Alternative Versions Of Superman
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The character of
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
was created by
Jerry Siegel Jerome "Jerry" Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/ Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./ Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He was the co-creator of ...
and
Joe Shuster Joseph Shuster ( ; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992) was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938). Shuster was involv ...
, and has been continually published in a variety of
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
book titles since its premiere in 1938. There have been several versions of Superman over the years, both as the main hero in the stories as well as several alternative versions.


In mainstream comic continuity

Originally, there was only one Superman. However, beginning in the late 1940s, demand for comics shifted from superheroes as war, horror, science fiction and romance comics became more popular. Most of the DC Comics superhero titles were cancelled or began featuring the more popular genres. Superman, along with Batman and Wonder Woman, continued to be published. To explain how Superman could have been active as a young man in the 1930s when later stories show Superman still youthful in the 1960s, DC Comics developed a multiverse, the existence of several realities. The original Golden Age Superman was retconned to Earth-Two, while the then-currently published hero was assigned to Earth-One. In addition to these main two "official" variations of the standard Superman character, a number of characters have assumed the title of Superman in many variant stories set in both primary and alternative continuity. Following the storyline of ''
The Death of Superman "The Death of Superman" is a crossover story event mostly featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and ...
'' and during the subsequent ''Reign of the Supermen'' storyline, a number of characters claimed the mantle. In addition,
Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain or anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy (comic bo ...
, for instance, is an imperfect duplicate of Superman. Other members of Superman's family of characters have borne the ''Super''- prefix, including
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
, Krypto the Superdog and, in some instances,
Superwoman Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters in DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman, such as flight, invulnerability, and enhanced strength. In 1942, DC Comics trademarked the n ...
.


Pre-''Crisis'' 1938-1986

Superman was first published in 1938. In 1986, DC Comics published ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' is a 1985 to 1986 American comic book fictional crossover, crossover series published by DC Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman and penciller, pencilled by George Pérez, it was first released as a 12-issue limited ser ...
'', a 12-issue series designed to clean up and establish a new continuity for DC, affecting not only Superman, but all of the DC Comics characters. The versions of Superman from this time period are traditionally divided into three main periods.


Golden Age 1938-1950s

The first version of Superman began being published by DC Comics in 1938 appearing in ''Action Comics'' #1. To explain discrepancies in the aging of Superman across several decades, his earliest stories were retroactively portrayed as having taken place on an alternative world called
Earth-Two Earth-Two (also Earth 2) is a setting for stories (a "fictional universe") appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''The Flash'' #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between the original ...
. These stories take place from 1938 until the late 1950s, although the exact dividing line is unclear and some stories happened identically to both the Golden Age and Silver Age Supermen. The Golden Age Superman started his career leaping tall buildings rather than flying, had heat from his x-ray vision and not heat vision as the Earth-One hero did. In addition, he had a very limited ability to change his facial features to resemble other men of similar height and build that the other Superman lacked. The Golden Age Superman (Kal-L) is the first primary superhero of
Earth-Two Earth-Two (also Earth 2) is a setting for stories (a "fictional universe") appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''The Flash'' #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between the original ...
, who began his career as an adult and emerges just before World War II. He is a member of the
Justice Society In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes'' of Justinian, a ...
and, during World War II, the
All-Star Squadron The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in ''Justice League, Justice League of America'' #193 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. Although the team was introduced in the 1980s, its s ...
. As Clark Kent, he works for the ''Daily Star'' as a reporter and eventually becomes Editor-in-Chief. Clark eventually marries
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
''Action Comics'' #484 (1978) and settles down with her for several decades, and when Kal-L's long-lost cousin
Power Girl Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L, Karen Starr, and Paige Stetler, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, making her first appearance in ''All Star Comics'' #58 (January/February 1976).''Who's Who in the DC Unive ...
arrives on Earth, they become her surrogate parents.''Infinite Crisis'' #2 (2006) Kal-L is erased from Earth's history after the events of ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' is a 1985 to 1986 American comic book fictional crossover, crossover series published by DC Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman and penciller, pencilled by George Pérez, it was first released as a 12-issue limited ser ...
'', but survives and enters a "paradise" dimension, where he remains until the events of ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
''. Shortly after his wife passes away, Kal-L dies at the conclusion of ''Infinite Crisis'' while battling Superboy-Prime.''Infinite Crisis'' #7 His main two foes are the
Ultra-Humanite Ultra-Humanite (Gerard Shugel) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared as a recurring adversary of Superman, and was among the first villains faced by him. He was designed to be the polar oppos ...
and the red-haired
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
. In addition, his "S" symbol on his chest is generally drawn in a less distinctive manner. While the Golden Age Superman is generally viewed as weaker than his Earth-One counterpart, he did battle the Earth-One Superman to a standstill in ''Justice League of America'' #74. Stories taking place in the 1970s and 1980s featuring this version of Superman are usually labelled Earth-Two stories.


