Supermanica - User contributions [en]

User talk:Macduff

2006-12-17T17:39:46Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Thank you

'''Time Travel Spinning'''
Aha - it's from the Superboy tale at STTAS.

http://superman.ws/tales4/remembered/?page=2

== Hey there... ==

Macduff,

I wanted to drop a line and say hello. My name is Jamie and I am an admin at a similar site called the [http://www.dcdatabaseproject.com DC Database Project]. I was so excited when I found another wiki for comic books! We are few and far between. I was really hoping you might have a look around our site and tell me what you think...

Also, in the interest of sharing knowledge with the world, I was hoping you might be interested in working together. Our site is not focused at all on Superman and we certainly could use a place to direct our readers when we are missing something about the man in blue. <br> Let me know...

Cheers,

--[[User:Batai|Batai]] 23:42, 27 February 2006 (EST) <br>
[mailto:jamie@dcdatabaseproject.com Email me]

== Thank you ==

You know if Monkey-Boy would've been courteous and explained rather than exhibiting a higher-then-thou approach initially, this would have been appreciated. Snobs as moderators aren't the most effective when dealing with the Great Unwashed, lol. [[User:Super Monkey of Earth-2|Super Monkey of Earth-2]] 12:39, 17 December 2006 (EST)

Talk:Canonical sources

2006-12-17T17:38:04Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Why is Justice League of America not on this list?

What are the criteria for considering a source "canonical"?

== Just check the list ==

If it is not listed here at the [[Canonical sources]] It doesn't count.

:Right, but what's the criteria by which sources make the list?

It goes by The Great Superman Book and a few additions that The Great Rao aka Macduff added and one that was voted by the fans (DC Comics Presents).

== Why is Justice League of America not on this list? ==

This seems arbitrary especially considering he had much more impact in Justice League of America then he ever had in Black Lightning. Who thought this up??? [[User:Super Monkey of Earth-2|Super Monkey of Earth-2]] 12:37, 17 December 2006 (EST)

== Why is Justice League of America not on this list? ==

This seems arbitrary especially considering he had much more impact in Justice League of America then he ever had in Black Lightning. Who thought this up??? [[User:Super Monkey of Earth-2|Super Monkey of Earth-2]] 12:38, 17 December 2006 (EST)

Talk:Canonical sources

2006-12-17T17:37:52Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Why is Justice League of America not on this list?

Earths 1 and 2

2006-12-17T17:28:06Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Why Black Lightning and not Justice League of America is used as a canonical source is beyond me and is faulty reasoning. Superman's presence in JLA wherein Earth-1/2 mentioned in 1964!!!

This article attempts to clarify how the difference between the [[Earth-1]] [[Superman]] and the [[Earth-2]] Superman is handled on Supermanica.

Supermanica is unique among superhero encyclopedias in our concept of Earths 1 and 2. We limit the continuity of the wiki to certain specific Superman-related titles published from 1938 to 1986 which are listed on the [[canonical sources]] page. Instead of working from continuity as it has been explained outside the books, we conceive of the universe as it is presented within these "canonical" comic books. Earth-1 and Earth-2 and what they mean are inventions from outside those books. We only incorporate facts stated within those issues.

For instance, if one were to actually sit down and read ''Superman'' issues 1 through 423 in one sitting, one would read about a single character named "Superman" whose continuity evolved around him but who was always one character who just had different adventures from month to month. It was never stated within the books themselves that
the reader was reading about the "Earth-2" Superman nor suddenly about the "Earth-1" Superman. "Earth-2" itself was never mentioned in the books, nor even conceived of, until the 1960s. Only events or concepts that are mentioned in the comics themselves are part of this wiki. We are inside the books looking out, not outside looking in.

More info and discussion about this can be found [http://superman.ws/smf/index.php?topic=3199 here].

Please feel free to participate in the forum or to discuss these issues here. Do not hesitate to raise any questions or concerns you may have. Constructive contributions to Supermanica are welcome and appreciated.

[[Category:Supermanica]]

Queen Paralea

2006-12-14T04:47:54Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Queen Paralea moved to Queen Paralea of Earth-Two

'''Queen Paralea'''

The lovely blonde ruler of [[Atlantis]] who, surrounded by a plethora of handsome, well-built men in her glass-domed subsea kingdom, falls instantly in love with mild-mannered [[Clark Kent]] when he arrives there via bathysphere--accompanied by [[Lois Lane]] and an oceanographer named [[Professor Hubble]]--in November-December 1950. Narrowly avoiding marriage to the love-struck queen in his Clark Kent identity, [[Superman]] remains in Atlantis long enough to thwart an attempt by the power-hungry [[Hajar]], unscrupulous "chief advisor to the throne," to overthrow the queen in a bloody coup and set up a tyranny in her undersea realm (S No. 67/2, "The City Under the Sea!").

[[Category:Entries|Paralea, Queen]]
[[Category:People|Paralea, Queen]]
[[Category:Heroes|Paralea, Queen]]
[[Category:Atlanteans|Paralea, Queen]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)|Paralea, Queen]]

Earth-1

2006-12-14T03:01:17Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: no reference prior to 1961 of Golden Age, thank you very much

The main Earth which [[Superman]]'s adventures transpired on from 1938 to 1986.

The various alpha-numerical designations of Earth (ie, Earth 1, [[Earth-2]], [[Earth-S]], etc) are used in the chronicles to indicate planets resembling [[Superman]]'s world, but existing in [[Parallel-Worlds|Parallel Universes]].

==External Links==

[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/indexintro.html Earth-1 Character Indexes by Dark Mark]

[http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/indexes/logos.php?group=e1 Earth-1 Character Indexes by Mike]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Solar System]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Barry Allen

2006-12-14T03:00:29Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Barry Allen moved to Barry Allen of Earth-One

'''Barry Allen'''

Police scientist from Central City, Barry Allen is the secret identity of the [[Flash]]. Barry marries Iris West, aunt of Wally West ([[Kid Flash]]).

[[Category:Entries|Allen, Barry]]
[[Category:People|Allen, Barry]]
[[Category:Heroes|Allen, Barry]]
[[Category:Scientists|Allen, Barry]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)|Allen, Barry]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)|Allen, Barry]]

Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

2006-12-14T03:00:08Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) moved to Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) of Earth-One

[[Image:Hal.jpg|right]]

When test pilot Hal Jordan aids a stricken alien who is a member of the [[Green Lantern Corps]], he assumes the alien's role as protector of Earth and of sector 2814, the sector of the galaxy which contains Earth (Showcase No. 22, Sep/Oct 1959: "SOS Green Lantern").

Hal's power is expressed through a Green lantern power ring that must be recharged by a power battery at least once every 24 hours, and it cannot directly affect anything colored yellow. [[Superman]] has a deep respect for the might of this weapon and it can even be used against him. For instance, the ring has the ability to create [[Green Kryptonite|green kryptonite]] that can incapacitate Superman, although maintaining the this effect requires concentration (DCCP No. 26, Oct 1980: "Between Friend and Foe!").

As a member of the [[Justice League of America]], Green Lantern has teamed with [[Superman]] many times.

==Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) appearances in the Chronicles==

*SGLL No. 74, May 1967: "Superman's Unbeatable Rival"
*Act No. 350/2, May 1967: "The Anti-Supergirl Plot"
*S No. 199, Aug 1967: "Superman's Race with the Flash"
*Act No. 365, Jul 1968: "Superman's Funeral"
*Act No. 366, Aug 1968: "Substitute Superman"
*WF No. 189, Nov 1969: "The Man with Superman's Heart"
*WF No. 201, Mar 1971: "A Prize of Peril"
*SPJO No. 151, Jul 1972: "Attack of the Locust Creatures"
*Adv No. 423, Sep 1972: "Treachery"
*SGLL No. 128, Dec 1972: "Death Waits to Kiss the Bride"
*Act No. 29, Nov 1973: "The Man Who Wrote Superman's Obituary"
*SG No. 8, Nov 1973: "A Head-Full of Snakes"
*Act No. 437, Jul 1974: "Magic Is Bustin' Out All Over"
*Act No. 443/1, Jan 1975: "At Last! Clark Kent--Superhero!"
*Act No. 444/1, Feb 1975: "Beware the Hero-Killers!"
*SF No. 171/1, Jun/Jul 1975: "Cleopatra, Queen of America"
*SF No. 172/1, Aug/Sep 1975: "The Cheat the Whole World Cheered"
*Act No. 470, Apr 1977: "Even a Superman Must Die Sometime"
*Act No. 473, Jul 1977: "The Great Phantom Peril"
*S No. 311, May 1977: "Plague of Antibiotic Man"
*S No. 312, Jun 1977: "Today the City, Tomorrow the World"
*S No. 314, Aug 1977: "Before This Night Is Over, Superman Will Kill"
*WF No. 246, Aug/Sep 1977: "The Prisoner of the Kryptonite Asteroid"
*Act No. 480, Feb 1978: "Amazo's Big Breakthrough"
*Act No. 481, Mar 1978: "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Supermobile"
*Act No. 483, May 1978: "Sleep No More"
*Act No. 489, Nov 1978: "Krypton Dies Again"
*DCCP No. 6, Feb 1979: "The Fantastic Fall of Green Lantern"
*DCCP No. 26/1, Oct 1980: "Between Friend and Foe"
*S No. 352, Oct 1980: "Superman's Day of Destiny"
*NSB No. 13, Jan 1981: "Superboy's Wild Weekend Out West" (as a teenaged Hal Jordan only)
*S No. 367, Jan 1982: "The Revengers Strike Back"
*DCCP No. 43, Mar 1982: "In Final Battle"
*WF No. 300, Feb 1984: "A Tale of Two Worlds" or, "Planets in Peril"
*WF No. 302, Apr 1984: "No Rest for Heroes"

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Jordan Wikipedia entry on Hal Jordan]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/newindexes.php?character=glan Earth-1 Green Lantern Index by Mike]
*[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/green_lantern_index.html Green Lantern Index by Dark Mark]

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

Metalo

2006-12-14T02:58:56Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2:

#redirect [[Metalo of Earth-Two]]

Metalo of Earth-2

2006-12-14T02:58:09Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2:

[[Image:Metalo.jpg|left]]

'''Metalo'''

Metalo is the criminal alias of mustachioed George Grant. Grant possessed awesome power, a renegade inventor --discoverer of "the most powerful metal on Earth" as well as a miraculous "strength serum"-- who, clad in a special armored suit of his own design, is impervious to bullets, can fly through the air, and possesses monumental super-strength equivalent to [[Superman]]'s.

Operating from a subterranean hideaway beneath the main tent of the Farnham Circus , somewhere on the [[Metropolis]] waterfront, Metalo stuns the city with a series of spectacular crimes --including the theft of an entire mail car from the Metropolis train terminal, and an attempt to extort $5,000,000 from the city's businessmen by threatening to destroy Metropolis --until finally, in a climactic encounter with Superman, "the very mountains tremble and are rent asunder by the colossal battle of these two super-powerful opponents ...!"

Believed dead after plummeting into a yawning lava-filled crevice at the peak of the awesome battle, Metalo manages to cling to an outjutting rock and although thwarted in his evil undertakings, to survive (WF No. 6, Sum 1942: "Man of Steel versus Man of Metal!").

In April 1982, the Superman of Earth-2 is secretly hit with a ray beam by Metalo. Less than 24-hours later, Superman and [[Lois Kent]] are surprised to discover that Superman's powers have been decreased considerably, to the point where "leaping only an eight of a mile," "hurdling a 20-story building," and running "about 70 miles an hour" is the best he can do. Outmatched in terms of strength by Metalo, Superman must rely on his unaffected heat-vision to temporarily fend off his enemy.

Reduced to driving a car to his mountain retreat [see [[The Secret Citadel]]], Superman engages Lois as a personal trainer to help rebuild his strength with the aid of "the world's most amazing gymnasium." Noting that, "it took years to build my physique to what it is today," Superman nevertheless embarks on a "crash-program" of weight-lifting, running, gymnastics, and finally flying, until he looks "more powerful than ever." Handily defeating Metalo in a rematch, the reinvigorated Man of Tomorrow is pressed into service ghost-writing his wife's report on the Metalo encounter, Lois being exhausted "after two days of training" Superman back into shape (SF No. 217/1: "Back to Square One!").

[[category:Entries]]
[[category:People]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[category:Villains]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds]]
[[category:Earth-2]]
[[category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Metalo of Earth-2

2006-12-14T02:55:52Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2:

The Master Jailer

2006-12-14T02:41:05Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Master Jailer moved to Master Jailer of Earth-One

'''The Master Jailer'''

[[Image:Supes331.jpg|thumb|left|Superman #331]]

Carl "Moosie" Draper becomes the Master Jailer in a fit of jealous rage after his proudest invention, a maximum security prison, is named after [[Superman]] by [[Lana Lang]]. Draper designs a correctional facility that has specially constructed cells that can negate the specific powers of even the most dangerous criminals. Superman improves the jail by devising a platform that floats it high in the air and suggests that it be called "Draper's Island". However, Lana dubs it "Superman Island", a name that catches on with the press. The infuriated Draper adopts the identity of the Master Jailer and traps the Man of Tomorrow and Lana within the complex (S No. 331, Jan 1979: "Lockup at 20,000 Feet!").

The Master Jailer reveals that he has known Lana dating back to her girlhood in [[Smallville]] and bemoans the fact that she never noticed him. Meanwhile, Superman is stripped of his powers by a mechanism invented by Draper that gathers the draining power of the [[Parasite]], who is jailed in the prison. Working his way out of a maze that constantly wipes his memory called the "eternity cage", Superman and Lana together defeat the Jailer -- who is distracted by his feelings of vengeance and jealousy (S No. 332, Feb 1979: "The Eternity Cage!").

The Master Jailer returns, still obsessed with Lana, and he attacks Superman with missiles loaded with [[Kryptonite]] (S No. 393, Mar 1984: "The Day They Nuked Superman!") and later gains an amnesia device that he uses (Act No. 564, Feb 1985: "A New Life for Superman!").

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

Talk:Supergirl

2006-12-14T02:40:18Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Talk:Supergirl moved to Talk:Supergirl of Earth-One

The rest of the TGSB entry details her many adventures, that part I will add bit by bit until it is done. I labeled both TGSB entry and original entry ONLY so that people can easily know which is which and merge them together, afterward those section names will of course be removed.

It looks a little odd now, but it should be one of the better entries here once it's all said and done. --[[User:Super Monkey|Super Monkey]] 13:42, 5 June 2006 (EDT)

Alright, I'm leaving this one alone since you seem to know what you want... ;>) BUT, I still think the Action reference needs Act, because there is another reference in between it...
--[[User:MatterEaterLad|MatterEaterLad]] 16:46, 6 June 2006 (EDT)

Everything that I typed came directly from TGSB, I didn't change a word or letter. I didn't mean to change that part, go ahead and add the "Act", MEL :) --[[User:Super Monkey|Super Monkey]] 17:46, 6 June 2006 (EDT)

No, seriously, I think these types of entries are better when one person puts in most of the preliminaries and formats it, so I think it's better to let you finish before the rest of us add in...--[[User:MatterEaterLad|MatterEaterLad]] 18:13, 6 June 2006 (EDT)

ok, fair enough :) --[[User:Super Monkey|Super Monkey]] 18:21, 6 June 2006 (EDT)

== completed TGSB info ==

Ok, now people can add to it, the Early Years in for Sliver Age comics only, the Later Years is for Bronze Age comics only.

