Supermanica - User contributions [en]

Mongul

2006-05-08T22:48:51Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Dc comics presents 27.jpg|right|thumb|DC Comics Presents No. 27. Art by Jim Starlin.]]A huge, yellow-skinned, enormously powerful alien warlord who is driven by two goals: the desire for conquest and an obsessive thirst for revenge against [[Superman]].

'''Powers:''' Mongul possesses an extraordinary level of super-strength that seems to be equal to that of Superman, witnessed by the fact that he has repeatedly fought the Man of Steel to a standstill. In addition, Mongul is invulnerable to nearly all forms of physical harm, and is able to project extremely potent energy bolts from his hands that are powerful enough to stagger the Man of Might. Mongul also seems to possess a limited capacity for telepathy, and the ability to teleport himself across even interplanetary distances. Mongul seemingly has the capacity to create dimensional-inversion cubes, designed to prevent escape by warping their interior reality and absorbing any power used against them from within. Whether this is an actual power or merely a sophisticated technological device is unclear.

'''Biography:''' The only known fact about Mongul's early life is that he was once the merciless dictator of an entire world until an ancient holy man called the Arkymandyte appeared and incited the general population to revolt against his rule. The revolution proved successful, and Mongul was forced to abandon his world and flee into space in order to save his own life. Because of this, it is generally assumed that Mongul aquired his vast powers at some point after his exile and before his first encounter with Superman, otherwise he would have been able to use them to put down the revolt against his dictatorship. The origin of Mongul's powers is also a complete unknown.

Sometime after he had gained his fantastic power, Mongul learned of an ancient crystal key created by a deceased alien race that could give him control of the immensely powerful battle station called [[Warworld]]. This key was secreted within a crypt on the fourth planet in the Cygnus star-system, a world commonly known as Mars II and the second home of J'onn J'onzz, the [[Martian Manhunter]] (who had, at the time, been charged with the key's protection), and his race. Apparently, J'onn had encountered Mongul before and thwarted and attempt by the rogue warlord to gain possession of the key. Seeking a pawn who was powerful enough to defeat the Manhunter and retrieve the key, Mongul journeyed to Earth and kidnapped [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Steve Lombard]] in order to coerce Superman into serving him in this capacity, threatening to murder them if the Metropolis Marvel failed to cooperate. Superman did indeed obtain the key, but naturally refused to hand it over to the alien would-be conqueror. When Mongul engaged Superman in personal combat for possession of the key, the villain proved himself to be one of the Man of Tomorrow's most dangerous opponents, nearly besting him before finally escaping with the key. (DCCP No. 27/1, Nov 1980: "The Key That Unlocked Chaos")

Eventually discovering the location of Warworld, Mongul used the key to lay claim to the war machine and began preparations to use it to re-conquer his lost world and then spread his rule across the universe. Before he could put his plans into motion, Mongul encountered resistance when he was tracked down by both Superman and [[Supergirl]]. Cybernetically linked to Warworld's vast array of extraordinarily deadly weaponry, Mongul launched a devastating attack on the two heroes using the station's arsenal of ultra-powerful missiles that were capable of killing even them. However, the super-cousins used Mongul's cybernetic interface with Warworld's systems against him, causing him to pass out from the tremendous mental strain of controlling all of Warworld's weaponry in his continued assault. Despite his defeat, Mongul managed to recover in time to escape after Warworld was disabled when Supergirl destroyed the war machine's central computer core. (DCCP No. 28/1, Dec 1980: "Warworld")

Mongul next appeared on the Throneworld of the interstellar empire known as the Infinite Realm, the ancestral home of [[Starman]]. Mongul murdered [[Empress Clryssa]], Starman's sister, and forced Starman's love Merria to marry him in order to usurp the throne of the Infinite Realm for himself with the plan to use it as a staging ground for yet another attempt to retake the world of his first rule and build his intergalactic empire. To prevent Starman from interfering with his rule, Mongul imprisoned the cosmic hero in a dimensional-inversion cube. In addition, the alien warlord took control of Throneworld's doomsday device, which was located within Throneworld's sun and would turn the star into a supernova if triggered, destroying the worlds of the Infinite Realm in the process. Superman arrived in the Infinte Realm and freed Starman from his cube-like prison by shattering it with his heat vision. Starman then joined the Action Ace in opposing Mongul and freeing the empire from his rule. While Starman disabled Throneworld's doomsday device, Superman engaged Mongul in one-on-one combat for the second time, a battle which turned out to be inconclusive when Starman arrived on the scene and Mongul was forced to retreat instead of facing both heroes and the empire's forces. (DCCP No. 36, Aug 1981: "Whatever Happened to Starman?")

By this time, Mongul had developed a deep hatred for Superman and a burning desire to see the Man of Steel suffer greatly for his repeated interference in the alien conqueror's plans. To that end, Mongul journeyed to the outer reaches of the universe and encountered one of the extradimensional [[Controllers]], who had in his charge an incredibly dangerous [[Sun-Eater]] (it should be noted that this was not the Sun-Eater that nearly destroyed Earth in the 30th century, but an equally deadly twin). Mongul murdered the Controller in question and assumed command of the Sun-Eater using specialized control devices that he built into his uniform, and then sent the monster on a direct course for Earth's sun as part of his planned vengeance against Superman. When the Man of Tomorrow attempted to put a hault to Mongul's machinations, the extraterrestrial warlord trapped him in a specialized dimensional-inversion cube that was fueled by red solar radiaiton and thus began to rob Superman of his super-powers. The plan was to have Superman watch helplessly as Mongul directed the Sun-Eater to consume Earth's sun, thereby extinguishing all life on the planet, before Superman himself was to be finally killed. Although Mongul came under attack by Supergirl and several members of the [[Justice League of America]], Mongul was able to draw upon the Sun-Eater's virtually limitless destructive power to defeat them all. In a final desperate gamble, Jimmy Olsen (while watching the entire drama unfold from an observatory on Earth) used his Legion flight ring to summon members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] from the 30th century to aid Superman in saving Earth and subduing Mongul. The Legionnaires succeeded in freeing Superman from imprisonment and, while they managed to discover a means of destroying the Sun-Eater, Superman (driven by determination to protect his adopted home at any cost) finally bested Mongul in single combat. (DCCP No. 43, Mar 1982: "In Final Battle")

Mongul was last seen when he launched one of the most insidious plans of revenge to date against Superman, attacking the Caped Kryptonian in his own [[Fortress of Solitude]] on his birthday. Mongul had managed to maneuver Superman into exposing himself to a plant-like entity called a [[Black Mercy]] by disguising it as an anonymous birthday gift. The plant promptly attached itself to the Action Ace's chest and began feeding on his bio-aura while keeping him in a trance-like state by providing him with a mental illusion of his heart's desire. In Superman's case, the entity made him believe that [[Krypton]] has not exploded, and that he was happily married and had a family on his home world. Although Mongul met resistance when [[Batman]], [[Robin (Jason Todd)|Robin]] and [[Wonder Woman]] arrived at the Fortress and discovered the unfolding drama, Superman remained in his catatonic state, his "heart's desire" gradually degenerating into a twisted nightmare. While Wonder Woman valiantly (but vainly) engaged the hulking alien in combat, Superman's increasingly nightmarish experience weakened the Black Mercy just enough for Batman to succeed in removing it from his chest. Enraged at having been so violated, the Man of Tomorrow ferociously attacked Mongul, the battle being akin to an irresistable force colliding with an immovable object. However, fueled by intense feelings of grief and anger, Superman managed to gain the upper hand and was about to kill the alien warlord when the memories of his "dream" caused him to hesitate. This allowed Mongul to gain the upper hand for a moment, but the conqueror met his final defeat when Robin used the special gauntlets that Mongul had employed in handling the Black Mercy to attach the plant to Mongul's own chest. As far as is known, Mongul remains in the thrall of the Black Mercy, having been rendered completely immobile while dreaming dreams of endless bloody conquest. (SA No. 11, 1985: "For The Man Who Has Everything")

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Hercules

2005-06-01T01:38:24Z

Bill 9000: Added "Hero" category

[[Image:Hercules.jpg|left]]The Most famous Greek legendary hero, a mighty hunter and warrior born to Alemene and fathered by Zeus.

In May-June 1944, a member of [[Metropolis]]â€™s Liars Club wins the clubâ€™s coveted Best Tall Tale award for a tale he concocts concerning a fictional meeting between [[Superman]] and Hercules. In the story, Superman encounters the legendary hero after allowing himself to be sent into the distant past, to ancient Greece in the age of the mighty Greek gods and goddesses, in order to test a time machine invented by scientist Professor Button. To his great surprise, the [[Man of Steel]] discovers that the man who has been immortalized in myth as a great hunter and warrior was actually a puny, cowardly weakling. And so, to safeguard Herculesâ€™s hallowed place in folklore, Superman performs the legendary twelve labors in Herculesâ€™s stead, thereby keeping alive Herculesâ€™s reputation as the greatest Greek Hero. (S No. 28, May-Jun 1944: "Stand-In For Hercules!")

In August 1960 â€œrenegade scientistâ€ [[Lex Luthor]], serving out a term in Bleak Rock Prison, constructs an ingenious â€œtime Rayâ€ out of parts from an alarm clock and other everyday materials and uses it to draw the mighty Hercules â€œthrough the time-barrierâ€ from the ancient past to Luthorâ€™s prison cell in the twentieth century. By duping the legendary hero into believing that he has been wrongfully imprisoned by â€œan evil kingâ€ who stole his gold and hid it underground, Luthor is able to trick Hercules into using his superhuman strength to break Luthor out of prison and help him loot [[Fort Knox]]. Ultimately, however, Hercules discovers that he has been duped into helping Luthor commit crimes, and he seizes the evil scientist and turns him over to Superman.

When the [[Man of Steel]] offers to return Hercules to his own era by carrying him back across the time barrier, Hercules asks if he might remain in [[Metropolis]] awhile â€œto observe your future civilization!â€ Superman consents, but suggests that Hercules adopt an alternate identity during his sojourn in the twentieth century so that he will not be mobbed by curiosity-seekers everywhere he goes. Superman rents Hercules a place to stay, buys him a wardrobe of modern clothes, and gets him a job as a newspaper reporter, under the pseudonym [[Roger Tate]], on the [[Daily Planet]].

An unforeseen complication arises, however, when â€œRoger Tateâ€ becomes infatuated with [[Lois Lane]] and he begs her to marry him.

''â€œGreat Olympia!â€'' he thinks to himself. ''"Lois lâ€¦ looks like aâ€¦ a bewitching goddess!â€''

When Lois declines, citing Superman as her true love:

''â€œNo one can match Superman!â€''

Hercules flexes his powerful muscles, totally demolishing his â€œRoger Tateâ€ business-suit disguise, and stands revealed in the brief animal-skin costume of the mighty Hercules. ''â€œBehold!â€'' proclaims Hercules. ''â€œI was the mightiest hero of my past age as Superman is of this age!â€'' Nevertheless, Lois refuses to marry Hercules, explaining that ''â€œâ€¦Superman is still my big heart-throb!â€''

Hurt at having been spurned by the woman he loves, yet determined to some how win her away from the Man of Steel, Hercules attempts, in the days that follow, to impress Lois with â€œmighty deedsâ€ and feats of superhuman strength. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Hercules cannot hope to complete with Superman, for while Superman possesses many super-powers, Hercules only possesses superhuman strength. To rectify the imbalance, Hercules journeys to â€œThe ancient Oracleâ€™s Cave,â€ Near Athens, Greece, where he communicates with the ancient gods and heroes, including Venus, Vulcan, Mercury, Jupiter, and Achilles. After misleading the ancients into believing that he has undertaken a noble â€œmissionâ€ in the twentieth century, Hercules tells them that his efforts are doomed to failure â€œunless I gain magic powers and weapons from all of you!â€

â€œGranted, my son!â€ proclaims Jupiter, as the great gods and heroes reach out simultaneously to touch Hercules. ''â€œAt our touch, our individual Olympus Powers will flow into you! The Magic Weapons will appear later as you need them!..."''

''â€œUse the Olympus Powers and Magic Weapons wisely, my son!â€'' adds Jupiter. ''â€œDo not shame us! They must do good!â€''

â€œTheyâ€™ll do good all right,â€ thinks Hercules,â€â€¦for ME! Ha, ha!â€

Moments later, outside the ancient Oracleâ€™s Cave, Hercules launches himself into the sky to begin his journey back to America. ''â€œThe first Olympus power from Mercury, the flying god, made winged sandals appear on my feet!â€'' muses Hercules. ''â€œAnd my other magic powers will make me superior to Superman!â€''

Later, back in Metropolis, Hercules gloats inwardly at the prospect of his coming battle with Superman. ''â€œLois spurned me for [that] super wretch!â€'' he thinks to himself. ''â€œBut Iâ€™ll crush Superman with my super-Olympus powersâ€¦!â€''
(Act No. 267, Aug 1960: "Hercules in the 20th Century!")

Encountering Superman soon afterward at a local amusement park, Hercules avails himself of all the mighty Olympus powers at his command including the invulnerability of Achilles, the â€œmagic flamesâ€ of Vulcan, and the â€œmagic lighting boltsâ€ of Jupiter, in an effort to humiliate and defeat the Man of Steel, but Superman successfully counters each new assault. Finally, however calling on the eerie power pf Apolloâ€™s magic flute, Hercules plays a â€œmagic lullabyâ€ that puts Superman into a deep sleep from which he will not awaken for 100 years. Lois Lane selflessly offers to marry Hercules if only he will awaken Superman from his hundred-year sleep, but at that moment, Venus, the goddess of love, appears on the scene. After angrily chastising Hercules for having used the Olympus powers to perform â€œbad deeds,â€ Venus uses her own magic to awaken Superman from his magically induced slumber.

Moments later, by tricking Hercules into chasing after him at incredible superhuman speed, Superman lures the legendary warrior â€œacross the time-barrier into the past,â€ to the exact moment in time when the force of Lutherâ€™s time ray first began to draw him into the twentieth-century Metropolis or his battle with Superman.
(Act No. 268, Sep 1960: "Superman's Battle With Hercules!")

A text for August 1961 contains an â€œimaginary taleâ€ [see: [[Imaginary Stories]]] in which [[Superman]] journeys into the past to the eras of Hercules and [[Samson]] and then returns with them through the time barrier to the 20th century [[Metropolis]] as potential mates for [[Lois Lane]] and [[Lana Lang]]. Smitten at first sight with the two lovely modern women, Hercules and Samson beg Lois and Lana to marry them, and Lois and Lana accept, but the women soon prove to be so bitchy, demanding and indecisive, and life with them promises to be such a continual torment, that the two heroes soon abandon their 20th century fiancÃ©es in favor of returning to their homes in the ancient past.
(Act No. 279, Aug 1961: "The Super-Rivals!")

In August 1962 [[Cosmic Man]] impersonates Hercules as part of an elaborate ruse, devised by Superman, for bring â€œNotorious gang-leaderâ€ [[Duke Marple]] to Justice.
(S No. 155, Aug 1962: "The Downfall of Superman!")

In January 1964, during a visit to an extra dimensional â€œparallel world,â€ [see: [[Parallel-Worlds]]] Superman encounters an extra dimensional counterpart of the Hercules who inhabits his own dimension. On this world, which is â€œan exact duplicate of the '''real''' Earth, except that certain events and situations are mixed up,â€ Hercules bears a striking resemblance to the [[Goliath]] of Supermanâ€™s world and even battles a shepherd boy much as the real Goliath fought David. The extra dimensional Hercules is vulnerable to Red [[Kryptonite]] much as Superman is vulnerable to Green Kryptonite and is required to perform only six Herculean labors as opposed to the traditional twelve. When the extra dimensional Hercules is left weakened and feverish after an encounter with Red Kryptonite, Superman pitches in to help him fulfill his labors until Hercules has sufficiently recovered to perform the remaining ones himself.
(Act No. 308, Jan 1964: "Superman Meets the Goliath-Hercules!")

In January 1965 Superman battles and defeats a trio of extra dimensional villains, endowed with superhuman strength as well magical powers, who are perfect look-alikes for the Hercules, Samson, and [[Atlas]] who inhabit various past eras in Supermanâ€™s own dimension.
(Act No. 320, Jan 1965: "The Three Super-Enemies!")

(Entry taken and edited from TGSB)

== Hercules, in his many forms, has appeared in the following Superman Comics ==

*(S No. 28, May-Jun 1944: "Stand-In For Hercules!")
*(Adv No. 257, Feb 1959: "The First Two Supermen!")
*(Act No. 267, Aug 1960: "Hercules in the 20th Century!")
*(Act No. 268, Sep 1960: "Superman's Battle With Hercules!")
*(Act No. 279, Aug 1961: "The Super-Rivals!")
*(S No. 155, Aug 1962: "The Downfall of Superman!")
*(Act No. 308, Jan 1964: "Superman Meets the Goliath-Hercules!")
*(Act No. 320, Jan 1965: "The Three Super-Enemies!")
*(Act No. 353, Aug 1967: "The Battle of the Gods!")
*(DCCP No. 57, May 1983: "Days of Future Past!")

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Gods]]
[[Category:Heroes]]

Hercules

2005-05-25T01:39:15Z

Bill 9000: Added Hercules figure illustration

File:Hercules.jpg

2005-05-25T01:38:23Z

Bill 9000: Added Hercules figure illustration

[[Hercules]] - illustration by Bill 9000

File:Hercules.jpg

2005-05-25T01:37:20Z

Bill 9000:

Lois Lane

2005-05-06T18:24:27Z

Bill 9000: Added Lois Lane entry image

[[Image:Lois_lane.jpg|left]][[Image:Lois_Lane.jpg|right|by Curt Swan]]

Superman's Girl Friend, '''Lois Lane'''.

----

The persistent, curious, impulsive,, intelligent, headstrong, audacious, hard-working, ambitious, lovely woman reporter for the [[Metropolis]] [[Daily Planet]] who is, second only to [[Superman]] himself, the single most important person in the chronicled adventures of Superman, fulfilling as she does the tripartite role of [[Clark Kent]]'s journalistic colleague, Superman's romantic pursuer, and the person most tirelessly determined to verify her long-held suspicion that Clark Kent is secretly Superman. Lois lane appears in the chronicles more often than any other character except Superman, and is the only supporting character to have appeared in the chronicles since their inception in June 1938 (Act No. 1).

Lois Lane, the daughter of Sam and Ella Lane (SF No. 172, Aug/Sep 1975), was born on her parents' farm, near the U.S. town of Pittsdale (LL No. 68, Sep/Oct 1966). The month when she was born is impossible to determine, for her birthday is celebrated in the chronicles in September-October (WF No. 36, Sep/Oct 1948: "Lois Lane, Sleeping Beauty"), in November-December (S No. 37/2, Nov/Dec 1945: "Pranks for Profit!"), and in December (Act No. 139, Dec 1949: "Clark Kent...Daredevil!").

Lois appears to have had two sisters: a younger sister, [[Lucy Lane]] (Act No. 272, Jan 1961: "Superman's Rival, Mental Man!"; and others), and a second sister, whose first name is never given, who married a man named Tompkins and gave birth to a daughter, [[Susie Tompkins]] (Act No. 59, Apr 1943: "Cinderella --a la Superman!"; see also Act No. 98, Jul 1946: "Starring Susie!"), who is Lois Lane's niece.

Lois attended school in Pittsdale (LL No. 68, Sep/Oct 1966). Her closest friend in high school was a girl named Helen, who later became the wife of [[Bill Minton]] (WF No. 21, Mar/Apr 1946: "The Plane of Tomorrow!"). Lois's high-school beau was [[Finney Floor]] (S No. 66/3, Sep/Oct 1950: "The Machine that Played Cupid!").

After high school, Lois attended Raleigh College, not far from Metropolis, where she exhibited a keen aptitude for science (S No. 181/1, Nov 1965: ptsI-II --"The Super-Scoops of Morna Vine!"; "The Secret of the New Supergirl!"), honed her fledgling journalism skills on the ''Raleigh Review'' (LL No. 68, Sep/Oct 1966), and displayed a sufficient artistic talent to acquire a reputation as the "class artist" (Act No. 272, Jan 1961: "Superman's Rival, Mental Man!"). Lois's school-mate [[Brett Rand]] had a crush on her during this period, but there is no indication that she ever reciprocated his affections (S No. 139/1, Aug 1960: "The New Life of Super-Merman!").

After graduation (S No. 181/1, Nov 1965: pts. I-II --"The Super-Scoops of Morna Vine"; "The Secret of the New Supergirl!"), Lois set out for Metropolis, determined to fulfill her "lifelong ambition" to become "the best reporter in Metropolis" (Act No. 202, Mar 1955: "Lois Lane's X-Ray Vision!"). She may have taken "a course in nursing" during this period (Act No. 191, Apr 1954: "Calling Doctor Superman!") or served a stint as a waitress at [[Harry's Dog House]] (WF No. 47, Aug/Sep 1950: "The Girl Who Hated Reporters!"). Eventually, however, she obtained employment on the [[Daily Star]] (Act No. 1, Jun 1938; and others), followed by employment on its successor in the chronicles, the ''Daily Planet'' (S No. 4/1-4, Spr 1940; Act No. 23, Apr 1940; and others).

''More to come.......''

[[Category:Entries|Lane, Lois]]
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[[Category:Heroes|Lane, Lois]]
[[Category:LL|Lane, Lois]]

File:Lois lane.jpg

2005-05-06T18:19:23Z

Bill 9000:

[[Lois Lane]] - illustration by Bill 9000

File:Lois lane.jpg

2005-05-06T18:18:20Z

Bill 9000:

Captain Thunder

2005-04-05T11:58:30Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Superman 276.jpg|right|thumb|Superman #276. Art by Nick Cardy.]]
A mighty super-hero hailing from the Earth of a parallel dimension whose secret identity is that of young [[Willie Fawcett]], an employee of [[WHAM-TV]]. Captain Thunder should not be confused with [[Captain Marvel]], whom he strongly resembles.

'''Powers:''' When Willie rubs the magical buckle on his belt and speaks the word "Thunder", he is transformed by a brilliant starburst and a loud thunderclap into the adult Captain Thunder. The Captain possesses super-strength, super-speed, invulnerability to physical harm and the ability to fly, the levels of which make him a peer to [[Superman]] in sheer might. In addition, the belt buckle's magical energies give Captain Thunder great wisdom, bravery and tenacity. By rubbing the belt buckle, speaking his magic word and willing it to do so, Captain Thunder can use its power to break the time barrier and travel between dimensions.

'''Biography:''' One night, while on a Summer camping trip with a group of fellow orphans, Willie Fawcett noticed a mysterious owl flying overhead, which seemed to beckon the youth to follow it. Pursuing the owl towards the solid rock wall of a hillside, the rock face suddenly opened into a cavern. Willie followed the owl inside and, to his astonishment, encountered [[Merokee]], the last of the Mohegan tribe's great medicine men. Merokee explained that a tribal legend told of a boy of noble spirit who would come forth and be granted great powers by the last of the Mohegan shamans, and that Willie was the boy described in the legend. Holding up a belt with a lightining bolt emblazoned on its buckle, Merokee told Willie that, upon rubbing the buckle and speaking the word "Thunder", the boy would be invested with seven magical powers as follows: '''T'''ornado (power), '''H'''are (speed), '''U'''ncas (bravery), '''N'''ature (wisdom), '''D'''iamond (toughness), '''E'''agle (flight) and '''R'''am (tenacity). Willie rubbed the buckle and spoke the magic word as instructed, and was instantly transformed by a brilliant starburst and a clap of thunder into the powerful hero called Captain Thunder. Proclaiming to the Great Spirit that his work was done and that he was ready to pass on, Merokee was transformed into a spirit and soared skyward, leaving Captain Thunder to do battle with the forces of evil whenever and wherever they arose.

Throughout the 1950s on the Earth of his home universe, Captain Thunder battled all manner of crimes and injustices across the globe, becoming that world's foremost hero. His greatest battles were against a coalition of incredible creatures known as the [[Monster League of Evil]], whom he fought across 1,953 different dimensions and finally imprisoned in a misty purgatory-like realm. As Captain Thunder was leaving to return to his native dimension, the Monster Leaguers placed a curse on the Captain that would cause him to turn evil when next he assumed his heroic guise. Through some unknown mishap, Captain Thunder (in his Willie Fawcett identity) wound up in and alley of [[Metropolis]] on mainstream Earth in 1974. Given the fact that Willie believed Metropolis to be his home city on his native world, it can be inferred that Captain Thunder had his base of operations in a parallel version of Metropolis (albeit in the past). When Willie witnessed an armored car being robbed, he transformed himself into Captain Thunder with the intent of capturing the criminals, but turned to evil as the Monster League had planned. Instead of apprehending the crooks as Willie indended, the Captain began aiding them in the robbery, which brought him into conflict with Superman. The two powerful heroes engaged in a brief skirmish, but Captain Thunder managed to elude the Man of Steel by changing back to Willie Fawcett, who had no memory of what had taken place.

Willie went to the [[Galaxy Communications]] Building to find Superman (whom he had seen just prior to transforming into Captain Thunder) in the hope that the Action Ace could help him out of his weird predicament. Willie was directed to [[Clark Kent]] (Superman's alter-ego), to whom Willie told of the circumstances that lead to him appearing in Metropolis. When Willie, Clark and [[Lois Lane]] went to Metropolis Police Headquarters to ask if a Willie Fawcett had been reported missing, the three witnessed the same crooks who had been involved in the armored car heist trying to break their leader out of jail using a strange aircraft. As Clark slipped away to switch to Superman, Willie also ducked out of sight to change to Captain Thunder, who was again seized by the compulsion to perform acts of evil. Instead of aiding Superman in stopping the criminals, the Captain attacked the Man of Tomorrow and the two became embroiled in a titanic struggle that was carried over into the mountains outside the city. At the battle's conclusion, Superman tricked Captain Thunder into changing back to his mortal form, once again regaining his senses in the process. Realizing that he was in the wrong dimension, Willie transformed himself back into Captain Thunder and (while Superman held the Captain in a full-nelson) forced himself to use his wisdom to break the curse that the Monster League placed on him. Bidding farewell to Superman, Captain Thunder then used the power of his magic word to return to his native universe (S No. 276, Jun. 1974: "Make Way for Captain Thunder").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]

Wonder-Man

2005-04-05T11:57:50Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:wonderman.jpg|left]][[Image:Superman 163.jpg|right|thumb|Superman #163. Art by Curt Swan and George Klein.]]
A mysterious new super-hero who appeared in August 1963 and was seemingly intent on replacing [[Superman]] as the champion of [[Metropolis]].

'''Powers:''' Wonder-Man possessed super-powers that were identical to those of Superman. Among his abilities were super-strength, super-speed, invulnerability to physical harm, the power of flight, super-breath, super-senses and a number of super-vision abilities that included X-ray, heat, telescopic, microscopic and infrared. Unlike the Man of Steel, Wonder-Man was invulnerable to the effects of [[Kryptonite]] radiation.

'''Biography:''' Originally, Wonder-Man had been the strongest of [[:Category:Superman Robots|Superman's Robots]], whom the Man of Steel named [[Ajax]] and appointed the guardian of the [[Fortress of Solitude]]. On one occassion, while Superman had to prevent a severe earthquake in Canada, the Man of Tomorrow ordered Ajax to deal with a meteor shower that was about to endanger Earth. While dealing with this outer space threat, Ajax assisted a stranded alien spacecraft that was secretly controlled by members of the [[Superman Revenge Squad]], who used their ship's technology to cause a meteor fragment to collide with Ajax and damage his robotic systems. As part of a plot by the Revenger leader [[Attal]], Ajax's robotic consciousness was transferred into an incredibly lifelike chemically-made android body (complete with super-powers identical to Superman's) that had a different appearance than his previous Superman-like robot form, and was renamed Wonder-Man. Although the Revengers attempted to maneuver Wonder-Man into killing Superman and replacing him as Earth's mightiest champion (even going so far as to equip him with a chunk of Green Kryptonite), Wonder-Man discovered the aliens' true intentions and pretended to go along with their plan in order to help his former master. When Wonder-man arrived in Metropolis, he began to perform super-feats that were apparently meant to outshine the Action Ace, all the while displaying ever-increasing signs of intense jealousy of the Caped Kryptonian's fame (all this being part of his secret plan to help Superman against the Revengers). In the process, Wonder-Man became thrilled at the fact that he was able to think and feel exactly like a living human being, even going so far as to express affection for [[Lois Lane]]. During a battle between Superman and Wonder-Man for control of the Fortress of Solitude, Wonder-Man pretended to leave the Metropolis Marvel to die from Kryptonite radiation exposure as a plan to flush out the Revengers. Doing away with the Kryptonite, Wonder-Man teamed up with Superman and the two champions made short work of the Revengers by hurling them and their craft into deep space. However, Wonder-Man later died as a result of a failsafe mechanism that the Revengers implanted into his android body, which was designed to cause him to expire not long after he murdered Superman so that he would not turn against them. Wonder-Man was buried on Earth, his gravesite marked by a large tombstone that read "Wonder-Man, formerly called Ajax. He was born a robot ... but he died a man." (S No. 163/1, Aug. 1963: "Wonder-Man, the New Hero of Metropolis!").

== External Links to Online Comics ==
'''Read the complete story!''' [http://superman.ws/tales3/wonder/]
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Superman_Robots]]
[[Category:Heroes]]

Neutron

2005-04-05T11:55:32Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Action comics 525.jpg|right|thumb|Action Comics #525. Art by Ross Andru and Dick Giordano.]]An extremely powerful nuclear-charged super-villain clad in a yellow radiation suit who was once known as [[Nat Tryon|Nathaniel "Nat" Tryon]], a common criminal henchman.

'''Powers:''' As a result of the process that transformed him, Neutron is a being of pure nuclear energy capable of releasing extraordinarily powerful and destructive atomic pulses. Neutron is able to hit with a nuclear-charged punch that even [[Superman]] can feel, and he is able to release tremendous nuclear shockwaves simply by clapping his hands together. He is at his most destructive when he releases all of his energy at once through his suit's visor, a discharge capable of devastating entire city blocks. However, such energy releases leave him temporarily depleated and he must give himself time to replensh his energy stores.

'''Biography:''' Along with his fellow crooks [[Ted Grand]] and [[Tim Moore]], Nat Tryon was once part of a team of hoods called the [[TNT Trio]] under the employ of [[Lex Luthor]]. While performing a job for the criminal mastermind that involved sabotaging a nuclear power plant, Tryon became trapped by falling lead shielding, which nearly crushed him to death. The reactor's meltdown was halted by Superman, who also apprehended Grand and Moore. The two hoods insisted that they operated alone, and as Superman's X-ray vision cannot penetrate lead, the Man of Steel inadvertantly missed the imperiled Tryon. Managing to free himself, Tryon made his way to one of Luthor's many hidden lairs, where the arch-villain discovered that Tryon had contracted radiation poisoning. Luthor placed his ex-accomplice under a special ray device that he claimed would cure Tryon of his radiation sickness. In reality, Luthor's plan was to transform the crook into a super-powered pawn for his future use. As fate would have it, Superman captured Luthor within a week, leaving the comatose Tryon under the device's rays for a year until he was revived by vibrations from the Man of Tomorrow's fight with a villain called the [[Mole]]. Tryon found that he had been transformed into a living mass of nuclear energy, a walking atomic bomb capable of releasing enough power to present a serious threat to even Superman himself. Seeing his altered state as a means of exacting revenge on the three men he held responsible for his plight ... Grand, Moore and Superman ... Tryon donned a special radiaion suit to contain his energy form and renamed himself Neutron, the Living Bomb (ACT No. 525/1, Nov. 1981: "Neutron Nightmare!"). Neutron actually succeeded in killing Grand, but Superman intervened in time to prevent the atomic villain from murdering Moore. As part of his attempt on Superman's life, Neutron altered the structure of the [[Daily Planet]] globe atop the [[Galaxy Communications]] Building so that it would react adversely with solar radiation and explode like a nuclear weapon, annihilating all of [[Metropolis]] in the process. Neutron and Superman clashed in a fierce battle, but the Caped Kryptonian managed to defeat his atomic foe and save the city, after which Neutron was sent to a special prison designed to contain his vast power (ACT No. 526/1, Dec. 1981: "The Man Who Murdered Metropolis!").

Two years later, a highly talented lawyer managed to convince a parole board to release Neutron as part of a plot devised by [[Vandal Savage]] to discredit Superman. The plan involved Neutron appearing in Metropolis and destroying a chosen building in order to draw the Metropolis Marvel into battle. Although Neutron actually struck first in the fight that followed, the combat was staged in such a way so that Superman would be blamed. Although Superman managed to regain his good name, Neutron managed to clear himself of wrongdoing by proving that he was actually demolishing the building in question at the request of Savage, the edifice's rightful owner, making the demolition perfectly legal (ACT No. 543, May 1983: "Within These Hands -- Power!"). Still, Neutron's radioactivity was deemed a clear danger to the population of Metropolis and, as a result, the criminal was placed in suspended animation within a special life-support coffin at [[S.T.A.R. Labs]].
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Villains]]

Superman

2005-04-05T11:54:38Z

Bill 9000:

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
=Overview=
[[Image:Supermaniconic.jpg|left]][[Image:Super pastel Shuster.jpg|right|thumb|Superman pastel by co-creator Joe Shuster.]][[Image:Action comics 1.jpg|right|thumb|Action Comics #1. Art by Joe Shuster.]]

'''Superman'''. A world-famous crime-fighter and adventurer who has, for almost seven decades, battled the forces of crime and injustice with the aid of an awesome array of superhuman powers, including X-ray vision, the power of flight, and strength far beyond that of any ordinary mortal. Born on the planet [[Krypton]], the son of the scientist [[Jor-El]] and his wife [[Lara]], he was launched into outer space in an experimental rocket ship to enable him to escape the cataclysm that destroyed his native planet, and, arriving on Earth, was taken into the home of [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]], who named him Clark Kent and raised him to manhood as their adopted son. Endowed with mighty super-powers in the alien environment of Earth, this orphan from Krypton--named Kal-El by his parents--has, since mid-1938, battled the forces of evil as Superman, while concealing his true, extraterrestrial identity beneath the alternate identity of Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Metropolis [[Daily Planet]], more recently a full-time newscaster for [[Metropolis]] television station [[WGBS-TV]].

Superman is "Earth's mightiest hero" (S No. 128/1, Apr '59: chs. 1-2-"Superman versus the Futuremen"; "The Secret of the Futuremen"), a "colorfully-costumed, mighty-sinewed man of might" engaged in "an unrelenting battle against the forces of evil" (S No. 21/4, Mar/Apr 1943: "The Ghost of Superman!"). He is "the world's number one champion of justice and fair play" (S No. 130/3, Jul 1959: "The Town That Hated Superman!") and "mankind's foremost crusader for good" (S No. 181/2, Nov 1965: "The Superman of 2965!"), "a fighting champion of justice who is famous the world over" (Act No.45, Feb 1942). Described as "the world's most dynamic man" (WF No.8, Win 1942: "Talent, Unlimited!") and the "world's mightiest mortal" (WF No.116, Mar 1961: "The Creature from Beyond!"; and others), he is "mankind's greatest friend" (Act No.310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!"), a "mighty foe of all evil" (Act No.91, Dec 1945: "The Ghost Drum!"), a super-powered "savior of the helpless and oppressed" (Act No.18, Nov 1939).

Superman No. 1/1 calls Superman "the greatest exponent of justice the world has ever known" (Sum 1939), and other texts describe him as "the law's most powerful defender" (Act No.177, Feb 1953: "The Anti-Superman Weapon"), as "the greatest of all heroes" (Act No.210, Nov 1955: "Superman in Superman Land"), and as a "defender of democracy" (S No. 13/1, Nov/Dec 1941) who has chosen to "dedicate [his] powers to the good of '''all humanity'''!" (S No. 121/1, May 1958: "The Bride of Futureman!"). "There is one man that people throughout the world honor and respect," notes Superman No. 128/1,, "--and that man is '''Superman'''!" (Apr 1959: chs.1-2-"Superman versus the Futuremen"; "The Secret of the Futuremen").

Superman is "an incredibly muscular figure" (WF
No.6, Sum 1942: "Man of Steel versus Man of Metal!"), "indestructible and cosmic in his gigantic strength" (Act No.131, Apr 1949: "The Scrambled Superman!"), a tireless "sentinel for the world" (Act No.282, Nov 1961: "Superman's Toughest Day!") whose "incredible super-powers. ..have made him a living legend...!" (S No. 160/1, Apr 1963: pts. I-II-"The Mortal Superman!"; "The Cage of Doom!"). He is also the "most famous man in America" (Act No.143, Apr 1950: "The Bride of Superman!"), "patriot number one" (S No. 12/3, Sep/Oct 1941), the indefatigable "foe of all interests and activities subversive to this country's best interests" (S No. 10/4, May/Jun 1941). Everywhere, "in big cities...small towns...rural villages...the name of '''Superman''' is honored and loved!" (S No. 130/3, Jul 1959: "The Town That Hated Superman!").

Indeed, "throughout the universe, '''Superman''' is hailed as a mighty champion of justice" (Act No.319, Dec 1964: "The Condemned Superman!"), as a "champion of the weak and helpless" (Act No.4, Sep 1938) whose life is a "constant battle against evil. .." (Act No.280, Sep 1961: "Brainiac's Super-Revenge!"). "Not only on Earth is '''Superman''' the greatest and most acclaimed of heroes," proclaims Superman No.168, "but on many other worlds across the universe as well!" (Apr 1964: pts. I-II-"Luthor--Super-Hero!"; "Lex Luthor, Daily Planet Editor!").

"Everyone knows that '''Superman''' is the greatest hero of all time!" states Superman No.165/1. "A man who can move mountains, even '''planets'''...a man who has defeated the worst villains in history!" (Nov 1963: pts. I-II-"Beauty and the Super-Beast!"; "Circe's Super-Slave").

"Today ," notes Superman No. 144/2, "'''Superman''' is the most famous crusader in the world, idolized everywhere for unselfishly using his incredible super-powers in behalf of justice" (Apr 1961: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!").

In addition, the texts contain these descriptions:

Action Comics No.6, November 1938:

Dedicated to assisting the helpless and oppressed, is a
mystery-man named '''SUPERMAN'''. Possessing super-strength,
he can jump over a ten-story building, leap an eighth of a
mile, run faster than an express train, lift tremendous
weights, and crush steel in his bare hands!-- His amazing
feats of strength become more apparent day after day!

Action Comics No.7, December 1938; and others:

Friend of the helpless and oppressed is '''SUPERMAN''',
a man possessing the strength of a dozen Samsons! Lifting
and rending gigantic weights, vaulting over skyscrapers,
racing a bullet, possessing a skin impenetrable to even
steel, are his physical assets used in his one-man battle
against evil and injustice!

Action Comics No.8, January 1939:

Leaping over towering buildings, rending steel in his bare
hands, lifting incredible weights high overhead, impervious
to bullets because of an unbelievably tough skin, racing at
a speed hitherto unwitnessed by mortal eyes...these are the
miraculous feats of strength which assist '''SUPERMAN''' in
his one-man battle against the forces of evil and oppression!

Action Comics No.27 , August 1940:

Heartless criminals exploit the helpless and unfortunate!
Clark Kent and his dual self, dynamic '''SUPERMAN''', battle
side by side with pretty Lois Lane, courageous girl reporter,
to stamp out the evil geniuses of crime and corruption!

Superman No.10/4, May-June 1941:

Foe of all interests and activities subversive to this
country's best interests, '''SUPERMAN''' loses no time
in going into action when he encounters a menace to
American democracy. Super-strength clashes with evil
super-cunning in another thrilling, dramatic adventure
of today's foremost hero, the daring, dynamic ''MAN OF
TOMORROW--'''''SUPERMAN'''!!

Superman No.16/4, May-June 1942: "Racket on Delivery":

No sterner or more courageous battler in behalf of justice
is there than '''Superman''', amazingly strong champion of
the helpless and oppressed!

Superman No.25/1, November-December 1943: "The Man Superman Refused to Help!":

'''Superman''', amazing nemesis of evildoers, champion of
the helpless and oppressed, comes to the aid of all worthy
individuals in need of assistance.

Superman No.64/1, May-June 1950: "Professor Lois Lane!":

Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to hurdle the highest
mountain! More powerful than an atomic cyclotron! That's
'''Superman''', eternal foe of the underworld, champion of
the underdog!

Action Comics No.204, May 1955: "The Man Who Could Make Superman Do Anything!":

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive
Able to leap the highest mountain! That's '''Superman'''; the
world's mightiest mortal.

Superman No.96/1, March 1955: "The Girl Who Didn't Believe in Superman!":

From the jungle-wilds of Africa, to the skyscrapers of New York,
the name of '''Superman''' has spread its fame! His Herculean
strength, his super-battles against evil, are familiar to all....

Superman No.120/3, March 1958: "The Human Missile":

Stronger than the very gravity that holds Earth in place...faster
than the swiftest jet...more invulnerable than a mile-thick slab of
steel, the incredible '''Superman''' can scoff at all weapons aimed
at him!

Superman No.152/2, April 1962: "Superbaby Captures the Pumpkin Gang!":

Today the whole world rings with '''Superman''''s fame! In the far
corners of the Earth men tell of how the '''Man of Steel''' uses his
fantastic super-powers to help the forces of law and order against
evildoers!

Friend and foe alike have paid tribute to Superman's heroism, and the texts have hailed him as "a giant among men" (S No.70/2, May/Jun 1951: "The Life of Superman!") and as the "mightiest of mortals" (S No, 84/2, Sep/Oct 1953: "A Doghouse for Superman!"). An unidentified U.S. Navy admiral once described Superman as "the greatest hero of all time" (Act No.284, Jan 1962: "The Babe of Steel!"), and the master of ceremonies on a television special glowingly introduced him as "our greatest American hero" (Act No.309, Feb 1964: "The Superman Super-Spectacular!").

"How fortunate we are here in America to have someone of Superman's calibre to aid us!" remarked Secretary of the Navy Hank Fox in March-April 1942. "In my opinion, he's worth several armies and navies!" (S No. 15/2).

[[Jimmy Olsen]] has called Superman "the champion of justice and the enemy of evil all over the world" (S No. 176/2, Apr 1965: "Tales of Green Kryptonite No. 2"), and [[Lois Lane]] has described him as "the smartest, handsomest, strongest man in the universe" (S No. 176/3, Apr 1965: "Superman's Day of Truth!") and as an "--American crusader, crime's greatest foe, enemy of all injustice, the most powerful force for good the world has ever seen...!" (S No.17/1, Jul/Aug 1942: "Man or Superman?").

In May 1962, an unidentified escapee from the [[Phantom Zone]] refers to Superman as "Earth's greatest defender" (S No. 153/3: "The Town of Supermen!"), and in August 1964 the extraterrestrial gambler Rokk (''see'' [[Rokk and Sorban]]) calls Superman the "guardian of Earth" (S No. 171/1: "Super- man's Sacrifice!").

"Though he wasn't born on this world," notes scientist [[Mel Evans]] at the annual Superman's Earthday celebration in [[Smallville]] in April 1960, "he has become Earth's greatest and most generous citizen!" (S No. 136/2: "The Secret of Kryptonite!").

Indeed, preliminary indications are that Superman's fame will be even greater in the future than it is today. A scientist of the thirtieth century A.D. has called Superman "the greatest hero in history" (WF No.91, Nov/Dec 1957: "The Three Super-Sleepers!"), and a man of the fiftieth century A.D. has echoed the sentiment, describing Superman as "the greatest hero in Earth's history" (S No. 122/1, Jul 1958: "The Secret of the Space Souvenirs").

In the texts, Superman is frequently referred to as the Man of Steel and the Man of Tomorrow. He is also referred to as the Action Ace, the Champion of Democracy, and the King of Speed.