Silver Age 1950s-1971

The more significant differences between the Golden Age version (later equated with
Kal-L Superman of Earth-Two (Kal-L) is an alternate version of the fictional superhero Superman, who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a Multiverse (DC Comics), para ...
of Earth-Two) and Silver Age version (Kal-El of Earth-One) of Superman includes the Silver Age Kal-El begins his public, costumed career as
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
at the age of eight,See, for example,''The New Adventures of Superboy'' #1 (1980) and #12 (1980) more than a decade before nearly all other Earth-One heroes. Superboy only finds super-powered peers in the 30th-century
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
, though he also meets as a teenager Earth-One's only other major superpowered hero, "Aquaboy" (the teenaged
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles ...
). Luthor meets Superboy in Smallville when they are teens; the two are briefly friends before they become mortal enemies, years before they become adults.''Adventure Comics'' #271 (1960) As an adult, Clark Kent works at the ''Daily Planet'' and Superman is a founding member of the
Justice League of America The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived t ...
The Silver Age Superman also has greatly enhanced powers compared to Kal-L. His main villain is the bald Lex Luthor. The Silver Age Superman was typically characterized as being more grounded in reality than previous depictions, in that he was portrayed with a realistic appearance and embedded within logical and rationalistic narratives. While these were still based on the science fiction of his earlier iterations, Superman was portrayed in storylines that sought to uncover the mysteries of the world through observation and the use of evidence, including the concept of limits and the consequences of human action. This definition is attributed to
Curt Swan Douglas Curtis Swan (February 17, 1920 – June 17, 1996) was an American comics artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans call the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 195 ...
, who was the principal artist of Superman comics from 1955 to 1985. Swan's extensive work on the character, which was responsible for much of the public perception of the superhero, emphasized anatomical realism, embedding in the character a sense of
Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
esque Americana. This depiction of the superhero resonated with the readers as indicated in the way some observers saw their own lived experiences in his stories.


Bronze Age 1971-1986

In 1971,
Dennis O'Neil Dennis "Denny" Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until h ...
and
Julius Schwartz Julius "Julie" Schwartz ( ; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was an American comic book editor, and a science fiction agent. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various times he ...
set out to simplify Superman's overelaborate framework. They streamlined the Superman mythos by downsizing his abilities and reducing his power levels. This version only lasted a few issues. DC attempted more of a soft reboot in the 45th Anniversary issue of ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as Detective Comics Inc., which later merged into National ...
''. Lex Luthor and Brainiac were updated and modernized to make them more visibly dangerous for Superman. The Silver/Bronze Age (Earth-One) Superman was given a send-off in the
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...
-penned "imaginary story" '' Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?'' (1986). Colloquially known as "The Last Superman Story", it was a literal conclusive ending to Superman's story as a character. The story was originally conceived by senior editor Julius Schwartz, who designed a triumphant goodbye for the flagship hero in his final two ''Superman'' issues (prior to the John Byrne '' The Man of Steel'' relaunch) - ''Superman'' (vol. 1) #423 and ''Action Comics'' (vol. 1) #583 (1986). Both comics were illustrated by the long-tenured, mainstay ''Superman'' artist Curt Swan.


Other Pre-''Crisis'' versions

Before ''Crisis'', the Multiverse was also used to explain an "evil" version of Superman from
Earth-Three Earth-Three, or simply Earth-3 or Earth 3, is a “partially-reversed” Earth, where supervillainous counterparts of the mainstream DC superheroes reside. It first appeared in ''Justice League of America'' #29 (August 1964), and the concept has ...
as well as other versions that officially existed. Earth-95 had Jor-El rescue his entire family. Earth-149 saw
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
succeed in killing Superman.: Earth-Prime was designated as the "real" world, even though
Superboy-Prime Superboy-Prime (Clark Kent; colloquial: "Prime") is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A boy from the Reality, real world Isekai, transported to the DC Universe, as an Alternative vers ...
is from that universe. This version of Clark Kent is from a world without other superpowered beings, where he grows to adolescence reading about the DC superheroes in comic books. During the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' is a 1985 to 1986 American comic book fictional crossover, crossover series published by DC Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman and penciller, pencilled by George Pérez, it was first released as a 12-issue limited ser ...
'', he gains powers like those of the Silver Age Superboy and helps to defeat the
Anti-Monitor The Anti-Monitor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He served as the main antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' and later appears as an enemy to the Green Lantern Corps ...
. However, his own world is lost and Superboy-Prime himself is confined to Limbo. In addition to official versions, other stories listed as "What Ifs" or imaginary stories which were not originally an official part of DC continuity. One example,
Superman Red/Superman Blue "Superman Red/Superman Blue" refers to two comic book storylines published by DC Comics featuring Superman. Silver Age story The original Superman-Red/Superman-Blue tale, "The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue!", is an "Elseworlds" ...
was the subject of several story lines. The Silver Age version of the tale was an "imaginary story" in which Superman splits into two beings, one which marries
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
, and the other marries
Lana Lang Lana Lang is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is a ''Superman'' supporting character and love interest of the teenage Clark Kent. She was created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela ...
, and both are happy. Both retained their powers, with one having all red removed from his costume and the other having all blue removed. In ''Superman'' #300, a story imagines what would have happened if Superman had landed in the middle of the Cold War, with both the U.S. and the USSR trying to capture the capsule as it is landing. Kent is a reporter for a worldwide news service, and takes the name Skyboy.


