Supermanica - User contributions [en]

Mighto

2019-02-25T03:26:47Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:Superboy108.jpg|left|frame|none|Superboy uncovers the secret of Mighto]]

'''Mighto'''

A super-powered teenager wearing a yellow and green costume who possesses powers equal to those of [[Superboy]]. Mighto was born on the planet [[Ulgar]] and is the only child of evil scientists [[Yorth]] and [[Reena]]. Like all [[Ulgarians]], Mighto possesses a host of superhuman powers equivalent to those possessed by a [[Kryptonian]], including super-strength, super-speed, invulnerability, the power of flight, super-intelligence, and super-hypnosis. Ulgarians while under Earth's atmosphere are affected by music, much the same way that [[Kryptonite]] affects a super-powered Kryptonian.

Superboy first encounters Mighto when he is called to the planet [[Nyza]] by its people after the statue of one of their greatest leaders is stolen by a costumed super-criminal called Mighto. When Superboy locates the missing statue, he confronts the crook. During the confrontation, Mighto reveals to the [[Boy of Steel]] that he stole the statue because it is composed of the rare element [[Oxium]] which is needed in order for him to complete a devastating weapon called [[Experiment X]]. During the brief battle between the two super-youths, Mighto claims to have been the first adopted son of the [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Kents]] and he also threatens to reveal Superboy's secret identity of [[Clark Kent]].

Returning to Earth, Superboy confronts his foster parents, who don't seem to recall Mighto. However, Superboy soon discovers that they have been under the influence of a post-hypnotic suggestion placed upon them by Mighto, and learns that his foster parents took in Mighto, who they believed is a child named [[Tim Tates]]. Yorth and Reena, while disguised as an Earth couple named the Tates, were employed by the Kents as farmhands on the Kent farm and were secretly working on Experiment X. When it appeared as though the Ulgarian authorities would apprehend them, the two evil scientists abandoned their son for the Kents to find him and ordered him to continue to work on their device while they allowed themselves to be captured. The Kents took young Tim in and soon discover that he possesses amazing superhuman powers. While wreaking havoc upon the Kents house, destroying a record player in the process, and later [[Smallville]] in his quest to complete his parents device, the super-intelligent toddler reveals to the Kents his true intelligence, but because he has developed a sentimental attachment towards the couple, he hypnotizes them into forgetting him instead of destroying them.

Confronted by Superboy once more, Mighto uses an experimental gas to create a time warp, bringing dinosaurs to present day Earth. Superboy rescues the Kents, but is felled by Kryptonite. The Kents pretend to side with Mighto, then use a music box to defeat him. Superboy, having discovered that music was Mighto's weakness, told the Kents to use the music box to incapacitate the criminal. Superboy soon after returns Mighto to his home planet where his powers are removed, and he is incarcerated with his parents (SB No.108/1, Oct 1963: "The Kents' First Super-Son").

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Mercury (God)

2018-06-04T02:31:22Z

Manomight1974:

'''Mercury'''

In Roman mythology, the messenger of the gods, equivelent of the Greek god Hermes.

In January-February 1944, after an accidental explosion in the city of Rome has awakened Mercury from his centuries-long sleep beneath the ruins of "what once was a temple dedicated to pagan rites," Mercury flies to America, where, more in pursuit of mischief than anything else, he leaves a trail of pandemonium in his wake and aids the cause of the [[Metropolis]] underworld by committing a series of mayhem-inducing pranks, as when he puts the city's police dispatchers to sleep with his magic staff and then sends all of Metropolis's police officers to chasing one another about the city by putting out a bogus radio call to the effect that bandits disguised as police officers are committing crimes using automobiles disguised as police cars. [[Superman]] ultimately apprehends the mischievous Mercury, however, and agrees to conceal his true identity from the population at large, thus sparing the winged god from the public humiliation of having been defeated by a mere mortal, in return for Mercury's promise to undo the trouble he has caused and to apprehend the criminals who have been aided by his antics (S No. 26/4: "The Quicksilver Kid!").

Mercury is among the many gods who grant [[Hercules]] magical super-powers, in the form of his famous sandals. "The first Olympus power from Mercury, the flying god, made winged sandals appear on my feet!" - muses Hercules (Act No. 267, Aug 1960: "Hercules in the 20th Century!"). (See: [[Hercules]])

Mercury was one of the Olympians gods who lends his powers and abilities to [[Zha-Vam]] in an effort to teach Superman a lesson (Act No. 351, Jun 1967: "Zha-Vam the Invincible!").

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_%28mythology%29 Wikipedia entry on Mercury]
*[http://www.cosmicteams.com/cosmic/olympians.html Cosmic Teams: Olympians]

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The Xyth

2017-07-25T06:28:28Z

Manomight1974:

'''The Xyth'''

The Xyth are a green-skinned race of space-faring super-sorcerers from a distant star system that [[Superboy]] encounters in a 1979 chronicle.

During a spaceflight near Earth's solar system, two Xyth are rescued by Superboy from seeming disaster when their spacecraft is damaged by a meteoroid. After repairing the craft and seeing to the condition of those aboard, the [[Boy of Steel]] learns that the damage could have been repaired easily by the master sorcerer aboard. However, as Superboy was not aware of this fact, the aliens grant him one wish to show their gratitude for his selfless actions on their behalf.

Having only recently accidentally exposed his dual identity as [[Clark Kent]] to [[Lana Lang]], Superboy asks the super-sorcerers to render [[Ma and Pa Kent]] invulnerable to harm so that he won't have to hide his secret identity any longer. The aliens agree to his terms, and Superboy returns to Earth.

Upon returning home to [[Smallville]], Superboy begins to publicly reveal his secret to the town, which leads to several problems: Jonathan Kent is mobbed by people seeking his autograph; Clark is expelled from school for creating a distraction; and Lana abandons him feeling that he insulted her by publicly revealing his identity, turning her from a special person because she knew his secret into someone just like everyone else so that he didn't have to trust her.

After several more incidents, Superboy decides to leave the Earth because of all the trouble his revelation has caused those he cares about. Leaving, his eyes filled with tears, Superboy wishes that he had never asked for his parents to become invulnerable, at which point he hears the voice of the master sorcerer, who tells him that ''"It is not '''too late''' to '''change''' it, if you like."''

The master sorcerer, having startled Superboy with his sudden appearance, reveals that the Kents were never made invulnerable, and that the events that the Boy of Steel had just experienced were all implanted in the youth's mind so that he could see the consequences of his wish. The sorcerer asks Superboy if he would care to ask for something else, at which point the young hero asks that the knowledge of his dual identity be wiped from Lana Lang's memory, a request that the aliens eagerly comply with (SF No. 195/1, Jun 1979: "The Curse of the Un-Secret Identity!").

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The Robot Master

2017-04-02T02:12:14Z

Manomight1974:

A group alias employed by six members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]: [[Brainiac 5]], [[Chameleon Boy]], [[Cosmic Boy]], [[Lightning Lad]], [[Saturn Girl]] and [[Sun Boy]], in April 1962, when they play an elaborate hoax on [[Superman]] and [[Supergirl]] as a prelude to celebrating the anniversary of Supergirl's arrival on Earth (S No. 152/1: "The Robot Master!").

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Professor Vakox

2017-03-14T19:39:22Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:Professorvakox.jpg|left]]

'''Professor Vakox (or Va-Kox)'''

A renegade [[Kryptonian]] scientist who was banished into the [[Phantom Zone]] prior to the destruction of [[Krypton]] as punishment for having contaminated the [[Great Krypton Lake]] with a vial of his "life force" formula, thereby spawning the creation of a hideous multi-headed lizard-like monster in the lake. "If I ever get out of the Phantom Zone," vows Professor Vakox in January 1962, "I'd create terrible monsters who would destroy whole cities!"

Indeed, Professor Vakox and his fellow prisoners seem on the verge of escaping from the Phantom Zone during this period after "the electrical ions of the [[Aurora Borealis]] have opened a small hole in the Phantom Zone which is steadily widening, threatening to release the exiled super-villains into the earthly dimension as soon as it becomes big enough for the Phantom Zone criminals to squeeze through!" Alerted to the threat, however, by their friend [[Mon-El]], [[Superman]], [[Supergirl]], and [[Krypto]] the Super Dog use the combined power of their X-ray vision to burn up the Aurora Borealis, thereby sealing up the opening through which Professor Vakox and his cohorts had hoped to make their escape (Act No. 284: "The Babe of Steel!").(TGSB)

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Gra-Mo

2017-03-14T19:34:59Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:Gra-Mo.jpg|left]]

'''Gra-Mo'''

A [[Kryptonian]] criminal scientist and [[Phantom Zone]] exile who [[Superboy]] encounters on two separate occasions.

Years ago on [[Krypton]], Gra-Mo is secretly the leader of a criminal gang. As leader of this gang, he uses fear and intimidation to control his subordinates, such as [[Ha-Kor]], who he uses the threat of destroying his family should Ha-Kor betray Gra-Mo's secret society upon being captured by the authorities. For his crime of attempting to use a series of evil androids to prey on Kryptonian society under Gra-Mo's orders, Ha-Kor is sentenced to exile into outer space in a state suspended animation inside a specially-constructed space capsule, which is the standard method of criminal incarceration at this time before [[Jor-El]]'s discovery of the Phantom Zone.

Soon after Ha-Kor's imprisonment, Gra-Mo is one of two candidates up for a seat on Krypton's ruling [[Science Council]], the other being Jor-El. The two candidates are each to present a new invention to the council, with the winner of the contest being awarded the vacant seat on the council. Gra-Mo's invention is a new type of android servitor designed to replace the planet's robot work force since the android would not be subject to accidental mechanical interference, but unfortunately, Gra-Mo loses out on the seat on the council to Jor-El due to his android dissolving into a protoplasmic blob just after Jor-El had presented his invention of the [[Phantom Zone Projector]].

Angered at his rejection by the council, Gra-Mo takes his revenge by using a telepathic control helmet of his own design to cause the robot police of Krypton to attack. Jor-El stops the revolt by magnetizing the planet's weather control satellite, drawing the police robots into the famed "[[Firefalls]]". Gra-Mo, however, is not exiled into the Phantom Zone upon being captured due to a temporary malfunction of the projector. Instead, Gra-Mo and his two henchmen are placed in suspended animation and exiled into orbit around the planet Krypton, becoming the last Kryptonian criminals to be sentenced to this form of punishment. When the planet Krypton explodes sometime later, the capsule carrying the sleeping Gra-Mo and his henchman is not destroyed, but is instead blasted into remote space. Years later, after the trio's capsule collides with a meteor in space that changes the ship's course trajectory, Gra-Mo and his subordinate's land on Earth.

By the time that Gra-Mo's capsule has arrived on Earth, many years have passed and the infant [[Kal-El]] has already grown into his teen years and become Superboy. Soon after their arrival and awakening on Earth, the trio is discovered by the [[Boy of Steel]], who relates to them the tragic story of the end of Krypton. Pretending to be an old friend of Jor-El, Gra-Mo then hatches an ingenious plan to enact revenge upon Jor-El through his son. Secretly rebuilding his telepathic control helmet, Gra-Mo contacts the Phantom Zone exiles, who give him information to battle and defeat the teenage hero, with the promise that upon Superboy's defeat, Gra-Mo will use the projector to free the criminals from the zone. Though agreeing to the terms set forth by the spokesperson of the exiles, [[Jax-Ur]], Gra-Mo actually has no intention of freeing the prisoners.

A few days later, Gra-Mo, disguised as a European gentleman known only as "[[Pater]]" arrives in [[Smallville]] with a boy named [[Reginald]], who he states is his son. Reginald is actually a sophisticated lifelike android created by Gra-Mo and his henchmen who possesses immense superhuman strength, on par with that of Superboy. The "boy", after committing several acts of vandalism, fights Superboy, proving to the hero that he is just as strong as a Kryptonian, and, just after handing his glasses over to [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Johnathan Kent]] for safe keeping, goads the Boy of Steel into hitting him as hard as he can. Superboy complies with the request, and knocks the "boy" into the sky with one punch. The force of the punch disintegrates "Reggie", causing Superboy to believe he has taken the life of another being. After the "death" of "Reggie", Superboy vows to end his career as a hero, which plays right into Gra-Mo's hands.

With Superboy out of the way, Gra-Mo and his henchmen begin their conquest of Earth by robbing the Smallville National Bank. Gra-Mo and his cohorts are surprised by the sudden appearance of Superboy, who reveals he knows about Gra-Mo's subterfuge, telling the criminal that he figured that "Reggie" was an android when ''"...Jonathan Kent showed me "Reggie's" glasses! You slipped up, Gra-Mo! You made his glasses out of '''ordinary window glass'''! Therefore, I knew there was nothing wrong with "Reggie's" sight! Then, when I heard that a nearby chemical plant had been robbed of certain elements, I realized those elements could be used to make an '''android'''!"''

A brief battle then ensues between Superboy and the three criminals, until he tricks them back into their space capsule with what appears to be the Phantom Zone Projector, but, however, the "projector" was in actuality a cardboard replica that Superboy had hidden there previously. While the three criminals are inside the capsule, Superboy seals it up and covers it in [[Lead|lead]] paint, which blocks out the rays of the yellow sun that grants a Kryptonian super powers, robbing the criminals of their abilities. With Gra-Mo and his henchmen now powerless, Superboy uses the real projector to banish them, ship and all, into the Phantom Zone, where Gra-Mo and his subordinates are berated for their incompetence by Jax-Ur (SB No. 104/1, Apr 1963: "The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone - Part I: The Crimes of Krypton's Master Villains"; SB No. 104/2, Apr 1963: "The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone - Part II: The Kid Who Knocked Out Superboy").

Gra-Mo is not seen again until he becomes involved in a scheme alongside a trio of himself, Jax-Ur, and [[Professor Vakox]] to use the shape-shifting abilities of Kryptonian juvenile delinquent and fellow Phantom Zone exile [[Cha-Mel]] to free them from the zone (SB No. 162, Jan 1970: "The Super-Phantom of Smallville!").

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Lorac-K7

2017-03-14T18:54:08Z

Manomight1974:

'''Lorac-K7'''

A lovely red-haired criminal from the year 2958, and a direct descendant of [[Lana Lang]].

Lorac-K7 first comes to [[Superboy]]'s attention when, in his secret identity of [[Clark Kent]], he is contacted by Inspector [[Edaw-8]] of Scotland Yard, who informs him that a criminal named Lorac-K7 has escaped to the past in a stolen time globe to steal a supply of the mineral cobalt, which is outlawed in the future due to it's usage as a destructive weapon component. Edaw-8 informs the [[Boy of Steel]] that Lorac-K7 knows his secret identity and is disguised as someone he knows. The inspector informs Superboy that Lorac-K7 must be stopped at all costs from bringing the outlawed cobalt back to the future, and that the criminal must be defeated before 5:00 pm or the criminal will be trapped in the 20th century permanantly.

Throughout the day Superboy protects [[Smallville]]'s various supplies, preventing several attempted thefts, and in the process he suspects numerous Smallville residents of being Lorac-K7, including his father [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Jonathan Kent]], [[Professor Lewis Lang]], his school principal, and even the mayor. Finally, Superboy realizes that Lorac-K7 is disguised as Lana Lang, correctly reasoning this because she was at all of the theft attempts, and she did not once during the day accuse Clark Kent and Superboy of being one and the same. Capturing Lorac-K7, Superboy sends her back to the future without any cobalt (Adv No. 250/1, Jul 1958: "The Imposter from the Year 2958").

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Doctor Sivana of Earth-E

2017-03-13T00:33:39Z

Manomight1974:

The [[Earth-E]] counterpart of [[Doctor Sivana of Earth-S|Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana]] who briefly battled the [[Super-Sons]] with a rifle like weapon that he reffered to as his "[[Negative Meson Disintegrator Beam]]" in a 1980 chronicle (WF No. 263, Jun/Jul 1980: "The Final Secret of the Super-Sons").

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Parallel-Worlds

2017-03-13T00:29:29Z

Manomight1974:

'''Parallel-Worlds'''

[[Image:Parallel_Worlds.gif|right|]]

Parallel worlds exist in parallel, alternate universes where, although there are a great many similarities to our known universe, as in the case of [[Earth-1]] with our [[Superman]] and the [[Superman of Earth-2]].

This profound cosmological discovery was first made on Earth by The [[Flash]] when he inadvertently crossed over to Earth 2 and met his childhood comic book hero, [[Flash of Earth-2]] (The Flash No. 123, Sep 1961: "Flash of Two Worlds!").

Often the [[Justice League of America]] would team with their dimensional counterparts, the [[Justice Society of Earth-2]], in battling other evil dimensional variations.

[[Superboy]] on at least three occasions has come into contact with alternate versions of himself and people he knows.

The first of these encounters occurs when, during a mission in space, an alternate [[Boy of Steel]] (who can be differentiated from Superboy by the fact that the colors of his chest insignia are reversed) is hurled from his universe to Earth by the force of an exploding warhead containing [[Red Kryptonite]]. Upon his arrival in [[Smallville]], the effect of the Red Kryptonite twists his personality and compels him to ruin the reputation of a good friend, which he attempts to do to [[Police Chief Parker]]. When Superboy and [[Krypto]] arrive to stop this "false" Superboy, the effects of the Red Kryptonite begin to wear off, and he explains his actions before fading back to his home world (SB No. 116/3, Oct 1964: "The Ordeal of Chief Parker").

The second of these encounters occurs when Superboy is hurled to a different reality by an alien sun when it goes nova. Upon his arrival in the parallel (and mis-spelled) "[[Smallvile]]", Superboy meets counterparts of five members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]: [[Brainiac 5]], [[Chameleon Boy]], [[Element Lad]], [[Invisible Kid]], and [[Ultra Boy]] - who in this universe are evil. During this encounter, the five delinquents attempt to expose Superboy's secret identity as [[Clark Kent]]. Superboy, after realizing what they are up to and that he is in fact on a parallel Earth, is able to contact his counterpart, who has been away on a mission. The two Superboys assist each other in thwarting the criminals' efforts and, after apprehending them, return the villainous Legionnaires to their own time (SB No. 117, Dec 1964: "Superboy and the 5 Legion Traitors").

(See [[Metropolus]] and [[Smallvile]])

The third of these encounters occurs when Superboy is attempting to avert a tornado disaster in [[Smallville]]. The Boy of Steel inadvertently moves fast enough to not only travel backwards through the time stream, but also cross the dimensional barrier that separates [[Earth-1]] and [[Earth-2]]. Traveling to the alternate version of his hometown, Superboy encounters his counterpart from this world, who at this time is intent upon using his fledgling super abilities to join a traveling circus. Superboy, after revealing himself to the other [[Clark Kent of Earth-2|Clark Kent]], begins training the young farm boy in the use of his super powers. Still intent upon joining the circus, young Clark becomes an acrobatic attraction known as the [[The Masked Wonder|Masked Wonder]], while Superboy attempts to return home. After a brief stint in the circus, young Clark realizes that he is destined for greater things, and returns to his home in Smallville. Once more encountering the stranded Superboy, young Clark uses his super-speed to help create a mini-tornado and aid the hero from Earth-1 in returning home. It is this adventure with the hero from Earth-1 that leads young Clark to his fateful decision some years later to adopt the identity of [[Superman of Earth-2|Superman]] (NSB No. 15/2, Mar 1981: "Superboy Meets Clark Kent!"; NSB No. 16/2, Apr 1981: "The Superboy Training of Clark Kent!")

Some of the parallel-worlds are:

*[[Earth-1]]
*[[Earth-2]]
*[[Earth-3]]
*[[Earth-E]]
*[[Earth-Prime]]
*[[Earth-S]]
*[[Earth-T]]
*[[Earth-X (Freedom Fighters)]]
*[[Earth-X (Steelman)]]

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_worlds Wikipedia entry on parallel worlds]
*[http://blaklion.best.vwh.net/time_links.html The Cosmology Compendium]

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Doctor Sivana of Earth-E

2017-03-13T00:18:20Z

Manomight1974:

The [[Earth-E]] counterpart of [[Doctor Sivana of Earth-S|Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana]] who briefly battled the [[Super-Sons]] with a rifle like weapon that he reffered to as his "[[Negative Meson Disintegrator Beam]]" in a 1980 tale (WF No. 263, Jun/Jul 1980: "The Final Secret of the Super-Sons").

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Doctor Sivana of Earth-E

2017-03-13T00:14:26Z

Manomight1974:

The [[Earth-E]] counterpart of [[Doctor Sivana of Earth-S|Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana]] who briefly battled the [[Super-Sons]] in a 1980 tale (WF No. 263, Jun/Jul 1980: "The Final Secret of the Super-Sons").

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Doctor Sivana of Earth-E

2017-03-13T00:13:02Z

Manomight1974:

The [[Earth-E]] counterpart of [[Sivana, Doctor (of Earth-S)|Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana]] who briefly battled the [[Super-Sons]] in a 1980 tale (WF No. 263, Jun/Jul 1980: "The Final Secret of the Super-Sons").

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Doctor Sivana of Earth-E

2017-03-13T00:11:31Z

Manomight1974: Created page with "The Earth-E counterpart of Sivana, Doctor (of Earth-S) who briefly battled the Super-Sons in a 1980 tale (WF No. 263, Jun/Jul 1980: "T..."

The [[Earth-E]] counterpart of [[Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana|Sivana, Doctor (of Earth-S)]] who briefly battled the [[Super-Sons]] in a 1980 tale (WF No. 263, Jun/Jul 1980: "The Final Secret of the Super-Sons").

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Cipher

2017-01-21T01:53:15Z

Manomight1974:

'''Cipher'''

A series of humanoid robots created by the evil alien conqueror [[Cyber]] in his bid to take over Earth, beginning with [[Smallville]], in a 1968 chronicle.

[[Superboy]] first encounters the Ciphers during an intense storm that is hammering Smallville. Discovering that the nearby dam has been damaged, Superboy flies onto the scene to prevent a his hometown from being destroyed by a devastating flood. After finding a strange, indestructible parachute caught on the dam, the [[Boy of Steel]] repairs the damaged dam with the cloth by tying it down over the gaping hole in the dam, noting that the material of the chute was completely waterproof, not letting a drop of water sieve through it's skin.