In addition, the texts describe Superman as a "champion of justice" (S No. 9/1, Mar/ Apr 1941), an "amazing champion of the helpless and oppressed" (S No. 13/4, Nov/Dec 1941), "the world's foremost crime crusader" (S No.18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane"), "the world's foremost justice-dispenser" (S No. 25/1, Nov/Dec 1943: "The Man Superman Refused to Help!"), "Earth's mightiest warrior" (S No. 38/1, Jan/Feb 1946: "The Battle of the Atoms!"), "the world's mightiest citizen" (S No. 40/2, May/Jun 1946: " A Modern Marco Polo!"), the "world's
mightiest being" (S No. 65/3, Jul/ Aug 1950: "Three Supermen from Krypton!"), "the world's most famous citizen" (Act No.150, Nov 1950: "The Secret of the 6 Superman Statues!"), "the most amazing human of our century" (Act No.171, Aug 1952: "The Secrets of Superman!"), "the world's mightiest defender of justice" (Act No.178, Mar 1953: "The Sandman of Crime!"), "the mightiest man alive" (Act No.181, Jan 1953: "The New Superman"), "the world's mightiest man" (Act No.182, Jul 1953: "The Return of Planet Krypton!"; and others), "Earth's mightiest champion of justice" (Act No.225, Feb 1957: "The Death of Superman"), the "mightiest human being in all the world" (Act No.235, Dec 1957: "The Super-Prisoner of Amazon Island"), "Earth's mighty champion" (Act No.242, Jul 1958: "The Super-Duel in Space"), "the mightiest man on Earth" (Act No.247, Dec 1958: "Superman's Lost Parents!"; and others), "the Earth's most powerful man" (Act No.269, Oct 1960: "The Truth Mirror!"), a "famed battler against crime and injustice" (Act No.287 , Apr 1962: "Perry White's Manhunt for Superman!"), "Earth's protector" and "the heroic champion of Earth " (Act No. 327, Aug 1965: "The Three Generations of Superman!"), "the world's greatest hero" (Act No.328, Sep 1965: "Superman's Hands of Doom!"), "a defender of the weak and oppressed" and "the mightiest of all men" (S No. 164/1, Oct 1963: pts. I-II-"The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!"; "The Super-Duel!"), the "greatest lawman of them all" (S No.178/2, Jul 1965: "When Superman Lost His Memory!"), and as "a defender of the helpless, [and] a champion of the underdog" (S No.14611, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

=Origin=
"Out of the infinite reaches of interstellar space came Superman, son of the doomed planet Krypton, to fight the forces of evil upon Earht...!" (Act No. 63, Aug '43: "When Stars Collide!").
==The Original Account==
"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 the child's structure was millions of years advanced of 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 waits...run faster than a express train... and that nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin!
"Early, Clark 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!" (Act No. 1, Jun '38).
==Addenda and Revisions==
Since the appearance of this original account forty years ago, the story of Superman's origin has been greatly revised and expanded to accomodate a wealth of new detail. Later texts, for example, gave the name of Superman's native planet as Krypton and described its people and civilization in great detail. Superman's parents, Jor-El and Lara, were introduced, and the events leading up to the cataclysm that destroyed Krypton were extensively chronicled. The "passing motorist" who found the infant Superman became a couple, Johnathon and Martha Kent, who adopted the orphan from space and named him Clark Kent. Conflicting accounts were offered of the infant's brief stay in the orphanage, including how long he remained there and whether his super-powers were actually revealed there. Later texts asserted that Superman embarked on his super-heroic career while still a youngster in Smallville rather than waiting until "maturity was reached." And, finally, the range and extent of his superhuman powers were continually expanded and the explanation of how he aquired them was periodically revised (see section 5, the super-powers). For complete accounts and analyses of all the supplementary data concerning Superman's origin, consult the various entries cross-referenced above.

=The Secret Identity=
''in progress''
=The Costume=
''"Once he is out of view, the timid reporter switches to a colorful costume known with fear, admiration, and respect in every corner of the Globe!"''

'''The Evolution'''

Throughout the course of his sixty year career, Superman's chroniclers have portrayed him in a wide variety of artistic styles - but the basic details of his costume have remained substantially unchanged. Superman wears a blue costume complemented by red trunks, red boots, and a long, flowing red cape. A yellow belt encircles his waist, and there is a highly stylized Superman insignia - consisting of a large red letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield, which is bordered in red - emblazoned on his chest. The back of Superman's cape bears a similar insignia, except that this one consists of a yellow letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield bordered in yellow.

What minor changes there have been in Superman's costume over the years have generally been in terms of coloring. His boots, for example, which are blue in a number of very early adventures (Action Comics #4 & #5) and yellow in at least one other (Action Comics #7), have been consistently colored red since the end of the 1930s.

The stylized "S" insignia on Superman's chest, small and sleek in Superman's earliest adventures, soon becomes larger, more highly stylized, and more distinct. In a number of early adventures, the shield is portrayed (in various colors) with a yellow border, but the red border has become standard by the beginning of the 1940s.

Inconsistencies persist for nearly twenty years, however, regarding the coloring of the insignia on Superman's cape. Missing entirely from Superman's costume in a number of texts, it is sometimes portrayed as a blue "S" on a yellow shield, sometimes as a yellow "S" on a blue shield, sometimes as a yellow "S" on a red shield, sometimes as a red "S" on a yellow shield, and sometimes as a yellow "S" on a yellow shield.

Not until the late 1950s does a yellow letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield become the standardized form of the insignia emblazoned on the back of Superman's cape.

'''Secret Origin'''

The origin of Superman's costume has been treated inconsistently in the chronicles, although there is virtually unanimous agreement among the texts that the costume is as indestructible as the Man of Steel himself. In Summer 1940, Superman describes his costume as "constructed of a cloth I invented myself which is immune to the most powerful forces!"

By the early 1950s, however, the texts have begun to describe Superman's costume as having been fashioned by Martha Kent out of the colored blankets she and her husband found wrapped around the infant Superman when he arrived on Earth in a rocket from the doomed planet Krypton.

At this point in the chronicles, numerous texts describe Superman's costume as having been fashioned from an inherently indestructible material from Krypton. Superman #112 offers this observation:

''Indestructible as time itself, Superman's costume, woven of a strange cloth from his native planet, Krypton, has aided him in unique ways, many times in the past!''

More recent texts, however, have greatly modified this position. Although Superman's costume is still described as having been fashioned from a fiber of Krypton, this cloth is now said to have acquired its indestructibility just as Superman acquired his super-powers - as the result of having been transported from the planet Krypton to the vastly different environment of Earth.

According to Superman #146, Martha Kent was moved to fashion a super-playsuit for the infant Superman because the child was constantly destroying his store-bought clothes by engaging in various forms of super-powered play. Fortunately, the Kents had had the foresight to save the three blankets - one red, one blue, and one yellow - in which the infant Superman had been swathed when he arrived on Earth in his rocket. Because the blanket material was indestructible and therefore could not be cut by any scissors, the Kents unraveled some loose ends and then coaxed their super-powered infant into using the heat of his X-ray vision to cut the unraveled thread so that Martha Kent could use it to sew the Kryptonian blankets into a super-playsuit. Years later, Martha Kent unraveled the playsuit and rewove the thread into Superman's now-famous costume. According to one of the stories in Superman Annual #8 (1963), the young Superman used "strips of rubber padding" salvaged from the wreckage of his rocket to fashion a pair of bright red boots, while a yellow strap, also salvaged from the rocket, became his belt.

'''Indestructible'''

Superman's costume is, by all accounts, absolutely indestructible. Fire cannot burn it, the strongest shears cannot cut it, and neither bullets nor lightning can make a mark on it. Not even the force of six atomic bombs exploding inside it can do harm. (Superman #78, 1952)

So long as it remains on Earth, or in some other environment where Superman would ordinarily have super-powers, Superman's costume retains its indestructibility. This remains true even if, for some reason, Superman has temporarily lost his powers. Similarly, the costume retains its indestructibility even if someone other than Superman wears it, rendering the wearer invulnerable to bullets and other weapons so long as the weapons strike the costume and not the wearer.

According to the most recent explanation of Superman's powers, Superman derives his super-powers, in part, from the peculiar radiations of Earth's yellow sun. On planets revolving around a red sun, however, such as the planet Lexor, or the planet Krypton before it exploded, Superman has no super-powers. Similarly, on red-sun planets, Superman's costume loses its indestructibility and can be torn and damaged like any ordinary garment on Earth. If Superman's costume is ripped or damaged during a visit to a red-sun world - or during a visit to the bottle city of Kandor, where red-sun conditions prevail - Superman must take care to repair the damage before returning to Earth, where the costume will once again become indestructible and therefore impossible to cut and sew.

=The Fortress of Solitude=
''in progress''
=The Super-Powers=
"The super-powers of the '''Man of Steel''' are legendary! The whole world marvels at his invulnerability, super-spped, super-strength, and other super-skills" (Act No. 251, Apr '59: "The Oldest Man in Metropolis!").
==Derivation of the Super-Powers==
Superman's super-powers are by and large, extraordinary magnifications of ordinary human abilities. Just as an ordinary man can hurl a baseball, Superman can hurl an entire Planet. Just as an ordinary man can see across the room, Superman can see across the universe.

Compared with the powers he possesses today, however, the powers employed by Superman in the early texts are modest indeed. Action Comics # 1 (1938), the first comic book in which Superman appeared, claimed only that its hero could "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!" (Jun 1938).

As the years passed, however, the chroniclers endowed the Man of Steel with ever more spectacular powers to enable him to meet ever more exacting challenges. Today Superman can withstand the heat at the core of the sun, soar through the air at a speed thousands of times the speed of light, and extinguish a star with a puff of his breath as though it were merely a candle on a birthday cake.

Along with a steady expansion of Superman's powers has come a series of changing explanations of how he came to acquire those powers. Action Comics # 1, for example, contains this "scientific explanation of his amazing strength":

Kent had come from a Planet whose inhabitants' physical
structure was millions of years advanced of our own.
Upon reaching maturity, the people of his race became
gifted with titanic strength!
--Incredible? No! For even today on our world exist creatures
with '''super-strength!'''
The lowly ant can support weights hundreds of times its own.
The grasshopper leaps what to a man would be the space of several
city blocks. {Jun 1938}

For approximately the first decade of Superman's career, the texts advanced the thesis that Superman's powers were merely those possessed by all the inhabitants of his native Planet. These texts described the men and women of Krypton as a "super-race" (S No. 73/2, Nov/Dec '51: "The Mighty Mite!") who were gifted with X-ray vision and other powers and who were thousands of eons ahead of earthlings, both mentally and physically. (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug '48: "The Origin of Superman!").

According to Superman No. 33/1, "...'''Superman'''-- a native of the ill-fated planet of Krypton---is of a different structure than than the natives of Earth! Neither his mind nor his body are susceptible to the influences that can overcome other human beings!" (Mar/Apr '45: "Dimensions of Danger!").

"Where we come from," gloats the Kryptonian villian U-Ban in July-August, "'''everyone''' has see-through vision, extra-strength and extra-speed!" (S No. 65/3: "Three Supermen from Krypton!").

By the late 1940s, however, the texts had begun to describe the people of Krypton as more or less ordinary human beings and to attribute Superman's powers to the vast differences between the gravitational pull and atmospheric conditions of Krypton and those of the Planet Earth. In the words of Superman #58,

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!'''
[May/June '49: "The Case of the Second Superman"].

Subsequent texts continued to cite the importance of the gravitational difference between Earth and Krypton while laying increasingly greater stress on the significance of Krypton's unique atmosphere in accounting for the awesome powers a Kryptonian acquired once he was free of his native Planet. "Obviously, Krypton is such an unusual Planet," Superman's father, Jor-El, once noted, "that when a native Kryptonian is elsewhere, free of Krypton's unique atmosphere and tremendous gravitational pull, he becomes a '''superman!'''" (Superman #113, May '57: chs. 1-3-"The Superman of the Past"; "The Secret of the Towers"; "The Superman of the Present").

Since, according to this theory, Superman owes the existence of his super-powers to the fact that he is no longer on the Planet Krypton, it follows that Superman has no super-powers wherever atmospheric and gravitational conditions prevail that are identical to those of his native planet.

Indeed during a visit to a man-made duplicate of the planet Krypton, in July 1953, Superman finds that he can no longer fly, "since [the planet's] tremendous gravitational power neautralizes [his] strength!"

"And because of the greater atmospheric density on this world," notes Superman, "I can't (ugh) use my X-ray vision here either!" And moments later he adds, "I--I could stay under water almost indefinitely on Earth---but not on [the duplicate] Krypton! Because of the greater exertion, I need more oxygen!" (Act No. 182: "The Return of Planet Krypton!").

An identical loss of super-powers befalls Superman whenever he journeys through the time barrier to Krypton at a time prior to the its destruction or pays a visit to the bottle city of Kandor. "...[W]here '''Krypton''''s non-earthly gravity conditions are in force," muses Superman during a visit to Kandor in October 1958, "I have no super-powers!I-I'm just an '''ordinary man!'''" (Act No. 245: "The Shrinking Superman!").

According to a revised theory of Superman's powers, first advanced in 1960, the Man of Steel derives his super-powers partly from [the] lesser gravity of Earth and partly from the unique "'''ultra solar rays''' that penetrate Earth day and night."

"These rays," explains Superman to Supergirl in March 1960, "can only affect people who were born in other solar systems than Earth's! And only yellow starts like Earth's sun emit those super-energy rays! On Planets of non-yellow suns, we would not be super-powered, even under the low gravity!" (Supergirl story in Act No. 262: "Supergirl's Greatest Victory!").

This theory is restated in Superman No.141. â€œWhat gave me super-powers on Earth,â€ explains Superman, â€œwas Earthâ€™s lesser gravity and the fact that, unlike '''Kryptonâ€™s red''' sun, Earthâ€™s solar system has a '''yellow''' sun....Only yellow stars radiate super-energy rays which give super-powers to people born in other solar systems!â€ (Nov â€™60: pts. I-III-â€œSuperman Meets Jor-El and Lara again!â€; â€œSupermanâ€™s Kryptonian Romance!â€; â€œThe Surprise of Fate!â€).

Superman No. 146/1 refines this theory still further, attributing Supermanâ€™s â€œmuscular powersâ€ - super-strength, super-breath, super-speed, and the power of flight â€“ to Earthâ€™s light gravity, and his â€œsuper-senses and mental powersâ€ - X-ray vision and other optical powers, super-hearing, and various intellectual powers â€“ to the ultra solar rays of Earth's yellow sun. In a flashback sequence, Superman explains that, as the result of his having been born

on a giant world with heavy gravity, my muscles automatically
became super-strong in Earthâ€™s light gravity! Iâ€™m like the ant,
which, if it were man sized, could carry a locomotive! Grasshoppers
could leap over buildings!
Now notice that Krypton had a red sunâ€¦! But only the ultra solar
rays of Earthâ€™s yellow sun can super energize my brain and five senses
to give me the other non-muscular super-powers!
Also, those yellow-sun rays, which only tan Earth peopleâ€™s skin,
hardened mine like steel! Radium raysâ€¦lightningâ€¦fireâ€¦nothing can harm
me! [Jul 1961: â€œThe Story of Supermanâ€™s Life!â€].

In the logic of this latest refinement, all Kryptonian objects acquire indestructibility in the yellow-sun environment of Earth, and all native Kryptonians - such as Supergirl or Krypto the Superdog - acquire super-powers identical to Superman's. However, the indestructibility of these objects and the super-powers of the various Kryptonian survivors remain proportional to what they would have been had they remained in their native Kryptonian environment. Superman is stronger than Supergirl, for example, just as an ordinary human male is normally stronger than his female counterpart. Similarly, a Kryptonian gorilla on Earth would be stronger than Superman, just as an ordinary gorilla is more powerful than an ordinary man.

It is this phenomenon to which Superman refers in February 1962, when, after having been bitten severely on the hand by a Kryptonian â€œflame dragonâ€ (see Flame Dragon), he remarks that â€œThe beastâ€™s bite penetrated my skinâ€¦which is invulnerable to everything to everything '''except''' the bite of a Kryptonian creature who would have normally been stronger than me if both of us were on '''Krypton''', minus our super-strength!â€ (S No. 151/3: â€œSupermanâ€™s Greatest Secret!â€).

Because Superman is now said the derive his powers, in part, from the ultra solar rays of Earth's yellow sun, he has no powers on any Planet revolving about a red sun, such as the Planet Lexor (Act No. 318, Nov â€™64: â€œThe Death of Luthor!â€; and others) or the world of the Thorones (Act No. 321, Feb â€™65: â€œSupermanâ€”Weakest Man in the World!â€).

The mighty super-powers that Superman employs today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning decades of texts. Following is an inventory of Superman's super-powers, along with the history and evolution of each super-power.

==Super-Speed and the Power of Flight==
In the early years of his super-heroic career, Superman was not endowed with the power of flight. Although he possessed superhuman speed, he moved from place to place by running or by executing gigantic leaps. Month by month, however, Superman's running speed increased, along with the length of his leaps and the complexity of the aerial maneuvers he was able to perform once he had left the ground. The transition from leaping to actual flying was extraordinarily gradual and was punctuated with a great deal of inconsistency. Not until May 1943 is Superman explicitly referred to as a "being who can fly like a bird" and not until later that same year can it be said, without qualification, that Superman actually possesses the power of flight.

By 1945, Superman is able to fly from Metropolis to Burma in the wink of an eye. "Light travels 186,000 miles a second, but has nothing on Superman," notes the text, "who finds himself hovering over the jungles of Burma in the wink of an eye!"

In November 1946, Superman demonstrates the ability to stand invisibly on one spot by oscillating his body so fast that the human eye cannot see him. During this same period, Superman protects bystanders at a navy yard from the effects of a devastating explosion by spinning around the blast area at super-speed. With the speed of light, Superman makes a wall of his revolving body, through which the expanding gases of the explosive cannot penetrate. Then, funneling upward, Superman directs the blast toward the sky.

In August 1947, Superman successfully photographs a series of past events by flying into outer space faster than the speed of light and overtaking the light waves leaving Earth which contain the images of the events he wants to record on film.

Later in 1947, Superman single-handedly constructs an entire underground city in a matter of seconds. (Superman #48) During this same period, Superman uses his command of super-speed to travel through the time barrier into the past.

Virtually all texts agree that to penetrate the time barrier, Superman must move at a speed exceeding that of light.

==Super-Strength==
There have been many strong men in the world, but none with the amazing power of Superman, whose rippling steel muscles can blast boulders to dust and move mountains.

Like Superman's other powers, his strength has been continually magnified over the years.

In June 1938, Superman, described as a man of titanic strength with the ability to raise tremendous weights, lifts an automobile over his head with one hand, shakes its hoodlum occupants out on the the ground, then smashes the car to bits against the base of a cliff.

In Spring 1940, when Metropolis is ravaged by a man-made earthquake, Superman supports tottering buildings while terrified occupants dash to safety.

In 1941, Superman swims through a raging flood using only one hand, while holding a mansion aloft with the other hand. To divert the floodwaters, Superman digs a huge, mile-long ditch with his bare hands in a matter of moments.

In 1942, Superman seizes a set of brass knuckles and crushes the cowardly instrument in his palm as easily as though the metal were putty; he smashes his way through the side of a mountain; and, while clinging to the side of a moving train, Superman performs an amazing stunt - he opens a Pullman window! By September of the same year, his strength has grown to the point where he can wrench apart a pair of twin mountain peaks with his bare hands.

In 1943, when Superman acts to avert the collapse of a massive undersea cavern, his mighty shoulders bear the weight of thousands of tons of rock and the terrific pressure of the ocean above it. (Action Comics #62, "There'll Always Be a Superman!") He also hits a baseball so hard that it circles the world.

In 1946, Superman uses his super-strength to mend a gaping hole in the hull of a sunken freighter, welding the torn steel plates into place by rubbing them with his hands until they're white hot. Later texts refer to this process as the application of "super-friction."

1947 brings us the first time that Superman transforms a lump of coal into a glittering diamond. In the words of the text, "Incalculable tons of pressure exerted by the Man of Steel's mighty fist duplicate the work of eons to fuse the opaque coal carbons into the translucent perfection of a glittering diamond!" (Action Comics #115)

In 1948 he uses the super-pressure of his thumbnail to cut sheet metal.

By 1949 he has single-handedly created a sun for the Planet Uuz by crashing together its two uninhabited moons and then fueling the resultant atomic blaze with drifting meteors.

In November 1953, when a great dark star that's rushing through the solar system begins causing the Earth to spin faster on its axis, Superman finds himself confronted by the greatest challenge of his career, that of devising a means of slowing down the Earth. After fashioning a gigantic metal drill from ore-bearing rock, Superman drills through the Earth to the red-hot rocks inside Earth's crust and then, using his own body as a high-speed chisel, gouges a canal from the sea to the hole he has drilled in the Earth. When the seawater rushing through Superman's man-made canal washes over the red-hot rocks at the Earth's core, the result is a continuous blast of steam that makes a great jet-blast, pushing against the rotating Earth to slow it down. When it's back to normal, Superman closes off the canal.

But by 1957, Superman is able to hurl an uninhabited Planet through space (Superman #110) and in 1958 can produce a small earthquake with a super-clap of his hands.

In March 1965 Superman seizes a spacecraft manned by members of the Superman Revenge Squad and hurls it into a far distant galaxy light-years away from Earth.

==Invulnerability==
Of all the awesome capabilities of Superman, one of the most important is his invulnerability. Fire can't burn him, knives can't cut him, bullets can't hurt him. In fact, there's nothing known to man that can harm even a hair of Superman's head.

In June 1938, a bullet ricochets off Superman's tough skin and a knife blade shatters when it strikes his body. Nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin. Subsequent texts describe Superman as possessing a skin impenetrable to even steel and as being impervious to bullets because of an unbelievably tough skin. A text dated January 1945 notes that "Unlike ordinary people, the Man of Steel can do without food if necessary," but a later text contradicts this, noting that Superman could indeed "starve to death."

In September 1945, Superman holds open an earthquake fissure with his bare hands until Lois Lane has had a chance to climb to safety. "The most powerful muscles on Earth," notes the text, "withstand the tremendous pressure of thousands of tons of rock!" "If the fissure had closed on me," remarks Superman, "the only damage would have been to the rock!"

In 1946, Superman flies onto an atomic-bomb test site and withstands the successive impact of two atomic bombs. He also withstands the intense heat of the Earth's molten core. (Superman #43)

In 1950, Superman swims underwater thousands of fathoms deep, down to the ocean bed itself, and suffers no ill effects from the crushing water pressure. He withstands the heat at the rim of the sun, estimated at a few billion degrees.

By 1951, Superman can withstand the heat at the core of the sun. (Action Comics #161) By this date, Superman's Herculean body has become immune to all ills and it's impossible for him to get sick. Superman is not immune, however, to certain extraterrestrial illnesses, such as the mysterious space virus that temporarily transforms his X-ray vision into "deep-freeze" vision in November, 1957, and Virus X, native to the Planet Krypton.

In February 1954, Superman withstands the explosion of a hydrogen bomb, although it does leave him with a slight headache. (Superman #87)

A text dated April 1960 observes that the rifle-like non-super-ray weapon employed by the Bizarros of the Planet Htrae could permanently rob Superman of his super-powers. Another text for this period strongly implies that Superman is invulnerable to the aging process and therefore immortal (Superman #136, April 1960), but Superman #181 contradicts this, noting that "Though Superman is the mightiest man on Earth, even he cannot live forever!" (November, 1965, "The Superman of 2965!")

A text dated April 1965 notes that Superman is invulnerable to drowning, and can remain underwater as long as he wishes.

Because Superman is invulnerable, he cannot blush and because his skin is never affected by the sun, he is impervious to sunburn.

Superman's hair is indestructible and can neither be cut nor can it grow in Earth's atmosphere. (Superman #132, October 1959)

Any attempt to cut Superman's hair by ordinary means results only in the shattering of whatever scissors are being used, but Superman can cut his own hair when absolutely necessary by subjecting it to the concentrated power of his own X-ray vision. In a red-sun environment, however, where Superman has no super-powers, his hair loses its indestructibility and begins to grow. If Superman undertakes a mission to a red-sun Planet, it is best for him to shave and trim his hair before returning to the yellow-sun environment of Earth, where his hair will once again become indestructible.

Similarly, Superman's fingernails and toenails, which are indestructible and do not grow in the earthly environment, do grow and are destructible on Planets revolving about a red sun.

==X-Ray Vision and the Other Optical Powers==
With telescopic vision, he has spanned the solar system - his microscopic vision has seen the tiniest dust particle - while his X-ray vision has pierced every substance except lead.

Today's Superman possesses a wide range of optical super-powers, including X-ray vision, which enables him to see through all substances except lead; telescopic vision, which enables him to focus on objects millions of miles away; super-vision, a combination of X-ray vision and telescopic vision, which enables him to perform such optical feats as peering through the wall of a house thousands of miles away; microscopic vision, which enables him to examine the tiniest atomic particles; heat vision, which enables him to apply intense heat to any substance except lead; infrared vision, which enables him to see objects lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end; radar vision, a term denoting infrared vision used at low power, which enables him to see in pitch darkness; and photographic vision, which enables him to perform such feats as memorizing whole books at a single glance.

In Superman's earliest adventures, however, he exhibited no special optical powers, and the vision abilities he employs today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts. Tracing the evolution of these abilities is difficult, for the terminology used to describe them is often haphazard and confusing. "Telescopic X-ray vision," for example, used as a general term in many early texts to denote Superman's ability both to see through objects and to see objects from far away, later comes to refer to the use of both of these visions simultaneously.

"Super-vision," however, both with and without the hyphen, has been employed at various times in the chronicles as a synonym for telescopic vision; as a means of describing Superman's ability to perform some complex optical feat, such as tracing television broadcast signals to their source; and as a term denoting a combination of X-ray vision and telescopic vision, the meaning it has today.

Similarly, Superman used his X-ray vision to analyze the chemical composition of substances, to melt solid objects, and to see in pitch darkness long before the more specialized terms microscopic vision, heat vision, and radar vision ever appeared in the chronicles.

Some terms, such as "super-sensory sight," "super-sensory-vision," and "supernormal vision" are used in the texts without ever being defined precisely.

==Super-Hearing==
Today Superman's super-hearing - ordinary human hearing multiplied countless thousands of times - enables Superman to detect the footfall of an ant 1,000 miles away or trace the source of sound waves across millions of miles of interstellar space.

In his very earliest adventures, however, Superman exhibited no special aural powers, and the super-hearing he employs today is the product of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts. The term "super-hearing" first appears in the chronicles in Fall 1939. Nevertheless, during the first two decades of Superman's career, the texts also employ such other descriptive terms as "super-acute hearing," "super-sensitive hearing," "hyper-keen hearing," and "super-keen hearing."

In January 1939, Superman is described as having "sensitive ears," which enable him to hear things ordinary human beings cannot.

In November 1940, Superman's super-sensitive ears enable him to pick up radio waves so that he can listen in on a radio news broadcast without a radio. In 1942, his super-sensitive hearing enables him to trace radio waves to their source.

In June 1946, Superman's hyper-keen hearing enables him to trace a telephone call across the phone wires to its source.

By 1950, Superman's super-hearing enables him to hear the low humming sound of a machine 1,500 miles away. In 1953, he exhibits the ability to focus his super-hearing so precisely that, while flying high over Metropolis, he can eavesdrop on a conversation taking place in one specific apartment.

In January 1960, Superman's super-hearing enables him to trace sound waves to their ultimate source: a space ship millions of miles from Earth (Action Comics #260) and by December of the same year, Superman can hear Big Ben chiming the hour in London while he is in the Sahara Desert.

==Super-Breath and Related Powers==
Like Superman's other super-powers, his super-breath and related powers have undergone continual expansion and magnification.

A text dated August 1939 notes that Superman can hold his breath for hours underwater.

In January 1940, he blows out a flaming torch with a powerful puff of his breath.

A text dated March 1941 notes that Superman's lungs can withstand any air pressure, no matter how great, and a later text observes that Superman can swim thousands of fathoms deep, down to the ocean bed itself, without suffering any ill effects.

In June 1941 Superman extinguishes a raging fire with a terrific gust of breath and in 1947 he extinguishes a bonfire by inhaling the flames.

In November 1947, when the Toyman attempts to make good his escape astride a rocket-powered hobbyhorse, Superman draws him back to earth with a deep inhalation of breath.

In March 1949, after having been locked inside a skyrocket by Lex Luthor, Superman uses his super-breath in place of rocket fuel to launch the skyrocket into the stratosphere. "And with super-breath," notes the text, "the Man of Steel lifts the projectile into the sky!" Superman performs a similar feat in July 1960, climbing into the exhaust apparatus of a jet aircraft disabled in midair and using his superbreath as jet propulsion to guide it to a safe landing.

In September 1949, Superman extinguishes a chemical fire by inhaling all the air around it. "The deadly flames are no menace to Superman," notes the text, "who smothers them by momentarily drawing all the air in the room into his own mighty lungs!"

In July 1953, Superman notes that he can stay underwater almost indefinitely.

In July 1954, Superman paints a house by using his super-breath to blow paint out of a paint bucket onto the house. "Super-breath comes in handy in many ways," muses Superman, "but this is the first time I've used it as a paint sprayer!"

In August 1954, far out in space, Superman extinguishes a star with a blast of his super-breath. (Superman #91)

In July 1959, Superman halts a massive tidal wave by freezing it into a solid iceberg with a blast of his super-breath.

In March 1960, Jimmy Olsen remarks that Superman can live for years underwater.

In October 1960, after engraving an inscription with his fingernail into the frame of a mirror, Superman blows on the inscription with this super-breath in order to imbue it with an antique appearance. "The force of my super-breath will create an artificial aging effect," observes Superman, "so the writing will appear centuries-old!" (Action Comics #269)

In February 1961, after Mr. Mxyzptlk has loosed a cloud of magic sneezing powder on Metropolis, Superman finds himself forced to give vent to a super-sneeze that literally destroys an entire distant solar system.

In April 1963, Superman disarms a gang of bank robbers by using his super-cold breath to freeze the air around their guns into clocks of ice. "Puffing my super-cold breath at them," muses Superman, "I've condensed the moisture in the air around their guns into ice! Now that their numb fingers can't pull triggers, innocent bystanders won't get hurt!"

A text dated April 1965 notes that Superman is invulnerable to drowning and can remain under-water as long as he wishes.

==Vocal and Ventriloquistic Powers==
Like Superman's other super-powers, his vocal and ventriloquistic powers have been continually magnified and expanded in the course of his career.

In 1941, Superman employs ordinary ventriloquism to distract the attention of criminals holding Lois Lane.

In March 1942, Superman exhibits the ability to mimic voices when he expertly disguises his voice so that it sounds exactly like a gang-leader's. In September of the same year, in order to warn the people of Metropolis of a Nazi invasion, Superman shouts a warning in such dynamic tones his voice carries for miles.

In May 1943 Superman summons police to an underworld hideout by broadcasting his voice with the aid of his super-powers so that it materializes in police radio sets.

In 1947 Superman shatters a thousand-ton block of ice into tiny fragments with a mighty shout.

In January 1950, Superman ventriloquizes over a considerable distance in order to make a painted image of himself appear to talk and in order to make his voice materialize from a police-car radio. This technique, which later becomes known as "super-ventriloquism," enables Superman to project his voice over immense distances and yet have his voice heard only by those whom he is directly addressing.

In July 1950, one of Superman's super-yells is monitored at over 1,000,000 decibles. (Superman #65) One later text notes that "Superman's tremendous shout echoes like a thousand thunderstorms in the sky," while another observes that his "super-voice resounds like 1,000 loudspeakers," enabling everyone within a five-mile radius to hear it.

In August 1950, while standing with Lois Lane in an office at the Daily Planet, Superman uses ventriloquism to make Clark Kent's voice come over the telephone so that Lois will believe that Kent and Superman are two different men.

In September 1955, Superman shatters a diamond into powder by using his super-voice to produce extraordinarily high-pitched musical notes.

In July 1961, Superman converses with Supergirl over an immense distance by means of super-ventriloquism, a voice throwing technique that enables them to converse over long distances without being overheard by anyone in between.

In July 1962, Superman summons Krypto the Superdog by means of super-ventriloquism, but in November 1963 he speaks of summoning Krypto via supersonic ventriloquism, a technique that enables him to throw his voice at such a high pitch that only Krypto's super-canine hearing could possibly hear it.

==Mental and Intellectual Powers==
Along with his other super-powers, Superman also possesses a super-intellect and other superhuman mental powers.

In Spring 1940 Clark Kent exhibits the ability to temporarily halt the beating of his heart. In several occasions in subsequent years, Superman employs this unique ability in order to enable him to feign death. Superman #21 alludes to Superman's having temporarily halted the beating of his heart and put himself into a state of suspended animation, and World's Finest Comics #54 cites Superman's ability to control his heart action in order to simulate the signs of death. Control of one's heartbeat would seem to involve mental control of one's physical functions, but in his only clear description of this feat, Superman describes it as one of "super-muscular control." "To make you think I had 'died,'" he remarks to a group of captured criminals in January 1958, "I used super-muscular control to stop my heart from beating - just as I'm doing now to make it beat faster and louder, listen!"

In Summer 1940, Superman is described as possessing a photographic memory.

In January 1941 Superman cures Lois Lane of her amnesia by means of hypnosis and a month later, as Clark Kent, he hypnotizes her into forgetting the super-feats he is about to perform so that he can rescue her from a burning cabin in his role as Clark Kent without betraying his dual identity.

In January 1942, Superman is able to converse fluently with a mermaid despite the fact that her tongue is completely foreign to him because his advanced intellect instantly comprehends her strange language. (Superman #14)

In July 1943, Superman is described as having a "super-brain," but later texts refer to Superman as having a "super-intellect."

In January 1945, Superman visits the public library and reads through a mountain of books and articles about himself in only five minutes, and in November 1945, he is described as reading a 500-page book in ten seconds flat.

In September 1947, Superman is described as having a super-instinct that alerts him to the fact that someone is watching him.

In July 1948, Superman demonstrates the ability to solve complex mathematical equations with the speed and accuracy of a giant computing machine.

In July 1950, Superman's super-intellect enables him to solve, in seconds, a complicated mathematical problem that the Metropolis Science Foundation's mighty electronic brain takes ten minutes to solve.

In July 1951, Clark Kent memorizes a 400-page book in a matter of seconds, and in September of the same year, Superman comments that, for the sake of convenience, he has memorized the entire Metropolis phone book.

In November 1953, Superman is described as having a "super-memory."

In March 1954, Superman's super-intelligence enables him to solve a complex equation that involves dealing with mathematical ideas unknown to ordinary men.

In March 1955, Superman memorizes all the existing books on eye surgery preparatory to performing a complicated eye operation.

In April 1955, Superman is described as having used his photographic memory to memorize all the files of the Daily Planet.

In May 1956, Superman is described as being able to recall every action of his life with his "super-human memory." Subsequent texts refer to Superman's "power of total memory" or "total-recall memory," noting that it enables the Man of Steel to remember everything he ever said or did.

In January 1958, Superman is able to match up a suspect's fingerprints with those on file in Washington, D.C., as the result of having used his super-memory to memorize the entire fingerprint file of the F.B.I.

In June 1958, while relaxing at his Fortress of Solitude, Superman defeats a great robot he has built in a game of super-chess, despite the fact that the robot - which possesses a super-electronic brain - can think and play with the speed of lightning and plans a million moves at once.

In November 1960 Superman is described as having mastered Kryptonese, the language of Krypton, through his memory's power of total recall.

A text dated August 1963 notes that Superman possesses the super-intellect of a score of the world's most brilliant minds put together.

==Miscellaneous Powers==
In addition to the super-powers enumerated in the foregoing subsections, Superman has displayed other unique abilities that are not readily classifiable.

Several texts describe Superman as possessing super-senses which, among other things, enable him to sense the presence of an electrical discharge or the close proximity of [[Lori Lemaris]].

Superman's supersensitive nostrils enable him to detect the faint odor of nitroglycerine in a cache of dynamite or to stand atop a Metropolis skyscraper and pinpoint Lois Lane's exact location by her perfume.

According to one text, Superman possesses a super-sensitive nerve structure, rendering him extraordinarily sensitive to the effects of cosmic disturbances. Another text notes that Superman's fingers are super-sensitive, enabling him to distinguish between types of metal ores by their touch even when he cannot see them.

Superman's super-coordination enables him to sign two autographs simultaneously, one with each hand, and a transfusion of his alien blood has the power to make a critically ill person well again within a matter of moments. (Superman #6, 1940)

Superman #133 asserts that Superman could consume virtually endless quantities of food, and Action Comics #306 suggests that Superman can perform feats of lovemaking of which an ordinary man would be quite incapable: forced into the position of having to kiss Lois Lane beneath the mistletoe at a Daily Planet Christmas party in 1963, Clark Kent mischievously decides to shock the daylights out of Lois by giving her a super-kiss, in the manner of Superman, instead of the mild-mannered kiss she would be likely to expect from Clark Kent. Indeed, when Kent finally releases Lois from his embrace after giving her a super-soulful kiss, Lois is glassy-eyed and on the verge of swooning.

"Holy Toledo, Clark," exclaims someone at the party, " - where'd you learn to kiss like that?"

"Yes," stammers Lois, plainly impressed, "for a while I thought you were - er - someone else! Where'd you pick up this technique?"

"Maybe it's sort of a hidden talent!" replies Kent. "After all, you don't know everything about me!" And then Kent thinks: "True indeed! Lois would pass out if she knew it was Superman, my other identity, who kissed her!"

One super-power that has long since been discarded by the chroniclers is Superman's ability, displayed on a number of occasions in the 1940s, to radically alter his facial characteristics and even his size through what was described as "superb muscular control" of his "plastic features."

=The Vulnerabilities=
''in progress''
==Kryptonite==
''in progress''
===Green Kryptonite===
''in progress''
===Red Kryptonite===
''in progress''
===Gold Kryptonite===
Gold Kryptonite permenently takes away Superman's powers
===Blue Kryptonite===
Blue Kryptonite is harmful to bizzaro Supermen in the same way that Green Kryptonite is to Superman
===White Kryptonite===
''in progress''
==Magic==
''in progress''
==Virus X==
This deadly Kryptonian virus, for which no cure has ever been discovered, is described in Superman No. 156 as "a contagion fatal in 30 days to any native of Krypton...." Because living X viruses—if, indeed, any survived the destruction of Superman's native planet—would acquire super-virulence in the alien environment of Earth in the same manner whereby Superman acquired his super-powers, Superman and all other surviving natives of [[Krypton]] are vulnerable to this killer virus just as they would have been had Krypton never exploded and they, and the virus, remained on Krypton.

In his experiments with Virus X prior to the death of Krypton, the Kryptonian scientist Tharb-El discovered that he could destroy the virus with "element 202." Because element 202 is fatal to human beings, however, Tharb-El was unsuccessful in his efforts to produce a viable cure (S No. 156, Oct 1962: "The Last Days of Superman!" pts. I-III—"Superman's Death Sentence!"; "The Super-Comrades of All Time!"; "Superman's Last Day of Life!").

==Other Vulnerabilities==
''in progress''
=The Equipment=
''in progress''
==Lead Armor==
''in progress''
==Dummies, Robots, and Androids==
Almost from the beginning of his long career, Superman has employed dummies and robots of Clark Kent and Superman - as well as of his loved ones and closest friends - to help him carry out his customary super-tasks and protect the secret of his dual identity. Today these so-called "super-robots" - which are housed both at the Fortress of Solitude and behind a secret panel in Clark Kent's Metropolis apartment - are immensely sophisticated and complex, possessing mighty super-powers and capable of human emotion, independent thought, and autonomous action. In the early years of the chronicles, however, this was not the case, and the complex robots that exist today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts.

In March 1944 Clark Kent uses a Superman dummy to help him outwit the Thinker, employing ventriloquism to make the dummy appear to talk.

In September 1949, Superman employs a Superman robot in an elaborate scheme to dupe a band of aliens from the planet Uranus into believing that all earthlings are actually robots. Superman makes his robot appear lifelike by manipulating it like a puppet at invisible super-speed while employing ventriloquism to make it talk.

As the years progress, the Superman robots become progressively more advanced.

By May 1958, Superman has succeeded in devising robots so sophisticated that his Clark Kent robot - kept concealed behind a secret panel in a supply room at the Daily Planet - is actually capable of carrying on his duties at the Daily Planet whenever his presence is required elsewhere as Superman. "The robot Clark will replace me here in the office, as usual!" thinks Superman. "Remote-control impulses from my X-ray eyes will guide him and operate his voice box!" Superman also utilizes a sophisticated Superman robot during this period to carry out a mission in outer space.

In December 1958, Superman has begun housing several Superman robots in a secret closet in Clark Kent's apartment, each equipped to duplicate one of Superman's super-powers, such as super-strength, the power of flight, X-ray vision, or super-breath. "Each is designed to use one of my super-powers when needed!" notes Superman. "I send out the robots when Clark's absence would be suspicious! Or when I suspect that criminals are waiting to use kryptonite against me!"

By January 1960 Superman has clearly increased the complexity of his robots even further, for he is now quoted in the Daily Planet as saying that "my robots possess all my super-powers."

In February 1960, when Superman conducts guided tours through his Fortress of Solitude for the benefit of charity, two of his Superman robots stand outside, scanning the incoming crowds with their X-ray vision to ensure that no bombs or other dangerous devices are carried into the Fortress. Indications are that the robots are carrying out their duties autonomously, without any outside help from Superman.

In June 1960, Superman, busily occupied with putting on a demonstration of his super-powers for children at a local hospital, dispatches a Clark Kent robot to keep a lunch date with Lois Lane, confident that the robot is so thoroughly lifelike that Lois will not be able to tell it from a human being.

In March 1961, one of Superman's Superman-robots, acting entirely on its own volition, carries out an intricately convoluted ruse involving human emotion, sophisticated independent thinking, and the ability to invent and construct complex scientific devices. (Action Comics #274)

Since 1959, Superman's sophisticated super-robots have been housed in two principal locations: The Fortress of Solitude and the secret closet in Clark Kent's Metropolis apartment.

The closet, which is referred to as a "secret closet," is concealed behind a fake wall which slides open at the touch of a secret button. It also slides open when a special box on Clark Kent's table is opened. In the event an intruder inadvertently activates this sliding-wall mechanism and discovers the secret closet, however, a special security device on the closet door makes the phone in the apartment ring. When the intruder answers, he hears the voice of Superman, on a prerecorded tape, asking Clark Kent to return the robots he has recently "borrowed." This device has many times protected the secret of Superman's dual identity.

The robots used most often by Superman have been robots of Superman and Clark Kent, but the Man of Steel has also used robots of Lois Lane and Lana Lang, Supergirl, Krytpo the Superdog, and robots of himself both as the teen-age Superboy and as a super-baby.

The robots address Superman as "master" and Superman addresses them, when he addresses them verbally, either by a number, such as "Robot One," or by a letter of the alphabet, such as "Robot Y."

The chronicles contain little real information concerning the workings of Superman's robots beyond that they run on sophisticated batteries, that they contain complex circuits and energy cells, and that each is controlled by an electronic control center located somewhere in its body.

Superman can activate and control his robots wither with verbal commands or by means of his X-ray vision. Even from a long distance away, Superman can summon his robots into action either with his X-ray vision or with a ventriloquistic signal. In the event of an emergency, Superman's robots can also be activated by the Superman Emergency Squad, but they will not respond to anyone's voice but Superman's.

Even if a villain could somehow succeed in commandeering one of Superman's robots, there are indications that the robots, having been created only to do good deeds, would refuse to perform evil ones. In addition, Superman has installed a special self-destruct mechanism in each of his robots - designed to destroy completely any robot that becomes disabled while performing a mission - to prevent unscrupulous individuals from cannibalizing the parts of disabled robots and using the sophisticated circuitry for evil ends.

Even though Superman's robots possess all of Superman's super-powers, they are not as powerful or as indestructable as Superman himself. Even Superman's best robots have been crushed by undersea water pressure, demolished by the flame-breath of a Kryptonian flame dragon, destroyed by a powerful electromagnet, repelled by a powerful anti-magnetic device, blacked out by sophisticated electronic machinery, shattered by Lex Luthor's vibro-gun, short circuited from sudden sunspot activity, or had their motors destroyed by a super-powered villain's X-ray vision.

Although Superman's own costume is indestructible, the ones worn by his Superman robots are not.

Because Superman's robots are not vulnerable to kryptonite, they are extremely useful in certain emergencies in which Superman's life would otherwise be in jeopardy. Superman has programmed his Superman robots to feign vulnerability to kryptonite in public, however, to prevent outsiders from distinguishing the real Superman from his robot surrogates. This programming strategy enables Superman to use his robots to help protect his secret identity by standing in for him as Superman, while preventing anyone from realizing that they are dealing only with a Superman robot. It is common knowledge, however, that Superman has and uses Superman robots. All newly constructed Superman robots are forced to undergo a period of arduous training before they are permitted to work alongside Superman's other robots on an equal footing.