Post-''Crisis'': 1986-present

The Multiverse system was discarded in the aftermath of ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' is a 1985 to 1986 American comic book fictional crossover, crossover series published by DC Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman and penciller, pencilled by George Pérez, it was first released as a 12-issue limited ser ...
'' limited series (1986) by rebooting all of DC's various stories and continuities into one timeline taking place on a single Earth (later described as New Earth). A more modern adaptation of the mainstream "Earth-One" Superman debuted in John Byrne's '' The Man of Steel'' miniseries in 1986. The post-''Crisis'' Superman was the Superman from 1986 to 2011. Superman's backstory was heavily revised and many Silver Age elements, such as his career as Superboy, were removed.''Man of Steel'' #1 (1986) Significant changes included a reimagining of all Kryptonians being genetically bound to Krypton, making it fatal for them to leave the planet. Jor-El devises a serum to counter this, which he administers to baby Kal-El. DC used this plot device to make Superman Krypton's sole survivor until this was retconned in the mid 2000s to introduce the post-''Crisis'' Kara Zor-El. Krypton was also reimagined as an emotionless and sterile society where all their babies were grown in a birthing matrix as Kryptonians found
sexual reproduction Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote tha ...
to be barbaric. Clark never becomes Superboy, with his powers manifesting gradually as he matures in age. His power level is also toned down to where he is no longer able to travel through time with his super speed, is not strong enough to push planets out of orbit like his Silver Age incarnation, and will be at least disorientated if not outright hurt if forced to confront a nuclear explosion. Clark also spends some years traveling the globe trying to find himself after leaving Smallville and before settling in Metropolis, performing various low-key rescues before a crashing plane forces him to make a more public debut. Other differences include Lex Luthor as a business mogul with secret criminal dealings rather than a supergenius scientist who is a known crook to the public; both of his parents alive and well in the present; only green kryptonite existing (until the mid 2000s) and Superman thinking of himself as Clark Kent first, with "Superman" being a persona he adopts to preserve his privacy. Nuances in the characters mythos were later defined in various Superman origin stories, such as '' Superman: Birthright'', where
Mark Waid Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Da ...
retooled Superman's origin in 2003. The trend continued after ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
''; when Superman's backstory was retooled once again by
Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash (comics), Flash, and Superman has drawn critical accl ...
, with '' Superman: Secret Origin'' in 2009. The single-Earth continuity retained the dichotomy of a good and evil Superman by introducing an alternative version of Superman's Earth-Three double,
Ultraman The , also known as ''Ultraman'', is a Japanese science fiction media franchise owned and produced by Tsuburaya Productions, which began with the television series '' Ultra Q'' in 1966. The franchise has expanded into many television shows, fi ...
in the Antimatter Universe surviving the ''Crisis'', as presented in '' JLA: Earth 2''. Alternative Supermen were also depicted using literary devices such as time travel and "
Hypertime Hypertime is a fictional concept in DC Comics which first appeared in the 1999 '' The Kingdom'' limited series. It is a variation of the Multiverse concept that existed in DC Comics before 1985's ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' limited series and wa ...
". The subsequent sequel to ''Crisis'', titled ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
'', would see a brief return of the Golden Age Superman,
Kal-L Superman of Earth-Two (Kal-L) is an alternate version of the fictional superhero Superman, who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a Multiverse (DC Comics), para ...
as well as the teenage Superman of a world without heroes, who survived the original ''Crisis''. The modern take on the Superman Blue/Red was a controversial storyline in which Superman develops energy-based powers while losing his original powers, and acquires a corresponding new costume. He eventually splits into two versions of the energy-Superman, known as Superman Red and Superman Blue, before the two Supermen manage to find a way to work together and merge back into one entity. Due to the events of ''Infinite Crisis'', as revealed in the subsequent weekly series '' 52'', a new
multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describ ...
consisting of 52 alternative Earths was created, with most worlds featuring new alternative depictions of Superman. This backstory was kept intact for over a decade until it was revised in '' Superman: Birthright'' (2003) by
Mark Waid Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Da ...
, and then further modified following the events of ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
'' (2006),See, for example, ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as Detective Comics Inc., which later merged into National ...
'' #850 (2007)
with the essence of the changes being elaborated on in the subsequent " Superman: Secret Origin" six-issue story arc written by Geoff Johns (debuted September 2009). Many of the
Silver Age The Ages of Man are the historical stages of human existence according to Greek mythology and its subsequent interpretatio romana, Roman interpretation. Both Hesiod and Ovid offered accounts of the successive ages of humanity, which tend to pr ...
elements of Superman's biography (such as his meeting Lex Luthor at a younger age and his teenage membership as
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
in the
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
) that were removed in ''The Man of Steel'' were restored in these continuity changes. Nonetheless, many of the elements added in the ''Man of Steel'' revamp remain in place. This version finally returns in the ''
Convergence Convergence may refer to: Arts and media Literature *''Convergence'' (book series), edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen *Convergence (comics), "Convergence" (comics), two separate story lines published by DC Comics: **A four-part crossover storyline that ...
'' (2015) crossover where he and Lois have a son named Jon. Later the three of them travel back in time to the original ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' (1985) in order to avert the collapse of the original Multiverse. Another fresh incarnation of Superman was introduced in September 2011 in the wake of DC's '' Flashpoint'' event and as part of ''
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
'' publishing relaunch, and was retired in 2016 following the restoration of the post-''Crisis'' Superman. The New 52 Superman's backstory is detailed in the first story arc of the second volume of ''Action Comics'' (2011–2012). This latest incarnation of Superman incorporates elements of nearly every previous version, and starts off as a reporter for the ''Daily Star'' (later changing to the ''Daily Planet''). He and Lois are friends but not lovers, his parents are dead, and it is not until adulthood that he emerges as Superman. Later, after joining the Justice League, he starts a relationship with
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
. During the ''Truth'' storyline his secret identity is revealed to the world and he largely loses his powers after using a new power he calls a 'Solar Flare'. He struggles with vulnerability for the first time while fighting crime in an improvised way, while also dealing with not being taken as seriously, problems in his relationship with Wonder Woman that eventually cause him to end it, and regaining his powers. However, a combination of different trials, such as exposing himself to kryptonite to purge himself of the radiation inhibiting his powers and absorbing energy from the fire pits of Apokolips, compromise his health. After undergoing tests at the Fortress, Superman confirms that he is dying, eventually turning to dust after saving lives one last time. After this Superman's death, the Post-''Crisis'' Superman- trapped in this reality after the events of the ''Convergence'' storyline- takes both his place as the current Superman and his place in the current Justice League, and, with the ''
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 (2011–2016) initiative in May 2016 as its launching point ...
'' initiative (the publisher's attempt to set right unpopular character changes) this Superman is told that there is more to the story of his replacing New 52 Superman than he realizes. At the conclusion of the "Superman Reborn" storyline, the histories of the pre-''Flashpoint'' and New 52 Superman and Lois Lane are merged, effectively writing over the New 52 era as if it never happened and creating another soft reboot for characters in the ''Superman'' franchise.


