work like so many other teens, to learn the value of money and honest effort.
Despite the fame that came with being a hero, there were times Clark still felt isolated, different from other boys and girls. As a result, he was thrilled beyond belief when a rocket arrived containing his childhood pet Krypto. Under Earth's sun, the dog developed superpowers and increased intelligence; soon he began joining his master on missions (Adventure Comics #210, March 1955). In time, Superboy began to meet other survivors from Krypton and found other artifacts that survived the planet's destruction, all of which helped him develop a keener insight into his heritage.
Through the years, the young Superboy periodically encountered other superpowered teenagers, generally heroes from other worlds, and fate inevitably turned each new encounter into a friendship. Consequently, the Boy of Steel's invitation to join the thirtieth century's Legion of Super-Heroes had a transformative effect on the young hero, allowing him the opportunity to form lasting bonds with other young people with powers like his own. Superboy was also encouraged by Time-Viewer's glimpses of the near future, which revealed that kids he'd met in the present, such as Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne, would later fight at Superman's side as Green Arrow and Batman.
Given all these challenges, Clark began to put into practice the lessons his adoptive parents had been teaching him since he was a toddler, Jonathan worked with him to help develop his powers and use them for the greater good, while Martha concentrated on making him a good friend and citizen. As a result, he adopted a personal code that precluded taking another person's life.
Yet Clark continued to fret that he would let people down by not being on duty at all hours of the day and night. He found himself offering explanations out of guilt (Superboy [first series] #89, June 1961).
What may have caused emotional pain, however, was Superboy's first encounter with other survivors of Krypton, beginning with Klax-Ar (Superboy [first series] #67, September 1958). Soon after, he learned of his father's discover of the Phantom Zone and began meeting its criminal inhabitants such as Jax-Ur (Adventure Comics #289, October 1961).
As the boy became a teen and was verging on adulthood, the passage of time seemed tedious, Krypto apparently vanished into outer space, returning in the grip of old age until a fountain of youth restored his vigor (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #29, June 1958).
After his adventurous experiences at college, such as making and losing friends and falling in love with Lori Lemaris, who turned out to be a mermaid from Atlantis (Superman [first series] #129, May 1959), Clark once more defeated a scheme by Lex Luthor, and the Daily Planet began referring to him as Superman. Clark at twenty-one and a junior in college was done with being the Teen of Steel (Superman: The Secret Years #4, May 1985).
Superman's exploits led him to help form the Justice League of America and act as mentor to one newly arrived hero after another. Superman formed a close relationship with Batman and Robin, sharing countless adventures with them, with the trio entrusting one another with their secret identities. The two men impersonated each other on several occasions to help preserve their alter egos.
The Man of Steel's enemies grew in number as threats on Earth and from outer space arrived with surprising regularity.
The biggest change in the life of the pre-First Crisis Earth-1 Superman came soon after, in the form of the arrival of a second rocket from Krypton, this one containing his cousin Kara Zor-El. He welcomed her to Earth and helped her craft a human identity, that of orphan Linda Lee, so that he could secretly train her in the use of her newly acquired powers before introducing her to the world. When he deemed her ready, Superman proudly introduced his cousin to the world, with celebrations occurring around the planet, from sunken Atlantis to the United Nations.
With his accomplishments dating back to his days as Superboy, his reputation had spread from world to world. Many came to Earth hoping to best the Man of Steel and make their reputations. All left in defeat.
Time and again, though, his most persistent nemesis turned out to be his onetime friend from Smallville, Lex Luthor. They met as fellow high school students and formed a friendship that included the Teen of Steel building the young aspiring scientist a laboratory. Lex was conducting experiments to try to find a cure for kryptonite when there was an accident and the lab caught fire. Superboy arrived and used his mighty breath to blow out the blaze, but the toxic fumes caused Lex to lose his hair – and blame the hero for his premature baldness. Thereafter, Lex tried again and again to crush the Action Ace, but with little success. Their battles were legendary and, in their adult years, even moved beyond Earth and into space, where Lex discovered a world that wound up hailing him as a hero and renaming itself Lexor in his honor.
The Superman of Earth-1 never allowed himself to pursue romance and marriage despite the numerous opportunities. He always feared that if his enemies discovered he had a spouse, she would become their target. As a result, he was linked to Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Lori Lemaris most often, but it was always Lois who seemed destined to become his wife if he were ever to marry. At one point, when he was being manipulated by an alien named Xviar, Clark briefly stopped operating as Superman and wooed Lois as Clark, consummating a long-simmering relationship. But their romance eventually ran its course, and they remained “just friends.”
The discovery of parallel worlds led to frequent meetings between the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Supermen. On one occasion, they formed an alliance when Ultraman, their criminal counterpart from Earth-3, partnered with the Lex Luthor of Earth-1 and the red-haired Alexei Luthor of Earth-2 to destroy both heroes. Soon after, they reunited during the events of the First Crisis and Infinite Crisis.
After the First Crisis, a “reborn” Superman arrived in Metropolis as an adult, and the world was shocked by his existence but delighted to welcome him. His plainclothes rescue of an experimental space-plane (whose passengers included reporter Lois Lane) created a sensation and prompted him to formally adopt a costume alter ego, soon dubbed Superman by the news media.
In the wake of Superman’s public debut, Morgan Edge and his underling Bruno Mannheim began to form the criminal organization that became Intergang. The Metropolis Police Department organized its Metropolis S.C.U. (Special Crimes Unit) under the leadership of Captain Maggie Sawyer and Inspector Dan Turpin (The Adventures of Superman Annual #7, 1995). Superman also had his first encounter with the supernatural when he joined Doctor Occult in battling the Cult of Thahn (Superman [second series] Annual #7, July 1995).
Soon afterward, the Man of Steel of this reality was first exposed to entities of cosmic origins by an encounter with the Forever People of New Genesis (Jack Kirby's Fourth World #20, October 1998). When he was later captured and brought to Apokolips by Amazing Grace, the Man of Steel came to fully understand the dire nature of the threat Darkseid would pose in the coming years (Superman [second series] #3; The Adventures of Superman #426; Action Comics #586 – all March 1987).
Superman also learned of other realms when he encountered the Superboy from the Pocket Universe, a devious plot on behalf of the Time Trapper. Superman met the Legion of Super-Heroes, champions from what would ultimately be revealed as an alternated time line (Superman [second series] #8, and Action Comics #591 – both August 1987). Not long afterward, he met a being called Supergirl who whisked him to the Pocket Universe in which she was created. She was actually Matrix, a clone of that universe's Lana Lang, created by a more benign version of Lex Luthor. There Superman discovered a dead planet, scorched and slaughtered by three villains native to the Pocket Universe. Superman meted out a kryptonite death sentence to General Zod, Quex-Ul, and Zaora, to prevent them from ever entering the universe (Superman [second series] #21-22, September-October 1988; The Adventures of Superman #444, September 1988).
As the Man of Tomorrow continued to protect Earth's interests from super-criminals and supernatural menaces, he felt guilt over some of his more extreme, though necessary, actions. This remorse preyed on him until he decided to exile himself from Earth for a year. After saying goodbye to friends and family, he took to the stars, where was taken prisoner on Warworld, the home base of the tyrannical Mongul. There he met the ancient Cleric, who recounted stories of old Krypton and revived the Man of Steel's flagging spirits. After dealing a crushing blow to Mongul, Superman returned to Earth with a Kryptonian device called the Eradicator.
His cosmic odyssey over, Superman became entangled in the war between demonic siblings Blaze and Lord Satanus. He managed to visit Hell to plead for the lives of Jimmy Olsen and Jerry White, but returned with just Jimmy. In the aftermath, Superman met the cosmic entity called Kismet, who described herself as a crossroads between chaos and order (The Adventures of Superman #494, September 1992).
The Man of Steel finally met his match when Doomsday rampaged across the eastern United States, inflicting grave injuries on members of the Justice League of America. Superman managed to subdue the creature in Metropolis but at the apparent cost of his own life. A stunned nation went into mourning (Superman: The Man of Steel #18-19, December 1992-January 1993; Justice League of America #69, December 1992; Superman [second series] #74-74, December 1992-January 1993; The Adventures of Superman #497-498, December 1992-1993; Action Comics #684, December 1992-January 1993). The majority of Earth's heroes turned out for Superman's funeral, and his absence was sorely felt. His body was also stolen by Project Cadmus for experimentation (Superman: The Man of Steel #20; Superman [second series] #76 – both February 1993).
A confluence of events sustained a spark of life in Superman's body, culminating with the Eradicator's attempt to take possession of it. Unable to do so, the Eradicator was still able to use the body as a model for its own attempts to reshape itself into humanoid form, and rushed Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where Kal-El began a slow recovery within a Kryptonian healing matrix (Action Comics #692, October 1993). Four men emerged in Metropolis, each claiming the mantle of Superman – the confused, emotionless Eradicator, the armored Steel, Project Cadmus's alleged teenage clone of Superman, and the Cyborg Superman, more machine than man (The Adventures of Superman #500, Early June 1993; others).
Secretly allied with Mongul, the Cyborg Superman set into motion the destruction of Coast City, instantly killing more than seven million people and unleashing massive earthquakes along the West Coast (Superman [second series] #80, August 1993). The Cyborg soon revealed himself as Hank Henshaw, intent on transforming Earth into a new Warworld (Superman [second series] #81, September 1993). Emerging from his incubation chamber, Superman returned to the United States, joining Steel; the Eradicator; Kon-El, the “Metropolis Kid”; and Green Lantern in a final assault on the so-called Engine City (The Adventures of Superman #504, September 1993; Action Comics #691, September 1993; Superman [second series] #82, September 1993; Superman: The Man of Steel #26, October 1993).
Later, Superman's intensifying powers grew out of control, ultimately requiring the Parasite to drain off his excessive energy (Superman: The Man of Steel #33; Superman [second series] #89; The Adventures of Superman #512 – all May 1994). Fully restored, he was ready once again to defend the city he had come to love.
Aiding Superman in his attempt to bring down Lex Luthor once and for all was Lois Lane, who exposed “Luthor II” as the original and presented evidence of his other wrongdoings. An infuriated Luthor vowed to use hidden weapons to destroy Metropolis; when he vacillated, his assistant Sydney Happerson triggered them. Despite Superman's efforts, much of his beloved city was leveled (Action Comics #700, June 1994). Using the memories of Superman and Perry White as a key components, the magician Zatanna cast a spell that undid the devastation of Metropolis (The Adventures of Superman #522, April 1995).
The Man of Steel learned the value of friendship anew when he was taken captive and hauled into space before the alien Tribunal, which sentenced him to death because of the part his ancestor Kem-L had played in the destruction of Krypton. Steel, Superboy, Supergirl, the Eradicator, and the Alpha Centurion mounted a rescue mission (Superman: The Man of Steel #50-52, November 1995-January 1996; Superman [second series] #106-108, November 1995-January 1996; The Adventures of Superman #529-531, November 1995-January 1996; Action Comics #716-717, December 1995-January 1996; Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #3, Winter 1995).
There then came a period when Superman was not himself. A battle with a foe led to the Man of Steel being transformed into a being of pure energy, with powers to match. To contain his new form, Professor Emil Hamilton constructed a special containment suit (Superman [second series] #122-123, April-May 1997; Superman: The Man of Steel #67, April 1997). Superman evolved further when he was split into two energy beings, one red and one blue (Superman Red/Superman Blue #1, February 1998). Superman Red/Superman Blue expended all their energy in combating an attempt by a group of powerful super-criminals to destabilize the Earth's core. In doing so, Superman was reintegrated into a single being and regained his original powers (Superman: The Man of Steel #78-79, April-May 1998; Aquaman [fifth series] #43, April 1998; Challengers of the Unknown [fifth series] #15, April 1998; Superman [second series] #134-135, April-May 1998; Teen Titans [second series] #19, April 1998; Supergirl [fourth series] #20, April 1998; The Adventures of Superman #557, May 1998; Steel #50, May 1998; Action Comics #744, May 1998; Superman Forever #1, April-May 1998).
Superman created an army of Superman Robots to help him protect the world (Superman [second series] #143, April 1999; others). Convinced that he'd finally stepped over the line, the JLA, United Nations forces, and Lex Luthor made an all-out attempt to stop the Man of Steel, resulting in the destruction of the Fortress of Solitude. Superman belatedly discovered that he'd been under the mental influence of the cosmic entity Dominus and, after a fierce battle, trapped the villain in the Phantom Zone. The aftermath of this, though, meant that the world's governments began making covert plans to deal with Superman in the event that he again fell under someone else's control, something that would complicate his life in years to come.
Some time later, Green Lantern and Superman discovered that the planetoid Pluto had vanished and learned that their former colleague Maxima and the villain Massacre had formed an alliance with Darkseid in response to the encroachment of Imperiex (Superman [second series] #159, August 2000). The Imperiex War tested Earth's resolve and the fortitude of its costumed champions. Earth survived, but the devastation was massive, including the destruction of the Kent family farm. Worse, it was later discovered that Lex Luthor, then president of the United States, knew the threat was coming and did nothing to prepare the planet.
As a huge kryptonite meteor approached Earth, President Luthor accused superman of crimes against humanity. Ultimately, Superman and Batman exposed Luthor's duplicity and a secret deal he had made with Darkseid, culminating in his ouster from office and the destruction of Metropolis's LexCorp Tower. The meteor was ultimately shattered before striking Earth, but less lethal shards of kryptonite continued to enter the atmosphere in the following weeks (Superman/Batman #1-7, October 2003-April 2004).
Following the Infinite and Final Crises, and the resulting reinstatement of the multiverse as fifty-two parallel dimensions, many lives were altered, including that of the World's Greatest Super Hero. After he spent a year powerless – while slowly “recharging” his powers by continual exposure to Earth's yellow sun – and returned to his reporter's roots, Superman's powers eventually returned (Superman #650-653, May-August 2006).
The Man of Steel's life took a surprising turn when he encountered the young Kryptonian Lor-Zod, who had crashed to Earth and was being held by the American military. Once rescued, Kal-El brought the youth to live with him and Lois Lane in Metropolis. In time, it was learned that Lor-Zod was a refugee from the Phantom Zone and son of General Zod and his cruel consort Ursa. Lor-Zod was born in the material area of the Phantom Zone called Fort Rozz, where time actually passed and Lor-Zod aged to adolescence while suffering relentless abuse at the hands of his parents (Action Comics #851, August 2007). A compassionate Clark and Lois renamed him Christopher Kent helped him acclimate to his new life one Earth. Sadly, Chris was only a pawn in Zod's scheme for all the Phantom Zone criminals to be released on Earth, and he sacrificed his life on Earth to return to the Zone so that the criminals could never escape again.
Soon thereafter, Superman's help was requested by the new future's Legion of Super-Heroes. In their era of 3008, Earth's sun had artificially shifted from yellow to red. Rejected Earth born applicants the Justice League of Earth, with the goal of ridding the planet of alien influences. Their leader was Earth Man, who used a flawed interpretation of Superman's life story as a basis for his assertion that he derived his powers from “Mother Earth.” he urged the planetary government to secede from the United Planets. This future Justice League's efforts forced the alien-born Legionnaires to go into hiding, leading them to bring the real Superman across time from the twenty-first century to help. With his participation, the sun was restored to its natural state and the UP's impending attack on Earth was ended (Action Comics #858-863, October 2007-April 2008).
Soon after, Superman once more traveled to the thirty-first century, this time to aid the Legion and three of the parallel Earths opposing Superboy-Prime and his Legion of Super-Villains. The Man of Steel had hoped to reform the tortured teen, but came to realize that this was not possible (Final Crisis: Legion of 3 World #1-5, October 2008-September 2009).
In the New Earth reality, Superman also encountered a new version of Brainiac, a cold, calculating alien from Colu. Using androids, Brainiac sought samples of intelligent life on countless worlds, reducing them in size and keeping them aboard his massive starship, then eradicated the remainder of that world. When one such android encountered and fought Superman, it sent a sample of the hero's blood to Brainiac, and the alien was intrigued enough to travel to Earth. En route, however, he stopped to sample another planet's intelligent life, and there he and Superman met for the first time when the Man of Steel tried to stop him. Brainiac captured Superman, and once he arrived in Earth's orbit, he launched an assault on Metropolis. Superman managed to free himself, and while he and Supergirl were defending their adopted planet, Supergirl revealed that Brainiac was the one who had stolen Kandor decades before. The Man of Steel worked to stop one of Brainiac's planet-destroying missiles, while Superman subdued the Coluan. Thrown from his starship by Superman into a muddy swamp, Brainiac was subjected to millions of Earth's microorganisms, which paralyzed him. Superman then quickly rescued both Metropolis and Kandor, but in an act of spiteful revenge, Brainiac sent a missile to destroy the Kent farm. Jonathan Kent managed to save his wife Martha, but suffered a fatal heart attack while doing so. He died in Martha's arms, leaving Superman emotionally devastated. Despite having his mother an his beloved Lois to comfort him, Superman's enmity toward Brainiac burned bright in his heart.
Tempered with the loss of Jonathan Kent was the joy of being reunited with the thousands of kinsmen who had survived the destruction of Krypton. A delighted Superman offered to help them acclimate to their new homeworld, an offer that was sadly and largely ignored. Kandor's leaders turned out to be Zor-El and his wife Alura Zor-El, parents to Supergirl. They did agree, however, to a meeting with the president of the United States, a diplomatic gesture that was ruined when the monstrous “killing machine” Doomsday arrived. After he was dispatched, Zor-El decided that threats to Superman could also be threats to the newly relocated Kandorians. Kandorian troops were sent to remove such threats, which resulted in an assault on superman's foes at Stryker's Island Penitentiary. During the conflict, several humans were killed, and the world demanded that Kryptonians involved face justice for their actions.
Sensing a disaster brewing, General Samuel Lane, the former secretary of defense, began marshaling troops. He went so far as to bring Lex Luthor into his counsel, and the former president stole Brainiac's inert starcraft. Luthor then activated a robot army discovered in the bowels of the ship. During the distraction, Lane sent the super-criminals Metallo and Reactron into Kandor since both contained kryptonite withing their chests. They got close enough to manage to kill Zor-El (Action Comics #872 and Supergirl [fifth series] #36 – both February 2009).
Mad with grief, Alura took control of the Kandorian government and rejected any assimilation into Earth society, refusing to hand over her people. Led by the Guardian, members of the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America arrived over the city in the ope of setting things peacefully. Superman found himself caught in the middle of the conflict, unhappy with both sides. The standoff ended when the city – and the glacier it sat atop – were lifted into the sky. Scientist had managed to access some of Brainiac's technology and found a way to move Kandor. They entered space where, directly opposite of Earth's orbit, they fashioned a new planet using Kryptonian crystal-growth technology, and dubbed it New Krypton (Action Comics #873, March 2009; others).
Alura insisted Supergirl remain with her as their people settled with their new world. At first, she rejected Superman, but later she offered him a place within Kryptonian society. He initially turned the opportunity down but then reconsidered after Alura freed General Zod and other criminals from the Phantom Zone (Superman #684, March 2009).
Deciding he needed to keep apprised of the real plans of his people, Superman decided to essentially go undercover on New Krypton, saying good-bye to his wife Lois Lane and his adopted mother Martha Kent, ostensibly taking up permanent residence there as Kal-El. Superman helped free Mon-El from the disintegrating Phantom Zone and charged him with looking after Metropolis in his absence (Superman #685, April 2009; others).