Over the years, a number of present and former Superman robots have played important roles in the chronicles, including Superman Robot Z (Action Comics #274, May 1961), Wonder Man (Superman #163, August 1963), and Adam Newman (Superman #174, January 1965).

(''see'' also the list of [[:Category:Superman Robots|Superman Robots]])

==Miscellaneous Equipment==
''in progress''
=The Man Himself (as Clark Kent)=
The chief protagonist of the Superman chronicles is in one sense really two men. He is, of course, Superman, the world's mightiest hero, but he is also Clark Kent, mild-mannered journalist, for more than 60 years the star reporter of the [[Daily Planet]], more recently a full-time newscaster for [[Metropolis]] television station [[WGBS]]-TV (S No.233, Jan 1971: "Superman Breaks Loose!"; and many others).

'''Appearance'''
Clark Kent has black hair and blue eyes. He is 6'2" tall, with chest measurements of 44" and a waist measurement of 34" (Act No.297, Feb 1963: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!"; S. No.178/1, July 1965: "Project Earth-Doom!"). According to one text, his blood conforms to '''ALL FOUR''' types!" (S. No.6/4, Sep/Oct 1940).

Since Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same man, it is not surprising that some have noticed a strong resemblance between them. In February 1963 [[Perry White]] observes that Clark Kent "strongly resembles Superman" (Act No.297: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!"), and in November 1963 [[General Pedro Valdez]] informs Kent that "Without glasses and dressed like Superman, you could pass anywhere as his double!" (Act No.306: "The Great Superman Impersonation!").

"Hmm ... there is a resemblance!" notes [[Lois Lane]] in December 1965. "That's why I've often suspected Clark might be Superman!" (Ac No.331: "Clark Kent's Masquerade as Superman!"). Despite this perceived resemblance, however, Clark Kent has succeeded in keeping his dual identity one of the world's most closely guarded secrets (see [[Secret Identity]]).

'''Name'''
The identity of Clark Kent was conferred upon the infant Superman by [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]], who adopted the orphan from the doomed planet [[Krypton]] soon after the rocket that had brought him safely to Earth had landed in an open field (Act No.141, Feb 1950: "Luthor's Secret Weapon") on the outskirts of [[Smallville]] (WF No.57, Mar/Apr 1952: "The Artificial Superman!"; and others). The proud foster parents named their new son Clark, which was Martha Kent's maiden name (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"; and others).

'''Childhood/Education'''
Clark Kent's early childhood years were spent on his foster parents' farm outside of Smallville (S No.152/2, Apr 1962: "Superbaby Captures the Pumpkin Gang!; and others). By the time Clark was old enough to attend elementary school, the Kents had sold their farm and moved to Smallville, where Jonathan Kent opened up a general store (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"); and others).

According to Superman 46/3, Clark Kent attended high school at Metropolis High, where he was nicknamed "Specs" and became known as his class's "quietest boy" (May/Jun 1947: "That Old Class of Superboy's!"). However, numerous other texts assert, far more plausibly, that Clark Kent grew up in Smallville, attending [[Smallville High School]] (WF No.69, Ma/Apr 1954: "Jor-El's Last Will!"; and many others) and working afternoons after school in his foster father's general store (S No.116/2, Sep 1957: "Disaster Strikes Twice"). His high school principal thought of him as "the shyest boy in our graduating class" (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days"), but his senior yearbook described him this way: "highest grades --boy most likely to become famous --" (S No.144/2, Apr 1961: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!").

Following his graduation from Smallville High School, Clark Kent attended college at [[Metropolis University]] (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days"; and others). He lived in a dormitory, joined a fraternity (S No.129/3, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!"), and yelled his heart out as a cheerleader for the college football eam (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days").

He had already decided upon a career in journalism (Act No.144, May 1950: "Clark Kenbt's Career!"). Nevertheless, he studied advanced science under [[Professor Thadeus V. Maxwell]] (S No 125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days") and took courses in biology, astronomy, art, music, and other subjects. In his senior year he had a bittersweet romance with [[Lori Lemaris]] (S No.129/3, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!").

'''Employment'''
Following his college graduation, Clark Kent returned to Smallville, but not long afterward, both his foster parents passed away. It was a bereaved Clark Kent who departed Smallville to embark o his chosen career as a newspaper reporter in Metropolis (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

Kent actually began his career as a reporter for the [[Daily Star]], the forerunner in the chronicles of the ''Daily Planet''. By thwarting a lynching at the county jail as Superman, and then phoning in an exclusive account of the events as would-be reporter Clark Kent, Kent pursuaded the paper's editor to hire him despite his lack of experience (S No.1/1, Sum 1939). Since the appearance of this early account, however, two other, widley disparate, texts have appeared purporting to tell the true story of how Clark Kent came to acquire his job as a newspaper reporter (Act No.144, May 1950: "Clark Kent's Career!"; S No.133/2, Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!"). Both these accounts may safely be regarded as spurious. (See [[Daily Planet]].)

Working as a reporter for a major newspaper enables Clark Kent to "investigate criminals without their suspecting [he's] really '''Superman'''" (S No.133/2, Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!") and provides him with "the best opportunity for being free to help people as Superman" without having to explain his frequent absences from his place of employment (Act 144, May 1950: "Clark Kent's Career!"); and others. "As a reporter," notes Kent in December 1949, "I have a hundred underworld and police contacts that make it easier for Superman to fight crime!" (Act No.139: "Clark Kent ... Daredevil!").

Over and above its usefulness to him in his career as Superman, it is clear that Clark Kent values his career in journalism purely for its own sake. "Just remember," exclaims Kent to newsboy [[Tommy Blake]] in Summer 1945, "a good reporter gets the news ... and gets it first! But there's more to being a reporter than that!

He lives by the deadline! The thunder of
the presses is the pounding of his heart!
And most important --all his personal
feelings remain in the background! It's his
story that counts! Always remember that!"
(WF No.18: "The Junior Reporters!").

According to Superman 25/2, Clark Kent tried to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War II, only to be rejected on the grounds of faulty eyesight when, in the midst of his preinduction eye exam, he absent-mindedly peered through the wall of the examining room wth his X-ray vision and, instead of reading aloud the letters of his own eye chart, recited those on a different eye chart posted on a wall in the adjoining room. Kent might have renewed his efforts to join the Armed Forces had he not soon realized that, as Superman, he "could be of more value on the home front operating as a free agent!" (Nov/Dec 1943: "I Sustain the Wings!").

And so, for more than six continuous decades, Clark Kent has been the ''Daily Planet's'' "star reporter" (Act No.25, Jun 1940; and others). Renowned for his ability to root out local news (S No.44/3, Jan/Feb 1947: "Shakespeare's Ghost Writer!"; and others), particularly stories dealing with crime and corruption (S No.83/3, Jul/Aug 1953: "Clark Kent---Convict!"; and others), he has performed in numerous other capacities for the ''Daily Planet'', including that of war correspondent (Act No.23, Apr 1940), lovelorn editor (S No.18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane"; and others), editor of the ''Daily Planet's'' Bombay edition (Act No.203, Apr 1955: "The International Daily Planet!"), and editor of the entire newspaper in the absence of Perry White (Act No.297, Feb 1963: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!").

'''Personality'''
In addition to wearing ordinary street clothes and slightly altering his facial appearance with eye-glasses to conceal the fact that he is secretly Superman, Clark Kent exhibits qualities of personality far removed from the ones he displays a a super-hero. The chronicles repeatedly describe Clark Kent as "meek" (S No.7/1, Nov/Dec 1940; and many others), "timid" (WB No.1 Spr 1941; and many others), "mild-mannered" (Act No.169, Jun 1952: "Caveman Clark Kent!"; and many others), "sickly" (S No.106/2, Jil 1956: "The Thefts of Clark Kent!"), "weak" (S No.155/1, Aug 1962: pts.I-II 00"Superman Under the Green Sun!"; "The Blind Superman!"; and others), "cowardly" (Act No.322, Mar 1965: "The Coward of Steel!"; and others), "submissive" (Act No.155/1), and even "spineless" (Act No.1, Jun 1938; and others).

Clark Kent is afraid of dogs (S No.31/2, Nov/Dec 1944: "A Dog's Tale!"), afraid of heights (S No.136/3. Apr 1060: "The Super-Clown of Metropolis!"; and others), willing to let almost anyone push him around (Act No.1, Jun 1938; and many others).

Kent tends to rationalize his meek behavior --which is a caricature of a timid person's behavior rather than a skilled imitation of it-- as "the perfect camouflage for my real identity as Superman" (Act No.166, Mar 1952: "The Three Scoops of Deah!"), but there is a deeper significance behind the choice of traits with which Superman has equipped his alter ego, for this selection reveals a great deal about the personality and inner life of Superman [see The Man Himself (as Superman)].

'''Residence'''
Clark Kent lives in apartment 3-B at 344 Clinton Street (S No.112/1, Mar 1957: "Superman's Neighbors"), a high-rise apartment building (WF No.92, Jan/Feb 1948: "The Boy from Outer Space!"; and others) in the midtown area (S No.8/2, Jan/Feb 1941) of Metroplois (S No.15/2, Mar/Apr 1942; and many others), "across town" from the Daily Planet Building (S no.181/1, Nov 1965) and not far away from the apartment building where Lois Lane lives (S No.40/1, May/Jun 1946: "The Mxyztplk-Susie Alliance!"). World's Finest Comics No.35 portrays Clark as residing in a house at 906 Warmon as opposed to an apartment, but this information is almost certainly erroneous (Jul/Aug 1948: "Daddy Superman!").

One room of Kent's apartment houses his extensive collection of antique clocks (Act No.73, Jun 1944: "The Hobby Robbers"). A "fake wall" in the apartment, which slides open at the touch of a secret button (S No.174/1, Jan 1965:pts.I-II --"Clark Kent's Incredible Delusion!"; "The End of a Hero!") mounted on the apartment wall (S No. 126/1, Jan 1959: "Superman's Hunt for Clark Kent!"), conceals a "secret closet" (Act Mo.282, Nov 1961: "Superman's Toughes Day!"; and others) --or "secret trophy closet" (S No.126/1, Jan 1959: "Superman's Hunt for Clark Kent!") --housing a number of Superman's sophisticated robots (Act No.247, Dec 1958: "Superman's Lost Parents!"; and many others) several numbered boxes of Superman trophies and samples of [[Kryptonite]], and various other "Superman mementoes". When he is not wearing hsi Siperman costume, Clark Kent sometimes hangs it in this secret closet.

'''Memberships'''
Clark Kent has been a member of the [[Anti-Superman Club]], the [[Atlas Club]], and the [[Round Table Club]]. He was honored as the Meek Man's Hero of the Week by the [[Metropolis Meek Man's Club]] in November 1955.

'''Friends & Family'''
Clark Kent's closest friends are [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]], and Perry White. His living Kent-family relatives include his cousin "Digger" Kent, a gold-prospector; his cousin Louis Pasteur Kent, a country doctor; his cousin Titus Kent, a wheelchair-bound recluse who lost his fortune during the great Depression; his first cousin Carol Kent, an actress; and his aunt [[Minerva Kent]], his father's younger sister (Act No.160, Sep 1951: "Clark Kent's Aunt Minerva!"). (See also [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]]).

Because Clark Kent is widely know as Superman's "best friend," people often contact Kent, usually at the [[Daily Planet]], as the most reliable means of getting in touch with Superman (S No.57/3, Mar/Apr 1949: "The Son of Suprman!"; and others).

'''Anchorman'''
In January 1971, the Galaxy Broadcasting System, which owns the Daily Planet, removes Clark Kent from the Planet staff and installs him as a full-time newscaster on another Galaxy property, Metropolis televison station [[WGBS]]-TV, a post Clark Kent continues to occupy for some time (S No.233: "Superman Breaks Loose!"; and many others).

[[Category: Entries]]

=The Man Himself (as Superman)=
''in progress''
=The Women of the Chronicles=
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lois Lane==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lana Lang==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lori Lemaris==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lyla Lerrol==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Sally Selwyn==
''in progress''
=The Relationship with the Law-Enforcement Establishment=
''in progress''
=The Texts=
''in progress''
==Locales==
''in progress''
==Developments==
''in progress''
===''The Early Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Wartime Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Postwar Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Later Adventures''===
''in progress''

Superman

2005-04-05T11:54:00Z

Bill 9000:

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
=Overview=
[[Image:Supermaniconic.jpg|left]][[Image:Super pastel Shuster.jpg|right|thumb|Superman pastel by co-creator Joe Shuster.]][[Image:Action comics 1.jpg|right|thumb|Action Comics No. 1. Art by Joe Shuster.]]

'''Superman'''. A world-famous crime-fighter and adventurer who has, for almost seven decades, battled the forces of crime and injustice with the aid of an awesome array of superhuman powers, including X-ray vision, the power of flight, and strength far beyond that of any ordinary mortal. Born on the planet [[Krypton]], the son of the scientist [[Jor-El]] and his wife [[Lara]], he was launched into outer space in an experimental rocket ship to enable him to escape the cataclysm that destroyed his native planet, and, arriving on Earth, was taken into the home of [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]], who named him Clark Kent and raised him to manhood as their adopted son. Endowed with mighty super-powers in the alien environment of Earth, this orphan from Krypton--named Kal-El by his parents--has, since mid-1938, battled the forces of evil as Superman, while concealing his true, extraterrestrial identity beneath the alternate identity of Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Metropolis [[Daily Planet]], more recently a full-time newscaster for [[Metropolis]] television station [[WGBS-TV]].

Superman is "Earth's mightiest hero" (S No. 128/1, Apr '59: chs. 1-2-"Superman versus the Futuremen"; "The Secret of the Futuremen"), a "colorfully-costumed, mighty-sinewed man of might" engaged in "an unrelenting battle against the forces of evil" (S No. 21/4, Mar/Apr 1943: "The Ghost of Superman!"). He is "the world's number one champion of justice and fair play" (S No. 130/3, Jul 1959: "The Town That Hated Superman!") and "mankind's foremost crusader for good" (S No. 181/2, Nov 1965: "The Superman of 2965!"), "a fighting champion of justice who is famous the world over" (Act No.45, Feb 1942). Described as "the world's most dynamic man" (WF No.8, Win 1942: "Talent, Unlimited!") and the "world's mightiest mortal" (WF No.116, Mar 1961: "The Creature from Beyond!"; and others), he is "mankind's greatest friend" (Act No.310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!"), a "mighty foe of all evil" (Act No.91, Dec 1945: "The Ghost Drum!"), a super-powered "savior of the helpless and oppressed" (Act No.18, Nov 1939).

Superman No. 1/1 calls Superman "the greatest exponent of justice the world has ever known" (Sum 1939), and other texts describe him as "the law's most powerful defender" (Act No.177, Feb 1953: "The Anti-Superman Weapon"), as "the greatest of all heroes" (Act No.210, Nov 1955: "Superman in Superman Land"), and as a "defender of democracy" (S No. 13/1, Nov/Dec 1941) who has chosen to "dedicate [his] powers to the good of '''all humanity'''!" (S No. 121/1, May 1958: "The Bride of Futureman!"). "There is one man that people throughout the world honor and respect," notes Superman No. 128/1,, "--and that man is '''Superman'''!" (Apr 1959: chs.1-2-"Superman versus the Futuremen"; "The Secret of the Futuremen").

Superman is "an incredibly muscular figure" (WF
No.6, Sum 1942: "Man of Steel versus Man of Metal!"), "indestructible and cosmic in his gigantic strength" (Act No.131, Apr 1949: "The Scrambled Superman!"), a tireless "sentinel for the world" (Act No.282, Nov 1961: "Superman's Toughest Day!") whose "incredible super-powers. ..have made him a living legend...!" (S No. 160/1, Apr 1963: pts. I-II-"The Mortal Superman!"; "The Cage of Doom!"). He is also the "most famous man in America" (Act No.143, Apr 1950: "The Bride of Superman!"), "patriot number one" (S No. 12/3, Sep/Oct 1941), the indefatigable "foe of all interests and activities subversive to this country's best interests" (S No. 10/4, May/Jun 1941). Everywhere, "in big cities...small towns...rural villages...the name of '''Superman''' is honored and loved!" (S No. 130/3, Jul 1959: "The Town That Hated Superman!").

Indeed, "throughout the universe, '''Superman''' is hailed as a mighty champion of justice" (Act No.319, Dec 1964: "The Condemned Superman!"), as a "champion of the weak and helpless" (Act No.4, Sep 1938) whose life is a "constant battle against evil. .." (Act No.280, Sep 1961: "Brainiac's Super-Revenge!"). "Not only on Earth is '''Superman''' the greatest and most acclaimed of heroes," proclaims Superman No.168, "but on many other worlds across the universe as well!" (Apr 1964: pts. I-II-"Luthor--Super-Hero!"; "Lex Luthor, Daily Planet Editor!").

"Everyone knows that '''Superman''' is the greatest hero of all time!" states Superman No.165/1. "A man who can move mountains, even '''planets'''...a man who has defeated the worst villains in history!" (Nov 1963: pts. I-II-"Beauty and the Super-Beast!"; "Circe's Super-Slave").

"Today ," notes Superman No. 144/2, "'''Superman''' is the most famous crusader in the world, idolized everywhere for unselfishly using his incredible super-powers in behalf of justice" (Apr 1961: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!").

In addition, the texts contain these descriptions:

Action Comics No.6, November 1938:

Dedicated to assisting the helpless and oppressed, is a
mystery-man named '''SUPERMAN'''. Possessing super-strength,
he can jump over a ten-story building, leap an eighth of a
mile, run faster than an express train, lift tremendous
weights, and crush steel in his bare hands!-- His amazing
feats of strength become more apparent day after day!

Action Comics No.7, December 1938; and others:

Friend of the helpless and oppressed is '''SUPERMAN''',
a man possessing the strength of a dozen Samsons! Lifting
and rending gigantic weights, vaulting over skyscrapers,
racing a bullet, possessing a skin impenetrable to even
steel, are his physical assets used in his one-man battle
against evil and injustice!

Action Comics No.8, January 1939:

Leaping over towering buildings, rending steel in his bare
hands, lifting incredible weights high overhead, impervious
to bullets because of an unbelievably tough skin, racing at
a speed hitherto unwitnessed by mortal eyes...these are the
miraculous feats of strength which assist '''SUPERMAN''' in
his one-man battle against the forces of evil and oppression!

Action Comics No.27 , August 1940:

Heartless criminals exploit the helpless and unfortunate!
Clark Kent and his dual self, dynamic '''SUPERMAN''', battle
side by side with pretty Lois Lane, courageous girl reporter,
to stamp out the evil geniuses of crime and corruption!

Superman No.10/4, May-June 1941:

Foe of all interests and activities subversive to this
country's best interests, '''SUPERMAN''' loses no time
in going into action when he encounters a menace to
American democracy. Super-strength clashes with evil
super-cunning in another thrilling, dramatic adventure
of today's foremost hero, the daring, dynamic ''MAN OF
TOMORROW--'''''SUPERMAN'''!!

Superman No.16/4, May-June 1942: "Racket on Delivery":

No sterner or more courageous battler in behalf of justice
is there than '''Superman''', amazingly strong champion of
the helpless and oppressed!

Superman No.25/1, November-December 1943: "The Man Superman Refused to Help!":

'''Superman''', amazing nemesis of evildoers, champion of
the helpless and oppressed, comes to the aid of all worthy
individuals in need of assistance.

Superman No.64/1, May-June 1950: "Professor Lois Lane!":

Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to hurdle the highest
mountain! More powerful than an atomic cyclotron! That's
'''Superman''', eternal foe of the underworld, champion of
the underdog!

Action Comics No.204, May 1955: "The Man Who Could Make Superman Do Anything!":

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive
Able to leap the highest mountain! That's '''Superman'''; the
world's mightiest mortal.

Superman No.96/1, March 1955: "The Girl Who Didn't Believe in Superman!":

From the jungle-wilds of Africa, to the skyscrapers of New York,
the name of '''Superman''' has spread its fame! His Herculean
strength, his super-battles against evil, are familiar to all....

Superman No.120/3, March 1958: "The Human Missile":

Stronger than the very gravity that holds Earth in place...faster
than the swiftest jet...more invulnerable than a mile-thick slab of
steel, the incredible '''Superman''' can scoff at all weapons aimed
at him!

Superman No.152/2, April 1962: "Superbaby Captures the Pumpkin Gang!":

Today the whole world rings with '''Superman''''s fame! In the far
corners of the Earth men tell of how the '''Man of Steel''' uses his
fantastic super-powers to help the forces of law and order against
evildoers!

Friend and foe alike have paid tribute to Superman's heroism, and the texts have hailed him as "a giant among men" (S No.70/2, May/Jun 1951: "The Life of Superman!") and as the "mightiest of mortals" (S No, 84/2, Sep/Oct 1953: "A Doghouse for Superman!"). An unidentified U.S. Navy admiral once described Superman as "the greatest hero of all time" (Act No.284, Jan 1962: "The Babe of Steel!"), and the master of ceremonies on a television special glowingly introduced him as "our greatest American hero" (Act No.309, Feb 1964: "The Superman Super-Spectacular!").

"How fortunate we are here in America to have someone of Superman's calibre to aid us!" remarked Secretary of the Navy Hank Fox in March-April 1942. "In my opinion, he's worth several armies and navies!" (S No. 15/2).

[[Jimmy Olsen]] has called Superman "the champion of justice and the enemy of evil all over the world" (S No. 176/2, Apr 1965: "Tales of Green Kryptonite No. 2"), and [[Lois Lane]] has described him as "the smartest, handsomest, strongest man in the universe" (S No. 176/3, Apr 1965: "Superman's Day of Truth!") and as an "--American crusader, crime's greatest foe, enemy of all injustice, the most powerful force for good the world has ever seen...!" (S No.17/1, Jul/Aug 1942: "Man or Superman?").

In May 1962, an unidentified escapee from the [[Phantom Zone]] refers to Superman as "Earth's greatest defender" (S No. 153/3: "The Town of Supermen!"), and in August 1964 the extraterrestrial gambler Rokk (''see'' [[Rokk and Sorban]]) calls Superman the "guardian of Earth" (S No. 171/1: "Super- man's Sacrifice!").

"Though he wasn't born on this world," notes scientist [[Mel Evans]] at the annual Superman's Earthday celebration in [[Smallville]] in April 1960, "he has become Earth's greatest and most generous citizen!" (S No. 136/2: "The Secret of Kryptonite!").

Indeed, preliminary indications are that Superman's fame will be even greater in the future than it is today. A scientist of the thirtieth century A.D. has called Superman "the greatest hero in history" (WF No.91, Nov/Dec 1957: "The Three Super-Sleepers!"), and a man of the fiftieth century A.D. has echoed the sentiment, describing Superman as "the greatest hero in Earth's history" (S No. 122/1, Jul 1958: "The Secret of the Space Souvenirs").

In the texts, Superman is frequently referred to as the Man of Steel and the Man of Tomorrow. He is also referred to as the Action Ace, the Champion of Democracy, and the King of Speed.

In addition, the texts describe Superman as a "champion of justice" (S No. 9/1, Mar/ Apr 1941), an "amazing champion of the helpless and oppressed" (S No. 13/4, Nov/Dec 1941), "the world's foremost crime crusader" (S No.18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane"), "the world's foremost justice-dispenser" (S No. 25/1, Nov/Dec 1943: "The Man Superman Refused to Help!"), "Earth's mightiest warrior" (S No. 38/1, Jan/Feb 1946: "The Battle of the Atoms!"), "the world's mightiest citizen" (S No. 40/2, May/Jun 1946: " A Modern Marco Polo!"), the "world's
mightiest being" (S No. 65/3, Jul/ Aug 1950: "Three Supermen from Krypton!"), "the world's most famous citizen" (Act No.150, Nov 1950: "The Secret of the 6 Superman Statues!"), "the most amazing human of our century" (Act No.171, Aug 1952: "The Secrets of Superman!"), "the world's mightiest defender of justice" (Act No.178, Mar 1953: "The Sandman of Crime!"), "the mightiest man alive" (Act No.181, Jan 1953: "The New Superman"), "the world's mightiest man" (Act No.182, Jul 1953: "The Return of Planet Krypton!"; and others), "Earth's mightiest champion of justice" (Act No.225, Feb 1957: "The Death of Superman"), the "mightiest human being in all the world" (Act No.235, Dec 1957: "The Super-Prisoner of Amazon Island"), "Earth's mighty champion" (Act No.242, Jul 1958: "The Super-Duel in Space"), "the mightiest man on Earth" (Act No.247, Dec 1958: "Superman's Lost Parents!"; and others), "the Earth's most powerful man" (Act No.269, Oct 1960: "The Truth Mirror!"), a "famed battler against crime and injustice" (Act No.287 , Apr 1962: "Perry White's Manhunt for Superman!"), "Earth's protector" and "the heroic champion of Earth " (Act No. 327, Aug 1965: "The Three Generations of Superman!"), "the world's greatest hero" (Act No.328, Sep 1965: "Superman's Hands of Doom!"), "a defender of the weak and oppressed" and "the mightiest of all men" (S No. 164/1, Oct 1963: pts. I-II-"The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!"; "The Super-Duel!"), the "greatest lawman of them all" (S No.178/2, Jul 1965: "When Superman Lost His Memory!"), and as "a defender of the helpless, [and] a champion of the underdog" (S No.14611, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

=Origin=
"Out of the infinite reaches of interstellar space came Superman, son of the doomed planet Krypton, to fight the forces of evil upon Earht...!" (Act No. 63, Aug '43: "When Stars Collide!").
==The Original Account==
"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 the child's structure was millions of years advanced of 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 waits...run faster than a express train... and that nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin!
"Early, Clark 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!" (Act No. 1, Jun '38).
==Addenda and Revisions==
Since the appearance of this original account forty years ago, the story of Superman's origin has been greatly revised and expanded to accomodate a wealth of new detail. Later texts, for example, gave the name of Superman's native planet as Krypton and described its people and civilization in great detail. Superman's parents, Jor-El and Lara, were introduced, and the events leading up to the cataclysm that destroyed Krypton were extensively chronicled. The "passing motorist" who found the infant Superman became a couple, Johnathon and Martha Kent, who adopted the orphan from space and named him Clark Kent. Conflicting accounts were offered of the infant's brief stay in the orphanage, including how long he remained there and whether his super-powers were actually revealed there. Later texts asserted that Superman embarked on his super-heroic career while still a youngster in Smallville rather than waiting until "maturity was reached." And, finally, the range and extent of his superhuman powers were continually expanded and the explanation of how he aquired them was periodically revised (see section 5, the super-powers). For complete accounts and analyses of all the supplementary data concerning Superman's origin, consult the various entries cross-referenced above.

=The Secret Identity=
''in progress''
=The Costume=
''"Once he is out of view, the timid reporter switches to a colorful costume known with fear, admiration, and respect in every corner of the Globe!"''

'''The Evolution'''

Throughout the course of his sixty year career, Superman's chroniclers have portrayed him in a wide variety of artistic styles - but the basic details of his costume have remained substantially unchanged. Superman wears a blue costume complemented by red trunks, red boots, and a long, flowing red cape. A yellow belt encircles his waist, and there is a highly stylized Superman insignia - consisting of a large red letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield, which is bordered in red - emblazoned on his chest. The back of Superman's cape bears a similar insignia, except that this one consists of a yellow letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield bordered in yellow.

What minor changes there have been in Superman's costume over the years have generally been in terms of coloring. His boots, for example, which are blue in a number of very early adventures (Action Comics #4 & #5) and yellow in at least one other (Action Comics #7), have been consistently colored red since the end of the 1930s.

The stylized "S" insignia on Superman's chest, small and sleek in Superman's earliest adventures, soon becomes larger, more highly stylized, and more distinct. In a number of early adventures, the shield is portrayed (in various colors) with a yellow border, but the red border has become standard by the beginning of the 1940s.

Inconsistencies persist for nearly twenty years, however, regarding the coloring of the insignia on Superman's cape. Missing entirely from Superman's costume in a number of texts, it is sometimes portrayed as a blue "S" on a yellow shield, sometimes as a yellow "S" on a blue shield, sometimes as a yellow "S" on a red shield, sometimes as a red "S" on a yellow shield, and sometimes as a yellow "S" on a yellow shield.

Not until the late 1950s does a yellow letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield become the standardized form of the insignia emblazoned on the back of Superman's cape.

'''Secret Origin'''

The origin of Superman's costume has been treated inconsistently in the chronicles, although there is virtually unanimous agreement among the texts that the costume is as indestructible as the Man of Steel himself. In Summer 1940, Superman describes his costume as "constructed of a cloth I invented myself which is immune to the most powerful forces!"

By the early 1950s, however, the texts have begun to describe Superman's costume as having been fashioned by Martha Kent out of the colored blankets she and her husband found wrapped around the infant Superman when he arrived on Earth in a rocket from the doomed planet Krypton.

At this point in the chronicles, numerous texts describe Superman's costume as having been fashioned from an inherently indestructible material from Krypton. Superman #112 offers this observation:

''Indestructible as time itself, Superman's costume, woven of a strange cloth from his native planet, Krypton, has aided him in unique ways, many times in the past!''

More recent texts, however, have greatly modified this position. Although Superman's costume is still described as having been fashioned from a fiber of Krypton, this cloth is now said to have acquired its indestructibility just as Superman acquired his super-powers - as the result of having been transported from the planet Krypton to the vastly different environment of Earth.

According to Superman #146, Martha Kent was moved to fashion a super-playsuit for the infant Superman because the child was constantly destroying his store-bought clothes by engaging in various forms of super-powered play. Fortunately, the Kents had had the foresight to save the three blankets - one red, one blue, and one yellow - in which the infant Superman had been swathed when he arrived on Earth in his rocket. Because the blanket material was indestructible and therefore could not be cut by any scissors, the Kents unraveled some loose ends and then coaxed their super-powered infant into using the heat of his X-ray vision to cut the unraveled thread so that Martha Kent could use it to sew the Kryptonian blankets into a super-playsuit. Years later, Martha Kent unraveled the playsuit and rewove the thread into Superman's now-famous costume. According to one of the stories in Superman Annual #8 (1963), the young Superman used "strips of rubber padding" salvaged from the wreckage of his rocket to fashion a pair of bright red boots, while a yellow strap, also salvaged from the rocket, became his belt.

'''Indestructible'''

Superman's costume is, by all accounts, absolutely indestructible. Fire cannot burn it, the strongest shears cannot cut it, and neither bullets nor lightning can make a mark on it. Not even the force of six atomic bombs exploding inside it can do harm. (Superman #78, 1952)

So long as it remains on Earth, or in some other environment where Superman would ordinarily have super-powers, Superman's costume retains its indestructibility. This remains true even if, for some reason, Superman has temporarily lost his powers. Similarly, the costume retains its indestructibility even if someone other than Superman wears it, rendering the wearer invulnerable to bullets and other weapons so long as the weapons strike the costume and not the wearer.

According to the most recent explanation of Superman's powers, Superman derives his super-powers, in part, from the peculiar radiations of Earth's yellow sun. On planets revolving around a red sun, however, such as the planet Lexor, or the planet Krypton before it exploded, Superman has no super-powers. Similarly, on red-sun planets, Superman's costume loses its indestructibility and can be torn and damaged like any ordinary garment on Earth. If Superman's costume is ripped or damaged during a visit to a red-sun world - or during a visit to the bottle city of Kandor, where red-sun conditions prevail - Superman must take care to repair the damage before returning to Earth, where the costume will once again become indestructible and therefore impossible to cut and sew.

=The Fortress of Solitude=
''in progress''
=The Super-Powers=
"The super-powers of the '''Man of Steel''' are legendary! The whole world marvels at his invulnerability, super-spped, super-strength, and other super-skills" (Act No. 251, Apr '59: "The Oldest Man in Metropolis!").
==Derivation of the Super-Powers==
Superman's super-powers are by and large, extraordinary magnifications of ordinary human abilities. Just as an ordinary man can hurl a baseball, Superman can hurl an entire Planet. Just as an ordinary man can see across the room, Superman can see across the universe.

Compared with the powers he possesses today, however, the powers employed by Superman in the early texts are modest indeed. Action Comics # 1 (1938), the first comic book in which Superman appeared, claimed only that its hero could "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!" (Jun 1938).

As the years passed, however, the chroniclers endowed the Man of Steel with ever more spectacular powers to enable him to meet ever more exacting challenges. Today Superman can withstand the heat at the core of the sun, soar through the air at a speed thousands of times the speed of light, and extinguish a star with a puff of his breath as though it were merely a candle on a birthday cake.

Along with a steady expansion of Superman's powers has come a series of changing explanations of how he came to acquire those powers. Action Comics # 1, for example, contains this "scientific explanation of his amazing strength":

Kent had come from a Planet whose inhabitants' physical
structure was millions of years advanced of our own.
Upon reaching maturity, the people of his race became
gifted with titanic strength!
--Incredible? No! For even today on our world exist creatures
with '''super-strength!'''
The lowly ant can support weights hundreds of times its own.
The grasshopper leaps what to a man would be the space of several
city blocks. {Jun 1938}

For approximately the first decade of Superman's career, the texts advanced the thesis that Superman's powers were merely those possessed by all the inhabitants of his native Planet. These texts described the men and women of Krypton as a "super-race" (S No. 73/2, Nov/Dec '51: "The Mighty Mite!") who were gifted with X-ray vision and other powers and who were thousands of eons ahead of earthlings, both mentally and physically. (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug '48: "The Origin of Superman!").

According to Superman No. 33/1, "...'''Superman'''-- a native of the ill-fated planet of Krypton---is of a different structure than than the natives of Earth! Neither his mind nor his body are susceptible to the influences that can overcome other human beings!" (Mar/Apr '45: "Dimensions of Danger!").

"Where we come from," gloats the Kryptonian villian U-Ban in July-August, "'''everyone''' has see-through vision, extra-strength and extra-speed!" (S No. 65/3: "Three Supermen from Krypton!").

By the late 1940s, however, the texts had begun to describe the people of Krypton as more or less ordinary human beings and to attribute Superman's powers to the vast differences between the gravitational pull and atmospheric conditions of Krypton and those of the Planet Earth. In the words of Superman #58,

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!'''
[May/June '49: "The Case of the Second Superman"].

Subsequent texts continued to cite the importance of the gravitational difference between Earth and Krypton while laying increasingly greater stress on the significance of Krypton's unique atmosphere in accounting for the awesome powers a Kryptonian acquired once he was free of his native Planet. "Obviously, Krypton is such an unusual Planet," Superman's father, Jor-El, once noted, "that when a native Kryptonian is elsewhere, free of Krypton's unique atmosphere and tremendous gravitational pull, he becomes a '''superman!'''" (Superman #113, May '57: chs. 1-3-"The Superman of the Past"; "The Secret of the Towers"; "The Superman of the Present").

Since, according to this theory, Superman owes the existence of his super-powers to the fact that he is no longer on the Planet Krypton, it follows that Superman has no super-powers wherever atmospheric and gravitational conditions prevail that are identical to those of his native planet.

Indeed during a visit to a man-made duplicate of the planet Krypton, in July 1953, Superman finds that he can no longer fly, "since [the planet's] tremendous gravitational power neautralizes [his] strength!"

"And because of the greater atmospheric density on this world," notes Superman, "I can't (ugh) use my X-ray vision here either!" And moments later he adds, "I--I could stay under water almost indefinitely on Earth---but not on [the duplicate] Krypton! Because of the greater exertion, I need more oxygen!" (Act No. 182: "The Return of Planet Krypton!").

An identical loss of super-powers befalls Superman whenever he journeys through the time barrier to Krypton at a time prior to the its destruction or pays a visit to the bottle city of Kandor. "...[W]here '''Krypton''''s non-earthly gravity conditions are in force," muses Superman during a visit to Kandor in October 1958, "I have no super-powers!I-I'm just an '''ordinary man!'''" (Act No. 245: "The Shrinking Superman!").

According to a revised theory of Superman's powers, first advanced in 1960, the Man of Steel derives his super-powers partly from [the] lesser gravity of Earth and partly from the unique "'''ultra solar rays''' that penetrate Earth day and night."

"These rays," explains Superman to Supergirl in March 1960, "can only affect people who were born in other solar systems than Earth's! And only yellow starts like Earth's sun emit those super-energy rays! On Planets of non-yellow suns, we would not be super-powered, even under the low gravity!" (Supergirl story in Act No. 262: "Supergirl's Greatest Victory!").

This theory is restated in Superman No.141. â€œWhat gave me super-powers on Earth,â€ explains Superman, â€œwas Earthâ€™s lesser gravity and the fact that, unlike '''Kryptonâ€™s red''' sun, Earthâ€™s solar system has a '''yellow''' sun....Only yellow stars radiate super-energy rays which give super-powers to people born in other solar systems!â€ (Nov â€™60: pts. I-III-â€œSuperman Meets Jor-El and Lara again!â€; â€œSupermanâ€™s Kryptonian Romance!â€; â€œThe Surprise of Fate!â€).

Superman No. 146/1 refines this theory still further, attributing Supermanâ€™s â€œmuscular powersâ€ - super-strength, super-breath, super-speed, and the power of flight â€“ to Earthâ€™s light gravity, and his â€œsuper-senses and mental powersâ€ - X-ray vision and other optical powers, super-hearing, and various intellectual powers â€“ to the ultra solar rays of Earth's yellow sun. In a flashback sequence, Superman explains that, as the result of his having been born

on a giant world with heavy gravity, my muscles automatically
became super-strong in Earthâ€™s light gravity! Iâ€™m like the ant,
which, if it were man sized, could carry a locomotive! Grasshoppers
could leap over buildings!
Now notice that Krypton had a red sunâ€¦! But only the ultra solar
rays of Earthâ€™s yellow sun can super energize my brain and five senses
to give me the other non-muscular super-powers!
Also, those yellow-sun rays, which only tan Earth peopleâ€™s skin,
hardened mine like steel! Radium raysâ€¦lightningâ€¦fireâ€¦nothing can harm
me! [Jul 1961: â€œThe Story of Supermanâ€™s Life!â€].

In the logic of this latest refinement, all Kryptonian objects acquire indestructibility in the yellow-sun environment of Earth, and all native Kryptonians - such as Supergirl or Krypto the Superdog - acquire super-powers identical to Superman's. However, the indestructibility of these objects and the super-powers of the various Kryptonian survivors remain proportional to what they would have been had they remained in their native Kryptonian environment. Superman is stronger than Supergirl, for example, just as an ordinary human male is normally stronger than his female counterpart. Similarly, a Kryptonian gorilla on Earth would be stronger than Superman, just as an ordinary gorilla is more powerful than an ordinary man.

It is this phenomenon to which Superman refers in February 1962, when, after having been bitten severely on the hand by a Kryptonian â€œflame dragonâ€ (see Flame Dragon), he remarks that â€œThe beastâ€™s bite penetrated my skinâ€¦which is invulnerable to everything to everything '''except''' the bite of a Kryptonian creature who would have normally been stronger than me if both of us were on '''Krypton''', minus our super-strength!â€ (S No. 151/3: â€œSupermanâ€™s Greatest Secret!â€).

Because Superman is now said the derive his powers, in part, from the ultra solar rays of Earth's yellow sun, he has no powers on any Planet revolving about a red sun, such as the Planet Lexor (Act No. 318, Nov â€™64: â€œThe Death of Luthor!â€; and others) or the world of the Thorones (Act No. 321, Feb â€™65: â€œSupermanâ€”Weakest Man in the World!â€).

The mighty super-powers that Superman employs today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning decades of texts. Following is an inventory of Superman's super-powers, along with the history and evolution of each super-power.

==Super-Speed and the Power of Flight==
In the early years of his super-heroic career, Superman was not endowed with the power of flight. Although he possessed superhuman speed, he moved from place to place by running or by executing gigantic leaps. Month by month, however, Superman's running speed increased, along with the length of his leaps and the complexity of the aerial maneuvers he was able to perform once he had left the ground. The transition from leaping to actual flying was extraordinarily gradual and was punctuated with a great deal of inconsistency. Not until May 1943 is Superman explicitly referred to as a "being who can fly like a bird" and not until later that same year can it be said, without qualification, that Superman actually possesses the power of flight.

By 1945, Superman is able to fly from Metropolis to Burma in the wink of an eye. "Light travels 186,000 miles a second, but has nothing on Superman," notes the text, "who finds himself hovering over the jungles of Burma in the wink of an eye!"

In November 1946, Superman demonstrates the ability to stand invisibly on one spot by oscillating his body so fast that the human eye cannot see him. During this same period, Superman protects bystanders at a navy yard from the effects of a devastating explosion by spinning around the blast area at super-speed. With the speed of light, Superman makes a wall of his revolving body, through which the expanding gases of the explosive cannot penetrate. Then, funneling upward, Superman directs the blast toward the sky.

In August 1947, Superman successfully photographs a series of past events by flying into outer space faster than the speed of light and overtaking the light waves leaving Earth which contain the images of the events he wants to record on film.

Later in 1947, Superman single-handedly constructs an entire underground city in a matter of seconds. (Superman #48) During this same period, Superman uses his command of super-speed to travel through the time barrier into the past.

Virtually all texts agree that to penetrate the time barrier, Superman must move at a speed exceeding that of light.

==Super-Strength==
There have been many strong men in the world, but none with the amazing power of Superman, whose rippling steel muscles can blast boulders to dust and move mountains.

Like Superman's other powers, his strength has been continually magnified over the years.

In June 1938, Superman, described as a man of titanic strength with the ability to raise tremendous weights, lifts an automobile over his head with one hand, shakes its hoodlum occupants out on the the ground, then smashes the car to bits against the base of a cliff.

In Spring 1940, when Metropolis is ravaged by a man-made earthquake, Superman supports tottering buildings while terrified occupants dash to safety.

In 1941, Superman swims through a raging flood using only one hand, while holding a mansion aloft with the other hand. To divert the floodwaters, Superman digs a huge, mile-long ditch with his bare hands in a matter of moments.

In 1942, Superman seizes a set of brass knuckles and crushes the cowardly instrument in his palm as easily as though the metal were putty; he smashes his way through the side of a mountain; and, while clinging to the side of a moving train, Superman performs an amazing stunt - he opens a Pullman window! By September of the same year, his strength has grown to the point where he can wrench apart a pair of twin mountain peaks with his bare hands.

In 1943, when Superman acts to avert the collapse of a massive undersea cavern, his mighty shoulders bear the weight of thousands of tons of rock and the terrific pressure of the ocean above it. (Action Comics #62, "There'll Always Be a Superman!") He also hits a baseball so hard that it circles the world.

In 1946, Superman uses his super-strength to mend a gaping hole in the hull of a sunken freighter, welding the torn steel plates into place by rubbing them with his hands until they're white hot. Later texts refer to this process as the application of "super-friction."

1947 brings us the first time that Superman transforms a lump of coal into a glittering diamond. In the words of the text, "Incalculable tons of pressure exerted by the Man of Steel's mighty fist duplicate the work of eons to fuse the opaque coal carbons into the translucent perfection of a glittering diamond!" (Action Comics #115)

In 1948 he uses the super-pressure of his thumbnail to cut sheet metal.

By 1949 he has single-handedly created a sun for the Planet Uuz by crashing together its two uninhabited moons and then fueling the resultant atomic blaze with drifting meteors.

In November 1953, when a great dark star that's rushing through the solar system begins causing the Earth to spin faster on its axis, Superman finds himself confronted by the greatest challenge of his career, that of devising a means of slowing down the Earth. After fashioning a gigantic metal drill from ore-bearing rock, Superman drills through the Earth to the red-hot rocks inside Earth's crust and then, using his own body as a high-speed chisel, gouges a canal from the sea to the hole he has drilled in the Earth. When the seawater rushing through Superman's man-made canal washes over the red-hot rocks at the Earth's core, the result is a continuous blast of steam that makes a great jet-blast, pushing against the rotating Earth to slow it down. When it's back to normal, Superman closes off the canal.

But by 1957, Superman is able to hurl an uninhabited Planet through space (Superman #110) and in 1958 can produce a small earthquake with a super-clap of his hands.

In March 1965 Superman seizes a spacecraft manned by members of the Superman Revenge Squad and hurls it into a far distant galaxy light-years away from Earth.