Alternative universe depictions


Earth-1

In the Silver Age of Comic Books, Earth-1 was home to the mainstream version of Superman known by most readers of DC Comics. Following DC's ''Flashpoint'' event,
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
Earth-1 is the setting of the '' Earth One'' graphic novel series, where Superman is one of a handful of heroes just starting out in modernized retellings of classic origin stories.


Val-Zod (Earth-2)

Following '' 52'' (2006), a nearly identical Earth-2 is created with only subtle differences like the Justice Society and Infinity, Inc. combining into the Justice Society Infinity, Green Lantern
Alan Scott Alan Ladd Wellington Scott is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and the first character to bear the name Green Lantern. He fights evil with the aid of his mystical ring, which grants him a variety of powers. H ...
being dead and Superman being missing for years. Following ''Flashpoint'' (2011), the Earth-2 concept is revised again. After Kal-El is killed in an invasion of Earth by Darkseid, a new Kryptonian who resembles a blue eyed black man emerges as Superman, Val-Zod, a pacifist who reconsiders his beliefs in order to defeat an evil clone of Kal-El. Val-Zod is the son of the deceased Zod who, along with Power Girl, are both adopted by Jor-El and Lara.


Ultraman (Earth-3)

There are several versions of the evil Superman analogue, which begins with ''
Ultraman The , also known as ''Ultraman'', is a Japanese science fiction media franchise owned and produced by Tsuburaya Productions, which began with the television series '' Ultra Q'' in 1966. The franchise has expanded into many television shows, fi ...
'', who as originally introduced is Superman's evil analogue from Earth-Three. After the Multiverse concept was retired, Ultraman was introduced as an alien from Qward with powers similar to the original; this version made only one appearance. DC later attempted the "evil universe" trope again with the Antimatter Universe in '' JLA: Earth 2'' (2000), introducing an Ultraman who is Lt. Clark Kent, a human astronaut who is experimented on during a deep space mission. He is a member of the Crime Syndicate of Amerika. Following DC's series ''52'', the maxiseries ''Countdown'' introduced a new "Golden Age" Ultraman from the new Earth-3, a member of the Crime Society of America. This Ultraman and his team are analogues for the elder Superman and the Justice Society Infinity of the new Earth-2. Following ''
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
'' reboot, DC revised Earth-3 again with ''
Forever Evil "Forever Evil" is a 2013–2014 crossover (comics), crossover comic book storyline published by DC Comics that began in September 2013 and ended in May 2014, consisting of an eponymous, central miniseries written by Geoff Johns and art by David F ...
'' (2013–14), making Ultraman of Earth-3 Superman from Earth-0's evil counterpart and a Kryptonian once again.