Kal-El arrived on New Krypton and was given a place at Zod's side in the Military Guild by his Aunt Alura. As Commander El, he worked with the elite red Shard group, where he trained the soldiers to fight using their new superpowers thanks to earth's yellow sun. He also showed them more peaceful ways to solve problems and defuse tense situations. His presence on New Krypton and his commendable galactic reputation helped to eliminate any suspicions the Green Lantern Corps had over so many superpowered beings living on one world when they visited the fledgling planet. Kal-El himself, however, was concerned by the secret caches of weapons Zod had been stockpiling. When Kal-El sided with the Corps against Zod, he was arrested and tried for treason (Superman: World of New Krypton #1-4, May-August 2009). During the trial, Kal-El was offered a chance to escape from prison – a trap set by Zod – but Kal-El refused. When he was found guilty and sentenced to death, Zod personally intervened and saw Kal-El pardoned, the son of Jor-El having passed his test.
Later that day Zod was shot in an assassination attempt, and Kal-El was named the Military Guild commander while Zod slowly recovered from his wounds. As Kal-El investigated the crime, his chief suspect, Ral-Dar, escaped prison and fled to Earth, forcing Kal to follow as Superman. He and Supergirl pursued Ral-Dar, and while on Earth, the Man of Steel was brought up to date on what his friends and loved ones were doing to blunt Project 7734's increasingly dangerous actions. Superman had sent Supergirl and Mon-El after Ral-Dar, who turned out to be working with General Lane to undermine his own people. Superman traveled to the European country of Markovia to prevent Ral-Dar from assassinating the president of the United States, but was hampered by General Lane's men firing at himself and Ral-Dar. When one struck the renegade Kandorian, Superman was finally able to apprehend him (Superman: World of New Krypton #5-6, September-October 2009; Action Comics #880; Supergirl [fifth series] #44; Superman #691 – all October 2009).
Kal-El's return to New Krypton was well-timed, as he was able to argue against Officer Gor's proposal to the Council that attacking Earth before they were surely attacked was the wisest course of action. Zod rose from his sick bay bed and sided with Kal-El, promoting him to general and giving him full authority over the Military Guild. Any decisions were forestalled when word reached the Council that a Kryptonian spacecraft tasked with retrieving Callisto, a moon near Jupiter that would serve as New Krypton's, was attacked by Thanagarian war ships. Kal-El led a squad of his troops against the Thanagarians, who aggressively defended Jupiter's sovereign rights. When the main Thanagarian warship was damaged, Kal-El rescued its crew, earning a measure of respect from its commander. Just as the moon Callisto was placed in orbit around New Krypton, the Council was approached by a defiant J'Emm, leader of the Saturnian people. His displeasure at the impertinent new neighbors was tempered when Kal-El intervened, prevailing on their past associations to prove his sincerity. No sooner did the Saturnian delegation return to space than a Council member was found murdered, the human adventurer Adam Strange standing over the body. Thankfully, Kal-El believed his ally's explanation that the Zeta Beam transporting Strange from his adopted world of Rann back to Earth erroneously deposited him at the crime scene. Strange used his keen intellect to aid the murder investigation, which led to the increasingly restless Labor Guild (Superman: World of New Krypton #7-10, November 2009-February 2010).
The mysterious assassin then tried to kill Alura, but her assistant, Lyra Kam-Par, was killed instead, derailing a clear investigation. Kal-El and Adam Strange were less certain about the Labor Guild being driven to kill just to get their grievances heard. Their investigation trail led Strange and Kal-El to discover a hidden base where aliens were being slaughtered for their silvery skins to be used as weapons coating. Kal-El was furious and disgusted at this and angered that Zod had kept it all hidden. Gor, under Zod's orders, tried to kill Kal-El and Adam Strange, the latter of whom teleported them out of harm's way. Once Strange returned to earth, Kal-El was free to finish piecing together the conspiracy to destabilize new Krypton's government. He finally pieced it together and made a visit to Councilor Wri-Qin, who admitted to partnering with General Lane in exchange for ruling New Krypton in the aftermath of the inevitable war between the two planets (Superman: World of New Krypton #11-12, March-April 2010).
Any hope of thwarting the conflict was interrupted by the arrival of Brainiac's massive starship, which had returned to reclaim the world Superman stole from him. The Coluan criminal's arrival began a series of events that proved his thirty-first-century descendant Brainiac 5 correct. Should Brainiac succeed in killing Superman, it would cause time to unravel and shatter all of reality. To forestall this, Brainiac 5 dispatched the Legion Espionage Squad back in time, where they disguised themselves as members of the Metropolis Science Police, poised to act with future Legionnaire Mon-El when required. Similarly, in Smallville, Conner Kent learned his high school science teacher was really Element Lad (Superman #697, April 2010; Adventure Comics #511, Early May 2010).
While Superboy, Supergirl, Mon-El, and the Legionnaires traveled to New Krypton, the Kandorians were in a panic. Guild affiliations and a strict caste system led to distrust and a distinct lack of cooperation, which hampered Kal-El, Zod, and the Military Guild's efforts to defend the world. As a result, hundreds of Kandorians died needlessly, and Kal-El realized Zod's approach to New Krypton's defense was all wrong. He resigned his commission and once more became Superman. He then accessed Brainiac's ship through a weakness in its forcefield and confronted Brainiac once inside. However, he was quickly weakened by a kryptonite-wielding Lex Luthor.
At the same time, the alien telepath Tellus informed Supergirl that her cousin was in distress, leading Mon-El to fly to his mentor's rescue. Back on board his vessel, Brainiac informed Superman that he was keeping the Man of Steel alive to witness Kandor being recaptured, the Coluan's revenge for Superman making him feel an emotion. However, Superman summoned all his strength and broke free, but was stopped when Lex Luthor threatened to destroy a bottled city with his gun. As Luthor fired a shot, Mon-El arrived and deflected the bullet – the very destiny he felt he escaped the Phantom Zone to accomplish. By this point, Supergirl, Superboy, Chameleon Boy, Matter Eater Lad, and Element Lad had breached Brainiac's vessel just as Brainiac 5 arrived from the future. Although they managed to save the Lanothians, a race of powerful telepaths, Brainiac not only fled with his cities, but had once again reduced Kandor and rebottled it as well, claiming his victory. Superman was weakened by a blast of red solar energy and rescued by a mechanical Brainiac drone that was controlled by the Legionnaire Quislet.
During this time, Zod and his forces managed to reverse engineer Brainiac's equipment and found a way to enlarge themselves and attack Brainiac anew. While Zod and Brainiac fought hand to hand, Luthor's true plan became obvious as he enlarged a bottle city within Brainiac's hip, intending to destroy both the vessel and Kandor in the process. When Brainiac emerged from the wreckage of his ship, he found Luthor and confronted him, snapping his neck. But this Luthor had been one of Toyman's android constructions, while the real Luthor was kept safely out of harm's way. Sadly, Kandor had once more suffered many dead and wounded, the city shattered (Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1-3, May-June 2010; Supergirl [fifth series] #51 and Superman #698 – both May 2010; Adventure Comics #513, June 2010).
Superman then returned to New Krypton to find in Military Installation KV-246, buried one mile beneath the planet's surface. The two Kryptonians confronted each other, only to be interrupted when it was learned General Zod had already ordered his military forces to attack Earth. At the same time, Alura was torturing the captured Reactron for intelligence about Project 7734. However, the villain was a plant for General Lane and literally detonated, causing seismic shifts all around the artificial world and destroying it completely. Thousands of Kandorians, including Alura, perished. The devastated and enraged Kryptonians began their war against Earth in earnest. A squadron flew to Mars to clear it of General Lane's Human Defense Corps forces while others flew all around Earth, destroying capital cities and killing countless leaders, statesmen, and citizens. Superman, aided by his allies in the meta-human community, defended Earth. Superboy sent Krypto to the Fortress of Solitude to fetch the Phantom Zone Projector, and together they circled the globe, consigning all the remaining Kryptonians to the re-formed Phantom Zone, which came at the sacrifice of Christopher Kent's ability to remain in the corporeal world. In the end, as was inevitable, the battle came down to Superman versus Zod in the skies over Metropolis. While brutal, the outcome was not in doubt as Kal-El proved once more why he was the World's Greatest Super Hero, besting his father's enemy and returning him to the Phantom Zone. Superman then took off in search of Lois Lane, who had been kidnapped by her sister Lucy and taken to their father in one of his secret bunkers. Once it became clear that his project 7734 was defeated, General Lane took his own life rather than face a trial and humiliation for his unpardonable crimes. Clark Kent stood beside his wife at the funeral as a new day of peace dawned. The planet – as well as Superman and those he loved – began healing and rebuilding, comforted in the knowledge that Superman was saddened to find himself once more the Last Son of Krypton, he knew he would never be truly alone as long as his beloved Lois was beside him (Superman: War of the Supermen #0-4, June-July 2010).
I. The Women of the Chronicles
1. Relationship with Lois Lane
The Lois Lane of Earth-2 first encountered the Man of Steel when he was the newly hired Clark Kent at the Daily Star. Assigned to the same story, they dined and danced that night, but it was clear she had little interest in the mild-mannered new-comer. Instead she fell in love at first sight when she spotted the colorfully clad Superman (Action Comics #1, June 1939). Since then, Lois, Clark, and Superman have had one of the most enduring and frustrating romances ever chronicled. While Lois loved superman, and he seemed to reciprocate those feelings more often than not, she had little use for Clark, going so far as to dupe her colleague repeatedly in an effort to scoop him. “That gal's a natural for getting involved in mischief, but that's just what I like about her,” thought Superman (Action Comics #27, August 1940).
When not repeatedly rescuing the plucky reporter, he was avoiding her attempts to figure out his real identity, which she persisted in believing was Clark Kent although she could never prove it.
On Earth-2, it took Clark more than a decade to finally propose to Lois. They married but never had children. Instead their love burned brightly until old age eventually claimed her (Infinite Crisis #6, May 2006).
In her trademark pillbox hat, the Earth-1 Lois Lane proved more fickle as she pined for Superman but wound up romancing many other men from across space and time. In the end, though, she continued to prefer landing the Action Ace as her spouse and seemed willing to wait.
The post-First Crisis Lois was a more self-sufficient woman, and while she loved Superman, she was not about to throw herself into danger just for a quick rescue. It took time for Lois and the Man of Steel to admit their feelings for each other, then act on them. Even then, it was Clark Kent who proposed, it was some time after she accepted that he revealed his true identity to her. He wanted to be sure that Lois could love him for the man he was beneath the charismatic, colorful persona of Superman. While this pleased her, she called off the engagement for a time when she felt Superman was prepared to let her die rather than allow the Joker to remain at large (Action Comics #719-720, March-April 1996).
However, the couple soon reconciled and married, enjoying their life together when the Man of steel managed to whisk them off to private locations where they could enjoy time alone undisturbed. Lois became Clark's sounding board and conscience, his cheerleader and his taskmaster, helping him keep his priorities in order. As Mrs. Kent, she also consistently helped cover for Clark when duty called for Superman, and the two enjoyed a deep bond that grew stronger each year.
2. Relationship with Lana Lang
They were childhood sweethearts, and it's said that one never forgets one's first love. Clark Kent and Lana Lang grew up as next-door neighbors in Smallville, attending elementary, junior, and senior high school together. While they were best fiends, there was never a romantic spark between them – yet Lana's heart was devoted to Superboy. Much like Lois Lane, Lana spent her time trying to prove the Teen of Steel and young Clark were one and the same.
As an adult, the Earth-1 Lana arrived in Metropolis to work at WMET and was immediately a rival to Lois Lane for Superman’s affection. She and Lois became close friends while maintaining that rivalry, which could be alternately friendly and fierce. In time, however, Lana recognized that she could never win Superman's heart and moved on, ironically finding romance for a time with Clark.
The post-Crisis Lana loved Clark Kent and was stunned when he revealed his great secret and announced that he was leaving her an Smallville behind. Although they never dated as adults, she carried a constant torch for Clark, despite marrying and later divorcing their mutual friend from Smallville, Pete Ross. Indeed, Lana named her son Clark in honor of her old friend. Lang nevertheless managed to eventually find her own path, briefly running LexCorp when Lex Luthor was ousted and later temporarily working alongside Kent as business editor at the Daily Planet.
3. Relationship with Lori Lemaris
While Clark Kent grew up surrounded by attractive girls at Smallville High School, he rarely had a steady girlfriend or passionate romance. That all changed when, while attending Metropolis University, he fell for the wheelchair-bound Lori Lemaris, whose presumably useless legs remained concealed under a blanket at all times. Her mysterious comings and goings, however, aroused Clark's suspicions, and he followed her one day, only to learn that she was actually a mermaid who hailed from the undersea city-state of Atlantis. At that point, it became clear that she could never enter into a long-term relationship with Clark, much as she longed to (Superman [first series] #129, May 1959).
Lori's telepathic powers told her Clark's secret and she kept it, becoming a true friend to Superman. While there remained a romantic spark between them, she wound up marrying Ronal, a doctor who saved her life, and she knew that Superman's heart belonged to someone else – Lois Lane.
An iteration of Lori Lemaris was incarnated on the post-First Crisis Earth, and their relationship remained largely unchanged.
4. Relationship with Wonder Woman
Prior to the First Crisis, Superman and Wonder Woman were never anything more than friends and colleagues in the Justice League. After the Crisis, however, the new Wonder Woman who emerged in that reality captivated the Man of Steel's mind when she burst on the scene during a pitched battle between the super heroes and the forces from Apokolips (Legends #6, April 1987). The two were drawn to each other but their once attempt at dating proved disastrous (Action Comics #600, May 1988), and they agreed to remain close friends. Over time, they became incredibly close friends, sharing wisdom that only experience as warriors could bring.
The Infinite Crisis appeared to have altered their relationship so that, while the world saw incredible sexual chemistry between the Amazon princess and the Man of Steel, they were colleagues and nothing more.
5. Relationship with Other Women
The Earth-1 Superman had several passionate affairs with women other than Lois Lane. A time-traveling Man of Steel journeyed to Krypton and fell for actress Lyla Lerrol. Had circumstances been different, the two might well have remained together (Superman [first series] #156, October 1962).
On another occasion, exposure to red kryptonite robbed the Man of Steel of his memory and powers, and he was taken in by Sally Selwyn and her logger father. The two fell in love and wanted to make a life together, but jealous rival and the return of Clark's memory meant it was destined not to be (Superman [first series] #165, November 1963).
The post-Crisis Superman was desired by many women, with Maxima, and the queen of Almerac, even coming from her homeworld to Earth to marry him, weather the Man of Steel liked it or not (Action Comics #645, September 1989).
J. The Relationship with the Law Enforcement Establishment
For years, Superman worked with all forms of law enforcement, including the police, the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, the FBI, the Treasury Department, the Secret Service, and several U.S. Presidents.
The Earth-2 Superman, early on, was viewed with suspicion by the Metropolis police force (Action Comics #6, November 1938; others) and became a particular target for Sergeant Casey. Fairly quickly, however, the police welcomed his assistance and soon came to rely on it (Superman [first series] #17, July-August 1942). Almost every other nation in the world allowed the Man of Steel entry in pursuit of justice.
On Earth-1, Superboy introduced himself to Smallville's police officers as he made his first arrest (Superman [first series] #144, April 1961). He worked with several police chiefs, but forged an especially deep and long-lasting bond with Douglas Parker.
At the United Nations in New York City, the Metropolis Marvel was given a special “golden certificate” granting him unfettered access to enter and leave member countries without a visa and was even authorized to make arrests.
For a brief period, the Metropolis police summoned Superman with a “super-signal,” or by means of a large loudspeaker mounted atop the roof of police headquarters (Superman [first series] #114, July 1957).
As a member of the various incarnations of the Justice League of America, Superman had additional authority to cross international waters or airspace with the ability to make arrests.
K. The Relationship to the Super Hero Community
1. Justice Society of America
On November 9, 1940, British intelligence asked Earth-2's Flash and Green Lantern to investigate rumor's of a possible German invasion. The heroes wound up captured and shipped to Adolf Hitler, who intended to kill them using the mystic Spear of Destiny. They were instead rescued by their fellow super heroes Doctor Fate and Hourman. The rescue and escape prompted President Franklin Roosevelt to suggest that the heroes band together. The heroes consented and the Justice Society of America was formed, with Superman and Batman accepting honorary membership (All Star Comics #3, Winter 1940; origin revealed in DC Special #29, August-September 1977).
In the wake of America's introduction into World War II, President Roosevelt beseeched all of America's costumed crime fighters to help defend the country's shores as the All-Star Squadron (All-Star Squadron #1, September 1981; others). The JSA itself, whose members served jointly in their own team and the All-Stars, was renamed the Justice Battalion of America for the duration of the war (All Star Comics #11, June-July 1942). Though a participant in All-Star Squadron adventures, Superman was a comparative nonpresence with the 1940s JSA save for a case in which he substituted for Johnny Thunder (All Star Comics #36, August-September 1947).
By the early 1950s, communist paranoia gripped the country and the remaining members of the JSA chose to disband rather than reveal their identities to Congress's Joint Un-American Activities Committee. By this point, only Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman still possessed the necessary clout and respect to remain active as super heroes without government interference (Adventure Comics #466, December 1979).
The Earth-2 Superman eventually went back to work with the JSA until he entered semi-retirement, with his cousin Power Girl acting as his replacement.
2. Justice League of America
On Earth-1, the arrival of combating aliens led seven of the planet's super heroes – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman – to band together for the first time. After the threat was ably handled, they agreed that remaining united made sense, and so the Justice League of America was born (The Brave and the Bold #28, February-March 1960; Justice League of America [first series] #9, February 1962).
In the wake of the First Crisis, Superman declined an invitation to join the young JLA, believing himself to already be overcommitted (Action Comics #650, February 1990). The Man of Steel subsequently fought alongside the team during an invasion from the planet Appellax (JLA: Year One #11-12, November-December 1998) and briefly agreed to serve as a full member, stepping back to reservist status following the team's defeat of the intelligent ape super-criminal Gorilla Grodd (JLA: Incarnations #2, August 2001). Nonetheless, Superman behaved as a full member in everything but name as the years passed, participating in scores of adventures. In the reality that formed following Infinite Crisis, Superman was once again regarded as a founding member of the League (Justice League of America [second series] #0, September 2006).
For an overview of Superman's relationship with his sometime ally-sometime opponent, the Dark Knight, see Batman.
3. Metropolis Allies
Given the demands on Superman's time, Metropolis was periodically left unwatched – and criminals always seemed to take advantage of the opportunities presented at those times. Eventually, however, the post-Crisis Superman gained several allies who chose to base themselves in his city.
The first of these was Matrix, the artificial life-form from the Pocket Universe who filled in for Superman when he exiled himself in space. Upon his return, Matrix became Supergirl and fought crime by the Man of Steel's side for a time. In the wake of Superman’s death, John Henry Irons emerged as Steel, working alongside the Cyborg Superman, the Eradicator, and the Metropolis Kid, the Kon-El/Conner Kent version of Superboy. Steel left for Washington and, later, New Jersey for a time after Superman's resurrection, but then permanently relocated to Metropolis to assist the Man of Steel as needed.
Rose Forrest fought the One Hundred as the Thorn and remained an active crime fighter in Metropolis. The Birds of Prey, led by Oracle (the former Batgirl, Barbara Gordon), briefly worked out of Metropolis, aiding Superman. The S.T.A.R. Corps and the Supermen of America also briefly worked to fill in for the Metropolis Marvel on occasion.
In the post-First Crisis reality, Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El actually arrived on Earth later than planned. In time, she came to live and work in Metropolis, forging her own identity and career – but she was always there when Superman needed her.
After the Infinite Crisis, when Superman left Earth to spend time on New Krypton, he departed secure in the knowledge that the city was in good hands. Not only was Supergirl patrolling the skies, but the newly established Science Police was led by the Guardian, and Superman personally asked Mon-El to perform his duties under the tutelage of the Guardian and Steel.
L. The Counterparts
1. Potential Future Versions
Glimpses of numerous potential futures on various parallel worlds have been documented, showing that the legacy of Superman would endure.