==Invulnerability==
Of all the awesome capabilities of Superman, one of the most important is his invulnerability. Fire can't burn him, knives can't cut him, bullets can't hurt him. In fact, there's nothing known to man that can harm even a hair of Superman's head.

In June 1938, a bullet ricochets off Superman's tough skin and a knife blade shatters when it strikes his body. Nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin. Subsequent texts describe Superman as possessing a skin impenetrable to even steel and as being impervious to bullets because of an unbelievably tough skin. A text dated January 1945 notes that "Unlike ordinary people, the Man of Steel can do without food if necessary," but a later text contradicts this, noting that Superman could indeed "starve to death."

In September 1945, Superman holds open an earthquake fissure with his bare hands until Lois Lane has had a chance to climb to safety. "The most powerful muscles on Earth," notes the text, "withstand the tremendous pressure of thousands of tons of rock!" "If the fissure had closed on me," remarks Superman, "the only damage would have been to the rock!"

In 1946, Superman flies onto an atomic-bomb test site and withstands the successive impact of two atomic bombs. He also withstands the intense heat of the Earth's molten core. (Superman #43)

In 1950, Superman swims underwater thousands of fathoms deep, down to the ocean bed itself, and suffers no ill effects from the crushing water pressure. He withstands the heat at the rim of the sun, estimated at a few billion degrees.

By 1951, Superman can withstand the heat at the core of the sun. (Action Comics #161) By this date, Superman's Herculean body has become immune to all ills and it's impossible for him to get sick. Superman is not immune, however, to certain extraterrestrial illnesses, such as the mysterious space virus that temporarily transforms his X-ray vision into "deep-freeze" vision in November, 1957, and Virus X, native to the Planet Krypton.

In February 1954, Superman withstands the explosion of a hydrogen bomb, although it does leave him with a slight headache. (Superman #87)

A text dated April 1960 observes that the rifle-like non-super-ray weapon employed by the Bizarros of the Planet Htrae could permanently rob Superman of his super-powers. Another text for this period strongly implies that Superman is invulnerable to the aging process and therefore immortal (Superman #136, April 1960), but Superman #181 contradicts this, noting that "Though Superman is the mightiest man on Earth, even he cannot live forever!" (November, 1965, "The Superman of 2965!")

A text dated April 1965 notes that Superman is invulnerable to drowning, and can remain underwater as long as he wishes.

Because Superman is invulnerable, he cannot blush and because his skin is never affected by the sun, he is impervious to sunburn.

Superman's hair is indestructible and can neither be cut nor can it grow in Earth's atmosphere. (Superman #132, October 1959)

Any attempt to cut Superman's hair by ordinary means results only in the shattering of whatever scissors are being used, but Superman can cut his own hair when absolutely necessary by subjecting it to the concentrated power of his own X-ray vision. In a red-sun environment, however, where Superman has no super-powers, his hair loses its indestructibility and begins to grow. If Superman undertakes a mission to a red-sun Planet, it is best for him to shave and trim his hair before returning to the yellow-sun environment of Earth, where his hair will once again become indestructible.

Similarly, Superman's fingernails and toenails, which are indestructible and do not grow in the earthly environment, do grow and are destructible on Planets revolving about a red sun.

==X-Ray Vision and the Other Optical Powers==
With telescopic vision, he has spanned the solar system - his microscopic vision has seen the tiniest dust particle - while his X-ray vision has pierced every substance except lead.

Today's Superman possesses a wide range of optical super-powers, including X-ray vision, which enables him to see through all substances except lead; telescopic vision, which enables him to focus on objects millions of miles away; super-vision, a combination of X-ray vision and telescopic vision, which enables him to perform such optical feats as peering through the wall of a house thousands of miles away; microscopic vision, which enables him to examine the tiniest atomic particles; heat vision, which enables him to apply intense heat to any substance except lead; infrared vision, which enables him to see objects lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end; radar vision, a term denoting infrared vision used at low power, which enables him to see in pitch darkness; and photographic vision, which enables him to perform such feats as memorizing whole books at a single glance.

In Superman's earliest adventures, however, he exhibited no special optical powers, and the vision abilities he employs today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts. Tracing the evolution of these abilities is difficult, for the terminology used to describe them is often haphazard and confusing. "Telescopic X-ray vision," for example, used as a general term in many early texts to denote Superman's ability both to see through objects and to see objects from far away, later comes to refer to the use of both of these visions simultaneously.

"Super-vision," however, both with and without the hyphen, has been employed at various times in the chronicles as a synonym for telescopic vision; as a means of describing Superman's ability to perform some complex optical feat, such as tracing television broadcast signals to their source; and as a term denoting a combination of X-ray vision and telescopic vision, the meaning it has today.

Similarly, Superman used his X-ray vision to analyze the chemical composition of substances, to melt solid objects, and to see in pitch darkness long before the more specialized terms microscopic vision, heat vision, and radar vision ever appeared in the chronicles.

Some terms, such as "super-sensory sight," "super-sensory-vision," and "supernormal vision" are used in the texts without ever being defined precisely.

==Super-Hearing==
Today Superman's super-hearing - ordinary human hearing multiplied countless thousands of times - enables Superman to detect the footfall of an ant 1,000 miles away or trace the source of sound waves across millions of miles of interstellar space.

In his very earliest adventures, however, Superman exhibited no special aural powers, and the super-hearing he employs today is the product of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts. The term "super-hearing" first appears in the chronicles in Fall 1939. Nevertheless, during the first two decades of Superman's career, the texts also employ such other descriptive terms as "super-acute hearing," "super-sensitive hearing," "hyper-keen hearing," and "super-keen hearing."

In January 1939, Superman is described as having "sensitive ears," which enable him to hear things ordinary human beings cannot.

In November 1940, Superman's super-sensitive ears enable him to pick up radio waves so that he can listen in on a radio news broadcast without a radio. In 1942, his super-sensitive hearing enables him to trace radio waves to their source.

In June 1946, Superman's hyper-keen hearing enables him to trace a telephone call across the phone wires to its source.

By 1950, Superman's super-hearing enables him to hear the low humming sound of a machine 1,500 miles away. In 1953, he exhibits the ability to focus his super-hearing so precisely that, while flying high over Metropolis, he can eavesdrop on a conversation taking place in one specific apartment.

In January 1960, Superman's super-hearing enables him to trace sound waves to their ultimate source: a space ship millions of miles from Earth (Action Comics #260) and by December of the same year, Superman can hear Big Ben chiming the hour in London while he is in the Sahara Desert.

==Super-Breath and Related Powers==
Like Superman's other super-powers, his super-breath and related powers have undergone continual expansion and magnification.

A text dated August 1939 notes that Superman can hold his breath for hours underwater.

In January 1940, he blows out a flaming torch with a powerful puff of his breath.

A text dated March 1941 notes that Superman's lungs can withstand any air pressure, no matter how great, and a later text observes that Superman can swim thousands of fathoms deep, down to the ocean bed itself, without suffering any ill effects.

In June 1941 Superman extinguishes a raging fire with a terrific gust of breath and in 1947 he extinguishes a bonfire by inhaling the flames.

In November 1947, when the Toyman attempts to make good his escape astride a rocket-powered hobbyhorse, Superman draws him back to earth with a deep inhalation of breath.

In March 1949, after having been locked inside a skyrocket by Lex Luthor, Superman uses his super-breath in place of rocket fuel to launch the skyrocket into the stratosphere. "And with super-breath," notes the text, "the Man of Steel lifts the projectile into the sky!" Superman performs a similar feat in July 1960, climbing into the exhaust apparatus of a jet aircraft disabled in midair and using his superbreath as jet propulsion to guide it to a safe landing.

In September 1949, Superman extinguishes a chemical fire by inhaling all the air around it. "The deadly flames are no menace to Superman," notes the text, "who smothers them by momentarily drawing all the air in the room into his own mighty lungs!"

In July 1953, Superman notes that he can stay underwater almost indefinitely.

In July 1954, Superman paints a house by using his super-breath to blow paint out of a paint bucket onto the house. "Super-breath comes in handy in many ways," muses Superman, "but this is the first time I've used it as a paint sprayer!"

In August 1954, far out in space, Superman extinguishes a star with a blast of his super-breath. (Superman #91)

In July 1959, Superman halts a massive tidal wave by freezing it into a solid iceberg with a blast of his super-breath.

In March 1960, Jimmy Olsen remarks that Superman can live for years underwater.

In October 1960, after engraving an inscription with his fingernail into the frame of a mirror, Superman blows on the inscription with this super-breath in order to imbue it with an antique appearance. "The force of my super-breath will create an artificial aging effect," observes Superman, "so the writing will appear centuries-old!" (Action Comics #269)

In February 1961, after Mr. Mxyzptlk has loosed a cloud of magic sneezing powder on Metropolis, Superman finds himself forced to give vent to a super-sneeze that literally destroys an entire distant solar system.

In April 1963, Superman disarms a gang of bank robbers by using his super-cold breath to freeze the air around their guns into clocks of ice. "Puffing my super-cold breath at them," muses Superman, "I've condensed the moisture in the air around their guns into ice! Now that their numb fingers can't pull triggers, innocent bystanders won't get hurt!"

A text dated April 1965 notes that Superman is invulnerable to drowning and can remain under-water as long as he wishes.

==Vocal and Ventriloquistic Powers==
Like Superman's other super-powers, his vocal and ventriloquistic powers have been continually magnified and expanded in the course of his career.

In 1941, Superman employs ordinary ventriloquism to distract the attention of criminals holding Lois Lane.

In March 1942, Superman exhibits the ability to mimic voices when he expertly disguises his voice so that it sounds exactly like a gang-leader's. In September of the same year, in order to warn the people of Metropolis of a Nazi invasion, Superman shouts a warning in such dynamic tones his voice carries for miles.

In May 1943 Superman summons police to an underworld hideout by broadcasting his voice with the aid of his super-powers so that it materializes in police radio sets.

In 1947 Superman shatters a thousand-ton block of ice into tiny fragments with a mighty shout.

In January 1950, Superman ventriloquizes over a considerable distance in order to make a painted image of himself appear to talk and in order to make his voice materialize from a police-car radio. This technique, which later becomes known as "super-ventriloquism," enables Superman to project his voice over immense distances and yet have his voice heard only by those whom he is directly addressing.

In July 1950, one of Superman's super-yells is monitored at over 1,000,000 decibles. (Superman #65) One later text notes that "Superman's tremendous shout echoes like a thousand thunderstorms in the sky," while another observes that his "super-voice resounds like 1,000 loudspeakers," enabling everyone within a five-mile radius to hear it.

In August 1950, while standing with Lois Lane in an office at the Daily Planet, Superman uses ventriloquism to make Clark Kent's voice come over the telephone so that Lois will believe that Kent and Superman are two different men.

In September 1955, Superman shatters a diamond into powder by using his super-voice to produce extraordinarily high-pitched musical notes.

In July 1961, Superman converses with Supergirl over an immense distance by means of super-ventriloquism, a voice throwing technique that enables them to converse over long distances without being overheard by anyone in between.

In July 1962, Superman summons Krypto the Superdog by means of super-ventriloquism, but in November 1963 he speaks of summoning Krypto via supersonic ventriloquism, a technique that enables him to throw his voice at such a high pitch that only Krypto's super-canine hearing could possibly hear it.

==Mental and Intellectual Powers==
Along with his other super-powers, Superman also possesses a super-intellect and other superhuman mental powers.

In Spring 1940 Clark Kent exhibits the ability to temporarily halt the beating of his heart. In several occasions in subsequent years, Superman employs this unique ability in order to enable him to feign death. Superman #21 alludes to Superman's having temporarily halted the beating of his heart and put himself into a state of suspended animation, and World's Finest Comics #54 cites Superman's ability to control his heart action in order to simulate the signs of death. Control of one's heartbeat would seem to involve mental control of one's physical functions, but in his only clear description of this feat, Superman describes it as one of "super-muscular control." "To make you think I had 'died,'" he remarks to a group of captured criminals in January 1958, "I used super-muscular control to stop my heart from beating - just as I'm doing now to make it beat faster and louder, listen!"

In Summer 1940, Superman is described as possessing a photographic memory.

In January 1941 Superman cures Lois Lane of her amnesia by means of hypnosis and a month later, as Clark Kent, he hypnotizes her into forgetting the super-feats he is about to perform so that he can rescue her from a burning cabin in his role as Clark Kent without betraying his dual identity.

In January 1942, Superman is able to converse fluently with a mermaid despite the fact that her tongue is completely foreign to him because his advanced intellect instantly comprehends her strange language. (Superman #14)

In July 1943, Superman is described as having a "super-brain," but later texts refer to Superman as having a "super-intellect."

In January 1945, Superman visits the public library and reads through a mountain of books and articles about himself in only five minutes, and in November 1945, he is described as reading a 500-page book in ten seconds flat.

In September 1947, Superman is described as having a super-instinct that alerts him to the fact that someone is watching him.

In July 1948, Superman demonstrates the ability to solve complex mathematical equations with the speed and accuracy of a giant computing machine.

In July 1950, Superman's super-intellect enables him to solve, in seconds, a complicated mathematical problem that the Metropolis Science Foundation's mighty electronic brain takes ten minutes to solve.

In July 1951, Clark Kent memorizes a 400-page book in a matter of seconds, and in September of the same year, Superman comments that, for the sake of convenience, he has memorized the entire Metropolis phone book.

In November 1953, Superman is described as having a "super-memory."

In March 1954, Superman's super-intelligence enables him to solve a complex equation that involves dealing with mathematical ideas unknown to ordinary men.

In March 1955, Superman memorizes all the existing books on eye surgery preparatory to performing a complicated eye operation.

In April 1955, Superman is described as having used his photographic memory to memorize all the files of the Daily Planet.

In May 1956, Superman is described as being able to recall every action of his life with his "super-human memory." Subsequent texts refer to Superman's "power of total memory" or "total-recall memory," noting that it enables the Man of Steel to remember everything he ever said or did.

In January 1958, Superman is able to match up a suspect's fingerprints with those on file in Washington, D.C., as the result of having used his super-memory to memorize the entire fingerprint file of the F.B.I.

In June 1958, while relaxing at his Fortress of Solitude, Superman defeats a great robot he has built in a game of super-chess, despite the fact that the robot - which possesses a super-electronic brain - can think and play with the speed of lightning and plans a million moves at once.

In November 1960 Superman is described as having mastered Kryptonese, the language of Krypton, through his memory's power of total recall.

A text dated August 1963 notes that Superman possesses the super-intellect of a score of the world's most brilliant minds put together.

==Miscellaneous Powers==
In addition to the super-powers enumerated in the foregoing subsections, Superman has displayed other unique abilities that are not readily classifiable.

Several texts describe Superman as possessing super-senses which, among other things, enable him to sense the presence of an electrical discharge or the close proximity of [[Lori Lemaris]].

Superman's supersensitive nostrils enable him to detect the faint odor of nitroglycerine in a cache of dynamite or to stand atop a Metropolis skyscraper and pinpoint Lois Lane's exact location by her perfume.

According to one text, Superman possesses a super-sensitive nerve structure, rendering him extraordinarily sensitive to the effects of cosmic disturbances. Another text notes that Superman's fingers are super-sensitive, enabling him to distinguish between types of metal ores by their touch even when he cannot see them.

Superman's super-coordination enables him to sign two autographs simultaneously, one with each hand, and a transfusion of his alien blood has the power to make a critically ill person well again within a matter of moments. (Superman #6, 1940)

Superman #133 asserts that Superman could consume virtually endless quantities of food, and Action Comics #306 suggests that Superman can perform feats of lovemaking of which an ordinary man would be quite incapable: forced into the position of having to kiss Lois Lane beneath the mistletoe at a Daily Planet Christmas party in 1963, Clark Kent mischievously decides to shock the daylights out of Lois by giving her a super-kiss, in the manner of Superman, instead of the mild-mannered kiss she would be likely to expect from Clark Kent. Indeed, when Kent finally releases Lois from his embrace after giving her a super-soulful kiss, Lois is glassy-eyed and on the verge of swooning.

"Holy Toledo, Clark," exclaims someone at the party, " - where'd you learn to kiss like that?"

"Yes," stammers Lois, plainly impressed, "for a while I thought you were - er - someone else! Where'd you pick up this technique?"

"Maybe it's sort of a hidden talent!" replies Kent. "After all, you don't know everything about me!" And then Kent thinks: "True indeed! Lois would pass out if she knew it was Superman, my other identity, who kissed her!"

One super-power that has long since been discarded by the chroniclers is Superman's ability, displayed on a number of occasions in the 1940s, to radically alter his facial characteristics and even his size through what was described as "superb muscular control" of his "plastic features."

=The Vulnerabilities=
''in progress''
==Kryptonite==
''in progress''
===Green Kryptonite===
''in progress''
===Red Kryptonite===
''in progress''
===Gold Kryptonite===
Gold Kryptonite permenently takes away Superman's powers
===Blue Kryptonite===
Blue Kryptonite is harmful to bizzaro Supermen in the same way that Green Kryptonite is to Superman
===White Kryptonite===
''in progress''
==Magic==
''in progress''
==Virus X==
This deadly Kryptonian virus, for which no cure has ever been discovered, is described in Superman No. 156 as "a contagion fatal in 30 days to any native of Krypton...." Because living X viruses—if, indeed, any survived the destruction of Superman's native planet—would acquire super-virulence in the alien environment of Earth in the same manner whereby Superman acquired his super-powers, Superman and all other surviving natives of [[Krypton]] are vulnerable to this killer virus just as they would have been had Krypton never exploded and they, and the virus, remained on Krypton.

In his experiments with Virus X prior to the death of Krypton, the Kryptonian scientist Tharb-El discovered that he could destroy the virus with "element 202." Because element 202 is fatal to human beings, however, Tharb-El was unsuccessful in his efforts to produce a viable cure (S No. 156, Oct 1962: "The Last Days of Superman!" pts. I-III—"Superman's Death Sentence!"; "The Super-Comrades of All Time!"; "Superman's Last Day of Life!").

==Other Vulnerabilities==
''in progress''
=The Equipment=
''in progress''
==Lead Armor==
''in progress''
==Dummies, Robots, and Androids==
Almost from the beginning of his long career, Superman has employed dummies and robots of Clark Kent and Superman - as well as of his loved ones and closest friends - to help him carry out his customary super-tasks and protect the secret of his dual identity. Today these so-called "super-robots" - which are housed both at the Fortress of Solitude and behind a secret panel in Clark Kent's Metropolis apartment - are immensely sophisticated and complex, possessing mighty super-powers and capable of human emotion, independent thought, and autonomous action. In the early years of the chronicles, however, this was not the case, and the complex robots that exist today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts.

In March 1944 Clark Kent uses a Superman dummy to help him outwit the Thinker, employing ventriloquism to make the dummy appear to talk.

In September 1949, Superman employs a Superman robot in an elaborate scheme to dupe a band of aliens from the planet Uranus into believing that all earthlings are actually robots. Superman makes his robot appear lifelike by manipulating it like a puppet at invisible super-speed while employing ventriloquism to make it talk.

As the years progress, the Superman robots become progressively more advanced.

By May 1958, Superman has succeeded in devising robots so sophisticated that his Clark Kent robot - kept concealed behind a secret panel in a supply room at the Daily Planet - is actually capable of carrying on his duties at the Daily Planet whenever his presence is required elsewhere as Superman. "The robot Clark will replace me here in the office, as usual!" thinks Superman. "Remote-control impulses from my X-ray eyes will guide him and operate his voice box!" Superman also utilizes a sophisticated Superman robot during this period to carry out a mission in outer space.

In December 1958, Superman has begun housing several Superman robots in a secret closet in Clark Kent's apartment, each equipped to duplicate one of Superman's super-powers, such as super-strength, the power of flight, X-ray vision, or super-breath. "Each is designed to use one of my super-powers when needed!" notes Superman. "I send out the robots when Clark's absence would be suspicious! Or when I suspect that criminals are waiting to use kryptonite against me!"

By January 1960 Superman has clearly increased the complexity of his robots even further, for he is now quoted in the Daily Planet as saying that "my robots possess all my super-powers."

In February 1960, when Superman conducts guided tours through his Fortress of Solitude for the benefit of charity, two of his Superman robots stand outside, scanning the incoming crowds with their X-ray vision to ensure that no bombs or other dangerous devices are carried into the Fortress. Indications are that the robots are carrying out their duties autonomously, without any outside help from Superman.

In June 1960, Superman, busily occupied with putting on a demonstration of his super-powers for children at a local hospital, dispatches a Clark Kent robot to keep a lunch date with Lois Lane, confident that the robot is so thoroughly lifelike that Lois will not be able to tell it from a human being.

In March 1961, one of Superman's Superman-robots, acting entirely on its own volition, carries out an intricately convoluted ruse involving human emotion, sophisticated independent thinking, and the ability to invent and construct complex scientific devices. (Action Comics #274)

Since 1959, Superman's sophisticated super-robots have been housed in two principal locations: The Fortress of Solitude and the secret closet in Clark Kent's Metropolis apartment.

The closet, which is referred to as a "secret closet," is concealed behind a fake wall which slides open at the touch of a secret button. It also slides open when a special box on Clark Kent's table is opened. In the event an intruder inadvertently activates this sliding-wall mechanism and discovers the secret closet, however, a special security device on the closet door makes the phone in the apartment ring. When the intruder answers, he hears the voice of Superman, on a prerecorded tape, asking Clark Kent to return the robots he has recently "borrowed." This device has many times protected the secret of Superman's dual identity.

The robots used most often by Superman have been robots of Superman and Clark Kent, but the Man of Steel has also used robots of Lois Lane and Lana Lang, Supergirl, Krytpo the Superdog, and robots of himself both as the teen-age Superboy and as a super-baby.

The robots address Superman as "master" and Superman addresses them, when he addresses them verbally, either by a number, such as "Robot One," or by a letter of the alphabet, such as "Robot Y."

The chronicles contain little real information concerning the workings of Superman's robots beyond that they run on sophisticated batteries, that they contain complex circuits and energy cells, and that each is controlled by an electronic control center located somewhere in its body.

Superman can activate and control his robots wither with verbal commands or by means of his X-ray vision. Even from a long distance away, Superman can summon his robots into action either with his X-ray vision or with a ventriloquistic signal. In the event of an emergency, Superman's robots can also be activated by the Superman Emergency Squad, but they will not respond to anyone's voice but Superman's.

Even if a villain could somehow succeed in commandeering one of Superman's robots, there are indications that the robots, having been created only to do good deeds, would refuse to perform evil ones. In addition, Superman has installed a special self-destruct mechanism in each of his robots - designed to destroy completely any robot that becomes disabled while performing a mission - to prevent unscrupulous individuals from cannibalizing the parts of disabled robots and using the sophisticated circuitry for evil ends.

Even though Superman's robots possess all of Superman's super-powers, they are not as powerful or as indestructable as Superman himself. Even Superman's best robots have been crushed by undersea water pressure, demolished by the flame-breath of a Kryptonian flame dragon, destroyed by a powerful electromagnet, repelled by a powerful anti-magnetic device, blacked out by sophisticated electronic machinery, shattered by Lex Luthor's vibro-gun, short circuited from sudden sunspot activity, or had their motors destroyed by a super-powered villain's X-ray vision.

Although Superman's own costume is indestructible, the ones worn by his Superman robots are not.

Because Superman's robots are not vulnerable to kryptonite, they are extremely useful in certain emergencies in which Superman's life would otherwise be in jeopardy. Superman has programmed his Superman robots to feign vulnerability to kryptonite in public, however, to prevent outsiders from distinguishing the real Superman from his robot surrogates. This programming strategy enables Superman to use his robots to help protect his secret identity by standing in for him as Superman, while preventing anyone from realizing that they are dealing only with a Superman robot. It is common knowledge, however, that Superman has and uses Superman robots. All newly constructed Superman robots are forced to undergo a period of arduous training before they are permitted to work alongside Superman's other robots on an equal footing.

Over the years, a number of present and former Superman robots have played important roles in the chronicles, including Superman Robot Z (Action Comics #274, May 1961), Wonder Man (Superman #163, August 1963), and Adam Newman (Superman #174, January 1965).

(''see'' also the list of [[:Category:Superman Robots|Superman Robots]])

==Miscellaneous Equipment==
''in progress''
=The Man Himself (as Clark Kent)=
The chief protagonist of the Superman chronicles is in one sense really two men. He is, of course, Superman, the world's mightiest hero, but he is also Clark Kent, mild-mannered journalist, for more than 60 years the star reporter of the [[Daily Planet]], more recently a full-time newscaster for [[Metropolis]] television station [[WGBS]]-TV (S No.233, Jan 1971: "Superman Breaks Loose!"; and many others).

'''Appearance'''
Clark Kent has black hair and blue eyes. He is 6'2" tall, with chest measurements of 44" and a waist measurement of 34" (Act No.297, Feb 1963: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!"; S. No.178/1, July 1965: "Project Earth-Doom!"). According to one text, his blood conforms to '''ALL FOUR''' types!" (S. No.6/4, Sep/Oct 1940).

Since Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same man, it is not surprising that some have noticed a strong resemblance between them. In February 1963 [[Perry White]] observes that Clark Kent "strongly resembles Superman" (Act No.297: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!"), and in November 1963 [[General Pedro Valdez]] informs Kent that "Without glasses and dressed like Superman, you could pass anywhere as his double!" (Act No.306: "The Great Superman Impersonation!").

"Hmm ... there is a resemblance!" notes [[Lois Lane]] in December 1965. "That's why I've often suspected Clark might be Superman!" (Ac No.331: "Clark Kent's Masquerade as Superman!"). Despite this perceived resemblance, however, Clark Kent has succeeded in keeping his dual identity one of the world's most closely guarded secrets (see [[Secret Identity]]).

'''Name'''
The identity of Clark Kent was conferred upon the infant Superman by [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]], who adopted the orphan from the doomed planet [[Krypton]] soon after the rocket that had brought him safely to Earth had landed in an open field (Act No.141, Feb 1950: "Luthor's Secret Weapon") on the outskirts of [[Smallville]] (WF No.57, Mar/Apr 1952: "The Artificial Superman!"; and others). The proud foster parents named their new son Clark, which was Martha Kent's maiden name (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"; and others).

'''Childhood/Education'''
Clark Kent's early childhood years were spent on his foster parents' farm outside of Smallville (S No.152/2, Apr 1962: "Superbaby Captures the Pumpkin Gang!; and others). By the time Clark was old enough to attend elementary school, the Kents had sold their farm and moved to Smallville, where Jonathan Kent opened up a general store (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"); and others).

According to Superman 46/3, Clark Kent attended high school at Metropolis High, where he was nicknamed "Specs" and became known as his class's "quietest boy" (May/Jun 1947: "That Old Class of Superboy's!"). However, numerous other texts assert, far more plausibly, that Clark Kent grew up in Smallville, attending [[Smallville High School]] (WF No.69, Ma/Apr 1954: "Jor-El's Last Will!"; and many others) and working afternoons after school in his foster father's general store (S No.116/2, Sep 1957: "Disaster Strikes Twice"). His high school principal thought of him as "the shyest boy in our graduating class" (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days"), but his senior yearbook described him this way: "highest grades --boy most likely to become famous --" (S No.144/2, Apr 1961: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!").

Following his graduation from Smallville High School, Clark Kent attended college at [[Metropolis University]] (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days"; and others). He lived in a dormitory, joined a fraternity (S No.129/3, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!"), and yelled his heart out as a cheerleader for the college football eam (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days").

He had already decided upon a career in journalism (Act No.144, May 1950: "Clark Kenbt's Career!"). Nevertheless, he studied advanced science under [[Professor Thadeus V. Maxwell]] (S No 125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days") and took courses in biology, astronomy, art, music, and other subjects. In his senior year he had a bittersweet romance with [[Lori Lemaris]] (S No.129/3, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!").

'''Employment'''
Following his college graduation, Clark Kent returned to Smallville, but not long afterward, both his foster parents passed away. It was a bereaved Clark Kent who departed Smallville to embark o his chosen career as a newspaper reporter in Metropolis (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

Kent actually began his career as a reporter for the [[Daily Star]], the forerunner in the chronicles of the ''Daily Planet''. By thwarting a lynching at the county jail as Superman, and then phoning in an exclusive account of the events as would-be reporter Clark Kent, Kent pursuaded the paper's editor to hire him despite his lack of experience (S No.1/1, Sum 1939). Since the appearance of this early account, however, two other, widley disparate, texts have appeared purporting to tell the true story of how Clark Kent came to acquire his job as a newspaper reporter (Act No.144, May 1950: "Clark Kent's Career!"; S No.133/2, Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!"). Both these accounts may safely be regarded as spurious. (See [[Daily Planet]].)

Working as a reporter for a major newspaper enables Clark Kent to "investigate criminals without their suspecting [he's] really '''Superman'''" (S No.133/2, Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!") and provides him with "the best opportunity for being free to help people as Superman" without having to explain his frequent absences from his place of employment (Act 144, May 1950: "Clark Kent's Career!"); and others. "As a reporter," notes Kent in December 1949, "I have a hundred underworld and police contacts that make it easier for Superman to fight crime!" (Act No.139: "Clark Kent ... Daredevil!").

Over and above its usefulness to him in his career as Superman, it is clear that Clark Kent values his career in journalism purely for its own sake. "Just remember," exclaims Kent to newsboy [[Tommy Blake]] in Summer 1945, "a good reporter gets the news ... and gets it first! But there's more to being a reporter than that!

He lives by the deadline! The thunder of
the presses is the pounding of his heart!
And most important --all his personal
feelings remain in the background! It's his
story that counts! Always remember that!"
(WF No.18: "The Junior Reporters!").

According to Superman 25/2, Clark Kent tried to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War II, only to be rejected on the grounds of faulty eyesight when, in the midst of his preinduction eye exam, he absent-mindedly peered through the wall of the examining room wth his X-ray vision and, instead of reading aloud the letters of his own eye chart, recited those on a different eye chart posted on a wall in the adjoining room. Kent might have renewed his efforts to join the Armed Forces had he not soon realized that, as Superman, he "could be of more value on the home front operating as a free agent!" (Nov/Dec 1943: "I Sustain the Wings!").

And so, for more than six continuous decades, Clark Kent has been the ''Daily Planet's'' "star reporter" (Act No.25, Jun 1940; and others). Renowned for his ability to root out local news (S No.44/3, Jan/Feb 1947: "Shakespeare's Ghost Writer!"; and others), particularly stories dealing with crime and corruption (S No.83/3, Jul/Aug 1953: "Clark Kent---Convict!"; and others), he has performed in numerous other capacities for the ''Daily Planet'', including that of war correspondent (Act No.23, Apr 1940), lovelorn editor (S No.18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane"; and others), editor of the ''Daily Planet's'' Bombay edition (Act No.203, Apr 1955: "The International Daily Planet!"), and editor of the entire newspaper in the absence of Perry White (Act No.297, Feb 1963: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!").

'''Personality'''
In addition to wearing ordinary street clothes and slightly altering his facial appearance with eye-glasses to conceal the fact that he is secretly Superman, Clark Kent exhibits qualities of personality far removed from the ones he displays a a super-hero. The chronicles repeatedly describe Clark Kent as "meek" (S No.7/1, Nov/Dec 1940; and many others), "timid" (WB No.1 Spr 1941; and many others), "mild-mannered" (Act No.169, Jun 1952: "Caveman Clark Kent!"; and many others), "sickly" (S No.106/2, Jil 1956: "The Thefts of Clark Kent!"), "weak" (S No.155/1, Aug 1962: pts.I-II 00"Superman Under the Green Sun!"; "The Blind Superman!"; and others), "cowardly" (Act No.322, Mar 1965: "The Coward of Steel!"; and others), "submissive" (Act No.155/1), and even "spineless" (Act No.1, Jun 1938; and others).

Clark Kent is afraid of dogs (S No.31/2, Nov/Dec 1944: "A Dog's Tale!"), afraid of heights (S No.136/3. Apr 1060: "The Super-Clown of Metropolis!"; and others), willing to let almost anyone push him around (Act No.1, Jun 1938; and many others).

Kent tends to rationalize his meek behavior --which is a caricature of a timid person's behavior rather than a skilled imitation of it-- as "the perfect camouflage for my real identity as Superman" (Act No.166, Mar 1952: "The Three Scoops of Deah!"), but there is a deeper significance behind the choice of traits with which Superman has equipped his alter ego, for this selection reveals a great deal about the personality and inner life of Superman [see The Man Himself (as Superman)].

'''Residence'''
Clark Kent lives in apartment 3-B at 344 Clinton Street (S No.112/1, Mar 1957: "Superman's Neighbors"), a high-rise apartment building (WF No.92, Jan/Feb 1948: "The Boy from Outer Space!"; and others) in the midtown area (S No.8/2, Jan/Feb 1941) of Metroplois (S No.15/2, Mar/Apr 1942; and many others), "across town" from the Daily Planet Building (S no.181/1, Nov 1965) and not far away from the apartment building where Lois Lane lives (S No.40/1, May/Jun 1946: "The Mxyztplk-Susie Alliance!"). World's Finest Comics No.35 portrays Clark as residing in a house at 906 Warmon as opposed to an apartment, but this information is almost certainly erroneous (Jul/Aug 1948: "Daddy Superman!").

One room of Kent's apartment houses his extensive collection of antique clocks (Act No.73, Jun 1944: "The Hobby Robbers"). A "fake wall" in the apartment, which slides open at the touch of a secret button (S No.174/1, Jan 1965:pts.I-II --"Clark Kent's Incredible Delusion!"; "The End of a Hero!") mounted on the apartment wall (S No. 126/1, Jan 1959: "Superman's Hunt for Clark Kent!"), conceals a "secret closet" (Act Mo.282, Nov 1961: "Superman's Toughes Day!"; and others) --or "secret trophy closet" (S No.126/1, Jan 1959: "Superman's Hunt for Clark Kent!") --housing a number of Superman's sophisticated robots (Act No.247, Dec 1958: "Superman's Lost Parents!"; and many others) several numbered boxes of Superman trophies and samples of [[Kryptonite]], and various other "Superman mementoes". When he is not wearing hsi Siperman costume, Clark Kent sometimes hangs it in this secret closet.

'''Memberships'''
Clark Kent has been a member of the [[Anti-Superman Club]], the [[Atlas Club]], and the [[Round Table Club]]. He was honored as the Meek Man's Hero of the Week by the [[Metropolis Meek Man's Club]] in November 1955.

'''Friends & Family'''
Clark Kent's closest friends are [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]], and Perry White. His living Kent-family relatives include his cousin "Digger" Kent, a gold-prospector; his cousin Louis Pasteur Kent, a country doctor; his cousin Titus Kent, a wheelchair-bound recluse who lost his fortune during the great Depression; his first cousin Carol Kent, an actress; and his aunt [[Minerva Kent]], his father's younger sister (Act No.160, Sep 1951: "Clark Kent's Aunt Minerva!"). (See also [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]]).

Because Clark Kent is widely know as Superman's "best friend," people often contact Kent, usually at the [[Daily Planet]], as the most reliable means of getting in touch with Superman (S No.57/3, Mar/Apr 1949: "The Son of Suprman!"; and others).

'''Anchorman'''
In January 1971, the Galaxy Broadcasting System, which owns the Daily Planet, removes Clark Kent from the Planet staff and installs him as a full-time newscaster on another Galaxy property, Metropolis televison station [[WGBS]]-TV, a post Clark Kent continues to occupy for some time (S No.233: "Superman Breaks Loose!"; and many others).

[[Category: Entries]]

=The Man Himself (as Superman)=
''in progress''
=The Women of the Chronicles=
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lois Lane==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lana Lang==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lori Lemaris==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lyla Lerrol==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Sally Selwyn==
''in progress''
=The Relationship with the Law-Enforcement Establishment=
''in progress''
=The Texts=
''in progress''
==Locales==
''in progress''
==Developments==
''in progress''
===''The Early Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Wartime Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Postwar Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Later Adventures''===
''in progress''

File:Supermaniconic.jpg

2005-04-05T11:50:01Z

Bill 9000:

[[Superman]] - illustration by Bill 9000

Superman

2005-04-05T11:48:51Z

Bill 9000: Updated Superman entry image

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
=Overview=
[[Image:Supermaniconic.jpg|left]][[Image:Super pastel Shuster.jpg|right|thumb|Superman pastel by co-creator Joe Shuster.]][[Image:Action comics 1.jpg|right|thumb|Action Comics No. 1, marking Superman's first appearance. Art by Joe Shuster.]]

'''Superman'''. A world-famous crime-fighter and adventurer who has, for almost seven decades, battled the forces of crime and injustice with the aid of an awesome array of superhuman powers, including X-ray vision, the power of flight, and strength far beyond that of any ordinary mortal. Born on the planet [[Krypton]], the son of the scientist [[Jor-El]] and his wife [[Lara]], he was launched into outer space in an experimental rocket ship to enable him to escape the cataclysm that destroyed his native planet, and, arriving on Earth, was taken into the home of [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]], who named him Clark Kent and raised him to manhood as their adopted son. Endowed with mighty super-powers in the alien environment of Earth, this orphan from Krypton--named Kal-El by his parents--has, since mid-1938, battled the forces of evil as Superman, while concealing his true, extraterrestrial identity beneath the alternate identity of Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Metropolis [[Daily Planet]], more recently a full-time newscaster for [[Metropolis]] television station [[WGBS-TV]].

Superman is "Earth's mightiest hero" (S No. 128/1, Apr '59: chs. 1-2-"Superman versus the Futuremen"; "The Secret of the Futuremen"), a "colorfully-costumed, mighty-sinewed man of might" engaged in "an unrelenting battle against the forces of evil" (S No. 21/4, Mar/Apr 1943: "The Ghost of Superman!"). He is "the world's number one champion of justice and fair play" (S No. 130/3, Jul 1959: "The Town That Hated Superman!") and "mankind's foremost crusader for good" (S No. 181/2, Nov 1965: "The Superman of 2965!"), "a fighting champion of justice who is famous the world over" (Act No.45, Feb 1942). Described as "the world's most dynamic man" (WF No.8, Win 1942: "Talent, Unlimited!") and the "world's mightiest mortal" (WF No.116, Mar 1961: "The Creature from Beyond!"; and others), he is "mankind's greatest friend" (Act No.310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!"), a "mighty foe of all evil" (Act No.91, Dec 1945: "The Ghost Drum!"), a super-powered "savior of the helpless and oppressed" (Act No.18, Nov 1939).

Superman No. 1/1 calls Superman "the greatest exponent of justice the world has ever known" (Sum 1939), and other texts describe him as "the law's most powerful defender" (Act No.177, Feb 1953: "The Anti-Superman Weapon"), as "the greatest of all heroes" (Act No.210, Nov 1955: "Superman in Superman Land"), and as a "defender of democracy" (S No. 13/1, Nov/Dec 1941) who has chosen to "dedicate [his] powers to the good of '''all humanity'''!" (S No. 121/1, May 1958: "The Bride of Futureman!"). "There is one man that people throughout the world honor and respect," notes Superman No. 128/1,, "--and that man is '''Superman'''!" (Apr 1959: chs.1-2-"Superman versus the Futuremen"; "The Secret of the Futuremen").

Superman is "an incredibly muscular figure" (WF
No.6, Sum 1942: "Man of Steel versus Man of Metal!"), "indestructible and cosmic in his gigantic strength" (Act No.131, Apr 1949: "The Scrambled Superman!"), a tireless "sentinel for the world" (Act No.282, Nov 1961: "Superman's Toughest Day!") whose "incredible super-powers. ..have made him a living legend...!" (S No. 160/1, Apr 1963: pts. I-II-"The Mortal Superman!"; "The Cage of Doom!"). He is also the "most famous man in America" (Act No.143, Apr 1950: "The Bride of Superman!"), "patriot number one" (S No. 12/3, Sep/Oct 1941), the indefatigable "foe of all interests and activities subversive to this country's best interests" (S No. 10/4, May/Jun 1941). Everywhere, "in big cities...small towns...rural villages...the name of '''Superman''' is honored and loved!" (S No. 130/3, Jul 1959: "The Town That Hated Superman!").

Indeed, "throughout the universe, '''Superman''' is hailed as a mighty champion of justice" (Act No.319, Dec 1964: "The Condemned Superman!"), as a "champion of the weak and helpless" (Act No.4, Sep 1938) whose life is a "constant battle against evil. .." (Act No.280, Sep 1961: "Brainiac's Super-Revenge!"). "Not only on Earth is '''Superman''' the greatest and most acclaimed of heroes," proclaims Superman No.168, "but on many other worlds across the universe as well!" (Apr 1964: pts. I-II-"Luthor--Super-Hero!"; "Lex Luthor, Daily Planet Editor!").

"Everyone knows that '''Superman''' is the greatest hero of all time!" states Superman No.165/1. "A man who can move mountains, even '''planets'''...a man who has defeated the worst villains in history!" (Nov 1963: pts. I-II-"Beauty and the Super-Beast!"; "Circe's Super-Slave").

"Today ," notes Superman No. 144/2, "'''Superman''' is the most famous crusader in the world, idolized everywhere for unselfishly using his incredible super-powers in behalf of justice" (Apr 1961: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!").

In addition, the texts contain these descriptions:

Action Comics No.6, November 1938:

Dedicated to assisting the helpless and oppressed, is a
mystery-man named '''SUPERMAN'''. Possessing super-strength,
he can jump over a ten-story building, leap an eighth of a
mile, run faster than an express train, lift tremendous
weights, and crush steel in his bare hands!-- His amazing
feats of strength become more apparent day after day!

Action Comics No.7, December 1938; and others:

Friend of the helpless and oppressed is '''SUPERMAN''',
a man possessing the strength of a dozen Samsons! Lifting
and rending gigantic weights, vaulting over skyscrapers,
racing a bullet, possessing a skin impenetrable to even
steel, are his physical assets used in his one-man battle
against evil and injustice!

Action Comics No.8, January 1939:

Leaping over towering buildings, rending steel in his bare
hands, lifting incredible weights high overhead, impervious
to bullets because of an unbelievably tough skin, racing at
a speed hitherto unwitnessed by mortal eyes...these are the
miraculous feats of strength which assist '''SUPERMAN''' in
his one-man battle against the forces of evil and oppression!

Action Comics No.27 , August 1940:

Heartless criminals exploit the helpless and unfortunate!
Clark Kent and his dual self, dynamic '''SUPERMAN''', battle
side by side with pretty Lois Lane, courageous girl reporter,
to stamp out the evil geniuses of crime and corruption!

Superman No.10/4, May-June 1941:

Foe of all interests and activities subversive to this
country's best interests, '''SUPERMAN''' loses no time
in going into action when he encounters a menace to
American democracy. Super-strength clashes with evil
super-cunning in another thrilling, dramatic adventure
of today's foremost hero, the daring, dynamic ''MAN OF
TOMORROW--'''''SUPERMAN'''!!

Superman No.16/4, May-June 1942: "Racket on Delivery":

No sterner or more courageous battler in behalf of justice
is there than '''Superman''', amazingly strong champion of
the helpless and oppressed!

Superman No.25/1, November-December 1943: "The Man Superman Refused to Help!":

'''Superman''', amazing nemesis of evildoers, champion of
the helpless and oppressed, comes to the aid of all worthy
individuals in need of assistance.

Superman No.64/1, May-June 1950: "Professor Lois Lane!":

Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to hurdle the highest
mountain! More powerful than an atomic cyclotron! That's
'''Superman''', eternal foe of the underworld, champion of
the underdog!

Action Comics No.204, May 1955: "The Man Who Could Make Superman Do Anything!":

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive
Able to leap the highest mountain! That's '''Superman'''; the
world's mightiest mortal.

Superman No.96/1, March 1955: "The Girl Who Didn't Believe in Superman!":

From the jungle-wilds of Africa, to the skyscrapers of New York,
the name of '''Superman''' has spread its fame! His Herculean
strength, his super-battles against evil, are familiar to all....

Superman No.120/3, March 1958: "The Human Missile":

Stronger than the very gravity that holds Earth in place...faster
than the swiftest jet...more invulnerable than a mile-thick slab of
steel, the incredible '''Superman''' can scoff at all weapons aimed
at him!

Superman No.152/2, April 1962: "Superbaby Captures the Pumpkin Gang!":

Today the whole world rings with '''Superman''''s fame! In the far
corners of the Earth men tell of how the '''Man of Steel''' uses his
fantastic super-powers to help the forces of law and order against
evildoers!