Captain Allen Adam (Earth-4)

The Superman of Post-''Crisis'' Earth-4 is Captain Allen Adam, the Quantum Superman, and one of the most powerful beings in all of the 52 Earths. An amalgamation of
Captain Atom Captain Atom is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books, initially owned by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. All possess some form of energy-manipulating abilities, usually relating to nuc ...
(a
Charlton Comics Charlton Comics was an American comic-book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T. W. O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line (comics), line was a divi ...
superhero based on Superman and later acquired by DC) and Dr. Manhattan of the ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'' maxiseries (a pastiche of Captain Atom), Air Force Captain Allen Adam gained his quantum abilities when he was disintegrated in a blast caused by an experimental
U-235 Uranium-235 ( or U-235) is an isotope of uranium making up about 0.72% of natural uranium. Unlike the predominant isotope uranium-238, it is fissile, i.e., it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. It is the only fissile isotope that exists in nat ...
engine. The U-235 particles fused with his body, and his disembodied consciousness built an enhanced copy of his former body, but he keeps his "quantum senses" at a managed level by using drugs. He is one of the Supermen from throughout the Multiverse who are recruited by Monitrix Zillo Valla in ''Final Crisis: Superman Beyond'', and allows the drugs in his system to wear off in order to reach a grander state of being, fusing the consciousness of Ultraman and Superman together in order to operate the Superman Robot in the Monitor world and fight Mandrakk, the Dark Monitor.''Final Crisis: Secret Files'' This version of Captain Atom is revisited in '' The Multiversity: Pax Americana'' (2015), which details his origin in more depth.


Captain Marvel (Earth-5)

On the Post-''Crisis'' Earth-5, Superman's closest analogue is Captain Marvel (originally a
Fawcett Comics Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel, the alter ego of radio reporter Billy Bats ...
superhero) as shown in ''Superman: Beyond'' and ''Final Crisis''.


Herr Superman and Hyperious (Earth-8)

Earth-8 is a
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
pastiche world, home to villains Lord Havok and the Extremists, who are opposed by Avengers pastiche characters the Meta Militia (a modernization of the Champions of Angor). When visited during ''Countdown'', a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Superman called "Herr Superman", who serves in Monarch's army, is seen, but it is not certain what world he is from. In ''
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
'', Earth-8 is home to a Superman analogue named Hyperious who is a pastiche of Marvel's own Superman pastiche Hyperion. He is a member of an Avengers pastiche team named the Retaliators. Hyperious' current whereabouts are unknown.


Harvey Dent (Earth-9)

The Superman from DC's Tangent Comics imprint is a radically different character from the traditional Superman. Due to an experiment conducted on an entire town by a government black ops group called Nightwing, Harvey Dent was the lone infant survivor of a failed super-human program that killed hundreds. After growing to adulthood, and falling from the world's tallest building in an attempt to save a suicidal man, his dormant powers activate and he develops advanced physical and psychic abilities. Evolving millions of years past normal humans, he eventually becomes a "modern-day superhero". He is illustrated as a tall, bald, African American man wearing a blue robe, and carrying a staff. This version of Superman has become the most powerful person on Earth. After attempting to give his wife the same powers as his, through what he thought was a safe version of the experiment, which resulted in her apparent death, Superman instead married that reality's version of Power Girl and decided to protect the entire world by conquering it, as seen in ''Tangent: Superman's Reign''. This Earth is numbered Earth-9 in the DC Multiverse.


Overman (Earth-10)