In one possible future, Clark Kent and Lois Lane married, becoming the parents of a daughter named Laura (Superman Family #200, March-April 1980) and a younger son named Jorel. Kalel Kent, the Superman of 2020, was the grandson of the Superman who fought crime in the floating city of New Metropolis (Superman [first series] #354, December 1980). The original Man of Steel was still alive, but superannuated, surviving along with his son Superman II (Jorel). The grandson adopted multiple secret identities to keep his real life private. He was Jon Hudson, a computer traffic controller, and Lewis Parker, a professional tennis player, among other unrecorded personae.
Several chronicles recorded the exploits of a Superman who operated in a thirtieth century apart from the one he visited as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Following the original template, that Man of Steel was secretly a mild-mannered telenews reporter for the Daily Solar System named Craig King (Action Comics #215, April 1956). He did not possess inherent superpowers but replicated the legendary hero's powers in 2956 through technology provided by scientists who felt a crime fighter was needed.
A different thirtieth-century Superman appeared in the chronicles, operating from 2965 to 2967. He was Klar Ken T5477, Ultra-News reporter for the Daily Interplanetary News and a descendant of the original Kryptonian. He was also a deputized agent on behalf of the Federation of Planets. He frequently opposed a yellow-skinned alien menace named Muto (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965; others). In time, Klar Ken allied himself with Bron Wayn E7705, the son of Batman XIX (World's Finest Comics #166, may 1967).
This future was altered slightly by the First Crisis and featured Klar Ken 5477, who debuted in 2999 (Superman [second series] #136, July 1998). The son of the eighteenth Superman, who died when apprehending his era's Luthor, he had a younger sister named Kara and enjoyed a super-heroic career for a time before confronting Muto. His future also had incarnations of Batman, Aquaman, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, a green-skinned Captain Marvel, the Flash, Green Arrow, Ms. Miracle, Starman, and the Green Lantern Corps.
A future time line culminating in the 853rd century detailed a Dynasty of Supermen beginning with Kal-El and extending though the years. Superman II was Jorel Kent (Superman [first series] #354, December 1980).
Superman Secundus operated in the twenty-first century and became the prime hero after the original Superman left Earth and was unseen for sixty-eight millennia (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
Superman III also operated in the twenty-first century, the grandson of the original and son of Superman II. He was credited with curing cancer (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965).
Dave Kent was the fourth Superman, most likely working in the twenty-second century (Action Comics #338, June 1966). A fifth hero was never named, but a memorial statue existed (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965).
A century later, Superman VI partnered now and then with the sixth Batman (World's Finest Comics #166, May 1967). The seventh Superman was Kanton K-73, whose identity was inadvertently exposed by his infant son (Action Comics #338, June 1966).
By the twenty-fourth century, Superman VIII had begun his crime-fighting career and was the inventor of the world's first dependable artificial eye (Superman [second series] #136, July 1998). He was followed in the chronicles by Superman IX, who worked with the twenty-fifth-century incarnation of the Justice League to battle the artificial intelligence Solaris. Apparently, at this point, there had not been a Superman based on Earth for more than a century (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
The next mentioned Superman was the twelfth version, whose genes were altered in the Pollution War, which included the use of atomic weapons. He and all descendants were vulnerable to contaminated seawater (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965; Superman [second series] #137, August 1998).
Superman XV and the Batman XV were known to have worked together in their era, which may have been the twenty-eighth century (World's Finest Comics #166, may 1967). The Superman and Justice league of the nearly twenty-ninth century and the time-traveling Legion of Super-Heroes had another encounter with Solaris (Superman : The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
Superman XVIII in the thirtieth century battled the telepathic threat of Muto and worked with Batman XIX (Action Comics #338, June 1966). He died while battling Luthor (Superman [second series] #136, July 1998). His son Superman XIX was Klar Ken T5477 and most frequently opposed Muto (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965; others). He was credited with being the founder of the Justice Alliance.
The chronicles next recorded a Superman XXX in the mid-thirty-fifth century (Superboy [first series] #120, April 1965). There was also the Superman of the thirty-eighth century, credited with rehabilitating Solaris (The Adventures of Superman #1,000,000, November 1998).
The sixty-seventh century's Man of Tomorrow had evolved to have additional powers after he wed Zrfff's Queen Gzntplzk (DC One Million #1, November 1998). The next hero in the records was the Superman of the 250th century, with no details revealed (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
The Superman of the 322nd century formed an alliance with the descendants of Lex Luthor (Action Comics #1,000,000, November 1998). Forty-two centuries later, there remained a Superman (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
The Superman of the 505th century reprogrammed Solaris at the cost of his life (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998; others). One of his descendants in an unspecified era worked with the Justice League of the Atom (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998). Another served as a member of the Pancosmic Justice Jihad.
Superman Prime in 70,001 returned to the solar system and took up residence in the sun until AD 85,271. The 853rd century's Man of Steel was a member of Justice Legion A (JLA #23, October 1998). The dynasty continued with the birth of a son (DC One Million 80-Page Giant, August 1999). After that era, the chronicles showed a Superman operating in the Fifth-Dimensional world of Zrfff.
2. Imaginary Story/Elseworlds Versions
Before the Crisis on Infinite Earths, there were countless parallel universes, and in almost every one there was some version of Superman, usually appearing with variations of his friends and foes. After the Crisis, there was only one positive-matter universe and one anti-matter universe, each with a version of the hero. The Infinite Crisis split the positive universe into fifty-two parallel universes, and again most had some version of Superman. Below are the highlights of the many incarnations of the Last Son of Krypton.
Pre-Crisis Versions
• Earth-2 was the first Superman, followed by Earth-1's Superman. The Earth-3 Superman was Ultraman, who gained a new power every time he encountered kryptonite. On Earth-D, Superman was a black-skinned adventurer.
• Earth-Prime never had a hero until Clark Kent became Superboy and was one of the handful to actually survive the Crisis.
• Earth-19: Home of a married Clark and Lois Kent, the parents of super-twins, Larry and Carole (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #19, August 1960, and #20, October 1960; others).
• Earth-20: An Earth without Superman that was visited by Earth-1's Man of Steel in an attempt at a lifestyle change (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #20, October 1960).
• Earth-25: Home of a married Superman and Lois Lane, the parents of super-son Larry (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #25, May 1961, and #39, February 1963).
• Earth-26: A world on which Superman married Lana Lang and endowed her with superpowers (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #26, July 1961).
• Earth-34: An Earth where Lois Lane and Lex Luthor married and became the parents of a son who ultimately married Superman and Lana Lang's daughter (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #34, July 1962, and #46, January 1964).
• Earth-36: A world where Lana Lang left the twentieth century to marry one of Superman's descendants after the present-day Superman and Lois married and became the parents of super-twins (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #36, October 1962).
• Earth-39: A world devastated by pollution and war peopled by, among others, Jonathan and (a non-superpowered) Clark Kent (The New Adventures of Superboy #39, March 1983).
• Earth-43: An Earth on which Superman and Luthor died in battle unbeknownst to the general public. A replacement Superman was groomed in Kandor, but he eventually traded places with the Kal-El of Earth-215. The latter's Lois Lane had been killed, leading Kal-El to propose to the Lois on this world. Criminal counterparts of the Legion of Super-Heroes existed in the thirtieth century of this world's time line (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #43, August 1963; Superboy [first series] #117, December 1964; Superman [first series] #215, April 1969).
• Earth-47: A world whose greatest heroine was Krypton Girl, alias Lois Lane, the last survivor of the doomed planet (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #47, February 1964).
• Earth-51: A world on which Superman married Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Lori Lemaris, all of whom died soon after their respective weddings (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #51, August 1964).
• Earth-64: A world where concert pianist Lex Luthor posed as Lexo and married Lois Lane before his death (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #64-65, April-May 1966).
• Earth-89: A world where Lois Lane and Bruce Wayne are married and had a son (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #89, January 1969).
• Earth-91: Home of a blind Lois Lane and a disfigured Superman who married and became parents of a super-daughter (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #91, April 1969).
• Earth-95: A world on which Jor-El, Lara and Kal-El sought refuge after Krypton's explosion; they eventually abandoned it for Krypton II (Superboy [first series] #95, march 1962).
• Earth-116: Home of a Superboy whose costume's colors were reverse of his Earth-1's counterpart's (Superboy [first series] #116, October 1964).
• Earth-117: An Earth on which Jor-El, Lara and Kal-El escaped Krypton's explosion. Capes were a status symbol on this world (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #117, January1969).
• Earth-124: An earth where Superboy portrayed Clark Kent as a delinquent (Superboy [first series] #124, October 1965).
• Earth-132: An Earth whose astronauts accidentally landed on the planet Krypton, home of the hero Futuro (Superman [first series] #132, October 1959).
• Earth-134: An Earth that was abandoned by Superboy on the day of his debut when red kryptonite temporarily turned him into a super-criminal (Superboy [first series] #134, December 1966).
• Earth-136: An Earth without Batman. Its population included Bruce (Superman) Wayne and a Lois Lane double named Vicki Vale (World's Finest Comics #136, September 1963).
• Earth-146: A world where Earth-1's Superman prevented the sinking of Atlantis and helped evacuate Krypton's citizens to Earth, among other feats (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961).
• Earth-148: A world characterized by heroic counterparts of Clayface, Luthor, and Mirror Master, and criminal versions of Batman, Flash, Superman, and Wonder Woman. A unique quality of this planet's Paradise Island caused visitors from other parallel worlds to revert to childhood for the duration of their stay (World's Finest Comics #148, March 1965; The Flash [first series] #174, November 1967; others).
• Earth-149: A world on which Superman was slain by Lex Luthor (Superman [first series] #149, November 1961)
• Earth-153: An Earth whose Batman, ultimately killed by Luthor, had wrongly blamed Superman for the deaths of his parents (World's Finest Comics #153, November 1965).
• Earth-154: Home of a married Clark Kent and Lois Lane, and Bruce Wayne and Kathy Kane, each couple having heroic sons (World's Finest Comics #154, December 1965, and #157, February 1966).
• Earth-159: An Earth that was destroyed in an explosion. Its sole survivor, Lois Lane, was rocketed to Krypton (Superman [first series] #159, February 1963).
• Earth-162: A utopian Earth whose miracles came courtesy of an experiment that split Superman into two beings: Superman Red and Superman Blue (Superman [first series] #162, July 1963).
• Earth-166: A world whose Superman was the father of twins, one with powers and one without (Superman [first series] #166, January 1964).
• Earth-167: Home of Lex (Superman) Luthor and Clark (Batman) Kent (World's Finest Comics #167, June 1967).
• Earth-170: A world where Lex Luthor traveled to Krypton's past in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Jor-El and Lara from marrying (Superman [first series] #170, July 1964).
• Earth-172: A world where Bruce Wayne was adopted by the Kents and became Clark's brother. As Batman, he relocated to the Legion of Super-Heroes' thirtieth century (World's Finest Comics #172, December 1967).
• Earth-175: Home of Clark and Lex (Luthor) Kent, adopted sons of Jonathan and Martha Kent. As adults, Lex died saving Superman's life (Superman [first series] #175, February 1965).
• Earth-178: Home of a Superman who lost his powers and adopted the costumed identity of the Nova (World's Finest Comics #178, September 1968, and #180, November 1968).
• Earth-183: An Earth on which Kal-El was raised by apes and ultimately became known as Kar-kan (Superboy [first series] #183, March 1972; others).
• Earth-184: A world whose Robin was caretaker of a mentally impaired Batman and a blind Superman (World's Finest Comics #184, May 1969).
• Earth-192: A world where Lois Lane died, survived by her husband Clark Kent and son Clark, Junior (Superman [first series] #192, January 1967, and #194, February 1967).
• Earth-200: Home of Hyperman (Kal-El) and Superman (Knor-El), champions of Kryptonopolis that survived Krypton's explosion thanks to Brainiac having battled it instead of Kandor (Superman [first series] #200, October 1967).
• Earth-215: A world where a married Superman and Lois Lane became parents of a daughter Laney. After Lois's death, Superman and Laney moved to Earth-43, where he married that world's Lois while Superman moved to Earth-215 (Superman [first series] #215, April 1969).
• Earth-216: A world where Superman and Batman each had namesake offspring who often operated as the Super-Sons (World's Finest Comics #215, December 1972-January 1973).
• Earth-224: Home of a married superman and Lois Lane, whose infant son was temporarily transformed into a super-genius (Superman [first series] #224, February 1970).
• Earth-230: Home of a Kryptonian Luthor, who became Superman on Earth and fought the villainous Clark Kent (Superman [first series] #230-231, October-November 1970).
• Earth-399: A world on which Superman died and was replaced twice by clones, both of whom were also killed in battle (Action Comics #399, April 1971).
• Earth-404: An Earth whose Superboy lost his powers at the age of sixteen during a battle with Luthor. As adults, Clark Kent and Lana Lang were married (Superman [first series] #404, February 1985).
• Earth-410: Home of a widowed Superman, whose wife Krysalla left him with a son, Krys (Action Comics #410, March 1972).
• Earth-417: An Earth whose Superman was raised on Mars before relocating as an adult (Superman [first series] #417, April 1985).
• Earth-423: An Earth whose Superman fought a final battle with his greatest foes and vanished from public view (Superman [first series] #423 and Action Comics #583 – both September 1986).
Post-Crisis Versions
• In the Pocket Universe, a silver of time preserved by the Time Trapper, Earth-1 continued to exist with a Superboy, who wound up sacrificing his life to save others.
• In the Anti-Matter Universe of Qward, Superman's doppelgänger was Ultraman, who was not a native of Krypton.
For a brief time, it was chronicled that all realities existed beyond the two universes in something called Hypertime. The myriad realities chronicled during this period included:
• Earth-898: A world where Kal-El's rocket landed near an Amish couple who raised him in their ways. He did not arrive as Superman until well after the age of the super hero began (JLA: The Nail #1-3, 1998; JLA: Another Nail #1-3, 2004).
• Earth-1198: The rocket from Krypton was taken by Darkseid before it could reach Earth, and Kal-El was raised on Apokolips (Superman: The Dark Side #1-3, 1998).
• Earth-1004: Kal-El arrived in Eland as opposed to America, and he was raised by a very different set of parents. His heroic exploits were fodder for a scandal-hungry tabloid press (Superman: True Brit, 2004).
• Earth-354: When Kal-El was found by Thomas and Martha Wayne, he was named Bruce. After he saw his parents killed by a common criminal, he dedicated his life to fighting crime as the powerful Batman (Superman: Speeding Bullets, 1993).
• Earth-1968: As Earth faced destruction, Jonathan and Martha Kent sent their infant son Clark to Krypton. There he was raised by Jor-El and Lara, named Kal-El, and became a hero after obtaining one of the Green Lantern power rings (Superman: The Last Son of Earth, 2000)
• Earth-990: Teenager Clark Kent resented his parents for naming him after a comic book hero – but when his own superpowers manifested themselves, his world changed (Superman: Secret Identity #1-4, 2004).
• Earth-3839: Superman proved ageless and he became the patriarch of a dynasty of children who possessed varying degrees of superpowers. Along with Batman's children, they intermarried and carried their legendary names though the years (Superman & Batman: Generations #1-4, 1993; Superman & Batman: Generations II #1-4, 2001-2002; Superman & Batman: Generations III #1-12, March 2003-February 2004).
• Earth-901: Salden, a Kryptonian police officer, was accidentally transported to Earth. In its lighter gravity, he possessed super-strength and super-speed, and was able to fly thanks to a technologically advanced harness. He fought crime on Earth because he had little choice, desiring above all to go home (Just Imagine Stan Lee and John Buscema Creating Superman, 2001).
Post-Infinite Crisis Versions
• New Earth was home to one, true Superman.
• The post-Final Crisis Earth-1 Superman is remarkably similar to the New Earth incarnation, but Krypton was destroyed by something other than geological means. Additionally, he was clearly steered toward using his amazing powers in the service of mankind by Martha Kent, who specifically designed Clark's colorful superman costume to serve as a symbol of hope. When young Clark asked why the outfit had no mask, she told him that “when people see how powerful you are, all the things you can do, they're going to be terrified... unless they can see your face, and see there that you mean no harm. The mask is what you're going to have to wear the rest of the time” (Superman: Earth One, November 2010).
• The post-Final Crisis Earth -2 was a close doppelgänger to the pre-First Crisis Earth-2 but did not have a Superman, although it did possess a Power Girl.
• Earth-3 featured the Crime Syndicate of America's Ultraman. This version was killed in the Monitor conflict (52 #52, May 2007; (cameo) Countdown to Final Crisis #32, 2007).
• Earth-3's equivalent to Superman was Captain Atom, the atomically powered hero who was once Captain Allen Adam (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1, October 2008, and #2, March 2009).
• Earth-5's closest approximation of Superman the the magically powered Captain Marvel (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1, October 2008, and #2, March 2009).
• Earth-8 featured a Herr Superman who was killed by Lord Havok (Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists #3, February 2008, and #5-6, April-May 2008).
• Earth-9's Superman was an african American by conquering his world. At one point, he tried to bring his brand of law and order to New Earth. He was Harvey Dent, sole survivor of a failed program to create meta-humans. Unlike new Earth's hero, this one's powers were not only physical but mental as well (Tangent Comics/The Superman #1, September 1998; others).
• Earth-10 was a world where Germany triumphed during World War II. Its champion was the Overman, a proud member of the JL-Axis. Kal-L was raised as Karl Kant when his rocket was found in Czechoslovakia in 1938. the Nazis reverse-engineered the rocket and built weapons of mass destruction that allowed them to win the war.
• Earth-11 was a world with the genders reversed so the Last Daughter of Krypton was Superwoman.
• Earth-16 hosted a more highly evolved version of Superman who could alter his powers by drawing on various energy sources. Christopher Kent, bald and sporting tattoos, was killed by Monarch during the Monitor conflict in the wake of Infinite Crisis.
• Earth-21 was a world that featured Superman operating since his debut in 1939 – but by the 1950s he was purely an agent for the government, doing its bidding during the Cold War until the arrival of the Martian Manhunter heralded a new age of heroism (DC: The New Frontier #1, March 2004).
• Earth-22's Superman watched in horror as the Joker killed many people at the Daily Planet Building, including his wife Lois Lane. He exiled himself for a decade, working exclusively as Clark Kent on the family farm in Smallville, Kansas. In that time, the world had grown darker, with heroes and villains battling so frequently that the civilian population couldn't tell criminals from crime-fighters. Wonder Woman eventually coaxed Superman back into action, and once more the World's Greatest Super Hero led by example and returned the notion of heroism to a world desperately in need of it. After the Infinite Crisis, he dwelled for a time on New Earth, working with members of the JSA as they dealt with the coming of the would-be god Gog. This Superman was more powerful than the New Earth champion, and kryptonite was merely an irritant (Kingdom Come #1, 1996).
• Earth-30 was a world where the rocket from Krypton landed in the Soviet Union; Superman was raised as a Communist. In time, the Red Son rose to rule the country, following the lessons he learned from Joseph Stalin (Superman: Red Son #1-3, 2003-2004).
• Earth-31's Superman worked for the federal government. He was opposed by a fifty-year-old Dark Knight, who came out of retirement to free the people from a totalitarian government. This Earth's Superman and Batman battled on the streets of Metropolis despite the respect they held for each other (Batman: The Dark Knight graphic novel, 1986).
• Earth-44 was a world of robots and Superman was a member of the legendary Metal Men, created by Doc Tornado. The events of Final Crisis caused the planet's magnetic field to be altered. The robotic heroes went haywire and attempted to destroy the robot population; ultimately, they were shut down by Luthor and Earth-5's Dr. Sivana (Final Crisis #7, March 2009).