Yikes, the last Supergirl I read was an Adventure comic from 1970, if there aren't a ton of Bronze Age stories, MAYBE the early years can be pre announcement to the world and the later years can be post announcement? Or get a fanatic like Dylan Clearbrook to enter some Bronze Age stories? Looking good though... --[[User:MatterEaterLad|MatterEaterLad]] 22:04, 6 June 2006 (EDT)

There are TONS of Bronze Age plus she had a few series on top of that.--[[User:Super Monkey|Super Monkey]] 22:26, 6 June 2006 (EDT)

LOL, I know, waiting to learn about them "meself" (well, as much as any Bronze Age story ;>) ). --[[User:MatterEaterLad|MatterEaterLad]] 22:34, 6 June 2006 (EDT)

Ah, Super-Monkey. Very smart! Leaving out The Later Adventures so someone else can handle the Crisis and death details! :)
--[[User:Telle|Telle]] 00:44, 7 June 2006 (EDT)

Well, that and putting the pets in her life before the men... ;>) --[[User:MatterEaterLad|MatterEaterLad]] 01:09, 7 June 2006 (EDT)

Comet is a member in good standing of the Legion of Super-Pets, no?
--[[User:Telle|Telle]] 07:37, 7 June 2006 (EDT)

I can switch it back...yeah, he was, it seems that someone who started as a centaur, and becomes a man when a comet passes is a bit more than a pet, but that's cool...--[[User:MatterEaterLad|MatterEaterLad]] 11:13, 7 June 2006 (EDT)

Too bad after mort retired they did not have any more use for the super pets, and got rid of them expect for krypto.
john

Panels like this always gave me pause at the time, but I can see how Comet has to be classified as something, and he was a Super Pet, but in describing him and his relationship, I would put companion or something: http://www.centaursite.com/comics/oldcomet/romanceb01.jpg --[[User:MatterEaterLad|MatterEaterLad]] 12:25, 7 June 2006 (EDT)

== Animal Magnetism ==

Comet is her Pet...
Biron is her boyfriend...

Yes it's weird, and it's a bit kinky, but that's the Sliver Age for ya, wait until I add Mighty Maid!
--[[User:Super Monkey|Super Monkey]] 16:56, 7 June 2006 (EDT)

Well, I always thought he should be classified as a "pet" for no better word...but even when I read his story back in the 60s in my pre teen years, I never though of him like the other pets... ;>) I'll just have to think I know better than the TGSB, LOL...

But anyways, should I delete the panel above (it was supposed to be a link)? It is probably a big image in terms of bandwidth...--[[User:MatterEaterLad|MatterEaterLad]] 18:05, 7 June 2006 (EDT)

Supergirl

2006-12-14T02:40:08Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Supergirl moved to Supergirl of Earth-One

[[Image:400px-SupergirlbyJim Mooney.jpg|right|thumb|Art by Jim Mooney Color by Nightwing]]

== Introduction ==

A lovely blond super-heroine who functions periodically, from May 1959 onward, as [[Superman]]â€™s companion in super-heroic adventure. She is in reality [[Kara Zor-El]], Supermanâ€™s first cousin, the daughter of the [[Kryptonian]] scientist [[Zor-El]] and his wife [[Alura]]. Born and raised on [[Argo City]], a city of the planet [[Krypton]] which survived the death of its native planet when it was hurled into outer space, people and buildings alive and intact, by the force of the cataclysm that destroyed Krypton, she was, at the age of fifteen, launched toward Earth in a small rocket ship by her father Zor-El when the city faced extinction due to [[Kryptonite]] poisoning.

== Origin ==

Most of what is known concerning Supergirlâ€™s origin is contained in the Supergirl story in Action Comics No. 252. In May 1959, a small rocket ship crash-lands on the outskirts of Metropolis and a teen-aged girl, clad in a costume clearly modeled after Supermanâ€™s, emerges smiling and unhurt from the wreckage. As Superman listens in amazement to her story, the girl explains that she too is Kryptonian, although she was born on floating Argo City long after the planet Krypton exploded. When, years later, after his young daughter had become a teen-ager, the scientist Zor-El realized that Argo Cityâ€™s entire population would, within about one monthâ€™s time, succumb to deadly kryptonite poisoning, he began desperately racing against time to construct a rocket ship to carry his daughter to another world. It was while scanning the universe through a â€œsuper-space telescopeâ€ in search of a suitable world to which young Kara could be sent that Kara and her mother discovered Earth, became aware of Superman and his exploits, and realized that Earthâ€™s greatest hero was a Kryptonian like them. Karaâ€™s mother decided to send her teen-aged daughter to Earth, clad in a costume that would make her easily recognizable to Superman as a fellow native of Krypton. And so, soon afterward, Zor-El placed his young daughter inside his small rocket ship and launched her toward Earth, while behind her, on Argo City, virtually the entire population lay dead or dying of kryptonite poisoning.

== The Secret Identity ==

She assumed the secret alternate identity of Linda Lee, an orphan at the [[Midvale Orphanage]], concealing her blond hair beneath a brunette wig and functioning as Supergirl only in secret, at Supermanâ€™s insistence, until such time as she could learn to use her super-powers properly.

Supergirlâ€™s alternate identity is a closely held secret, but it is known to Superman, to her foster parents the Danverses (Act No. 285, Feb 1962: â€œThe Worldâ€™s Greatest Heroine!â€; and others), and to the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]], of which she served as a member until resigning her membership at the age of twenty-one (S No. 152/1, Apr 1962: â€œThe Robot Master!â€; and others).

On occasion, while living in Midvale, Supergirl makes use of a [[Linda Lee Robot]] to protect her secret identity (Act No.276, May 1961: "Supergirl's Three Super Girl Friends"; and others). Other robots are eventually constructed, once an old Superboy Robot tape is accidentally used to program a Supergirl Robot, causing it to appear at the [[Smallville Orphanage]] and re-live false memories of [[Superboy]]'s life . (Adv No. 396/2, Aug 1970: "The Mystery of the Super-Orphan")

== The Costumes ==

Supergirlâ€™s red, yellow, and blue costume, which was originally fashioned by her mother Alura prior to her flight from doomed Argo City, is a female counterpart of Supermanâ€™s own.

After entering college, Supergirl later wears a number of alternate costumes, presumably made from the same material. She finally settled on a look consisting of a blue blouse with a small red "S" emblazoned on the upper-right, a short cape, red hotpants, and a decorated yellow belt. Initially, the shoes were very low with rolled tops, but in the mid 1970's she abandoned them in favor of her original Superman-style boots. Around that time, she also removed the fringe from her pants. She continued to use this costume until 1983. (See pic below)

In 1983, Supergirl changed her costume for the final time, adding yellow trim to her boots, a red mini-skirt, and a red headband, a symbol of her citizenship of Krypton.

== The Superpowers ==

On Earth, like any Kryptonian survivor, Kara acquires super-powers identical to [[Superman]]â€™s.

== The Vulnerabilities ==

Like all Kryptonian survivors, Supergirl is vulnerable to green, red, and gold kryptonite. She also can fall prey to Kryptonian diseases (such as [[Virus X]]), loses power under the influence of red and orange suns, and has no immunity against [[magic]].