Earth-10 The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct used in numerous DC Comics publications. The Multiverse has undergone numerous changes since its introduction and has included various universes, listed below between the original Multiverse a ...
, which is under the control of the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
, depicts an alternative Superman, usually known as Overman, who supports the Nazis' policy of genetic purity. He is a member of the JL-Axis, a Nazi-themed Justice League. Two conflicting artistic renditions of this Superman have been shown. One is a stereotypical blond
Aryan ''Aryan'' (), or ''Arya'' (borrowed from Sanskrit ''ārya''), Oxford English Dictionary Online 2024, s.v. ''Aryan'' (adj. & n.); ''Arya'' (n.)''.'' is a term originating from the ethno-cultural self-designation of the Indo-Iranians. It stood ...
with a Nazi
swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...
replacing the S-shield, while the other is a black-haired twin of the standard Superman with an "S" resembling one from the
Schutzstaffel The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II. It beg ...
emblem; the latter is portrayed in ''Superman: Beyond'' as guilt-ridden. The first blond-haired Superman, along with most of the JL-Axis was likely killed when they were fighting the Monitors on Earth-51 and that entire universe was destroyed by Superman-Prime and
Monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
. The second, called Overman, is Karl Kant, a.k.a. Kal-L, whose rocket from Krypton crashed in a field in
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
in 1938. Nazi scientists retro engineered technology found in the rocket to win the war, and later unleashed Overman to defeat the USA forces in the 1950s. Overman leads the New Reichsmen, his world's Justice League, consisting of Brunhilde, Leatherwing, Blitzen, the Martian Manhunter, Underwaterman, while fighting Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. He is still mourning the death of his "cousin" Overgirl, from injuries sustained during her crossing of the Multiverse's interstitial Bleed medium.''The Multiversity: Mastermen #1'' (February 2015) He has growing doubts about his past use as enabler of the Nazi victory, especially after his discovery of an expanded Nazi Holocaust in North America during the fifties and sixties. He is apparently immortal. Although he attempts to halt the fall of the Eagles Ayrie due to Freedom Fighters sabotage, he is unable to prevent its impact in Metropolis and the death of millions. Distraught over Metropolis' destruction, added with his guilt over the millions of deaths that his regime was responsible for, Overman flees Earth for years which causes the Nazis to create a cyborg replacement to take Overman's place.


Superwoman (Earth-11)

On the gender-reversed Earth-11, Earth's greatest hero is Superwoman. In ''Superman'' #349 ("The Turnabout Trap!"), Superman returns from an interstellar mission to find that everyone on Earth is of the opposite sex. Among them are Penny White (a female
Perry White Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the '' Daily Planet''. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and i ...
), Jenny Olsen (a female
Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the ''Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Superman, Clark Kent ...
), Louis Lane (a male Lois Lane),
Batwoman Batwoman is a name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies of Batman similarly to Batgirl. The original version of the character, Kathy Kane (eventually given t ...
(a female
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
, rather than the actual character), Wonder Warrior (a male
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
; DC Comics could not use the name Wonder Man at the time because
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
holds the trademark), Black Condor (a male
Black Canary Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, ...
), Superlad (a male
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
), and Superwoman (his female counterpart) herself. Believing he crossed into a parallel universe, Superman flies back to space to find a dimensional portal but is blocked by an invisible barrier. He notices the parallelism fails when he sees Superwoman and Clara Kent (Superwoman's presumed secret identity) are two separate people. When he confronts Superwoman he discovers that he is regarded as a super-villain in this gender-reversed world, which leads to a battle with Superwoman, Superlad, and Wonder Warrior. They manage to trap Superman with Wonder Warrior on guard, but he manages to escape and takes Wonder Warrior's magic lasso with him. Superman figures out that his foe Mr. Mxyzptlk is behind this gender-reversed world. This was partly due to the discrepancy of Clara Kent and Superwoman being different people. However, Mxyzptlk's biggest mistake was being too vain to give himself a reverse-gender counterpart in Superwoman's rogues gallery in The Daily Planet morgue; all of Superwoman's foes were reverse-gender counterparts to Superman's foes (Leslie Luthor (
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
), Bizaress (
Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain or anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy (comic bo ...
) and the Toywoman (
Toyman Toyman is the name of three supervillains and one adolescent superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, as an adversary for Superman. The most well-known incarnation of Toyman is Winslow Schott, a criminal who uses toy-based or to ...
)) - except for Mxyzptlk. Superman discovers as well that he was never in a parallel universe, but rather on Earth, which Mxyzptlk had altered with his magic. After using Wonder Warrior's magic lasso to make Mxyzptlk say his name backwards and thus returning him to his native dimension, the effects of Mxyzptlk's magic (including the existence of Superwoman) vanish, returning the Earth to normal. Upon his return to his Clark Kent identity, he is startled to discover there is still a Louis Lane, but he turns out to be Lois Lane's cousin. Later stories, including '' Countdown'' and ''
The Multiversity ''The Multiversity'' is a two-issue Limited series (comics), limited series combined with seven interrelated one-shot (comics), one-shots set in the Multiverse (DC Comics), DC Multiverse in The New 52, a collection of universes seen in publicatio ...
'' would revisit the concept of a gender-reversed Superman known as Superwoman, and designated those stories as taking place on Earth-11 of the DC Multiverse.


Superdemon (Earth-13)

On Earth-13, Superman's role is filled by Superdemon, a character who shares characteristics with
Etrigan the Demon Etrigan the Demon is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly beca ...
and Superman, and who leads the League of Shadows in a world of magic and cloak-and-dagger adventures.