• Earth-50's version of Superman was Apollo, a human man whose genes were engineered to absorb solar energy and give him superpowers. He served with the Authority and was married to his partner Midnighter (Stormwatch [second series]#4, February 1998). Majestic, the hero from the planet Khera, was also considered a version of Superman in this reality.
• Other versions of Superman existed on unnamed planets. These include an African American incarnation who was also president of the United States (Final Crisis #7, March 2009).
His greatest significance was that he may well have been the one truly indispensable figure in all Creation – which perhaps explains why, in all the myriad parallel dimensions, there was always some form of Superman, just as there were always powerful forces that rose to challenge him, and millions of beings in a vast universe teeming with life who always needed him.
A. Origin
1. The Original Account: The Superman of the Pre-First Crisis Earth-2
“As a distant planet was destroyed by old age, a scientist placed his infant son within a hastily devised space-ship, launching it toward Earth! When the vehicle landed on Earth, a passing motorist, discovering the sleeping babe within, turned the child over to an orphanage. Attendants, unaware [that] the child's [physiological] structure was millions of years [more] advanced [than] their own, were astounded at his feats of strength. When maturity was reached, he discovered he could easily: Leap 1/8th of a mile; hurdle a twenty-story building... raise tremendous weights... run faster than an express train... and that nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin! Early, Clark [Kent] decided he must turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind. And so was created... SUPERMAN! Champion of the oppressed, the physical marvel who had sworn to devote his existence to helping those in need” (Action Comics #1, June 1938).
2. Addenda and Revisions
Every inhabitant of this “distant planet,” which was documented as Krypton (Superman [first series] #1, Summer 1939), was said to possess super-human strength, X-ray vision, super-speed, and most of the other powers associated with later incarnations of Superman (Action Comics #1, June 1938; Superman [first series] #33, March-April 1945; Superman [first series] #53, July-August 1948). At the moment of Krypton's destruction, scientist Jor-L and his wife Lora sent their infant son Kal-L to Earth. Jor-L's brother Zor-L heeded the warning and built a ship containing digital scans of life in the city of Kandor to help educate his daughter Kara during her long trip to earth, in suspended animation. This slower ship reached earth may decades after Kal-L arrived and became an adult. The Superman of Earth-2 welcomed her, and she began a crime-fighting career under the name Power Girl (All Star Comics #58, January-February 1976; others).
As the research of later historians was able to provide further details, the “passing motorist” who found the infant Superman became a couple, John and Mary Kent (Superman [first series] #1, Summer 1939, and #53, July-August 1948; others), who adopted the orphan from space and named him Clark Kent. Conflicting accounts were offered of the infant's brief stay in the orphanage, differing in details about how long he remained there and whether his superpowers were actually revealed there.
The Earth-2 Superman, who never fought crime as Superboy, had a very different life from the Superman of Earth-1. In that reality, the pleas of Jor-El – as his name was spelled in the Earth-1 universe – to rescue the populace in a fleet of rocket ships that would take them to another world fell on deaf ears, as the planet was focused on the celebration of the ten thousandth year of Kryptonian civilization (Action Comics #223, December 1956). Jor-El's discovery that the planet's Uranium core had been building up “a cycle of chain-reactions” that would lead to Krypton exploding like a planet-sized nuclear weapon seem so preposterous, few gave it credence. Although Jor-El was the planet's foremost scientist, he was ignored by the ruling Science Council, dooming his people. He begged his wife Lara Lor-Van to accompany their child to Earth in the experimental escape-rocket prototype that was too small to fit the entire family of three. Instead she chose to remain at her husband's side and watch as their race's last hope began an unprecedented journey.
After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Krypton was depicted as a cold, sterile world whose inhabitants repressed their emotions, but some feelings – such as those associated with the maternal instinct – were not so easily denied. Lara was horrified by the notion of sending her only child to the “barbaric” planet Earth, but was given little choice.
Kal-El landed near the farm of Jonathan and Martha Kent and the couple decided to keep the baby, taking advantage of the isolation imposed by a protracted winter to create the appearance that the baby was naturally Martha's, born on the farm when the Kent's could not drive through a storm. Clark's powers slowly developed as the boy grew, his body absorbing more and more yellow solar energy until his abilities matured and fully manifested themselves when he was a high school senior. Thus Clark Kent did not become the red-and-blue-clad super hero until adulthood (Man of Steel #1-6, October-December 1986).
The Infinite Crisis altered Clark's personal history so that his powers manifested themselves at age twelve when he accidentally broke his friend Pete Ross's arm. After learning the truth of his origins from his parents, he decided, with their inspiration and encouragement, to use his abilities for good works. While surreptitiously performing rescues and other benevolent deeds, never showing himself, young Clark began to spiral down into depression. Hoping to help her adopted son embrace his Kryptonian heritage and be proud of who he was, Martha Kent made him the Superboy uniform (Superman: Secret Origin #1, November 2009).
B: The Secret Identity
“Now listen to me, Clark!” cautioned John Kent of Earth-2 while Clark was still very small. “This great strength of yours – you've got to hide it from people or they'll be scared of you!” “But when the proper time comes,” added Mary Kent, “you must use it to assist humanity” (Superman [first series] #1, Summer 1939).
Over the years, this Clark Kent wrestled with the duality of his nature, wondering who he was: Kal-L, orphan from Krypton; Clark Kent, farm boy; or Superman, the Man of Steel. At different times, he experimented with being one or the other but always concluded he was the son raised by the Kents to use his gifts honorably, respected all life and defending it against all threats at any cost.
In choosing an occupation as an adult, Clark adopted the guise of a mild-mannered reporter, confident that people would not mistake him for the barrel-chested, colorful super hero he became. Most observers bought into the ruse when he came to work for editor George Taylor at the Daily Star. The majority of his colleagues accepted the imposture here on Earth-2 and, later, on Earth-1, where very few people, including Lois Lane and Lana Lang, seriously suspected that Clark was the Metropolis Marvel, although as time went on Lois's suspicions intensified. Some chroniclers speculated that others, such as Daily Planet editor Perry White, may have been less taken in but pretended otherwise, although no concrete evidence of this was ever presented.
On Earth-1, Jonathan and Martha Kent never hid Clark's origins, speaking openly of the rocket that brought him to Earth. As his powers evolved, so did his ability to recall his life on Krypton (Action Comics #288, May 1962). The teenage Superboy retained dim memories of his brief time as a toddler on his homeworld, which he augmented by using a Kryptonian Mind-Prober Ray (Superboy [first series] #79, March 1960; others). Clark learned that he could also access events from the past “by overtaking and photographing light rays that had left Krypton before it exploded” (Superman [first series] #132, October 1959). During the course of his early life, the Kal-El of the pre-First Crisis earth-1 continued to find artifacts from Krypton, many of them incorporating recordings or writings made by his father. Chief among the objects recovered was the Phantom Zone Projector, a device that could send people and objects into a limbo-like realm. This dimension was discovered by Jor-El, who urged its use as a maximum-security prison for Krypton's most dangerous criminals. A disproportionately large its way across the many light-years to Earth, including many now radioactive fragments of the planet itself, which would prove deadly to superpowered Kryptonians. Some historians theorized that Kal-El's rocket had ripped open a warp in space through which many Kryptonian artifacts and other survivors were sucked, emerging from the warp in close proximity to earth's orbit, from which they eventually fell into Earth's atmosphere (Action Comics #500, October 1979).
C. The Costume
In all realities, Superman wore on costume, a blue body stoking with red cape, red boots, and red trunks with a yellow belt. On his chest was the red-and-yellow S-shield, which became a symbol for justice throughout the known universe. An all-yellow S-shield adorned the back of the cape. The differences among the various Supermen's garb were minor stylistic variations, such as the shape of the boot tops or the color scheme of the S-shield, but otherwise the uniforms have remained consistent.
The stylized S-insignia has come to mean different things through the years. For most of the chronicles, it stood simply for Superman and, on Earth-1, fro Superboy, Supergirl, and a host of Kryptonian pets, such as Krypto, who came to Earth, were endowed with superpowers, and wore capes, collars, or harnesses incorporating the S-shield into their design. A mirror image of the shield was worn by the imperfect duplicate of Superman, Bizarro, in most of his incarnations. After the Infinite Crisis, the stylized S-shape became a character in the Kryptonian alphabet and was identified as the El family crest, which all members of the House of El were entitled to wear. Heroes on the post-First Crisis Earth wearing the S-shield carried with it the responsibility of Superman's endorsement. Among those have been his clone, the Kon-El Superboy, the Matrix Supergirl, Steel, the Eradicator, and Mon-El.
The Superman of Earth-2 described his uniform as something “constructed of a cloth I invented myself which is immune to the most powerful forces!” When Kal-El was being raised on Earth-1 as Clark Kent, Martha Kent outfitted him with a red-and-blue playsuit, made by reweaving the blankets found with the rocket ship that brought him from Krypton (Superboy [first series] #8, May-June 1950), which were themselves indestructible and could withstand the wear and tear inflicted on them by Superbaby's exercise of his superpowers. Martha thereafter rewove the playsuit into the familiar red-and-blue uniform complete with cape. In both cases, Clark participated in the making of his super-clothing by helping to cut the indestructible threads with his heat vision (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961). At the same time, indestructible plastic from the rocket was used to fashion a pair of eyeglasses so young Clark and the young hero would not be confused as the same person (Superboy [first series] #70, January 1959). It was essential that the glasses, too, be indestructible sot that Clark could use his vision powers through them – particularly his heat vision – without destroying them. The Boy of Steel later had Ma Kent use the remaining blankets to create a second, primarily yellow costume, but it had the unexpected side effect of deflecting much of the yellow sun's energy from his body, and Superboy returned to his traditional outfit (The New Adventures of Superboy #18, June 1981).
In time, Clark added a pouch to the interior lining of the cape where he kept his civilian clothes, made of a synthetic material devised by the Boy of Steel that could be compressed into a very small packet and subsequently expand, wrinkle-free. Later, when Clark Kent reached adulthood, the costume's belt buckle was modified to house his Justice League of America signal device.
In the post-First Crisis reality, it was documented that Superman's costume was not itself indestructible per se, but that the Man of Steel possessed a low-level telekinetic ability that allowed him to generate a force field around his body. This field not only allowed him to defy gravity but also protected his costume, with the exception of his cape, which usually trailed beyond the range of the field and often got shredded in battle (Man of Steel #1-6, October-December 1986).
Various circumstances periodically required Superman to adopt other costumes. Upon his revival after his murder by Doomsday, the Man of Steel used a predominantly black solar outfit to quickly reabsorb energy from the sun (Action Comics #689, Late July 1993). And later, when transformed into an energy being, he maintained his bodily integrity in an an all-blue containment suit (Superman [second series] #123, May 1997; others). In the wake of massive deaths during the Imperiex War, Martha Kent prepared a new costume for Superman, one whose S-symbol was set against a background of black as a symbol of mourning (Superman [second series] #174, November 2001).
D. Derivation of the Superpowers
The Earth-2 Superman's powers and abilities were at first reported to be native, because the Kryptonian people were described more than once as a “super-race” (Superman [first series] #73, November-December 1951; others). They also possessed some of the vision powers Superman displayed and were considered far ahead of Homo sapiens on the evolutionary scale (Superman [first series] #53, July-August 1948).
The origin of the Earth-1 Superman's powers, however, was a result of his displacement to a different environment. In the words of one account, “Everyone knows that Superman is a being from another planet, unburdened by the vastly weaker gravity of Earth. But not everyone understands how gravity affects strength! If you were on a world smaller than ours, you could jump over high buildings, lift enormous weights... and thus duplicate some of the feats of the Man of Steel!” (Superman [first series] #58, May-June 1949). Some latter-day accounts of the origin of the Earth-2 Superman's powers make this assertion as well, so the notion that the Kryptonians of the Earth-2 universe were super-beings in their native environment may be apocryphal.
During the Earth-1 Superman's adventures, the chronicles ascribed his powers not only to Earth's lighter gravity but also to the difference in solar radiation. Krypton orbited Rao, a red giant, while Earth orbited Sol, a smaller yellow sun “These rays,” the Man of Steel told Supergirl, “can only affect people who were born in other solar systems than Earth's! And only yellow stars like earth's sun emit those super-energy rays! On planets of non-yellow suns, would not be super-powered, even under the low gravity!” (Action Comics #262, March 1960). Soon after the theory was modified by subsequent historical research to state that “my muscles automatically became super-strong in Earth's light gravity! I'm like the ant, which, if it were man-sized, could carry a locomotive! Grasshoppers could leap over buildings!” It was also revealed that the yellow-sun radiation “super-energize[d Superman's] brain and five senses to give [him his] other non-muscular super-powers! Also, those yellow-sun rays, which only tan Earth people's skin, hardened [his] like steel” (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961). As a result, any living being from Krypton would gain the same set of powers and abilities as Superman's if exposed to the same conditions.
The strength of a solar system's sun had an impact on not just Superman's powers but also those of other super-people who gained their abilities from other stars. Exposure to red solar radiation immediately sapped Kryptonians of their powers – a recurring problem, especially whenever Superman visited Lexor, the world that worshiped Lex Luthor (Action Comics #318, November 1964).
With the exception of the postulation regarding the psionic ability that created a force field around the Man of Steel, the scientific explanation of Superman's abilities remained relatively unchanged in the various other realities. The force-field attribute was short-lived, however, as subsequent energy and lighter-gravity explanation.
1. Super-Speed and the Power of Flight
The Earth-2 Superman was initially reported to be able to leap an eighth of a mile, launching himself from street to rooftop or across the Metropolis skyline. Either this was a misperception by the earliest eyewitnesse3s, or perhaps, as Superman gained experience as a crime fighter, his powers and abilities developed over time, in much the way a dedicated bodybuilder increases mass and strength. In any event, in short order the Earth-2 Superman was said to “fly like a bird” (Action Comics #60, May 1943) – and that power increased until a text proclaimed, “Light travels 186,000 miles a second, but has nothing on Superman, who finds himself hovering over the jungles of Burma in the wink of an eye!” In time, this Superman, and subsequently the Superman of Earth-1, used his flight powers to move fast enough to pierce the time barrier or oscillate his body so fast that no human could see him. The chroniclers soon discovered that the pre-First Crisis Supermen could survive without oxygen, and therefore their powers of flight enabled them to leave Earth's gravity and traverse the stars, flying to distant galaxies in relatively short periods of time.
While Superman's speed was said to be immeasurable, he repeatedly raced the Flash – both the earth-1 and Earth-2 version – and was beaten by both, most likely given their ability to tap into the otherworldly Speed Force (Superman [first series] #199, August 1967; DC First: Flash/Superman #1, July 2002; others).
2. Super-Strength
From the moment he burst onto the scene, hefting an automobile over his head with his bare hands, Superman's strength was usually the first thing people talked about. His demonstration of prowess, like speed and flight, grew over time until he could shatter planets with hi fists.
When Superman performed for charity, it was often a feat of strength such as hitting a baseball into orbit that was most impressive to the crowds. One of Superman's most often-repeated stunts was squeezing a lump of coal in his fist, mimicking the natural process by which diamonds are formed by applying so much pressure that the coal was transformed into a glittering gem (Action Comics #115, December 1947; others).
On Earth-1, while still a teenager, Superboy was said to be able to press five thousand toms with one hand, calling it “a cinch” (Adventure Comics #361, October 1967). His super-breath was powerful enough to nudge a planet through space (Adventure Comics #293, February 1962) or freeze the air around objects. His super-lungs allowed him to hold his breath indefinitely. His invulnerability was said to be absolute: He could withstand the power of a thousand H-bombs (Adventure Comics #366, March 1968).
In the post-First Crisis realities, Superman's strength was largely immeasurable, and one of the hardest lessons he had to learn was regulating his blows so that, in one moment, he would not kill a mortal man with a punch, but then turn on a dime to unleash a blow that could stagger a super-powerful combatant such as Mongul.
3. Invulnerability
Initially, it was nothing less than a bursting shell that could penetrate Superman's dense skin. The chroniclers of his Earth-2 career contained accounts of his enemies attacking him with a variety of energy rays, such as the Ultra-Humanite's energy gun, which could render the Man of Tomorrow unconscious.
In time, though, less and less could stagger, let alone hurt, the hero. He was even able to withstand the high temperatures generated by a star (Action Comics #161, October 1951). On the other hand, a hydrogen bomb's detonation left him with a slight headache (Superman [first series] #87, February 1954).
Earth-2's Superman was not immune to aging, though it occurred more gradually and he appeared to fully possess his powers and abilities until his death. On Earth-1, Superman was apparently immune to disease and aging, effectively making him an immortal (Superman [first series] #136, April 1960). A different account, however, noted, “Though Superman is the mightiest man on Earth, even he cannot live forever!” (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965). The latter statement appeared to be the correct one, as various accounts of potential futures viewed by Superman showed him slowly and gracefully aging at different rates, although there would always be a time when he passed away.
Given his invulnerability, the Man of Steel could not tan or sunburn. The post-First Crisis Superman needed help from his heat vision to properly shave each morning, and also used his vision powers to give himself a haircut when needed, but the hair o the Superman of Earth-1, like his fingernails, did not grow in Earth's environment; manicures, haircuts, and shaves were unnecessary.
In all cases, his level of powers, including invulnerability, waxed and waned based on the radiation emitted by the nearest star.
4. Vision Powers
The Superman of Earth-2's eyesight was exceptionally keen, but his range of vision powers developed gradually. His first ability, “telescopic X-ray vision,” developed incrementally, beginning a year after he began to fight crime (Action Comics #11, April 1939; Action Comics #18, November 1939, and #20, January 1940). In time, he realized that the X-rays his eyes emitted could not penetrate lead objects, one of his most consistent limitations.
Attempts to focus on minuscule objects led to his discover of his microscopic vision, letting him see even things that existed on the molecular level (Action Comics #24, May 1940). The Earth-2 Superman’s X-ray vision was initially said to generate a certain degree of heat and could be used to melt objects (Action Comics #139, December 1949; others). But heat vision as a discrete power per se – sometimes referred to in connection with the post-First Crisis Superman as laser vision – was first manifested by the Superman of Earth-1 (Action Comics #275, April 1961). The vision powers remained consistent in post-First Crisis incarnations of Superman.
5. Super-Hearing
Much as the pre-First Crisis Earth-2 Superman debuted with all his other senses far more acute that those of mortal humans, his hearing was said to be sensitive enough to perceive many sounds humans could not (Action Comics #8, January 1939). Over time, his hearing improved drastically. At least one chronicle reported that the Man of Tomorrow could hear radio waves (Superman [first series] #7, November-December 1940). The Earth-1 Superman’s super-hearing was powerful enough to isolate a distinctive voice from thousands of miles away, and perceive even the slightest sounds, such as the footfall of an ant. Superman could also trace the source of sound waves across millions of miles of interstellar space. His superior hearing remained consistent in his subsequent incarnations on the post-First Crisis Earth and post-Infinite Crisis New Earth.
6. Super-Breath and Related Powers
Like most of his other abilities, the lung power of the pre-First Crisis Superman of Earth-2 developed gradually over time. The first documents of this power reported that the Man of Tomorrow could hold his breath for hours underwater. With the greater lung capacity came the ability to exhale with concussive force (Action Comics #20, January 1940). Later, that ability allowed him to hold his breath during his journeys from planet to planet. Inhaling mightily to create a powerful vacuum was a trick this Superman used on numerous occasions to thwart the escape attempts of such foes as the Toyman (Superman [first series] #49, November-December 1947).
The Earth-1 Superman had far greater lung capacity, to the extent that he could blow out a star (Superman [first series] #91, August 1954). He could also freeze objects with his breath (Superman [first series] #129, May 1959; others). This Superman was also said to be capable of surviving for long periods, if not indefinitely, without air (or food or water, for that matter). The Superman of the post-First Crisis Earth, however, did not possess inexhaustible lung capacity, and when he exiled himself from earth for a year, he carried a mask and oxygen tank to replenish himself as needed (The Adventures of Superman #450, January 1989; others).