Presumably, like Superman/Superboy, Supergirl can be held by specialized barriers and containment fields, such as the [[Phantom Zone]] or the [[Iron Curtain of Time]].

== The Woman herself as Linda Lee Danvers ==

After exchanging her colorful Supergirl costume for ordinary Earth girlsâ€™ clothing and concealing her blond hair beneath a brown, pigtailed wig, Kara registers at the Midvale Orphanage in the [[Metropolis]] suburb of [[Midvale]], employing the alias Linda Lee. Someday, promises Superman faithfully, the world will learn of her existence, but â€œfor a long time to come,â€ he adds, â€œyouâ€™ll live here quietly as an â€œordinaryâ€ girl until you get used to earthly things!â€ (Act No. 252: â€œThe Supergirl from Krypton!â€).

Adopted by [[Fred and Edna Danvers]], she attended [[Midvale High School]] as [[Linda Lee Danvers]], graduated in 1964, and then went on to attend Stanhope College on a scholarship, graduating in 1971. Presented to the world by Superman in 1962, she has since that time, performed super-heroic feats openly as Supergirl, while retaining the secrecy of her dual identity.

As an adult, Linda Lee has had several jobs, working at various times as a teacher, guidance counsellor, and politician.

Linda Lee has lived in Midvale and Florida, before finally settling in Chicago, where she rents an apartment at 1537 West Fargo Avenue (DCCP No.86, Oct 1985: "Into the Valley of Shadow...!"; and others).

== The Woman herself as Supergirl ==

It is only as the newly arrived orphan from space concludes her narrative that Superman realizes that she is his cousin, the daughter of Zor-El, his fatherâ€™s brother (see [[Jor-El]]). Overjoyed at having encountered a kinswoman from his native planet, Superman advises her that she can use her super-powers to aid humanity, as he does, but that first she must undergo a prolonged period of training so that she may learn to use her powers wisely.

In the texts, Supergirl is alternatively referred to as the [[Girl of Steel]]. Action Comics No. 285 describes Superman and Supergirl as â€œthe two mightiest crusaders in the entire universeâ€ (Feb 1962: â€œThe Worldâ€™s Greatest Heroine!â€). Superman, who has dedicated a room to Supergirl in his [[Fortress of Solitude]] (S No. 142/3, Jan 1961: â€œFlame Dragon from Kryptonâ€), has described his cousin this way:

''Physically, sheâ€™s the mightiest female of all time! But at heart, sheâ€™s as gentle and sweet and is [sic] quick to tears, as any ordinary girt! I guess thatâ€™s why everyone who meets her loves her!'' [Act No. 285, Feb 1962: â€œThe Worldâ€™s Greatest Heroine!â€].

Supergirl is fully aware that her cousin Superman is secretly [[Clark Kent]]. According to the Supergirl story in Action Comics No. 270, she has also been entrusted with the secret identities of [[Batman]] and [[Robin]] (Nov 1960: â€œSupergirlâ€™s Busiest Day!â€).

== The Pets of the Chronicles ==

[[Comet]], the Super-Horse is Supergirlâ€™s mighty equine companion. [[Streaky]], the orange cat that acquires temporary super-powers as the result of its exposure to â€œX-kryptonite,â€ is Linda Lee Danversâ€™s pet cat. She also has a non-super cat by the name of [[Streaky II]] (DNAS No. 6, Apr 1983: "Battleground O'Hare"!). In her 30th-Century adventures, she also has a pet super-cat named [[Whizzy]] who is the telepathic 30th-Century descendant of Streaky, the Super-Cat.

== The Men of the Chronicles ==

Among her boyfriends have been [[Brainiac 5]], [[Jerro]], the Merboy from [[Atlantis]], [[Biron]] (in human form), and boy-next-door Richard "Dick" Malverne (see [[Dick Malverne]]). After her death, it was revealed that she had a secret husband named [[Salkor]] (S No. 415, Jan. 1986: "Supergirl: Bride of -- X?").

== The Early Adventures ==

[[Image:SupergirlFly.jpg|left]]

In January 1960, Supergirl assumes the alternate identity of [[Mighty Maid]] in order to help Superman thwart the schemes of a band of extraterrestrial aliens bent on destroying the Earth (Act No. 260: â€œMighty Maid!â€). During this same period, Supergirl helps Superman convince the [[Kandor]]ian scientist [[Kull-Ex]] that his bitter grudge against Supermanâ€™s father is completely unfounded (S No. 134, Jan 1960: 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 August 1960, after exposure to [[Red Kryptonite]] has brought about the sudden, accelerated growth of Supermanâ€™s hair, beard, and fingernails, Supergirl and [[Krypto]] The Superdog lend the [[Man of Steel]] a helping hand by using the combined power of their X- ray vision to disintegrate the virtually indestructible hair and fingernails, thus restoring Superman to his normal appearance (S No. 139/3: â€œThe Untold Story of Red Kryptonite!â€).

In October 1960, Supergirl becomes embroiled in the bizarre adventure surrounding the infant son of [[Bizarro]] and [[Bizarro-Lois]] (S No. 140: pts. I-III â€œThe Son of Bizarro!â€; â€œThe â€˜Orphanâ€™ Bizarro!â€; â€œThe Bizarro Supergirl!â€).

In January 1961, Supergirl helps Batman, Superman, and Krypto the Superdog carry out an elaborate, and ultimately successful, ruse to protect the secret of Supermanâ€™s identity (S No. 142/3: â€œFlame Dragon from Kryptonâ€).

In April 1961, at the Fortress of Solitude, Supergirl, Superman, and Krypto the Superdog all experience the same â€œred kryptonite hallucinationâ€ simultaneously as the result of their simultaneous exposure to red-kryptonite dust. In the hallucinatory fantasy, which is also referred to as a dream, the Earth is destroyed by a titanic explosion caused by Supermanâ€™s careless tinkering with an extraterrestrial device; Supergirl, Superman, and Krypto, the sole survivors of the cataclysm, are taken into custody by the [[Cosmic Police]], who charge Superman with â€œcriminal negligenceâ€ in the destruction of Earth; stripped of their super-powers by an interplanetary tribunal, the now-powerless heroes are banished to a desolate â€œprimordial planet,â€ inhabited by ferocious prehistoric beasts, where they are forced to live as cave dwellers, in continual terror, until finally Supergirl and Krypto are annihilated by a terrifying â€œlightning-monsterâ€ and the shock of this grisly event brings the nightmarish dream to an end and snaps the three hallucinators back to reality (S No. 144/3: â€œThe Orphans of Space!â€).

In May 1961, Supergirl joins forces with the [[Supermen Emergency Squad]] to carry out an elaborate, and ultimately successful, ruse designed to persuade [[John Kiley]] and his cohorts that Kiley was only experiencing a drug-induced hallucination when he saw Clark Kent change into Superman (Act No. 276: â€œThe War Between Supergirl and the Supermen Emergency Squad!â€).

In July 1961, Supergirl uses a chunk of [[White Kryptonite]] to destroy the diabolical extraterrestrial â€œplant intelligenceâ€ that has seized control of the body of [[Perry White]] (Act No. 278: â€œThe Super Powers of Perry White!â€).