Meanwhile, one of the Cipher robots arrives at the Kent residence in Smallville, telling [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]] that he is "...your [[Uncle Cipher]]...I've come to stay!" Jonathan Kent attempts to call the police regarding the stranger, but is threatened by the being in his home, who uses superhuman strength to crush the his hand just as [[Clark Kent|Clark]] comes up the stairs from the basement, having just returned home from his dam rescue through the secret entrance in the Kent home. Clark is unable to rescue his foster parents as he used his X-ray vision on the assailant as he entered the house from the basement, finding that the robot is equipped with enough high explosive to blast half of Smallville off the map. "Uncle" Cipher then orders the Kents to stay inside the house.

Clark, using his X-ray vision to watch the stranger in his home while he bandages his father's injured hand, sees the robot communicating to someone in a cryptic digital code. Clark, rushes off to his basement laboratory, but is stopped by Cipher, who reminds the teen that he will be watching him, after Clark uses the excuse that he has homework to do.

Working in his basement lab, the only portion of the house that is actually safe from Cipher's prying eyes due to it being sheathed in lead, Clark begins to put the pieces of the puzzle before him together, noting that the robot's skin was made from the same indestructible material as the parachute he found at the dam, and that the digital code that the robot was communicating with was actually a simple numbered alphabet sequence from 1 to 26. Clark, uncovering the invasion plot, then switches to his Superboy identity.

Sneaking out of the Kent house through the secret entrance, Superboy quickly collects the materials to construct a bomb-proof room in the basement, and then lures "Uncle" Cipher downstairs. A small battle is waged between the superhero and the robot, until the robot suddenly shuts down while holding Superboy's indestructible body over his head. Investigating the robot's prone form, Superboy is hit with [[Kryptonite]] beams from the robots eyes, which renders him unconscious. The robot then returns to the upstairs unders Cyber's orders.

During scuffle between Cipher and Superboy, [[Lana Lang]] stops by the house for a pre-planned dinner invitation, and the recovered Cipher tells Martha to go ahead with the dinner party. During a conversation with Lana, the Kents learn that Lana also has a "visiting relative" staying at the Lang home. Martha, not knowing that her son has been rendered unconscious in his Superboy costume in the basement, tells Lana to fetch Clark for dinner. As Lana begins to go down the stairs into the basement, the Boy of Steel quickly recovers from the Kryptonite poisoning due to the intervention of some chemicals that were knocked over during the fight with Cipher and accidentally combine to provide a temporary antidote. Switching back to Clark, and ordering one of his [[Superboy Robots]] to lie in a prone position in case "Uncle" Cipher should check on the condition of his prey, the hero exits the house at super-speed and re-enters the house through his bedroom window and calls Lana out of the basement to protect his secret identity.

Exiting the basement, Lana sneaks a peek at the "visiting relative", and, upon seeing Cipher, runs from the house. Lana had hoped that the Kents would be able to help her as she too had an "Uncle" Cipher in her home, a fact that the Cipher in the Kent home confirms, stating ''"Ah, yes...Cipher 5...assigned to her house! As my '''other''' cohorts have been to families thoughout Smallville!"''

During dinner, Clark begins to run through the events of the evening. Realizing that the reason that the robot shut down during their battle was because Superboy's invulnerable body blocked out the power signals being sent to the robot by Cyber. Using this knowledge to his advantage, Clark, having walked Lana home and switching to Superboy after dinner, launches himself into the sky and traces the robot's power source to an alien ship in orbit piloted by Cyber. When Superboy attempts to apprehend the alien's ship, the scientist types on computer screen a message in his digital code, ''"Any contact on my craft...and...'''instantly'''...every 'Uncle' Cipher in Smallville will be triggered by an energy-pulse...and blow your town off the map!"''

During this confrontation with the alien, Lana runs from her house, unable to take this invasion any longer. With the Boy of Steel temporarily stymied as to what to do, Cyber sends a signal down to Earth, activating two of his Ciphers, Cipher 1 from the Kent house and Cipher 5 from the Lang house, with orders to destroy any who stand in their way, starting with Lana. Seeing the girl in trouble, Superboy zooms back to Earth, rescuing her in the nick of time. Flying the Lana to the [[Smallville Reservoir]], Superboy exhales a gust of super-breath, freezing the contents of the reservoir into a solid block of ice, which he uses as a shield as he flies back to Cyber's ship. The shield's reflective surface blocks out the signals that the villain has been sending to power and control his robots, effectively deactivating them as a power surge causes Cyber's ship to self destruct, apparently killing the villain (SB No. 150/1, Sept 1968: "The Stranger Who Stalks Smallville!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Zar-Al

2015-03-07T03:56:17Z

Manomight1974:

'''Zar-Al'''

The [[Kryptonian]] name of [[Krypton Kid]] (Adv No. 242, Nov 1957: "The Kid from Krypton!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Krypton Kid

2015-03-07T03:55:39Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:Zar-Al.jpg|left|frame|none|Krypton Kid]]

'''The Krypton Kid'''

A [[Kryptonian]] teenager, whose real name is [[Zar-Al]]. He is sent to Earth in a time-ship by his father, the scientist [[Zol-Zu]], who had been alerted by [[Jor-El]] of the impending doom of [[Krypton]] and wants his son to retrieve [[Zeelium|zeelium]], which would "prevent the [[Uranium|uranium]] core of Krypton from exploding."

Upon arriving on Earth, Zar-Al encounters [[Superboy]], who assists him in trying to locate the needed element, but to no avail. Zar-Al later claims to find zeelium "hidden under deep layers of ocean ooze," but it is only a ruse to keep the [[Boy of Steel]] from preventing him from returning home to Krypton to "stand by his father's side when the end came" (Adv No. 242, Nov 1957: "The Kid from Krypton!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Zar-Al

2015-03-07T03:54:30Z

Manomight1974:

'''Zar-Al'''

The [[Kryptonian]] name of [[Krypton Kid]] (Adv No. 242, Nov 1957: "The Kid from Krypton").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Superboy

2014-12-28T05:28:13Z

Manomight1974: /* Superboy Goes Public: The Boyhood Adventures */

[[Image:Evosuperboy.jpg|left|frame|none|Superboy]]
'''Superboy'''

'''The Adventures of [[Superman]] when he was a boy!''' <br>
Birth name: [[Kal-El]]
<br>
Secret Identity: [[Clark Kent]]

= Earliest Adventures =

'''Life on Planet Krypton'''

Superboy is born [[Kal-El]], child of [[Jor-El]] and [[Lara]], on the planet [[Krypton]]. At the time, it is "a planet of giant size," which revolves around a giant red sun. The beings who inhabit Krypton are possessed of high intelligence: they have created technology capable of controlling the planet's weather, have designed robots that perform all hard labor and household chores, and they are ruled by the [[Council of Science]], a group of the planet's most enlightened scientific minds. After ominous tremors (or "krypton-quakes") increase in intensity, Jor-El informs the science council that krypton is doomed, and will eventually explode "like a gigantic atom bomb!" The council believes him mad and does not heed his warning. Jor-El begins testing rockets that can carry Kryptonians to Earth. He at first uses a test rocket to send Kal-El's puppy [[Krypto]] into space, but a drifting meteor knocks the rocket off-course. (S No. 146, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life")

As a toddler on [[Krypton]], Superboy is kidnapped by the villain [[Brainiac]], (prior to Brainiac's theft of the city of [[Kandor]]) who plans to hold baby Kal-El for ransom in exchange for a new weapon that Jor-El has invented called the "21 Y-Ronatort." However, Brainiac and his accomplices have unwittingly brought Kal-El to their hideout in a yellow star system (which causes all natives of Krypton's red star system to gain special powers.) His newfound strength, combined with an awkward, uncontrolled flight ability, causes Superboy to utterly destroy the lair of Brainiac-crashing through buildings, throwing away expensive ships like toys, and crushing all of the jewels from Brainiac's treasure vault to dust. Brainiac tries to shrink the baby and stop his rampage, but he accidentally picks up an enlarging ray instead, and the baby walks all over Brainiac's weapons arsenal, destroying it. Unable to take any more humiliation, Brainiac releases Kal-El back to his parents and vows to return to avenge his humiliation. (SB No. 106, Jul 1963: "The Lair of Brainiac")

While Brainiac does return later, he does not have time to make good his threats on the El family. Krypton begins to break down sooner than expected, so Jor-El immediately uses another small test rocket to send his son hurtling toward planet Earth, his only chance for survival. Seemingly the sole survivor of the planet Krypton, baby Kal-El is found in a crashed rocketship and later adopted by [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]]. (S No. 146, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life")

'''Superboy Comes to Earth'''

"There had been rumors floating around the region about a super-powered tot almost since the day of young Clark's arrival on Earth. At parties, on hayrides, in local newspaper offices and the like, people would swear that they had seen a three-year-old boy punch a timber wolf and fly away. Or people would tell about others they knew who told some such story." (LSOK, Ch. 11)

On Earth, even before he is adopted by the Kents, Superboy demonstrates his amazing strength after they find him and place him in an orphanage. The baby Kal-El wreaks havok in the "orphan asylum," lifting various pieces of heavy furniture. The director of the orphanage breathes a sigh of relief when the Kents finally return to adopt the baby they'd found: "--Whew! Thank goodness they're taking him away before he wrecks the asylum!" (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939.) Various accounts detail the stories of the [[Smallville Orphanage]]).

[[Image:Superbabyactioncomics1.jpg|right]]

As his powers develop, [[Superbaby]] sightings are reported all over the world, but are never confirmed. (LSOK, Ch. 11) Clark continues to grow and his powers become more obvious on the family farm: he gathers eggs at super-speed, pulls up old tree stumps with his bare hands, and survives an attack by an angry bull without even one scratch! The Kents soon find that the blankets he'd been wrapped in when they discovered him are indestructible, and use them to make a playsuit for the mischevious baby. (S No. 146, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life") Superbaby's exploits are numerous, and indeed, his time-shattering trips into the past are often key to the decisions of many historical figures.

The family eventually moves into town, and Pa Kent sells the farm to run a general store. One afternoon the Kents take young Clark to a secluded pond outside of Smallville to play. He begins to chase a bird and loses sight of his parents. This makes him rather upset, so he decides to cross a pond to look for them; however, the "pond" he crosses is actually the Atlantic Ocean, and he soon lands in London. Though gone for a week (while his parents were worried sick) he returns after helping Scotland Yard catch several criminals and spare an innocent man from execution (SB No. 73, Jun 1959: "Superbaby in Scotland Yard").

After two other boys see him lift an automobile over an injured man, a young Clark Kent says "My powers give me the chance to do a lot of good--but I can't let people know that Clark Kent can do these things...the knowledge might be dangerous!" He then begins to wear the "colorful red and blue costume" that is famous today, and Clark adopts the identity of Superboy. (MFC No. 101, Jan/Feb 1945) Most sources elaborate that the Kents design the costume from the materials found in baby Kal-El's rocket, and that Pa Kent guides Superboy's actions during the next few years.

'''Learning to Fly'''

Following an interesting early childhood, the last power that Superboy masters is flight. After presenting him with his costume, Pa Kent reveals to Clark that he often flew when he was a baby, and encourages him to try practicing it again. After his first attempt, he crashes into an oil derrick and ruins it. The next day he designs a box kite with a steel cable and tries again. While he holds on to the inside of the box kite, Pa Kent unwinds the cable, allowing Superboy to stabilize himself in midair. A pilot named [[Captain Burton]] photographs this ridiculous-looking exercise, but Superboy overexposes his film using his x-ray vision. On the third day of practice, his box kite is destroyed by lightning, but by the fourth day Superboy is at last able to control his ability to fly, and flies to the edge of outer space for the first time (SB No. 59, Dec 1958: "How Superboy Learned to Fly!").

== Discrepancies in Earliest Accounts ==

In the earliest accounts of [[Superman]]'s adventures (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939; and others) very little is revealed about Clark Kent's life before adulthood, except that his parents died and he later became known as Superman. However, the chronicles soon begin to reveal that Superman had originally been known as Superboy, an identity that young Clark Kent adopted to keep other children from suspecting that he had abilities far beyond those of normal young men. (MFC No. 101, Jan/Feb 1945; and others) However, in revised accounts appearing a short while later, Clark Kent embarks on his super-heroic career after reaching adulthood, and first learns of his extraterrestrial origins as late as November-December 1949, when, after having already functioned as a super-hero for more than a decade, he journeys through [[Time Travel|the barriers of time and space]] --to the planet Krypton prior to its destruction-- and actually witnesses the cataclysm that destroyed his native planet. He also witnesses the aftermath of that cataclysm, including his arrival on Earth in a rocket and his adoption by the Kents.

"That old couple ... they're my '''foster parents'''!" thinks Superman excitedly as he watches Jonathan and Martha Kent lift his infant self gently from the rocket that has just brough him to Earth. "I'm Clark Kent! Then that's me .. '''that infant is me back in the past!'''

"Now I understand why I'm different from earthmen! I'm not really from Earth at all --I'm from another planet-- the planet Jor-El called Krypton!!"

"So at last," notes the textual narrative, "after all these years, Superman is at last aware of his birthplace, and why he is the strongest man on Earth!" (S No. 61/3: "Superman Returns to Krypton!").

In the years that followed, however, these accounts underwent substantial revision. In the newer version, Superman was again portrayed as having battled crime and injustice as a youngster --as Superboy-- prior to embarking on his adult crime-fighting career as Superman (S No. 72/2, Sep/Oct 1951: "The Private Life of Perry White!"; and many others), and he was described as having learned of his extraterrestrial origins while still a boy "by overtaking and photographing light rays that had left Krypton before it exploded" (S No. 132, October 1959: "Superman's Other Life!" pts.1-3 "Krypton Lives On!"; "Futuro, Super-Hero of Krypton!"; "The Superman of Two Worlds!"; and others) In addition, it was stated that "Because of his super-memory, Superman can recall all the incidents of his childhood!" (Act No. 288, May 1962: "The Man Who Exposed Superman!"; and others). However, remembering his life as a toddler sometimes requires great effort, or the assistance of his "mind-prober ray." (SB No. 73, Jun 1959: ""Superbaby in Scotland Yard")

Despite these early revisions, however, all the texts of the Superman chronicles agree that Superman has lived a double life since the onset of his super-heroic career, using his super-powers openly only as Superboy or Superman while concealing his true, extraterrestrial identity beneath the deceptive guise of mild-mannered Clark Kent.

= Superboy Goes Public: The Boyhood Adventures =

[[Image:Superboy.jpg|right]]

For many years Superboy operates anonymously and in secret. He appears only occasionally as a quickly moving red and blue blur, never revealing himself to those he helps and only rarely to the criminals he hinders. His actions are noticed however, and a legend grows of a kindly spirit who haunts Smallville, performing good deeds and the rare harmless prank.

Superman recalls his first public appearance as Superboy in April, 1961. When young Clark Kent announces that he has spotted a robbery in progress using his x-ray vision, Jonathan Kent declares, "The time has come for you to perform publicly as Superboy! People won't believe you exist at first, but you'll soon convince them! You'll crusade for good!"

Donning his costume, Superboy foils the robbery, after first introducing himself to two Smallville police officers as "Superboy, foe of all criminals." The policemen introduces Superboy to Smallville's Mayor, who in turn introduces him to the Governor. Eventually, Superboy meets the President of the United States, in the process saving the President's life, and is finally revealed to the United States at large through "representatives of the armed services, leading cities, and various charities" for whom Superboy performs special tasks in the following days.

As a teenager, Superman as Superboy, performed numerous heroic exploits in Smallville (S No. 97/3, May 1956: "Superboy's Last Day in Smallville"; and others).

As the adult Superman notes, "By now, the entire world knew that a Superboy existed, and the whole Earth was gripped by a thrill of excitement." Indeed, radio broadcasts announce that "A Superboy exists! He can fly! Bullets bounce off him! He has amazing super-vision! He battles for justice!" (S No. 144/2: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!").

The years that follow this event are perhaps the most well-known of Superboy's chronicles, in which many significant life events occur in the town of Smallville. In the beginning, Clark Kent's circle of friends includes the pretty, blonde-haired [[Margo Griffiths Vaughn|Margo Griffiths]], who would later grow up to be a nurse in [[Metropolis]]. (SB No. 1/1, Mar-Apr 1949: "The Man Who Could See Tomorrow") However, as time passes Clark becomes more well-acquainted with some of his lifelong friends and foes: [[Pete Ross]], the [[Lana Lang|Lang]] family, and [[Lex Luthor]], among others.

==The World of Smallville==

Upon his arrival on Earth from Krypton, the baby Kal-El is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. At various times, the Kents are farmers, and during the majority of young Clark's school years, owners of a general store in Smallville. Superboy also digs tunnels through his basement floor, including one tunnel that goes to the outside of town, and one that goes to Pa Kent's general store. He also stores many of his trophies and [[Superboy Robots]] in the basement of the house. (S No. 146, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life")

[[Krypto]], Superboy's lost puppy from Krypton, eventually found his way to Smallville and frequently joins Superboy in many of his adventures. He arrived in Smallville after bursting through a dog catcher's truck, and when Clark Kent saw him shot several times and unharmed, Superboy located his Kryptonian rocket and documents that verified that the dog belonged to his father Jor-El. (Adv No. 210, Mar 1955: "The Super-Dog From Krypton!") From time to time, Krypto leaves Smallville to go on long "space-romps," but always returns to his master in the end. More recently, on one of his romps through space, Krypto was anointed king of a distant planet...only to play dead and escape when his new subjects presented him with a shiny new meteor rock-kryptonite, the only substance that can kill the Dog King! (SB No. 77, Dec 1959: "The Space Adventures of Krypto!")

[[Lana Lang]] is the beautiful, red-haired girl next door, the daughter of archaeologist [[Professor Lewis Lang]]...and a pain in Superboy's neck. Clark Kent secretly admires her, and Lana secretly admires Superboy...however, she has eventually come to suspect that Clark Kent and Superboy are one and the same, forcing him to resort to such tricks as using Superboy Robots to allay her suspicions. Pa Kent suspected when Clark was very young that the pair would become interested in one another. (LSOK) Though young Lana can often be self-absorbed and impetuous, it is notable that when she is sick, she tells Superboy that she wants nothing for herself but does wish that Superboy could help Clark to be less shy and meek. (SB No. 43/3, Sep 1955: "Clark Kent's Coach")

Clark Kent's "only close friend" is [[Pete Ross]]. "Grown-up and logical," he once told Lana Lang that anyone who knew Superboy's secret identity would be in constant peril, and it would therefore be best if no one knew. Several days later, he did find out Superboy's identity, after seeing Clark Kent change to Superboy on a camping trip. He has never told anyone that he knows Clark Kent is Superboy, even Clark himself (S No. 90, Jul 1961: "Pete Ross' Super Secret!").

[[Lex Luthor]] is a farmboy, a huge fan of Superboy who once stored photos and Superboy memorabilia in his barn, but dreams of becoming a scientist. One day he saves Superboy's life by pushing away a rather sizeable kryptonite meteor with a bulldozer, and Superboy repays him by building a state-of-the-art, modern experimental laboratory and presenting it to him as a gift. The two quickly become friends. Luthor immediately begins work in his new laboratory, creating a kryptonite antidote and working on a discovery that he called "the secret of life itself." However, when a lab accident starts a fire, Superboy's super-breath accidentally destroys Luthor's new discoveries, and the fumes from the chemical fire cause Luthor to lose his hair. He blames the act on Superboy's jealousy of his scientific mind, and the two have become competitive foes for the foreseeable future (Adv. No. 271, Apr 1960: "How Luthor Met Superboy!").

When needed by the authorities in an emergency, [[Police Chief Parker]], can summon Superboy by means of an ingenious flashing light system. The town of Smallville has also set aside a special holiday for Superboy. '''Superboy Day''', as it is called, is celebrated annually (S No. 116, Sep 1957: "Disaster Strikes Twice!").

In May 1955, Superman returns to Smallville to thwart an underworld scheme to recover $1,000,000 in gold which, following its theft many years ago, was hidden in Smallville by the thieves and never recovered (S No. 97/3: "Superboy's Last Day in Smallville").

==Childhood Adventures Beyond Smallville==

'''"Bizarre" Travels'''

Another of Superboy's notable boyhood adventures marks the first appearance of Bizarro. Using a duplicator ray, a scientist accidentally creates a "bizarre" imperfect duplicate of Superboy. The duplicate creature then names himself Bizarro, goes on a mini-rampage on main street, breaks into a farmhouse to tell an older couple "I BE YOUR LOVING SON!", and finally befriends a blind girl who could not be afraid of his chalky white appearance. Superboy apparently destroys Bizarro, but the ensuing vibrations cure his friend's blindness (SB No. 68, Oct 1958: "Bizarro: The Super-Creature of Steel"). (See [[Bizarro-Superboy]]) In July 1959, Lex Luthor creates an adult [[Bizarro]] who subsequently leaves Earth for a new home on a distant planet which he names [[Htrae]], where he uses the duplicator ray to create a whole world of bizarros and proclaims himself "Bizarro No. 1" (Act No. 254/1: "The Battle with Bizarro"; Act No. 255/1, Aug 1959: "The Bride of Bizarro"). Conversely referred to as "The Thing of Steel" or "The Idiot of Steel," he lives with his wife [[Bizarro-Lois]] No. 1. Superboy and Krypto occasional travel to Htrae and ecounter the Bizarros, as seen when they crash through the time barrier in July 1961 (Adv No. 285/2, "The Shame of the Bizarro Family!")

'''Club Membership'''

Superboy also meets the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]], a super-hero club founded in his honor, during this time period. Superboy first encounters the Legion in April 1958 when he meets three teenagers in Smallville who inexplicably know his secret identity. In time, the teenagers are revealed to be [[Lightning Lad]], [[Saturn Girl]], and [[Cosmic Boy]], members of a "super-hero club" from the 30th Century called the Legion of Super-Heroes. Acknowledging Superboy as an inspiration, the Legion [[Time Travel|journey back in time]] to recruit Superboy as a member. After a series of tests in the far-future, Superboy is awarded membership and returned to his own time (Adv No. 247/1: "The Legion of Super-Heroes!").