One of the stranger uses of his super-breath was documented only once, and therefore may be apocryphal. “The force of my super-breath will create an artificial aging effect [on this document],” he claimed, “so the writing will appear centuries-old!” (Action Comics #269, October 1960).
The Man of Steel's super-lungs have remained largely consistent through his many incarnations. While wearing his black solar suit during his climactic battle with Mongul and the Cyborg Superman (Superman [second series] #82, October 1993), Superman sustained a blast channeled through the body of the Eradicator that gradually caused his power level to rise to an uncontrollable level. Although much of the excess energy was drawn off by the Parasite (The Adventures of Superman #512, May 1994), Superman was nonetheless able to travel in space unaided from that point forward.
7. Vocal and Ventriloquial Powers
Even the comparatively primitive Superman of the pre-First Crisis Earth-2 trained himself to use all his special gifts with incredible accuracy. Among these traits was ventriloquism, which he first employed to rescue Lois Lane from kidnappers (Superman [first series] #13, November-December 1941). In time he appeared capable of mimicking voices utterly convincingly; he used that skill, as well as what came to be known as “super ventriloquism,” to give voice to the first incarnations of the dummies and robots he used to protect his secret identity.
His powerful voice could be used as a warning system, replacing loudspeakers and megaphones. Once, he managed to send his voice via radio waves, alerting police to an underworld hideout (Action Comics #60, May 1943). His voice was measured as capable of achieving a volume of more than one million decibels (Superman [first series] #65, July 1950), and its reverberations were known to shatter sheets of ice or make building crumble. These vocal skills remained consistent in Superman's subsequent incarnations, although the latter iterations rarely used them.
8. Mental and Intellectual Powers
The Superman of Earth-2's intellect was superior thanks to his Kryptonian upbringing and continued reading, usually done at super-speed, but he appeared to have innate mental processes that were first documented when he instantly translated a mermaid's language (Superman [first series] #14, January-February 1942). He was said to have a photographic memory, retaining countless facts and details, allowing him to function as a walking computer and aiding his war on crime (Superman [first series] #5, Summer 1940). Superman used his ability to study books in seconds to become an instant expert on many subjects, such as the time he memorized a complete medical text before performing complex eye surgery on a little girl. The Man of Steel's mind appeared to have total command over his body, allowing him to temporarily halt the beating of his heart to fool villains into believing him dead (World's Finest Comics #54, October-November 1951).
The original Superman also appeared able to hypnotize others, and first used this power of “super hypnotism” on Lois Lane (Action Comics #32, January 1941). The most common application of this power was to erase from people's minds the knowledge that Superman was Clark Kent, in the event someone other than a trusted confidant either learned the secret or had to be entrusted with it temporarily.
Superman's combined intellect and senses enabled him to be keenly aware of his surroundings, skills that helped not only the super hero but also reporter Clark Kent. His memories of Krypton and its technology, combined with his native intelligence, allowed him to devise, design, and construct super-tools and weapons as needed. He created the Superman Robots, putting him years ahead of most scientists on Earth.
After the post-Infinite Crisis Superman lost his powers following a battle with Superboy-Prime, it took a year for the sun's radiation to “recharge” his body. The experience seemed to leave his brain working at a faster level that previously, increasing his crime-fighting effectiveness (Action Comics #840, August 2006).
9. Miscellaneous Powers
The various incarnations of Superman were reported to have other senses and abilities that were documented only sporadically, raising the question of how many of these accounts, if any, were apocryphal. For example, he was said to be able to sign his name with either hand, identically. According to one account of the Earth-2 Superman, his alien blood could cure the ill if transfused (Superman [first series] #6, September-October 1940). This led many fanciful, definitely apocryphal accounts of his mighty powers being shared with others in the process.
Only Earth-2 Superman appeared able to alter his features with “superb muscle control,” allowing him to disguise his appearance without artificial aids or makeup (Superman [first series] #18, September-October 1942). In time, though, he used this skill less frequently until he stopped altogether (Action Comics #115, December 1947).
E. The Invulnerabilities
1. The Kryptonite
Superman in most realities was vulnerable to the radioactive remnants of Krypton. Depending on proximity and duration, the green-glowing substance left him weak and powerless, or, given sufficient exposure, could result in systemic poisoning and death. On Earth-2, there was only the green variety of kryptonite. On Earth-1, an entire spectrum of varieties of the radioactive mineral developed, each with different effects on Kryptonians. Most of these forms of kryptonite have endured throughout the different realities, following a brief period just before the First Crisis when all kryptonite on Earth was believed to have been eliminated.
2. Magic
The Man of Steel learned early in his career that his powers were no match for the supernatural. Magic affected the Earth-2 Superman much as it did other living beings (Superman [first series] #14, January-February 1942). Anytime any version of Superman confronted a demon, magician, warlock, witch, or sorcerer, he was exceedingly wary, usually relying more on his intellect than superpowers to escape danger. Much of that was a skill developed while regularly outwitting Mr. Mxyztplk of Earth-2, and Mr. Mxyzptlk of Earth-1.
Once, the Earth-1 Superman asked Earth-2's Doctor Fate if this weakness could be removed, and the sorcerer said it was possible. After the ensuing adventure, however, the Action Ace came to recognize that even he needed limitations (World's Finest Comics #208, December 1971).
3. Virus X
The incurable Virus X was fatal to Kryptonians. A strain of the disease survived the planet's destruction and mutated into a form that could kill even the seemingly invulnerable Man of Steel (Superman [first series] #156, October 1962; others).
4. Other Vulnerabilities
Solar radiation other than a yellow sun would weaken or rob Superman of many of his amazing abilities, and his X-ray vision could not penetrate lead objects.
Enemies preyed upon his moral code, turning it into a weakness. Innocent lives were frequently endangered, forcing the Man of Steel to abandon a battle to save people. As a result, he greatly feared that once the world learned his secret identity, his friends and loved ones would be targets. That was certainly proven to be the case, as attacks by Manchester Black and Conduit, among others, demonstrated.
F. The Equipment
Even with all his powers and abilities, Superman found himself in need of tools, equipment, and weapons to complete his missions. The first such example was a suit of lead armor the Superman of Earth-2 fashioned to deal with a runaway atomic reactor (Action Comics #124, September 1948). Soon after, he built an increasing number of robots to aid his fight against crime and protect his secret identity. Other devices he constructed included a miniature camera concealed inside a special ring, to keep incriminating photographic records (Action Comics #123, August 1948). He also built a K-Detector, designed to help him locate kryptonite that might have been used to trap him (Action Comics #158, July 1951).
On Earth-1, Superboy was building Superboy Robots early in his career, and no sooner did Supergirl arrive on Earth than Superman built her the first of several Supergirl Robots. Once, when his powers were at an ebb, he fashioned a Supermobile out of the nearly indestructible metal Supermanium.
The Earth-1 Superman, and subsequent incarnations, built a special wristwatch as a gift to Jimmy Olsen. The watch could emit a supersonic signal that only Superman could hear, allowing the cub reporter to summon him with the high-frequency sound in times of need, providing no natural phenomena got in the way.
G. The Man Himself (as Clark Kent)
Clark Kent had black hair and blue eyes, and as an adult stood six feet two inches tall, with a chest measurement of forty-four inches and a thirty-four-inch waist (Action Comics #297, February 1963). His rocket from Krypton landed in an open field (Action Comics #141, February 1950) on the outskirts of Smallville (World's Finest Comic #57, March-April 1952; others). The proud foster parents named their new son Clark, which was Mary, and later, Martha, Kent's maiden name (The Adventures of Superman novel, 1942; others).
Little was recorded about the Earth-2 Superman's upbringing. He was raised by the Kents in Smallville but was reported to have attended high school at Metropolis High, where he was nicknamed Specs and became known as his class's “quietest boy” (Superman [first series] #46, May-June 1947).
Clark lived with the Kents until the elderly pair died and he made his way to metropolis, where he gained work as a reporter for the Daily Star under editor George Taylor. Fellow reporter Lois Lane thought Kent too mild-mannered for her tastes and disdained him. “As a reporter,” Kent once said, “I have a hundred underworld and police contacts that make it easier for Superman to fight crime!” (Action Comics #139, December 1949).
Even after becoming the Man of Steel, Clark Kent continued his work as a reporter, enjoying the challenge posed him by rivals Lois Lane, Perry White, and others. In time, he became one of the most respected reporters in America. As a result, when the Earth-2 Clark allowed Superman to scale back his activities in the 1950s to marry Lois Lane, Clark had time to concentrate on his career as a journalist.
When the villainous Wizard cast a spell on Superman, forcing him to forget his heroic persona, the more assertive Clark allowed Lois to give him a second look – and romance blossomed. They dated, leading to his proposal and ultimately their marriage. During the honeymoon, Lois discovered Clark's secret and forced the Wizard to undo the spell (Action Comics #484, June 1978). The Earth-2 Batman, and later his wife Selina Kyle, were close friends of the Kents.
Upon Daily Star editor in chief George Taylor's retirement in the early 1950s, he proposed a competition between Kent and veteran reporter Perry White for his job. Perry proved the better reporter by a nose but, ironically, lost out to Clark because Taylor believed the better reporter should remain in that role rather than being tied down to a desk (Superman Family #196, November-December 1979). As Clark moved into the editor's office, Superman slipped into semi-retirement, a condition that he continued for many years.
Accounts of the Earth-1 Superman and subsequent incarnations saw Clark Kent being raised on his foster parents' farm outside Smallville (Superman [first series] #152, April 1962; others). When Clark was still a toddler, the Kents decided it made sense to live closer to town. Jonathan sold the farm to Alex and Lila Crowley (Superboy [first series] #196, July 1973) and bought a general store (Adventure Comics #149, February 1950; Superboy [first series] #6, January-February 1950; others) from Whizzer Barnes (Superman: Last Son of Krypton, 1978).
The youth attended elementary and high school in Smallville, where he met his lifelong friends Lana Lang (Superboy [first series] #10, September-October 1950) and Pete Ross (Superboy [first series] #86, January 1961). Once Clark graduated from high school, Jonathan and Martha chose to take their first extended vacation, a trip to the Caribbean Islands. While there, they found Pegleg Morgan's 1717 diary leading to a treasure chest; by touching its contents, both contracted a rare tropical disease that proved fatal (Superman [first series] #161, May 1963). Hours after Martha passed away, Jonathan managed to speak with Clark before dying, reminding his son always to use his powers for the benefit of the world. After the funeral, Clark left Smallville for good (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961).
An orphan once more to eighteen, Clark Kent buried his parents, intending to sell the family home, attend college, and eventually move to Metropolis. Years later, in an act of friendship, Pete Ross tried to have the house condemned and razed to protect its secrets, but he changed his mind when he saw how much it meant to Clark (Superman [first series] #270, December 1973). Clark did quietly leave Smallville, though it was a much bigger affair for his costumed alter ego, with the entire town turning out to wish him well. The population assembled in formation so that from Superboy's point of view in the sky overhead, they spelled out FAREWELL SUPERBOY, WE'LL NEVER FORGET YOU! Superboy returned with the world's largest cake and made certain every citizen had a slice. Most were said to be preserved as souvenirs (Superman [first series] #97, May 1955).
While attending Metropolis University, Clark started to think of himself as Superman, beginning when he need to evade a lie-detector test conducted by Professor Thaddeus V. Maxwell (Superman [first series] #125, November 1958). To the general public, he was still considered Superboy while he was in college (Superman: The Secret Years #1-4, February-May 1985). At this time, he had already decided upon a career in journalism (Action Comics #144, May 1950).
This Earth-1 Clark landed a job at the Metropolis Daily Planet, where he formed a circle of friends including editor Perry White, reporter Lois Lane, and cub reporter Jimmy Olsen. His childhood sweetheart, Lana Lang, reentered his life, working briefly at the Planet before joining TV station WMET and later working with him t WGBS. While Clark was a seasoned reporter, he was put before the camera first as a field reporter and later as an anchor when Morgan Edge's Galaxy Communications bought the Daily Planet (Superman [first series] #233, January 1971). The scheduling demands of television news reporting encroached on his ability to function as Superman spontaneously, but he was eventually allowed to do some reporting for the Planet in addition to his TV work and regained a measure of freedom. Clark remained a good friend, a good neighbor, and a likable guy despite his retiring demeanor.
The Clark Kent in the post-Crisis reality developed his powers later, and as a result his personality was more outgoing. Because this Clark never became Superboy, he did not see the need, in adolescence, to develop the timid, reticent characterization for Clark that his Earth-1 counterpart used to distinguish his two personae. Consequently, he felt free to explore and exploit his natural athleticism, becoming the quarterback for the Smallville High football team (Man of Steel #1, October 1986). When he first began his crime-fighting career as Superman, he did so without a costume, and when the public adulation seemed to overwhelm him, he retreated. Ma and Pa Kent counseled him and helped him develop two separate identities, including donning glasses to create a new personality for Clark Kent and fashioning the costume he would wear as Superman.
This Clark was an accomplished reporter and bestselling novelist, easily winning a position with the Daily Planet when he landed the first accurate coverage of the arrival of this reality's Superman, earning him rival reporter Lois Lane's enmity for a time.
After the events of the Infinite Crisis, which split the single positive-matter universe into fifty-two parallel universes, Clark Kent was a normal twelve-year-old on New Earth – or, at least, he believed he was. After Pete Ross broke his arm trying to tackle Clark, the adolescent began to experience the manifestation of his powers, leading to a disastrous event involving his heat vision that nearly burned down the Kent barn. To Clark's relief, Ma and Pa devised a pair of glasses with special lenses (these, too, made from the rocket that brought him to Earth) that helped contain his heat vision in case it spontaneously activated again. And when he started to fly, his parents revealed the truth to their adopted son. Clark was frightened and confused when he was shown the rocket in which he'd landed on Earth. When he touched it, the Sunstone crystal was activated, giving the boy glimpses of life on Krypton, including holographic images of his birth parents.
Clark subsequently felt like an outsider, forced to hide his powers and who he truly was. He became uncomfortable around everyone, even the first girl he kissed – Lana Lang. Feeling literally alienated and , curiously, somewhat ashamed of his Kryptonian roots, he withdrew. He was forced into action and saved people from tornadoes, car accidents, and other disasters at super-speed. At such times he was an invisible blur, never revealing himself as the hero of the moment.
His adopted parents were the ones to help Clark embrace his Kryptonian descent, as anyone else on Earth would their ethnic background. After Clark's clothes continued to be ripped to shreds during his good deeds, Ma created a uniform based on the clothes the Kryptonians wore, adorned with the symbol of the House of El, thus creating his Superboy costume. But this Superboy was never seen by the public; he was a modern myth, like Bigfoot or the Men in Black. The tabloids called him “Super-Boy,” but no one truly believed he existed.
Clark eventually grew comfortable with being a man of two worlds – and the name Superman would come to mean exactly that to him (Superman: Secret Origin #1-6, November 2009-September 2010).
H. The Man Himself (as Superman)
Son after coming to work at the Star, the Earth-2 Clark Kent made his first appearance in costume as Superman and caused a sensation. He rapidly gained headlines for his work, which had as much to do with combating social injustice as fighting crime. He exposed corrupt politicians, unsafe work conditions, and illegal sports competitions while also preventing robbers, murderers, and racketeers from profiting.
At much the same time as costumed “mystery men” had taken to doling out vigilante justice in the name of law and order, the arrival of Superman captivated first a nation and then the world. As if in response to his arrival, more deadly criminal scientist and costumed foes emerged, beginning with the Ultra-Humanite and Luthor, followed soon after by the masked criminal the Archer.
Superman chose not to intervene in World War II, letting men settle their differences rather than using his powers to mold a world in his image. He did, however, let Clark Kent comply when drafted, but when he reported for his physical, Kent flunked by using his X-ray vision powers to read a chart from another room (Superman [first series] #25, November-December 1943). Instead Superman remained active in America, stopping spies and saboteurs in addition to working to raise money through war bond sales. His very presence was a morale booster when the nation needed it most.
As the war wound down, a new breed of threat arrived in the form of the magical prankster Mr. Mxyzptlk, followed by the annoying Prankster and J. Wilbur Wolfingham. The Toyman proved a greater challenge with his uncanny ability to escape prison, but even his crime sprees were easy to contain.
Traveling through time to trace the path of a mysterious meteorite he later called kryptonite, the Earth-2 Superman learned of the existence of Jor-L and Lora and the fact that he was their son (Superman [first series] #53, July-August 1948). Soon after, Lex Luthor learned of kryptonite and escalated his campaign to destroy the Man of Steel.
By the early 1950s, Communist paranoia gripped the country, and the remaining members of the Justice Society of America chose to disband rather than reveal their identities to Congress's Joint Un-American Activities Committee. Time passed and with it came the discovery of parallel universes, which led to the JSA meeting their Earth-1 counterparts, the Justice League of America. After several of these meetings, the two Supermen finally met (Justice League of America [first series] #73, August 1969). The original Man of Steel returned to duty with grater regularity. Then came the spacecraft containing his cousin Kara, marking the first time the Earth-2 Superman met a fellow Kryptonian. As Power Girl, she was added to the ranks of the Justice Society, in which she fought alongside her cousin on numerous occasions (All Star Comics #58, January-February 1976; others).
Power Girl was given a home by cousin Clark Kent and his wife Lois Lane as she acclimated to life on Earth. With Kara here, the again Clark felt he could let Superman slip into permanent semi-retirement, and it was his endorsement that won her full membership in the legendary JSA (All Star Comics #64, January-February 1977).
This Superman returned to active duty only once more, when his entire reality was threatened during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Working with his Earth-1 counterpart, he led the combined forces of heroes and super-criminals drawn from across the five remaining positive-matter universes. The climax of the confrontation left a single positive-matter universe, and there appeared room for just one Last Son of Krypton. Alexander Luthor, Junior, of Earth-3 offered Superman and his wife Lois a home: a crystalline limbo realm that existed in some other reality. The couple accepted and, with a wink, left the known universe in his younger counterpart's hands (Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, March 1986). For a complete accounting of the Earth-2 Superman’s experiences beyond this point in time, see Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis).
On Earth-1, Clark was conscious of protecting the secret of his powers and was conflicted about what to do.
And so, at first, he donned the costume but moved quickly, becoming a red-and-blue blur to the citizens of Smallville, but gradually began letting himself be seen. Slowly, the town came to accept that a powerful young hero lived among them. He caught a robber and introduced himself to the gaping police officers as “Superboy, foe of all criminals” (Superman [first series] #144, April 1961). According to one account, this first exploit occurred when he was eight years old (The New Adventures of Superboy #1, January 1980).
Over time, Clark realized he need a variety of ways to protect his secret identity. Thus he dug a tunnel from the house at 321 Maple Street to an exit outside the town, in addition to tone that connected the Kent house to the general store where he worked after school. The basement also became the place where he kept several trophies and devices such as the Phantom Zone projector (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961). After he built the series of Superboy Robots, several of them were kept in the basement as well.
The Kents insisted Clark maintain a normal civilian life as much as time and circumstance allowed. In addition to doing chores around the house and attending school, they wanted him to have a circle of friends and to work like so many other teens, to learn the value of money and honest effort.
Despite the fame that came with being a hero, there were times Clark still felt isolated, different from other boys and girls. As a result, he was thrilled beyond belief when a rocket arrived containing his childhood pet Krypto. Under Earth's sun, the dog developed superpowers and increased intelligence; soon he began joining his master on missions (Adventure Comics #210, March 1955). In time, Superboy began to meet other survivors from Krypton and found other artifacts that survived the planet's destruction, all of which helped him develop a keener insight into his heritage.