In January 1962 Supergirl joins forces with Superman and Krypto the Superdog to prevent the [[Phantom Zone]] prisoners from escaping the Phantom Zone (Act No. 284: â€œThe Babe of Steel!â€). During this same period, Supergirl, Superman, and [[Krypto]] the Superdog stand before the bottle city of [[Kandor]], in the [[Fortress of Solitude]], and bow their heads solemnly for one full minute of silence to commemorate the anniversary of the destruction of [[Krypton]]. Afterward, the three Kryptonian survivors soar into outer space, where, in a â€œdistant solar system,â€ they use their mighty super-powers to transform an uninhabited planet into an exact duplicate of Krypton and populate it with humanoid androids in the image of [[Jor-El]], [[Lara]] and other Kryptonians, as a planet-sized memorial to their exploded world (S No. 150/1, Jan 1962: â€œThe One Minute of Doom!â€).

In February 1962, after keeping Supergirlâ€™s presence on Earth a secret for almost three full years, [[Superman]] proudly proclaims her existence to the world, touring the world with her â€œto tumultuous applause,â€ presenting her at the White House to President [[John F. Kennedy]], introducing her at a special session of the United Nations, where she â€œreceives a standing ovation from the distinguished representatives of member nationsâ€¦â€

â€œEverywhere,â€ notes the text, â€œmillions eagerly turn out for a glimpse of the two mightiest crusaders in the entire universe! Never before has there been such excitement, as the entire world thrills to the discovery that a girl with super-powers exists on Earth â€œSupergirl,â€ remarks President Kennedy, â€œI know youâ€™ll use your super-powers not only to fight crime, but to preserve peace in our troubled world!â€

â€œThank you, Mr. President!â€ replies Supergirl graciously. â€œ... I will!â€

At the United Nations, Supergirl is presented with a special â€œgolden certificateâ€ identical to one already possessed by Superman, empowering her to enter and leave member countries without a visa and to make arrests wherever she travels.

Inside the bottle city of Kandor, the Kandorians celebrate Supergirlâ€™s public debut by using their tiny rocket ships to skywrite a congratulatory message to her across the Kandorian sky, while in [[Atlantis]], the Atlanteans commemorate the occasion with the unveiling of a gigantic undersea statue of a mermaid Supergirl (Act No. 285: â€œThe Worldâ€™s Greatest Heroine!â€).

In March 1962, Supergirl soars into outer space with the bottle city of Kandor cradled in her arms after â€œtelling the Kandorians that she would journey to scores of planets in space to find a scientist who could enlarge their miniature city!â€ (Act No. 286: â€œThe Jury of Super-Enemies!â€).

In April 1962, the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] play an elaborate hoax on Superman and Supergirl as their playful way of commemorating the anniversary of Supergirlâ€™s arrival on Earth (S No. 152/1: â€œThe Robot Master!â€).

In July 1962, during a period when Superman is periodically seized by an overpowering compulsion to commit evil acts as the result of the appearance over Earth of a mysterious blue comet, Supergirl, responding to an urgent telepathic summons from [[Lori Lemaris]], races to Atlantis to repair a vital chemical plant demolished by Superman and to prevent the [[Man of Steel]] from wreaking further destruction in the undersea realm. Later, after having been alerted to the true explanation behind Supermanâ€™s senseless acts of destruction by the Kandorian scientist [[Lon-Es]], Supergirl brings about the blue cometâ€™s destruc tion, thereby curing Superman of his insane compulsion (S No. 154/2: â€œKryptonâ€™s First Superman!â€). (See [[Mag-En]])

In October 1962, after exposure to [[Red Kryptonite]] has temporarily transformed Superman into two separate individuals, a mature, responsible [[Clark Kent]] and an unprincipled, irresponsible Superman, Supergirl is imprisoned in the Phantom Zone by the arrogant Superman in order to prevent her from interfering with his plan to keep the personalities of Clark Kent and Superman separate forever. Ultimately, however, Clark Kent frees Supergirl from the Phantom Zone, and soon afterward, he succeeds in bringing about the reuniting of Clark Kent and Superman into a single individual (Act No. 293: â€œThe Feud Between Superman and Clark Kent!) During this same period, when Superman is believed to be dying of exposure to [[Virus X]], an incurable Kryptonian malady, Supergirl supervises, and joins forces with, the various â€œsuper-comradesâ€, including Krypto the Superdog, the Legion of Super-Heroes, the [[Supermen Emergency Squad]], several of Supermanâ€™s [[Superman Robots]], and Lori Lemaris and the mer-people of Atlantis, in carrying out the gigantic super-tasks that Superman hopes to fulfill as his final legacy to humanity, viz., the construction of an elaborate â€œcanal system for irrigating desert lands,â€ to meet mankindâ€™s future needs for arable land; the destruction of a â€œfaraway planetâ€ that would otherwise collide with Earth â€œin far future timesâ€; the destruction of a â€œvast cloud of fungus in distant space, that will some day reach Earth and blight all plant lifeâ€; the melting of the Antarctic ice, â€œto make Antarctica a fit place for millions to live in the future,â€ thus ensuring â€œa home for Earthâ€™s expanding populationâ€; and the injection of a colossal sea monster, which has been growing to ever more titanic size due to the stimulation of undersea radioactivity, with a special â€œshrinking formulaâ€ so that it will not one day become so terrifyingly gargantuan that it menaces the safety of Earth.

Sometime later, the super-tasks completed, Supergirl flashes through the time-space barrier, to the planet Krypton at a time prior to its destruction, in an unsuccessful effort to find a cure for Virus X. Ultimately, however, it becomes clear that Superman is not suffering from exposure to Virus X at all, but rather from the effects of a tiny nugget of kryptonite that has somehow become lodged in [[Jimmy Olsen]]â€™s camera. Once the kryptonite nugget has been removed and Superman is fast on the way to being restored to full health, Supergirl joins forces with Krypto the Superdog to preserve the secret of Supermanâ€™s dual identity by using the awesome power of their combined heat vision to eradicate the name Clark Kent from the farewell message to mankind that Superman had earlier inscribed on the face of the [[Moon]] (S No. 156, Oct 1962: â€œThe Last Days of Superman!â€ pts. I-IIIâ€”â€Supermanâ€™s Death Sentence!â€; â€œThe Super-Comrades of All Time!â€; â€œSuper manâ€™s Last Day of Life!â€).

In November 1962, when Superman Day is celebrated in [[Metropolis]], Supergirl journeys to Metropolis to attend the festivities, bringing with her a life-sized statue of Superman, fashioned out of solid diamond that she has carved in his honor. Plans are made to display the magnificent statue in Metropolisâ€™s [[Superman Museum]] (S No.157/3: â€œSupermanâ€™s Day of Doom!â€).

In May 1963, Supergirl helps Superman carry out an elaborate, and ultimately successful, ruse de signed to enable him to preserve the secret of his dual identity (S No. 161/2: â€œSuperman Goes to War!â€). During this same period, Superman makes a time-journey to Metropolis one million years in the future, where he encounters a lifelike Supergirl android created by the people of the far-distant future (Act No. 300, May 1963: â€œSuperman Under the Red Sun!â€).

In August 1963, after exposure to red kryptonite has temporarily transformed Superman into a fearsome Kryptonian â€œdrangâ€ (see [[Krypton]]), and the U.S. Armed Forces, unaware that the hideous monster is actually Superman, are on the verge of destroying it, it is Supergirl who provides Superman with the crucial assistance he needs to alert his attackers to his true identity and get them to hold their fire (Act No. 303: â€˜The Monster from Krypton!â€).

When Metropolis television station [[WMET-TV]] inaugurates its new â€œOur American Heroesâ€ series with a program honoring Superman, â€œour greatest American hero,â€ Supergirl appears on the show along with Supermanâ€™s other friends and admirers to help pay tribute to the [[Man of Steel]] (Act No. 309, Feb 1964: â€˜The Superman Super-Spectacular!â€).