Friend and foe alike have paid tribute to Superman's heroism, and the texts have hailed him as "a giant among men" (S No.70/2, May/Jun 1951: "The Life of Superman!") and as the "mightiest of mortals" (S No, 84/2, Sep/Oct 1953: "A Doghouse for Superman!"). An unidentified U.S. Navy admiral once described Superman as "the greatest hero of all time" (Act No.284, Jan 1962: "The Babe of Steel!"), and the master of ceremonies on a television special glowingly introduced him as "our greatest American hero" (Act No.309, Feb 1964: "The Superman Super-Spectacular!").

"How fortunate we are here in America to have someone of Superman's calibre to aid us!" remarked Secretary of the Navy Hank Fox in March-April 1942. "In my opinion, he's worth several armies and navies!" (S No. 15/2).

[[Jimmy Olsen]] has called Superman "the champion of justice and the enemy of evil all over the world" (S No. 176/2, Apr 1965: "Tales of Green Kryptonite No. 2"), and [[Lois Lane]] has described him as "the smartest, handsomest, strongest man in the universe" (S No. 176/3, Apr 1965: "Superman's Day of Truth!") and as an "--American crusader, crime's greatest foe, enemy of all injustice, the most powerful force for good the world has ever seen...!" (S No.17/1, Jul/Aug 1942: "Man or Superman?").

In May 1962, an unidentified escapee from the [[Phantom Zone]] refers to Superman as "Earth's greatest defender" (S No. 153/3: "The Town of Supermen!"), and in August 1964 the extraterrestrial gambler Rokk (''see'' [[Rokk and Sorban]]) calls Superman the "guardian of Earth" (S No. 171/1: "Super- man's Sacrifice!").

"Though he wasn't born on this world," notes scientist [[Mel Evans]] at the annual Superman's Earthday celebration in [[Smallville]] in April 1960, "he has become Earth's greatest and most generous citizen!" (S No. 136/2: "The Secret of Kryptonite!").

Indeed, preliminary indications are that Superman's fame will be even greater in the future than it is today. A scientist of the thirtieth century A.D. has called Superman "the greatest hero in history" (WF No.91, Nov/Dec 1957: "The Three Super-Sleepers!"), and a man of the fiftieth century A.D. has echoed the sentiment, describing Superman as "the greatest hero in Earth's history" (S No. 122/1, Jul 1958: "The Secret of the Space Souvenirs").

In the texts, Superman is frequently referred to as the Man of Steel and the Man of Tomorrow. He is also referred to as the Action Ace, the Champion of Democracy, and the King of Speed.

In addition, the texts describe Superman as a "champion of justice" (S No. 9/1, Mar/ Apr 1941), an "amazing champion of the helpless and oppressed" (S No. 13/4, Nov/Dec 1941), "the world's foremost crime crusader" (S No.18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane"), "the world's foremost justice-dispenser" (S No. 25/1, Nov/Dec 1943: "The Man Superman Refused to Help!"), "Earth's mightiest warrior" (S No. 38/1, Jan/Feb 1946: "The Battle of the Atoms!"), "the world's mightiest citizen" (S No. 40/2, May/Jun 1946: " A Modern Marco Polo!"), the "world's
mightiest being" (S No. 65/3, Jul/ Aug 1950: "Three Supermen from Krypton!"), "the world's most famous citizen" (Act No.150, Nov 1950: "The Secret of the 6 Superman Statues!"), "the most amazing human of our century" (Act No.171, Aug 1952: "The Secrets of Superman!"), "the world's mightiest defender of justice" (Act No.178, Mar 1953: "The Sandman of Crime!"), "the mightiest man alive" (Act No.181, Jan 1953: "The New Superman"), "the world's mightiest man" (Act No.182, Jul 1953: "The Return of Planet Krypton!"; and others), "Earth's mightiest champion of justice" (Act No.225, Feb 1957: "The Death of Superman"), the "mightiest human being in all the world" (Act No.235, Dec 1957: "The Super-Prisoner of Amazon Island"), "Earth's mighty champion" (Act No.242, Jul 1958: "The Super-Duel in Space"), "the mightiest man on Earth" (Act No.247, Dec 1958: "Superman's Lost Parents!"; and others), "the Earth's most powerful man" (Act No.269, Oct 1960: "The Truth Mirror!"), a "famed battler against crime and injustice" (Act No.287 , Apr 1962: "Perry White's Manhunt for Superman!"), "Earth's protector" and "the heroic champion of Earth " (Act No. 327, Aug 1965: "The Three Generations of Superman!"), "the world's greatest hero" (Act No.328, Sep 1965: "Superman's Hands of Doom!"), "a defender of the weak and oppressed" and "the mightiest of all men" (S No. 164/1, Oct 1963: pts. I-II-"The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!"; "The Super-Duel!"), the "greatest lawman of them all" (S No.178/2, Jul 1965: "When Superman Lost His Memory!"), and as "a defender of the helpless, [and] a champion of the underdog" (S No.14611, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

=Origin=
"Out of the infinite reaches of interstellar space came Superman, son of the doomed planet Krypton, to fight the forces of evil upon Earht...!" (Act No. 63, Aug '43: "When Stars Collide!").
==The Original Account==
"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 the child's structure was millions of years advanced of 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 waits...run faster than a express train... and that nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin!
"Early, Clark 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!" (Act No. 1, Jun '38).
==Addenda and Revisions==
Since the appearance of this original account forty years ago, the story of Superman's origin has been greatly revised and expanded to accomodate a wealth of new detail. Later texts, for example, gave the name of Superman's native planet as Krypton and described its people and civilization in great detail. Superman's parents, Jor-El and Lara, were introduced, and the events leading up to the cataclysm that destroyed Krypton were extensively chronicled. The "passing motorist" who found the infant Superman became a couple, Johnathon and Martha Kent, who adopted the orphan from space and named him Clark Kent. Conflicting accounts were offered of the infant's brief stay in the orphanage, including how long he remained there and whether his super-powers were actually revealed there. Later texts asserted that Superman embarked on his super-heroic career while still a youngster in Smallville rather than waiting until "maturity was reached." And, finally, the range and extent of his superhuman powers were continually expanded and the explanation of how he aquired them was periodically revised (see section 5, the super-powers). For complete accounts and analyses of all the supplementary data concerning Superman's origin, consult the various entries cross-referenced above.

=The Secret Identity=
''in progress''
=The Costume=
''"Once he is out of view, the timid reporter switches to a colorful costume known with fear, admiration, and respect in every corner of the Globe!"''

'''The Evolution'''

Throughout the course of his sixty year career, Superman's chroniclers have portrayed him in a wide variety of artistic styles - but the basic details of his costume have remained substantially unchanged. Superman wears a blue costume complemented by red trunks, red boots, and a long, flowing red cape. A yellow belt encircles his waist, and there is a highly stylized Superman insignia - consisting of a large red letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield, which is bordered in red - emblazoned on his chest. The back of Superman's cape bears a similar insignia, except that this one consists of a yellow letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield bordered in yellow.

What minor changes there have been in Superman's costume over the years have generally been in terms of coloring. His boots, for example, which are blue in a number of very early adventures (Action Comics #4 & #5) and yellow in at least one other (Action Comics #7), have been consistently colored red since the end of the 1930s.

The stylized "S" insignia on Superman's chest, small and sleek in Superman's earliest adventures, soon becomes larger, more highly stylized, and more distinct. In a number of early adventures, the shield is portrayed (in various colors) with a yellow border, but the red border has become standard by the beginning of the 1940s.

Inconsistencies persist for nearly twenty years, however, regarding the coloring of the insignia on Superman's cape. Missing entirely from Superman's costume in a number of texts, it is sometimes portrayed as a blue "S" on a yellow shield, sometimes as a yellow "S" on a blue shield, sometimes as a yellow "S" on a red shield, sometimes as a red "S" on a yellow shield, and sometimes as a yellow "S" on a yellow shield.

Not until the late 1950s does a yellow letter "S" inscribed within a yellow shield become the standardized form of the insignia emblazoned on the back of Superman's cape.

'''Secret Origin'''

The origin of Superman's costume has been treated inconsistently in the chronicles, although there is virtually unanimous agreement among the texts that the costume is as indestructible as the Man of Steel himself. In Summer 1940, Superman describes his costume as "constructed of a cloth I invented myself which is immune to the most powerful forces!"

By the early 1950s, however, the texts have begun to describe Superman's costume as having been fashioned by Martha Kent out of the colored blankets she and her husband found wrapped around the infant Superman when he arrived on Earth in a rocket from the doomed planet Krypton.

At this point in the chronicles, numerous texts describe Superman's costume as having been fashioned from an inherently indestructible material from Krypton. Superman #112 offers this observation:

''Indestructible as time itself, Superman's costume, woven of a strange cloth from his native planet, Krypton, has aided him in unique ways, many times in the past!''

More recent texts, however, have greatly modified this position. Although Superman's costume is still described as having been fashioned from a fiber of Krypton, this cloth is now said to have acquired its indestructibility just as Superman acquired his super-powers - as the result of having been transported from the planet Krypton to the vastly different environment of Earth.

According to Superman #146, Martha Kent was moved to fashion a super-playsuit for the infant Superman because the child was constantly destroying his store-bought clothes by engaging in various forms of super-powered play. Fortunately, the Kents had had the foresight to save the three blankets - one red, one blue, and one yellow - in which the infant Superman had been swathed when he arrived on Earth in his rocket. Because the blanket material was indestructible and therefore could not be cut by any scissors, the Kents unraveled some loose ends and then coaxed their super-powered infant into using the heat of his X-ray vision to cut the unraveled thread so that Martha Kent could use it to sew the Kryptonian blankets into a super-playsuit. Years later, Martha Kent unraveled the playsuit and rewove the thread into Superman's now-famous costume. According to one of the stories in Superman Annual #8 (1963), the young Superman used "strips of rubber padding" salvaged from the wreckage of his rocket to fashion a pair of bright red boots, while a yellow strap, also salvaged from the rocket, became his belt.

'''Indestructible'''

Superman's costume is, by all accounts, absolutely indestructible. Fire cannot burn it, the strongest shears cannot cut it, and neither bullets nor lightning can make a mark on it. Not even the force of six atomic bombs exploding inside it can do harm. (Superman #78, 1952)

So long as it remains on Earth, or in some other environment where Superman would ordinarily have super-powers, Superman's costume retains its indestructibility. This remains true even if, for some reason, Superman has temporarily lost his powers. Similarly, the costume retains its indestructibility even if someone other than Superman wears it, rendering the wearer invulnerable to bullets and other weapons so long as the weapons strike the costume and not the wearer.

According to the most recent explanation of Superman's powers, Superman derives his super-powers, in part, from the peculiar radiations of Earth's yellow sun. On planets revolving around a red sun, however, such as the planet Lexor, or the planet Krypton before it exploded, Superman has no super-powers. Similarly, on red-sun planets, Superman's costume loses its indestructibility and can be torn and damaged like any ordinary garment on Earth. If Superman's costume is ripped or damaged during a visit to a red-sun world - or during a visit to the bottle city of Kandor, where red-sun conditions prevail - Superman must take care to repair the damage before returning to Earth, where the costume will once again become indestructible and therefore impossible to cut and sew.

=The Fortress of Solitude=
''in progress''
=The Super-Powers=
"The super-powers of the '''Man of Steel''' are legendary! The whole world marvels at his invulnerability, super-spped, super-strength, and other super-skills" (Act No. 251, Apr '59: "The Oldest Man in Metropolis!").
==Derivation of the Super-Powers==
Superman's super-powers are by and large, extraordinary magnifications of ordinary human abilities. Just as an ordinary man can hurl a baseball, Superman can hurl an entire Planet. Just as an ordinary man can see across the room, Superman can see across the universe.

Compared with the powers he possesses today, however, the powers employed by Superman in the early texts are modest indeed. Action Comics # 1 (1938), the first comic book in which Superman appeared, claimed only that its hero could "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!" (Jun 1938).

As the years passed, however, the chroniclers endowed the Man of Steel with ever more spectacular powers to enable him to meet ever more exacting challenges. Today Superman can withstand the heat at the core of the sun, soar through the air at a speed thousands of times the speed of light, and extinguish a star with a puff of his breath as though it were merely a candle on a birthday cake.

Along with a steady expansion of Superman's powers has come a series of changing explanations of how he came to acquire those powers. Action Comics # 1, for example, contains this "scientific explanation of his amazing strength":

Kent had come from a Planet whose inhabitants' physical
structure was millions of years advanced of our own.
Upon reaching maturity, the people of his race became
gifted with titanic strength!
--Incredible? No! For even today on our world exist creatures
with '''super-strength!'''
The lowly ant can support weights hundreds of times its own.
The grasshopper leaps what to a man would be the space of several
city blocks. {Jun 1938}

For approximately the first decade of Superman's career, the texts advanced the thesis that Superman's powers were merely those possessed by all the inhabitants of his native Planet. These texts described the men and women of Krypton as a "super-race" (S No. 73/2, Nov/Dec '51: "The Mighty Mite!") who were gifted with X-ray vision and other powers and who were thousands of eons ahead of earthlings, both mentally and physically. (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug '48: "The Origin of Superman!").

According to Superman No. 33/1, "...'''Superman'''-- a native of the ill-fated planet of Krypton---is of a different structure than than the natives of Earth! Neither his mind nor his body are susceptible to the influences that can overcome other human beings!" (Mar/Apr '45: "Dimensions of Danger!").

"Where we come from," gloats the Kryptonian villian U-Ban in July-August, "'''everyone''' has see-through vision, extra-strength and extra-speed!" (S No. 65/3: "Three Supermen from Krypton!").

By the late 1940s, however, the texts had begun to describe the people of Krypton as more or less ordinary human beings and to attribute Superman's powers to the vast differences between the gravitational pull and atmospheric conditions of Krypton and those of the Planet Earth. In the words of Superman #58,

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!'''
[May/June '49: "The Case of the Second Superman"].

Subsequent texts continued to cite the importance of the gravitational difference between Earth and Krypton while laying increasingly greater stress on the significance of Krypton's unique atmosphere in accounting for the awesome powers a Kryptonian acquired once he was free of his native Planet. "Obviously, Krypton is such an unusual Planet," Superman's father, Jor-El, once noted, "that when a native Kryptonian is elsewhere, free of Krypton's unique atmosphere and tremendous gravitational pull, he becomes a '''superman!'''" (Superman #113, May '57: chs. 1-3-"The Superman of the Past"; "The Secret of the Towers"; "The Superman of the Present").

Since, according to this theory, Superman owes the existence of his super-powers to the fact that he is no longer on the Planet Krypton, it follows that Superman has no super-powers wherever atmospheric and gravitational conditions prevail that are identical to those of his native planet.

Indeed during a visit to a man-made duplicate of the planet Krypton, in July 1953, Superman finds that he can no longer fly, "since [the planet's] tremendous gravitational power neautralizes [his] strength!"

"And because of the greater atmospheric density on this world," notes Superman, "I can't (ugh) use my X-ray vision here either!" And moments later he adds, "I--I could stay under water almost indefinitely on Earth---but not on [the duplicate] Krypton! Because of the greater exertion, I need more oxygen!" (Act No. 182: "The Return of Planet Krypton!").

An identical loss of super-powers befalls Superman whenever he journeys through the time barrier to Krypton at a time prior to the its destruction or pays a visit to the bottle city of Kandor. "...[W]here '''Krypton''''s non-earthly gravity conditions are in force," muses Superman during a visit to Kandor in October 1958, "I have no super-powers!I-I'm just an '''ordinary man!'''" (Act No. 245: "The Shrinking Superman!").

According to a revised theory of Superman's powers, first advanced in 1960, the Man of Steel derives his super-powers partly from [the] lesser gravity of Earth and partly from the unique "'''ultra solar rays''' that penetrate Earth day and night."

"These rays," explains Superman to Supergirl in March 1960, "can only affect people who were born in other solar systems than Earth's! And only yellow starts like Earth's sun emit those super-energy rays! On Planets of non-yellow suns, we would not be super-powered, even under the low gravity!" (Supergirl story in Act No. 262: "Supergirl's Greatest Victory!").

This theory is restated in Superman No.141. â€œWhat gave me super-powers on Earth,â€ explains Superman, â€œwas Earthâ€™s lesser gravity and the fact that, unlike '''Kryptonâ€™s red''' sun, Earthâ€™s solar system has a '''yellow''' sun....Only yellow stars radiate super-energy rays which give super-powers to people born in other solar systems!â€ (Nov â€™60: pts. I-III-â€œSuperman Meets Jor-El and Lara again!â€; â€œSupermanâ€™s Kryptonian Romance!â€; â€œThe Surprise of Fate!â€).

Superman No. 146/1 refines this theory still further, attributing Supermanâ€™s â€œmuscular powersâ€ - super-strength, super-breath, super-speed, and the power of flight â€“ to Earthâ€™s light gravity, and his â€œsuper-senses and mental powersâ€ - X-ray vision and other optical powers, super-hearing, and various intellectual powers â€“ to the ultra solar rays of Earth's yellow sun. In a flashback sequence, Superman explains that, as the result of his having been born

on a giant world with heavy gravity, my muscles automatically
became super-strong in Earthâ€™s light gravity! Iâ€™m like the ant,
which, if it were man sized, could carry a locomotive! Grasshoppers
could leap over buildings!
Now notice that Krypton had a red sunâ€¦! But only the ultra solar
rays of Earthâ€™s yellow sun can super energize my brain and five senses
to give me the other non-muscular super-powers!
Also, those yellow-sun rays, which only tan Earth peopleâ€™s skin,
hardened mine like steel! Radium raysâ€¦lightningâ€¦fireâ€¦nothing can harm
me! [Jul 1961: â€œThe Story of Supermanâ€™s Life!â€].

In the logic of this latest refinement, all Kryptonian objects acquire indestructibility in the yellow-sun environment of Earth, and all native Kryptonians - such as Supergirl or Krypto the Superdog - acquire super-powers identical to Superman's. However, the indestructibility of these objects and the super-powers of the various Kryptonian survivors remain proportional to what they would have been had they remained in their native Kryptonian environment. Superman is stronger than Supergirl, for example, just as an ordinary human male is normally stronger than his female counterpart. Similarly, a Kryptonian gorilla on Earth would be stronger than Superman, just as an ordinary gorilla is more powerful than an ordinary man.

It is this phenomenon to which Superman refers in February 1962, when, after having been bitten severely on the hand by a Kryptonian â€œflame dragonâ€ (see Flame Dragon), he remarks that â€œThe beastâ€™s bite penetrated my skinâ€¦which is invulnerable to everything to everything '''except''' the bite of a Kryptonian creature who would have normally been stronger than me if both of us were on '''Krypton''', minus our super-strength!â€ (S No. 151/3: â€œSupermanâ€™s Greatest Secret!â€).

Because Superman is now said the derive his powers, in part, from the ultra solar rays of Earth's yellow sun, he has no powers on any Planet revolving about a red sun, such as the Planet Lexor (Act No. 318, Nov â€™64: â€œThe Death of Luthor!â€; and others) or the world of the Thorones (Act No. 321, Feb â€™65: â€œSupermanâ€”Weakest Man in the World!â€).

The mighty super-powers that Superman employs today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning decades of texts. Following is an inventory of Superman's super-powers, along with the history and evolution of each super-power.

==Super-Speed and the Power of Flight==
In the early years of his super-heroic career, Superman was not endowed with the power of flight. Although he possessed superhuman speed, he moved from place to place by running or by executing gigantic leaps. Month by month, however, Superman's running speed increased, along with the length of his leaps and the complexity of the aerial maneuvers he was able to perform once he had left the ground. The transition from leaping to actual flying was extraordinarily gradual and was punctuated with a great deal of inconsistency. Not until May 1943 is Superman explicitly referred to as a "being who can fly like a bird" and not until later that same year can it be said, without qualification, that Superman actually possesses the power of flight.

By 1945, Superman is able to fly from Metropolis to Burma in the wink of an eye. "Light travels 186,000 miles a second, but has nothing on Superman," notes the text, "who finds himself hovering over the jungles of Burma in the wink of an eye!"

In November 1946, Superman demonstrates the ability to stand invisibly on one spot by oscillating his body so fast that the human eye cannot see him. During this same period, Superman protects bystanders at a navy yard from the effects of a devastating explosion by spinning around the blast area at super-speed. With the speed of light, Superman makes a wall of his revolving body, through which the expanding gases of the explosive cannot penetrate. Then, funneling upward, Superman directs the blast toward the sky.

In August 1947, Superman successfully photographs a series of past events by flying into outer space faster than the speed of light and overtaking the light waves leaving Earth which contain the images of the events he wants to record on film.

Later in 1947, Superman single-handedly constructs an entire underground city in a matter of seconds. (Superman #48) During this same period, Superman uses his command of super-speed to travel through the time barrier into the past.

Virtually all texts agree that to penetrate the time barrier, Superman must move at a speed exceeding that of light.

==Super-Strength==
There have been many strong men in the world, but none with the amazing power of Superman, whose rippling steel muscles can blast boulders to dust and move mountains.

Like Superman's other powers, his strength has been continually magnified over the years.

In June 1938, Superman, described as a man of titanic strength with the ability to raise tremendous weights, lifts an automobile over his head with one hand, shakes its hoodlum occupants out on the the ground, then smashes the car to bits against the base of a cliff.

In Spring 1940, when Metropolis is ravaged by a man-made earthquake, Superman supports tottering buildings while terrified occupants dash to safety.

In 1941, Superman swims through a raging flood using only one hand, while holding a mansion aloft with the other hand. To divert the floodwaters, Superman digs a huge, mile-long ditch with his bare hands in a matter of moments.

In 1942, Superman seizes a set of brass knuckles and crushes the cowardly instrument in his palm as easily as though the metal were putty; he smashes his way through the side of a mountain; and, while clinging to the side of a moving train, Superman performs an amazing stunt - he opens a Pullman window! By September of the same year, his strength has grown to the point where he can wrench apart a pair of twin mountain peaks with his bare hands.

In 1943, when Superman acts to avert the collapse of a massive undersea cavern, his mighty shoulders bear the weight of thousands of tons of rock and the terrific pressure of the ocean above it. (Action Comics #62, "There'll Always Be a Superman!") He also hits a baseball so hard that it circles the world.

In 1946, Superman uses his super-strength to mend a gaping hole in the hull of a sunken freighter, welding the torn steel plates into place by rubbing them with his hands until they're white hot. Later texts refer to this process as the application of "super-friction."

1947 brings us the first time that Superman transforms a lump of coal into a glittering diamond. In the words of the text, "Incalculable tons of pressure exerted by the Man of Steel's mighty fist duplicate the work of eons to fuse the opaque coal carbons into the translucent perfection of a glittering diamond!" (Action Comics #115)

In 1948 he uses the super-pressure of his thumbnail to cut sheet metal.

By 1949 he has single-handedly created a sun for the Planet Uuz by crashing together its two uninhabited moons and then fueling the resultant atomic blaze with drifting meteors.

In November 1953, when a great dark star that's rushing through the solar system begins causing the Earth to spin faster on its axis, Superman finds himself confronted by the greatest challenge of his career, that of devising a means of slowing down the Earth. After fashioning a gigantic metal drill from ore-bearing rock, Superman drills through the Earth to the red-hot rocks inside Earth's crust and then, using his own body as a high-speed chisel, gouges a canal from the sea to the hole he has drilled in the Earth. When the seawater rushing through Superman's man-made canal washes over the red-hot rocks at the Earth's core, the result is a continuous blast of steam that makes a great jet-blast, pushing against the rotating Earth to slow it down. When it's back to normal, Superman closes off the canal.

But by 1957, Superman is able to hurl an uninhabited Planet through space (Superman #110) and in 1958 can produce a small earthquake with a super-clap of his hands.

In March 1965 Superman seizes a spacecraft manned by members of the Superman Revenge Squad and hurls it into a far distant galaxy light-years away from Earth.

==Invulnerability==
Of all the awesome capabilities of Superman, one of the most important is his invulnerability. Fire can't burn him, knives can't cut him, bullets can't hurt him. In fact, there's nothing known to man that can harm even a hair of Superman's head.

In June 1938, a bullet ricochets off Superman's tough skin and a knife blade shatters when it strikes his body. Nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin. Subsequent texts describe Superman as possessing a skin impenetrable to even steel and as being impervious to bullets because of an unbelievably tough skin. A text dated January 1945 notes that "Unlike ordinary people, the Man of Steel can do without food if necessary," but a later text contradicts this, noting that Superman could indeed "starve to death."

In September 1945, Superman holds open an earthquake fissure with his bare hands until Lois Lane has had a chance to climb to safety. "The most powerful muscles on Earth," notes the text, "withstand the tremendous pressure of thousands of tons of rock!" "If the fissure had closed on me," remarks Superman, "the only damage would have been to the rock!"

In 1946, Superman flies onto an atomic-bomb test site and withstands the successive impact of two atomic bombs. He also withstands the intense heat of the Earth's molten core. (Superman #43)

In 1950, Superman swims underwater thousands of fathoms deep, down to the ocean bed itself, and suffers no ill effects from the crushing water pressure. He withstands the heat at the rim of the sun, estimated at a few billion degrees.

By 1951, Superman can withstand the heat at the core of the sun. (Action Comics #161) By this date, Superman's Herculean body has become immune to all ills and it's impossible for him to get sick. Superman is not immune, however, to certain extraterrestrial illnesses, such as the mysterious space virus that temporarily transforms his X-ray vision into "deep-freeze" vision in November, 1957, and Virus X, native to the Planet Krypton.

In February 1954, Superman withstands the explosion of a hydrogen bomb, although it does leave him with a slight headache. (Superman #87)

A text dated April 1960 observes that the rifle-like non-super-ray weapon employed by the Bizarros of the Planet Htrae could permanently rob Superman of his super-powers. Another text for this period strongly implies that Superman is invulnerable to the aging process and therefore immortal (Superman #136, April 1960), but Superman #181 contradicts this, noting that "Though Superman is the mightiest man on Earth, even he cannot live forever!" (November, 1965, "The Superman of 2965!")

A text dated April 1965 notes that Superman is invulnerable to drowning, and can remain underwater as long as he wishes.

Because Superman is invulnerable, he cannot blush and because his skin is never affected by the sun, he is impervious to sunburn.

Superman's hair is indestructible and can neither be cut nor can it grow in Earth's atmosphere. (Superman #132, October 1959)

Any attempt to cut Superman's hair by ordinary means results only in the shattering of whatever scissors are being used, but Superman can cut his own hair when absolutely necessary by subjecting it to the concentrated power of his own X-ray vision. In a red-sun environment, however, where Superman has no super-powers, his hair loses its indestructibility and begins to grow. If Superman undertakes a mission to a red-sun Planet, it is best for him to shave and trim his hair before returning to the yellow-sun environment of Earth, where his hair will once again become indestructible.

Similarly, Superman's fingernails and toenails, which are indestructible and do not grow in the earthly environment, do grow and are destructible on Planets revolving about a red sun.

==X-Ray Vision and the Other Optical Powers==
With telescopic vision, he has spanned the solar system - his microscopic vision has seen the tiniest dust particle - while his X-ray vision has pierced every substance except lead.

Today's Superman possesses a wide range of optical super-powers, including X-ray vision, which enables him to see through all substances except lead; telescopic vision, which enables him to focus on objects millions of miles away; super-vision, a combination of X-ray vision and telescopic vision, which enables him to perform such optical feats as peering through the wall of a house thousands of miles away; microscopic vision, which enables him to examine the tiniest atomic particles; heat vision, which enables him to apply intense heat to any substance except lead; infrared vision, which enables him to see objects lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end; radar vision, a term denoting infrared vision used at low power, which enables him to see in pitch darkness; and photographic vision, which enables him to perform such feats as memorizing whole books at a single glance.

In Superman's earliest adventures, however, he exhibited no special optical powers, and the vision abilities he employs today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts. Tracing the evolution of these abilities is difficult, for the terminology used to describe them is often haphazard and confusing. "Telescopic X-ray vision," for example, used as a general term in many early texts to denote Superman's ability both to see through objects and to see objects from far away, later comes to refer to the use of both of these visions simultaneously.

"Super-vision," however, both with and without the hyphen, has been employed at various times in the chronicles as a synonym for telescopic vision; as a means of describing Superman's ability to perform some complex optical feat, such as tracing television broadcast signals to their source; and as a term denoting a combination of X-ray vision and telescopic vision, the meaning it has today.

Similarly, Superman used his X-ray vision to analyze the chemical composition of substances, to melt solid objects, and to see in pitch darkness long before the more specialized terms microscopic vision, heat vision, and radar vision ever appeared in the chronicles.

Some terms, such as "super-sensory sight," "super-sensory-vision," and "supernormal vision" are used in the texts without ever being defined precisely.

==Super-Hearing==
Today Superman's super-hearing - ordinary human hearing multiplied countless thousands of times - enables Superman to detect the footfall of an ant 1,000 miles away or trace the source of sound waves across millions of miles of interstellar space.

In his very earliest adventures, however, Superman exhibited no special aural powers, and the super-hearing he employs today is the product of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts. The term "super-hearing" first appears in the chronicles in Fall 1939. Nevertheless, during the first two decades of Superman's career, the texts also employ such other descriptive terms as "super-acute hearing," "super-sensitive hearing," "hyper-keen hearing," and "super-keen hearing."

In January 1939, Superman is described as having "sensitive ears," which enable him to hear things ordinary human beings cannot.

In November 1940, Superman's super-sensitive ears enable him to pick up radio waves so that he can listen in on a radio news broadcast without a radio. In 1942, his super-sensitive hearing enables him to trace radio waves to their source.

In June 1946, Superman's hyper-keen hearing enables him to trace a telephone call across the phone wires to its source.

By 1950, Superman's super-hearing enables him to hear the low humming sound of a machine 1,500 miles away. In 1953, he exhibits the ability to focus his super-hearing so precisely that, while flying high over Metropolis, he can eavesdrop on a conversation taking place in one specific apartment.

In January 1960, Superman's super-hearing enables him to trace sound waves to their ultimate source: a space ship millions of miles from Earth (Action Comics #260) and by December of the same year, Superman can hear Big Ben chiming the hour in London while he is in the Sahara Desert.

==Super-Breath and Related Powers==
Like Superman's other super-powers, his super-breath and related powers have undergone continual expansion and magnification.

A text dated August 1939 notes that Superman can hold his breath for hours underwater.

In January 1940, he blows out a flaming torch with a powerful puff of his breath.

A text dated March 1941 notes that Superman's lungs can withstand any air pressure, no matter how great, and a later text observes that Superman can swim thousands of fathoms deep, down to the ocean bed itself, without suffering any ill effects.

In June 1941 Superman extinguishes a raging fire with a terrific gust of breath and in 1947 he extinguishes a bonfire by inhaling the flames.

In November 1947, when the Toyman attempts to make good his escape astride a rocket-powered hobbyhorse, Superman draws him back to earth with a deep inhalation of breath.

In March 1949, after having been locked inside a skyrocket by Lex Luthor, Superman uses his super-breath in place of rocket fuel to launch the skyrocket into the stratosphere. "And with super-breath," notes the text, "the Man of Steel lifts the projectile into the sky!" Superman performs a similar feat in July 1960, climbing into the exhaust apparatus of a jet aircraft disabled in midair and using his superbreath as jet propulsion to guide it to a safe landing.

In September 1949, Superman extinguishes a chemical fire by inhaling all the air around it. "The deadly flames are no menace to Superman," notes the text, "who smothers them by momentarily drawing all the air in the room into his own mighty lungs!"

In July 1953, Superman notes that he can stay underwater almost indefinitely.

In July 1954, Superman paints a house by using his super-breath to blow paint out of a paint bucket onto the house. "Super-breath comes in handy in many ways," muses Superman, "but this is the first time I've used it as a paint sprayer!"

In August 1954, far out in space, Superman extinguishes a star with a blast of his super-breath. (Superman #91)

In July 1959, Superman halts a massive tidal wave by freezing it into a solid iceberg with a blast of his super-breath.

In March 1960, Jimmy Olsen remarks that Superman can live for years underwater.

In October 1960, after engraving an inscription with his fingernail into the frame of a mirror, Superman blows on the inscription with this super-breath in order to imbue it with an antique appearance. "The force of my super-breath will create an artificial aging effect," observes Superman, "so the writing will appear centuries-old!" (Action Comics #269)

In February 1961, after Mr. Mxyzptlk has loosed a cloud of magic sneezing powder on Metropolis, Superman finds himself forced to give vent to a super-sneeze that literally destroys an entire distant solar system.

In April 1963, Superman disarms a gang of bank robbers by using his super-cold breath to freeze the air around their guns into clocks of ice. "Puffing my super-cold breath at them," muses Superman, "I've condensed the moisture in the air around their guns into ice! Now that their numb fingers can't pull triggers, innocent bystanders won't get hurt!"

A text dated April 1965 notes that Superman is invulnerable to drowning and can remain under-water as long as he wishes.

==Vocal and Ventriloquistic Powers==
Like Superman's other super-powers, his vocal and ventriloquistic powers have been continually magnified and expanded in the course of his career.

In 1941, Superman employs ordinary ventriloquism to distract the attention of criminals holding Lois Lane.

In March 1942, Superman exhibits the ability to mimic voices when he expertly disguises his voice so that it sounds exactly like a gang-leader's. In September of the same year, in order to warn the people of Metropolis of a Nazi invasion, Superman shouts a warning in such dynamic tones his voice carries for miles.

In May 1943 Superman summons police to an underworld hideout by broadcasting his voice with the aid of his super-powers so that it materializes in police radio sets.

In 1947 Superman shatters a thousand-ton block of ice into tiny fragments with a mighty shout.

In January 1950, Superman ventriloquizes over a considerable distance in order to make a painted image of himself appear to talk and in order to make his voice materialize from a police-car radio. This technique, which later becomes known as "super-ventriloquism," enables Superman to project his voice over immense distances and yet have his voice heard only by those whom he is directly addressing.

In July 1950, one of Superman's super-yells is monitored at over 1,000,000 decibles. (Superman #65) One later text notes that "Superman's tremendous shout echoes like a thousand thunderstorms in the sky," while another observes that his "super-voice resounds like 1,000 loudspeakers," enabling everyone within a five-mile radius to hear it.

In August 1950, while standing with Lois Lane in an office at the Daily Planet, Superman uses ventriloquism to make Clark Kent's voice come over the telephone so that Lois will believe that Kent and Superman are two different men.

In September 1955, Superman shatters a diamond into powder by using his super-voice to produce extraordinarily high-pitched musical notes.

In July 1961, Superman converses with Supergirl over an immense distance by means of super-ventriloquism, a voice throwing technique that enables them to converse over long distances without being overheard by anyone in between.

In July 1962, Superman summons Krypto the Superdog by means of super-ventriloquism, but in November 1963 he speaks of summoning Krypto via supersonic ventriloquism, a technique that enables him to throw his voice at such a high pitch that only Krypto's super-canine hearing could possibly hear it.

==Mental and Intellectual Powers==
Along with his other super-powers, Superman also possesses a super-intellect and other superhuman mental powers.

In Spring 1940 Clark Kent exhibits the ability to temporarily halt the beating of his heart. In several occasions in subsequent years, Superman employs this unique ability in order to enable him to feign death. Superman #21 alludes to Superman's having temporarily halted the beating of his heart and put himself into a state of suspended animation, and World's Finest Comics #54 cites Superman's ability to control his heart action in order to simulate the signs of death. Control of one's heartbeat would seem to involve mental control of one's physical functions, but in his only clear description of this feat, Superman describes it as one of "super-muscular control." "To make you think I had 'died,'" he remarks to a group of captured criminals in January 1958, "I used super-muscular control to stop my heart from beating - just as I'm doing now to make it beat faster and louder, listen!"

In Summer 1940, Superman is described as possessing a photographic memory.

In January 1941 Superman cures Lois Lane of her amnesia by means of hypnosis and a month later, as Clark Kent, he hypnotizes her into forgetting the super-feats he is about to perform so that he can rescue her from a burning cabin in his role as Clark Kent without betraying his dual identity.

In January 1942, Superman is able to converse fluently with a mermaid despite the fact that her tongue is completely foreign to him because his advanced intellect instantly comprehends her strange language. (Superman #14)

In July 1943, Superman is described as having a "super-brain," but later texts refer to Superman as having a "super-intellect."

In January 1945, Superman visits the public library and reads through a mountain of books and articles about himself in only five minutes, and in November 1945, he is described as reading a 500-page book in ten seconds flat.

In September 1947, Superman is described as having a super-instinct that alerts him to the fact that someone is watching him.

In July 1948, Superman demonstrates the ability to solve complex mathematical equations with the speed and accuracy of a giant computing machine.

In July 1950, Superman's super-intellect enables him to solve, in seconds, a complicated mathematical problem that the Metropolis Science Foundation's mighty electronic brain takes ten minutes to solve.

In July 1951, Clark Kent memorizes a 400-page book in a matter of seconds, and in September of the same year, Superman comments that, for the sake of convenience, he has memorized the entire Metropolis phone book.

In November 1953, Superman is described as having a "super-memory."

In March 1954, Superman's super-intelligence enables him to solve a complex equation that involves dealing with mathematical ideas unknown to ordinary men.

In March 1955, Superman memorizes all the existing books on eye surgery preparatory to performing a complicated eye operation.

In April 1955, Superman is described as having used his photographic memory to memorize all the files of the Daily Planet.

In May 1956, Superman is described as being able to recall every action of his life with his "super-human memory." Subsequent texts refer to Superman's "power of total memory" or "total-recall memory," noting that it enables the Man of Steel to remember everything he ever said or did.

In January 1958, Superman is able to match up a suspect's fingerprints with those on file in Washington, D.C., as the result of having used his super-memory to memorize the entire fingerprint file of the F.B.I.

In June 1958, while relaxing at his Fortress of Solitude, Superman defeats a great robot he has built in a game of super-chess, despite the fact that the robot - which possesses a super-electronic brain - can think and play with the speed of lightning and plans a million moves at once.

In November 1960 Superman is described as having mastered Kryptonese, the language of Krypton, through his memory's power of total recall.

A text dated August 1963 notes that Superman possesses the super-intellect of a score of the world's most brilliant minds put together.

==Miscellaneous Powers==
In addition to the super-powers enumerated in the foregoing subsections, Superman has displayed other unique abilities that are not readily classifiable.

Several texts describe Superman as possessing super-senses which, among other things, enable him to sense the presence of an electrical discharge or the close proximity of [[Lori Lemaris]].

Superman's supersensitive nostrils enable him to detect the faint odor of nitroglycerine in a cache of dynamite or to stand atop a Metropolis skyscraper and pinpoint Lois Lane's exact location by her perfume.

According to one text, Superman possesses a super-sensitive nerve structure, rendering him extraordinarily sensitive to the effects of cosmic disturbances. Another text notes that Superman's fingers are super-sensitive, enabling him to distinguish between types of metal ores by their touch even when he cannot see them.

Superman's super-coordination enables him to sign two autographs simultaneously, one with each hand, and a transfusion of his alien blood has the power to make a critically ill person well again within a matter of moments. (Superman #6, 1940)

Superman #133 asserts that Superman could consume virtually endless quantities of food, and Action Comics #306 suggests that Superman can perform feats of lovemaking of which an ordinary man would be quite incapable: forced into the position of having to kiss Lois Lane beneath the mistletoe at a Daily Planet Christmas party in 1963, Clark Kent mischievously decides to shock the daylights out of Lois by giving her a super-kiss, in the manner of Superman, instead of the mild-mannered kiss she would be likely to expect from Clark Kent. Indeed, when Kent finally releases Lois from his embrace after giving her a super-soulful kiss, Lois is glassy-eyed and on the verge of swooning.

"Holy Toledo, Clark," exclaims someone at the party, " - where'd you learn to kiss like that?"

"Yes," stammers Lois, plainly impressed, "for a while I thought you were - er - someone else! Where'd you pick up this technique?"

"Maybe it's sort of a hidden talent!" replies Kent. "After all, you don't know everything about me!" And then Kent thinks: "True indeed! Lois would pass out if she knew it was Superman, my other identity, who kissed her!"

One super-power that has long since been discarded by the chroniclers is Superman's ability, displayed on a number of occasions in the 1940s, to radically alter his facial characteristics and even his size through what was described as "superb muscular control" of his "plastic features."

=The Vulnerabilities=
''in progress''
==Kryptonite==
''in progress''
===Green Kryptonite===
''in progress''
===Red Kryptonite===
''in progress''
===Gold Kryptonite===
Gold Kryptonite permenently takes away Superman's powers
===Blue Kryptonite===
Blue Kryptonite is harmful to bizzaro Supermen in the same way that Green Kryptonite is to Superman
===White Kryptonite===
''in progress''
==Magic==
''in progress''
==Virus X==
This deadly Kryptonian virus, for which no cure has ever been discovered, is described in Superman No. 156 as "a contagion fatal in 30 days to any native of Krypton...." Because living X viruses—if, indeed, any survived the destruction of Superman's native planet—would acquire super-virulence in the alien environment of Earth in the same manner whereby Superman acquired his super-powers, Superman and all other surviving natives of [[Krypton]] are vulnerable to this killer virus just as they would have been had Krypton never exploded and they, and the virus, remained on Krypton.

In his experiments with Virus X prior to the death of Krypton, the Kryptonian scientist Tharb-El discovered that he could destroy the virus with "element 202." Because element 202 is fatal to human beings, however, Tharb-El was unsuccessful in his efforts to produce a viable cure (S No. 156, Oct 1962: "The Last Days of Superman!" pts. I-III—"Superman's Death Sentence!"; "The Super-Comrades of All Time!"; "Superman's Last Day of Life!").

==Other Vulnerabilities==
''in progress''
=The Equipment=
''in progress''
==Lead Armor==
''in progress''
==Dummies, Robots, and Androids==
Almost from the beginning of his long career, Superman has employed dummies and robots of Clark Kent and Superman - as well as of his loved ones and closest friends - to help him carry out his customary super-tasks and protect the secret of his dual identity. Today these so-called "super-robots" - which are housed both at the Fortress of Solitude and behind a secret panel in Clark Kent's Metropolis apartment - are immensely sophisticated and complex, possessing mighty super-powers and capable of human emotion, independent thought, and autonomous action. In the early years of the chronicles, however, this was not the case, and the complex robots that exist today are the products of a gradual evolution spanning many years of texts.

In March 1944 Clark Kent uses a Superman dummy to help him outwit the Thinker, employing ventriloquism to make the dummy appear to talk.

In September 1949, Superman employs a Superman robot in an elaborate scheme to dupe a band of aliens from the planet Uranus into believing that all earthlings are actually robots. Superman makes his robot appear lifelike by manipulating it like a puppet at invisible super-speed while employing ventriloquism to make it talk.

As the years progress, the Superman robots become progressively more advanced.

By May 1958, Superman has succeeded in devising robots so sophisticated that his Clark Kent robot - kept concealed behind a secret panel in a supply room at the Daily Planet - is actually capable of carrying on his duties at the Daily Planet whenever his presence is required elsewhere as Superman. "The robot Clark will replace me here in the office, as usual!" thinks Superman. "Remote-control impulses from my X-ray eyes will guide him and operate his voice box!" Superman also utilizes a sophisticated Superman robot during this period to carry out a mission in outer space.

In December 1958, Superman has begun housing several Superman robots in a secret closet in Clark Kent's apartment, each equipped to duplicate one of Superman's super-powers, such as super-strength, the power of flight, X-ray vision, or super-breath. "Each is designed to use one of my super-powers when needed!" notes Superman. "I send out the robots when Clark's absence would be suspicious! Or when I suspect that criminals are waiting to use kryptonite against me!"

By January 1960 Superman has clearly increased the complexity of his robots even further, for he is now quoted in the Daily Planet as saying that "my robots possess all my super-powers."

In February 1960, when Superman conducts guided tours through his Fortress of Solitude for the benefit of charity, two of his Superman robots stand outside, scanning the incoming crowds with their X-ray vision to ensure that no bombs or other dangerous devices are carried into the Fortress. Indications are that the robots are carrying out their duties autonomously, without any outside help from Superman.

In June 1960, Superman, busily occupied with putting on a demonstration of his super-powers for children at a local hospital, dispatches a Clark Kent robot to keep a lunch date with Lois Lane, confident that the robot is so thoroughly lifelike that Lois will not be able to tell it from a human being.