= Adolescence =

'''Krypto's Departure from Smallville'''

Among the many changes that occur during Superboy's teenage years is the absence of his long-time companion, Krypto the Superdog. During one of his space-romps, Krypto encounters the [[Mindbreaker Beast]], a purple, gargoyle-like creature that feeds on the mental energy of the humanoids on which it preys. Krypto challenges the Mindbreaker Beast and sends him hurtling through space; however, Krypto wanders off dazed, an amnesiac. He drifts through space until Clark meets him again in adulthood. (S No. 287, May 1975: "Who Was That Dog I Saw You With Last Night?")

'''Superboy Meets Superman'''

In one undated adventure, a teenage Superboy is transported into the future by a troubled and villainous Pete Ross. Though it is impossible for a person to occupy the same space at the same time, Pete Ross circumvents this rule by taking possession of Superboy's body with a mind-transfer ray, thus enabling Superboy and Superman to exist at the same time. Though Pete captures Superman (using Superman's own powerful, youthful Superboy body) his plan fails because Superboy, trapped in Pete Ross' body, frees both himself and the adult Superman. (DCP No. 14, Oct 1979: "Judge, Jury...and NO JUSTICE!")

'''Superboy's 16th Birthday Celebration'''

By Superboy's 16th birthday, the Kents are shown to be much younger, their faces no longer wrinkled and their graying hair turned reddish-brown, thanks to a chemical from another dimension. Oddly enough, the Kents are also shown placing seventeen candles on Clark's birthday cake. This is revealed to be due to an episode when Clark turned eight years old, when the immortal beings [[Byrn and Myla]] tried to transfer their immortality to Clark so that they could die. Their plan failed, and on Clark's 16th birthday they celebrated the event (of which Clark's memory had been erased) by placing an extra candle on his cake, as a "secret token of our thanks and good luck for the next year!" It is also clear whose company Clark prefers most...he blows out the candles on his cake with the lovely Lana Lang standing by his side. (NSB No. 1, Jan 1980: "The Most Important Year of Superboy's Life!")

'''The Deaths of Martha & Jonathan Kent'''

Less than two years after his sixteenth birthday, the Kents enjoy a vacation in the Caribbean. Superboy drops by to see them, and they reveal that they have found a page from the diary of [[Pegleg Morgan]], dated July 16, 1717, in which he mentions being "driven off the ship by the cruelest pirate of them all!" Martha Kent convinces Superboy to take them to the past to investigate the pirate. He constructs a glass bubble to protect them from friction and takes them back to 1717, where the Kents watch [[Blackbeard]] from a distance, sitting and eating fruit before returning to Smallville.

Alas, the next day, the Kents awaken with raging fevers. The doctors inform Clark that his parents appear to have symptoms of the [[Fever Plague]], a disease that has not existed for for 100 years! Nothing can be done for the Kents, so the doctors suggest that Clark quarantine them and make them comfortable. Lana, who has had some training as a nurse's aide, offers to sit with the Kents while Clark looks for some answers. Several courses of action are attempted: Superboy locates an "orchid tree," said in an old manual to cure the Fever Plague, and gives the sap to his parents. Since Pa Kent is on the prison parole board, Lex Luthor uses his "vibro-health restorer" for an hour trying to cure the Kents (and ultimately receive parole,) but to no avail. Lana reassures him: "Chin up, Clark...maybe Superboy will figure out a cure!" Finally, Clark decides to project the Kents into the [[Phantom Zone]] until he is able to find a cure, as he had previously done when [[Mon-El]] was incurably ill. However, solar flares interfere with the operation of the Phantom Zone Ray, and Ma Kent dies. In his final moments, Clark's father regains consciousness and makes Clark promise to use his super-powers to do good before saying goodbye and passing away.

In their will, the Kents give Clark their home and business, and donate their savings to the Smallville Orphanage. When Clark presents the money to the director of the orphanage, he thanks Clark for his family's support ever since they adopted him. However, Clark Kent believes himself responsible for his parents' deaths and discards his Superboy costume...until it is proven that their trip through time did not cause their deaths; instead, they died from a virus they contracted while rummaging through Pegleg Morgan's chest on vacation. Upon this discovery, Clark says "Dad...Mother...what a relief to know that I'm not responsible for what happened to you! Now I won't be afraid to become Superboy again!" (S No. 161, May 1963: "The Last Days of Ma and Pa Kent").

No mention of this story is made elsewhere in the chronicles, and indeed, many place the deaths of Martha and Jonathan Kent at very different times

'''Superboy's Farewell'''

Clark buries his parents, vows not to sell the house and leaves for Metropolis. Years later, Pete Ross attempts to condemn the house to conceal the fact that Clark Kent was Superboy, but changes his mind when he sees how Clark feels about his boyhood home (S No. 270, Dec 1973: "I Can't Go Home Again"). According to a popular legend, Clark returns to Smallville for a second farewell as Superboy. As he is leaving town, the townspeople join hands and form letters visible to the sky: "Farewell Superboy, We'll Never Forget You!" This touches Superboy, and he throws the townspeople a giant farewell party, complete with a giant cake that he bakes for them. Many pieces of the cake are preserved by the townspeople as souvenirs. (S No. 146, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life")

= Transitional Years =

[[Image:Superboy7.jpg|left]]

Clark Kent first "thinks of himself as Superman" in order to evade a lie-detector test given to him by [[Professor Thaddeus V. Maxwell]], who suspects that he is Superboy. (S No. 125/2, Nov 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days"). Many other accounts state that Clark takes on the Superman identity after leaving his dead adopted father and Smallville and Superman's memories (S No. 129, May 1959: "The Girl from Superman's Past!") also confirm that he is known as Superman during his college years. However, according to another later account (SSY No. 1, Feb 1985: "Dreams and Schemes and Feeling Proud") Clark still officially goes by the name "Superboy" through most of his college career. Clark Kent and Lana Lang both attend [[Metropolis University]], with Lana eventually transferring to Hudson University to study broadcast journalism. Clark chooses not to play football in college, once commenting: "I could be the world's greatest football player...but I can't join the team and reveal my super-powers! Besides, it would be unfair to win that way...I'll have to pretend I'm "meek" and "unathletic" all my life!" (S No. 146, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life")

Clark's college roommates include [[Tommy Lee]], [[Dave Hammond]], the alcoholic [[Ducky Ginsberg]], and eventually [[Billy Cramer]], a young man from Smallville whose mother Alice recommends that he either look up Clark or Lana when he arrives at Metropolis University (SSY No. 1, Feb 1985: "Dreams and Schemes and Feeling Proud", SSY No. 2, Mar 1985: "Reach Out and Touch").

On parents' day during his junior year, Clark travels back in time (becoming a phantom) to witness a family dinner at the Kent home. When he returns to the present he chances upon a horrible car accident. Ducky, upset over the ending of his relationship with his girlfriend Amy, has been drinking excessively and crashes into a tree. Superboy arrives after the police and is able to do nothing... Ducky survives, but is paralyzed and bound to a wheelchair (SSY No. 1, Feb 1985: "Dreams and Schemes and Feeling Proud"). Following the accident, Billy Cramer is placed in Clark's dorm by the housing dean, and one day they come to the rescue of a "crippled girl" in a wheelchair -- [[Lori Lemaris]], whose beauty leaves Clark speechless (while a previous account suggests that Clark meets Lori Lemaris in his senior year of college -- and alone, SSY No. 2, Mar 1985: "Reach Out and Touch" states that he meets her later in his junior year). Clark and Lori begin dating, but she has many strange habits, including a strict eight o' clock curfew (S No. 129, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!"). Meanwhile, Clark reveals to Billy Cramer that he is a super being, and when Pete Ross shows up for a visit, they each suspect that the other knows Clark's secret, covering for him when necessary (SSY No. 2 Mar 1985: "Reach Out and Touch").

After Clark solves the mystery of the [[Bermuda Triangle]] later in the year, he gives Billy a supersonic whistle to contact him in case he is ever in trouble. At this time, Clark also decides to also tell Lori that he is Superman, and proposes to her. She rejects his marriage proposal and reveals that she ''already knew'' that his secret, before saying that she needs some time alone. The well-meaning Billy, sensing that something is wrong, uses his supersonic whistle to summon the Man of Steel, in order to force him to talk about his relationship problems. Superboy becomes so angry at Billy's misuse of the whistle that he threatens to melt it if Billy ever misuses it again, and flies away. Clark then goes to confront Lori Lemaris, discovering that she is a mermaid from [[Atlantis]]. He offers her a ride home, and upon depositing her in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, they kiss the "strangest" goodbye kiss (SSY No. 3, Apr 1985: "Terminus", but see conflicts in this telling and that of S No. 129, May 1959: "The Girl from Superman's Past!")

Not long after he bids Lori farewell, a small island in the south Pacific is threatened by a tidal wave. As Superboy works feverishly to rescue the island, he hears Billy's supersonic whistle, and with his super-vision sees Billy trapped in a burning building after attempting to rescue someone. Clark, forced to choose between his roommate and the populous Pacific island, is unable to make it in time, and Billy tragically dies thinking that Clark is ignoring his whistle, because he "cried wolf" earlier. After Billy's death, Clark is so grief-stricken--having been unable to save his parents, Ducky, or Billy-- that he sheds his identity for a second time, going into exile in the [[Fortress of Solitude]] (SSY No. 3, Apr 1985: "Terminus").

He returns three months later, defeating Lex Luthor and making peace with his friends and his past, as Superman (SSY No. 4, May 1985: "Beyond Terminus"). According to this account, at the time Clark is first announced as Superman by the Daily Planet, he is probably 21 years old, entering his senior year of college. This age is corroborated by an earlier story, in which Clark Kent's early classmate Margo Griffiths is told by a magician that she will die at the age of 21. She is spared from death-at age 21-by Superman. (SB No. 1/1, Mar-Apr 1949: "The Man Who Could See Tomorrow"). On the other hand, the account of of SSY No. 4 reports that [[Perry White]] works for [[George Taylor]] at the Daily Planet, another contradiction to many earlier chronicles, including an account where Superboy helps Perry White get his job on the Planet under editor Mr. Hobb (Adv No. 120, Sep 1947: "Perry White, Cub Reporter"), and a tale in which Perry White is made editor of the Planet during Superboy's youthful career (Adv No. 152, May 1950: "Superboy Hunts for a Job!").

= Superboy Returns: Adventures in the Thirtieth Century =

[[Image:SLSH_No._250.jpg|left|thumb|Superboy and the Legion. Art by Joe Staton and Dick Giordano, 1979.]]

Superboy is also the inspiration for the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]. Over 1,000 years after entering adulthood, Superboy resurfaces in the 30th Century. He is subsequently initiated as a regular member of the Legion, which later includes his cousin [[Supergirl]]. Superboy serves two terms as Deputy Leader of the Legion, including presiding over the try-outs and induction of [[Princess Projectra]], [[Ferro Lad]], and [[Karate Kid]] (Adv No. 346, Aug 1966: "One of Us is a Traitor!").

=External Links=

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superboy_%28Kal-El%29 Wikipedia Entry on Superboy]
*[http://www.studiosanning.shawbiz.ca/legion_of_super-heroes/membership/superboy/index.htm Kal-El's entry at the LSH Clubhouse]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/indexes.php?character=360 Superboy Index by Mike]
*[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/superboyind1.htm Superboy Index by Dark Mark]
*[http://www.majorspoilers.com/archives/11040.htm/ Hero History: Superboy]

==External Links to Online Comics==

*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales3/birthOfSuperboy/ The Birth of Superboy] from More Fun Comics No. 101
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales2/superdog/ "The Superdog from Krypton"] from Adventure Comics No. 210
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales4/super-teacher/ "The Super-Teacher from Krypton"] from Adventure Comics No. 240
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales2/lsh/ "The Legion of Super-Heroes"] from Adventure Comics No. 247
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales2/howluthormetsuperboy/ "How Luthor Met Superboy"] from Adventure Comics No. 271
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales3/first/ "Superboy's First Public Appearance"] from Superman No. 144
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales4/phantomsuperboy/ "The Phantom Superboy"] from Adventure Comics No. 283
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales2/mon-el/1/ "Superboy's Big Brother"] from Superboy No. 89
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales4/ross/ "Pete Ross' Super Secret"] from Superboy No. 90
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales2/ultra/ "The Boy with Ultra-Powers"] from Superboy No. 98
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales4/3ages/ "The Three Ages of Superboy"] from Superboy No. 103
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales4/traitors/ "Superboy and the 5 Legion Traitors"] from Superboy No. 117
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales2/strangedeath/ "The Strange Death of Superboy"] from Superboy No. 161
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales4/final/ "Don't Call Me Superboy!"] from DC Super Stars No. 12
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/superboy-lives/takingtime/ "Taking Time"] Unpublished
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/superboy-lives/tomorrows-lesson/ "Tomorrow's Lesson"] Unpublished
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/superboy-lives/visitor/ "Strange Visitor"] Unpublished

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Legion of Super-Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Clark Kent of Earth-2

2014-12-28T05:25:22Z

Manomight1974:

'''Clark Kent (of Earth-2)'''

[[Image:E2_Clark_Lois.jpg|thumb|left|The Earth-2 Clark and Lois circa 1938. Art by Wayne Boring and Jerry Ordway, 1986.]]

The secret identity of [[Superman of Earth-2]]. This Clark Kent is raised by [[John and Mary Kent of Earth-2|John and Mary Kent]] and following their deaths ca. 1938, starts his career as a reporter for the [[Daily Star]]. He is later promoted as the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Star (SF No. 196/5, Jul/Aug 1979: "Editor of the Star"). He is also married to [[Lois Lane of Earth-2|Lois Lane]] now known as [[Lois Kent]] (Act No. 484, Jun 1978: "Superman Takes a Wife!"; and others).

It is revealed in a 1981 chronicle that as a teenager, young Clark encounters the [[Superboy|Superboy of Earth-1]]. While attempting to avert a tornado disaster in [[Smallville]], Superboy inadvertently moves fast enough to not only travel backwards through the time stream, but also cross the dimensional barrier that separates [[Earth-1]] and [[Earth-2]]. Traveling to the alternate version of his hometown, Superboy encounters his counterpart from this world, who at this time is intent upon using his fledgling super abilities to join a traveling circus. Superboy, after revealing himself to the "other" Clark Kent, begins training the young farm boy in the use of his super powers. Still intent upon joining the circus, young Clark becomes an acrobatic attraction known as the "[[The Masked Wonder|Masked Wonder]]", while Superboy attempts to return home. After a brief stint in the circus, young Clark realizes that he is destined for greater things, and returns to his home in Smallville. Once more encountering the stranded Superboy, young Clark uses his super-speed to help create a mini-tornado and aid the hero from Earth-1 in returning home. It is this adventure with the hero from Earth-1 that leads young Clark to his fateful decision some years later to adopt the identity of [[Superman of Earth-2|Superman]] (NSB No. 15/2, Mar 1981: "Superboy Meets Clark Kent!"; NSB No. 16/2, Apr 1981: "The Superboy Training of Clark Kent!")

(''See also'' [[Clark Kent]])

[[Category:Entries|Kent, Clark (of Earth-2)]]
[[Category:Aliens|Kent, Clark (of Earth-2)]]
[[Category:Journalists|Kent, Clark (of Earth-2)]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds|Kent, Clark (of Earth-2)]]
[[Category:Earth-2|Kent, Clark (of Earth-2)]]
[[Category:Lois Lane|Kent, Clark (of Earth-2)]]
[[Category:Superboy Era|Kent, Clark (of Earth-2)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)|Kent, Clark (of Earth-2)]]

The Masked Wonder

2014-12-28T05:23:41Z

Manomight1974:

'''The Masked Wonder'''

A masked identity briefly assumed by the [[Clark Kent of Earth-2]] as a teenager when he joins a travelling circus during an encounter with the [[Superboy|Superboy of Earth-1]] (NSB No. 16/2, Apr 1981: "The Superboy Training of Clark Kent!")

[[Category:Entries|Masked Wonder (The)]]
[[Category:Aliens|Masked Wonder (The)]]
[[Category:Aliases|Masked Wonder (The)]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds|Masked Wonder (The)]]
[[Category:Earth-2|Masked Wonder (The)]]
[[Category:Superboy Era|Masked Wonder (The)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)|Masked Wonder (The)]]

Garok

2014-12-28T05:20:57Z

Manomight1974:

'''Garok'''

A red-haired, teenage sorcerer with pointed ears who [[Superboy]] encounters on three separate occasions, the first two when the [[Boy of Steel]] is known as [[Superbaby]] and Garok goes by the name [[Gary the Witch-Boy]] (for example, SB No. 178/3, Oct 1971: "Superbaby's First Friend"; SB No. 187/2, Jun 1972, "The Return of Superbaby's Pal").

Several years after these adventures when both are toddlers, Garok returns, now a full-fledged sorcerer, having been warned by his aged master of an impending doom he must prevent and that he will battle his one-time friend, Superboy.

At this time, Superboy is summoned to Tibet by his friend [[Professor Lewis Lang]], who is on an archaeological expedition in the Kunlun Mountains. Lang had discovered some months before that a highly advanced civilization had once existed at this location, and he asks Superboy to assist him in his excavations by battling a large, griffin-like monster that appears to be guarding the entrance of a small cave. Agreeing to help his friend, Superboy battles the griffin, and after defeating the monster in a pitched battle, it is revealed that the creature had been guarding a large, golden egg-shaped artifact, which Professor Lang takes into his custody.

Garok, watching this series of events from his secret sanctum with his magic, makes the realization that the scientists have not in fact uncovered some fantastic treasure, but in actuality have stumbled upon the secret haven of an [[Undying One]], and the egg-shaped treasure is a cocoon ''"pulsating with pure, unbridled '''mystic power'''—enough to humble the universe!"'' Realizing that this is the danger that his aged master warned him of, Garok sets out for [[Smallville]], noting that as long as the cocoon is under the protection of Superboy, he and his former friend will be the deadliest of foes.

Returning Professor Lang home to Smallville, Superboy notices that his friend has become somewhat erratic, as if the artifact has some strange hold over him. However, Superboy does not have time to investigate this situation, as he has to return to the Lang home as [[Clark Kent]] and assist his friends in [[Lana Lang]]'s election bid for school class president.

While Superboy is otherwise occupied with election preparations, Garok arrives at the edge of town and causes a small disaster to occur at the Smallville Utility Co., setting their generator on fire with his magic. His hope is to avoid battling his childhood friend by diverting Superboy from stopping him in his task with a series of emergencies.

[[Pete Ross]], noticing the sirens heading towards the fire, enables Clark to slip away and switch to Superboy. Arriving at the fire, Superboy handily extinguishes the blaze within a few moments, and upon returning to the Lang home, discovers that his friends have been turned into living plant creatures and Garok is attacking Professor Lang in an attempt to steal the cocoon.

Superboy engages his friend, at first not realizing who he is, and a pitched battle between the two titans ensues. Gaining the upper hand, Superboy wraps Garok in his indestructible cape and questions the sorcerer about his intentions for the cocoon. Garok admits that he only wanted to destroy the cocoon with fire, as it would possess anyone who opened it, giving them the force to move entire galaxies, but not the ability to save their own soul. Working together, Superboy and Garok are able to prevent Professor Lang from opening the cocoon before it is too late, and using a combination of heat vision and magical fire, destroy the cocoon. Afterwards, the two heroes renew their friendship, and vow to ''"always be friends!"'' (SF No. 194/1, Apr 1979: "When the Sorcerer Strikes!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Magic]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Superman

2014-12-28T05:17:48Z

Manomight1974: /* The Secret Identity */

''"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 those in need."'' -- Action Comics No. 1, 1938

=Overview=
[[Image:Supermaniconic.jpg|left]][[Image:Super pastel Shuster.jpg|right|thumb|Superman pastel by co-creator Joe Shuster.]]

'''Superman'''

A world-famous crime-fighter and adventurer who has, for 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 1959: 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. 146/1, 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 Earth...!" (Act No. 63, Aug 1943: "When Stars Collide!").
==The Original Account==
[[Image:Action comics 1.jpg|right|thumb|Action Comics No. 1. Art by Joe Shuster.]]
"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 weights...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 1938).

==Addenda and Revisions==
Since the appearance of this original account many 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, Jonathan 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=
[[Image:Clarkent.jpg|right]]
"The fact that Clark Kent, Newspaper reporter, and Superman, the mighty Man of Steel, are one and the same person, is the most closely guarded secret in the world!" (Act No. 189, Feb 1954: "Clark Kent's New Mother and Father!")

Within days of his arrival on the planet Earth, the infant Superman had two identities: on the one hand, he was [[Kal-El]], an orphaned native of the exploded planet [[Krypton]], and on the other hand, he was [[Clark Kent]], the adopted son of [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]]. It was the Kents, in fact, who urged upon him the importance of keeping his super-powers secret and of using them to aid humanity.

"Now listen to me, Clark!" cautioned Jonathan Kent, while Clark was still a youngster. "This great strength of yours- -you've got to hide it from people or they'll be scared of you! But when the proper time comes," added Martha Kent, "you must use it to assist humanity." (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939)

There were also other reasons for keeping Clark's super-powers secret: Jonathan Kent feared that unscrupulous individuals would try to exploit his super-powers for evil purposes. (WF No.57, Mar 1952: "The Artificial Superman!"), and Clark himself soon realized that if he used his super-powers openly against the underworld, his foster parents would inevitably become the helpless targets of gangland retribution (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"; and others).

In addition, the use of an alternate identity gives Superman the advantage of surprise over the criminal element and enables him to conduct investigations discreetly as journalist Clark Kent. "If, by accident, [[Lois Lane]] ever reveals my secret to the world," muses Superman during an anxious moment in October 1960, "my undercover role as Clark Kent will be ruined. I will no longer be able to investigate criminals as 'meek' Clark Kent so that they can later be captured by Superman! And it may take me years to set up a new identity!" (Act No. 269: "The Truth Minor!").

And Action Comics No. 61 observes that:

''The matter of Superman's secret identity is one of utmost importance. disguised as Clark Kent, the Man of Tomorrow finds it possible, secretly, to ferret out crimes that need solving, and injustices that cry out to be righted [Jun 1943: "The Man They Wouldn't Believe!"].''