In June 1964, Supergirl rescues [[Batman]], [[Lois Lane]], [[Lori Lemaris]], [[Jimmy Olsen]], and [[Perry White]] from a cave beneath Metropolis, where they have been imprisoned in a state of suspended animation by the [[Superman Revenge Squad]] (Act No. 313: â€œThe End of Clark Kentâ€™s Secret Identity!â€).

In March 1965, after members of the Superman Revenge Squad have used a diabolical â€œcowardice rayâ€ to transform Superman into a craven coward whenever he is dressed in the clothing of his Clark Kent identity, Supergirl successfully snaps Clark Kent out of his state of artificially induced cowardice by ingeniously creating an elaborate web of circum stances which forces Superman to perform a super-heroic feat while dressed as Clark Kent (Act No. 322: â€œThe Coward of Steel!â€).

In April 1965, Supergirl accompanies Superman to the bottle city of Kandor to take part in the ceremonies marking the Day of Truth (S No. 176/3: â€œSupermanâ€™s Day of Truth!â€).(TGSB)

[[Image:BronzeAgeSupergirl.jpg|left]]

== The Later Adventures ==

Coming Soon!

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergirl_%28Kara_Zor-El%29 Wikipedia Entry on Supergirl]
*[http://superman.ws/supergirl/ superman.ws presents: The WORLD of SUPERGIRL!]
*[http://www.terra.es/personal/mbayona/supgirl.htm Supergirl: La prima de Superman]
*[http://members.shaw.ca/legion_roll_call/legionnaires/supergirl/ Kara's entry at the LSH Clubhouse]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/sgirl/ Supergirl Index by Mike]

== External Links to Online Comics ==

*[http://superman.ws/supergirl/introducing/ '''"Meet the Supergirl From Krypton"'''] from Action Comics No. 258
*[http://superman.ws/tales3/greatest/ '''Supergirl is revealed to the world in "The World's Greatest Heroine"'''] Action Comics serial reprinted in 80 Page Giant Action Comics No. 360

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Legion of Super-Heroes]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Zor-El

2006-12-14T02:39:48Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Zor-El moved to Zor-El of Earth-One

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

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

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

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

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

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

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Kandorians]]
[[Category:House of El]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Parasite

2006-12-14T02:37:24Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Parasite moved to Parasite of Earth-One

[[Image:Parasite.jpg|right]]
The purple-skinned villain who is able to absorb the powers and personalities of other life-forms. He first encounters [[Superman]] after being transformed from a janitor named [[Maxwell Jensen]] through exposure to an extraterrestrial waste material (Act No. 340, Aug 1966: "The Power of the Parasite!").

== Link ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasite_%28comics%29 Wikipedia Entry on Parasite]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Villains]]
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Terra-Man

2006-12-14T02:37:06Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Terra-Man moved to Terra-Man of Earth-One

[[Image:Terra_Man_Sman249.jpg|thumb|left|Terra-Man's FIRST appearance Superman No. 249 Art by Neal Adams]]
aka '''Toby Manning'''

The super-scientific Cowboy who is [[Superman]]'s sworn enemy.

Terra-Man was "born on Earth 100 years ago, but raised on a faraway world where he learned science far beyond what we know here. He uses this alien science to do evil" (Act No. 468, Feb 1977: "Terra at Nine O'Clock").

This mustachioed "souped-up Westerner" (Act No. 468) has used a variety of futuristic tools, disguised as 19th-Century weapons, in his many crime-sprees and bids to destroy or humiliate Superman. Among these are his remote control lariat and his twin revolvers --in reality technologically sophisticated, multi-use pistols. Every inch a dude, Terra-Man wears a cowboy hat and boots, yellow shirt, green cape, and brown trousers with chaps. For transportation he uses the space-born [[Nova]], a winged horse.

Terra-Man has the ability to withstand the rigours of outer-space without apparent protection or breathing apparatus. He is fond of enacting crimes with an Old-West theme and speaks in a Cowboy dialect.

In the texts, Terra-Man is alternately referred to as the Crooked Cowboy, the Buckaroo Bandit, and the Cosmic Cowboy. In addition, he has been described as a "juiced-up Jesse James" (Act No. 469, Mar 1977: "The Night Superman was Buried on Boot Hill!").

Superman first battles Terra-Man in March 1972 while undergoing the peak of a 6-year-long Kryptonian emotional cycle. It is revealed that Terra-Man is in reality [[Toby Manning]], an Earth human from the late 1800s. When Manning's bandit father [[Jess Manning]] was killed by an alien, the alien abducted the boy and raised him as a thief on his spaceship, giving him special abilities and weapons. Upon reaching adulthood and after learning all he can, Manning (dubbed Terra-Man by the alien because of his Earth origins) kills the alien and returns to Earth (S No. 249, Mar 1972: "The Challenge of Terra-Man").

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

Brainiac

2006-12-14T02:35:53Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Brainiac moved to Brainiac of Earth-One

[[Image:Superman_167.jpg|left|thumb|Iconic Superman No. 167 art by Curt Swan & Geo. Klein]]

A ruthless extraterrestrial villain - in reality an ingenious humanoid computer created by the sinister computer tyrants of a far-distant planet - who has been an implacable foe of [[Superman]] since July 1958.

Brainiac is an evil space mastermind and fearsome super-foe with an arsenal of awesome nightmarish scientific weapons at his command, and is perhaps the most terrible evil-doer in all the universe, a creature of superhuman intelligence, great scientific ability, and utter ruthlessness who is said to know the universe as no mere man knows it. It was Brainiac who, sometime prior to the death of the planet [[Krypton]], literally stole the Kryptonian city of [[Kandor]], reducing it to microscopic size with a diabolical shrinking ray and preserving it aboard his spacecraft inside a large glass bottle until it was finally recovered by Superman and placed for safekeeping inside his [[Fortress of Solitude]] (Act No. 242, Jul 1958: "The Super Duel in Space!").

Although Brainiac - with his green eyes and light-green skin - closely resembles the humanoid native inhabitants of the far-distant planet [[Colu]], he is actually a sinister computer spy created by the computer tyrants which had seized control of that planet as the first step in a scheme of interplanetary conquest. With Colu's computer masters having long since been overthrown and destroyed in a great revolution that toppled them from their pinnacle of planetary power, Brainiac now remains as the last of the mighty computer minds who has striven to keep his computer identity a secret, who is devoid of human emotions, and whose single greatest weakness may be his lack of insight into human psychology.

In his initial appearance he is portrayed as completely bare-headed, but later texts portray him as having a network of electronic devices atop his head which are described as the electric terminals of his sensory nerves.

Brainiac is sometimes accompanied on his marauding journeys through space by his alien pet, [[Koko]], a white extraterrestrial creature which closely resembles a small monkey except for the twin antennae protruding from its forehead.

Because he is a master of super-scientific forces as well as the most terrible of all space villains, Brainiac possesses an awesome arsenal of super-scientific weapons and devices to aid him in his never-ending war against Superman. Even [[Lex Luthor]], the world's most dangerous criminal scientist, has been moved to adopt some of Brainiac's more ingenious devices. It was in this tale, that Brainiac was revealed to be a computer driven robotic android (S No. 167, Feb 1964: "The Team of Luthor and Brainiac"). To hide his origin, Brainiac "adopted" a living son, [[Brainiac II]] (ancestor of [[Brainiac 5]]).

Perhaps the most important weapon in Brainiac's arsenal is his ultrasophisticated space-time craft, a weird vehicle capable of accelerating to such phenomenal velocities that it can literally penetrate the time barrier and travel through time as well as space. Portrayed sometimes as a flying saucer and at other times as a bizarre, light-bulb-shaped vehicle, it is surrounded by an invisible force field - or ultra-force barrier - which nothing in the universe can penetrate, and is crammed full of superscientific apparatus, including the amazing hyper-force machine built into the control panel.