In March 1961, one of Superman's Superman-robots, acting entirely on its own volition, carries out an intricately convoluted ruse involving human emotion, sophisticated independent thinking, and the ability to invent and construct complex scientific devices. (Action Comics #274)

Since 1959, Superman's sophisticated super-robots have been housed in two principal locations: The Fortress of Solitude and the secret closet in Clark Kent's Metropolis apartment.

The closet, which is referred to as a "secret closet," is concealed behind a fake wall which slides open at the touch of a secret button. It also slides open when a special box on Clark Kent's table is opened. In the event an intruder inadvertently activates this sliding-wall mechanism and discovers the secret closet, however, a special security device on the closet door makes the phone in the apartment ring. When the intruder answers, he hears the voice of Superman, on a prerecorded tape, asking Clark Kent to return the robots he has recently "borrowed." This device has many times protected the secret of Superman's dual identity.

The robots used most often by Superman have been robots of Superman and Clark Kent, but the Man of Steel has also used robots of Lois Lane and Lana Lang, Supergirl, Krytpo the Superdog, and robots of himself both as the teen-age Superboy and as a super-baby.

The robots address Superman as "master" and Superman addresses them, when he addresses them verbally, either by a number, such as "Robot One," or by a letter of the alphabet, such as "Robot Y."

The chronicles contain little real information concerning the workings of Superman's robots beyond that they run on sophisticated batteries, that they contain complex circuits and energy cells, and that each is controlled by an electronic control center located somewhere in its body.

Superman can activate and control his robots wither with verbal commands or by means of his X-ray vision. Even from a long distance away, Superman can summon his robots into action either with his X-ray vision or with a ventriloquistic signal. In the event of an emergency, Superman's robots can also be activated by the Superman Emergency Squad, but they will not respond to anyone's voice but Superman's.

Even if a villain could somehow succeed in commandeering one of Superman's robots, there are indications that the robots, having been created only to do good deeds, would refuse to perform evil ones. In addition, Superman has installed a special self-destruct mechanism in each of his robots - designed to destroy completely any robot that becomes disabled while performing a mission - to prevent unscrupulous individuals from cannibalizing the parts of disabled robots and using the sophisticated circuitry for evil ends.

Even though Superman's robots possess all of Superman's super-powers, they are not as powerful or as indestructable as Superman himself. Even Superman's best robots have been crushed by undersea water pressure, demolished by the flame-breath of a Kryptonian flame dragon, destroyed by a powerful electromagnet, repelled by a powerful anti-magnetic device, blacked out by sophisticated electronic machinery, shattered by Lex Luthor's vibro-gun, short circuited from sudden sunspot activity, or had their motors destroyed by a super-powered villain's X-ray vision.

Although Superman's own costume is indestructible, the ones worn by his Superman robots are not.

Because Superman's robots are not vulnerable to kryptonite, they are extremely useful in certain emergencies in which Superman's life would otherwise be in jeopardy. Superman has programmed his Superman robots to feign vulnerability to kryptonite in public, however, to prevent outsiders from distinguishing the real Superman from his robot surrogates. This programming strategy enables Superman to use his robots to help protect his secret identity by standing in for him as Superman, while preventing anyone from realizing that they are dealing only with a Superman robot. It is common knowledge, however, that Superman has and uses Superman robots. All newly constructed Superman robots are forced to undergo a period of arduous training before they are permitted to work alongside Superman's other robots on an equal footing.

Over the years, a number of present and former Superman robots have played important roles in the chronicles, including Superman Robot Z (Action Comics #274, May 1961), Wonder Man (Superman #163, August 1963), and Adam Newman (Superman #174, January 1965).

(''see'' also the list of [[:Category:Superman Robots|Superman Robots]])

==Miscellaneous Equipment==
''in progress''
=The Man Himself (as Clark Kent)=
The chief protagonist of the Superman chronicles is in one sense really two men. He is, of course, Superman, the world's mightiest hero, but he is also Clark Kent, mild-mannered journalist, for more than 60 years the star reporter of the [[Daily Planet]], more recently a full-time newscaster for [[Metropolis]] television station [[WGBS]]-TV (S No.233, Jan 1971: "Superman Breaks Loose!"; and many others).

'''Appearance'''
Clark Kent has black hair and blue eyes. He is 6'2" tall, with chest measurements of 44" and a waist measurement of 34" (Act No.297, Feb 1963: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!"; S. No.178/1, July 1965: "Project Earth-Doom!"). According to one text, his blood conforms to '''ALL FOUR''' types!" (S. No.6/4, Sep/Oct 1940).

Since Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same man, it is not surprising that some have noticed a strong resemblance between them. In February 1963 [[Perry White]] observes that Clark Kent "strongly resembles Superman" (Act No.297: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!"), and in November 1963 [[General Pedro Valdez]] informs Kent that "Without glasses and dressed like Superman, you could pass anywhere as his double!" (Act No.306: "The Great Superman Impersonation!").

"Hmm ... there is a resemblance!" notes [[Lois Lane]] in December 1965. "That's why I've often suspected Clark might be Superman!" (Ac No.331: "Clark Kent's Masquerade as Superman!"). Despite this perceived resemblance, however, Clark Kent has succeeded in keeping his dual identity one of the world's most closely guarded secrets (see [[Secret Identity]]).

'''Name'''
The identity of Clark Kent was conferred upon the infant Superman by [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]], who adopted the orphan from the doomed planet [[Krypton]] soon after the rocket that had brought him safely to Earth had landed in an open field (Act No.141, Feb 1950: "Luthor's Secret Weapon") on the outskirts of [[Smallville]] (WF No.57, Mar/Apr 1952: "The Artificial Superman!"; and others). The proud foster parents named their new son Clark, which was Martha Kent's maiden name (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"; and others).

'''Childhood/Education'''
Clark Kent's early childhood years were spent on his foster parents' farm outside of Smallville (S No.152/2, Apr 1962: "Superbaby Captures the Pumpkin Gang!; and others). By the time Clark was old enough to attend elementary school, the Kents had sold their farm and moved to Smallville, where Jonathan Kent opened up a general store (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"); and others).

According to Superman 46/3, Clark Kent attended high school at Metropolis High, where he was nicknamed "Specs" and became known as his class's "quietest boy" (May/Jun 1947: "That Old Class of Superboy's!"). However, numerous other texts assert, far more plausibly, that Clark Kent grew up in Smallville, attending [[Smallville High School]] (WF No.69, Ma/Apr 1954: "Jor-El's Last Will!"; and many others) and working afternoons after school in his foster father's general store (S No.116/2, Sep 1957: "Disaster Strikes Twice"). His high school principal thought of him as "the shyest boy in our graduating class" (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days"), but his senior yearbook described him this way: "highest grades --boy most likely to become famous --" (S No.144/2, Apr 1961: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!").

Following his graduation from Smallville High School, Clark Kent attended college at [[Metropolis University]] (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days"; and others). He lived in a dormitory, joined a fraternity (S No.129/3, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!"), and yelled his heart out as a cheerleader for the college football eam (S No.125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days").

He had already decided upon a career in journalism (Act No.144, May 1950: "Clark Kenbt's Career!"). Nevertheless, he studied advanced science under [[Professor Thadeus V. Maxwell]] (S No 125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days") and took courses in biology, astronomy, art, music, and other subjects. In his senior year he had a bittersweet romance with [[Lori Lemaris]] (S No.129/3, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!").

'''Employment'''
Following his college graduation, Clark Kent returned to Smallville, but not long afterward, both his foster parents passed away. It was a bereaved Clark Kent who departed Smallville to embark o his chosen career as a newspaper reporter in Metropolis (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

Kent actually began his career as a reporter for the [[Daily Star]], the forerunner in the chronicles of the ''Daily Planet''. By thwarting a lynching at the county jail as Superman, and then phoning in an exclusive account of the events as would-be reporter Clark Kent, Kent pursuaded the paper's editor to hire him despite his lack of experience (S No.1/1, Sum 1939). Since the appearance of this early account, however, two other, widley disparate, texts have appeared purporting to tell the true story of how Clark Kent came to acquire his job as a newspaper reporter (Act No.144, May 1950: "Clark Kent's Career!"; S No.133/2, Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!"). Both these accounts may safely be regarded as spurious. (See [[Daily Planet]].)

Working as a reporter for a major newspaper enables Clark Kent to "investigate criminals without their suspecting [he's] really '''Superman'''" (S No.133/2, Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!") and provides him with "the best opportunity for being free to help people as Superman" without having to explain his frequent absences from his place of employment (Act 144, May 1950: "Clark Kent's Career!"); and others. "As a reporter," notes Kent in December 1949, "I have a hundred underworld and police contacts that make it easier for Superman to fight crime!" (Act No.139: "Clark Kent ... Daredevil!").

Over and above its usefulness to him in his career as Superman, it is clear that Clark Kent values his career in journalism purely for its own sake. "Just remember," exclaims Kent to newsboy [[Tommy Blake]] in Summer 1945, "a good reporter gets the news ... and gets it first! But there's more to being a reporter than that!

He lives by the deadline! The thunder of
the presses is the pounding of his heart!
And most important --all his personal
feelings remain in the background! It's his
story that counts! Always remember that!"
(WF No.18: "The Junior Reporters!").

According to Superman 25/2, Clark Kent tried to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War II, only to be rejected on the grounds of faulty eyesight when, in the midst of his preinduction eye exam, he absent-mindedly peered through the wall of the examining room wth his X-ray vision and, instead of reading aloud the letters of his own eye chart, recited those on a different eye chart posted on a wall in the adjoining room. Kent might have renewed his efforts to join the Armed Forces had he not soon realized that, as Superman, he "could be of more value on the home front operating as a free agent!" (Nov/Dec 1943: "I Sustain the Wings!").

And so, for more than six continuous decades, Clark Kent has been the ''Daily Planet's'' "star reporter" (Act No.25, Jun 1940; and others). Renowned for his ability to root out local news (S No.44/3, Jan/Feb 1947: "Shakespeare's Ghost Writer!"; and others), particularly stories dealing with crime and corruption (S No.83/3, Jul/Aug 1953: "Clark Kent---Convict!"; and others), he has performed in numerous other capacities for the ''Daily Planet'', including that of war correspondent (Act No.23, Apr 1940), lovelorn editor (S No.18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane"; and others), editor of the ''Daily Planet's'' Bombay edition (Act No.203, Apr 1955: "The International Daily Planet!"), and editor of the entire newspaper in the absence of Perry White (Act No.297, Feb 1963: "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity!").

'''Personality'''
In addition to wearing ordinary street clothes and slightly altering his facial appearance with eye-glasses to conceal the fact that he is secretly Superman, Clark Kent exhibits qualities of personality far removed from the ones he displays a a super-hero. The chronicles repeatedly describe Clark Kent as "meek" (S No.7/1, Nov/Dec 1940; and many others), "timid" (WB No.1 Spr 1941; and many others), "mild-mannered" (Act No.169, Jun 1952: "Caveman Clark Kent!"; and many others), "sickly" (S No.106/2, Jil 1956: "The Thefts of Clark Kent!"), "weak" (S No.155/1, Aug 1962: pts.I-II 00"Superman Under the Green Sun!"; "The Blind Superman!"; and others), "cowardly" (Act No.322, Mar 1965: "The Coward of Steel!"; and others), "submissive" (Act No.155/1), and even "spineless" (Act No.1, Jun 1938; and others).

Clark Kent is afraid of dogs (S No.31/2, Nov/Dec 1944: "A Dog's Tale!"), afraid of heights (S No.136/3. Apr 1060: "The Super-Clown of Metropolis!"; and others), willing to let almost anyone push him around (Act No.1, Jun 1938; and many others).

Kent tends to rationalize his meek behavior --which is a caricature of a timid person's behavior rather than a skilled imitation of it-- as "the perfect camouflage for my real identity as Superman" (Act No.166, Mar 1952: "The Three Scoops of Deah!"), but there is a deeper significance behind the choice of traits with which Superman has equipped his alter ego, for this selection reveals a great deal about the personality and inner life of Superman [see The Man Himself (as Superman)].

'''Residence'''
Clark Kent lives in apartment 3-B at 344 Clinton Street (S No.112/1, Mar 1957: "Superman's Neighbors"), a high-rise apartment building (WF No.92, Jan/Feb 1948: "The Boy from Outer Space!"; and others) in the midtown area (S No.8/2, Jan/Feb 1941) of Metroplois (S No.15/2, Mar/Apr 1942; and many others), "across town" from the Daily Planet Building (S no.181/1, Nov 1965) and not far away from the apartment building where Lois Lane lives (S No.40/1, May/Jun 1946: "The Mxyztplk-Susie Alliance!"). World's Finest Comics No.35 portrays Clark as residing in a house at 906 Warmon as opposed to an apartment, but this information is almost certainly erroneous (Jul/Aug 1948: "Daddy Superman!").

One room of Kent's apartment houses his extensive collection of antique clocks (Act No.73, Jun 1944: "The Hobby Robbers"). A "fake wall" in the apartment, which slides open at the touch of a secret button (S No.174/1, Jan 1965:pts.I-II --"Clark Kent's Incredible Delusion!"; "The End of a Hero!") mounted on the apartment wall (S No. 126/1, Jan 1959: "Superman's Hunt for Clark Kent!"), conceals a "secret closet" (Act Mo.282, Nov 1961: "Superman's Toughes Day!"; and others) --or "secret trophy closet" (S No.126/1, Jan 1959: "Superman's Hunt for Clark Kent!") --housing a number of Superman's sophisticated robots (Act No.247, Dec 1958: "Superman's Lost Parents!"; and many others) several numbered boxes of Superman trophies and samples of [[Kryptonite]], and various other "Superman mementoes". When he is not wearing hsi Siperman costume, Clark Kent sometimes hangs it in this secret closet.

'''Memberships'''
Clark Kent has been a member of the [[Anti-Superman Club]], the [[Atlas Club]], and the [[Round Table Club]]. He was honored as the Meek Man's Hero of the Week by the [[Metropolis Meek Man's Club]] in November 1955.

'''Friends & Family'''
Clark Kent's closest friends are [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]], and Perry White. His living Kent-family relatives include his cousin "Digger" Kent, a gold-prospector; his cousin Louis Pasteur Kent, a country doctor; his cousin Titus Kent, a wheelchair-bound recluse who lost his fortune during the great Depression; his first cousin Carol Kent, an actress; and his aunt [[Minerva Kent]], his father's younger sister (Act No.160, Sep 1951: "Clark Kent's Aunt Minerva!"). (See also [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]]).

Because Clark Kent is widely know as Superman's "best friend," people often contact Kent, usually at the [[Daily Planet]], as the most reliable means of getting in touch with Superman (S No.57/3, Mar/Apr 1949: "The Son of Suprman!"; and others).

'''Anchorman'''
In January 1971, the Galaxy Broadcasting System, which owns the Daily Planet, removes Clark Kent from the Planet staff and installs him as a full-time newscaster on another Galaxy property, Metropolis televison station [[WGBS]]-TV, a post Clark Kent continues to occupy for some time (S No.233: "Superman Breaks Loose!"; and many others).

[[Category: Entries]]

=The Man Himself (as Superman)=
''in progress''
=The Women of the Chronicles=
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lois Lane==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lana Lang==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lori Lemaris==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Lyla Lerrol==
''in progress''
==The Relationship with Sally Selwyn==
''in progress''
=The Relationship with the Law-Enforcement Establishment=
''in progress''
=The Texts=
''in progress''
==Locales==
''in progress''
==Developments==
''in progress''
===''The Early Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Wartime Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Postwar Adventures''===
''in progress''
===''The Later Adventures''===
''in progress''

File:Supermaniconic.jpg

2005-04-05T11:47:56Z

Bill 9000:

Mongul

2005-04-04T15:05:02Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Dc comics presents 27.jpg|right|thumb|DC Comics Presents No. 27. Art by Jim Starlin.]]A huge, yellow-skinned, enormously powerful alien warlord who is driven by two goals: the desire for conquest and an obsessive thirst for revenge against [[Superman]].

'''Powers:''' Mongul possesses an extraordinary level of super-strength that seems to be equal to that of Superman, witnessed by the fact that he has repeatedly fought the Man of Steel to a standstill. In addition, Mongul is invulnerable to nearly all forms of physical harm, and is able to project extremely potent energy bolts from his hands that are powerful enough to stagger the Man of Might. Mongul also seems to possess a limited capacity for telepathy, and the ability to teleport himself across even interplanetary distances. Mongul seemingly has the capacity to create dimensional-inversion cubes, designed to prevent escape by warping their interior reality and absorbing any power used against them from within. Whether this is an actual power or merely a sophisticated technological device is unclear.

'''Biography:''' The only known fact about Mongul's early life is that he was once the merciless dictator of an entire world until an ancient holy man called the Arkymandyte appeared and incited the general population to revolt against his rule. The revolution proved successful, and Mongul was forced to abandon his world and flee into space in order to save his own life. Because of this, it is generally assumed that Mongul aquired his vast powers at some point after his exile and before his first encounter with Superman, otherwise he would have been able to use them to put down the revolt against his dictatorship. The origin of Mongul's powers is also a complete unknown.

Sometime after he had gained his fantastic power, Mongul learned of an ancient crystal key created by a deceased alien race that could give him control of the immensely powerful battle station called [[Warworld]]. This key was secreted within a crypt on the fourth planet in the Cygnus star-system, a world commonly known as Mars II and the second home of J'onn J'onzz, the [[Martian Manhunter]] (who had, at the time, been charged with the key's protection), and his race. Apparently, J'onn had encountered Mongul before and thwarted and attempt by the rogue warlord to gain possession of the key. Seeking a pawn who was powerful enough to defeat the Manhunter and retrieve the key, Mongul journeyed to Earth and kidnapped [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Steve Lombard]] in order to coerce Superman into serving him in this capacity, threatening to murder them if the Metropolis Marvel failed to cooperate. Superman did indeed obtain the key, but naturally refused to hand it over to the alien would-be conqueror. When Mongul engaged Superman in personal combat for possession of the key, the villain proved himself to be one of the Man of Tomorrow's most dangerous opponents, nearly besting him before finally escaping with the key (DCCP No. 27/1, Nov. 1980: "The Key That Unlocked Chaos"). Eventually discovering the location of Warworld, Mongul used the key to lay claim to the war machine and began preparations to use it to reconquer his lost world and then spread his rule across the universe. Before he could put his plans into motion, Mongul encountered resistance when he was tracked down by both Superman and [[Supergirl]]. Cybernetically linked to Warworld's vast array of extraordinarily deadly weaponry, Mongul launched a devastating attack on the two heroes using the station's arsenal of ultra-powerful missiles that were capable of killing even them. However, the Super-Cousins used Mongul's cybernetic interface with Warworld's systems against him, causing him to pass out from the tremendous mental strain of controlling all of Warworld's weaponry in his continued assault. Despite his defeat, Mongul managed to recover in time to escape after Warworld was disabled when Supergirl destroyed its central computer core (DCCP No. 28/1, Dec. 1980: "Warworld").

Mongul next appeared on the Throneworld of the interstellar empire known as the Infinite Realm, the ancestral home of [[Starman]]. Mongul murdered [[Empress Clryssa]], Starman's sister, and forced Starman's love Merria to marry him in order to usurp the throne of the Infinite Realm for himself with the plan to use it as a staging ground for yet another attempt to retake the world of his first rule and build his intergalactic empire. To prevent Starman from interfering with his rule, Mongul imprisoned the cosmic hero in a dimensional-inversion cube. In addition, the alien warlord took control of Throneworld's doomsday device, which was located within Throneworld's sun and would turn the star into a supernova if triggered, destroying the worlds of the Infinite Realm in the process. Superman arrived in the Infinte Realm and freed Starman from his cube-like prison by shattering it with his heat vision. Starman then joined the Action Ace in opposing Mongul and freeing the empire from his rule. While Starman disabled Throneworld's doomsday device, Superman engaged Mongul in one-on-one combat for the second time, a battle which turned out to be inconclusive when Starman arrived on the scene and Mongul was forced to retreat instead of facing both heroes and the empire's forces (DCCP No. 36, Aug. 1981: "Whatever Happened to Starman?").

By this time, Mongul had developed a deep hatred for Superman and a burning desire to see the Man of Steel suffer greatly for his repeated interference in the alien conqueror's plans. To that end, Mongul journeyed to the outer reaches of the universe and encountered one of the extradimensional [[Controllers]], who had in his charge an incredibly dangerous [[Sun-Eater]] (it should be noted that this was not the Sun-Eater that nearly destroyed Earth in the 30th century, but an equally deadly twin). Mongul murdered the Controller in question and assumed command of the Sun-Eater using specialized control devices that he built into his uniform, and then sent the monster on a direct course for Earth's sun as part of his planned vengeance against Superman. When the Man of Tomorrow attempted to put a hault to Mongul's machinations, the extraterrestrial warlord trapped him in a specialized dimensional-inversion cube that was fueled by red solar radiaiton and thus began to rob Superman of his super-powers. The plan was to have Superman watch helplessly as Mongul directed the Sun-Eater to consume Earth's sun, thereby extinguishing all life on the planet, before Superman himself was to be finally killed. Although Mongul came under attack by Supergirl and several members of the [[Justice League of America]], Mongul was able to draw upon the Sun-Eater's virtually limitless destructive power to defeat them all. In a final desperate gamble, Jimmy Olsen (while watching the entire drama unfold from an observatory on Earth) used his Legion flight ring to summon members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] from the 30th century to aid Superman in saving Earth and subduing Mongul. The Legionnaires succeeded in freeing Superman from imprisonment and, while they managed to discover a means of destroying the Sun-Eater, Superman (driven by determination to protect his adopted home at any cost) finally bested Mongul in single combat (DCCP No. 43, Mar. 1982: "In Final Battle").

Mongul was last seen when he launched one of the most insidious plan of revenge to date against Superman, attacking the Caped Kryptonian in his own [[Fortress of Solitude]] on his birthday. Mongul had managed to maneuver Superman into exposing himself to a plant-like entity called a [[Black Mercy]] by disguising it as an anonymous birthday gift. The plant promptly attached itself to the Action Ace's chest and began feeding on his bio-aura while keeping him in a trance-like state by providing him with a mental illusion of his heart's desire. In Superman's case, the entity made him believe that [[Krypton]] has not exploded, and that he was happily married and had a family on his home world. Although Mongul met resistance when [[Batman]], [[Robin]] and [[Wonder Woman]] arrived at the Fortress and discovered the unfolding drama, Superman remained in his catatonic state, his "heart's desire" gradually degenerating into a twisted nightmare. While Wonder Woman valiantly (but vainly) engaged the hulking alien in combat, Superman's increasingly nightmarish experience weakened the Black Mercy just enough for Batman to succeed in removing it from his chest. Enraged at having been so violated, the Man of Tomorrow ferociously attacked Mongul, the battle being akin to an irresistable force colliding with an immovable object. However, fueled by intense feelings of grief and anger, Superman managed to gain the upper hand and was about to kill the alien warlord when the memories of his "dream" caused him to hesitate. This allowed Mongul to gain the upper hand for a moment, but the conqueror met his final defeat when Robin used the special gauntlets that Mongul had employed in handling the Black Mercy to attach the plant to Mongul's own chest. As far as is known, Mongul remains in the thrall of the Black Mercy, having been rendered completely immobile while dreaming dreams of endless bloody conquest (SA No. 11, 1985: "For The Man Who Has Everything").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Villains]]

Mongul

2005-04-04T15:02:07Z

Bill 9000: Added a bit more on Mongul's encounter with the Martian Manhunter

[[Image:Dc comics presents 27.jpg|right|thumb|DC Comics Presents No. 27. Art by Jim Starlin.]]A huge, yellow-skinned, enormously powerful alien warlord who is driven by two goals: the desire for conquest and an obsessive thirst for revenge against [[Superman]].

'''Powers:''' Mongul possesses an extraordinary level of super-strength that seems to be equal to that of Superman, witnessed by the fact that he has repeatedly fought the Man of Steel to a standstill. In addition, Mongul is invulnerable to nearly all forms of physical harm, and is able to project extremely potent energy bolts from his hands that are powerful enough to stagger the Man of Might. Mongul also seems to possess a limited capacity for telepathy, and the ability to teleport himself across even interplanetary distances. Mongul seemingly has the capacity to create dimensional-inversion cubes, designed to prevent escape by warping their interior reality and absorbing any power used against them from within. Whether this is an actual power or merely a sophisticated technological device is unclear.

'''Biography:''' The only known fact about Mongul's early life is that he was once the merciless dictator of an entire world until an ancient holy man called the Arkymandyte appeared and incited the general population to revolt against his rule. The revolution proved successful, and Mongul was forced to abandon his world and flee into space in order to save his own life. Because of this, it is generally assumed that Mongul aquired his vast powers at some point after his exile and before his first encounter with Superman, otherwise he would have been able to use them to put down the revolt against his dictatorship. The origin of Mongul's powers is also a complete unknown.

Sometime after he had gained his fantastic power, Mongul learned of an ancient crystal key created by a deceased alien race that could give him control of the immensely powerful battle station called [[Warworld]]. This key was secreted within a crypt on the fourth planet in the Cygnus star-system, a world commonly known as Mars II and the second home of J'Onn J'Onzz, the [[Martian Manhunter]] (who had, at the time, been charged with the key's protection), and his race. Apparently, J'Onn had encountered Mongul before and thwarted and attempt by the rogue warlord to gain possession of the key. Seeking a pawn who was powerful enough to defeat the Manhunter and retrieve the key, Mongul journeyed to Earth and kidnapped [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Steve Lombard]] in order to coerce Superman into serving him in this capacity, threatening to murder them if the Metropolis Marvel failed to cooperate. Superman did indeed obtain the key, but naturally refused to hand it over to the alien would-be conqueror. When Mongul engaged Superman in personal combat for possession of the key, the villain proved himself to be one of the Man of Tomorrow's most dangerous opponents, nearly besting him before finally escaping with the key (DCCP No. 27/1, Nov. 1980: "The Key That Unlocked Chaos"). Eventually discovering the location of Warworld, Mongul used the key to lay claim to the war machine and began preparations to use it to reconquer his lost world and then spread his rule across the universe. Before he could put his plans into motion, Mongul encountered resistance when he was tracked down by both Superman and [[Supergirl]]. Cybernetically linked to Warworld's vast array of extraordinarily deadly weaponry, Mongul launched a devastating attack on the two heroes using the station's arsenal of ultra-powerful missiles that were capable of killing even them. However, the Super-Cousins used Mongul's cybernetic interface with Warworld's systems against him, causing him to pass out from the tremendous mental strain of controlling all of Warworld's weaponry in his continued assault. Despite his defeat, Mongul managed to recover in time to escape after Warworld was disabled when Supergirl destroyed its central computer core (DCCP No. 28/1, Dec. 1980: "Warworld").

Mongul next appeared on the Throneworld of the interstellar empire known as the Infinite Realm, the ancestral home of [[Starman]]. Mongul murdered [[Empress Clryssa]], Starman's sister, and forced Starman's love Merria to marry him in order to usurp the throne of the Infinite Realm for himself with the plan to use it as a staging ground for yet another attempt to retake the world of his first rule and build his intergalactic empire. To prevent Starman from interfering with his rule, Mongul imprisoned the cosmic hero in a dimensional-inversion cube. In addition, the alien warlord took control of Throneworld's doomsday device, which was located within Throneworld's sun and would turn the star into a supernova if triggered, destroying the worlds of the Infinite Realm in the process. Superman arrived in the Infinte Realm and freed Starman from his cube-like prison by shattering it with his heat vision. Starman then joined the Action Ace in opposing Mongul and freeing the empire from his rule. While Starman disabled Throneworld's doomsday device, Superman engaged Mongul in one-on-one combat for the second time, a battle which turned out to be inconclusive when Starman arrived on the scene and Mongul was forced to retreat instead of facing both heroes and the empire's forces (DCCP No. 36, Aug. 1981: "Whatever Happened to Starman?").

By this time, Mongul had developed a deep hatred for Superman and a burning desire to see the Man of Steel suffer greatly for his repeated interference in the alien conqueror's plans. To that end, Mongul journeyed to the outer reaches of the universe and encountered one of the extradimensional [[Controllers]], who had in his charge an incredibly dangerous [[Sun-Eater]] (it should be noted that this was not the Sun-Eater that nearly destroyed Earth in the 30th century, but an equally deadly twin). Mongul murdered the Controller in question and assumed command of the Sun-Eater using specialized control devices that he built into his uniform, and then sent the monster on a direct course for Earth's sun as part of his planned vengeance against Superman. When the Man of Tomorrow attempted to put a hault to Mongul's machinations, the extraterrestrial warlord trapped him in a specialized dimensional-inversion cube that was fueled by red solar radiaiton and thus began to rob Superman of his super-powers. The plan was to have Superman watch helplessly as Mongul directed the Sun-Eater to consume Earth's sun, thereby extinguishing all life on the planet, before Superman himself was to be finally killed. Although Mongul came under attack by Supergirl and several members of the [[Justice League of America]], Mongul was able to draw upon the Sun-Eater's virtually limitless destructive power to defeat them all. In a final desperate gamble, Jimmy Olsen (while watching the entire drama unfold from an observatory on Earth) used his Legion flight ring to summon members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] from the 30th century to aid Superman in saving Earth and subduing Mongul. The Legionnaires succeeded in freeing Superman from imprisonment and, while they managed to discover a means of destroying the Sun-Eater, Superman (driven by determination to protect his adopted home at any cost) finally bested Mongul in single combat (DCCP No. 43, Mar. 1982: "In Final Battle").

Mongul was last seen when he launched one of the most insidious plan of revenge to date against Superman, attacking the Caped Kryptonian in his own [[Fortress of Solitude]] on his birthday. Mongul had managed to maneuver Superman into exposing himself to a plant-like entity called a [[Black Mercy]] by disguising it as an anonymous birthday gift. The plant promptly attached itself to the Action Ace's chest and began feeding on his bio-aura while keeping him in a trance-like state by providing him with a mental illusion of his heart's desire. In Superman's case, the entity made him believe that [[Krypton]] has not exploded, and that he was happily married and had a family on his home world. Although Mongul met resistance when [[Batman]], [[Robin]] and [[Wonder Woman]] arrived at the Fortress and discovered the unfolding drama, Superman remained in his catatonic state, his "heart's desire" gradually degenerating into a twisted nightmare. While Wonder Woman valiantly (but vainly) engaged the hulking alien in combat, Superman's increasingly nightmarish experience weakened the Black Mercy just enough for Batman to succeed in removing it from his chest. Enraged at having been so violated, the Man of Tomorrow ferociously attacked Mongul, the battle being akin to an irresistable force colliding with an immovable object. However, fueled by intense feelings of grief and anger, Superman managed to gain the upper hand and was about to kill the alien warlord when the memories of his "dream" caused him to hesitate. This allowed Mongul to gain the upper hand for a moment, but the conqueror met his final defeat when Robin used the special gauntlets that Mongul had employed in handling the Black Mercy to attach the plant to Mongul's own chest. As far as is known, Mongul remains in the thrall of the Black Mercy, having been rendered completely immobile while dreaming dreams of endless bloody conquest (SA No. 11, 1985: "For The Man Who Has Everything").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Villains]]

Monster League of Evil

2005-04-01T13:25:54Z

Bill 9000: Added link to the Dracula entry

A fantastic quartet of malevolent creatures who bear a striking resemblance to idealized versions of [[Dracula]], the Wolfman, the Mummy and the Frankenstein Monster, who have appeared in various classic Hollywood horror films. However, these creatures are real, and have actual magically-based abilites based on the powers of their cinematic counterparts. The origin of the Monster League of Evil was never revealed, but they are known to be perennial enemies of [[Captain Thunder]], whom they have fought across 1,953 different dimensions. Captain Thunder finally managed to imprison the Monster League in a misty, purgatory-like realm where they apparently could do no further harm, but not before they placed a curse on the Captain that would eventually force him to commit acts of evil when he next assumed his heroic guise. As far as is known, the Monster League remains imprisoned in the shadowy dimension where Captain Thunder left them. Whether or not the Monster League was responsible for Captain Thunder's unplanned arrival on mainstream Earth where he encountered [[Superman]] is open to speculation (S No. 276, Jun. 1974: "Make Way for Captain Thunder").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Mongul

2005-03-31T21:02:00Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Dc comics presents 27.jpg|right|thumb|DC Comics Presents No. 27. Art by Jim Starlin.]]A huge, yellow-skinned, enormously powerful alien warlord who is driven by two goals: the desire for conquest and an obsessive thirst for revenge against [[Superman]].

'''Powers:''' Mongul possesses an extraordinary level of super-strength that seems to be equal to that of Superman, witnessed by the fact that he has repeatedly fought the Man of Steel to a standstill. In addition, Mongul is invulnerable to nearly all forms of physical harm, and is able to project extremely potent energy bolts from his hands that are powerful enough to stagger the Man of Might. Mongul also seems to possess a limited capacity for telepathy, and the ability to teleport himself across even interplanetary distances. Mongul seemingly has the capacity to create dimensional-inversion cubes, designed to prevent escape by warping their interior reality and absorbing any power used against them from within. Whether this is an actual power or merely a sophisticated technological device is unclear.

'''Biography:''' The only known fact about Mongul's early life is that he was once the merciless dictator of an entire world until an ancient holy man called the Arkymandyte appeared and incited the general population to revolt against his rule. The revolution proved successful, and Mongul was forced to abandon his world and flee into space in order to save his own life. Because of this, it is generally assumed that Mongul aquired his vast powers at some point after his exile and before his first encounter with Superman, otherwise he would have been able to use them to put down the revolt against his dictatorship. The origin of Mongul's powers is also a complete unknown.

Sometime after he had gained his fantastic power, Mongul learned of an ancient crystal key created by a deceased alien race that could give him control of the immensely powerful battle station called [[Warworld]]. This key was secreted within a crypt on the fourth planet in the Cygnus star-system, a world commonly known as Mars II and the second home of the [[Martian Manhunter]] (who had, at the time, been charged with the key's protection) and his race. Seeking a pawn who was powerful enough to defeat the Manhunter and retrieve the key, Mongul journeyed to Earth and kidnapped [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Steve Lombard]] in order to coerce Superman into serving him in this capacity, threatening to murder them if the Metropolis Marvel failed to cooperate. Superman did indeed obtain the key, but naturally refused to hand it over to the alien would-be conqueror. When Mongul engaged Superman in personal combat for possession of the key, the villain proved himself to be one of the Man of Tomorrow's most dangerous opponents, nearly besting him before finally escaping with the key (DCCP No. 27/1, Nov. 1980: "The Key That Unlocked Chaos"). Eventually discovering the location of Warworld, Mongul used the key to lay claim to the war machine and began preparations to use it to reconquer his lost world and then spread his rule across the universe. Before he could put his plans into motion, Mongul encountered resistance when he was tracked down by both Superman and [[Supergirl]]. Cybernetically linked to Warworld's vast array of extraordinarily deadly weaponry, Mongul launched a devastating attack on the two heroes using the station's arsenal of ultra-powerful missiles that were capable of killing even them. However, the Super-Cousins used Mongul's cybernetic interface with Warworld's systems against him, causing him to pass out from the tremendous mental strain of controlling all of Warworld's weaponry in his continued assault. Despite his defeat, Mongul managed to recover in time to escape after Warworld was disabled when Supergirl destroyed its central computer core (DCCP No. 28/1, Dec. 1980: "Warworld").

Mongul next appeared on the Throneworld of the interstellar empire known as the Infinite Realm, the ancestral home of [[Starman]]. Mongul murdered [[Empress Clryssa]], Starman's sister, and forced Starman's love Merria to marry him in order to usurp the throne of the Infinite Realm for himself with the plan to use it as a staging ground for yet another attempt to retake the world of his first rule and build his intergalactic empire. To prevent Starman from interfering with his rule, Mongul imprisoned the cosmic hero in a dimensional-inversion cube. In addition, the alien warlord took control of Throneworld's doomsday device, which was located within Throneworld's sun and would turn the star into a supernova if triggered, destroying the worlds of the Infinite Realm in the process. Superman arrived in the Infinte Realm and freed Starman from his cube-like prison by shattering it with his heat vision. Starman then joined the Action Ace in opposing Mongul and freeing the empire from his rule. While Starman disabled Throneworld's doomsday device, Superman engaged Mongul in one-on-one combat for the second time, a battle which turned out to be inconclusive when Starman arrived on the scene and Mongul was forced to retreat instead of facing both heroes and the empire's forces (DCCP No. 36, Aug. 1981: "Whatever Happened to Starman?").

By this time, Mongul had developed a deep hatred for Superman and a burning desire to see the Man of Steel suffer greatly for his repeated interference in the alien conqueror's plans. To that end, Mongul journeyed to the outer reaches of the universe and encountered one of the extradimensional [[Controllers]], who had in his charge an incredibly dangerous [[Sun-Eater]] (it should be noted that this was not the Sun-Eater that nearly destroyed Earth in the 30th century, but an equally deadly twin). Mongul murdered the Controller in question and assumed command of the Sun-Eater using specialized control devices that he built into his uniform, and then sent the monster on a direct course for Earth's sun as part of his planned vengeance against Superman. When the Man of Tomorrow attempted to put a hault to Mongul's machinations, the extraterrestrial warlord trapped him in a specialized dimensional-inversion cube that was fueled by red solar radiaiton and thus began to rob Superman of his super-powers. The plan was to have Superman watch helplessly as Mongul directed the Sun-Eater to consume Earth's sun, thereby extinguishing all life on the planet, before Superman himself was to be finally killed. Although Mongul came under attack by Supergirl and several members of the [[Justice League of America]], Mongul was able to draw upon the Sun-Eater's virtually limitless destructive power to defeat them all. In a final desperate gamble, Jimmy Olsen (while watching the entire drama unfold from an observatory on Earth) used his Legion flight ring to summon members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] from the 30th century to aid Superman in saving Earth and subduing Mongul. The Legionnaires succeeded in freeing Superman from imprisonment and, while they managed to discover a means of destroying the Sun-Eater, Superman (driven by determination to protect his adopted home at any cost) finally bested Mongul in single combat (DCCP No. 43, Mar. 1982: "In Final Battle").

Mongul was last seen when he launched one of the most insidious plan of revenge to date against Superman, attacking the Caped Kryptonian in his own [[Fortress of Solitude]] on his birthday. Mongul had managed to maneuver Superman into exposing himself to a plant-like entity called a [[Black Mercy]] by disguising it as an anonymous birthday gift. The plant promptly attached itself to the Action Ace's chest and began feeding on his bio-aura while keeping him in a trance-like state by providing him with a mental illusion of his heart's desire. In Superman's case, the entity made him believe that [[Krypton]] has not exploded, and that he was happily married and had a family on his home world. Although Mongul met resistance when [[Batman]], [[Robin]] and [[Wonder Woman]] arrived at the Fortress and discovered the unfolding drama, Superman remained in his catatonic state, his "heart's desire" gradually degenerating into a twisted nightmare. While Wonder Woman valiantly (but vainly) engaged the hulking alien in combat, Superman's increasingly nightmarish experience weakened the Black Mercy just enough for Batman to succeed in removing it from his chest. Enraged at having been so violated, the Man of Tomorrow ferociously attacked Mongul, the battle being akin to an irresistable force colliding with an immovable object. However, fueled by intense feelings of grief and anger, Superman managed to gain the upper hand and was about to kill the alien warlord when the memories of his "dream" caused him to hesitate. This allowed Mongul to gain the upper hand for a moment, but the conqueror met his final defeat when Robin used the special gauntlets that Mongul had employed in handling the Black Mercy to attach the plant to Mongul's own chest. As far as is known, Mongul remains in the thrall of the Black Mercy, having been rendered completely immobile while dreaming dreams of endless bloody conquest (SA No. 11, 1985: "For The Man Who Has Everything").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Villains]]

Mongul

2005-03-31T14:50:44Z

Bill 9000: Changed "New Mars" to "Mars II" (its proper name)

[[Image:Dc comics presents 27.jpg|right|thumb|DC Comics Presents No. 27, featuring the debut of Mongul. Art by Jim Starlin.]]A huge, yellow-skinned, enormously powerful alien warlord who is driven by two goals: the desire for conquest and an obsessive thirst for revenge against [[Superman]].

'''Powers:''' Mongul possesses an extraordinary level of super-strength that seems to be equal to that of Superman, witnessed by the fact that he has repeatedly fought the Man of Steel to a standstill. In addition, Mongul is invulnerable to nearly all forms of physical harm, and is able to project extremely potent energy bolts from his hands that are powerful enough to stagger the Man of Might. Mongul also seems to possess a limited capacity for telepathy, and the ability to teleport himself across even interplanetary distances. Mongul seemingly has the capacity to create dimensional-inversion cubes, designed to prevent escape by warping their interior reality and absorbing any power used against them from within. Whether this is an actual power or merely a sophisticated technological device is unclear.

'''Biography:''' The only known fact about Mongul's early life is that he was once the merciless dictator of an entire world until an ancient holy man called the Arkymandyte appeared and incited the general population to revolt against his rule. The revolution proved successful, and Mongul was forced to abandon his world and flee into space in order to save his own life. Because of this, it is generally assumed that Mongul aquired his vast powers at some point after his exile and before his first encounter with Superman, otherwise he would have been able to use them to put down the revolt against his dictatorship. The origin of Mongul's powers is also a complete unknown.

Sometime after he had gained his fantastic power, Mongul learned of an ancient crystal key created by a deceased alien race that could give him control of the immensely powerful battle station called [[Warworld]]. This key was secreted within a crypt on the fourth planet in the Cygnus star-system, a world commonly known as Mars II and the second home of the [[Martian Manhunter]] (who had, at the time, been charged with the key's protection) and his race. Seeking a pawn who was powerful enough to defeat the Manhunter and retrieve the key, Mongul journeyed to Earth and kidnapped [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Steve Lombard]] in order to coerce Superman into serving him in this capacity, threatening to murder them if the Metropolis Marvel failed to cooperate. Superman did indeed obtain the key, but naturally refused to hand it over to the alien would-be conqueror. When Mongul engaged Superman in personal combat for possession of the key, the villain proved himself to be one of the Man of Tomorrow's most dangerous opponents, nearly besting him before finally escaping with the key (DCCP No. 27/1, Nov. 1980: "The Key That Unlocked Chaos"). Eventually discovering the location of Warworld, Mongul used the key to lay claim to the war machine and began preparations to use it to reconquer his lost world and then spread his rule across the universe. Before he could put his plans into motion, Mongul encountered resistance when he was tracked down by both Superman and [[Supergirl]]. Cybernetically linked to Warworld's vast array of extraordinarily deadly weaponry, Mongul launched a devastating attack on the two heroes using the station's arsenal of ultra-powerful missiles that were capable of killing even them. However, the Super-Cousins used Mongul's cybernetic interface with Warworld's systems against him, causing him to pass out from the tremendous mental strain of controlling all of Warworld's weaponry in his continued assault. Despite his defeat, Mongul managed to recover in time to escape after Warworld was disabled when Supergirl destroyed its central computer core (DCCP No. 28/1, Dec. 1980: "Warworld").

Mongul next appeared on the Throneworld of the interstellar empire known as the Infinite Realm, the ancestral home of [[Starman]]. Mongul murdered [[Empress Clryssa]], Starman's sister, and forced Starman's love Merria to marry him in order to usurp the throne of the Infinite Realm for himself with the plan to use it as a staging ground for yet another attempt to retake the world of his first rule and build his intergalactic empire. To prevent Starman from interfering with his rule, Mongul imprisoned the cosmic hero in a dimensional-inversion cube. In addition, the alien warlord took control of Throneworld's doomsday device, which was located within Throneworld's sun and would turn the star into a supernova if triggered, destroying the worlds of the Infinite Realm in the process. Superman arrived in the Infinte Realm and freed Starman from his cube-like prison by shattering it with his heat vision. Starman then joined the Action Ace in opposing Mongul and freeing the empire from his rule. While Starman disabled Throneworld's doomsday device, Superman engaged Mongul in one-on-one combat for the second time, a battle which turned out to be inconclusive when Starman arrived on the scene and Mongul was forced to retreat instead of facing both heroes and the empire's forces (DCCP No. 36, Aug. 1981: "Whatever Happened to Starman?").