=The Costume=
[[Image:Curt-1960.jpg|right]]

''"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 nearly half-century 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 (Act Nos. 4 & 5) and yellow in at least one other (Act No. 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 No. 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 No. 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 No. 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 No. 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=

[[Image:Fortress.gif]]

The impenetrable fortress, carved out of a mountainside amidst the barren Arctic wastes, and serving as both as a retreat and a headquarters, it is Supermanâ€™s secret sanctuary. Far from civilization with an extraordinary trophy room, it houses the hard won memorabilia of more than a thousand adventures, a workshop and super-laboratory, where Superman labors in search of an antidote to [[Kryptonite]] and performs other experiments and the gymnasium and recreation facilities where Superman exercises, relaxes, and indulges in a variety of super hobbies. It also houses an interplanetary zoo, containing live species of wildlife from distant planets, as well as special rooms and memorials in honor of Supermanâ€™s parents, foster parents, and closest friends. The Fortress of Solitude is also home to the amazing bottle city of [[Kandor]], a city of the planet [[Krypton]] that was reduced to microscopic size and stolen by the space villain [[Brainiac]] sometime prior to the death of Krypton. In the Fortress of Solitude, there are also special monitors for communicating with Kandor, the undersea realm of [[Atlantis]], the [[Phantom Zone]], countless distant planets, and alien dimensions. The Fortress of Solitude also houses an incredible collection of Superman-robots, other special equipment, numerous other rooms, exhibits, weapons, machines, and scientific devices. Indeed, since the invasion of the Fortress of Solitude by an outsider could result in the placing of these devices in the hands of evildoers, as well as endanger Supermanâ€™s secret identity, the exact location of the Fortress of Solitude remains one of the worldâ€™s most closely guarded secrets.

=The Super-Powers=
"The super-powers of the '''Man of Steel''' are legendary! The whole world marvels at his invulnerability, super-speed, super-strength, and other super-skills" (Act No. 251, Apr 1959: "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 No. 1 (Jun 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!".

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 No. 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 1951: "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 1948: "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 1945: "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 No. 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 1949: "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 No. 113, May 1957: 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 stars 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!" (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 1960: pts. I-III-"Superman Meets Jor-El and Lara again!"; "Supermanâ€™s Kryptonian Romance!"; "The Surprise of Fate!").

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 to 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 1964: â€œThe Death of Luthor!â€; and others) or the world of the [[Thorones]] (Act No. 321, Feb 1965: 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!"

[[Image:Superman & Time.jpg|thumb|right|Superman traveling backwards through time.]]

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. (S No. 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 (travel ''backwards'' through time), Superman must move at a speed exceeding that of light.

It's often a debated point on who is faster, Superman or the other superhero famous for his speed, [[The Flash]]. The two heroes have frequently explored the question with a number of friendly competitive foot races that all have proved inconclusive. (S No. 199, Aug 1967: "Superman's Race With the Flash!", see [[Flash]] for other references)

==Super-Strength==
[[Image:Superboytowingplanets.jpg|center]]

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. (Act No. 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!" (Act No. 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 (S No. 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.

In July 1967, Superman as Superboy has pulled a chain of a dozen worlds from their own dying galaxy to new suns at the other side of the universe, saving billions of lives (SB No. 140).

In October 1980, Superman fights the alien villain, [[N'Gon]], who has stolen [[Green Lantern]]'s power ring, one of the most powerful weapon types in the universe. To finally defeat the villain, who has a force field generated from the ring to protect himself, Superman punches the field with all his strength. The blow is so powerful that it creates a massive thundering sonic boom-like sound that overcomes the force field and overwhelms the villain (DCCP No. 26, Oct 1980: "Between Friend and Foe!").

==Invulnerability==
[[Image:Lightingsuperman.jpg|left]]
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. (S No. 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. (Act No. 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. (S No. 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 (S No. 136, Apr 1960), but Superman No. 181 contradicts this, noting that "Though Superman is the mightiest man on Earth, even he cannot live forever!" (Nov 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. (S No. 132, Oct 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==

[[Image:Superboy98.jpg|left]]

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==
[[Image:Andy Warhol breath.jpg|left]]

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 No. 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. (S No. 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==

[[Image:Lab.gif|left]]

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 No. 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. (S No. 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. (S No. 6, 1940)

Superman No. 133 asserts that Superman could consume virtually endless quantities of food, and Action Comics No. 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=
Despite his awesome super-powers, Superman continues to be afflicted with certain important vulnerabilities.
==Kryptonite==
The term used to designate any surviving fragment of the exploded planet [[Krypton]], home world of Superman. These varieties of kryptonite are similarly hazardous to [[Supergirl]], [[Krypto]] the Superdog, [[Beppo]] the Supermonkey, and all other surviving natives of Krypton, unless otherwise noted.
===Green Kryptonite===
Green Kryptonite, is fatal to superpowered Kryptonians but harmless to non-superpowered Kryptonians, It induces lassitude and inertia followed by death if not removed in time from Superman's presence.
===Red Kryptonite===
[[Red Kryptonite]] inflicts bizarre and unpredictableâ€”albeit temporary and nonfatalâ€”symptoms, as when it divides Superman into twins or transforms him into an infant or a giant ant. It's effects last only 48 hours and is never repeated on the same Kryptonian again.
===Gold Kryptonite===
[[Gold Kryptonite]] permanently takes away Superman's powers

===Blue Kryptonite===
[[Blue Kryptonite]] is harmful to [[Bizarro]] Supermen in the same way that Green Kryptonite is to Superman

===White Kryptonite===
[[White Kryptonite]] is harmful only to plant life, though it can also affect some vareties of microbe.

*For more varieties of kryptonite, please see the [[Kryptonite]] entry.

==Magic==
Although this subject is not treated in the chronicles with absolute consistency, it is generally agreed that Superman's power of invulnerability does not protect him from [[Magic]]. As Superman notes ruefully in August 1964: "My invulnerability can't protect me from magic or a sorcerer's spell!" (S. No. 171, Aug 1964: "The Curse of Magic!")

In 1971, Superman consults the wizard, [[Doctor Fate of Earth-2]] to see if he can remove his vulnerability to magic. However upon arrival on [[Earth-2]], the planet is threatened by aliens and defeating them requires that Dr. Fate cast a spell on Superman that allows him to fight them. The Man of Steel then understands that the ability to be helped by magic is a benefit and declines to have Doctor Fate change this fact (WF No. 208, Dec 1971: "Peril of the Planet Smashers").

==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 addition to the vulnerabilities enumerated in the preceding subsections, there remain other situations in which Superman is vulnerable.

He is susceptible to being overpowered and even destroyed by other Kryptonian survivors or by Kryptonian machinery and weapons to which he would have been vulnerable on Krypton.

He can be held or destroyed by some aliens and alien monsters, which, because of peculiarities of their own native planets, acquire super-powers even greater than Superman's. One example includes [[Darkseid]]'s Gravi-Guards, ponderous beings able to summon great gravity from heavy mass galaxies (see The Forever People No. 1, Feb/Mar 1971: "In Search of a Dream!").

All of his super-vision abilities are blocked by [[lead]] and he cannot melt it with his heat vision.

Superman loses his super-powers completely upon entering a solar system whose planets revolve about a red sun. In addition, he is susceptible to losing his super-powers completely, or having them drastically curtailed, if he visits a planet revolving about any non-yellow sun, even if that sunâ€™s color has changed from yellow to another color by artificial means, such as by using a colossal blue filter mounted atop a robot-controlled space station to transform yellow sun into a green sun (S No. 155, Aug 1962: "Superman Under the Green Sun!"). Superman can be blocked by powerful temporal barriers and force fields, such as the [[Iron Curtain of Time]].

In addition, Superman's own mind can be turned against him. For instance, Lex Luthor, using lifelike android duplicates of [[the Flash]] and [[Batman]] as children, once successfully convinces Superman that he has found a way to reduce his age. Superman is subconsciously convinced enough that his body literally de-ages until he realizes the deception (Act Nos. 465-466, Nov 1976-Dec 1976: "Think Young and Die" and "You Can Take the Man Out of the Super, But You Can't Take the Super Out of the Boy").

Superman has been infected with other Kryptonian biological threats like the deadly [[Bloodmorel]] spore from the [[Scarlet Jungle]] of Kryption which nearly kills him. However in this case, it was successfully countered by the heroic plant monster, [[Swamp Thing]], who uses his power over plants to stop the infection and cure Superman (DCCP No. 85, Sep 1985: "The Jungle Line!").

Perhaps Superman's greatest vulnerability is that his friends and loved ones do not possess super-powers, a fact which evildoers continually attempt to capitalize on, although invariably without success, in an effort to prevent Superman from apprehending them or to force him to do their bidding.

Lastly, "...despite all his tremendous super-powers, the Man of Steel has never been able to prevent a tragedy of the past, no matter how much he has tried! Always, fate has successfully resisted his attempts to change history!" (S No. 146, Jul 1961: "Superman's Greatest Feats!").

=The Equipment=
==Lead Armor==

In September 1948, after the cataclysmic explosion of an atomic reactor has temporarily rendered Superman so dangerously radioactive the he cannot come close to people without destroying them, the Man of Steel fashions himself a thick lead armor suit out of molten metal to enable him to shield those with whom he comes in contact from the deadly â€œradioactive raysâ€ emanating from his body.

I couldnâ€™t permit eye-holes in this suit,â€ notes Superman as he flies through the air in his armor suit, â€œâ€¦ fatal radioactive rays could seep through them. Iâ€™ll see with my X-Ray vision!â€ (Act No. 124. Sep 1948: â€œA Superman of Doom!â€) Please note that this text clearly ignores the fact that Supermanâ€™s X-Ray vision cannot penetrate lead.

In June 1958, Superman dons a suit of lead armor while experimenting with [[Kryptonite]] at his [[Fortress of Solitude]]. â€œIn this lead armor,â€ observes Superman, â€œIâ€™m immune to Kryptonite raysâ€¦ and can study it to see if I can overcome its dangerous effect on meâ€ (Act No. 241, Jun 1958: The Super-Key to Fort Superman!â€).

==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. The greatest of 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 more recently 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 [[Uranians|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 (WF No. 42, Sep 1949: "The Alphabetical Animal Adventure!").

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

Arriving as a superman from Mercury in February 1952, Superman uses a robot named [[Krag]] which he manipulates "with control buttons and ventriloquism". He had to "switch makeup and costumes with Krag... so that sometimes [he] was Krag and the robot became Superman". He makes this robot defeat Superman so that he could meet the [[Crime Czar]] (Act No. 165, Feb 1952: "The Man Who Conquered Superman!").

In May 1952, the Clark Kent robot can move by itself, but Superman continues to throw his voice to make it talk. A bump in a boat shakes the robot's mechanism and makes it fail, so he makes it as if Clark had fainted by seeing a paper dinosaur on a ride, se he could be able to repair it later (S No. 75, May 1952: "Mrs. Superman!").

In December 1955, Superman creates a remote-controlled Superman robot that [[Jimmy Olsen]] can control while he is away in space diverting a runaway planet that was on a crash course with Earth. It was equipped with a "built-in tv screen originally devised by Dr. Ultra" so Jimmy could "see and hear everything, as if [he] was there [himself]." The robot has super-strength and can fly (SPJO No. 9: "The Missile of Steel").

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." However, as a precaution in case they malfunction, Superman deliberately makes them weaker than himself so he can defeat them if it becomes necessary (WF No. 202, May 1971: "Vengeance of the Tomb-Thing!").

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 No. 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, Krypto 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 indestructible 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. This partially by design so if a robot goes rogue, Superman can defeat it with reasonable ease.(WF No. 202, May 1971: "Vengeance of the Tomb-Thing!").

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]] (Act No. 274, May 1961), [[Wonder-Man]] (S No. 163, Aug 1963), [[Adam Newman]] (S No. 174, Jan 1965), [[Powerman]] and [[MacDuff]].

Superman later retires his robots because of deleterious effects from pollution in the earth's atmosphere (first documented in WF No. 202, May 1971: "Vengeance of the Tomb-Thing!").

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

==Miscellaneous Equipment==

In his unceasing war against evil and injustice, Superman has also employed a variety of miscellaneous apparatus.

In January 1941, Superman has devised the [[Krypto-Raygun]], a "startling invention with which he can snap pictures, they are developed right in the shape of a raygun, and can be flashed upon a wall!" (Act No. 32, Jan 1941: "The Preston Gambling Racket!")

In August 1948, Superman uses a miniature camera concealed inside a special ring to keep an incriminating photographic record of the attempts on his life made by [[Skid Russell]] and his fellow [[Metropolis]] "crime kings" (Act No. 123, Aug 1948: "50 Ways to Kill Superman!")

In July 1951, in the course of conducting a series of unsuccessful experiments â€œto find some way to fight against the power of [[Kryptonite]],â€ Superman devises a so-called â€œK-Detector,â€ which â€œdetects kryptonite as a Geiger counter does Uranium!â€
(Act No. 158, Jul 1951:â€The Kid from Krypton!â€)
This device, which is also referred to as a â€œkryptonite detector,â€ is now housed in the [[Fortress of Solitude]] along with Supermanâ€™s â€œred kryptonite detectorâ€.

During a period when Superman is temporarily bereft of his super-powers, as a result of Earthâ€™s passing through a shower of kryptonite dust in space, the [[Man of Steel]] successfully carries out his customary super-tasks with the aid of an armada of ingenious â€œSuper-Machinesâ€ that he had hastily constructed in anticipation of the crisis. Among them are the following:

*1. An armored tank-like vehicle equipped with a power scoop, a battering ram, and maneuverable mechanical arms
*2. A colossal earth boring machine
*3. A tank-like vehicle equipped with a gigantic electromagnet
*4. A â€œmassive super-insulated suitâ€ designed to render Superman invulnerable to fire and other dangers
*5. A jet-motor harness to endow him with the power of flight
*6. Various telescopes: designed to duplicate as nearly as possible, Supermanâ€™s super-vision
*7. Various fluoroscopes: designed to duplicate as nearly as possible, Supermanâ€™s super-vision
*8. Various microphone: designed to duplicate as nearly as possible, Supermanâ€™s super-hearing

(S No. 116, Sep 1957: â€œThe Mechanized Superman!â€)

In December 1959, Superman and [[Batman]] wear special â€œwrist-radiosâ€ designed to enable them to communicate with one another while Superman is in Metropolis and Batman is in [[Gotham City]] (WF No. 106, Dec 1959: â€œThe Duplicate Man!â€).

In November 1962, during a time-journey to Krypton, Superman wears a special â€œAnti-Gravity Beltâ€ designed to enable him to escape from the planet so that, once having departed Kryptonâ€™s solar system and regained his powers, he can return through the time-barrier at super speed to the year 1962 (S No. 157, Nov 1962: â€œThe Super Revenge of the Phantom Zone Prisoner!â€).

When Superman and [[Jax-Ur]] undertake a time-journey to Krypton in March 1964, they make the trip in a spherical, transparent â€œTime Capsuleâ€ so that they will not become marooned on Krypton after losing their super-powers there (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: â€œSecret of Kryptonite Six!â€).

In May 1965, as a means of testing the security of his secret identity, Superman uses an [[Amnesia Machine]] (â€œselective amnesia-inducerâ€) to erase from the minds of Batman and [[Robin]] the knowledge that [[Clark Kent]] is secretly Superman. Despite this selective loss of memory, the [[Dynamic Duo]] were able to deduce Supermanâ€™s secret on their own, but when the roles are reversed, and the device is used to erase Supermanâ€™s knowledge of the Dynamic Duoâ€™s identities, Superman is unable to discover, try though he might, that Batman and Robin are secretly [[Bruce Wayne]] and [[Dick Grayson]] (WF No. 149, May 1965: â€œThe Game of Secret Identities!â€ and â€œThe Super-Dectective!â€)

Two 1955 texts feature the so-called â€œSuper Signalâ€ a giant searchlight that casts a circle of light against the sky containing a stylized â€œSâ€ insignia patterned after the one emblazoned on Supermanâ€™s Chest.

In Jan-Feb 1955, Superman refers to it as â€œthe emergency signal Batman and I agreed on in case of a crisisâ€ clearly implying that the super signal is a device with which Batman summons Superman. (WF No. 74: â€œThe Contest of Heroes!â€)

In May-June 1955, however, [[Lois Lane]] displays the special searchlight to Batman and Robin, describing it as â€œthe S-Signal which we use to call Superman,â€ clearly suggesting that the Super Signal is a device used by the officials of Metropolis to summon Superman. (WF No. 76: â€œWhen Gotham City Challenged Metropolis!â€)

The Super Signal, in any event, never takes hold as a permanent feature and soon disappears from the chronicles entirely.

=The Man Himself (as Clark Kent)=
[[Image:Clark_Boring.gif|thumb|right|Clark Kent switches to Superman by artist Wayne Boring]]
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 over 45 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, Jul 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!" (Act 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, May/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 team (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 Kent's Career!"). Nevertheless, he studied advanced science under [[Professor Thaddeus 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 No. 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'''

=The Man Himself (as Superman)=
[[Image:Superhead.jpg|right]]
Superman, the world famous crime-fighter and adventurer who masks his true identity beneath the mild-mannered guise of his alter ego, journalist [[Clark Kent]], is the hero of the Superman chronicles and the veteran of well over a thousand adventures. He is the close friend and frequent crime-fighting ally of [[Batman]], the cousin and frequent crime-fighting ally of [[Supergirl]], the owner of [[Krypto]] the Superdog, and the close personal friend of [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Perry White]].

Operating from the [[Fortress of Solitude]], his impenetrable secret sanctuary located in the barren Arctic wastes, Superman wages unrelenting warfare against the forces of evil and injustice, aided by his mighty superpowers and a sophisticated arsenal of special equipment.

Superman's most important relationship is the one he shares with [[Lois Lane]], but Superman has also enjoyed romantic involvements with such beautiful, talented, and fascinating women as [[Lana Lang]], [[Lori Lemaris]], [[Lyla Lerrol]] and [[Sally Selwyn]].

It is common knowledge in the world of the chronicles that Superman has another identity, but exactly who he is when he is not being Superman is one of the worldâ€™s most closely guarded secrets.

Superman is â€œover 30 years of ageâ€ (S No. 180, Oct 1965: â€œClark Kentâ€™s Great Superman Hunt!â€), with black hair and blue eyes (Act No. 297, Feb 1963: â€œThe Man Who Betrayed Supermanâ€™s Identity!â€; S No. 178 Jul: â€œProject Earth-Doom!â€). Described as â€œan incredibly muscular figureâ€ (WF No. 6, Sum 1942:â€œMan of Steel versus Man of Metal!â€) with â€œa physique of magnificent symmetryâ€ (S No. 54/1, Sep/Oct 1948: â€œThe Wreckerâ€), he is 6â€™2â€ tall, with a chest measurement of 44â€ and a waist measurement of 34â€ (Act No. 297, Feb 1963: â€œThe Man Who Betrayed Supermanâ€™s Identity!â€; S No. 178/1, Jul 1965: â€œProject Earth-Doom!â€). Because he was born on the distant planet [[Krypton]], â€œhis atomic structure is different from that of ordinary peopleâ€ (S No. 38/1, Jan/Feb 1946: â€œThe Battle of the Atoms!â€; and others), and his blood, according to one text, â€œconforms to all ALL FOUR typesâ€ (S No. 6/4, Sep/Oct 1940).

A U.S. Army doctor once described Superman as â€œthe finest physical specimen on Earthâ€ (S No. 133/3, Nov 1959: â€œSuperman Joins the Army!â€), and Lois Lane has referred to him as â€œthe smartest, handsomest, strongest man in the universeâ€ (S No. 176/3, Apr [ â€œSupermanâ€™s Day of Truth!â€).

The son of the [[Kryptonian]] scientist [[Jor-El]] and his wife, [[Lara]], Superman was born in the Kryptonian city of [[Kryptonopolis]] (SA No. 5, Sum 1962; and others) during the month of October (Act No, 149, Oct â€˜1950: â€œThe Courtship on Krypton!â€), in the year 1920 (S No. 181/2, Nov 1965: â€œThe Superman of 2965!â€).

According to Superman No. 75/1, the proud parents named their son [[Jor-El, 2nd]] (Mar/Apr 1952: â€œThe Pranksterâ€™s Star Pupil!â€), but an overwhelming preponderance of texts assert that they named him [[Kal-El]] (S No. 113, May 1957: chs. 1-3â€”â€The Superman of the Pastâ€; â€œThe Secret of the Towersâ€; â€œThe Superman of the Presentâ€; and others). By all accounts, the dark-haired youngster bore an â€œunmistakableâ€ resemblance to his father (S No. 77/1, Jul/Aug 1952: â€œThe Man Who Went to Krypton!â€; and others).

As the newest member of the so-called [[House of El]], Superman 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 Kryptonâ€™s great Age of Exploration; [[Sul-El]], the inventor of Kryptonâ€™s first telescope, who charted many far-off stars, including Earthâ€™s sun; [[Tala-El]], the author of Kryptonâ€™s planet-wide constitution; [[Hatu-El]], a scientist and inventor who discovered the nature of electricity and devised Kryptonâ€™s first electromagnet and electric motor; and [[Gam-El]], the father of modem Kryptonian architecture (SF No. 172, Aug/Sep 1975; and others). Supermanâ€™s paternal grandfather had pioneered the science of space travel on Krypton by journeying to Earth and back in an experimental spacecraft of his own design (S No. 103/1, Feb 1956: â€œThe Superman of Yesterdayâ€), although knowledge of the craftâ€™s construction had apparently been lost to Kryptonians by the time Superman was born (Act No. 158, Jul 1951: â€œThe Kid from Krypton!â€; and others).