It is by means of the hyper-forces emanating from this ingenious device - which is described as powered by hyper-batteries energized by cosmic rays - that Brainiac committed what has been called the greatest crime in the universe: the shrinking of the Kryptonian city of Kandor to microscopic size so that it could be imprisoned aboard his space-time craft inside a large glass bottle. The hyper-force ray is referred to as a reducing ray in at least one text and as a shrinking ray in several others.

Another superscientific apparatus employed by Brainiac is the special power-belt which surrounds the villain with an impenetrable ultra shell which even the heat of Superman's X-ray vision cannot penetrate.

Brainiac is a villain of such outstanding notoriety that Superman has devoted an entire room to him in his Fortress of Solitude. The so-called Brainiac Room contains a statue of the villain, a model of his space-time craft, and an array of scientific machinery constructed by Superman in connection with his experiments aimed at penetrating Brainiac's force-field.

In his early textual appearances, Brainiac is portrayed as a sinister alien who has been roaming the universe in his spacecraft, using his hyper-force machine to kidnap whole cities from various planets so that he can use them to found a new empire on his own desolate world, where the population has been decimated by a hideous plague (Act No. 242, Jul 1958: "The Super Duel in Space!"). Indeed, the inference is unmistakable that Brainiac was once the ruler of the planet he now seeks to repopulate in this mosaic manner. "Yes, Koko," he gloats to his alien pet after stealing Paris in July 1958, "I will take a dozen cities-in-the-bottle back to repopulate my home world, where a plague wiped out my people! Then I will restore all the cities to their original size and have a new empire to rule, as before!"

However, in February 1964 (S No. 167, Feb 1964: "The Team of Luthor and Brainiac"), while probing the universe with his time-space thought-scanner in the hope of locating an ally capable of helping him destroy Superman, Lex Luthor discovers that he has contacted a vastly powerful mind on a distant planet, years in the past. Carefully adjusting the controls of his uncanny instrument in order to get the mental picture clearer, Luthor finds that he has tuned in on the mind of Master Computer One, an electronic brain of towering intellect created by the green-skinned humanoid inhabitants of a far-distant planet. "A human mind is only a sixth-level effector," remarks one of the alien scientists associated with the construction of the master computer, "but the new computer is built to be a tenth-level effector!"

As the years passed, the green-skinned aliens built many such computers. Before long, however, the powerful master computers had wrested control of their planet from the humanoid civilization that had created them and had begun using weapons of awesome destructiveness to enforce their tyranny over the people.

As Luthor continues to survey the history of this distant planet with his time-space thought-scanner, he learns that the power-hungry mechanical minds soon concocted a diabolical scheme of interplanetary conquest. "We must extend our wise rule to all worlds governed by foolish humans!" asserted one computer, "First we'll send a computer spy to reconnoiter those worlds!"

[[Image:Action_Comics_544.jpg|right|thumb|Cover to Action Comics No. 544 showing the new versions of Lex Luthor and Brainiac! Cover art by Gil Kane and Dick Giordano]]

"Our spy would be detected and destroyed unless he deceived them by looking human," observed a second computer, "We'll make a computer of powerful intelligence that looks human!"

And so, in the weeks that followed, an ingenious computer spy was built to carry out acts of interplanetary espionage for the evil master computers that had created it. Although their advanced technology would have enabled them to equip their new spy with a twelfth-order mind superior to their own, the computers decided to endow it with only a tenth-level effector mind as a safeguard against its attempting to capitalize on its superior intelligence in order to dominate its creators.

The master computers christened their humanoid computer-spy Brainiac. To ensure that he would not only look human, but act human as well, they fed the mental patterns of one of their planet's scientists into Brainiac's memory banks, thereby endowing him with a full range of human mannerisms. The master computers attempted to further enhance the credibility of Brainiac's human masquerade by selecting a boy from among their planet's green-skinned inhabitants to accompany Brainiac on his travels and pose as his son. The youngster chosen for the task, whom the master computers renamed Brainiac II, had no intention of allowing himself to become the tool of an evil computer, however, and at the earliest opportunity he ran away and escaped, forcing Brainiac to climb into his spacecraft and set out on his interplanetary espionage mission without him.

It was this boy who, in Brainiac's absence, ultimately led his people in the great revolution that destroyed the computer tyrants that had seized control of their planet. That courageous youngster, whose real name was [[Vril Dox]], was the ancestor of [[Brainiac 5]], one of the members of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] (S No. 167, Feb 1964: "The Team of Luthor and Brainiac").

Brainiac later dropped his human guise and upgraded to a purer, cybernetic being - still bent on destroying Superman! (Act No. 544/2, Jun 1983: "The New Brainiac")

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

==External Link==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainiac_%28comics%29 Wikipedia Entry on Brainiac]

== External Links to Online Comics ==
'''"The Super Duel in Space!"''' from Action Comics No. 242
[http://superman.ws/tales2/superduel/]

'''"The Team of Luthor and Brainiac"''' from Superman No. 167 [http://superman.ws/tales2/luthorandbrainiac/]

Hocus and Pocus

2006-12-14T02:35:20Z

Super Monkey of Earth-2: Hocus and Pocus moved to Hocus and Pocus of Earth-2

[[Image:Hocuspocus.jpg|center]]

The professional names employed by a pair of likeable, ingenuous, gullible fellows, their real names are [[Doc]] and [[Flannelhead]], who start out as street corner salesmen of magic books, only to have their lives transformed when a series of bizarre coincidences convinces them that they have somehow become gifted with [[magic|magical]] powers. (Act No. 83, Apr 1945: "Hocus and Pocus... Magicians by Accident!")

Doc, better known as Hocus, is the brains of the outfit; he is a wiry little fellow with a moustache, eyeglasses, and an ever-present derby hat â€œwho speaks like a college professor but has the trusting simplicity of a child!â€ His companion, Flannelhead, better known as Pocus, a brawny, dim-witted fellow who murders the Kingâ€™s English whenever he speaks, â€œhas the strength of an ox â€¦ and about the same I.Q.!â€ Together with their â€œmascot,â€ a white rabbit named [[Moiton]] (Act No.88, Sep 1945: â€œThe Adventure of the Stingy Men!â€), the pair inhabit a furnished room in Mrs. Flahertyâ€™s Boarding House, somewhere in Metropolis (Act No. 83, Apr 1945: â€œHocus & Pocus... Magicians by Accident!â€). Superman No. 45/1 refers to them as â€œthat hilarious pair of cuckoo conjurersâ€ (Mar/Apr 1947: â€œLois Lane, Superwoman!â€), and, because their magical feats work only through either coincidence or the surreptitious intervention of [[Superman]], they are frequently described as â€œmagicians by accidentâ€ (Act No. 97, Jun 1946: â€œThe Magicianâ€™s Convention!â€; and others).

In April 1945, Doc and Flannelhead have been eking out a meager living giving magic demonstrations on street corners and selling books on magic to passersby, and become convinced, through a series of freak occurrences and ludicrous coincidences, that Doc has somehow acquired the power to make whatever he wishes come true merely by reciting the wish aloud, accompanied by the phrase â€œAbracadabra... alacazam . . . hocus-pocus!â€ Complications arise for the well-meaning prestidigitators, however, when their magical abilities come to the attention of gangster [[Hijack Dorley]], who wants them to use their supposed powers to help his gang loot a safe in a wealthy private home. Out of a sense of adventure more than anything else, Doc agrees to the scheme, confiding privately to Flannelhead that he intends to use his magic powers to return the stolen loot to its rightful owner immediately following the robbery. When Hijack Dorley asks his two new recruits to tell him their names, Doc replies that their real names are Doc and Flannelhead, but they prefer to be known professionally as Hocus and Pocus.