Christopher Kent (Earth-16)

Christopher Kent of Earth-16 is introduced in '' Countdown: Arena'' (2008) as a "more evolved" Superman who was able to reformat his power source to any energy source he could consciously choose, effortlessly overcoming the Earth-30 and Earth-31 Supermen with energy powers in a head-to-head battle. He was bald and wore a simple black T-shirt and jeans. He dies in an attempt to defeat Monarch using a massive amount of energy that burns out his body. The Earth-16 concept is refreshed following '' Flashpoint'' (2011). In ''
The Multiversity ''The Multiversity'' is a two-issue Limited series (comics), limited series combined with seven interrelated one-shot (comics), one-shots set in the Multiverse (DC Comics), DC Multiverse in The New 52, a collection of universes seen in publicatio ...
'' (2015), Chris Kent, Superman's son, is the inheritor to his father's legacy in a world with no villains left to fight. Wearing a capeless modern Superman costume, he and his young superhero friends, including his best friend Batman (Damian Wayne), live a vapid party existence filled with parties and classic Justice League battle reenactments.''The Multiversity: The Just #1'' (August 2014)


Overman (Earth-17)

The Superman of Pre-''Crisis'' Earth-17 was the original Overman, created by the government as were the other heroes of this Earth. Likewise, all other heroes that were created were modified clones of Overman's cell scrapings, such as versions of Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern. Some time later, Overman went on a homicidal rampage (due to an STD which had affected his mind) and murdered everyone on the planet before he decided to commit suicide and destroy the planet at the same time with a doomsday bomb. This world was destroyed, and Overman was wiped out by the Crisis, until the Psycho-Pirate began bringing back characters the Crisis had killed in ''
Animal Man Animal Man (Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily "borrow" t ...
'' #23, Overman and bomb included, despite trying not to remember him. Overman fought against Ultraman and Animal Man, before Overman was dragged out of the comic book panels and wiped out by a closing panel, ranting that it was not his fault he was like that before Animal Man disarmed the bomb. In
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
DC Multiverse, Earth-17 is the world of the Atomic Knights and lacks a known Superman analogue.


Saganowana (Earth-18)

Earth-18 is based on the '' Justice Riders'' comic; Superman's analogue is Saganowana, a bison-headed Native American hero.


The New Frontier (Earth-21)

In Darwyn Cooke's '' DC: The New Frontier'', Superman is one of the heroes of Earth-21, who has been active since the '40s, and still is during the events of the storyline, which occurs during the 1950s. As in '' Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'', he is a government agent, but unlike ''DKR'', he is willing to go against the U.S. government when he feels that the tensions between the humans and superhumans has to end. He is also a friend of Batman, rather than his foe as he is in ''Dark Knight Returns''.


Kingdom Come (Earth-22)

The '' Kingdom Come'' miniseries shows an alternative future in which Kal-El went into self-imposed exile following the death of
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
. He returns after ten years at the behest of
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
. This alternative Superman resides on Earth-22. He appeared in DC's mainstream continuity in the
Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Books. It first appeared in '' ...
story "Thy Kingdom Come", where he joined the Society in battling the being known as Gog. The ''Kingdom Come'' Superman is more powerful and less vulnerable to
kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton (comics), Krypton that emits a u ...
than his younger mainstream counterpart, due to far greater exposure to yellow sun radiation (as explained by his Earth's Lex Luthor in the miniseries). He travels to the mainstream continuity in ''Justice Society: Thy Kingdom Come'', and, after returning to his home universe, lives to see the formation of the Legion of Super-heroes in the 31st century.


Calvin Ellis (Earth-23)

''
Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely ...
'' #7 introduces an
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
version of the Man of Steel who is the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
in his secret identity, President Calvin Ellis (with the Kryptonian name of Kalel). Writer Grant Morrison has confirmed that this Superman is a homage to President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
. This Superman appears to be multiracial with both African and European features and wears exactly the same costume as the New Earth Superman, except that his "S" insignia is yellow with a red backdrop. In ''Action Comics'' vol. 2 #9 (in ''The New 52'') this Superman is redesigned to appear with full African features and a new costume. On Earth-23, African American heroes have risen to positions of prominence (such as
Nubia Nubia (, Nobiin language, Nobiin: , ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the confluence of the Blue Nile, Blue and White Nile, White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), and the Cataracts of the Nile, first cataract ...
being
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
) inspired by Superman's legacy. He also leads Earth-23's Justice League and originates from Vathlo Island on Krypton. He plays a big role in ''
The Multiversity ''The Multiversity'' is a two-issue Limited series (comics), limited series combined with seven interrelated one-shot (comics), one-shots set in the Multiverse (DC Comics), DC Multiverse in The New 52, a collection of universes seen in publicatio ...
'' (2014–2015) and forms the Justice Incarnate, a team of superheroes from throughout the Multiverse who combat multiversal threats. In '' Injustice 2'', he makes a cameo appearance in Green Arrow's ending working with ''Red Son'' Batman, and ''Flashpoint'' Wonder Woman to combat the threat posed by various incarnations of Brainiac and ends up saving Green Arrow's Earth from his universe's Brainiac.