Supermanâ€™s uncle [[Nim-El]], his fatherâ€™s identical twin brother, was a distinguished weapons scientist. Supermanâ€™s uncle [[Zor-El]], another of Jor-Elâ€™s brothers, had embarked upon a distinguished career in climatography. Zor-El and the woman he would later marry, [[Alura]], survived the death of Krypton and now reside in Kandor. Their daughter Kara, known to the world as [[Supergirl]], is Supermanâ€™s first cousin (Act No. 285, Feb 1962: â€œThe Worldâ€™s Greatest Heroine!â€ and others) [[Van-Zee]], â€œa distant kinsmanâ€ of Supermanâ€™s resides in [[Kandor]] with his wife [[Sylvia]] (S No. 158, Jan 1963: â€œSuperman in Kandor!â€).

=The Women of the Chronicles=

Five women play important roles in the Superman chronicles during the first three decades of Supermanâ€™s career.

==The Relationship with Lois Lane==

Superman and [[Lois Lane]] first make one another's acquaintance in June 1938 and embark on a neurotic, unfulfilling relationship that has already endured for nearly 50 years.

Almost from the moment of their 1st encounter, Lois Lane is in love with Superman. For decades, Lois Lane's foremost ambition has been to become the wife of Superman. In an effort to lure Superman into matrimony, Lois Lane has tried virtually every ploy imaginable! All of Lois's stratagems, however have ended in failure.

Whatever Superman's behavior toward Lois Lane, however, the texts make it abundantly clear that Superman does love her.

Yet because Superman refuses to respond to her in a normal, healthy way, Lois Lane finds her love for Superman constantly frustrated. As a result, Lois Lane recklessly plunges into danger as her only means of getting Superman to display an interest in her. Although Superman frequently complains at being forced to keep a constant eye on Lois, the evidence is overwhelming that he loves every minute of it.

â€œThat galâ€™s a natural for getting involved in mischief, but thatâ€™s just what I like about herâ€ â€“ Superman (Act No. 27)

Lois Lane is well aware that Superman welcomes the opportunity to rescue her. What is more, Lois has correctly perceived, despite Supermanâ€™s feigned indifference, that the Man of Steel harbors a strong affection for her.

Lois Laneâ€™s relationship with [[Clark Kent]] is fraught with hostility. Both are reporters for the same [[Metropolis]] newspaper, and their reportorial rivalry is a keen one. Lois in particular is fiercely, even unscrupulously competitive, resorting to such tactics as intercepting Kentâ€™s telephone messages, sending him off on wild goose chases, and even seducing him into letting her accompany him on an interview and then slipping knockout drops in his drink so that she can cover the story alone.

In addition to their professional relationship, Clark Kent and Lois Lane share a personal relationship, for although Superman rejects Lois Lane as Superman, he pursues her slavishly in his role as Clark Kent.

Clark Kent and Lois Lane has dated for five full decades. He is gleeful when she consents to go out with him and forlorn and dejected when she turns him down. Clark has hinted at his desire to marry Lois or proposed outright, but Lois Lane has always rejected his proposals. Lois Lane has also rejected all proposals of married in hopes to marry Superman someday.

In his contemplative moments, Clark Kent realizes that Lois Lane loves Superman not for his personal qualities, but for the aura of glamour that surrounds his super-heroic feats.

In the early years, Lois openly despises Clark Kent and is openly contemptuous of him, referring to him as a â€œspineless, unbearable cowardâ€ and a â€œweak kneed pantywaistâ€. Over the years, Loisâ€™s open contempt for Kent has mellowed into genuine fondness for him, but Lois continues to despise Clark Kent for his cowardice, openly referring to him as a â€œspineless jellyfishâ€.

Lois attitude towards Clark Kentâ€™s feelings is somewhat cavalier. â€œClarkâ€™s niceâ€¦! I should treat him better!â€ she states. â€œBut how can I, when Iâ€™m in love with Superman? (Sigh) Supermanâ€™s really super!â€

Despite her romantic interest in Superman and her lack of interest in Clark Kent, however, Lois Lane is extremely possessive of Clark Kent and spitefully jealous of another woman who shows an interest in him.

Ever since the early 1940s, Lois Lane has struggled to learn the secret of Supermanâ€™s identity. Indeed, Lois Laneâ€™s efforts to learn Supermanâ€™s secret, and Supermanâ€™s constant efforts to protect it, are yet another way in which hostility is expressed in the Superman-Lois Lane relationship.

Supermanâ€™s secret identity is vital to the continuation of his super-heroic career, yet Lois seeks not only to unravel that secret but also to proclaim it to the whole world. Despite Lois Laneâ€™s persistent efforts to learn his secret, however, Superman continually outwits her, often through the use of elaborate ruses.

Overall, Supermanâ€™s relationship with Lois Lane is an exercise in frustration for both parties. Its gratifications are neurotic and almost wholly unconscious. The relationship denies Lois Lane the married life she claims to seek, while denying Superman the joys of ordinary life that he claims to envy.

==The Relationship with Lana Lang==

Lovely red-haired [[Lana Lang]], a newscaster for the [[Metropolis]] TV station [[WMET-TV]], is really little more than a psychological carbon copy of Lois Lane. (TGSB)

Although, as an adult, she appears sporadically in the chronicles as one of Supermanâ€™s â€œbest friendsâ€ and as Lois Laneâ€™s â€œarch-rivalâ€ for his affections, Lana Langâ€™s principal relationship with Superman occurred during their teenage years, when as a member of Clark Kentâ€™s class at [[Smallville]] High School. Lana Lang had a crush on [[Superboy]], the teenaged superman, and was alternately friendly to, and contemptuous of, mild mannered Clark Kent, and generally â€œtormented and pesteredâ€ them both in her never-ending quest for the secret of Superboyâ€™s dual identity. One tale does indicate that young Lana cares for Clark Kent as a person, she once asks Superboy to help Clark's self-confidence rather than requesting anything for herself. (SB No. 43/3, Sep 1955: "Clark Kent's Coach")

Lana Langâ€™s appearance in the chronicles as one of Supermanâ€™s most enduring relationships, second only to Lois Lane, which dramatically attests to the irresistible psychological appeal this type of relationship has for Superman.

==The Relationship with Lori Lemaris==

The lovely brown-haired [[Lori Lemaris]], a mermaid from the sub sea realm of [[Atlantis]], first became involved with [[Clark Kent]], the man who is secretly Superman, while both were students at [[Metropolis University]]. Kent â€œdated her steadilyâ€ during this period, falling, day by day, ever more hopelessly in love with her. Finally, Kent decided to ask Lori to marry him. Convinced that it would be impossible for him to assume the responsibilities of marriage while at the same time carrying on his work as Superman, Kent was prepared to abandon his super-heroic role forever and to live out his life with Lori as plain Clark Kent.

Although, superficially, the love between Clark Kent and Lori Lemaris was mutual, she ultimately rejected this proposal of marriage and in fact, deserted the relationship entirely, on the rather vague and flimsy ground that her duty required her to return to Atlantis (S No. 129, May 1959: â€œThe Girl is Supermanâ€™s Past!â€).

After years of not having seen Lori Lemaris since his senior year at college, Superman initiates the relationship again, once again, Superman proposes marriage, and once again, Lori Lemaris rejects him. Finally, Lori Lemaris succumbs to Supermanâ€™s ardor and the lovely mermaid agrees to become his wife. Lori Lemarisâ€™s assent, however, is only the prelude to an even more crushing rejection, for soon afterward, Lori Lemaris becomes hopelessly paralyzed, as the result of a vengeful attack by an evil fisherman, and after Superman has scoured the universe in order to locate a surgeon capable of curing his belovedâ€™s paralysis, Lori Lemaris renounces her engagement to Superman and marries the surgeon (S No. 135, Feb 1960: â€œSupermanâ€™s Mermaid Sweetheart!â€).

==The Relationship with Lyla Lerrol==

Superman embarks on a passionate poignant romance with â€œhauntingly beautifulâ€ [[Kryptonian]] actress [[Lyla Lerrol]] during a time-journey he makes to the planet [[Krypton]] at a time preceding its destruction. It is a relationship of mutual commitment and neither party may fairly be said to reject the other
(S No. 156, Oct 1962: "The Last Days of Superman!" pts. I-IIIâ€”"Superman's Death Sentence!"; "The Super-Comrades of All Time!"; "Superman's Last Day of Life!").

==The Relationship with Sally Selwyn==

Superman falls in love with [[Sally Selwyn]], the lovely blond-haired daughter of an immensely wealthy landowner and industrialist, when after having been temporarily robbed of his powers and afflicted with total amnesia as the result of exposure to [[Red Kryptonite]], he wanders onto the Selwyn estate, clad in the clothing and eyeglasses he customarily wears in his role as Clark Kent.

The relationship that develops between the amnesic Superman and Sally Selwyn is intense yet affectionate, powerful yet at the same time touchingly romantic. Of all the relationships Superman shares with women during the 1st three decades of his career, this one seems the most mature and genuinely loving (S No. 165/2: "The Sweetheart Superman Forgot!").

=The Relationship with the Law-Enforcement Establishment=

â€œAs a champion of justice, Superman has fought the forces of crime! To people everywhere, he is a living symbol of law and order!â€
-S No. 153 May 1962

Nearly five full decades of super-heroic adventure have made Superman â€œthe most famous crusader in the world, idolized everywhere for unselfishly using his incredible super powers in behalf of justiceâ€
-S No. 144 April 1961

For years, Superman has worked hand in hand with the police, the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, the F.B.I, the Treasury Department, the Secret Service, and several U.S. Presidents.

Although Superman apparently lacks jurisdiction to apprehend criminals outside Earthâ€™s solar system, he has been awarded honorary citizenship â€œin all the countries of the United Nationsâ€, along with a special â€œgolden certificateâ€ empowering him to apprehend criminals in U.N. member nations and to travel in and out of those nations without a passport.

Superman began his relationship with the law-enforcement establishment as a teenage boy when, as [[Superboy]], he aided members of the [[Smallville]] Police during his initial adventures (S No.144/2, April 1961: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!"). [[Police Chief Parker]] of Smallville is among Superboy's closest associates.

[[Metropolis]] law-enforcement officials can summon Superman into action either with the aid of the â€œsuper-signalâ€ or by means of a large loudspeaker mounted atop the roof of police headquarters (S No. 114/1, Jul 1957: "Soundproof Supermanâ€; see also S No. 101/1, Nov â€œLuthorâ€™s Amazing Rebusâ€), and â€œevery nation knows exactly how to get in touch with Superman through the White House!â€ (Act No. 306, Nov 1963: â€œThe Great Superman Impersonation!â€).

Superman has been the recipient of numerous awards, trophies, citations, and other honors, including the commemorative stamp issued in his honor by the U.S. government (S No. 91/1, Aug 1954: "The Superman Stamp!â€), Metropolisâ€™s Outstanding Citizen Award for 1954 (S No. 93/2, Nov 1954: â€œJimmy Olsenâ€™s Double!â€), and â€œthe key to the cityâ€ presented to him by the mayor of Metropolis in September 1965 (Act No. 328: â€œSupermanâ€™s Hands of Doom!â€).

Metropolis has celebrated Superman Day on at least two separate occasions (S No. 157/3, Nov 1962: â€œSupermanâ€™s Day of Doom!â€; Act No. 328, Sep 1965:â€œSupermanâ€™s Hands of Doom!â€), and each year, in Supermanâ€™s honor, the Metropolis Police Department awards a Superman Medal "to the person whose heroism... helped Superman the most!" during the preceding year (Act No. 207, Aug 1955: "The four Superman Medals!").

Artistic tributes to Superman include the statue of Superman in the Metropolis Hall of Fame (Act No. 297, Feb 1963: â€œThe Man Who Betrayed Supermanâ€™s Identity!â€), the â€œcolossal steel statue of Supermanâ€ in Metropolis Park (WF No, 28, May/Jun 1947: â€œSupermanâ€™s Super-Self!â€; and others), the monumental statue of Superman towering over Metropolis Harbor like the legendary Colossus of Rhodes (WF No. 23, Jul/Aug 1946: â€œThe Colossus of Metropolis!â€; see also Act No. 146, Jul 1950: â€œThe Statues That Came to Life!â€), and the marble statue of Superman unveiled in Planet Square in January February 1946 (S No. 38/3: â€œThe Man of Stone!â€; S No. 69 1, Mar/Apr 1951: â€œThe Pranksterâ€™s Apprentice!â€).

Superman has not always enjoyed the approval of established authority, however, although he has generally enjoyed the admiration of the press (Act No. 9, Feb 1939) and of the average policeman (S No. 13/3, Nov/Dec 1941; and others).

In the early days of his career, Superman was a vigilante â€œmystery-manâ€ (Act No. 6, Nov 1938; and others) who freely resorted to violence and the threat of violence in order to extort information and confessions from criminal suspects (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939; and many others), demolished private property and committed other gross violations of individual rights (Act No. 12, May 1939; and others), and meted out death to his adversaries whenever he felt the situation demanded it (Act No. 2, Jul 1938; and others).

Pursued by the police during this early period for flouting the law and working beyond the pale of legitimate authority (Act No. 9, Feb 1939; and others), Superman was sought as a fugitive until mid-1942, by which time, although no explanation for the changeover is actually given, he has clearly won the approval of the law-enforcement establishment (S No. 17/4, Jul/Aug 1942: â€œWhen Titans Clash!â€; and others).

Following is a chronological listing of the textual data relating to Supermanâ€™s relationship with the law-enforcement establishment.

In June 1938, having obtained the evidence necessary to exonerate [[Evelyn Curry]] of the charge of murder and rescue her from death in the electric chair, Superman barges into the governorâ€™s home just before midnight, manhandles the governorâ€™s personal servant and smashes down the door to his bedroom, and, with only moments to go before Evelyn Curryâ€™s scheduled execution, persuades the governor to put through a life-saving call to the death house. â€œGentlemen,â€ exclaims the governor to the members of his staff the following morning, â€œI still canâ€™t believe my senses! Heâ€™s not human! Thank heaven heâ€™s apparently on the side of law and order!â€ (Act No. 1).

In January 1939 Superman, convinced that juvenile delinquency is caused not so much by bad youngsters as by the stifling slum environment in which many city youths must dwell, overtakes a paddy wagon taking an arrested delinquent to jail and forcibly rescues him from the clutches of the enraged police in a bid to save the boy from a life of imprisonment.

''â€œItâ€™s not entirely your fault that youâ€™re delinquent,â€ remarks Superman, â€œ...itâ€™s these slumsâ€”your poor living conditions, if there was only some way I could remedy it!â€œ''

Then, as luck would have it, the headline on a local newspaper catches Supermanâ€™s eye. â€œCyclone Hits Florida,â€ it screams. â€œCities Laid Waste!â€ The story beneath the headline details plans by the U.S. government to erect modern housing projects on the sites of buildings destroyed by the cyclone.

Inspired by the newspaper article, Superman passes the word to the residents of the cityâ€™s slums to gather up their possessions and evacuate their homes immediately. Then, with the dilapidated slum dwellings safely emptied of their occupants, he whirls through the area like â€œa one-man cyclone,â€ singlehandedly demolishing every structure in sight with hammer-like blows of his mighty fists. â€œSo the government rebuilds destroyed areas with modern cheap-rental apartments, eh?â€ says Superman to himself. â€œThen hereâ€™s a job for it!..When I finish, this town will be rid of its filthy crime-festering slums!â€

Supermanâ€™s unorthodox approach to slum clearance, however, does not endear him to the authorities, and as word of his devastation spreads, scores of policemen and firemen, a contingent of National Guardsmen, and finally â€œa squadron of aerial- bombersâ€ are ordered into the disaster area with orders to annihilate Superman and put an end to the destruction. But the machine-gun bullets of the National Guardsmen merely bounce off Supermanâ€™s chest like pebbles, and the bombs unleashed by the bombers serve only to hasten the completion of his remarkable task.

''Nimbly, he races thru [sic] the streets, explosions dodging his footsteps as the frantic aviators seek desperately to eliminate him....''

And then finally, his task completed, â€œSUPERMAN vanishes from sight. Behind him he leaves what formerly were the slums, but now, a desolate shambles...

Soon afterward, as Superman had anticipated, the federal government initiates a campaign of massive aid in the disaster-stricken area. â€œEmergency squads commence erecting huge apartment-projects... and in time the slums are replaced by splendid housing conditions.â€

Officially, of course, this unauthorized act of slum demolition has made an outlaw out of Superman, but even the authorities are privately elated. â€œ... Weâ€™ll spare no effort to apprehend SUPERMAN,â€ vows the police chief, â€œ- -but off the record. ... I think he did a splendid thing and I'd like to sake his hand!" (Act No.8)

In February 1939 the police chief summons newsmen to his office â€œto witness an announcement of unusual importance.â€

''â€œIâ€™ll come to the point at once!â€ he remarks. â€œAs you know, a man possessed of super-strength named SUPERMAN has torn down our slum area, causing modern apartments to replace crowded tenements.â€''

â€œGood for him!â€ cries one reporter.
â€œWhat the world needs is a couple more guys like him!â€ exclaims another.

â€œRegardless of his motives and our personal approval of them,â€ scolds the police chief, â€œthe fact remains that he has wantonly destroyed public property and must pay the full penalty to the law just like any other transgressor!â€

In hopes of apprehending Superman, the police chief has imported, from Chicago, [[Detective Captain Reilly]], a â€œconceited windbagâ€ who is, nevertheless, famous for having successfully captured every one of the 800 fugitives he has been assigned to track down. Repeatedly outwitted by Superman, however, Reilly suffers his worst humiliation when he lunges headlong at Superman and knocks himself unconscious against Supermanâ€™s â€œsuper-toughâ€ skin (Act No. 9).

In March 1939, Superman drags a pusillanimous governor out of bed in the middle of the night so that he can force him to witness, firsthand, the brutal treatment of inmates of the Coreytown prison (Act
No. 10). (See: [[Superintendent Wyman]])

In May 1939, Superman forcibly smashes his way into a broadcasting studio, shoving aside the startled announcer and seizing control of the microphone. â€œAttention, citizens of this city!â€ he proclaims to the cityâ€™s stunned radio audience. â€œA warning from Superman...pay close heed!â€ And then, Superman issues the following announcement:

''The auto-accident death rate of this community is one that should shame us all! Itâ€™s constantly rising and due entirely to reckless driving and inefficiency! More people have been killed needlessly by autos than died during the World War!

From this moment on, I declare war on reckless drivers...henceforth, homicidal drivers answer to me!''

Racing at top speed to the county jail, Superman swoops down on â€œthe great lot where the autos of traffic violators are temporarily stored. Leaping at the massed cars, Superman commences to systematically smash and tear them to a pulp!â€

â€œYes-sir-ee!â€ exclaims Superman, as he gleefully demolishes the automobiles. â€œI think Iâ€™m going to enjoy this private little war!â€

Next, Superman visits â€œa used-car lot which sells completely dilapidated autos.â€â€œYou call these â€˜carsâ€™?â€ he cries to the horrified lot owner. â€œTheyâ€™re nothing but accidents looking for a place to happen!...If they werenâ€™t so dangerous theyâ€™d actually be funny!â€ And then, as he wades into the used cars, smashing them into useless scrap with mighty blows of his fists, Superman exclaims, â€œSorry if this is tough on your pocketbook, but Iâ€™m thinking of the lives to be saved!â€

Soon afterward, â€œ...the [[Man of Steel]] swoops down from the skies toward the Bates Motor Companyâ€™s great factoryâ€ and brazenly barges into the office of Mr. Bates himself. â€œ... You use inferior metals and parts so as to make higher profits at the cost of human lives!â€ accuses Superman. And then, as the flabbergasted automobile magnate looks on in horror, â€œGleefully, Superman runs amuck, destroying the factoryâ€™s manufacturing equipmentâ€ with his bare hands, reducing the entire factory to a mass of rubble.

A short while later, Superman abducts the cityâ€™s mayor and drags him to the city morgue. â€œBy not seeing to it that the speed laws were strictly enforced,â€ intones Superman, â€œyou doomed many to death!â€

Indeed, peering through a glass partition inside the morgue, the mayor can see â€œthe bodies of auto victims...maimed...horrible!â€â€œThey,â€ remarks Superman grimly, â€œare men you killed!â€

Jolted out of his complacency by this grisly spectacle, the mayor promises to see to it that the cityâ€™s traffic regulations are henceforth strictly enforced, and soon afterward initiates â€œa great traffic improvement drive...!â€œ (Act No. 12).

In September 1939, convinced that â€œgambling is a parasitic vice that has no place in a decent town,â€ Superman launches a one-man crusade against illegal gambling, single-handedly demolishing virtually every crooked casino in Metropolis. Tearing open the safe in one gambling czarâ€™s office, Superman seizes the hoard of cash inside and, soaring high into the air with it, sends an armful of â€œfluttering billsâ€ raining down on the grateful inhabitants of â€œa poor section of the city.â€

When he learns that the cityâ€™s big-time gamblers are receiving protection from a corrupt police commissioner, Superman confronts the official (â€œCommissioner, youâ€™re a clever man,â€ threatens Superman, â€œand so I wonâ€™t bandy words...Either do as I tell you, or prepare to meet your end!â€), forces him to call a mass meeting of Metropolisâ€™s gambling czars, and then terrorizes the commissioner into resigning his officeâ€”and the gamblers into leaving townâ€”by threatening to track down any man who remains behind â€œ... and end his life with my own hands!â€ (Act No. 16).

In Fall 1939, Superman strangles [[Nat Grayson]] by the throat until he agrees to make a full confession of his crimes and then departs through an open window to avoid a run-in with arriving police. â€œRemember!â€ warns Superman as he makes his exit. â€œIf you donâ€™t confess, Iâ€™ll come back and dish out the justice you deserve with my bare hands!â€ (S No. 2/3: â€œSuperman and the Skyscrapersâ€).

In December 1939, when a chemical company refuses to sell [[Professor Henry Travers]] the chemicals he needs to carry on his experiments in search of a cure for the ghastly â€œpurple plagueâ€ unleashed against [[Metropolis]] by the [[Ultra-Humanite]], Superman breaks into the chemical plant at night and steals the materials Travers needs. â€œHere are the chemicals. . .â€œ exclaims Superman to the astonished young scientist. â€œNever mind how I got them! Get to work!â€ (Act No. 19).

In February 1940, Superman becomes embroiled, against his will, in a pitched battle with Metropolis police and National Guardsmen when circumstances force him to steal a display of priceless crown jewels in an attempt to ransom captive scientist [[Terry Curtis]] from the clutches of the Ultra-Humanite (Act No. 21).