Through the years, the young Superboy periodically encountered other superpowered teenagers, generally heroes from other worlds, and fate inevitably turned each new encounter into a friendship. Consequently, the Boy of Steel's invitation to join the thirtieth century's Legion of Super-Heroes had a transformative effect on the young hero, allowing him the opportunity to form lasting bonds with other young people with powers like his own. Superboy was also encouraged by Time-Viewer's glimpses of the near future, which revealed that kids he'd met in the present, such as Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne, would later fight at Superman's side as Green Arrow and Batman.
Given all these challenges, Clark began to put into practice the lessons his adoptive parents had been teaching him since he was a toddler, Jonathan worked with him to help develop his powers and use them for the greater good, while Martha concentrated on making him a good friend and citizen. As a result, he adopted a personal code that precluded taking another person's life.
Yet Clark continued to fret that he would let people down by not being on duty at all hours of the day and night. He found himself offering explanations out of guilt (Superboy [first series] #89, June 1961).
What may have caused emotional pain, however, was Superboy's first encounter with other survivors of Krypton, beginning with Klax-Ar (Superboy [first series] #67, September 1958). Soon after, he learned of his father's discover of the Phantom Zone and began meeting its criminal inhabitants such as Jax-Ur (Adventure Comics #289, October 1961).
As the boy became a teen and was verging on adulthood, the passage of time seemed tedious, Krypto apparently vanished into outer space, returning in the grip of old age until a fountain of youth restored his vigor (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #29, June 1958).
After his adventurous experiences at college, such as making and losing friends and falling in love with Lori Lemaris, who turned out to be a mermaid from Atlantis (Superman [first series] #129, May 1959), Clark once more defeated a scheme by Lex Luthor, and the Daily Planet began referring to him as Superman. Clark at twenty-one and a junior in college was done with being the Teen of Steel (Superman: The Secret Years #4, May 1985).
Superman's exploits led him to help form the Justice League of America and act as mentor to one newly arrived hero after another. Superman formed a close relationship with Batman and Robin, sharing countless adventures with them, with the trio entrusting one another with their secret identities. The two men impersonated each other on several occasions to help preserve their alter egos.
The Man of Steel's enemies grew in number as threats on Earth and from outer space arrived with surprising regularity.
The biggest change in the life of the pre-First Crisis Earth-1 Superman came soon after, in the form of the arrival of a second rocket from Krypton, this one containing his cousin Kara Zor-El. He welcomed her to Earth and helped her craft a human identity, that of orphan Linda Lee, so that he could secretly train her in the use of her newly acquired powers before introducing her to the world. When he deemed her ready, Superman proudly introduced his cousin to the world, with celebrations occurring around the planet, from sunken Atlantis to the United Nations.
With his accomplishments dating back to his days as Superboy, his reputation had spread from world to world. Many came to Earth hoping to best the Man of Steel and make their reputations. All left in defeat.
Time and again, though, his most persistent nemesis turned out to be his onetime friend from Smallville, Lex Luthor. They met as fellow high school students and formed a friendship that included the Teen of Steel building the young aspiring scientist a laboratory. Lex was conducting experiments to try to find a cure for kryptonite when there was an accident and the lab caught fire. Superboy arrived and used his mighty breath to blow out the blaze, but the toxic fumes caused Lex to lose his hair – and blame the hero for his premature baldness. Thereafter, Lex tried again and again to crush the Action Ace, but with little success. Their battles were legendary and, in their adult years, even moved beyond Earth and into space, where Lex discovered a world that wound up hailing him as a hero and renaming itself Lexor in his honor.
The Superman of Earth-1 never allowed himself to pursue romance and marriage despite the numerous opportunities. He always feared that if his enemies discovered he had a spouse, she would become their target. As a result, he was linked to Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Lori Lemaris most often, but it was always Lois who seemed destined to become his wife if he were ever to marry. At one point, when he was being manipulated by an alien named Xviar, Clark briefly stopped operating as Superman and wooed Lois as Clark, consummating a long-simmering relationship. But their romance eventually ran its course, and they remained “just friends.”
The discovery of parallel worlds led to frequent meetings between the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Supermen. On one occasion, they formed an alliance when Ultraman, their criminal counterpart from Earth-3, partnered with the Lex Luthor of Earth-1 and the red-haired Alexei Luthor of Earth-2 to destroy both heroes. Soon after, they reunited during the events of the First Crisis and Infinite Crisis.
After the First Crisis, a “reborn” Superman arrived in Metropolis as an adult, and the world was shocked by his existence but delighted to welcome him. His plainclothes rescue of an experimental space-plane (whose passengers included reporter Lois Lane) created a sensation and prompted him to formally adopt a costume alter ego, soon dubbed Superman by the news media.
In the wake of Superman’s public debut, Morgan Edge and his underling Bruno Mannheim began to form the criminal organization that became Intergang. The Metropolis Police Department organized its Metropolis S.C.U. (Special Crimes Unit) under the leadership of Captain Maggie Sawyer and Inspector Dan Turpin (The Adventures of Superman Annual #7, 1995). Superman also had his first encounter with the supernatural when he joined Doctor Occult in battling the Cult of Thahn (Superman [second series] Annual #7, July 1995).
Soon afterward, the Man of Steel of this reality was first exposed to entities of cosmic origins by an encounter with the Forever People of New Genesis (Jack Kirby's Fourth World #20, October 1998). When he was later captured and brought to Apokolips by Amazing Grace, the Man of Steel came to fully understand the dire nature of the threat Darkseid would pose in the coming years (Superman [second series] #3; The Adventures of Superman #426; Action Comics #586 – all March 1987).
Superman also learned of other realms when he encountered the Superboy from the Pocket Universe, a devious plot on behalf of the Time Trapper. Superman met the Legion of Super-Heroes, champions from what would ultimately be revealed as an alternated time line (Superman [second series] #8, and Action Comics #591 – both August 1987). Not long afterward, he met a being called Supergirl who whisked him to the Pocket Universe in which she was created. She was actually Matrix, a clone of that universe's Lana Lang, created by a more benign version of Lex Luthor. There Superman discovered a dead planet, scorched and slaughtered by three villains native to the Pocket Universe. Superman meted out a kryptonite death sentence to General Zod, Quex-Ul, and Zaora, to prevent them from ever entering the universe (Superman [second series] #21-22, September-October 1988; The Adventures of Superman #444, September 1988).
As the Man of Tomorrow continued to protect Earth's interests from super-criminals and supernatural menaces, he felt guilt over some of his more extreme, though necessary, actions. This remorse preyed on him until he decided to exile himself from Earth for a year. After saying goodbye to friends and family, he took to the stars, where was taken prisoner on Warworld, the home base of the tyrannical Mongul. There he met the ancient Cleric, who recounted stories of old Krypton and revived the Man of Steel's flagging spirits. After dealing a crushing blow to Mongul, Superman returned to Earth with a Kryptonian device called the Eradicator.
His cosmic odyssey over, Superman became entangled in the war between demonic siblings Blaze and Lord Satanus. He managed to visit Hell to plead for the lives of Jimmy Olsen and Jerry White, but returned with just Jimmy. In the aftermath, Superman met the cosmic entity called Kismet, who described herself as a crossroads between chaos and order (The Adventures of Superman #494, September 1992).
The Man of Steel finally met his match when Doomsday rampaged across the eastern United States, inflicting grave injuries on members of the Justice League of America. Superman managed to subdue the creature in Metropolis but at the apparent cost of his own life. A stunned nation went into mourning (Superman: The Man of Steel #18-19, December 1992-January 1993; Justice League of America #69, December 1992; Superman [second series] #74-74, December 1992-January 1993; The Adventures of Superman #497-498, December 1992-1993; Action Comics #684, December 1992-January 1993). The majority of Earth's heroes turned out for Superman's funeral, and his absence was sorely felt. His body was also stolen by Project Cadmus for experimentation (Superman: The Man of Steel #20; Superman [second series] #76 – both February 1993).
A confluence of events sustained a spark of life in Superman's body, culminating with the Eradicator's attempt to take possession of it. Unable to do so, the Eradicator was still able to use the body as a model for its own attempts to reshape itself into humanoid form, and rushed Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where Kal-El began a slow recovery within a Kryptonian healing matrix (Action Comics #692, October 1993). Four men emerged in Metropolis, each claiming the mantle of Superman – the confused, emotionless Eradicator, the armored Steel, Project Cadmus's alleged teenage clone of Superman, and the Cyborg Superman, more machine than man (The Adventures of Superman #500, Early June 1993; others).
Secretly allied with Mongul, the Cyborg Superman set into motion the destruction of Coast City, instantly killing more than seven million people and unleashing massive earthquakes along the West Coast (Superman [second series] #80, August 1993). The Cyborg soon revealed himself as Hank Henshaw, intent on transforming Earth into a new Warworld (Superman [second series] #81, September 1993). Emerging from his incubation chamber, Superman returned to the United States, joining Steel; the Eradicator; Kon-El, the “Metropolis Kid”; and Green Lantern in a final assault on the so-called Engine City (The Adventures of Superman #504, September 1993; Action Comics #691, September 1993; Superman [second series] #82, September 1993; Superman: The Man of Steel #26, October 1993).
Later, Superman's intensifying powers grew out of control, ultimately requiring the Parasite to drain off his excessive energy (Superman: The Man of Steel #33; Superman [second series] #89; The Adventures of Superman #512 – all May 1994). Fully restored, he was ready once again to defend the city he had come to love.
Aiding Superman in his attempt to bring down Lex Luthor once and for all was Lois Lane, who exposed “Luthor II” as the original and presented evidence of his other wrongdoings. An infuriated Luthor vowed to use hidden weapons to destroy Metropolis; when he vacillated, his assistant Sydney Happerson triggered them. Despite Superman's efforts, much of his beloved city was leveled (Action Comics #700, June 1994). Using the memories of Superman and Perry White as a key components, the magician Zatanna cast a spell that undid the devastation of Metropolis (The Adventures of Superman #522, April 1995).
The Man of Steel learned the value of friendship anew when he was taken captive and hauled into space before the alien Tribunal, which sentenced him to death because of the part his ancestor Kem-L had played in the destruction of Krypton. Steel, Superboy, Supergirl, the Eradicator, and the Alpha Centurion mounted a rescue mission (Superman: The Man of Steel #50-52, November 1995-January 1996; Superman [second series] #106-108, November 1995-January 1996; The Adventures of Superman #529-531, November 1995-January 1996; Action Comics #716-717, December 1995-January 1996; Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #3, Winter 1995).
There then came a period when Superman was not himself. A battle with a foe led to the Man of Steel being transformed into a being of pure energy, with powers to match. To contain his new form, Professor Emil Hamilton constructed a special containment suit (Superman [second series] #122-123, April-May 1997; Superman: The Man of Steel #67, April 1997). Superman evolved further when he was split into two energy beings, one red and one blue (Superman Red/Superman Blue #1, February 1998). Superman Red/Superman Blue expended all their energy in combating an attempt by a group of powerful super-criminals to destabilize the Earth's core. In doing so, Superman was reintegrated into a single being and regained his original powers (Superman: The Man of Steel #78-79, April-May 1998; Aquaman [fifth series] #43, April 1998; Challengers of the Unknown [fifth series] #15, April 1998; Superman [second series] #134-135, April-May 1998; Teen Titans [second series] #19, April 1998; Supergirl [fourth series] #20, April 1998; The Adventures of Superman #557, May 1998; Steel #50, May 1998; Action Comics #744, May 1998; Superman Forever #1, April-May 1998).
Superman created an army of Superman Robots to help him protect the world (Superman [second series] #143, April 1999; others). Convinced that he'd finally stepped over the line, the JLA, United Nations forces, and Lex Luthor made an all-out attempt to stop the Man of Steel, resulting in the destruction of the Fortress of Solitude. Superman belatedly discovered that he'd been under the mental influence of the cosmic entity Dominus and, after a fierce battle, trapped the villain in the Phantom Zone. The aftermath of this, though, meant that the world's governments began making covert plans to deal with Superman in the event that he again fell under someone else's control, something that would complicate his life in years to come.
Some time later, Green Lantern and Superman discovered that the planetoid Pluto had vanished and learned that their former colleague Maxima and the villain Massacre had formed an alliance with Darkseid in response to the encroachment of Imperiex (Superman [second series] #159, August 2000). The Imperiex War tested Earth's resolve and the fortitude of its costumed champions. Earth survived, but the devastation was massive, including the destruction of the Kent family farm. Worse, it was later discovered that Lex Luthor, then president of the United States, knew the threat was coming and did nothing to prepare the planet.
As a huge kryptonite meteor approached Earth, President Luthor accused superman of crimes against humanity. Ultimately, Superman and Batman exposed Luthor's duplicity and a secret deal he had made with Darkseid, culminating in his ouster from office and the destruction of Metropolis's LexCorp Tower. The meteor was ultimately shattered before striking Earth, but less lethal shards of kryptonite continued to enter the atmosphere in the following weeks (Superman/Batman #1-7, October 2003-April 2004).
Following the Infinite and Final Crises, and the resulting reinstatement of the multiverse as fifty-two parallel dimensions, many lives were altered, including that of the World's Greatest Super Hero. After he spent a year powerless – while slowly “recharging” his powers by continual exposure to Earth's yellow sun – and returned to his reporter's roots, Superman's powers eventually returned (Superman #650-653, May-August 2006).
The Man of Steel's life took a surprising turn when he encountered the young Kryptonian Lor-Zod, who had crashed to Earth and was being held by the American military. Once rescued, Kal-El brought the youth to live with him and Lois Lane in Metropolis. In time, it was learned that Lor-Zod was a refugee from the Phantom Zone and son of General Zod and his cruel consort Ursa. Lor-Zod was born in the material area of the Phantom Zone called Fort Rozz, where time actually passed and Lor-Zod aged to adolescence while suffering relentless abuse at the hands of his parents (Action Comics #851, August 2007). A compassionate Clark and Lois renamed him Christopher Kent helped him acclimate to his new life one Earth. Sadly, Chris was only a pawn in Zod's scheme for all the Phantom Zone criminals to be released on Earth, and he sacrificed his life on Earth to return to the Zone so that the criminals could never escape again.
Soon thereafter, Superman's help was requested by the new future's Legion of Super-Heroes. In their era of 3008, Earth's sun had artificially shifted from yellow to red. Rejected Earth born applicants the Justice League of Earth, with the goal of ridding the planet of alien influences. Their leader was Earth Man, who used a flawed interpretation of Superman's life story as a basis for his assertion that he derived his powers from “Mother Earth.” he urged the planetary government to secede from the United Planets. This future Justice League's efforts forced the alien-born Legionnaires to go into hiding, leading them to bring the real Superman across time from the twenty-first century to help. With his participation, the sun was restored to its natural state and the UP's impending attack on Earth was ended (Action Comics #858-863, October 2007-April 2008).
Soon after, Superman once more traveled to the thirty-first century, this time to aid the Legion and three of the parallel Earths opposing Superboy-Prime and his Legion of Super-Villains. The Man of Steel had hoped to reform the tortured teen, but came to realize that this was not possible (Final Crisis: Legion of 3 World #1-5, October 2008-September 2009).
In the New Earth reality, Superman also encountered a new version of Brainiac, a cold, calculating alien from Colu. Using androids, Brainiac sought samples of intelligent life on countless worlds, reducing them in size and keeping them aboard his massive starship, then eradicated the remainder of that world. When one such android encountered and fought Superman, it sent a sample of the hero's blood to Brainiac, and the alien was intrigued enough to travel to Earth. En route, however, he stopped to sample another planet's intelligent life, and there he and Superman met for the first time when the Man of Steel tried to stop him. Brainiac captured Superman, and once he arrived in Earth's orbit, he launched an assault on Metropolis. Superman managed to free himself, and while he and Supergirl were defending their adopted planet, Supergirl revealed that Brainiac was the one who had stolen Kandor decades before. The Man of Steel worked to stop one of Brainiac's planet-destroying missiles, while Superman subdued the Coluan. Thrown from his starship by Superman into a muddy swamp, Brainiac was subjected to millions of Earth's microorganisms, which paralyzed him. Superman then quickly rescued both Metropolis and Kandor, but in an act of spiteful revenge, Brainiac sent a missile to destroy the Kent farm. Jonathan Kent managed to save his wife Martha, but suffered a fatal heart attack while doing so. He died in Martha's arms, leaving Superman emotionally devastated. Despite having his mother an his beloved Lois to comfort him, Superman's enmity toward Brainiac burned bright in his heart.
Tempered with the loss of Jonathan Kent was the joy of being reunited with the thousands of kinsmen who had survived the destruction of Krypton. A delighted Superman offered to help them acclimate to their new homeworld, an offer that was sadly and largely ignored. Kandor's leaders turned out to be Zor-El and his wife Alura Zor-El, parents to Supergirl. They did agree, however, to a meeting with the president of the United States, a diplomatic gesture that was ruined when the monstrous “killing machine” Doomsday arrived. After he was dispatched, Zor-El decided that threats to Superman could also be threats to the newly relocated Kandorians. Kandorian troops were sent to remove such threats, which resulted in an assault on superman's foes at Stryker's Island Penitentiary. During the conflict, several humans were killed, and the world demanded that Kryptonians involved face justice for their actions.
Sensing a disaster brewing, General Samuel Lane, the former secretary of defense, began marshaling troops. He went so far as to bring Lex Luthor into his counsel, and the former president stole Brainiac's inert starcraft. Luthor then activated a robot army discovered in the bowels of the ship. During the distraction, Lane sent the super-criminals Metallo and Reactron into Kandor since both contained kryptonite withing their chests. They got close enough to manage to kill Zor-El (Action Comics #872 and Supergirl [fifth series] #36 – both February 2009).
Mad with grief, Alura took control of the Kandorian government and rejected any assimilation into Earth society, refusing to hand over her people. Led by the Guardian, members of the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America arrived over the city in the ope of setting things peacefully. Superman found himself caught in the middle of the conflict, unhappy with both sides. The standoff ended when the city – and the glacier it sat atop – were lifted into the sky. Scientist had managed to access some of Brainiac's technology and found a way to move Kandor. They entered space where, directly opposite of Earth's orbit, they fashioned a new planet using Kryptonian crystal-growth technology, and dubbed it New Krypton (Action Comics #873, March 2009; others).
Alura insisted Supergirl remain with her as their people settled with their new world. At first, she rejected Superman, but later she offered him a place within Kryptonian society. He initially turned the opportunity down but then reconsidered after Alura freed General Zod and other criminals from the Phantom Zone (Superman #684, March 2009).
Deciding he needed to keep apprised of the real plans of his people, Superman decided to essentially go undercover on New Krypton, saying good-bye to his wife Lois Lane and his adopted mother Martha Kent, ostensibly taking up permanent residence there as Kal-El. Superman helped free Mon-El from the disintegrating Phantom Zone and charged him with looking after Metropolis in his absence (Superman #685, April 2009; others).
Kal-El arrived on New Krypton and was given a place at Zod's side in the Military Guild by his Aunt Alura. As Commander El, he worked with the elite red Shard group, where he trained the soldiers to fight using their new superpowers thanks to earth's yellow sun. He also showed them more peaceful ways to solve problems and defuse tense situations. His presence on New Krypton and his commendable galactic reputation helped to eliminate any suspicions the Green Lantern Corps had over so many superpowered beings living on one world when they visited the fledgling planet. Kal-El himself, however, was concerned by the secret caches of weapons Zod had been stockpiling. When Kal-El sided with the Corps against Zod, he was arrested and tried for treason (Superman: World of New Krypton #1-4, May-August 2009). During the trial, Kal-El was offered a chance to escape from prison – a trap set by Zod – but Kal-El refused. When he was found guilty and sentenced to death, Zod personally intervened and saw Kal-El pardoned, the son of Jor-El having passed his test.