By this time, Mongul had developed a deep hatred for Superman and a burning desire to see the Man of Steel suffer greatly for his repeated interference in the alien conqueror's plans. To that end, Mongul journeyed to the outer reaches of the universe and encountered one of the extradimensional [[Controllers]], who had in his charge an incredibly dangerous [[Sun-Eater]] (it should be noted that this was not the Sun-Eater that nearly destroyed Earth in the 30th century, but an equally deadly twin). Mongul murdered the Controller in question and assumed command of the Sun-Eater using specialized control devices that he built into his uniform, and then sent the monster on a direct course for Earth's sun as part of his planned vengeance against Superman. When the Man of Tomorrow attempted to put a hault to Mongul's machinations, the extraterrestrial warlord trapped him in a specialized dimensional-inversion cube that was fueled by red solar radiaiton and thus began to rob Superman of his super-powers. The plan was to have Superman watch helplessly as Mongul directed the Sun-Eater to consume Earth's sun, thereby extinguishing all life on the planet, before Superman himself was to be finally killed. Although Mongul came under attack by Supergirl and several members of the [[Justice League of America]], Mongul was able to draw upon the Sun-Eater's virtually limitless destructive power to defeat them all. In a final desperate gamble, Jimmy Olsen (while watching the entire drama unfold from an observatory on Earth) used his Legion flight ring to summon members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] from the 30th century to aid Superman in saving Earth and subduing Mongul. The Legionnaires succeeded in freeing Superman from imprisonment and, while they managed to discover a means of destroying the Sun-Eater, Superman (driven by determination to protect his adopted home at any cost) finally bested Mongul in single combat (DCCP No. 43, Mar. 1982: "In Final Battle").

Mongul was last seen when he launched one of the most insidious plan of revenge to date against Superman, attacking the Caped Kryptonian in his own [[Fortress of Solitude]] on his birthday. Mongul had managed to maneuver Superman into exposing himself to a plant-like entity called a [[Black Mercy]] by disguising it as an anonymous birthday gift. The plant promptly attached itself to the Action Ace's chest and began feeding on his bio-aura while keeping him in a trance-like state by providing him with a mental illusion of his heart's desire. In Superman's case, the entity made him believe that [[Krypton]] has not exploded, and that he was happily married and had a family on his home world. Although Mongul met resistance when [[Batman]], [[Robin]] and [[Wonder Woman]] arrived at the Fortress and discovered the unfolding drama, Superman remained in his catatonic state, his "heart's desire" gradually degenerating into a twisted nightmare. While Wonder Woman valiantly (but vainly) engaged the hulking alien in combat, Superman's increasingly nightmarish experience weakened the Black Mercy just enough for Batman to succeed in removing it from his chest. Enraged at having been so violated, the Man of Tomorrow ferociously attacked Mongul, the battle being akin to an irresistable force colliding with an immovable object. However, fueled by intense feelings of grief and anger, Superman managed to gain the upper hand and was about to kill the alien warlord when the memories of his "dream" caused him to hesitate. This allowed Mongul to gain the upper hand for a moment, but the conqueror met his final defeat when Robin used the special gauntlets that Mongul had employed in handling the Black Mercy to attach the plant to Mongul's own chest. As far as is known, Mongul remains in the thrall of the Black Mercy, having been rendered completely immobile while dreaming dreams of endless bloody conquest (SA No. 11, 1985: "For The Man Who Has Everything").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Villains]]

Camp Hiawatha

2005-03-13T16:34:14Z

Bill 9000:

A summer camp for boys and girls located just outside the town of [[Smallville]]. [[Clark Kent]], [[Lana Lang]] and [[Lois Lane]] stayed there at the same time one summer. This event marks the first time Lois ever met Clark and Lana, and Lois also met [[Superboy]] for the first time at the camp when the Boy of Steel saved the two girls from a bear (ADV no. 261/1, June 1959, "Superboy Meets Lois Lane").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Geographic_Locations]]

Camp Hiawatha

2005-03-13T16:27:27Z

Bill 9000:

Camp Hiawatha

2005-03-13T16:24:06Z

Bill 9000: Forgot to put category links in

A summer camp for boys and girls located just outside the town of [[Smallville]]. In the summer of 1959, [[Clark Kent]], [[Lana Lang]] and [[Lois Lane]] stayed there at the same time. This event marks the first time Lois ever met Clark and Lana, and Lois also met [[Superboy]] for the first time at the camp when the Boy of Steel saved the two girls from a bear (ADV no. 261/1, June 1959, "Superboy Meets Lois Lane").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Camp Hiawatha

2005-03-13T16:22:32Z

Bill 9000:

Zor-El

2005-03-11T02:14:51Z

Bill 9000: Included note concerning what happened after Kandor was enlarged

'''Zor-El.''' The Kryptonian scientist who is the father of [[Supergirl]]. Since [[Superman]]'s father, [[Jor-El]], was Zor-El's brother, Zor-El is Superman's uncle.

As a young man on the planet [[Krypton]], Zor-El—like his brother Jor-El—embarked on a career in science, although he appears to have limited himself to the field of climatography and to have displayed none of Jor-El's capacity for brilliance and creativity in a breathtaking array of scientific disciplines. Zor-El is, however, one of the very few Kryptonians on record as having believed in Jor-El and his widely ridiculed prophecy that Krypton was poised on the brink of planetary cataclysm (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

When Krypton exploded, as Jor-El had predicted it would, Zor-El and [[Alura]], his wife-to-be, survived the death of their planet along with the other inhabitants of [[Argo City]] when their entire city was hurled into outer space intact by the force of the cataclysm. According to the early texts bearing on this subject, Argo City was "enclosed in a bubble of air" when the land chunk on which it was situated was hurled into space (S No. 150/1, Jan 1962: "The One Minute of Doom!"; and others), but later texts, such as the Supergirl story in Action Comics No. 316, assert that the city was covered by an airtight plastic "weather dome" at the time of the disaster to accommodate the "atmospheric experiments" being conducted there by Zor-El (Sep 1964: "Supergirl's Choice of Doom!"; and others).

According to the Supergirl story in Action Comics No. 252, the Argo City survivors had high hopes of continued survival since they had more than sufficient air to breathe and a "food machine" to provide them with nourishment. When they discovered, to their horror, that the atomic chain reaction that had destroyed Krytpon had converted the ground beneath their feet to [[Kryptonite]], an element whose radiations were capable of poisoning and destroying them, Zor-El resolved the potentially fatal dilemma by covering the ground with sheet lead, thereby effectively shielding the deadly kryptonite radiations.

For years Argo City drifted through space as life returned to an uneasy normalcy for its small but hardy population. Zor-El took a wife, Alura, and in time a blond-haired baby girl, Kara, was born to the couple. But fate had a cruel surprise in store for the people of Argo City. For one day, after Zor-EI's daughter had become a teen-ager, a swarm of meteors struck the city, smashing gaping holes in Zor-El's kryptonite-proof lead shield and releasing the deadly kryptonite radiations into the air. Within about a month virtually the entire population of Argo City had succumbed to kryptonite poisoning, but not before Zor-El had placed his teen-aged daughter inside a small rocket ship and launched her toward Earth, where she would acquire super-powers identical to Superman's and achieve worldwide renown as Supergirl (May 1959: "The Supergirl from Krypton!").

For some time, it was believed that Zor-El and Alura had perished along with the rest of Argo City, but it ultimately developed that the renowned scientist and his wife had survived the death of their city by escaping into the so-called Survival Zone, an alien dimension which Zor-El himself discovered (ACT No. 309/2, Feb. 1964, "The Untold Story of Argo City"), and from which Supergirl finally frees her parents in 1964. Zor-EI and Alura then went to reside in [[Kandor]] at the [[Fortress of Solitude]] (ACT No. 310/2, Mar. 1964, "Supergirl's Rival Parents"). When Superman finally discovered a means of permanently enlarging the bottle city, Zor-El and Alura settled on a planet in another dimension with the other Kandorians to help rebuild their society (S No. 338, Aug. 1979, "Let My People Grow").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]

Jor-El

2005-03-11T02:07:56Z

Bill 9000: /* Pre-Cataclysm */

__TOC__
=Jor-El=
[[Image:Jor-El.jpg|right|]]

The father of [[Superman]], and the foremost scientist of the planet [[Krypton]] prior to its destruction. A "scientific genius" (S No. 65/3, Jul/ Aug 1950: "Three Supermen from Krypton!") with a fertile, wide-ranging intellect, he conducted far-reaching experiments in rocketry, invented a matter-transmitter and numerous other marvels, and discovered the [[Phantom Zone]]. It was Jor-El who predicted to an unbelieving population "that Krypton would explode from gathering atomic pressure at the core of the planet" (Act No.182, Jul 1953: "The Return of Planet Krypton!"), and it was Jor-El who, when the doomsday came, dispatched the infant Superman toward Earth in an experimental rocket, remaining behind with his wife [[Lara]] to perish in the cataclysm.

Described repeatedly in the texts as "Krypton's greatest scientist" (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!"; and others), "Krypton's foremost physicist" (Act No. 329, Oct 1965: "The Ultimate Enemy!"), and "the greatest scientist on Krypton" (Act No. 149, Oct 1950: "The Courtship on Krypton!"; and others), Jor-El was born into a family with a centuries-long heritage of achievement in the fields of science, statesmanship, and exploration. His ancestry teemed with such men of lasting distinction as [[Val-El]], an explorer and discoverer who was the moving force behind Krypton's great Age of Exploration; [[Sul-El]], the inventor of Krypton's first telescope; [[Tala-El]], the author of Krypton's planet-wide constitution; [[Hatu-El]], a scientist and inventor who discovered the nature of electricity and devised Krypton's first electromagnet and electric motor; and [[Gam-El]], the father of modern Kryptonian architecture (SF No. 172, Aug/Sep 1975; and others).

=Pre-Cataclysm=
When Jor-El was still an infant, his own father succeeded in journeying to Earth and back in an experimental spacecraft of his own design (S No. 103/1, Feb 1956: "The Superman of Yesterday"), and although knowledge of the craft's construction had apparently been lost to Kryptonians by the time Jor-El reached maturity (Act No.158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!"; and others), there can be little doubt that his father's achievement served to inspire his own explorations into the then-infant sciences of rocketry and space travel.

Little is known of Jor-El's early life, but by the time he reached college he had begun to gather about him a coterie of young intellectuals destined to make great names for themselves in the annals of Kryptonian science. His college roommate was Professor Kimda, who, years later, would befriend Superman in the bottle city of [[Kandor]] and help him thwart the schemes of the villainous [[Brainiac]] (Act No. 242, Jul 1958: "The Super-Duel in Space"). Jor-El also befriended Ral-En, whose career as a "brilliant scientist" was ultimately warped and destroyed by dictatorial ambitions fostered and encouraged by his father [[Mag-En]] (S No. 154/2, Jul 1962: "Krypton's First Superman!"). Other colleagues included his friend [[Nor-Kan]] (S No. 158, Jan 1963: "Superman in Kandor" pts. I-III-"Invasion of the Mystery Super-Men!"; "The Dynamic Duo of Kandor!"; "The City of Super-People!"; and others) and [[Lon-Es]], who worked for a time as his assistant (S No. 154/2, Jul 1962: "Krypton's First Superman!").

During this period, two of Jor-El's brothers—his identical twin brother [[Nim-El]] (ADV No. 304/1, Jan. 1963, "The War Between Superboy and Superman"), and another brother named [[Zor-El]] (ACT No. 252/3, May 1959, "The Supergirl From Krypton")—also embarked upon distinguished careers in science, but they appear to have limited themselves to the fields of weapons science and climatography, respectively, and to have displayed none of their brother's capacity for brilliance and creativity in a breathtaking array of scientific disciplines (S No. 146/1, Jul '61: "The Story of Superman's Life!"; and others). Indeed, in the course of a brilliant career that was terminated by the destruction of Krypton, Jor-El applied his great genius to virtually every aspect of Kryptonian life, not only to every facet of science and invention, but also to the problems of war and peace (Act No.216, May '56: "The Super-Menace of Metropolis"), transportation (S No.134, Jan '60: chs. I-III—"The Super-Menace of Metropolis!"; "The Revenge Against Jor-El!"; "The Duel of the Supermen!"), and the humane administration of criminal justice (S No. 65/3, Jul/ Aug '50: "Three Supermen from Krypton!"; and others).

He worked to develop a serum for prolonging life (S No. 78/1, Sep/Oct 1952: "The Beast from Krypton!"), carried on an intensive telescopic study of the planet Earth (Act No. 223, Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton"; and others), and conducted archaeological research into the "marvels of a dead civilization that once existed at the bottom of the Great Krypton Sea!" (S No. 170/2, Jul 1964: pts. I-II—"If Lex Luthor Were Superman's Father!"; "The Wedding of Lara and Luthor!").

His inventions included a "petrifying ray" which turned people to stone as long as it shone on them, "levitation bombs" designed to reverse the pull of gravity and make objects fall upward, a "super-artificial lightning projector" for projecting bolts of artificial lightning, a magnet that attracted human flesh instead of iron, and an "invisibility-spray" which could make a person invisible by covering him with "a fine coating of light-refracting particles" (S No. 74/1, Jan/Feb 1952: "The Lost Secrets of Krypton!"); a "matter-radio," described as "a transmitter that can send all forms of living matter—even living people—across space by radio" (S No.77/1, Jul/Aug 1952: "The Man Who Went to Krypton!"; see also Act No.281, Oct 1961: "The Man Who Saved Kal-El's Life!"); a "dimension-traveler," designed to "project a person out of this dimension into a new one"; a "missile-projector," designed to deliver any object to any destination at supersonic speed; and a "nuclear fission tester," which "registers if any chain reaction is starting and shows the source" (WF No.69, Mar/Apr 1954: "Jor-El's Last Will!"); an "amazing growth ray for plants," capable of growing vegetables "100 times bigger" than their customary size (Act No.325, Jun 1965: "The Skyscraper Superman!"); and an all-purpose, mass-produced vehicle—capable of traveling on land, sea, or air, and even underground—which quickly came into such common usage among Kryptonian's that it soon became known as the "Jor-El," much as Henry Ford's creation became known as the Ford (S No. 134, Jan 1960: chs. I-III—"The Super-Menace of Metropolis!"; "The Revenge Against Jor-El!"; "The Duel of the Supermen!").

For these and other inventions and discoveries, Jor-El was awarded Krypton's coveted Science Prize, in the form of a statuette molded from rare [[illium]] metal (S No. 173/2, Nov 1964: "Tales of Green Kryptonite No.1"), and an honorary medal from the Kryptonian Science Society (Act No.182, Jul 1953: "The Return of Planet Krypton!").

Indeed, although Jor-El was still a young man at the time of his marriage to Lara, the lovely dark-haired young woman who, according to at least one account, was Jor-El's "assistant" during the period preceding their engagement (S No. 170/2, Jul 1964: pts. I-II—"If Lex Luthor Were Superman's Father!"; "The Wedding of Lara and Luthor!"), he was already a "famed scientist" engaged in top-level research at a Kryptonian "missile base" (S No.141, Nov 1960: "Superman's Return to Krypton!" pts. I-III—"Superman Meets Jor-El and Lara Again!"; "Superman's Kryptonian Romance!"; "The Surprise of Fate!").

But Jor-El was concerned with humanitarian matters as well as scientific ones. Because of his strong moral opposition to capital punishment, he devised a method whereby perpetrators of serious crimes could be exiled into space in a state of suspended animation inside specially constructed space capsules, a method first employed to safeguard Kryptonians against the power-hungry ambitions of the Kryptonian scientist [[U-Ban]] and his two brothers, [[Kizo]] and [[Mala]], also scientists. According to Superman No. 65/3, the space capsules were made of transparent plastic and shaped like rocket ships (Jul/ Aug 1950: "Three Supermen from Krypton!"), but according to Superman No.123 these so-called "prison satellites" were of a spherical shape. The criminals imprisoned inside them were placed in suspended animation by means of a special sleep gas, and chunks of a glowing crystalline mineral—capable of cleansing their brains of criminal tendencies in a hundred years' time—were placed on their foreheads so that ultimately, once their sentence was served, they might take up constructive roles in Kryptonian society (Aug 1958: chs. 1-3—"The Girl of Steel"; "The Lost Super-Powers"; "Superman's Return to Krypton").

The practice of exiling criminals into outer space was terminated after Jor-El had discovered the Phantom Zone, a twilight dimension to which criminals could be banished—by means of Jor-El's own [[Phantom Zone projector]] to serve out their sentences as disembodied wraiths. Indeed, it was Jor-El's testimony that resulted in the sentencing of many Kryptonian criminals to the Phantom Zone (S No. 153/3, May 1962: "The Town of Supermen!"; and others). He was the "leader" of the Kryptonian "justice council"—analogous to being the foreman of an American jury—that found [[Quex-Ul]] guilty and sentenced him to a term in the Phantom Zone (S No. 157/1, Nov 1962: "The Super-Revenge of the Phantom Zone Prisoner!"), and his testimony was undoubtedly influential in determining the guilt of the would-be dictator [[Ral-En]] (''see'' [[Mag-En]]) (S No. 154/2, Jul 1962: "Krypton's First Superman!"). On at least one occasion he served as an undercover agent for the Krypton Bureau of Investigation to help thwart the sinister machinations of a would-be tyrant (S No. 123, Aug 1958: chs. 1-3—"The Girl of Steel"; "The Lost Super-Powers"; "Superman's Return to Krypton").

It is small wonder, then, that this brilliant and versatile scientist soon won a place for himself on Krypton's prestigious Council of Science (Act No. 223, Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton"), also referred to as the Council of Scientists (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"). The precise role of the Council is hard to define. Action Comics No. 223 makes a clear distinction between the Council and Krypton's "highest officials," suggesting that the Council presided over scientific matters as distinct from political ones (Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton"), but Superman No. 65/3 makes reference to "Krypton's ruling council, which consisted of the [planet's] ten leading scientists," and goes on to describe Jor-El as "the leader of the council," suggesting that the scientific establishment had jurisdiction over the political sphere as well as the scientific and that Jor-El occupied a position on the council which made him virtual head of state (Jul/Aug 1950: "Three Supermen from Krypton!"). According to Superman No. 53/1, on the other hand, scientists who heard Jor-El foretell the impending doom of Krypton were suspicious that he might be "trying to frighten Krypton's leaders away from our planet so that he may rule" (Jul/ Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!"), suggesting that although Jor-El was a "brilliant scientist" (Act No.158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!") and "prominent Kryptonian (S No. 154/2, Jul 1962: "Krypton's First Superman!"), he was only marginally involved in political activity. On the planet Krypton, however, the scientific establishment exerted considerable influence on political and social policy, and so, whatever its precise functions, Jor-El's position on the Council of Science meant that he occupied a prestigious position in Kryptonian life.

=The Cataclysm=
At the time Lara gave birth to the infant Superman, she and Jor-El were residing in [[Kryptonopolis]] (SA No. 5, Sum 1962; and others), the city that had become the capital of Krypton following the theft of Kandor by the space villain Brainiac. According to Superman No. 75/1, the proud parents named their newborn son Jor-El, 2nd (Mar/Apr 1952: "The Prankster's Star Pupil!"), but an overwhelming preponderance of texts assert that they named him Kal-El (S No.113, May 1957: chs. 1-3—"The Superman of the Past"; "The Secret of the Towers"; "The Superman of the Present"; and others). By all accounts, the dark-haired youngster bore an "unmistakable" resemblance to his father (S No.77/1, Jul/Aug 1952: "The Man Who Went to Krypton!"; and others).

It was around the time of Superman's birth, while all of Krypton was busily engaged in preparations for the planet-wide pageantry scheduled to mark the upcoming anniversary of "the 10,000th year" of Kryptonian civilization (Act No. 223, Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton"), that Jor-El made what was at once the most momentous and most calamitous discovery of his scientific career: the discovery that Krypton's uranium core, which for untold ages [had] been building a cycle of chain-reactions," was on the verge of unleashing a planetary cataclysm, that "soon every atom on [the] planet would explode like one colossal atomic bomb!" (S No. 61/3, Nov/Dec 1949: "Superman Returns to Krypton!").

It remains unclear why Jor-El, alone among his contemporaries, was able to forecast the impending doom of his planet. According to Superman No. 113, Jor-El was first alerted to the coming cataclysm by [[Queen Latora]] of the planet [[Vergo]] (May 1957: chs. 1-3—"The Superman of the Past"; "The Secret of the Towers"; "The Superman of the Present"), but other texts assert that he had "long suspected" the problem (Act No. 158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!"; and others), having first detected it by means of his scientific "instruments" (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"; and others), specifically an ingenious "nuclear fission tester" of his own invention which "registers if any chain reaction is starting and shows the source" (WF No.69, Mar/Apr 1954: "Jor-El's Last Will!").

By whatever means Jor-El became aware that Krypton was about to explode "from gathering atomic pressure at the core of the planet" (Act No. 182, Jul 1953: "The Return of Planet Krypton!"), he moved coolly and decisively to confirm his suspicions, burrowing deep into the bowels of Krypton in an "atomic-powered mole," performing numerous experiments, making countless intricate calculations (Act No.223, Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton").

Finally, although he still lacked positive scientific proof to substantiate his hypothesis (Act No. 223, Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton"; and others), Jor-El was ready to report his findings to Krypton's prestigious scientific council. "Gentlemen," he intoned solemnly, as he addressed his scientific colleagues in Krypton's hallowed Hall of Wisdom, "...Krypton is doomed!...[T]he core of Krypton is composed of a substance called uranium...which, for untold ages, has been setting up a cycle of chain-impulses, building in power every moment! Soon...very soon...every atom of Krypton will explode in one final terrible blast! Gentlemen, Krypton is one gigantic atomic bomb!" (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!"; and others).

It is incredible that the assembled scientists did not believe him. Already there was "a rumble of mighty forces" from deep inside Krypton that could be heard and felt by every Kryptonian. Perhaps Jor-El's explanation is the only true one: that "men often reject a truth that is too terrible to face!" (Act No.158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!"; and others).

Whether the cause was jealousy, or pomposity, or the unwillingness of men to face a terrible truth, it is a simple fact of history that the venerable scientists of Krypton rejected Jor-El's warning. His prophecy of impending cataclysm was greeted with jeers and laughter (S No. 53/1, Jul/ Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!"; and others). He was accused of being an alarmist and a crackpot, an irresponsible fantasizer and a cunning schemer in pursuit of planetary power . And when he carried his plea to Krypton's "highest officials" (Act No.223, Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton "), and then to the population at large (Act No.158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!"; and others), all he received for his efforts was more scorn and derision.

Besides Lara, Jor-El's loving wife, only two Kryptonians are on record as having believed in Jor-El and his prophecy of cataclysm: his brother Zor-El (S No.146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!") and the scientist Shir Kan (Act No. 218, Jul 1956: "The Super-Ape from Krypton"). Although "Kryptonians had not yet perfected rocket travel" at the time Krypton exploded (S No. 113, May 1957: chs. 1-3—"The Superman of the Past"; "The Secret of the Towers"; "The Superman of the Present"; and others), various rocketry experiments were under way, and Shir Kan—whether he conceived the idea independently or whether he was inspired by Jor-El's call for the construction of a fleet of rocket ships to evacuate Krypton's population to some distant planet (Act No. 172, Sep 1952: "Lois Lane. ..Witch!"; and others)—responded to Jor-El's dire prediction by having his staff construct a fleet of "experimental rockets" which might have been used as part of a planet-wide migration. Concerned that Kryptonians might be incapable of withstanding the rigors of interplanetary travel, however, Shir Kan took the conservative step of first testing his rockets with a small population of experimental apes. Many, if not all, of Shir Kan's apes survive to this day on a far-distant planet (''see'' [[Super-Ape]]), but Shir Kan's act of overcaution meant that his rockets, which might have been used for at least a partial evacuation of Krypton, were off in outer space when the doomsday came (Act No. 218, Jul 1956: "The Super-Ape from Krypton").

Jor-El, meanwhile, set to work with renewed dedication, aware that time was running out (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"), determined to rescue his people from the calamity he knew was coming. His dream was an immense interplanetary migration—the transfer of the entire population of Krypton from their doomed home to another planet—in a fleet of "rocket-driven space arks" (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"), "giant rocket ships" of which Jor-El himself had already constructed a scaled-down prototype (S No. 53/1, Jul/ Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!"; and others).

Resettlement on the planet Earth would be the natural goal of such a transfer. Earth was Jor-El's "favorite planet" (S No.113, May 1957: chs.1-3—"The Superman of the Past"; "The Secret of the Towers"; "The Superman of the Present"). For years he had made an intensive study of that planet, as no Kryptonian ever had, peering at it through his "super-powerful telescope" (S No.141, Nov 1960: "Superman's Return to Krypton!" pts. I-III—"Superman Meets Jor-El and Lara Again!"; "Superman's Kryptonian Romance!"; "The Surprise of Fate!"; and others), carefully scrutinizing "every detail of Earth life" playing across the giant "Earth monitor screen" in his laboratory's scrupulously equipped "Earth monitor room" (Act No.281, Oct 1961: "The Man Who Saved Kal-El's Life!").

Jor-El had a natural affection for Earth. His ancestor Sul-El, the inventor of Krypton's first telescope, had been the first Kryptonian to chart the location of Earth's sun (SF No.172, Aug/Sep 1975; and others). His own father, in an early triumph of space travel, had once actually negotiated a round-trip journey between Krypton and Earth (S No. 103/1, Feb 1956: "The Superman of Yesterday").

Now, with the day of cataclysm drawing nearer by the moment, Jor-El renewed his study of Earth with a single-minded intensity, determined to establish, beyond any doubt, whether Earth would indeed be a habitable planet for his people. He studied "every aspect of Earth by tele-screen projection" and concluded that Earth's environment would be ideal for a Kryptonian settlement. In order to study the probable effects of Earth's "weaker gravity" on the migrating Kryptonians, he employed sophisticated "gravity-distorting machines" to transform an isolated Kryptonian valley into an atmospheric microcosm of Earth, complete with "a sample section of an Earth city" which he constructed with the aid of powerful Kryptonian "building machines." In the altered atmosphere of his artificial Earth, Jor-El confirmed through experimentation what he had already arrived at through astronomical calculation: "...My Kryptonian muscles enable me to run at super-speed and hurtle through the air!" he thought to himself as he cavorted in his man-made environment. "And in this weaker gravitation, my body would be invulnerable!" (Act No.223, Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton").

But Jor-El did not place all his hopes in an interplanetary migration by rocket ship. For in addition to his rocket prototype, Jor-El had his "matter-radio," a "transmitter that can send all forms of living matter—even living people—across space by radio!" (S No.77 /1, Jul/ Aug 1952: "The Man Who Went to Krypton!").

In the chronicles, two separate texts deal with Jor-El' s hopes of evacuating his people to Earth by means of the matter-radio. In terms of minor details, the texts differ, but both are in accord on the following points: (1) Jor-El envisioned a mass migration to Earth via matter-radio; (2) in preparation for the evacuation, he used his device to summon an Earth scientist to Krypton, both to discuss the feasibility of the planned migration and to explore the means of carrying it out; and (3) in the end, time ran out before the necessary number of apparatuses could be constructed, and a malfunctioning of Jor-El's own matter-radio at the time of the cataclysm prevented even him and his wife Lara from using it to effect their escape (S No. 77/1, Jul/ Aug 1952: "The Man Who Went to Krypton!"; Act No.281, Oct 1961: "The Man Who Saved Kal-El's Life!").

As the day of doom drew ever closer, Jor-El made one last desperate attempt to arouse the Kryptonian population from its fatal complacency. As part of Krypton's glorious "10,000-year celebration," a "super-scope" film was being shown commemorating the planet's past and expressing optimism for its future. Into this film, Jor-El spliced scenes that he had himself created, horrifying trick-photography footage of Krypton exploding into fragments, along with the image of Jor-El in the foreground, shouting "This is Krypton's tomorrow! ...[O]ur planet is doomed!" (Act No.223, Dec 1956: "The First Superman of Krypton").

Even this spectacularly dramatic ploy, however, failed to arouse the masses from their apathy, and before long a "great computer-forecaster" recently developed by a colleague had informed the defeated Jor-El of what he already knew: that the odds were now ninety-nine in a hundred that Krypton would be destroyed before an interplanetary evacuation could be carried out (Act No. 314, Jul 1964: "The Day Superman Became the Flash!").

Immediately, Jor-El turned his attentions to the completion of a more modest task, the construction of a small rocket sufficient to rescue himself and his family (S No. 100/3, Sep 1955: "The Clue from Krypton"), and when time ran out on even this modest project, he devoted his last remaining energies to the task of saving his son. Placing the last of his hopes in his recent "experiments with small rockets," Jor-El launched Kal-El's pet dog, [[Krypto]], into outer space in a tiny rocket as a final trial run for the evacuation of his son, but the test proved inconclusive when, instead of returning to Krypton as Jor-El had planned, Krypto's rocket was struck a glancing blow by a meteor and sent careening into outer space (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

With the death of Krypton now perhaps only hours away, Jor-El placed some of his greatest inventions inside a massive vault with a combination lock in the hope that they might somehow "survive to benefit other men even though our own world must die!" Little did Jor-El suspect that these inventions would one day find their way to Earth, where they would be used for evil by the diabolical [[Lex Luthor]] (S No. 74/1, Jan/Feb 1952: "The Lost Secrets of Krypton!").

Action Comics No. 216 asserts that the rocket in which the infant Kal-El escaped from Krypton's final holocaust was actually a small scale model of a "gigantic space ship" which Jor-El had earlier loaded with "outlawed war weapons" and launched into outer space as part of his plan to avert the possible outbreak of war on Krypton (May 1956: "The Super-Menace of Metropolis"), but numerous other texts refer to it as a "model space-ship" (S No.61/3, Nov/Dec 1949: "Superman Returns to Krypton!") or "experimental model rocket" (S No.141, Nov 1960: "Superman's Return to Krypton!" pts. I-III—"Superman Meets Jor-El and Lara Again!"; "Superman's Kryptonian Romance!"; "The Surprise of Fate!") of the type which Jor-El had hoped to use for an interplanetary evacuation (S No.74/1, Jan/Feb 1952: "The Lost Secrets of Krypton!"; and others).

To prevent his son's rocket from being crushed by flying meteoric fragments as it hurtled through space, Jor-El outfitted it with a special jewel-like "projector" of his own invention, designed to obliterate oncoming meteors by emitting "iron-destroying rays." "This jewel," explained Jor-El to his wife, "is really a tiny projector which emits invisible rays that can destroy '''''iron!''''' Since meteors are almost all iron, such a projector as this in [the] rocket would protect it from damage!" (Act No.172, Sep 1952: "Lois Lane...Witch!").

Inside the rocket, along with the projector, Jor-El placed what has been described as his "last will and testament." Inscribed on a thin sheet of super-hard metal, the will consisted of detailed descriptions of three of Jor-El's greatest inventions: his "dimension-traveler," his "missile-projector," and his "nuclear fission tester." The metallic last will somehow survived the explosion that destroyed the rocket moments after it landed on Earth and became buried deep in the ground, where it remained until it was finally rediscovered by Superman many years later (WF No. 69, Mar/Apr 1954: "Jor-El's Last Will!").

To the outside of the rocket, Jor-El affixed several metal cylinders containing Kryptonian "condensed food" intended for the nurturing of his infant son following his arrival on Earth. The containers became detached from the rocket during its journey through space, however, and were not discovered until many years later (''see'' [[Roger Bliss]] [Mr. and Mrs.]) (Act No.217 , Jun 1956: "The Amazing Super-Baby").

Another item which Jor-El affixed to the exterior of the rocket was a special Kryptonian "record playback machine" containing a "video-recording"—or "video-tape"—of Jor-El narrating some of the events leading up to the destruction of Krypton. The video-tape and playback machine, however, somehow became detached from the rocket after it had entered Earth's atmosphere, and were not discovered until [[Aquaman]] retrieved them from the sea bottom many years later (Act No. 314, Jul 1964: "The Day Superman Became the Flash!").

Knowing that Kryptonians would acquire "super-powers" in the lesser gravity of Earth, Jor-El had created a supply of special "radioactive capsules" designed to renew those powers temporarily in the event anything on Earth made them "fade away." In the horror of Krypton's final moments, however, Jor-El forgot to include the metal box containing the capsules among the items he placed in the rocket, and they were not discovered until many years later (''see'' [[Elton Craig]]), when they found their way to Earth embedded in a meteoric fragment (WF No. 87, Mar/Apr 1957: "The Reversed Heroes!"; see also WF No. 90, Sep/Oct 1957: "The Super-Batwoman!").

Now the hour of Krypton's doom had come. "At that fateful moment, the rumblings inside Krypton became a roar and the planet shook wildly!" (Act No. 158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!").

The model rocket ship was small, but it was large enough to hold both Lara and her infant son. Jor-El urged them toward the tiny rocket. Already their home was crumbling about them (S No. 53/1, Jul/ Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!"; and others), and through gaping holes in the collapsing walls they could see the lofty spires of Krypton's once-proud edifices toppling like childrens blocks amid dense clouds of choking black smoke. "I will not leave you, Jor-El!" cried Lara. "But we will save our son!" (Act No. 158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!"; and others.
[[Image:Jor-El_Launches_Rocket.gif|left|thumb|Launch Sequence]]
Hurriedly, "the helpless infant was placed into the space-ship" (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!"), wrapped in the blue, red, and yellow blankets that would, according to many accounts, one day be used to fashion his famous [[Superman#The_Costume|Superman costume]].

And then the tiny craft was "launched forth into the void" (Act No. 158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!"), the flag of Krypton was emblazoned proudly on its fuselage (Act No. 246, Nov 1958: "Krypton on Earth!").

"Krypton is dying!" cried Jor-El, amid the dying convulsions of a shattering planet.

"But our son will live," answered Lara, "—the last survivor or a great civilization!"

Then, as husband and wife clung together in a desperate last embrace, "nature's fury gathered for one final cataclysmic eruption....And as the pitifully small space-ship hurtled through interstellar space, the once mighty planet Krypton exploded into stardust!" (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman").

[[Image:Krypton003.jpg|left|thumb|Launch Sequence]]

=Post-Cataclysm=
Because he remembers his parents as having been so "loving and kind" (S No. 123, Aug 1958: chs. 1-3—"The Girl of Steel"; "The Lost Super-Powers"; "Superman's Return to Krypton")—and because the anguish of losing them in childhood was so unbearably painful—Superman has memorialized his parents in numerous ways: he has dedicated a room to them in his [[Fortress of Solitude]] (Act No. 247, Dec 1958: "Superman's Lost Parents!"; and others), taken color photographs of them "by overtaking and photographing light rays that had left Krypton before it exploded" (S No. 132, Oct 1959: "Superman's Other Life!" pts. 1-3—"Krypton Lives On!"; "Futuro, Super-Hero of Krypton!"; "The Superman of Two Worlds!"), and carved their faces into the side of a planetoid in the style of the [[Mount Rushmore National Memorial]] (S No. 161/1, May 1963: "The Last Days of Ma and Pa Kent!"). When, in January 1962, Superman, [[Supergirl]], and Krypto the Superdog transform an uninhabited planet in a "distant solar system" into an exact duplicate of Krypton as their way of commemorating "the anniversary of the death of Krypton," two of the "human androids" with which they populate their "memorial planet" are "robot imitations" of Jor-El and Lara (S No. 150/1: "The One Minute of Doom!").

In addition to these memorials created by Superman, a statue of Jor-El, Lara, and baby Kal-El adorns the grounds of [[Metropolis]]'s [[Superman Museum]] (S No. 150/3, Jan 1962: "When the World Forgot Superman!"), and there are wax figures of Jor-El and Lara on display on [[Jonas Smith]]'s brainchild, Krypton Island (Act No. 246, Nov 1958: "Krypton on Earth!"). In October 1961 [[Lori Lemaris]] indicates that she and her fellow Atlanteans intend to use a hoard of gold from a sunken Spanish treasure ship to fashion solid gold statues of Jor-El and Lara as a surprise gift for Superman in gratitude for his past efforts on behalf of [[Atlantis]]'s mer-people (S No. 148/3: "Superman Owes a Billion Dollars!").

[[Zoll Orr]], a scientist of the planet [[Xenon]] who befriends Superman in February 1958, is a perfect look-alike for Superman's father (S No. 119: "The Second Superman!" chs. 1-3—"The World That Was Krypton's Twin"; "A Double for Superman"; "Superman's Mightiest Quest") and Superman encounters another Jor-El look-alike—also named Jor-El—during a visit to an extradimensional "parallel universe" in July 1961 (S No. 146/2: "Superman's Greatest Feats!").

In June 1938, in the text containing the first account of [[Superman#Origin|Superman's origin]], Superman's father is referred to only as an extraterrestrial "scientist" and his actual name is never stated (Act No. 1).

In July-August 1948, in a text containing afar more extensive account of Superman's origin, Superman's father is referred to by name—as Jor-EI—for the first time in the chronicles (S No. 53/1: "The Origin of Superman!").

In November-December 1949 Superman sees Jor-El and Lara for the first time since his infancy when he journeys through the time-space barrier to the planet Krypton and actually witnesses the cataclysm that destroyed his native planet (S No. 61/3 "Superman Returns to Krypton!").

In October 1950 three Kryptonian "thought-projection discs" containing a detailed account of the courtship of Jor-El and Lara—which have been whirling about in space since the explosion of Krypton—are returned to Earth by a U.S. experimental rocket and retrieved by the ever-curious [[Lois Lane]] (Act No. 149: "The Courtship on Krypton!"). (''See also'' [[Lara]].)

In January-February 1952 Jor-El's vault of great inventions, which had been hurled into outer space by the force of the cataclysm that destroyed Krypton, is drawn to Earth by a "magnet-ray machine" devised by the diabolical [[Lex Luthor]] (S No. 74/1: "The Lost Secrets of Krypton!").

In March-April 1954, on the site where the rocket carrying the infant Superman landed upon its arrival on Earth, Superman finds Jor-El's last will and testament—a thin sheet of super-hard metal inscribed with detailed descriptions of three of Jor-El's greatest inventions—buried deep in the ground. Following the instructions left behind by his father, Superman constructs working prototypes of all three inventions, and although he ultimately destroys two of them in the belief that mankind is not yet ready for them, the third and last invention, Jor-El's "nuclear fission tester" and the partially completed formula for halting a nuclear-fission reaction that accompanies it, does enable Superman to detect and halt a potentially cataclysmic chain reaction building up at the core of the Earth (WF No. 69: "Jor-El's Last Will!").

In May 1956 Metropolis is besieged by colossal metal machines—unleashed by a robot-piloted alien spacecraft—which tear through the city wreaking havoc and destruction. Superman's initial conclusion is that the "terrible machines" are the work of a sinister mastermind who "wants to take over the world," but a diary written by Jor-El, which the Man of Steel finds on the spacecraft's floor, reveals that the machines are actually "outlawed war weapons" from the planet Krypton which were launched into outer space by Jor-El prior to the death of his planet as part of his plan to avert what he feared was the possibility of an imminent outbreak of war on Krypton. The plan—which entailed launching the weapons-craft to an "artificial satellite," where its robot pilot would proceed to destroy a previously constructed "prop city" with the weapons as a graphic reminder to Kryptonians of the horrors of war—was aborted by the explosion of Krypton, which sent the weapons-carrying spacecraft careening into space, eventually to land on Earth, where the robot pilot began mindlessly to fulfill its automated mission of destruction. Superman ultimately destroys the weapons spacecraft, however, carrying it "deep into the center of Earth...where the molten core consumes the super-menace from Krypton!" (Act No.216: "The Super-Menace of Metropolis").

In December 1956, "far out in space," Superman comes upon "a mass of cosmic wreckage" from the doomed planet Krypton, including Jor-El's journal and laboratory desk and some films which Jor-El made of himself using "automatic cameras." Together, Jor-El's journal and films record the events leading up to the death of Krypton, document Jor-El's telescopic study of Earth and his experiments with artificially weakened gravity in an isolated Kryptonian valley, and recount the story of his defeat and capture of two power-mad Kryptonian scientists, Val Am and Khai Zor, who had hoped to profit from Jor-El's discoveries in order to escape to Earth and establish themselves as "masters of the Earth people!" (Act No. 223: "The First Superman of Krypton").

In May 1957 Superman recovers a Kryptonian "mind-tape"—and a helmetlike apparatus for playing it back—after the objects have fallen to Earth outside Metropolis embedded in a kryptonite meteor. Dictated by Jor-El shortly prior to the death of Krypton, the mind-tape tells the story of Jor-El's recent encounter with the lovely [[Queen Latora]], ruler of the planet [[Vergo]], and of her elaborate scheme to revitalize Vergo's dying sun by using a colossal electromagnet to pull the planet Krypton into the heart of Vergo's sun—thereby destroying Krypton and annihilating its population—in order to refuel the expiring star with Krypton's uranium core. Stunned to discover that the red-haired queen literally intended to obliterate his planet, Jor-El fought to thwart the scheme and ultimately prevailed upon Queen Latora to search elsewhere in space for a planet sufficiently rich in uranium to enable her to fulfill her mission. According to his account, Jor-El first learned of Krypton's imminent destruction when Queen Latora told him that she had chosen Krypton as the fuel for Vergo's sun only after determining that Krypton's doom was already imminent. Indeed, soon afterward, Krypton did perish, and several decades later, after having been alerted to the Vergoans' plight by his father's mind-tape, Superman flashes into outer space to help Queen Latora and her people revitalize their sun and thus avert their own imininent extinction (S No. 113: chs. 1-3—"The Superman of the Past"; "The Secret of the rowers"; "The Superman of the Present").

In August 1958 Superman journeys through the time-space barrier to Krypton at a time when his parents, who have not yet married, are working as undercover agents to thwart the sinister machinations of the diabolical [[Kil-Lor]]. When, as the result of a disastrous misunderstanding, Jor-El and Lara are convicted of treason along with Kil-Lor and launched into space in suspended animation to serve out a 100-year term in a prison satellite, Superman frees the trio from their orbiting prison and defeats Kil-Lor—who has acquired super-powers identical to Superman's as the result of having ventured beyond Krypton's gravitational pull—by tricking the villain into killing himself by overexposure to [[Kryptonite]]. (S No.123: chs. 1-3—"The Girl of Steel"; "The Lost Super-Powers"; "Superman's Return to Krypton").

In December 1961 Superman enjoys a brief reunion
with Jor-El and Lara—as well as with his foster parents, [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]]—after exposure to red kryptonite has temporarily endowed him with the power to make his wishes come true and he has wished aloud that his parents were on the scene to advise him how best to use his marvelous new power. Moments later, however, the effects of the red kryptonite wear off, Superman loses his wish-fulfilling power, and his magically materialized parents and foster parents fade and vanish like wraiths (Act No. 283: "The Red Kryptonite Menace!").

By July 1964, while patrolling the sea bottom, Aquaman has retrieved the Kryptonian "record playback machine" and "video-recording" which Jor-El had originally affixed to the exterior of the rocket that carried his infant son to Earth. Narrated by Jor-El, the recording recounts his efforts to decide which six distant planets would make the best home for his son Kal-El by feeding the available data into a "great computer-forecaster." According to the computer-forecaster, young Kal-El would ultimately become a famed lawman and hero on whichever of the six planets he grew to maturity, but the type of hero he became would depend on the type of planet chosen as his home, so that if he grew up on the water-world of Valair, for example, he would develop into a seagoing hero like Aquaman. As the result of these and other inquiries, Jor-El decided his son would be happiest living on Earth (Act No.314: "The Day Superman Became the Flash!").

During this same period, [[Lex Luthor]] journeys through the time-space barrier to Krypton at a time predating the marriage of Jor-El and Lara as part of his bizarre scheme to marry Lara himself and thus become the father of Superman (S No.170/2, Jul 1964: pts. I-II—"If Lex Luthor Were Superman's Father!"; "The Wedding of Lara and Luthor!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:House of El]]

Zor-El

2005-03-10T20:17:18Z

Bill 9000:

'''Zor-El.''' The Kryptonian scientist who is the father of [[Supergirl]]. Since [[Superman]]'s father, [[Jor-El]], was Zor-El's brother, Zor-El is Superman's uncle.