In September-October 1940, after [[Lois Lane]] has been wrongfully charged with murder and placed under arrest, Superman swoops down on the police car carrying her to jail and races away with her amid a fusillade of police bullets (S No. 6/1).

In October 1940, an unidentified policeman attempts to place Superman under arrest, but Superman easily makes good his escape (Act No. 29).

In January-February 1941, after Superman has helped thwart a robbery, a policeman on the scene attempts to arrest him, but Superman easily escapes (S No. 8/4).

In June 1941, Superman is apparently still being sought for working outside the law, for [[Sergeant Casey]] makes an unsuccessful attempt to take him into custody (Act No. 37).

In July 1941 Sergeant Casey, suspicious that Superman may somehow be implicated in a recent wave of mysterious robberies (see [[Harold Morton]]), attempts to place him under arrest, but the Man of Steel easily shatters his handcuffs and escapes, and by the conclusion of the adventure his innocence has been clearly established (Act No. 38).

In August 1941, after a dying watchman, mortally wounded by a mysterious bandit, has muttered something about his assailantâ€™s having been invulnerable to bullets, Sergeant Casey attempts to arrest Superman for the crime. The Man of Steel escapes, however, and ultimately succeeds in proving his innocence (Act No. 39). (See [[Brett Bryson]] )

In November-December 1941, while searching for clues at the home of a recently murdered millionaire, Superman is surprised by the police, who attempt to arrest him in the apparent belief that he may have been responsible for the millionaireâ€™s murder. Superman eludes his would-be captors, however, by burrowing beneath the ground like a human drill and then returning to the surface at a different spot and flying away. â€œIt would be useless to attempt to reason with them!â€ thinks Superman to himself (S No. 13/2).

During this same period, however, when Superman turns a captured foreign spy chief over to the police, one of them remarks admiringly, â€œIf we could only draft you into the force!â€ (S No. 13/3, Nov/Dec 1941).

In January-February 1942 Superman traces the license number of [[Rudolph Krazinski]]'s automobile by surreptitiously breaking into the cityâ€™s Auto License Bureau and rifling the files, a certain indication that Superman does not yet enjoy the cooperation of the law-enforcement establishment (S No. 14/1).

Moreover, during this same period, Superman abruptly breaks off his interrogation of [[Jim Bladwin]]'s hired henchmen and flees through an open window in order to avoid a run-in with arriving police (S No. 14/2, Jan/Feb 1942).

In March-April 1942, after Superman has thwarted an attempt by [[Napkan]] saboteurs to sink a newly christened American battleship, Secretary of the Navy Hank Fox pays the Man of Steel this tribute:

â€œHow fortunate we are here in America,â€ he remarks, â€œto have someone of Supermanâ€™s calibre to aid us! In my opinion, heâ€™s worth several armies and navies!â€ (S No. 15/2).

In April 1942, when Superman attempts to thwart [[Lex Luthor]]'s robbery of a [[Metropolis]] bank, policemen arriving on the scene begin shooting at Superman in the belief that he must have been responsible for setting off the bankâ€™s alarm. Superman easily eludes the police, but Luthor capitalizes on the confusion in order to make good his escape (Act No. 47: â€œPowerstoneâ€).

In Summer 1942, after [[Metalo]] has used his awesome super-strength to steal an entire mail car from the Metropolis train terminal, Superman is accused of having committed the crime. Superman ultimately defeats Metalo, however, and establishes his innocence (WF No. 6: â€œMan of Steel versus Man of Metal!â€).

In July-August 1942 Superman apprehends a group of Lex Luthorâ€™s henchmen and turns them over to the police. â€œIf you keep up this super crook- catching,â€ remarks one officer, â€œthe force will have to retire!â€â€œAlways glad to help the police!â€ replies Superman (S No. 17/4: â€œWhen Titans Clash!â€).

In May-June 1943, the nation is plunged into chaos as the result of the [[Prankster]]â€™s having copyrighted the English alphabet. â€œ... What can I do?â€ thinks Clark Kent helplessly. â€œThe Prankster has the law on his side, and I wonâ€™t flout justice at any cost!...â€ (S No. 22/3: â€œThe Great ABC Panic!â€).

In July-August 1943, Superman, by now clearly an American hero, is cheered enthusiastically by American troops when he makes an appearance at a U.S. army base. â€œ... American soldiers cheering me, when all the civilized peoples in the world are cheering them!â€ thinks Superman proudly. â€œItâ€™s the grandest tribute Iâ€™ve ever had!â€ (S No. 23/1: â€œAmericaâ€™s Secret Weapon!â€).

In August 1943, while suffering from temporary amnesia induced by a shower of â€œweird raysâ€ from outer space, Superman commits a series of criminal acts under the evil influence of [[Professor Praline]]. For a time, the authorities are convinced that Superman has joined forces with the underworld, but Superman ultimately regains his memory and apprehends Praline and his henchmen (Act No. 63:
â€œWhen Stars Collide!â€).

In January-February 1950, Superman is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of [[Clark Kent]], but the [[Man of Steel]] is exonerated when it becomes clear that he only faked Kentâ€™s death as part of an elaborate ruse to enable the [[Metropolis]] police to apprehend [[The Ace]] (S No. 62/2: â€œThe People vs. Superman!â€).

In December 1951-January 1952, Superman is exiled from Metropolis by the Metropolis city council after the [[Dude Vorman]] gang has framed him for a series of irresponsible acts. Superman ultimately apprehends the Vorman gang, however, and establishes his innocence (WF No. 55: â€œThe City That Exiled Superman!â€).

In January 1953, Superman astounds the authorities by greedily demanding fees and rewards for what have hitherto been his gratuitous services. Superman is only feigning avarice, however, as part of his plan for apprehending the [[Million-Dollar Marvin]] gang (Act No. 176: â€œMuscles for Moneyâ€).

In September-October 1953, Superman is widely suspected of being a Metropolis gang czar as the result of an elaborate scheme devised by gangster [[Harry King Saphire]]. Superman ultimately exonerates himself of the charge, however, and apprehends Saphire (WF No. 66: â€œSuperman, Ex-Crimebuster!â€).

In May-June 1954, during a period when Super man is blacking out for an hour every afternoon as the result of the presence in Earthâ€™s solar system of [[Kryptonite]]-laden asteroid, a pair of criminals named Benny and Red begin capitalizing on the Man of Steelâ€™s daily blackouts in order to implicate him in a series of crimes. For a time, Superman is widely believed to have developed a â€œJekyll-Hyde personalityâ€ that causes him to turn evil for an hour each day, but Superman ultimately establishes his innocence, destroys the kryptonite-laden asteroid, and apprehends the criminals (WF No. 70: â€œThe Two Faces of Superman!â€).

In July-August 1956, Superman is an â€œhonored guestâ€, along with [[Batman]] and [[Robin]], at [[Gotham City]]â€™s annual police ball (WF No. 83: â€œThe Case of the Mother Goose Mystery!â€).

In April 1959, [[Vard]] and Boka, a pair of diabolical â€œfuturemenâ€ from the year 2000 A.D., successfully trick the F.B.I. and other law-enforcement authorities into believing that Superman is actually a fugitive â€œrenegade scientistâ€ from their own future era. The villains plan to make Superman their unwilling ally in a heinously vicious scheme to blackmail the Earth, but the Man of Steel ultimately defeats the futuremen and exonerates himself of the bogus charges against him (S No. 128/1: chs. 1-2â€”â€Superman versus the Futuremenâ€; â€œThe Secret of the Futuremenâ€).

When the Metropolis Police Department stages its gala Policemenâ€™s Benefit Show at Metropolis Stadium, Superman contributes a dazzling performance of super-powered feats (S No. 133/1, Nov 1959: â€œThe Super-Luck of Badge 77â€).

In January 1960, the name of Superman becomes anathema to the people of Earth when the [[Kandor]]ian scientist [[Kull-Ex]] impersonates him while committing a series of insanely destructive acts. Superman ultimately prevails upon Kull-Ex to confess his misdeeds, however, and the Man of Steel is exonerated of any wrongdoing (S No. 134: chs. I-IIIâ€”â€The Super-Menace of Metropolis!â€; â€œThe Revenge Against Jor-El!â€; â€œThe Duel of the Supermen!â€).

In December 1962, Superman becomes transformed from a beloved hero into â€œthe most feared and hated person on Earthâ€ when he commits a series of insanely destructive acts while under the baleful influence of a diabolical â€œtelepathic-hypnotic weaponâ€ beamed at him by members of the [[Superman Revenge Squad]]. Superman ultimately defeats the villains, however, and exonerates himself of any wrongdoing (Act No. 295: â€œSuperman Goes Wild!â€).

In April 1963, at the ceremonies marking Police Day at Metropolis Stadium, Superman is on hand to present a gigantic police badge to the heroic police men who make up Metropolisâ€™s police force (S No. 160/2: â€œThe Super-Cop of Metropolis!â€).

In June 1963, Superman is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of [[Clark Kent]], but the [[Man of Steel]] is exonerated when it becomes clear that he only faked Kentâ€™s death as part of an elaborate ruse to enable the Metropolis police to apprehend [[Count X]] and his underworld cohorts (Act No. 301: â€œThe Trial of Superman!â€).

In the spring of 1964 Superman astounds the world by demanding that the United Nations agree to crown him King of Earth (Act No. 311, Apr 1964:
â€œSuperman, King of Earth!â€), but the Man of Steel has only assumed the pose of a â€œpower-hungry madmanâ€ as part of his plan to thwart an impending alien invasion from the planet [[Bxpa]] (Act No. 312, May 1964: â€œKing Superman versus Clark Kent, Metalloâ€). (TGSB)

(''See also'' [[Superman of Earth-2]])

=External Links=

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman Wikipedia entry on Superman]
*[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/supermanind1.htm Superman Index by Dark Mark]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/indexes.php?character=1 Earth-1 Superman Index by Mike]
*[http://dccomicsartists.com/superart/superart.html Who Drew Superman?]
*[http://www.supermanartists.comics.org/superwhoswho/Superframe.htm Who's Whose in DC Comics: Superman]
*[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/pre-crisis-reviews/pre-crisis-mmrs-intro.php Superman Homepage: Pre-Crisis Superman Comic Book Reviews]
*[http://supermanfan.nu/nightwing/ Confessions of a Superman Fan]
*[http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG02/yeung/actioncomics/cover.html Read Action Comics #1 Online]
*[http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2011/10/small-super-package-friday-comic-book.html Read an unpublished Superman vs. Luthor story from the 1940s]
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/theages/tales.php Read More Superman Comics Stories Online at Superman Through the Ages]
*[http://thedailysuperman.wordpress.com/ The Daily Superman Blog]
*[http://www.cosmicteams.com/jla/_docs/awdc_members.html#superman Cosmic Teams: Superman (Pre-Crisis)]
*[http://dccomics.com/dcu/heroes_and_villains/?hv=origin_stories/superman&p=1 Superman's Origin at dccomics.com]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Heroes Named Superman]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:House of El]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Aquaman

2014-12-27T06:38:44Z

Manomight1974:

'''Aquaman'''

[[Image:DCCP48cover.jpg|thumb|DC Comics Presents No. 48 Art by Gil Kane]]

''The half-breed son of a lighthouse keeper and a princess of Atlantis, who came to rule the world beneath the waves'' (DCCP No. 48, Aug 1982: "Eight Arms of Conquest!").

A costumed super-hero, gifted with the power to survive and breath beneath the ocean's depths, swim at incredible speeds, and communicate telepathically with all forms of sea creatures, Aquaman is the offspring of a lighthouse keeper and a young woman of [[Atlantis]] (first appearance, More Fun Comics No. 73, Nov 1941). Aquaman is a member of the [[Justice League of America]]. Aquaman's sidekick is [[Aqualad]].

[[Superman]] and Aquaman's first meeting was when both were teenaged heroes, [[Superboy]] and [[Aquaboy]] respectively. In their first meeting, Superboy saved Aquaboy's life when the youth became engulfed in an oil spill caused by a corrupt oil company. Following this, the two heroes teamed up to expose the polluting oil company's corruption (SB No. 171, Jan 1971: "Dark Strangler of the Seas").

In July 1960, after [[Clark Kent]] has been swallowed by a whale while on an expedition to photograph marine life for the [[Daily Planet]], Aquaman rescues Kent from his predicament so that Kent will not be forced, by rescuing himself, to betray the fact that he is secretly Superman (S No. 138, Jul 1960: "The Mermaid From Atlantis!").

In January 1961, at the request of Superman, Aquaman assumes the fictitious identity of [[Mental Man]] as part of the Man of Steel's scheme to apprehend the [["Ace" Ruggles]] gang (Act No. 272/1, Jan 1961: "Superman's Rival, Mental Man!").

In October 1961, after an overzealous agent for the Internal Revenue Service has declared Superman delinquent in his income taxes in the amount of $1,000,000,000, Aquaman scours the ocean for the world's biggest oyster as part of Superman's plan to accumulate part of the money by stimulating the oyster to produce the world's largest pearl (S No. 148, Oct 1961: "Superman Owes a Billion Dollars!").

In November 1963, when Clark Kent is in imminent danger of drowning after an encounter with [[Red Kryptonite]] has temporarily robbed him of his super-powers, it is Aquaman who finds him and carries him to Atlantis, where "a new form of artificial respiration" is used to save Kent's life (S No. 165, Nov 1963: "The Sweetheart That Superman Forgot!"). (TGSB)

In later chronicles, Aquaman's kingdom, [[Poseidonis]], is distinguished from [[Tritonis]], home of mermaids and mermen such as [[Lori Lemaris]] and [[Jerro]] (DCCP No. 5, Jan 1979: "The War of the Undersea Cities").

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaman Aquaman entry at Wikipedia]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/indexes.php?character=128 Earth-1 Aquaman Index by Mike]
*[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/aquamanind.html Aquaman Index by Dark Mark]
*[http://aqua.gjovaag.com/ The Aquaman Website]
*[http://aquamanshrine.blogspot.com/ The Aquaman Shrine]
*[http://thunderblue.webng.com/12/index.html 12 Fathoms--an Aquaman web resource]
*[http://alankistler.squarespace.com/journal/2007/11/27/alan-kistlers-history-of-aquaman-pre-crisis.html Alan Kistler's History of Aquaman]
*[http://www.cosmicteams.com/profiles/aquaman.html Cosmic Teams: Aquaman]
*[http://gayforloislane.blogspot.com/2010/07/really-aquaman-you-too.html Read "Superman's Rival, Mental Man" at the ''Gay for Lois Lane'' blog]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Atlanteans]]
[[category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Trombus

2014-12-27T06:27:28Z

Manomight1974:

'''Trombus'''

The far-distant planet under a red sun that is described as "a close duplicate of Earth"—which is the home of the super-hero team known as the [[Hyper-Family]] (SB No. 144, Jan 1968: "Superboy's Lost Identity!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Hyperwoman

2014-12-27T06:26:57Z

Manomight1974:

'''Hyperwoman'''

A super-heroic crimefighter from the distant planet [[Trombus]], who possesses superhuman powers nearly equal to those of [[Superboy]]. Hyperwoman, who is the mother of [[Kirk Quentin]], alias [[Hyperboy]], is a member of a supergroup known as the [[Hyper-Family]], which is made up of herself, Hyperboy, her husband [[Hyperman]], and [[Klypso the Hyperdog]]. Hyperwoman, like the other members of the Hyper-Family, only possesses superhuman powers under a red sun and is powerless under a yellow sun, the exact reverse of Superboy.

The Hyper-Family, under Hyperboy's direction, use Superboy to test whether or not their super-suits are completely indestructible and to assess their susceptibility to mind control (SB No. 144, Jan 1968: "Superboy's Lost Identity!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category: Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Hyperman

2014-12-27T06:26:29Z

Manomight1974:

'''Hyperman'''

Father of [[Kirk Quentin]], alias [[Hyperboy]], from the distant planet [[Trombus]], who possesses superhuman powers nearly equal to those of [[Superboy]]. Hyperman is a member of the [[Hyper-Family]], which is made up of himself, Hyperboy, his wife [[Hyperwoman]], and [[Klypso the Hyperdog]]. Hyperman, like the other members of the Hyper-Family, only possesses superhuman powers under a red sun and is powerless under a yellow sun, the exact reverse of Superboy.

The Hyper-Family, under Hyperboy's direction, use Superboy to test whether or not their super-suits are completely indestructible and to assess their susceptibility to mind control (SB No. 144, Jan 1968: "Superboy's Lost Identity!").

'''Note:''' Hyperman should not be confused with [[Hyper-Man]], the protector of the distant planet [[Oceania]], who encounters [[Superman]] in a 1960 chronicle (Act No. 265/1, Jun 1960: "The 'Superman' from Outer Space").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category: Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

The Hyper-Family

2014-12-27T06:25:57Z

Manomight1974:

'''The Hyper-Family'''

A family of super-heroic crimefighters from the distant planet [[Trombus]]. The family is made up of four members, [[Hyperman]], [[Hyperwoman]], [[Klypso the Hyperdog]], and their leader, the teenaged [[Hyperboy]]. The members of the Hyper-Family only possess superhuman powers under a red sun and are powerless under a yellow sun, the exact reverse of Superboy (SB No. 144, Jan 1968: "Superboy's Lost Identity!").

'''Note:''' The Hyper-Family's Hyperboy and Hyperman should not be confused with the teenaged [[Hyper-Boy]] or the adult [[Hyper-Man]], both of whom are the protector of the distant planet [[Oceania]] at different stages in his life, who [[Superman]] encounters in a 1960 chronicle (Act No. 265/1, Jun 1960: "The 'Superman' from Outer Space").

[[Category:Entries|Hyper-Family (The)]]
[[Category:Heroes|Hyper-Family (The)]]
[[Category:Aliens|Hyper-Family (The)]]
[[Category:Groups and Organizations|Hyper-Family (The)]]
[[Category:Superboy Era|Hyper-Family (The)]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)|Hyper-Family (The)]]

Hyperboy

2014-12-27T06:25:01Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:Superboy1949series144-2.jpg|left|frame|none|Superboy #144, 1968]]

'''Hyperboy'''

A super-heroic crimefighter from the distant planet [[Trombus]], who possesses superhuman powers nearly equal to those of [[Superboy]]. Hyperboy, whose secret identity is [[Kirk Quentin]], is the super-intelligent leader of a supergroup known as the [[Hyper-Family]], which is made up of himself, his father [[Hyperman]], his mother [[Hyperwoman]], and [[Klypso the Hyperdog]]. Hyperboy, like the other members of the Hyper-Family, only possesses superhuman powers under a red sun and is powerless under a yellow sun, the exact reverse of Superboy.

The Hyper-Family, under Hyperboy's direction, use Superboy to test whether or not their super-suits are completely indestructible and their susceptibility to mind control (SB No. 144, Jan 1968: "Superboy's Lost Identity!").

'''Note:''' Hyperboy should not be confused with [[Hyper-Boy]], the teenaged protector of the distant planet [[Oceania]], who later encounters [[Superman]] in his adult identity of [[Hyper-Man]] (Act No. 265/1, Jun 1960: "The 'Superman' from Outer Space").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category: Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Zall-Dix

2014-12-27T06:13:56Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:Adventurecomics1938series264.jpg|left|frame|none|Superboy vs. Zall-Dix, 1959]]

'''Zall-Dix'''

An alien boy possessing the power of mind over matter and employing a variety super-weapons (such as his [[Invisibility Belt]]) who encounters [[Superboy]] in a 1959 chronicle.

Zall-Dix comes to Earth to switch bodies with Superboy. On his home planet, his father had chosen a boring life of cataloguing meteors with a space telescope. Desperately craving a life of excitement and adventure, Zall-Dix one day sees Superboy in action with his space telescope and decides to run away and use a pair of mental helmets to switch bodies with the [[Boy of Steel]], so that he could become the super-powered hero.

Upon arriving on Earth, Zall-Dix commences his plan by first using his mental abilities to disrupt Superboy's powers and then reveals himself at the Kent home in [[Smallville]]. Superboy, however, refuses Zall-Dix's demands, which infuriates the alien youth who vows to ''"...twist his other super powers until he gives in!"''

A series of protracted battles are fought between the two youths and [[Krypto]], until Superboy has been turned into a menace. Realizing that this will go on indefinitely unless he agrees to Zall-Dix's demands, Superboy finally agrees to the mind switch. However, [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Jonathan Kent]] steps in at the last minute, taking his adopted son's place just as Zall-Dix throws the switch to exchange minds. Touched by Pa Kent's sacrifice, and realizing that he is homesick, Zall-Dix promises to leave Earth and return home (Adv No. 264/1, Sep 1959: "The Helpless Hero").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Cyber

2012-01-17T02:16:46Z

Manomight1974: added image

[[Image:Cyber.jpg|right]]

'''Cyber'''

A diminutive pink-skinned alien criminal with an over-sized cranium from an unknown planet who attempts to take over Earth using a series of super-powerful [[Cipher]] robots, beginning with [[Smallville]], in a 1968 chronicle.

Cyber is apparently killed during a confrontation with [[Superboy]] when the [[Boy of Steel]] uses a shield of solid reflective ice he has made by freezing the contents of the [[Smallville Reservoir]] with super-breath to reflect the power signals that Cyber had been sending down to Earth from his saucer-like spaceship to control the Cipher robots back at the ship, effectively deactivating the robots and causing the ship to self-destruct (SB No. 150, Sept 1968: "The Stranger Who Stalks Smallville!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

File:Cyber.jpg

2012-01-17T02:14:34Z

Manomight1974:

Reginald

2011-07-04T22:07:03Z

Manomight1974: added image

[[Image:SB104.jpg|left]]

'''Reginald'''

An android created by [[Kryptonian]] criminal scientist [[Gra-Mo]] and his two subordinates in an attempt to enact revenge upon [[Jor-El]] through his son, [[Superboy]] in a 1963 chronicle.