The attempt to rob the safe is thwarted by the timely arrival of Superman, but Hocus and Pocus escape, along with their underworld allies, when the Man of Steel is forced to break off the battle to attend to an emergency under circumstances that make it appear, to both the Dorley gang and the amateur magicians, that it is Docâ€™s magic that has forced Superman to beat a hasty retreat. When, back at the criminalsâ€™ hideout, Doc announces that he and Flannelhead have had enough of crime, Hijack Dorley and his henchmen take them captive so that they can continue to use Docâ€™s â€œpowersâ€ to stage spectacular crimes.

Hocus and Pocus are ultimately rescued from their dire predicament by Superman, who invades the criminalsâ€™ hideout and apprehends the Dorley gang at invisible super-speed, leaving both gangsters and magicians with the wholly erroneous impression that the criminals have been routed by Docâ€™s magical powers.

â€œBut you donâ€™t understand!â€ stammers Superman, trying, without success, to explain the unwelcome truth to Hocus and Pocus. â€œI..I know,â€ interrupts Doc knowingly. â€œYouâ€™re worried lest we use it Docâ€™s ability to perform magical feats for evil purposes. On the contrary, we shall use it to wage war against crime. We are going to open up... a private detective agency!â€

â€œOh well, who am I to disillusion them?â€ muses Superman to himself. â€œI guess from now on Iâ€™ll have to keep an eye on them and make the magic of Hocus and Pocus more than just accident!â€ (Act No. 83:â€œHocus & Pocus... Magicians by Accident!â€).

By September 1945, Doc and Flannelhead have indeed opened a detective agency. A sign on the door reads: â€œHocus-Pocus, Super-Magicians,â€ and below that the words, â€œAlso Detectives.â€ When a client offers the two self-styled magician-detectives $200 to entertain his guests with magic tricks at his forth coming lawn partyâ€”and Superman overhears Doc announce his intention to use the fee to buy war bondsâ€”Superman decides to help Doc earn the money for that worthy cause by working behind the scenes at invisible super-speed to make Docâ€™s â€œmagicâ€ actually succeed, as when he surreptitiously helps Doc â€œmaterializeâ€ an elephant by racing to the zoo at faster-than-light speed and delivering the gigantic animal to the lawn party in the twinkling of an eye. Since no one at the party is aware of Supermanâ€™s presence, Doc and Flannelhead and all of the party guests attribute the appearance of the elephant to Docâ€™s â€œmagical powers.â€

One guest who is particularly impressed, however, is â€œconfidence man and flim-flam artistâ€ [[Roger â€œNiftyâ€ Nolan]]. Posing as the president of a home for foundlings, Nolan plays on Docâ€™s and Flannelhead gullibility and warm-heartedness in order to make them his dupes in a scheme to bilk two stingy [[Metropolis]] millionaires out of $250,000. Nolan persuades the well-meaning magicians to use their magic powers to place the two millionaires in â€œperilous situations where they will be as helpless as foundlings,â€ so that, continues Nolan, â€œthey will realize that money is not everythingâ€ and freely contribute $250,000 toward the construction of a new home for foundlings.

Realizing from the outset that Nolan intends to wait until Hocus and Pocus have solicited the contributions from the two millionaires and then murder the two magicians and abscond with the money, Superman nevertheless works invisibly behind the scenes to make Docâ€™s â€œmagicâ€ work in order to help the magicians acquire the funds needed to build the new foundling home. Then, just as the ruthless confidence man is on the verge of killing Hocus and Pocus, the Man of Steel intervenes to apprehend Nolan and rescue the well-meaning magicians from his clutches. Nolan will go to jail, the new foundling home will be built, and Doc still believes he possesses magical powers (Act No. 8 â€œThe Adventure of the Stingy Menâ€).

In June 1946, Doc and Flannelhead attend a magiciansâ€™ convention, where a prize of $25,000 is being offered to the magician who can perform a magic trick capable of stumping all the other magicians. When unscrupulous magician [[Conrad the Conjurer]], convinced that he will never be able to outdo Hocus and Pocus, hires some hoodlums to kidnap the two magicians to prevent them from being on hand to compete for the prize money, Superman intervenes to apprehend Conrad the Conjurer and his cohorts and rescue Hocus and Pocus from the villainsâ€™ clutches.

Soon afterward, another magician at the convention, [[Gregor the Great]], hires Hocus and Pocus to recover the secret plans for the fantastic new trick he intends to perform in the magiciansâ€™ contest, which have been stolen by criminals and are being held for $10,000 ransom. With some invisible assistance from the [[Man of Steel]], Hocus and Pocus succeed in recovering Gregorâ€™s plans and capturing the criminals. Hocus and Pocus are unaware, however, that the real purpose of Gregorâ€™s trickâ€”an elaborate escape illusion involving Gregorâ€™s being imprisoned in an airtight steel box submerged in a tank of waterâ€”is to enable him to rob the safe of the hotel where the convention is being held by escaping unseen from the specially constructed steel box during the performance of his trick, looting the safe, and then returning to the box in time to â€œescapeâ€ from it for the finale of his trick, Superman, however, has discovered Gregorâ€™s real motive for performing this particular trick, and, working at invisible super-speed, he apprehends Gregor in the act of robbing the hotel safe, while making it appear that Hocus and Pocus have thwarted the robbery by means of their magic. Indeed, at storyâ€™s end, Hocus and Pocus have won the magiciansâ€™ contest, still under the delusion that Doc can actually perform real magic (Act No. 97:â€œThe Magicianâ€™s Convention!â€)

In March-April 1947, while [[Clark Kent]] and [[Lois Lane]] are visiting the office of Hocus and Pocus in order to interview them for the [[Daily Planet]], Lois accidentally trips over a balcony railing and plummets toward seemingly certain doom on the sidewalk below. Just as Clark Kent is about to leap to Loisâ€™s rescue, even at the cost of betraying his secret identity! Doc gets the idea of using his â€œmagicâ€ to transform Clark Kent into Superman so that Kent can fly through the air to rescue Lois. And so, in hopes of protecting the secret of his dual identity. Kent rescues the fatling Lois and then pretends that it was Docâ€™s magical powers that enabled him to temporarily change into Superman.

A complication arises; however, when Doc offers to demonstrate his â€œpowersâ€ again by using them to endow Lois Lane with super-powers, for now, in order to protect his own identity, Superman must contrive to make it appear as though Doc has actually succeeded in conferring super-powers on Lois. And so, in the period that follows, Superman works behind the scenes to make it seem that Lois lane has become magically transformed into a â€œ[[Superwoman]],â€ as when he makes it appear that she has single handedly apprehended the notorious BBB Gang, a â€œcold, violent, inhumanâ€ underworld trio â€œwhose vicious crimes blot the police ledgers of 16 slates!â€

Ultimately, however, by means of an elaborate ruse designed to make Lois feel that it is unfeminine to be super-powerful, Superman persuades Lois to pay Hocus to use his â€œmagicâ€ to deprive her of her super-powers and turn her back into plain Lois lane again. Everyone concerned, except for Superman, believes that it was Docâ€™s powers that gave Lois super-powers and then took them away again. Only the Man of Steel knows that it was only his surreptitious intervention that, for a time, transformed Lois Lane into a superwoman (S No. 45/1: â€œLois Lane, Superwoman!â€).

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