Later that day Zod was shot in an assassination attempt, and Kal-El was named the Military Guild commander while Zod slowly recovered from his wounds. As Kal-El investigated the crime, his chief suspect, Ral-Dar, escaped prison and fled to Earth, forcing Kal to follow as Superman. He and Supergirl pursued Ral-Dar, and while on Earth, the Man of Steel was brought up to date on what his friends and loved ones were doing to blunt Project 7734's increasingly dangerous actions. Superman had sent Supergirl and Mon-El after Ral-Dar, who turned out to be working with General Lane to undermine his own people. Superman traveled to the European country of Markovia to prevent Ral-Dar from assassinating the president of the United States, but was hampered by General Lane's men firing at himself and Ral-Dar. When one struck the renegade Kandorian, Superman was finally able to apprehend him (Superman: World of New Krypton #5-6, September-October 2009; Action Comics #880; Supergirl [fifth series] #44; Superman #691 – all October 2009).
Kal-El's return to New Krypton was well-timed, as he was able to argue against Officer Gor's proposal to the Council that attacking Earth before they were surely attacked was the wisest course of action. Zod rose from his sick bay bed and sided with Kal-El, promoting him to general and giving him full authority over the Military Guild. Any decisions were forestalled when word reached the Council that a Kryptonian spacecraft tasked with retrieving Callisto, a moon near Jupiter that would serve as New Krypton's, was attacked by Thanagarian war ships. Kal-El led a squad of his troops against the Thanagarians, who aggressively defended Jupiter's sovereign rights. When the main Thanagarian warship was damaged, Kal-El rescued its crew, earning a measure of respect from its commander. Just as the moon Callisto was placed in orbit around New Krypton, the Council was approached by a defiant J'Emm, leader of the Saturnian people. His displeasure at the impertinent new neighbors was tempered when Kal-El intervened, prevailing on their past associations to prove his sincerity. No sooner did the Saturnian delegation return to space than a Council member was found murdered, the human adventurer Adam Strange standing over the body. Thankfully, Kal-El believed his ally's explanation that the Zeta Beam transporting Strange from his adopted world of Rann back to Earth erroneously deposited him at the crime scene. Strange used his keen intellect to aid the murder investigation, which led to the increasingly restless Labor Guild (Superman: World of New Krypton #7-10, November 2009-February 2010).
The mysterious assassin then tried to kill Alura, but her assistant, Lyra Kam-Par, was killed instead, derailing a clear investigation. Kal-El and Adam Strange were less certain about the Labor Guild being driven to kill just to get their grievances heard. Their investigation trail led Strange and Kal-El to discover a hidden base where aliens were being slaughtered for their silvery skins to be used as weapons coating. Kal-El was furious and disgusted at this and angered that Zod had kept it all hidden. Gor, under Zod's orders, tried to kill Kal-El and Adam Strange, the latter of whom teleported them out of harm's way. Once Strange returned to earth, Kal-El was free to finish piecing together the conspiracy to destabilize new Krypton's government. He finally pieced it together and made a visit to Councilor Wri-Qin, who admitted to partnering with General Lane in exchange for ruling New Krypton in the aftermath of the inevitable war between the two planets (Superman: World of New Krypton #11-12, March-April 2010).
Any hope of thwarting the conflict was interrupted by the arrival of Brainiac's massive starship, which had returned to reclaim the world Superman stole from him. The Coluan criminal's arrival began a series of events that proved his thirty-first-century descendant Brainiac 5 correct. Should Brainiac succeed in killing Superman, it would cause time to unravel and shatter all of reality. To forestall this, Brainiac 5 dispatched the Legion Espionage Squad back in time, where they disguised themselves as members of the Metropolis Science Police, poised to act with future Legionnaire Mon-El when required. Similarly, in Smallville, Conner Kent learned his high school science teacher was really Element Lad (Superman #697, April 2010; Adventure Comics #511, Early May 2010).
While Superboy, Supergirl, Mon-El, and the Legionnaires traveled to New Krypton, the Kandorians were in a panic. Guild affiliations and a strict caste system led to distrust and a distinct lack of cooperation, which hampered Kal-El, Zod, and the Military Guild's efforts to defend the world. As a result, hundreds of Kandorians died needlessly, and Kal-El realized Zod's approach to New Krypton's defense was all wrong. He resigned his commission and once more became Superman. He then accessed Brainiac's ship through a weakness in its forcefield and confronted Brainiac once inside. However, he was quickly weakened by a kryptonite-wielding Lex Luthor.
At the same time, the alien telepath Tellus informed Supergirl that her cousin was in distress, leading Mon-El to fly to his mentor's rescue. Back on board his vessel, Brainiac informed Superman that he was keeping the Man of Steel alive to witness Kandor being recaptured, the Coluan's revenge for Superman making him feel an emotion. However, Superman summoned all his strength and broke free, but was stopped when Lex Luthor threatened to destroy a bottled city with his gun. As Luthor fired a shot, Mon-El arrived and deflected the bullet – the very destiny he felt he escaped the Phantom Zone to accomplish. By this point, Supergirl, Superboy, Chameleon Boy, Matter Eater Lad, and Element Lad had breached Brainiac's vessel just as Brainiac 5 arrived from the future. Although they managed to save the Lanothians, a race of powerful telepaths, Brainiac not only fled with his cities, but had once again reduced Kandor and rebottled it as well, claiming his victory. Superman was weakened by a blast of red solar energy and rescued by a mechanical Brainiac drone that was controlled by the Legionnaire Quislet.
During this time, Zod and his forces managed to reverse engineer Brainiac's equipment and found a way to enlarge themselves and attack Brainiac anew. While Zod and Brainiac fought hand to hand, Luthor's true plan became obvious as he enlarged a bottle city within Brainiac's hip, intending to destroy both the vessel and Kandor in the process. When Brainiac emerged from the wreckage of his ship, he found Luthor and confronted him, snapping his neck. But this Luthor had been one of Toyman's android constructions, while the real Luthor was kept safely out of harm's way. Sadly, Kandor had once more suffered many dead and wounded, the city shattered (Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1-3, May-June 2010; Supergirl [fifth series] #51 and Superman #698 – both May 2010; Adventure Comics #513, June 2010).
Superman then returned to New Krypton to find in Military Installation KV-246, buried one mile beneath the planet's surface. The two Kryptonians confronted each other, only to be interrupted when it was learned General Zod had already ordered his military forces to attack Earth. At the same time, Alura was torturing the captured Reactron for intelligence about Project 7734. However, the villain was a plant for General Lane and literally detonated, causing seismic shifts all around the artificial world and destroying it completely. Thousands of Kandorians, including Alura, perished. The devastated and enraged Kryptonians began their war against Earth in earnest. A squadron flew to Mars to clear it of General Lane's Human Defense Corps forces while others flew all around Earth, destroying capital cities and killing countless leaders, statesmen, and citizens. Superman, aided by his allies in the meta-human community, defended Earth. Superboy sent Krypto to the Fortress of Solitude to fetch the Phantom Zone Projector, and together they circled the globe, consigning all the remaining Kryptonians to the re-formed Phantom Zone, which came at the sacrifice of Christopher Kent's ability to remain in the corporeal world. In the end, as was inevitable, the battle came down to Superman versus Zod in the skies over Metropolis. While brutal, the outcome was not in doubt as Kal-El proved once more why he was the World's Greatest Super Hero, besting his father's enemy and returning him to the Phantom Zone. Superman then took off in search of Lois Lane, who had been kidnapped by her sister Lucy and taken to their father in one of his secret bunkers. Once it became clear that his project 7734 was defeated, General Lane took his own life rather than face a trial and humiliation for his unpardonable crimes. Clark Kent stood beside his wife at the funeral as a new day of peace dawned. The planet – as well as Superman and those he loved – began healing and rebuilding, comforted in the knowledge that Superman was saddened to find himself once more the Last Son of Krypton, he knew he would never be truly alone as long as his beloved Lois was beside him (Superman: War of the Supermen #0-4, June-July 2010).
I. The Women of the Chronicles
1. Relationship with Lois Lane
The Lois Lane of Earth-2 first encountered the Man of Steel when he was the newly hired Clark Kent at the Daily Star. Assigned to the same story, they dined and danced that night, but it was clear she had little interest in the mild-mannered new-comer. Instead she fell in love at first sight when she spotted the colorfully clad Superman (Action Comics #1, June 1939). Since then, Lois, Clark, and Superman have had one of the most enduring and frustrating romances ever chronicled. While Lois loved superman, and he seemed to reciprocate those feelings more often than not, she had little use for Clark, going so far as to dupe her colleague repeatedly in an effort to scoop him. “That gal's a natural for getting involved in mischief, but that's just what I like about her,” thought Superman (Action Comics #27, August 1940).
When not repeatedly rescuing the plucky reporter, he was avoiding her attempts to figure out his real identity, which she persisted in believing was Clark Kent although she could never prove it.
On Earth-2, it took Clark more than a decade to finally propose to Lois. They married but never had children. Instead their love burned brightly until old age eventually claimed her (Infinite Crisis #6, May 2006).
In her trademark pillbox hat, the Earth-1 Lois Lane proved more fickle as she pined for Superman but wound up romancing many other men from across space and time. In the end, though, she continued to prefer landing the Action Ace as her spouse and seemed willing to wait.
The post-First Crisis Lois was a more self-sufficient woman, and while she loved Superman, she was not about to throw herself into danger just for a quick rescue. It took time for Lois and the Man of Steel to admit their feelings for each other, then act on them. Even then, it was Clark Kent who proposed, it was some time after she accepted that he revealed his true identity to her. He wanted to be sure that Lois could love him for the man he was beneath the charismatic, colorful persona of Superman. While this pleased her, she called off the engagement for a time when she felt Superman was prepared to let her die rather than allow the Joker to remain at large (Action Comics #719-720, March-April 1996).
However, the couple soon reconciled and married, enjoying their life together when the Man of steel managed to whisk them off to private locations where they could enjoy time alone undisturbed. Lois became Clark's sounding board and conscience, his cheerleader and his taskmaster, helping him keep his priorities in order. As Mrs. Kent, she also consistently helped cover for Clark when duty called for Superman, and the two enjoyed a deep bond that grew stronger each year.
2. Relationship with Lana Lang
They were childhood sweethearts, and it's said that one never forgets one's first love. Clark Kent and Lana Lang grew up as next-door neighbors in Smallville, attending elementary, junior, and senior high school together. While they were best fiends, there was never a romantic spark between them – yet Lana's heart was devoted to Superboy. Much like Lois Lane, Lana spent her time trying to prove the Teen of Steel and young Clark were one and the same.
As an adult, the Earth-1 Lana arrived in Metropolis to work at WMET and was immediately a rival to Lois Lane for Superman’s affection. She and Lois became close friends while maintaining that rivalry, which could be alternately friendly and fierce. In time, however, Lana recognized that she could never win Superman's heart and moved on, ironically finding romance for a time with Clark.
The post-Crisis Lana loved Clark Kent and was stunned when he revealed his great secret and announced that he was leaving her an Smallville behind. Although they never dated as adults, she carried a constant torch for Clark, despite marrying and later divorcing their mutual friend from Smallville, Pete Ross. Indeed, Lana named her son Clark in honor of her old friend. Lang nevertheless managed to eventually find her own path, briefly running LexCorp when Lex Luthor was ousted and later temporarily working alongside Kent as business editor at the Daily Planet.
3. Relationship with Lori Lemaris
While Clark Kent grew up surrounded by attractive girls at Smallville High School, he rarely had a steady girlfriend or passionate romance. That all changed when, while attending Metropolis University, he fell for the wheelchair-bound Lori Lemaris, whose presumably useless legs remained concealed under a blanket at all times. Her mysterious comings and goings, however, aroused Clark's suspicions, and he followed her one day, only to learn that she was actually a mermaid who hailed from the undersea city-state of Atlantis. At that point, it became clear that she could never enter into a long-term relationship with Clark, much as she longed to (Superman [first series] #129, May 1959).
Lori's telepathic powers told her Clark's secret and she kept it, becoming a true friend to Superman. While there remained a romantic spark between them, she wound up marrying Ronal, a doctor who saved her life, and she knew that Superman's heart belonged to someone else – Lois Lane.
An iteration of Lori Lemaris was incarnated on the post-First Crisis Earth, and their relationship remained largely unchanged.
4. Relationship with Wonder Woman
Prior to the First Crisis, Superman and Wonder Woman were never anything more than friends and colleagues in the Justice League. After the Crisis, however, the new Wonder Woman who emerged in that reality captivated the Man of Steel's mind when she burst on the scene during a pitched battle between the super heroes and the forces from Apokolips (Legends #6, April 1987). The two were drawn to each other but their once attempt at dating proved disastrous (Action Comics #600, May 1988), and they agreed to remain close friends. Over time, they became incredibly close friends, sharing wisdom that only experience as warriors could bring.
The Infinite Crisis appeared to have altered their relationship so that, while the world saw incredible sexual chemistry between the Amazon princess and the Man of Steel, they were colleagues and nothing more.
5. Relationship with Other Women
The Earth-1 Superman had several passionate affairs with women other than Lois Lane. A time-traveling Man of Steel journeyed to Krypton and fell for actress Lyla Lerrol. Had circumstances been different, the two might well have remained together (Superman [first series] #156, October 1962).
On another occasion, exposure to red kryptonite robbed the Man of Steel of his memory and powers, and he was taken in by Sally Selwyn and her logger father. The two fell in love and wanted to make a life together, but jealous rival and the return of Clark's memory meant it was destined not to be (Superman [first series] #165, November 1963).
The post-Crisis Superman was desired by many women, with Maxima, and the queen of Almerac, even coming from her homeworld to Earth to marry him, weather the Man of Steel liked it or not (Action Comics #645, September 1989).
J. The Relationship with the Law Enforcement Establishment
For years, Superman worked with all forms of law enforcement, including the police, the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, the FBI, the Treasury Department, the Secret Service, and several U.S. Presidents.
The Earth-2 Superman, early on, was viewed with suspicion by the Metropolis police force (Action Comics #6, November 1938; others) and became a particular target for Sergeant Casey. Fairly quickly, however, the police welcomed his assistance and soon came to rely on it (Superman [first series] #17, July-August 1942). Almost every other nation in the world allowed the Man of Steel entry in pursuit of justice.
On Earth-1, Superboy introduced himself to Smallville's police officers as he made his first arrest (Superman [first series] #144, April 1961). He worked with several police chiefs, but forged an especially deep and long-lasting bond with Douglas Parker.
At the United Nations in New York City, the Metropolis Marvel was given a special “golden certificate” granting him unfettered access to enter and leave member countries without a visa and was even authorized to make arrests.
For a brief period, the Metropolis police summoned Superman with a “super-signal,” or by means of a large loudspeaker mounted atop the roof of police headquarters (Superman [first series] #114, July 1957).
As a member of the various incarnations of the Justice League of America, Superman had additional authority to cross international waters or airspace with the ability to make arrests.
K. The Relationship to the Super Hero Community
1. Justice Society of America
On November 9, 1940, British intelligence asked Earth-2's Flash and Green Lantern to investigate rumor's of a possible German invasion. The heroes wound up captured and shipped to Adolf Hitler, who intended to kill them using the mystic Spear of Destiny. They were instead rescued by their fellow super heroes Doctor Fate and Hourman. The rescue and escape prompted President Franklin Roosevelt to suggest that the heroes band together. The heroes consented and the Justice Society of America was formed, with Superman and Batman accepting honorary membership (All Star Comics #3, Winter 1940; origin revealed in DC Special #29, August-September 1977).
In the wake of America's introduction into World War II, President Roosevelt beseeched all of America's costumed crime fighters to help defend the country's shores as the All-Star Squadron (All-Star Squadron #1, September 1981; others). The JSA itself, whose members served jointly in their own team and the All-Stars, was renamed the Justice Battalion of America for the duration of the war (All Star Comics #11, June-July 1942). Though a participant in All-Star Squadron adventures, Superman was a comparative nonpresence with the 1940s JSA save for a case in which he substituted for Johnny Thunder (All Star Comics #36, August-September 1947).
By the early 1950s, communist paranoia gripped the country and the remaining members of the JSA chose to disband rather than reveal their identities to Congress's Joint Un-American Activities Committee. By this point, only Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman still possessed the necessary clout and respect to remain active as super heroes without government interference (Adventure Comics #466, December 1979).
The Earth-2 Superman eventually went back to work with the JSA until he entered semi-retirement, with his cousin Power Girl acting as his replacement.
2. Justice League of America
On Earth-1, the arrival of combating aliens led seven of the planet's super heroes – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman – to band together for the first time. After the threat was ably handled, they agreed that remaining united made sense, and so the Justice League of America was born (The Brave and the Bold #28, February-March 1960; Justice League of America [first series] #9, February 1962).
In the wake of the First Crisis, Superman declined an invitation to join the young JLA, believing himself to already be overcommitted (Action Comics #650, February 1990). The Man of Steel subsequently fought alongside the team during an invasion from the planet Appellax (JLA: Year One #11-12, November-December 1998) and briefly agreed to serve as a full member, stepping back to reservist status following the team's defeat of the intelligent ape super-criminal Gorilla Grodd (JLA: Incarnations #2, August 2001). Nonetheless, Superman behaved as a full member in everything but name as the years passed, participating in scores of adventures. In the reality that formed following Infinite Crisis, Superman was once again regarded as a founding member of the League (Justice League of America [second series] #0, September 2006).
For an overview of Superman's relationship with his sometime ally-sometime opponent, the Dark Knight, see Batman.
3. Metropolis Allies
Given the demands on Superman's time, Metropolis was periodically left unwatched – and criminals always seemed to take advantage of the opportunities presented at those times. Eventually, however, the post-Crisis Superman gained several allies who chose to base themselves in his city.
The first of these was Matrix, the artificial life-form from the Pocket Universe who filled in for Superman when he exiled himself in space. Upon his return, Matrix became Supergirl and fought crime by the Man of Steel's side for a time. In the wake of Superman’s death, John Henry Irons emerged as Steel, working alongside the Cyborg Superman, the Eradicator, and the Metropolis Kid, the Kon-El/Conner Kent version of Superboy. Steel left for Washington and, later, New Jersey for a time after Superman's resurrection, but then permanently relocated to Metropolis to assist the Man of Steel as needed.
Rose Forrest fought the One Hundred as the Thorn and remained an active crime fighter in Metropolis. The Birds of Prey, led by Oracle (the former Batgirl, Barbara Gordon), briefly worked out of Metropolis, aiding Superman. The S.T.A.R. Corps and the Supermen of America also briefly worked to fill in for the Metropolis Marvel on occasion.
In the post-First Crisis reality, Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El actually arrived on Earth later than planned. In time, she came to live and work in Metropolis, forging her own identity and career – but she was always there when Superman needed her.
After the Infinite Crisis, when Superman left Earth to spend time on New Krypton, he departed secure in the knowledge that the city was in good hands. Not only was Supergirl patrolling the skies, but the newly established Science Police was led by the Guardian, and Superman personally asked Mon-El to perform his duties under the tutelage of the Guardian and Steel.
L. The Counterparts
1. Potential Future Versions
Glimpses of numerous potential futures on various parallel worlds have been documented, showing that the legacy of Superman would endure.
In one possible future, Clark Kent and Lois Lane married, becoming the parents of a daughter named Laura (Superman Family #200, March-April 1980) and a younger son named Jorel. Kalel Kent, the Superman of 2020, was the grandson of the Superman who fought crime in the floating city of New Metropolis (Superman [first series] #354, December 1980). The original Man of Steel was still alive, but superannuated, surviving along with his son Superman II (Jorel). The grandson adopted multiple secret identities to keep his real life private. He was Jon Hudson, a computer traffic controller, and Lewis Parker, a professional tennis player, among other unrecorded personae.