Reginald first comes to the attention of Superboy, when "he" and his "father", a European gentleman known only as "[[Pater]]" (actually, Gra-Mo in disguise) come to [[Smallville]] on vacation. Displaying tremendous superhuman strength, "Reggie" commits several acts of vandalism until Superboy arrives on the scene, and the two briefly battle, with Reggie proving that he is just as strong as the [[Boy of Steel]]. Desperately wanting to prove that he is stronger than the hero, "Reggie", after handing his glasses over to [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Johnathan Kent]] for safe keeping, he goads Superboy into hitting him as hard as he can. Superboy complies with the request, and knocks the "boy" into the sky with one punch. The force of the punch disintegrates "Reggie", causing Superboy to believe he has taken the life of another being. Superboy later realizes the truth about "Reggie" when Jonathan Kent ''"...showed me "Reggie's" glasses! You slipped up, Gra-Mo! You made his glasses out of '''ordinary window glass'''! Therefore, I knew there was nothing wrong with "Reggie's" sight! Then, when I heard that a nearby chemical plant had been robbed of certain elements, I realized those elements could be used to make an '''android'''!"'' Gra-Mo and his henchmen are soon after banished to the [[Phantom Zone]] for their crimes (SB No. 104/2, Apr 1963: "The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone - Part II: The Kid Who Knocked Out Superboy").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

File:SB104.jpg

2011-07-04T22:05:39Z

Manomight1974:

Reginald

2011-07-04T22:03:03Z

Manomight1974: added entry

'''Reginald'''

An android created by [[Kryptonian]] criminal scientist [[Gra-Mo]] and his two subordinates in an attempt to enact revenge upon [[Jor-El]] through his son, [[Superboy]] in a 1963 chronicle.

Reginald first comes to the attention of Superboy, when "he" and his "father", a European gentleman known only as "[[Pater]]" (actually, Gra-Mo in disguise) come to [[Smallville]] on vacation. Displaying tremendous superhuman strength, "Reggie" commits several acts of vandalism until Superboy arrives on the scene, and the two briefly battle, with Reggie proving that he is just as strong as the [[Boy of Steel]]. Desperately wanting to prove that he is stronger than the hero, "Reggie", after handing his glasses over to [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Johnathan Kent]] for safe keeping, he goads Superboy into hitting him as hard as he can. Superboy complies with the request, and knocks the "boy" into the sky with one punch. The force of the punch disintegrates "Reggie", causing Superboy to believe he has taken the life of another being. Superboy later realizes the truth about "Reggie" when Jonathan Kent ''"...showed me "Reggie's" glasses! You slipped up, Gra-Mo! You made his glasses out of '''ordinary window glass'''! Therefore, I knew there was nothing wrong with "Reggie's" sight! Then, when I heard that a nearby chemical plant had been robbed of certain elements, I realized those elements could be used to make an '''android'''!"'' Gra-Mo and his henchmen are soon after banished to the [[Phantom Zone]] for their crimes (SB No. 104/2, Apr 1963: "The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone - Part II: The Kid Who Knocked Out Superboy").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Gra-Mo

2011-07-04T21:42:11Z

Manomight1974: added image

[[Image:Gra-Mo.jpg|left]]

'''Gra-Mo'''

A [[Kryptonian]] criminal scientist and [[Phantom Zone]] exile who [[Superboy]] encounters on two separate occasions.

Years ago on [[Krypton]], Gra-Mo is secretly the leader of a criminal gang. As leader of this gang, he uses fear and intimidation to control his subordinates, such as [[Ha-Kor]], who he uses the threat of destroying his family should Ha-Kor betray Gra-Mo's secret society upon being captured by the authorities. For his crime of attempting to use a series of evil androids to prey on Kryptonian society under Gra-Mo's orders, Ha-Kor is sentenced to exile into outer space in a state suspended animation inside a specially-constructed space capsule, which is the standard method of criminal incarceration at this time before [[Jor-El]]'s discovery of the Phantom Zone.

Soon after Ha-Kor's imprisonment, Gra-Mo is one of two candidates up for a seat on Krypton's ruling [[Science Council]], the other being Jor-El. The two candidates are each to present a new invention to the council, with the winner of the contest being awarded the vacant seat on the council. Gra-Mo's invention is a new type of android servitor designed to replace the planet's robot work force since the android would not be subject to accidental mechanical interference, but unfortunately, Gra-Mo loses out on the seat on the council to Jor-El due to his android dissolving into a protoplasmic blob just after Jor-El had presented his invention of the [[Phantom Zone Projector]].

Angered at his rejection by the council, Gra-Mo takes his revenge by using a telepathic control helmet of his own design to cause the robot police of Krypton to attack. Jor-El stops the revolt by magnetizing the planet's weather control satellite, drawing the police robots into the famed "[[Firefalls]]". Gra-Mo, however, is not exiled into the Phantom Zone upon being captured due to a temporary malfunction of the projector. Instead, Gra-Mo and his two henchmen are placed in suspended animation and exiled into orbit around the planet Krypton, becoming the last Kryptonian criminals to be sentenced to this form of punishment. When the planet Krypton explodes sometime later, the capsule carrying the sleeping Gra-Mo and his henchman is not destroyed, but is instead blasted into remote space. Years later, after the trio's capsule collides with a meteor in space that changes the ship's course trajectory, Gra-Mo and his subordinate's land on Earth.

By the time that Gra-Mo's capsule has arrived on Earth, many years have passed and the infant [[Kal-El]] has already grown into his teen years and become Superboy. Soon after their arrival and awakening on Earth, the trio is discovered by the [[Boy of Steel]], who relates to them the tragic story of the end of Krypton. Pretending to be an old friend of Jor-El, Gra-Mo then hatches an ingenious plan to enact revenge upon Jor-El through his son. Secretly rebuilding his telepathic control helmet, Gra-Mo contacts the Phantom Zone exiles, who give him information to battle and defeat the teenage hero, with the promise that upon Superboy's defeat, Gra-Mo will use the projector to free the criminals from the zone. Though agreeing to the terms set forth by the spokesperson of the exiles, [[Jax-Ur]], Gra-Mo actually has no intention of freeing the prisoners.

A few days later, Gra-Mo, disguised as a European gentleman known only as "[[Pater]]" arrives in [[Smallville]] with a boy named [[Reginald]], who he states is his son. Reginald is actually a sophisticated lifelike android created by Gra-Mo and his henchmen who possesses immense superhuman strength, on par with that of Superboy. The "boy", after committing several acts of vandalism, fights Superboy, proving to the hero that he is just as strong as a Kryptonian, and, just after handing his glasses over to [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Johnathan Kent]] for safe keeping, goads the Boy of Steel into hitting him as hard as he can. Superboy complies with the request, and knocks the "boy" into the sky with one punch. The force of the punch disintegrates "Reggie", causing Superboy to believe he has taken the life of another being. After the "death" of "Reggie", Superboy vows to end his career as a hero, which plays right into Gra-Mo's hands.

With Superboy out of the way, Gra-Mo and his henchmen begin their conquest of Earth by robbing the Smallville National Bank. Gra-Mo and his cohorts are surprised by the sudden appearance of Superboy, who reveals he knows about Gra-Mo's subterfuge, telling the criminal that he figured that "Reggie" was an android when ''"...Jonathan Kent showed me "Reggie's" glasses! You slipped up, Gra-Mo! You made his glasses out of '''ordinary window glass'''! Therefore, I knew there was nothing wrong with "Reggie's" sight! Then, when I heard that a nearby chemical plant had been robbed of certain elements, I realized those elements could be used to make an '''android'''!"''

A brief battle then ensues between Superboy and the three criminals, until he tricks them back into their space capsule with what appears to be the Phantom Zone Projector, but, however, the "projector" was in actuality a cardboard replica that Superboy had hidden there previously. While the three criminals are inside the capsule, Superboy seals it up and covers it in [[Lead|lead]] paint, which blocks out the rays of the yellow sun that grants a Kryptonian super powers, robbing the criminals of their abilities. With Gra-Mo and his henchmen now powerless, Superboy uses the real projector to banish them, ship and all, into the Phantom Zone, where Gra-Mo and his subordinates are berated for their incompetence by Jax-Ur (SB No. 104/1, Apr 1963: "The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone - Part I: The Crimes of Kryptonâ€™s Master Villains"; SB No. 104/2, Apr 1963: "The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone - Part II: The Kid Who Knocked Out Superboy").

Gra-Mo is not seen again until he becomes involved in a scheme alongside a trio of himself, Jax-Ur, and [[Professor Vakox]] to use the shape-shifting abilities of Kryptonian juvenile delinquent and fellow Phantom Zone exile [[Cha-Mel]] to free them from the zone (SB No. 162, Jan 1970: "The Super-Phantom of Smallville!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Phantom Zone Inhabitants]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

File:Gra-Mo.jpg

2011-07-04T21:40:53Z

Manomight1974:

Gra-Mo

2011-07-04T21:33:28Z

Manomight1974: added entry

'''Gra-Mo'''

A [[Kryptonian]] criminal scientist and [[Phantom Zone]] exile who [[Superboy]] encounters on two separate occasions.

Years ago on [[Krypton]], Gra-Mo is secretly the leader of a criminal gang. As leader of this gang, he uses fear and intimidation to control his subordinates, such as [[Ha-Kor]], who he uses the threat of destroying his family should Ha-Kor betray Gra-Mo's secret society upon being captured by the authorities. For his crime of attempting to use a series of evil androids to prey on Kryptonian society under Gra-Mo's orders, Ha-Kor is sentenced to exile into outer space in a state suspended animation inside a specially-constructed space capsule, which is the standard method of criminal incarceration at this time before [[Jor-El]]'s discovery of the Phantom Zone.

Soon after Ha-Kor's imprisonment, Gra-Mo is one of two candidates up for a seat on Krypton's ruling [[Science Council]], the other being Jor-El. The two candidates are each to present a new invention to the council, with the winner of the contest being awarded the vacant seat on the council. Gra-Mo's invention is a new type of android servitor designed to replace the planet's robot work force since the android would not be subject to accidental mechanical interference, but unfortunately, Gra-Mo loses out on the seat on the council to Jor-El due to his android dissolving into a protoplasmic blob just after Jor-El had presented his invention of the [[Phantom Zone Projector]].

Angered at his rejection by the council, Gra-Mo takes his revenge by using a telepathic control helmet of his own design to cause the robot police of Krypton to attack. Jor-El stops the revolt by magnetizing the planet's weather control satellite, drawing the police robots into the famed "[[Firefalls]]". Gra-Mo, however, is not exiled into the Phantom Zone upon being captured due to a temporary malfunction of the projector. Instead, Gra-Mo and his two henchmen are placed in suspended animation and exiled into orbit around the planet Krypton, becoming the last Kryptonian criminals to be sentenced to this form of punishment. When the planet Krypton explodes sometime later, the capsule carrying the sleeping Gra-Mo and his henchman is not destroyed, but is instead blasted into remote space. Years later, after the trio's capsule collides with a meteor in space that changes the ship's course trajectory, Gra-Mo and his subordinate's land on Earth.

By the time that Gra-Mo's capsule has arrived on Earth, many years have passed and the infant [[Kal-El]] has already grown into his teen years and become Superboy. Soon after their arrival and awakening on Earth, the trio is discovered by the [[Boy of Steel]], who relates to them the tragic story of the end of Krypton. Pretending to be an old friend of Jor-El, Gra-Mo then hatches an ingenious plan to enact revenge upon Jor-El through his son. Secretly rebuilding his telepathic control helmet, Gra-Mo contacts the Phantom Zone exiles, who give him information to battle and defeat the teenage hero, with the promise that upon Superboy's defeat, Gra-Mo will use the projector to free the criminals from the zone. Though agreeing to the terms set forth by the spokesperson of the exiles, [[Jax-Ur]], Gra-Mo actually has no intention of freeing the prisoners.

A few days later, Gra-Mo, disguised as a European gentleman known only as "[[Pater]]" arrives in [[Smallville]] with a boy named [[Reginald]], who he states is his son. Reginald is actually a sophisticated lifelike android created by Gra-Mo and his henchmen who possesses immense superhuman strength, on par with that of Superboy. The "boy", after committing several acts of vandalism, fights Superboy, proving to the hero that he is just as strong as a Kryptonian, and, just after handing his glasses over to [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Johnathan Kent]] for safe keeping, goads the Boy of Steel into hitting him as hard as he can. Superboy complies with the request, and knocks the "boy" into the sky with one punch. The force of the punch disintegrates "Reggie", causing Superboy to believe he has taken the life of another being. After the "death" of "Reggie", Superboy vows to end his career as a hero, which plays right into Gra-Mo's hands.

With Superboy out of the way, Gra-Mo and his henchmen begin their conquest of Earth by robbing the Smallville National Bank. Gra-Mo and his cohorts are surprised by the sudden appearance of Superboy, who reveals he knows about Gra-Mo's subterfuge, telling the criminal that he figured that "Reggie" was an android when ''"...Jonathan Kent showed me "Reggie's" glasses! You slipped up, Gra-Mo! You made his glasses out of '''ordinary window glass'''! Therefore, I knew there was nothing wrong with "Reggie's" sight! Then, when I heard that a nearby chemical plant had been robbed of certain elements, I realized those elements could be used to make an '''android'''!"''

A brief battle then ensues between Superboy and the three criminals, until he tricks them back into their space capsule with what appears to be the Phantom Zone Projector, but, however, the "projector" was in actuality a cardboard replica that Superboy had hidden there previously. While the three criminals are inside the capsule, Superboy seals it up and covers it in [[Lead|lead]] paint, which blocks out the rays of the yellow sun that grants a Kryptonian super powers, robbing the criminals of their abilities. With Gra-Mo and his henchmen now powerless, Superboy uses the real projector to banish them, ship and all, into the Phantom Zone, where Gra-Mo and his subordinates are berated for their incompetence by Jax-Ur (SB No. 104/1, Apr 1963: "The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone - Part I: The Crimes of Kryptonâ€™s Master Villains"; SB No. 104/2, Apr 1963: "The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone - Part II: The Kid Who Knocked Out Superboy").

Gra-Mo is not seen again until he becomes involved in a scheme alongside a trio of himself, Jax-Ur, and [[Professor Vakox]] to use the shape-shifting abilities of Kryptonian juvenile delinquent and fellow Phantom Zone exile [[Cha-Mel]] to free them from the zone (SB No. 162, Jan 1970: "The Super-Phantom of Smallville!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Phantom Zone Inhabitants]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Phantom Zone Projector

2011-07-04T18:54:05Z

Manomight1974: added link to Superboy Era

'''Phantom Zone Projector'''

[[Image:ZoneDevices.gif]]

A scientific device invented by [[Jor-El]] to send convicted Kryptonian criminals to the [[Phantom Zone]], where they exist in non-corporeal form in a strange, isolated dimension where they may not escape but can observe actions throughout the universe (Act No. 284, Jan 1962: "The Babe of Steel!"; Act No. 311, Apr 1964: "Superman, King of the Earth!"; many other accounts).

Vaguely lamp-like in exterior appearance, one projector is housed in [[Superman]]'s [[Fortress of Solitude]].

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Technology and Devices]]
[[Category:Krypton]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Vengar

2011-07-04T04:35:36Z

Manomight1974:

'''Vengar'''

The distant planet that is the home planet of [[Sarya]], the [[The Emerald Empress|Emerald Empress]] of the [[The Fatal Five|Fatal Five]] (Adv No. 352/1, Jan 1967: "The Fatal Five").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Legion of Super-Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Kator

2011-07-04T04:29:31Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:Newadventuresofsuperboy17.jpg|thumb|left|New Adventures of Superboy #17]]

'''Kator'''

A robot sparring adversary that [[Superboy]] creates at the behest of [[Carl Draper|Carl "Moosie" Draper]], a classmate of his at [[Smallville High School]] in his identity of [[Clark Kent]]. Kator, clad in a green and yellow costume, is created as a means of developing and honing Superboy's abilities in combat, and possesses a host of superhuman powers that roughly approximate those of the [[Boy of Steel]]. Kator can only be destroyed with a specially designed "safety cutoff switch" that Superboy gives to [[Ma and Pa Kent|Jonathan Kent]] as a last resort in case the hero is unable to defeat the robot.

Kator, however, develops a malevolent artificial intelligence, and almost kills the Boy of Steel before being destroyed. However, the robot apparently gives it's identity and powers to Draper before it's destruction. Draper (as [[Kator-Two]]) then engages Superboy in combat. However, Jonathan Kent presses the safety switch on the "cutoff" device, which removes "Kator-Two's" super powers from Draper, and Superboy later removes the memory of Draper ever having been Kator-Two (NSB No. 17, May 1981: "To Fight the Unbeatable Foe"; NSB No. 18, Jun 1981: "Superboy's Do-It-Yourself Doom").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Mighty Boy (1949)

2011-07-04T04:27:29Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:MightyBoy.jpg|left|thumb|Mighty Boy from 1949]]

'''Mighty Boy (1949)'''

A youth named [[Reuben]] who is tricked by an unscrupulous carnival showman to appear as the world's strongest boy, all of Mighty Boy's feats are actually the result of circus trickery. When criminals kidnap Mighty Boy in order to further their villainous plans, [[Superboy]] steps in to end the fictitious career of the young man and apprehend all who sought to exploit him (SB No. 1/3, Mar/Apr 1949: "Superboy Meets Mighty Boy!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]

The Emerald Empress

2011-07-04T04:20:37Z

Manomight1974:

[[Image:Emerald1.jpg|left]]

'''The Emerald Empress'''

[[Sarya]], the outlaw ruler of the planet [[Vengar]].

The Emerald Empress possesses the [[Emerald Eye of Ekron]], a floating sphere with "nearly unlimited power" that she discovers hidden in crypt built by "the long-dead Ekron civilization" and uses to make herself a tyrant. Exiled after her subjects rebel, the Empress becomes a criminal to raise an army and return home. She eventually is recruited by the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] to battle the [[Sun-Eater]] and as a consequence of meeting several other criminals during this endeavor, becomes a founding member of the [[Fatal Five]] (Adv No. 352/1, Jan 1967: "The Fatal Five"; Adv No. 353, Feb 1967: "The Doomed Legionnaire!").

Despite an initial attraction to [[Superboy]], the Emerald Empress is a sworn enemy of the Legion.

==External Link==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Empress Wikipedia Entry on the Emerald Empress]

[[Category:Entries|Emerald Empress (The)]]
[[Category:Aliens|Emerald Empress (The)]]
[[Category:Villains|Emerald Empress (The)]]
[[Category:Superboy Era|Emerald Empress (The)]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)|Emerald Empress (The)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)|Emerald Empress (The)]]

Vengar

2011-07-04T04:20:10Z

Manomight1974: added entry

'''Vengar'''

The distant planet that is the home planet of [[Sarya]], the [[The Emerald Empress|Emerald Empress]] of the [[Fatal Five]] (Adv No. 352/1, Jan 1967: "The Fatal Five").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Legion of Super-Heroes]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Cha-Mel

2011-06-29T07:26:54Z

Manomight1974: added image, updated entry

[[Image:Superboy162.jpg|left]]

'''Cha-Mel'''

A [[Kryptonian]] juvenile delinquent, petty thief, and [[Phantom Zone]] exile who briefly encounters [[Superboy]], [[Krypto]], and [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]] in a 1970 chronicle. Due to the effects of a chemical formula he develops and sprays on his skin and clothing, Cha-Mel gains mental control over the atoms of his body and clothing, enabling him to rearrange them at will and assume the appearance of virtually any person, whether male or female, humanoid or animal. Dubbed by Kryptonian authorities the "[[The Lad of a Thousand Disguises|Lad of a Thousand Disguises]]", Cha-Mel is sentenced to exile in the Phantom Zone for committing a series of petty thefts and robberies that culminate in the attempted robbery of the home of [[Jor-El]] and [[Lara]]. During this attempted robbery, he makes the fatal mistake of disguising himself as Jor-El, but is caught in the act of looting the house by the scientist himself who had returned home before Cha-Mel could leave.

Cha-Mel first comes to the attention of the [[Boy of Steel]] when he attempts to ascertain whether any of the Phantom Zone exiles were behind the appearance of a dwarf star, or neutron star, within orbit around Earth, disrupting the planet's magnetic field and shifting the magnetic poles, causing the [[Aurora Borealis]] (or Northern Lights) to appear in the west and the [[Aurora Australis]] (or Southern Lights) to appear in the east. Upon activating the Phantom Zone monitor scanner in his laboratory workshop in the Kent basement, Superboy is shocked to see an image of what appears to be himself held inside the zone by inmates [[Jax-Ur]], [[Professor Vakox]], and [[Gra-Mo]]. The trio of prisoners claim to have used the momentary shifting of the Aurora Borealis to reach out and steal the hero's ''"...ethereal, immortal '''inner-self''' and snatch it back into our world...you are now a '''body''' without a '''soul'''!"''

The criminals offer to make Superboy a trade...if he gets out the [[Phantom Zone Projector]] and releases the three exiles onto Earth, they will restore his stolen soul to him. Superboy, having no intention of setting the trio free, attempts to trick them by purposely banishing himself into the zone to rescue himself, not knowing that the "Superboy Ghost" is in actuality Cha-Mel disguised as the hero. As a failsafe, Superboy orders his foster parents while to wait fifteen minutes and then recall their son from the zone.

The projector, unknown to either Superboy or the criminals, is actually damaged by the alteration of the earth's magnetic field, and when Superboy attempts to send himself into the zone, he is only sent halfway, with half his body trapped in both dimensions. Realizing that he is unable to fix the situation since he can not pull himself free, the zoners use their combined telepathic abilities to invade the dreams of the sleeping Krypto, and convince the canine to help bring the device within grabbing distance of the trapped hero. Now able to grasp the projector with his one free, corporeal hand, Superboy makes the necessary adjustments to the device to send himself fully into the twilight dimension to attempt his rescue of his alter ego. Upon entering the zone, Superboy sees what he believes are the trio escaping further into the prison dimension with his "other self". Giving chase, Superboy goes further into the prison, not realizing that the wraiths he is chasing are actually decoys set up to lure him away while his foster parents set the disguised Cha-Mel free. While Jonathan Kent is setting the false Superboy Cha-Mel free, Martha Kent, watching the Phantom Zone on the monitor screen, sees the evil trio attempting to escape. Alerting her husband to this, Jonathan looks up to see his real son on the screen attempting to hold the trio back to no avail as his blows can not affect the other exiles. Superboy warns Jonathan of what is happening and to let go of the button so that the other criminals can not escape, as the released Cha-Mel backhands the elder Kent to the floor, effectively shutting off the criminals' only means of escape.