As a young man on the planet [[Krypton]], Zor-El—like his brother Jor-El—embarked on a career in science, although he appears to have limited himself to the field of climatography and to have displayed none of Jor-El's capacity for brilliance and creativity in a breathtaking array of scientific disciplines. Zor-El is, however, one of the very few Kryptonians on record as having believed in Jor-El and his widely ridiculed prophecy that Krypton was poised on the brink of planetary cataclysm (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

When Krypton exploded, as Jor-El had predicted it would, Zor-El and [[Alura]], his wife-to-be, survived the death of their planet along with the other inhabitants of [[Argo City]] when their entire city was hurled into outer space intact by the force of the cataclysm. According to the early texts bearing on this subject, Argo City was "enclosed in a bubble of air" when the land chunk on which it was situated was hurled into space (S No. 150/1, Jan 1962: "The One Minute of Doom!"; and others), but later texts, such as the Supergirl story in Action Comics No. 316, assert that the city was covered by an airtight plastic "weather dome" at the time of the disaster to accommodate the "atmospheric experiments" being conducted there by Zor-El (Sep 1964: "Supergirl's Choice of Doom!"; and others).

According to the Supergirl story in Action Comics No. 252, the Argo City survivors had high hopes of continued survival since they had more than sufficient air to breathe and a "food machine" to provide them with nourishment. When they discovered, to their horror, that the atomic chain reaction that had destroyed Krytpon had converted the ground beneath their feet to [[Kryptonite]], an element whose radiations were capable of poisoning and destroying them, Zor-El resolved the potentially fatal dilemma by covering the ground with sheet lead, thereby effectively shielding the deadly kryptonite radiations.

For years Argo City drifted through space as life returned to an uneasy normalcy for its small but hardy population. Zor-El took a wife, Alura, and in time a blond-haired baby girl, Kara, was born to the couple. But fate had a cruel surprise in store for the people of Argo City. For one day, after Zor-EI's daughter had become a teen-ager, a swarm of meteors struck the city, smashing gaping holes in Zor-El's kryptonite-proof lead shield and releasing the deadly kryptonite radiations into the air. Within about a month virtually the entire population of Argo City had succumbed to kryptonite poisoning, but not before Zor-El had placed his teen-aged daughter inside a small rocket ship and launched her toward Earth, where she would acquire super-powers identical to Superman's and achieve worldwide renown as Supergirl (May 1959: "The Supergirl from Krypton!").

For some time, it was believed that Zor-El and Alura had perished along with the rest of Argo City, but it ultimately developed that the renowned scientist and his wife had survived the death of their city by escaping into the so-called Survival Zone, an alien dimension which Zor-El himself discovered (ACT No. 309/2, Feb. 1964, "The Untold Story of Argo City"), and from which Supergirl finally frees her parents in 1964. Zor-EI and Alura now reside in [[Kandor]].

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]

Zor-El

2005-03-10T20:17:00Z

Bill 9000: Added issue note for Survival Zone reference

'''Zor-El.''' The Kryptonian scientist who is the father of [[Supergirl]]. Since [[Superman]]'s father, [[Jor-El]], was Zor-El's brother, Zor-El is Superman's uncle.

As a young man on the planet [[Krypton]], Zor-El—like his brother Jor-El—embarked on a career in science, although he appears to have limited himself to the field of climatography and to have displayed none of Jor-El's capacity for brilliance and creativity in a breathtaking array of scientific disciplines. Zor-El is, however, one of the very few Kryptonians on record as having believed in Jor-El and his widely ridiculed prophecy that Krypton was poised on the brink of planetary cataclysm (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!").

When Krypton exploded, as Jor-El had predicted it would, Zor-El and [[Alura]], his wife-to-be, survived the death of their planet along with the other inhabitants of [[Argo City]] when their entire city was hurled into outer space intact by the force of the cataclysm. According to the early texts bearing on this subject, Argo City was "enclosed in a bubble of air" when the land chunk on which it was situated was hurled into space (S No. 150/1, Jan 1962: "The One Minute of Doom!"; and others), but later texts, such as the Supergirl story in Action Comics No. 316, assert that the city was covered by an airtight plastic "weather dome" at the time of the disaster to accommodate the "atmospheric experiments" being conducted there by Zor-El (Sep 1964: "Supergirl's Choice of Doom!"; and others).

According to the Supergirl story in Action Comics No. 252, the Argo City survivors had high hopes of continued survival since they had more than sufficient air to breathe and a "food machine" to provide them with nourishment. When they discovered, to their horror, that the atomic chain reaction that had destroyed Krytpon had converted the ground beneath their feet to [[Kryptonite]], an element whose radiations were capable of poisoning and destroying them, Zor-El resolved the potentially fatal dilemma by covering the ground with sheet lead, thereby effectively shielding the deadly kryptonite radiations.

For years Argo City drifted through space as life returned to an uneasy normalcy for its small but hardy population. Zor-El took a wife, Alura, and in time a blond-haired baby girl, Kara, was born to the couple. But fate had a cruel surprise in store for the people of Argo City. For one day, after Zor-EI's daughter had become a teen-ager, a swarm of meteors struck the city, smashing gaping holes in Zor-El's kryptonite-proof lead shield and releasing the deadly kryptonite radiations into the air. Within about a month virtually the entire population of Argo City had succumbed to kryptonite poisoning, but not before Zor-El had placed his teen-aged daughter inside a small rocket ship and launched her toward Earth, where she would acquire super-powers identical to Superman's and achieve worldwide renown as Supergirl (May 1959: "The Supergirl from Krypton!").

For some time, it was believed that Zor-El and Alura had perished along with the rest of Argo City, but it ultimately developed that the renowned scientist and his wife had survived the death of their city by escaping into the so-called Survival Zone, an alien dimension which Zor-El himself discovered (ACT No. 309, Feb. 1964, "The Untold Story of Argo City), and from which Supergirl finally frees her parents in 1964. Zor-EI and Alura now reside in [[Kandor]].

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]

Brainiac 5

2005-03-07T19:49:21Z

Bill 9000:

Originally thought to be the descendant of the original [[Brainiac]], Brainiac 5 is actually descended from [[Brainiac II]], who was adopted by Brainiac I to hide his origin.

Brainiac 5 is a member of the [[Legion of Super Heroes]] in 30th Century [[Metropolis]]. Possessed of a 12th level intellligence his many inventions have included the Legionaire's time bubble, [[Mon-El]]'s cure for lead poisoning, flying belts, flight rings and Computo.

Both [[Supergirl]] and Brainiac 5 applied for Legion membership at the same thing but Supergirl was rejected as [[Red Kryptonite]] had turned her into a Superwoman and over the 21 age limit for membership.

As depicted in The Chronicles repeatedly, Brainiac 5 and Supergirl are sweet on each other.

When Superman visited the 30th century to answer a summons from the [[Adult Legion of Super Heroes]], he was greeted by their leader - Brainiac 5.

[[Category:Entries]]
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Mon-El

2005-03-07T19:49:00Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Mon-El.jpg|left|]]

'''Mon-EL'''
Real name: Lar Gand.

Mon-El first arrived on Earth suffering from amnesia during [[Superboy]]'s time in [[Smallville]]. Mistakenly believing he was from [[Krypton]], Mon-El was "Superboy's Big Brother" Sboy No. 89 Feb. 1961.

However, with his memory restored, they learned he was actually a native of the planet [[Daxam]], a Krypton-like world, which gave Mon-El super powers under a yellow sun. Daxamite's one weakness is lead which is in abundance on Earth. Unlike exposure to Krytonite in Superboy's case, lead exposure to a Daxamite was fatal. To save his friend's life, Superboy projected Mon-El into the [[Phantom Zone]].

Mon-El remained trapped in that twilight dimension for over a thousand years until [[Brainiac 5]] of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] concocted an antidote for Mon-El's lead poisioning.

Fully cured Mon-El became a member of that heroic teen brigade of the future, the Legion of Super Heroes.

When Superman visited the [[Adult Legion of Super Heroes]], he learned that Mon-El was roaming the spaceways as an explorer, clearing the way for intergalactic settlers.

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]

== External Links to Online Comics ==
'''" Superboy's Big Brother"''' from Superboy 89
[http://superman.ws/tales2/mon-el/1/]

Proty II

2005-03-07T19:48:38Z

Bill 9000:

A Protean creature from the planet Antares who is a member of the [[Legion of Super-Pets]]. Telepathic and protoplasmic like all members of his race, Proty II has the power to change his shape at will to any form he chooses.

In November 1963, when [[Saturn Woman]] poses as the enchantress [[Circe]] as part of [[Superman]]'s plan to defeat the [[Superman Revenge Squad]], Proty II aids in the impersonation by molding his "protoplasmic body" around Superman's face and assuming, in turn, the form of a lion's head and then that of a mouse's head to make it appear that Circe has used her legendary powers to give the Man of Steel different heads (S No.165/1: pts 1-II --"Beauty and the Super-Beast";"Circe's Super-Slave").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Legion of Super-Pets]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
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Towbee

2005-03-07T19:48:22Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Towbee_The_Minstrel_of_Space.jpg|left|thumb|Towbee]]
The "minstrel of space," a seemingly care-free and "happy wanderer among the stars" who visits Earth in January 1973 and descends in his space ship to twenty-two thousand miles above Metropolis for the express purpose of drawing out [[Superman]]. Towbee exclaims that he has exhausted his repertoire of stories and wishes to create a new one about the Man of Steel so that he will have something to "sing to lonely space-voyagers" (Act No. 480: "The Made to Order Menace!").

Towbee's instrument, a "screensong," can cast solid images and sounds that apparently take on a life of their own. Towbee initially uses this instument to create a "drooling little monster," a repulsive winged flying lizard, whom he names [[Artnig]], then lets it loose in the skies over [[Metropolis]] and sits back to see what will happen.

The lizard snatches up [[Clark Kent]] in its talons, and dramatically dangles the disguised Superman over the city, where, exposed to public view, Superman is unable to change to his Superman costume. He eventually succeeds in discreetly using his the inhalation of his super-breath to draw the smoke-stack smoke of a nearby factory toward himself in order to block his costume change from view. Towbee realizes that Superman will not act openly as Superman while in disguise as Clark Kent, so he uses his screensong to quickly fashion a stand-in. Superman goes into action, but is then surprised to discover that an exact doppleganger of Clark Kent is now astride the flying space lizard in his place, crying for help.

Superman tracks down Towbee, wondering why "these interplanetary meddlers can't understand that messing around with the lives of humans isn't right!" and disposes of the flying menace by molding a "big wad of molten plastic" into a giant lens consisting of a series of prisms that focus the sun's rays on the lizard in such a manner that it dissolves. (Act No. 480: "The Made to Order Menace!").

Towbee leaves the Solar System with his "tale to sing across the galaxy" and eventually writes his own equivalent of an epic poem about the incident.

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]

Mongul

2005-03-07T19:47:56Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Dc comics presents 27.jpg|right|thumb|DC Comics Presents No. 27, featuring the debut of Mongul. Art by Jim Starlin.]]A huge, yellow-skinned, enormously powerful alien warlord who is driven by two goals: the desire for conquest and an obsessive thirst for revenge against [[Superman]].

'''Powers:''' Mongul possesses an extraordinary level of super-strength that seems to be equal to that of Superman, witnessed by the fact that he has repeatedly fought the Man of Steel to a standstill. In addition, Mongul is invulnerable to nearly all forms of physical harm, and is able to project extremely potent energy bolts from his hands that are powerful enough to stagger the Man of Might. Mongul also seems to possess a limited capacity for telepathy, and the ability to teleport himself across even interplanetary distances. Mongul seemingly has the capacity to create dimensional-inversion cubes, designed to prevent escape by warping their interior reality and absorbing any power used against them from within. Whether this is an actual power or merely a sophisticated technological device is unclear.

'''Biography:''' The only known fact about Mongul's early life is that he was once the merciless dictator of an entire world until an ancient holy man called the Arkymandyte appeared and incited the general population to revolt against his rule. The revolution proved successful, and Mongul was forced to abandon his world and flee into space in order to save his own life. Because of this, it is generally assumed that Mongul aquired his vast powers at some point after his exile and before his first encounter with Superman, otherwise he would have been able to use them to put down the revolt against his dictatorship. The origin of Mongul's powers is also a complete unknown.

Sometime after he had gained his fantastic power, Mongul learned of an ancient crystal key created by a deceased alien race that could give him control of the immensely powerful battle station called [[Warworld]]. This key was secreted within a crypt on the fourth planet in the Cygnus star-system, a world commonly known as New Mars and the second home of the [[Martian Manhunter]] (who had, at the time, been charged with the key's protection) and his race. Seeking a pawn who was powerful enough to defeat the Manhunter and retrieve the key, Mongul journeyed to Earth and kidnapped [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Steve Lombard]] in order to coerce Superman into serving him in this capacity, threatening to murder them if the Metropolis Marvel failed to cooperate. Superman did indeed obtain the key, but naturally refused to hand it over to the alien would-be conqueror. When Mongul engaged Superman in personal combat for possession of the key, the villain proved himself to be one of the Man of Tomorrow's most dangerous opponents, nearly besting him before finally escaping with the key (DCCP No. 27/1, Nov. 1980: "The Key That Unlocked Chaos"). Eventually discovering the location of Warworld, Mongul used the key to lay claim to the war machine and began preparations to use it to reconquer his lost world and then spread his rule across the universe. Before he could put his plans into motion, Mongul encountered resistance when he was tracked down by both Superman and [[Supergirl]]. Cybernetically linked to Warworld's vast array of extraordinarily deadly weaponry, Mongul launched a devastating attack on the two heroes using the station's arsenal of ultra-powerful missiles that were capable of killing even them. However, the Super-Cousins used Mongul's cybernetic interface with Warworld's systems against him, causing him to pass out from the tremendous mental strain of controlling all of Warworld's weaponry in his continued assault. Despite his defeat, Mongul managed to recover in time to escape after Warworld was disabled when Supergirl destroyed its central computer core (DCCP No. 28/1, Dec. 1980: "Warworld").

Mongul next appeared on the Throneworld of the interstellar empire known as the Infinite Realm, the ancestral home of [[Starman]]. Mongul murdered [[Empress Clryssa]], Starman's sister, and forced Starman's love Merria to marry him in order to usurp the throne of the Infinite Realm for himself with the plan to use it as a staging ground for yet another attempt to retake the world of his first rule and build his intergalactic empire. To prevent Starman from interfering with his rule, Mongul imprisoned the cosmic hero in a dimensional-inversion cube. In addition, the alien warlord took control of Throneworld's doomsday device, which was located within Throneworld's sun and would turn the star into a supernova if triggered, destroying the worlds of the Infinite Realm in the process. Superman arrived in the Infinte Realm and freed Starman from his cube-like prison by shattering it with his heat vision. Starman then joined the Action Ace in opposing Mongul and freeing the empire from his rule. While Starman disabled Throneworld's doomsday device, Superman engaged Mongul in one-on-one combat for the second time, a battle which turned out to be inconclusive when Starman arrived on the scene and Mongul was forced to retreat instead of facing both heroes and the empire's forces (DCCP No. 36, Aug. 1981: "Whatever Happened to Starman?").

By this time, Mongul had developed a deep hatred for Superman and a burning desire to see the Man of Steel suffer greatly for his repeated interference in the alien conqueror's plans. To that end, Mongul journeyed to the outer reaches of the universe and encountered one of the extradimensional [[Controllers]], who had in his charge an incredibly dangerous [[Sun-Eater]] (it should be noted that this was not the Sun-Eater that nearly destroyed Earth in the 30th century, but an equally deadly twin). Mongul murdered the Controller in question and assumed command of the Sun-Eater using specialized control devices that he built into his uniform, and then sent the monster on a direct course for Earth's sun as part of his planned vengeance against Superman. When the Man of Tomorrow attempted to put a hault to Mongul's machinations, the extraterrestrial warlord trapped him in a specialized dimensional-inversion cube that was fueled by red solar radiaiton and thus began to rob Superman of his super-powers. The plan was to have Superman watch helplessly as Mongul directed the Sun-Eater to consume Earth's sun, thereby extinguishing all life on the planet, before Superman himself was to be finally killed. Although Mongul came under attack by Supergirl and several members of the [[Justice League of America]], Mongul was able to draw upon the Sun-Eater's virtually limitless destructive power to defeat them all. In a final desperate gamble, Jimmy Olsen (while watching the entire drama unfold from an observatory on Earth) used his Legion flight ring to summon members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] from the 30th century to aid Superman in saving Earth and subduing Mongul. The Legionnaires succeeded in freeing Superman from imprisonment and, while they managed to discover a means of destroying the Sun-Eater, Superman (driven by determination to protect his adopted home at any cost) finally bested Mongul in single combat (DCCP No. 43, Mar. 1982: "In Final Battle").

Mongul was last seen when he launched one of the most insidious plan of revenge to date against Superman, attacking the Caped Kryptonian in his own [[Fortress of Solitude]] on his birthday. Mongul had managed to maneuver Superman into exposing himself to a plant-like entity called a [[Black Mercy]] by disguising it as an anonymous birthday gift. The plant promptly attached itself to the Action Ace's chest and began feeding on his bio-aura while keeping him in a trance-like state by providing him with a mental illusion of his heart's desire. In Superman's case, the entity made him believe that [[Krypton]] has not exploded, and that he was happily married and had a family on his home world. Although Mongul met resistance when [[Batman]], [[Robin]] and [[Wonder Woman]] arrived at the Fortress and discovered the unfolding drama, Superman remained in his catatonic state, his "heart's desire" gradually degenerating into a twisted nightmare. While Wonder Woman valiantly (but vainly) engaged the hulking alien in combat, Superman's increasingly nightmarish experience weakened the Black Mercy just enough for Batman to succeed in removing it from his chest. Enraged at having been so violated, the Man of Tomorrow ferociously attacked Mongul, the battle being akin to an irresistable force colliding with an immovable object. However, fueled by intense feelings of grief and anger, Superman managed to gain the upper hand and was about to kill the alien warlord when the memories of his "dream" caused him to hesitate. This allowed Mongul to gain the upper hand for a moment, but the conqueror met his final defeat when Robin used the special gauntlets that Mongul had employed in handling the Black Mercy to attach the plant to Mongul's own chest. As far as is known, Mongul remains in the thrall of the Black Mercy, having been rendered completely immobile while dreaming dreams of endless bloody conquest (SA No. 11, 1985: "For The Man Who Has Everything").
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[[Category:Villains]]

Halk Kar

2005-03-07T19:47:38Z

Bill 9000:

An alien from the far-distant planet [[Thoron]], once befriended by [[Jor-El]] after crash-landing on [[Krypton]] shortly before that planet exploded, who arrives on Earth in a rocket ship in January-February 1953—afflicted with amnesia and endowed with super-powers similar to, but not nearly as great as, [[Superman]]'s—under circumstances that lead both Halk Kar and Superman to believe, albeit erroneously, that Halk Kar is the eldest son of Jor-El and therefore Superman's big brother. Finally, however, as the result of an electric shock he receives during Superman's battle with the "Wrecker" Ross mob—a gang of extortionists whom Superman ultimately apprehends—Halk Kar recovers his memory , recalls his visit to Krypton and brief friendship with Jor-El, and, soon afterward, bids Superman a fond farewell and blasts off for Thoron, his home planet (S No.8011: "Superman's Big Brother!").

[[Category:Entries]]
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Proty

2005-03-07T19:47:11Z

Bill 9000:

A Protean creature from the planet [[Antares]] who is a member of the [[Legion of Super-Pets]]. Telepathic and protoplasmic like all members of his race, Proty has the power to change his shape at will to any form he chooses. Proty is the pet of [[Chameleon Boy]] of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]].

Proty subsitiuted for [[Saturn Girl]] sacrificing his own life to revive the dead [[Lightning Lad]].

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Towbee

2005-03-07T16:54:39Z

Bill 9000:

Mon-El

2005-03-07T16:53:11Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Mon-El.jpg|left|]]

'''Mon-EL'''
Real name: Lar Gand.

Mon-El first arrived on Earth suffering from amnesia during [[Superboy]]'s time in [[Smallville]]. Mistakenly believing he was from [[Krypton]], Mon-El was "Superboy's Big Brother" Sboy No. 89 Feb. 1961.

However, with his memory restored, they learned he was actually a native of the planet [[Daxam]], a Krypton-like world, which gave Mon-El super powers under a yellow sun. Daxamite's one weakness is lead which is in abundance on Earth. Unlike exposure to Krytonite in Superboy's case, lead exposure to a Daxamite was fatal. To save his friend's life, Superboy projected Mon-El into the [[Phantom Zone]].

Mon-El remained trapped in that twilight dimension for over a thousand years until [[Brainiac 5]] of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] concocted an antidote for Mon-El's lead poisioning.

Fully cured Mon-El became a member of that heroic teen brigade of the future, the Legion of Super Heroes.

When Superman visited the [[Adult Legion of Super Heroes]], he learned that Mon-El was roaming the spaceways as an explorer, clearing the way for intergalactic settlers.

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Aliens]]

== External Links to Online Comics ==
'''" Superboy's Big Brother"''' from Superboy 89
[http://superman.ws/tales2/mon-el/1/]

Brainiac 5

2005-03-07T16:50:11Z

Bill 9000:

Mongul

2005-03-07T16:33:14Z

Bill 9000: Added an Aliens category

[[Image:Dc comics presents 27.jpg|right|thumb|DC Comics Presents No. 27, featuring the debut of Mongul. Art by Jim Starlin.]]A huge, yellow-skinned, enormously powerful alien warlord who is driven by two goals: the desire for conquest and an obsessive thirst for revenge against [[Superman]].

'''Powers:''' Mongul possesses an extraordinary level of super-strength that seems to be equal to that of Superman, witnessed by the fact that he has repeatedly fought the Man of Steel to a standstill. In addition, Mongul is invulnerable to nearly all forms of physical harm, and is able to project extremely potent energy bolts from his hands that are powerful enough to stagger the Man of Might. Mongul also seems to possess a limited capacity for telepathy, and the ability to teleport himself across even interplanetary distances. Mongul seemingly has the capacity to create dimensional-inversion cubes, designed to prevent escape by warping their interior reality and absorbing any power used against them from within. Whether this is an actual power or merely a sophisticated technological device is unclear.

'''Biography:''' The only known fact about Mongul's early life is that he was once the merciless dictator of an entire world until an ancient holy man called the Arkymandyte appeared and incited the general population to revolt against his rule. The revolution proved successful, and Mongul was forced to abandon his world and flee into space in order to save his own life. Because of this, it is generally assumed that Mongul aquired his vast powers at some point after his exile and before his first encounter with Superman, otherwise he would have been able to use them to put down the revolt against his dictatorship. The origin of Mongul's powers is also a complete unknown.

Sometime after he had gained his fantastic power, Mongul learned of an ancient crystal key created by a deceased alien race that could give him control of the immensely powerful battle station called [[Warworld]]. This key was secreted within a crypt on the fourth planet in the Cygnus star-system, a world commonly known as New Mars and the second home of the [[Martian Manhunter]] (who had, at the time, been charged with the key's protection) and his race. Seeking a pawn who was powerful enough to defeat the Manhunter and retrieve the key, Mongul journeyed to Earth and kidnapped [[Lois Lane]], [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Steve Lombard]] in order to coerce Superman into serving him in this capacity, threatening to murder them if the Metropolis Marvel failed to cooperate. Superman did indeed obtain the key, but naturally refused to hand it over to the alien would-be conqueror. When Mongul engaged Superman in personal combat for possession of the key, the villain proved himself to be one of the Man of Tomorrow's most dangerous opponents, nearly besting him before finally escaping with the key (DCCP No. 27/1, Nov. 1980: "The Key That Unlocked Chaos"). Eventually discovering the location of Warworld, Mongul used the key to lay claim to the war machine and began preparations to use it to reconquer his lost world and then spread his rule across the universe. Before he could put his plans into motion, Mongul encountered resistance when he was tracked down by both Superman and [[Supergirl]]. Cybernetically linked to Warworld's vast array of extraordinarily deadly weaponry, Mongul launched a devastating attack on the two heroes using the station's arsenal of ultra-powerful missiles that were capable of killing even them. However, the Super-Cousins used Mongul's cybernetic interface with Warworld's systems against him, causing him to pass out from the tremendous mental strain of controlling all of Warworld's weaponry in his continued assault. Despite his defeat, Mongul managed to recover in time to escape after Warworld was disabled when Supergirl destroyed its central computer core (DCCP No. 28/1, Dec. 1980: "Warworld").

Mongul next appeared on the Throneworld of the interstellar empire known as the Infinite Realm, the ancestral home of [[Starman]]. Mongul murdered [[Empress Clryssa]], Starman's sister, and forced Starman's love Merria to marry him in order to usurp the throne of the Infinite Realm for himself with the plan to use it as a staging ground for yet another attempt to retake the world of his first rule and build his intergalactic empire. To prevent Starman from interfering with his rule, Mongul imprisoned the cosmic hero in a dimensional-inversion cube. In addition, the alien warlord took control of Throneworld's doomsday device, which was located within Throneworld's sun and would turn the star into a supernova if triggered, destroying the worlds of the Infinite Realm in the process. Superman arrived in the Infinte Realm and freed Starman from his cube-like prison by shattering it with his heat vision. Starman then joined the Action Ace in opposing Mongul and freeing the empire from his rule. While Starman disabled Throneworld's doomsday device, Superman engaged Mongul in one-on-one combat for the second time, a battle which turned out to be inconclusive when Starman arrived on the scene and Mongul was forced to retreat instead of facing both heroes and the empire's forces (DCCP No. 36, Aug. 1981: "Whatever Happened to Starman?").

By this time, Mongul had developed a deep hatred for Superman and a burning desire to see the Man of Steel suffer greatly for his repeated interference in the alien conqueror's plans. To that end, Mongul journeyed to the outer reaches of the universe and encountered one of the extradimensional [[Controllers]], who had in his charge an incredibly dangerous [[Sun-Eater]] (it should be noted that this was not the Sun-Eater that nearly destroyed Earth in the 30th century, but an equally deadly twin). Mongul murdered the Controller in question and assumed command of the Sun-Eater using specialized control devices that he built into his uniform, and then sent the monster on a direct course for Earth's sun as part of his planned vengeance against Superman. When the Man of Tomorrow attempted to put a hault to Mongul's machinations, the extraterrestrial warlord trapped him in a specialized dimensional-inversion cube that was fueled by red solar radiaiton and thus began to rob Superman of his super-powers. The plan was to have Superman watch helplessly as Mongul directed the Sun-Eater to consume Earth's sun, thereby extinguishing all life on the planet, before Superman himself was to be finally killed. Although Mongul came under attack by Supergirl and several members of the [[Justice League of America]], Mongul was able to draw upon the Sun-Eater's virtually limitless destructive power to defeat them all. In a final desperate gamble, Jimmy Olsen (while watching the entire drama unfold from an observatory on Earth) used his Legion flight ring to summon members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] from the 30th century to aid Superman in saving Earth and subduing Mongul. The Legionnaires succeeded in freeing Superman from imprisonment and, while they managed to discover a means of destroying the Sun-Eater, Superman (driven by determination to protect his adopted home at any cost) finally bested Mongul in single combat (DCCP No. 43, Mar. 1982: "In Final Battle").

Mongul was last seen when he launched one of the most insidious plan of revenge to date against Superman, attacking the Caped Kryptonian in his own [[Fortress of Solitude]] on his birthday. Mongul had managed to maneuver Superman into exposing himself to a plant-like entity called a [[Black Mercy]] by disguising it as an anonymous birthday gift. The plant promptly attached itself to the Action Ace's chest and began feeding on his bio-aura while keeping him in a trance-like state by providing him with a mental illusion of his heart's desire. In Superman's case, the entity made him believe that [[Krypton]] has not exploded, and that he was happily married and had a family on his home world. Although Mongul met resistance when [[Batman]], [[Robin]] and [[Wonder Woman]] arrived at the Fortress and discovered the unfolding drama, Superman remained in his catatonic state, his "heart's desire" gradually degenerating into a twisted nightmare. While Wonder Woman valiantly (but vainly) engaged the hulking alien in combat, Superman's increasingly nightmarish experience weakened the Black Mercy just enough for Batman to succeed in removing it from his chest. Enraged at having been so violated, the Man of Tomorrow ferociously attacked Mongul, the battle being akin to an irresistable force colliding with an immovable object. However, fueled by intense feelings of grief and anger, Superman managed to gain the upper hand and was about to kill the alien warlord when the memories of his "dream" caused him to hesitate. This allowed Mongul to gain the upper hand for a moment, but the conqueror met his final defeat when Robin used the special gauntlets that Mongul had employed in handling the Black Mercy to attach the plant to Mongul's own chest. As far as is known, Mongul remains in the thrall of the Black Mercy, having been rendered completely immobile while dreaming dreams of endless bloody conquest (SA No. 11, 1985: "For The Man Who Has Everything").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Villains]]

Neutron

2005-03-07T16:22:39Z

Bill 9000: Took out the Fearsome Five entrance because that leads into Post-Crisis continuity (a definite no-no)

[[Image:Action comics 525.jpg|right|thumb|Action Comics No. 525. Art by Ross Andru and Dick Giordano.]]An extremely powerful nuclear-charged super-villain clad in a yellow radiation suit who was once known as [[Nat Tryon|Nathaniel "Nat" Tryon]], a common criminal henchman.

'''Powers:''' As a result of the process that transformed him, Neutron is a being of pure nuclear energy capable of releasing extraordinarily powerful and destructive atomic pulses. Neutron is able to hit with a nuclear-charged punch that even [[Superman]] can feel, and he is able to release tremendous nuclear shockwaves simply by clapping his hands together. He is at his most destructive when he releases all of his energy at once through his suit's visor, a discharge capable of devastating entire city blocks. However, such energy releases leave him temporarily depleated and he must give himself time to replensh his energy stores.

'''Biography:''' Along with his fellow crooks [[Ted Grand]] and [[Tim Moore]], Nat Tryon was once part of a team of hoods called the [[TNT Trio]] under the employ of [[Lex Luthor]]. While performing a job for the criminal mastermind that involved sabotaging a nuclear power plant, Tryon became trapped by falling lead shielding, which nearly crushed him to death. The reactor's meltdown was halted by Superman, who also apprehended Grand and Moore. The two hoods insisted that they operated alone, and as Superman's X-ray vision cannot penetrate lead, the Man of Steel inadvertantly missed the imperiled Tryon. Managing to free himself, Tryon made his way to one of Luthor's many hidden lairs, where the arch-villain discovered that Tryon had contracted radiation poisoning. Luthor placed his ex-accomplice under a special ray device that he claimed would cure Tryon of his radiation sickness. In reality, Luthor's plan was to transform the crook into a super-powered pawn for his future use. As fate would have it, Superman captured Luthor within a week, leaving the comatose Tryon under the device's rays for a year until he was revived by vibrations from the Man of Tomorrow's fight with a villain called the [[Mole]]. Tryon found that he had been transformed into a living mass of nuclear energy, a walking atomic bomb capable of releasing enough power to present a serious threat to even Superman himself. Seeing his altered state as a means of exacting revenge on the three men he held responsible for his plight ... Grand, Moore and Superman ... Tryon donned a special radiaion suit to contain his energy form and renamed himself Neutron, the Living Bomb (ACT No. 525/1, Nov. 1981: "Neutron Nightmare!"). Neutron actually succeeded in killing Grand, but Superman intervened in time to prevent the atomic villain from murdering Moore. As part of his attempt on Superman's life, Neutron altered the structure of the [[Daily Planet]] globe atop the [[Galaxy Communications]] Building so that it would react adversely with solar radiation and explode like a nuclear weapon, annihilating all of [[Metropolis]] in the process. Neutron and Superman clashed in a fierce battle, but the Caped Kryptonian managed to defeat his atomic foe and save the city, after which Neutron was sent to a special prison designed to contain his vast power (ACT No. 526/1, Dec. 1981: "The Man Who Murdered Metropolis!").

Two years later, a highly talented lawyer managed to convince a parole board to release Neutron as part of a plot devised by [[Vandal Savage]] to discredit Superman. The plan involved Neutron appearing in Metropolis and destroying a chosen building in order to draw the Metropolis Marvel into battle. Although Neutron actually struck first in the fight that followed, the combat was staged in such a way so that Superman would be blamed. Although Superman managed to regain his good name, Neutron managed to clear himself of wrongdoing by proving that he was actually demolishing the building in question at the request of Savage, the edifice's rightful owner, making the demolition perfectly legal (ACT No. 543, May 1983: "Within These Hands -- Power!"). Still, Neutron's radioactivity was deemed a clear danger to the population of Metropolis and, as a result, the criminal was placed in suspended animation within a special life-support coffin at [[S.T.A.R. Labs]].
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Villains]]

Neutron

2005-03-07T16:19:19Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:Action comics 525.jpg|right|thumb|Action Comics No. 525. Art by Ross Andru and Dick Giordano.]]An extremely powerful nuclear-charged super-villain clad in a yellow radiation suit who was once known as [[Nat Tryon|Nathaniel "Nat" Tryon]], a common criminal henchman.

'''Powers:''' As a result of the process that transformed him, Neutron is a being of pure nuclear energy capable of releasing extraordinarily powerful and destructive atomic pulses. Neutron is able to hit with a nuclear-charged punch that even [[Superman]] can feel, and he is able to release tremendous nuclear shockwaves simply by clapping his hands together. He is at his most destructive when he releases all of his energy at once through his suit's visor, a discharge capable of devastating entire city blocks. However, such energy releases leave him temporarily depleated and he must give himself time to replensh his energy stores.

'''Biography:''' Along with his fellow crooks [[Ted Grand]] and [[Tim Moore]], Nat Tryon was once part of a team of hoods called the [[TNT Trio]] under the employ of [[Lex Luthor]]. While performing a job for the criminal mastermind that involved sabotaging a nuclear power plant, Tryon became trapped by falling lead shielding, which nearly crushed him to death. The reactor's meltdown was halted by Superman, who also apprehended Grand and Moore. The two hoods insisted that they operated alone, and as Superman's X-ray vision cannot penetrate lead, the Man of Steel inadvertantly missed the imperiled Tryon. Managing to free himself, Tryon made his way to one of Luthor's many hidden lairs, where the arch-villain discovered that Tryon had contracted radiation poisoning. Luthor placed his ex-accomplice under a special ray device that he claimed would cure Tryon of his radiation sickness. In reality, Luthor's plan was to transform the crook into a super-powered pawn for his future use. As fate would have it, Superman captured Luthor within a week, leaving the comatose Tryon under the device's rays for a year until he was revived by vibrations from the Man of Tomorrow's fight with a villain called the [[Mole]]. Tryon found that he had been transformed into a living mass of nuclear energy, a walking atomic bomb capable of releasing enough power to present a serious threat to even Superman himself. Seeing his altered state as a means of exacting revenge on the three men he held responsible for his plight ... Grand, Moore and Superman ... Tryon donned a special radiaion suit to contain his energy form and renamed himself Neutron, the Living Bomb (ACT No. 525/1, Nov. 1981: "Neutron Nightmare!"). Neutron actually succeeded in killing Grand, but Superman intervened in time to prevent the atomic villain from murdering Moore. As part of his attempt on Superman's life, Neutron altered the structure of the [[Daily Planet]] globe atop the [[Galaxy Communications]] Building so that it would react adversely with solar radiation and explode like a nuclear weapon, annihilating all of [[Metropolis]] in the process. Neutron and Superman clashed in a fierce battle, but the Caped Kryptonian managed to defeat his atomic foe and save the city, after which Neutron was sent to a special prison designed to contain his vast power (ACT No. 526/1, Dec. 1981: "The Man Who Murdered Metropolis!").

Two years later, a highly talented lawyer managed to convince a parole board to release Neutron as part of a plot devised by [[Vandal Savage]] to discredit Superman. The plan involved Neutron appearing in Metropolis and destroying a chosen building in order to draw the Metropolis Marvel into battle. Although Neutron actually struck first in the fight that followed, the combat was staged in such a way so that Superman would be blamed. Although Superman managed to regain his good name, Neutron managed to clear himself of wrongdoing by proving that he was actually demolishing the building in question at the request of Savage, the edifice's rightful owner, making the demolition perfectly legal (ACT No. 543, May 1983: "Within These Hands -- Power!"). Still, Neutron's radioactivity was deemed a clear danger to the population of Metropolis. As a result, the criminal was placed in suspended animation within a special life-support coffin at [[S.T.A.R. Labs]] until he was freed by the fiend called [[Psimon]] to join the group of super-villains called the [[Fearsome Five]].
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Villains]]

Anti-Superman

2005-03-06T21:29:27Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:S finest 159.jpg|right|thumb|World's Finest Comics No. 159. Art by Curt Swan and George Klein.]]A criminal identity briefly assumed by [[Daily Planet]] editor [[Perry White]] in August 1966. While visiting [[Superman]]'s [[Fortress of Solitude]], both he and [[Gotham City]] police commissioner [[James Gordon]] were accidentally exposed to an alien gas known as [[Formula X-22]]. The gas radically altered the personalitles of both men, giving them highly criminal tendencies. Deciding to use their intimate knowledge of Superman's and [[Batman]]'s secrets, White and Gordon planned to humiliate and dispose of both heroes. White used a secret rejuvination serum to restore both himself and Gordon to a younger state for several hours, and then used one of the Fortress' many technologically advanced devices to give himself super-powers identical the Man of Steel's for 48 hours at a time. While Gordon assumed the guise of [[Anti-Batman]], White fashioned a darker coloured variant of Superman's uniform (complete with a lead-lined mask to prevent Superman from discovering his real identity with his X-ray vision) and called himself Anti-Superman. After stealing many secrets from both the Fortress and the Batcave, Anti-Superman and Anti-Batman launched their planned campaign to dispose of Superman, Batman and [[Robin]]. Anti-Superman clashed twice with the Metropolis Marvel, the second time using a chunk of [[Kryptonite|Gold Kryptonite]] (to which Anti-Superman was, naturally, invulnerable) to keep the Action Ace on the defensive. In addition, Anti-Superman and his partner-in-crime raided the State Police Building midway between [[Metropolis]] and Gotham City, stealing various mementos from Superman's battles with his greatest foes (including the [[Prankster]], the [[Toyman]] and [[Lex Luthor]]), and giving them to the imprisoned criminals themselves. After Batman deduced the true identities of both villains and discovered their Gotham City headquarters, Superman arrived and exposed Anti-Superman and Anti-Batman to an antidote that counteracted Formula X-22's effects, restoring White and Gordon to their normal personalities. Sometime later, the youth serum wore off and returned both men to their normal ages. (WF No. 159/1, Aug. 1966: "The Cape and Cowl Crooks!")

== External Links to Online Comics ==
'''Read the complete story!''' [http://superman.ws/tales3/capeandcowl/]
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Aliases]]

Anti-Superman

2005-03-06T21:28:52Z

Bill 9000:

[[Image:S finest 159.jpg|right|thumb|World's Finest Comics No. 159. Art by Curt Swan and George Klein.]]A criminal identity briefly assumed by [[Daily Planet]] editor [[Perry White]] in August 1966. While visiting [[Superman]]'s [[Fortress of Solitude]], both he and [[Gotham City]] police commissioner [[James Gordon]] were accidentally exposed to an alien gas known as [[Formula X-22]]. The gas radically altered the personalitles of both men, giving them highly criminal tendencies. Deciding to use their intimate knowledge of Superman's and [[Batman]]'s secrets, White and Gordon planned to humiliate and dispose of both heroes. White used a secret rejuvination serum to restore both himself and Gordon to a younger state for several hours, and then used one of the Fortress' many technologically advanced devices to give himself super-powers identical the Man of Steel's for 48 hours at a time. While Gordon assumed the guise of [[Anti-Batman]], White fashioned a darker coloured variant of Superman's uniform (complete with a lead-lined mask to prevent Superman from discovering his real identity with his X-ray vision) and called himself Anti-Superman. After stealing many secrets from both the Fortress and the Batcave, Anti-Superman and Anti-Batman launched their planned campaign to dispose of Superman, Batman and [[Robin]]. Anti-Superman clashed twice with the Metropolis Marvel, the second time using a chunk of [[Gold Kryptonite]] (to which Anti-Superman was, naturally, invulnerable) to keep the Action Ace on the defensive. In addition, Anti-Superman and his partner-in-crime raided the State Police Building midway between [[Metropolis]] and Gotham City, stealing various mementos from Superman's battles with his greatest foes (including the [[Prankster]], the [[Toyman]] and [[Lex Luthor]]), and giving them to the imprisoned criminals themselves. After Batman deduced the true identities of both villains and discovered their Gotham City headquarters, Superman arrived and exposed Anti-Superman and Anti-Batman to an antidote that counteracted Formula X-22's effects, restoring White and Gordon to their normal personalities. Sometime later, the youth serum wore off and returned both men to their normal ages. (WF No. 159/1, Aug. 1966: "The Cape and Cowl Crooks!")

== External Links to Online Comics ==
'''Read the complete story!''' [http://superman.ws/tales3/capeandcowl/]
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Aliases]]

Willie Fawcett

2005-03-05T16:14:37Z

Bill 9000:

A young orphaned boy who originated on the planet Earth of a parallel dimension and is an employee of [[WHAM-TV]]. Willie, who closely resembles [[Billy Batson]], is the secret identity of the heroic [[Captain Thunder]] (S No. 276, Jun. 1974: "Make Way for Captain Thunder").
[[Category:Entries|Fawcett,Willie]]
[[Category:People|Fawcett,Willie]]

Monster League of Evil

2005-03-05T15:24:25Z

Bill 9000:

A fantastic quartet of malevolent creatures who bear a striking resemblance to idealized versions of Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy and the Frankenstein Monster, who have appeared in various classic Hollywood horror films. However, these creatures are real, and have actual magically-based abilites based on the powers of their cinematic counterparts. The origin of the Monster League of Evil was never revealed, but they are known to be perennial enemies of [[Captain Thunder]], whom they have fought across 1,953 different dimensions. Captain Thunder finally managed to imprison the Monster League in a misty, purgatory-like realm where they apparently could do no further harm, but not before they placed a curse on the Captain that would eventually force him to commit acts of evil when he next assumed his heroic guise. As far as is known, the Monster League remains imprisoned in the shadowy dimension where Captain Thunder left them. Whether or not the Monster League was responsible for Captain Thunder's unplanned arrival on mainstream Earth where he encountered [[Superman]] is open to speculation (S No. 276, Jun. 1974: "Make Way for Captain Thunder").
[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Lightning Lad

2005-03-05T14:01:50Z

Bill 9000: Added Lightning Lad figure illustration

[[Image:Lightninglad.jpg|left]]Real name: Garth Rannz

When trapped on the planet [[Korbal]] with his brother, [[Mekt]] and their youngers sister, [[Ayla]], Garth was blasted by lightning beasts that endowed them with the powers of super lightning.

Lightning Lad (nee [[Lightning Boy]]) was one of the three founding members of [[The Legion of Super Heroes]] along with [[Saturn Girl]] and [[Cosmic Boy]].

Lightning Lad's career has been the most tragic of any of the Legionaires. He died on a mission combatting the rays of Zaryan the Conqueror, was brought back to life, lost an arm while battling "The Super Moby Dick of Space", and was fitted with a robotic arm. He finally had his real flesh and blood armed restored by a physcian who betrayed Evillo and "The Devil's Dozen".

When [[Superman]] visted the 30th Century to visit the [[Adult Legion of Super Heroes]], he discovered that happiness had finally come to Lightning Lad - as the adult [[Lightning Man]] he wed long time sweeetheart, [[Saturn Girl]] ([[Imra Ardeen]]).

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:LL]]

File:Lightninglad.jpg

2005-03-05T14:00:49Z

Bill 9000:

[[Lightning Lad]] drawin in the Evo style - illustration by Bill 9000

File:Lightninglad.jpg

2005-03-05T14:00:15Z

Bill 9000:

Saturn Girl

2005-03-05T13:58:41Z

Bill 9000: Added Saturn Girl figure illustration

[[Image:Saturn girl.jpg|left]]Real Name: Imra Ardeen.

A native of the planet Saturn, Imra travelled to Earth and co-founded the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] with [[Cosmic Boy]] and [[Lightning Lad]].

Imra also became leader of the Legion after solving [[Proty]]'s riddle in "The Eight Impossible Missions".

She had offered to sacrifice her life to resurrect [[Lightning Lad]] but [[Proty]], Chamelon's Boy's shape shifting pet, assumed her identity and perished in her stead.

Later as an adult, Imra wed long time beau Garth Ranzz ([[Lightning Lad]]).

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Heroes]]

File:Saturn girl.jpg

2005-03-05T13:57:09Z

Bill 9000:

[[Saturn Girl]] drawin in the Evo style - illustration by Bill 9000