Several chronicles recorded the exploits of a Superman who operated in a thirtieth century apart from the one he visited as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Following the original template, that Man of Steel was secretly a mild-mannered telenews reporter for the Daily Solar System named Craig King (Action Comics #215, April 1956). He did not possess inherent superpowers but replicated the legendary hero's powers in 2956 through technology provided by scientists who felt a crime fighter was needed.
A different thirtieth-century Superman appeared in the chronicles, operating from 2965 to 2967. He was Klar Ken T5477, Ultra-News reporter for the Daily Interplanetary News and a descendant of the original Kryptonian. He was also a deputized agent on behalf of the Federation of Planets. He frequently opposed a yellow-skinned alien menace named Muto (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965; others). In time, Klar Ken allied himself with Bron Wayn E7705, the son of Batman XIX (World's Finest Comics #166, may 1967).
This future was altered slightly by the First Crisis and featured Klar Ken 5477, who debuted in 2999 (Superman [second series] #136, July 1998). The son of the eighteenth Superman, who died when apprehending his era's Luthor, he had a younger sister named Kara and enjoyed a super-heroic career for a time before confronting Muto. His future also had incarnations of Batman, Aquaman, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, a green-skinned Captain Marvel, the Flash, Green Arrow, Ms. Miracle, Starman, and the Green Lantern Corps.
A future time line culminating in the 853rd century detailed a Dynasty of Supermen beginning with Kal-El and extending though the years. Superman II was Jorel Kent (Superman [first series] #354, December 1980).
Superman Secundus operated in the twenty-first century and became the prime hero after the original Superman left Earth and was unseen for sixty-eight millennia (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
Superman III also operated in the twenty-first century, the grandson of the original and son of Superman II. He was credited with curing cancer (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965).
Dave Kent was the fourth Superman, most likely working in the twenty-second century (Action Comics #338, June 1966). A fifth hero was never named, but a memorial statue existed (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965).
A century later, Superman VI partnered now and then with the sixth Batman (World's Finest Comics #166, May 1967). The seventh Superman was Kanton K-73, whose identity was inadvertently exposed by his infant son (Action Comics #338, June 1966).
By the twenty-fourth century, Superman VIII had begun his crime-fighting career and was the inventor of the world's first dependable artificial eye (Superman [second series] #136, July 1998). He was followed in the chronicles by Superman IX, who worked with the twenty-fifth-century incarnation of the Justice League to battle the artificial intelligence Solaris. Apparently, at this point, there had not been a Superman based on Earth for more than a century (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
The next mentioned Superman was the twelfth version, whose genes were altered in the Pollution War, which included the use of atomic weapons. He and all descendants were vulnerable to contaminated seawater (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965; Superman [second series] #137, August 1998).
Superman XV and the Batman XV were known to have worked together in their era, which may have been the twenty-eighth century (World's Finest Comics #166, may 1967). The Superman and Justice league of the nearly twenty-ninth century and the time-traveling Legion of Super-Heroes had another encounter with Solaris (Superman : The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
Superman XVIII in the thirtieth century battled the telepathic threat of Muto and worked with Batman XIX (Action Comics #338, June 1966). He died while battling Luthor (Superman [second series] #136, July 1998). His son Superman XIX was Klar Ken T5477 and most frequently opposed Muto (Superman [first series] #181, November 1965; others). He was credited with being the founder of the Justice Alliance.
The chronicles next recorded a Superman XXX in the mid-thirty-fifth century (Superboy [first series] #120, April 1965). There was also the Superman of the thirty-eighth century, credited with rehabilitating Solaris (The Adventures of Superman #1,000,000, November 1998).
The sixty-seventh century's Man of Tomorrow had evolved to have additional powers after he wed Zrfff's Queen Gzntplzk (DC One Million #1, November 1998). The next hero in the records was the Superman of the 250th century, with no details revealed (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
The Superman of the 322nd century formed an alliance with the descendants of Lex Luthor (Action Comics #1,000,000, November 1998). Forty-two centuries later, there remained a Superman (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998).
The Superman of the 505th century reprogrammed Solaris at the cost of his life (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998; others). One of his descendants in an unspecified era worked with the Justice League of the Atom (Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, November 1998). Another served as a member of the Pancosmic Justice Jihad.
Superman Prime in 70,001 returned to the solar system and took up residence in the sun until AD 85,271. The 853rd century's Man of Steel was a member of Justice Legion A (JLA #23, October 1998). The dynasty continued with the birth of a son (DC One Million 80-Page Giant, August 1999). After that era, the chronicles showed a Superman operating in the Fifth-Dimensional world of Zrfff.
2. Imaginary Story/Elseworlds Versions
Before the Crisis on Infinite Earths, there were countless parallel universes, and in almost every one there was some version of Superman, usually appearing with variations of his friends and foes. After the Crisis, there was only one positive-matter universe and one anti-matter universe, each with a version of the hero. The Infinite Crisis split the positive universe into fifty-two parallel universes, and again most had some version of Superman. Below are the highlights of the many incarnations of the Last Son of Krypton.
Pre-Crisis Versions
• Earth-2 was the first Superman, followed by Earth-1's Superman. The Earth-3 Superman was Ultraman, who gained a new power every time he encountered kryptonite. On Earth-D, Superman was a black-skinned adventurer.
• Earth-Prime never had a hero until Clark Kent became Superboy and was one of the handful to actually survive the Crisis.
• Earth-19: Home of a married Clark and Lois Kent, the parents of super-twins, Larry and Carole (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #19, August 1960, and #20, October 1960; others).
• Earth-20: An Earth without Superman that was visited by Earth-1's Man of Steel in an attempt at a lifestyle change (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #20, October 1960).
• Earth-25: Home of a married Superman and Lois Lane, the parents of super-son Larry (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #25, May 1961, and #39, February 1963).
• Earth-26: A world on which Superman married Lana Lang and endowed her with superpowers (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #26, July 1961).
• Earth-34: An Earth where Lois Lane and Lex Luthor married and became the parents of a son who ultimately married Superman and Lana Lang's daughter (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #34, July 1962, and #46, January 1964).
• Earth-36: A world where Lana Lang left the twentieth century to marry one of Superman's descendants after the present-day Superman and Lois married and became the parents of super-twins (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #36, October 1962).
• Earth-39: A world devastated by pollution and war peopled by, among others, Jonathan and (a non-superpowered) Clark Kent (The New Adventures of Superboy #39, March 1983).
• Earth-43: An Earth on which Superman and Luthor died in battle unbeknownst to the general public. A replacement Superman was groomed in Kandor, but he eventually traded places with the Kal-El of Earth-215. The latter's Lois Lane had been killed, leading Kal-El to propose to the Lois on this world. Criminal counterparts of the Legion of Super-Heroes existed in the thirtieth century of this world's time line (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #43, August 1963; Superboy [first series] #117, December 1964; Superman [first series] #215, April 1969).
• Earth-47: A world whose greatest heroine was Krypton Girl, alias Lois Lane, the last survivor of the doomed planet (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #47, February 1964).
• Earth-51: A world on which Superman married Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Lori Lemaris, all of whom died soon after their respective weddings (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #51, August 1964).
• Earth-64: A world where concert pianist Lex Luthor posed as Lexo and married Lois Lane before his death (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #64-65, April-May 1966).
• Earth-89: A world where Lois Lane and Bruce Wayne are married and had a son (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #89, January 1969).
• Earth-91: Home of a blind Lois Lane and a disfigured Superman who married and became parents of a super-daughter (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #91, April 1969).
• Earth-95: A world on which Jor-El, Lara and Kal-El sought refuge after Krypton's explosion; they eventually abandoned it for Krypton II (Superboy [first series] #95, march 1962).
• Earth-116: Home of a Superboy whose costume's colors were reverse of his Earth-1's counterpart's (Superboy [first series] #116, October 1964).
• Earth-117: An Earth on which Jor-El, Lara and Kal-El escaped Krypton's explosion. Capes were a status symbol on this world (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #117, January1969).
• Earth-124: An earth where Superboy portrayed Clark Kent as a delinquent (Superboy [first series] #124, October 1965).
• Earth-132: An Earth whose astronauts accidentally landed on the planet Krypton, home of the hero Futuro (Superman [first series] #132, October 1959).
• Earth-134: An Earth that was abandoned by Superboy on the day of his debut when red kryptonite temporarily turned him into a super-criminal (Superboy [first series] #134, December 1966).
• Earth-136: An Earth without Batman. Its population included Bruce (Superman) Wayne and a Lois Lane double named Vicki Vale (World's Finest Comics #136, September 1963).
• Earth-146: A world where Earth-1's Superman prevented the sinking of Atlantis and helped evacuate Krypton's citizens to Earth, among other feats (Superman [first series] #146, July 1961).
• Earth-148: A world characterized by heroic counterparts of Clayface, Luthor, and Mirror Master, and criminal versions of Batman, Flash, Superman, and Wonder Woman. A unique quality of this planet's Paradise Island caused visitors from other parallel worlds to revert to childhood for the duration of their stay (World's Finest Comics #148, March 1965; The Flash [first series] #174, November 1967; others).
• Earth-149: A world on which Superman was slain by Lex Luthor (Superman [first series] #149, November 1961)
• Earth-153: An Earth whose Batman, ultimately killed by Luthor, had wrongly blamed Superman for the deaths of his parents (World's Finest Comics #153, November 1965).
• Earth-154: Home of a married Clark Kent and Lois Lane, and Bruce Wayne and Kathy Kane, each couple having heroic sons (World's Finest Comics #154, December 1965, and #157, February 1966).
• Earth-159: An Earth that was destroyed in an explosion. Its sole survivor, Lois Lane, was rocketed to Krypton (Superman [first series] #159, February 1963).
• Earth-162: A utopian Earth whose miracles came courtesy of an experiment that split Superman into two beings: Superman Red and Superman Blue (Superman [first series] #162, July 1963).
• Earth-166: A world whose Superman was the father of twins, one with powers and one without (Superman [first series] #166, January 1964).
• Earth-167: Home of Lex (Superman) Luthor and Clark (Batman) Kent (World's Finest Comics #167, June 1967).
• Earth-170: A world where Lex Luthor traveled to Krypton's past in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Jor-El and Lara from marrying (Superman [first series] #170, July 1964).
• Earth-172: A world where Bruce Wayne was adopted by the Kents and became Clark's brother. As Batman, he relocated to the Legion of Super-Heroes' thirtieth century (World's Finest Comics #172, December 1967).
• Earth-175: Home of Clark and Lex (Luthor) Kent, adopted sons of Jonathan and Martha Kent. As adults, Lex died saving Superman's life (Superman [first series] #175, February 1965).
• Earth-178: Home of a Superman who lost his powers and adopted the costumed identity of the Nova (World's Finest Comics #178, September 1968, and #180, November 1968).
• Earth-183: An Earth on which Kal-El was raised by apes and ultimately became known as Kar-kan (Superboy [first series] #183, March 1972; others).
• Earth-184: A world whose Robin was caretaker of a mentally impaired Batman and a blind Superman (World's Finest Comics #184, May 1969).
• Earth-192: A world where Lois Lane died, survived by her husband Clark Kent and son Clark, Junior (Superman [first series] #192, January 1967, and #194, February 1967).
• Earth-200: Home of Hyperman (Kal-El) and Superman (Knor-El), champions of Kryptonopolis that survived Krypton's explosion thanks to Brainiac having battled it instead of Kandor (Superman [first series] #200, October 1967).
• Earth-215: A world where a married Superman and Lois Lane became parents of a daughter Laney. After Lois's death, Superman and Laney moved to Earth-43, where he married that world's Lois while Superman moved to Earth-215 (Superman [first series] #215, April 1969).
• Earth-216: A world where Superman and Batman each had namesake offspring who often operated as the Super-Sons (World's Finest Comics #215, December 1972-January 1973).
• Earth-224: Home of a married superman and Lois Lane, whose infant son was temporarily transformed into a super-genius (Superman [first series] #224, February 1970).
• Earth-230: Home of a Kryptonian Luthor, who became Superman on Earth and fought the villainous Clark Kent (Superman [first series] #230-231, October-November 1970).
• Earth-399: A world on which Superman died and was replaced twice by clones, both of whom were also killed in battle (Action Comics #399, April 1971).
• Earth-404: An Earth whose Superboy lost his powers at the age of sixteen during a battle with Luthor. As adults, Clark Kent and Lana Lang were married (Superman [first series] #404, February 1985).
• Earth-410: Home of a widowed Superman, whose wife Krysalla left him with a son, Krys (Action Comics #410, March 1972).
• Earth-417: An Earth whose Superman was raised on Mars before relocating as an adult (Superman [first series] #417, April 1985).
• Earth-423: An Earth whose Superman fought a final battle with his greatest foes and vanished from public view (Superman [first series] #423 and Action Comics #583 – both September 1986).
Post-Crisis Versions
• In the Pocket Universe, a silver of time preserved by the Time Trapper, Earth-1 continued to exist with a Superboy, who wound up sacrificing his life to save others.
• In the Anti-Matter Universe of Qward, Superman's doppelgänger was Ultraman, who was not a native of Krypton.
For a brief time, it was chronicled that all realities existed beyond the two universes in something called Hypertime. The myriad realities chronicled during this period included:
• Earth-898: A world where Kal-El's rocket landed near an Amish couple who raised him in their ways. He did not arrive as Superman until well after the age of the super hero began (JLA: The Nail #1-3, 1998; JLA: Another Nail #1-3, 2004).
• Earth-1198: The rocket from Krypton was taken by Darkseid before it could reach Earth, and Kal-El was raised on Apokolips (Superman: The Dark Side #1-3, 1998).
• Earth-1004: Kal-El arrived in Eland as opposed to America, and he was raised by a very different set of parents. His heroic exploits were fodder for a scandal-hungry tabloid press (Superman: True Brit, 2004).
• Earth-354: When Kal-El was found by Thomas and Martha Wayne, he was named Bruce. After he saw his parents killed by a common criminal, he dedicated his life to fighting crime as the powerful Batman (Superman: Speeding Bullets, 1993).
• Earth-1968: As Earth faced destruction, Jonathan and Martha Kent sent their infant son Clark to Krypton. There he was raised by Jor-El and Lara, named Kal-El, and became a hero after obtaining one of the Green Lantern power rings (Superman: The Last Son of Earth, 2000)
• Earth-990: Teenager Clark Kent resented his parents for naming him after a comic book hero – but when his own superpowers manifested themselves, his world changed (Superman: Secret Identity #1-4, 2004).
• Earth-3839: Superman proved ageless and he became the patriarch of a dynasty of children who possessed varying degrees of superpowers. Along with Batman's children, they intermarried and carried their legendary names though the years (Superman & Batman: Generations #1-4, 1993; Superman & Batman: Generations II #1-4, 2001-2002; Superman & Batman: Generations III #1-12, March 2003-February 2004).
• Earth-901: Salden, a Kryptonian police officer, was accidentally transported to Earth. In its lighter gravity, he possessed super-strength and super-speed, and was able to fly thanks to a technologically advanced harness. He fought crime on Earth because he had little choice, desiring above all to go home (Just Imagine Stan Lee and John Buscema Creating Superman, 2001).
Post-Infinite Crisis Versions
• New Earth was home to one, true Superman.
• The post-Final Crisis Earth-1 Superman is remarkably similar to the New Earth incarnation, but Krypton was destroyed by something other than geological means. Additionally, he was clearly steered toward using his amazing powers in the service of mankind by Martha Kent, who specifically designed Clark's colorful superman costume to serve as a symbol of hope. When young Clark asked why the outfit had no mask, she told him that “when people see how powerful you are, all the things you can do, they're going to be terrified... unless they can see your face, and see there that you mean no harm. The mask is what you're going to have to wear the rest of the time” (Superman: Earth One, November 2010).
• The post-Final Crisis Earth -2 was a close doppelgänger to the pre-First Crisis Earth-2 but did not have a Superman, although it did possess a Power Girl.
• Earth-3 featured the Crime Syndicate of America's Ultraman. This version was killed in the Monitor conflict (52 #52, May 2007; (cameo) Countdown to Final Crisis #32, 2007).
• Earth-3's equivalent to Superman was Captain Atom, the atomically powered hero who was once Captain Allen Adam (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1, October 2008, and #2, March 2009).
• Earth-5's closest approximation of Superman the the magically powered Captain Marvel (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1, October 2008, and #2, March 2009).
• Earth-8 featured a Herr Superman who was killed by Lord Havok (Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists #3, February 2008, and #5-6, April-May 2008).
• Earth-9's Superman was an african American by conquering his world. At one point, he tried to bring his brand of law and order to New Earth. He was Harvey Dent, sole survivor of a failed program to create meta-humans. Unlike new Earth's hero, this one's powers were not only physical but mental as well (Tangent Comics/The Superman #1, September 1998; others).
• Earth-10 was a world where Germany triumphed during World War II. Its champion was the Overman, a proud member of the JL-Axis. Kal-L was raised as Karl Kant when his rocket was found in Czechoslovakia in 1938. the Nazis reverse-engineered the rocket and built weapons of mass destruction that allowed them to win the war.
• Earth-11 was a world with the genders reversed so the Last Daughter of Krypton was Superwoman.
• Earth-16 hosted a more highly evolved version of Superman who could alter his powers by drawing on various energy sources. Christopher Kent, bald and sporting tattoos, was killed by Monarch during the Monitor conflict in the wake of Infinite Crisis.
• Earth-21 was a world that featured Superman operating since his debut in 1939 – but by the 1950s he was purely an agent for the government, doing its bidding during the Cold War until the arrival of the Martian Manhunter heralded a new age of heroism (DC: The New Frontier #1, March 2004).
• Earth-22's Superman watched in horror as the Joker killed many people at the Daily Planet Building, including his wife Lois Lane. He exiled himself for a decade, working exclusively as Clark Kent on the family farm in Smallville, Kansas. In that time, the world had grown darker, with heroes and villains battling so frequently that the civilian population couldn't tell criminals from crime-fighters. Wonder Woman eventually coaxed Superman back into action, and once more the World's Greatest Super Hero led by example and returned the notion of heroism to a world desperately in need of it. After the Infinite Crisis, he dwelled for a time on New Earth, working with members of the JSA as they dealt with the coming of the would-be god Gog. This Superman was more powerful than the New Earth champion, and kryptonite was merely an irritant (Kingdom Come #1, 1996).
• Earth-30 was a world where the rocket from Krypton landed in the Soviet Union; Superman was raised as a Communist. In time, the Red Son rose to rule the country, following the lessons he learned from Joseph Stalin (Superman: Red Son #1-3, 2003-2004).
• Earth-31's Superman worked for the federal government. He was opposed by a fifty-year-old Dark Knight, who came out of retirement to free the people from a totalitarian government. This Earth's Superman and Batman battled on the streets of Metropolis despite the respect they held for each other (Batman: The Dark Knight graphic novel, 1986).
• Earth-44 was a world of robots and Superman was a member of the legendary Metal Men, created by Doc Tornado. The events of Final Crisis caused the planet's magnetic field to be altered. The robotic heroes went haywire and attempted to destroy the robot population; ultimately, they were shut down by Luthor and Earth-5's Dr. Sivana (Final Crisis #7, March 2009).
• Earth-50's version of Superman was Apollo, a human man whose genes were engineered to absorb solar energy and give him superpowers. He served with the Authority and was married to his partner Midnighter (Stormwatch [second series]#4, February 1998). Majestic, the hero from the planet Khera, was also considered a version of Superman in this reality.
• Other versions of Superman existed on unnamed planets. These include an African American incarnation who was also president of the United States (Final Crisis #7, March 2009).