Cha-Mel attempts to free the others vainly, as something must have shorted out in the device. Jax-Ur urges the freed delinquent to fix the device, but Cha-Mel is unable to do so as he does not possess the technological wherewithal to do so. Superboy, laughing at the criminal trio's luck, offers a trade as they are at a standoff, but before anything can be offered, Jax-Ur has Cha-Mel grab the Kents and should the hero not assist in repairing the device, Cha-Mel is to turn his newly discovered heat vision on the Kents and destroy them!

Just then, before Superboy can decide, Krypto, still in a daze from the Zoners earlier telepathic assault, grabs the damaged projector and flies off into space to safeguard it. Jax-Ur orders Cha-Mel to pursue the canine and retrieve the projector. Catching up to Krypto, he snaps the [[Dog of Steel]] out of his stupor, and playing the part of his master as Superboy, attempts to grab the projector away. Unfortunately, the projector has been magnetized to the dwarf star that the real Superboy and Krypto had encountered earlier. Straining mightily with his super-strength, Cha-Mel inadvertanly pulls the projector apart, activating the device and re-banishing Cha-Mel back into the twilight dimension. Krypto, not knowing that this was not really Superboy, attempts to free his "master" by biting through the device's control-cable insulation, shorting out the damaged projector, causing the ray to reverse and freeing the real Superboy from the Phantom Zone in the process. Now free from his imprisonment, the hero and his canine companion return Earthward with the remnants of the broken projector to rebuild it with a non-magnetic control-section to prevent another misadventure like this from occuring again (SB No. 162, Jan 1970: "The Super-Phantom of Smallville!")

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Phantom Zone Inhabitants]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

File:Superboy162.jpg

2011-06-29T07:25:55Z

Manomight1974:

Cha-Mel

2011-06-29T07:19:18Z

Manomight1974:

'''Cha-Mel'''

A [[Kryptonian]] juvenile delinquent, petty thief, and [[Phantom Zone]] exile who briefly encounters [[Superboy]], [[Krypto]], and [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]] in a 1970 chronicle. Due to the effects of a chemical formula he develops and sprays on his skin and clothing, Cha-Mel gains mental control over the atoms of his body and clothing, enabling him to rearrange them at will and assume the appearance of virtually any person, whether male or female, humanoid or animal. Dubbed by Kryptonian authorities the "[[The Lad of a Thousand Disguises|Lad of a Thousand Disguises]]",
Cha-Mel is sentenced to exile in the Phantom Zone for committing a series of petty thefts and robberies that culminate in the attempted robbery of the home of [[Jor-El]] and [[Lara]]. During this attempted robbery, he makes the fatal mistake of disguising himself as Jor-El, but is caught in the act of looting the house by the scientist himself who had returned home before Cha-Mel could leave.

Cha-Mel first comes to the attention of the [[The Boy of Steel|Boy of Steel]] when he attempts to ascertain whether any of the Phantom Zone exiles were behind the appearance of a dwarf star, or neutron star, within orbit around Earth, disrupting the planet's magnetic field and shifting the magnetic poles, causing the [[Aurora Borealis]] (or Northern Lights) to appear in the west and the [[Aurora Australis]] (or Southern Lights) to appear in the east. Upon activating the Phantom Zone monitor scanner in his laboratory workshop in the Kent basement, Superboy is shocked to see an image of what appears to be himself held inside the zone by inmates [[Jax-Ur]], [[Professor Vakox]], and [[Gra-Mo]]. The trio of prisoners claim to have used the momentary shifting of the Aurora Borealis to reach out and steal the hero's ''"...ethereal, immortal '''inner-self''' and snatch it back into our world...you are now a '''body''' without a '''soul'''!"''

The criminals offer to make Superboy a trade...if he gets out the [[Phantom Zone Projector]] and releases the three exiles onto Earth, they will restore his stolen soul to him. Superboy, having no intention of setting the trio free, attempts to trick them by purposely banishing himself into the zone to rescue himself, not knowing that the "Superboy Ghost" is in actuality Cha-Mel disguised as the hero. As a failsafe, Superboy orders his foster parents while to wait fifteen minutes and then recall their son from the zone.

The projector, unknown to either Superboy or the criminals, is actually damaged by the alteration of the earth's magnetic field, and when Superboy attempts to send himself into the zone, he is only sent halfway, with half his body trapped in both dimensions. Realizing that he is unable to fix the situation since he can not pull himself free, the zoners use their combined telepathic abilities to invade the dreams of the sleeping Krypto, and convince the canine to help bring the device within grabbing distance of the trapped hero. Now able to grasp the projector with his one free, corporeal hand, Superboy makes the necessary adjustments to the device to send himself fully into the twilight dimension to attempt his rescue of his alter ego. Upon entering the zone, Superboy sees what he believes are the trio escaping further into the prison dimension with his "other self". Giving chase, Superboy goes further into the prison, not realizing that the wraiths he is chasing are actually decoys set up to lure him away while his foster parents set the disguised Cha-Mel free. While Jonathan Kent is setting the false Superboy Cha-Mel free, Martha Kent, watching the Phantom Zone on the monitor screen, sees the evil trio attempting to escape. Alerting her husband to this, Jonathan looks up to see his real son on the screen attempting to hold the trio back to no avail as his blows can not affect the other exiles. Superboy warns Jonathan of what is happening and to let go of the button so that the other criminals can not escape, as the released Cha-Mel backhands the elder Kent to the floor, effectively shutting off the criminals' only means of escape.

Cha-Mel attempts to free the others vainly, as something must have shorted out in the device. Jax-Ur urges the freed delinquent to fix the device, but Cha-Mel is unable to do so as he does not possess the technological wherewithal to do so. Superboy, laughing at the criminal trio's luck, offers a trade as they are at a standoff, but before anything can be offered, Jax-Ur has Cha-Mel grab the Kents and should the hero not assist in repairing the device, Cha-Mel is to turn his newly discovered heat vision on the Kents and destroy them!

Just then, before Superboy can decide, Krypto, still in a daze from the Zoners earlier telepathic assault, grabs the damaged projector and flies off into space to safeguard it. Jax-Ur orders Cha-Mel to pursue the canine and retrieve the projector. Catching up to Krypto, he snaps the [[The Dog of Steel|Dog of Steel]] out of his stupor, and playing the part of his master as Superboy, attempts to grab the projector away. Unfortunately, the projector has been magnetized to the dwarf star that the real Superboy and Krypto had encountered earlier. Straining mightily with his super-strength, Cha-Mel inadvertanly pulls the projector apart, activating the device and re-banishing Cha-Mel back into the twilight dimension. Krypto, not knowing that this was not really Superboy, attempts to free his "master" by biting through the device's control-cable insulation, shorting out the damaged projector, causing the ray to reverse and freeing the real Superboy from the Phantom Zone in the process. Now free from his imprisonment, the hero and his canine companion return Earthward with the remnants of the broken projector to rebuild it with a non-magnetic control-section to prevent another misadventure like this from occuring again (SB No. 162, Jan 1970: "The Super-Phantom of Smallville!")

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Phantom Zone Inhabitants]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Cha-Mel

2011-06-29T05:17:47Z

Manomight1974: added page

Professor Vakox

2011-06-29T04:44:28Z

Manomight1974: added link to Superboy Era

[[Image:Professorvakox.jpg|left]]

'''Professor Vakox (or Va-Kox)'''

A renegade [[Kryptonian]] scientist who was banished into the [[Phantom Zone]] prior to the death of [[Krypton]] as punishment for having contaminated [[Great Krypton Lake]] with a vial of his â€œlife forceâ€ formula, thereby spawning the creation in the lake of a hideous multi-headed lizard-like monster. â€œIf lever get out of the Phantom Zone,â€ vows Professor Vakox in January 1962, â€œIâ€™d create terrible monsters who would destroy whole cities!â€

Indeed, Professor Vakox and his fellow prisoners seem on the verge of escaping from the Phantom Zone during this period after â€œthe electrical ions of the [[Aurora Borealis]] have opened a small hole in the Phantom Zone which is steadily widening,â€ threatening to release the exiled â€œsuper-villainsâ€ into the earthly dimension as soon as it becomes â€œbig enough for the Phantom Zone criminals to squeeze through!â€ Alerted to the threat, however, by their friend [[Mon-El]], [[Superman]], [[Supergirl]], and [[Krypto]] the Super Dog use the combined power of their X-ray vision to burn up the Aurora Borealis, thereby sealing up the opening through which Professor Vakox and his cohorts had hoped to make their escape (Act No. 284: â€œThe Babe of Steel!â€).(TGSB)

[[Category:Entries|Vakox, Professor]]
[[Category:Scientists|Vakox, Professor]]
[[Category:Kryptonians|Vakox, Professor]]
[[Category:Villains|Vakox, Professor]]
[[Category:Phantom Zone Inhabitants|Vakox, Professor]]
[[Category:Superboy Era|Vakox, Professor]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)|Vakox, Professor]]

Jax-Ur

2011-06-29T04:27:45Z

Manomight1974: /* List of stories with Jax-Ur */

[[Image:Jaxur.jpg|left]]

'''Jax-Ur'''

"The worst criminal in the [[Phantom Zone]]" (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!") and one of "the most dangerous evil-doers in the universe!" (Act No. 294, Nov 1962: "The Kryptonite Killer!") A "notorious outlaw" on planet [[Krypton]] prior to its destruction (SA No. 5, Sum 1962), Jax-Ur, a renegade scientist as brilliant as he is evil, was exiled into the Phantom Zone for what has been described as "the most monstrous" crime ever committed by a Phantom Zone prisoner: the destruction of [[Wegthor]], an inhabited moon of Krypton. Although whether Jax-Ur committed this heinous act with an experimental "nuclear rocket" (Act No. 284, Jan 1962: "The Babe of Steel!") or a diabolical "ray" (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!") of his invention cannot be established with absolute certainty. Nor can the length of his sentence be firmly established, for he is described as having been "exiled into the Phantom Zone to serve a thirty-year sentence" in one account and as serving a life sentence in another (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!").

Described as "the worst trouble-maker in the [phantom] Zone," Jax-Ur has attempted to escape from the Zone on numerous occasions. Indeed, although its is the goal of all Phantom Zone prisoners to escape from the Zone and "take over the Earth" (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!"), at least one text makes it abundantly clear that Jax-Ur would like nothing better than to "blow the Earth to smithereens!" (Act No. 284, Jan 1962: "The Babe of Steel!").

Before embarking on a life of crime, Jax-Ur was a young [[Kryptonian]] scientist engaged in studying the unique "jewel-minerals" that made up Kryptonâ€™s [[Jewel Mountains]]. His "secret lab" was located somewhere in these mountains, carved into the face of one of its "glittering peaks."

Jax-Ur intentionally launched a nuclear missile in order to test-fire it against a large space rock passing near Krypton. If his test was successful, he would then embark upon amassing a huge, private nuclear arsenal with which he would seize control of Krypton. The test was unsuccessful insofar as Jax-Ur's missile collided with a rocket piloted by [[Jor-El]], his wife, [[Lara]], and an assistant friend, [[Dr. Mar-Ko]] during a space mission to collect engine technology from an orbiting alien spacecraft. Jor-El noticed the incoming space rock and avoided it, but couldn't avoid Jax-Ur's missile as well. The impact then sent Jax-Ur's nuclear missile onto a new path of collision with Wegthor; one of Krypton's many moons. The nuclear detonation destroyed Wegthor, thus killing it's entire population of five hundred colonists. After being tracked down and found guilty by the Kryptonian science council of mass murder, Jax-Ur was sentenced by Jor-El himself to life imprisonment within the Phantom Zone. But, as was to be the case with all Phantom Zone prisoners, banishment into the Phantom Zone proved to be a blessing in disguise for Jax-Ur, for it enabled him to survive when Krypton exploded (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!"; WK No. 2, Aug 1979: "This Planet Is Doomed").

In January 1962 Jax-Ur and his fellow prisoners seem on the verge of escaping from the Phantom Zone after "the electrical ions of the Aurora Borealis have opened a small hole in the Phantom Zone which is steadily widening," threatening to release the exiled "super-villains" into the earthly dimension as soon as it becomes "big enough for the Phantom Zone criminals to squeeze through!" Alerted to the threat, however, by their friend [[Mon-El]], [[Superman]], [[Supergirl]], and [[Krypto]] the Superdog use the combined power of their X-ray vision to burn up the Aurora Borealis, thereby sealing up the opening through which Jax-Ur and his cohorts had hoped to make their escape.
(Act No. 284, Jan 1962: "The Babe of Steel!")

In November 1962, when Superman puts the finishing touches on the new Hall of Enemies in his [[Fortress of Solitude]], Jax-Ur is among the villains represented there by colorful wax busts.
(Act No. 294, Nov 1962: "The Kryptonite Killer!")

In March 1964, Jax-Ur, feigning repentance for his past crimes, pleads for a chance to redeem himself, and perhaps even win an early parole from the Phantom Zone, by helping Superman find a cure for the "ghastly spotted plague" that is sweeping [[Atlantis]]. Released from the Phantom Zone by Superman for a conditional twenty-four hour period, Jax-Ur journeys with Superman through the time space barrier to the planet Krypton "a few months" prior to its destruction, where, in Kryptonâ€™s famed [[Scarlet Jungle]], he does indeed lead Superman to the gigantic mushroom-like fungi whose stalls contain "the spore-dust which is the sure for the spotted plague." Unbeknownst to the [[Man of Steel]], however, Jax-Ur also uses his day of freedom to set in motion a convoluted scheme designed to enable Jax-Ur and his fellow Phantom Zone convicts to blackmail Superman into freeing them all from the Phantom Zone so that they can "take over the Earth!"

The scheme involved duping Superman into believing that exposure to a hitherto unknown type of [[Kryptonite]], so-called "[[Jewel Kryptonite]]", has "turned [him] into a threat against the whole world" by "causing [him] to detonate any explosive material" he approaches, as when he appears to cause a conflagration at a fuel-oil depot, for example, merely by flying overhead. In actuality, there is no such substance as Jewel Kryptonite and the Man of Steel has not really become a menace, but Jax-Ur has succeeded in devising a means whereby he and the other Phantom Zone outlaws can covert their "mental commands" into "energy beams which detonate any material" outside the Phantom Zone they desire, thus enabling them, for a time, to make Superman believe that his very presence on Earth is a threat to Human life, so that he will give in to Jax-Urâ€™s agreeing to cure him of his supposed "affliction." Ultimately, however, Superman uncovers the details of Jax-Urâ€™s "diabolical plot" and takes the necessary steps to prevent the Phantom Zone criminals from ever again being able to use their mental energy to detonate explosive materials on Earth.

"You could have been a free man now!...A hero to the people of the world!" exclaims Superman to Jax-Ur, referring to the parole the villain would undoubtedly have received in gratitude for his having cured the dreaded Atlantean plague. "But you outwitted yourself!"

"Who wants to be a hero?" sneers Jax-Ur contemptuously. "Iâ€™d rather be notorious as '''the worst criminal in the Phantom Zone!'''" (Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!"). (TGSB)

== List of stories with Jax-Ur ==

*(Adv No. 289, Oct 1961: "Clark Kent's Super-Father!")
*(Act No. 284, Jan 1962: "The Babe of Steel!")
*(Adv No. 293, Feb 1962: "The Legion of Super-Traitors!")
*(Act No. 288, May 1962: "The Man Who Made Supergirl Cry!")
*(SPJO No. 62, July 1962: "Superman's Phantom Pal!")
*(Act No. 294, Nov 1962: "The Kryptonite Killer!")
*(S No. 157, Nov 1962: "The Super-Revenge of the Phantom Zone Prisoner!")
*(Act No. 295, Dec 1962: "Superman Goes Wild!")
*(S No. 158, Jan 1963: "Invasion of the Mystery Super-Men!")
*(S No. 158, Jan 1963: "The Dynamic Duo of Kandor!")
*(S No.158, Jan 1963 "The City of Super-People!)
*(Adv No. 305, Feb 1963: "The Secret of the Mystery Legionnaire!")
*(Act No. 297, Feb 1963: "The Forbidden Weapons of Krypton!)
*(Act No. 298, Mar 1963: "The Super-Powers of Lex Luthor!")
*(Act No. 304, Sep 1963: "The Maid of Menace!")
*(S No. 164, Oct 1963: "The Fugitive From the Phantom Zone!")
*(Act No. 309, Feb 1964: "The Untold Story of Argo City!")
*(S No. 167, Feb 1964: "The Downfall of Superman!")
*(Act No. 310, Mar 1964: "Secret of Kryptonite Six!")
*(S No. 179, Aug 1965: "The Menace of Gold Kryptonite!")
*(WF No. 152, Aug 1965: "The Colossal Kids")
*(Act No. 336, Apr 1966: "The Man From the Phantom Zone!")
*(S No. 205, Apr 1968: "The Man Who Destroyed Krypton!")
*(Act No. 368, Oct 1968: "The Unemployed Superman!")
*(S No. 223, Jan 1970: "Half a Hero!")
*(SB No. 162, Jan 1970: "The Super-Phantom of Smallville!")
*(Act No. 389, Jun 1970: "The Superman Legend: Rogues' Gallery!")
*(Adv No. 395, Jul 1970: "The Heroine in the Haunted House!")
*(Adv No. 396, Aug 1970: "I Am a Witch!")
*(S No. 232, Dec 1970/Jan 1971: "Father's Day on Planet Krypton!")
*(S No. 234, Feb 1971: "Prison in the Sky!")
*(WK No. 2, Aug 1979: "This Planet Is Doomed")
*(NSB No. 9, Sep 1980: "How to Stamp Out a Superboy!")
*(S No. 363, Sep 1981: "The Dying Day of Lois and Lana!")
*(DCCP No. 73, Sep 1984: "Rampage in Scarlet!")
*(DCCP No. 84, Aug 1985: "Give Me Power... Give Me Your World!")
*(DCCP No. 97, Sep 1986: "Phantom Zone: The Final Chapter")

==External Link==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jax-Ur Wikipedia Entry on Jax-Ur]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Phantom Zone Inhabitants]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Billy Cramer

2011-06-27T03:16:36Z

Manomight1974: added link

'''Billy Cramer'''

(full name: William F. Cramer)

According to later chronicles, Billy Cramer was [[Superboy]]'s roommate during his junior year in college. Though they never met previously, Billy Cramer was from [[Smallville]] and was told to look up [[Clark Kent]] when he got to school. After becoming friends, Clark eventually reveals his secret identity to Billy and gives him a supersonic whistle in case he ever finds himself in trouble (SSY No. 1, Feb 1985: "Dreams and Schemes and Feeling Proud", SSY No. 2, Mar 1985: "Reach Out and Touch").

Billy Cramer knows [[Lori Lemaris]] during Clark's courtship with her, and also has the opportunity to meet [[Pete Ross]]. Both Pete and Billy cover for Clark's sudden disappearances, and each suspects that the other knows his secret identity. When Clark and Lori have relationship troubles prior to the discovery that she is from [[Atlantis]], Billy uses his supersonic whistle to summon Clark and force him to talk about it. This angers Clark and they part ways. The fact that Clark Kent has roommates, that one ever met Lori Lemaris, or what year Clark met Lori are contradicted in other chronicles (for example, S No. 129, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!").

Tragically, Billy dies while trying to save a baby from a burning building. Superboy, while saving an entire island nation from a tsunami, hears Billy's whistle and sees that he is in trouble, but is unable to help. Billy dies thinking that Superboy ignored his whistle because he had misused it earlier.

Following Billy Cramer's death, Superboy is plagued by guilt and goes into a self-imposed exile for nearly three months on a secret island paradise he had earlier discovered in the [[Bermuda Triangle]] (SSY No. 3, Apr 1985: "Terminus", SSY No. 4, May 1985: "Beyond Terminus").

[[Category:Entries|Cramer, Billy]]
[[Category:People|Cramer, Billy]]
[[Category:Superboy Era|Cramer, Billy]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)|Cramer, Billy]]

The Mechano-Master

2011-06-27T01:53:06Z

Manomight1974: added link

[[Image:135-16.jpg|left|frame|none|The Mechano-Master battles Superboy, 1967]]

'''The Mechano-Master'''

One of several aliases used briefly by [[Lex Luthor]] when he battles [[Superboy]] in [[Smallville]].

Superboy first confronts the masked criminal who calls himself the Mechano-Master when the villain appears in the [[Boy of Steel]]'s hometown of Smallville. The villain possesses powerful weapons that are capable of harming even the Boy of Steel. Using these weapons against the hero, the Mechano-Master forces Superboy to be humiliated for fear that the crook will set off explosions in Smallville.

Superboy is finally able to corner the Mechano-Master inside his flying fortress, and, unmasking his opponent, discovers that the villain is in fact an adult Lex Luthor. Luthor explains that he used a time ray to send [[Superman]]'s [[Fortress of Solitude]] back in time to when the sun was red. However, a malfunction caused Luthor and the Fortress to instead be sent to Superboy's time, where Luthor uses the various exotic weapons contained within the Fortress to battle Superboy as the Mechano-Master.

Repairing the Fortress, Superboy sends it and Luthor back to their proper time in the near future. However, both Superboy and Lex are exposed to [[Amnesium|Amnesium gas]], which causes them to completely forget the entire encounter (SB No. 135/1, Jan 1967: "The Menace of the Mechano-Master").

The identity of the Mechano-Master that Lex Luthor employs in this tale should not be confused with that of the [[The Mechanical Master|Mechanical Master]], an unrelated villain that Superboy encounters in a 1979 chronicle (SF No. 193/1, Feb 1979: "The Menace of the Mechanical Master!").

[[Category:Entries|Mechano-Master (The)]]
[[Category:People|Mechano-Master (The)]]
[[Category:Scientists|Mechano-Master (The)]]
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[[Category:Lex Luthor|Mechano-Master (The)]]
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[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)|Mechano-Master (The)]]