Captain Carrot (Earth-C/Earth-26) and Super-Squirrel (Earth-C-Minus)

The 1980s series '' Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew'' presented the parallel Earths of Earth-C and Earth-C-Minus, worlds populated by talking animal superheroes. Earth-C is home to the heroic Captain Carrot, who does not share Superman's patterning but does have similar abilities and standing in his universe. Earth-C-Minus parallels the mainstream DC Universe, with animal superheroes as members of the superhero team " Just'a Lotta Animals" (JLA). Superman's Earth C-Minus analogue is Super-Squirrel, a "Chiptonian" alien who is jealous of Captain Carrot's relationship with the Wonder Woman analogue of the world. Since ''52'', the Zoo Crew has resided on Earth-26, and appeared as prominent heroes in ''Final Crisis'' (2008), ''The Multiversity'' (2014–2015) and ''Convergence'' (2015). It is not known if the inhabitants of Earth-C-Minus are on a new Earth.


Bizarro Superman (Earth-29)

In the current
DC Multiverse In most of the DC Comics media, the Multiverse is a "cosmic construct" that is composed of the many fictional universes the stories of DC media take place in. The worlds within the multiverse share a space and fate in common, and its structure h ...
, Earth-29 is a cube-shaped and ringed
Bizarro World The Bizarro World (also known as Htrae, which is "Earth" spelled backwards) is a fictional planet appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in the early 1960s, Htrae is a cube-shaped planet, home to Bizarro and compani ...
in a "damaged continuum" that also hosts Sram (Mars-29), Nnar (Rann-29) and Raganaht (Thanagar-29). It is uncertain whether its Bizarro Superman, therefore, also originated on Notpyrk (
Krypton Krypton (from 'the hidden one') is a chemical element; it has symbol (chemistry), symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless noble gas that occurs in trace element, trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere, atmosphere and is of ...
-29).''The Multiversity Guidebook''(January 2015)


Red Son Superman (Earth-30)

'' Superman: Red Son'' explores what would have happened if Superman's ship had crashed in the Soviet Union instead of the United States and was raised under the control of
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
. The ''Red Son'' Superman's birth name is stated to be Kal-L, the same as the aged Pre-''Crisis'' Earth-Two Superman, though he is essentially immortal as shown at the end of this mini-series. Moreover, he is from Earth's distant future and is a descendant of
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
and
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
. A younger alternative Communist version of the ''Red Son'' Superman resides on
Earth-30 The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct used in numerous DC Comics publications. The Multiverse has undergone numerous changes since its introduction and has included various universes, listed below between the original Multiverse a ...
. The Earth-30 Superman was captured by Monarch and forced to join his war against the Monitors in the ''Countdown'' series. He is later seen in ''Final Crisis'' #7, flying along with 50 other Supermen.


Dark Knight Returns Superman (Earth-31)

Prior to ''Flashpoint'', Earth-31 is the setting of
Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book artist, comic book writer, and screenwriter known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'', for which he created the character Elektra, and ...
's ''
The Dark Knight Returns ''The Dark Knight Returns'' (alternatively titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'' but originally titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight'') is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller ...
'', ''
The Dark Knight Strikes Again ''The Dark Knight Strikes Again'', also known as ''Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again'' and ''DK2'', is a 2001–2002 DC Comics three-issue limited series comic book written and illustrated by Frank Miller and colored by Lynn Varley, featuri ...
'' and '' All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder'', first visited in '' Countdown: Arena'' #1 (2007). In ''The Dark Knight Returns'' and its sequel, Superman is a pawn of the American government in a dystopian United States in the supposed 1980s, and mention of him by the media is implied to be strictly forbidden by the Federal Communications Division. Although Batman and Superman are no longer friends, Superman shows a grudging respect for the Caped Crusader in ''The Dark Knight Returns'', and regrets when his fellow hero supposedly dies.


Flying Fox Superman (Earth-31)

Following ''Flashpoint'', in the
New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC cancelled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new ser ...
DC Multiverse In most of the DC Comics media, the Multiverse is a "cosmic construct" that is composed of the many fictional universes the stories of DC media take place in. The worlds within the multiverse share a space and fate in common, and its structure h ...
, the Earth-31 Superman is a member of the ''Flying Fox'' pirate crew on a post-apocalyptic waterworld. The ''Flying Fox'' crew is led by a version of Batman named Leatherwing.


Super-Martian (Earth-32)

On Earth-32, the closest equivalent to Superman is a fusion of that character and the
Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" in ''Detective Comics ...
, known as Super-Martian. Super-Martian is a member of the Justice Titans.


Savior (Earth-34), Supremo (Earth-35), and Optiman (Earth-36)

On Earth-34, Savior is the strongest terrestrial metahuman, although his origin and appearance differ from that of Superman, in that he is a survivor of ancient Mu, an Indian Ocean lost continent Meanwhile, Earth-35's Supremo is its alternate Superman, as is Earth-36's slain Optiman. Creator
Grant Morrison Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
has said that these three Supermen and worlds are based on Justice League pastiches created by other writers for rival DC publishing houses, now pastiched in turn by DC and made a part of its official Multiverse.


Zod/Clark Kent (Earth-40)

On the world of JSA: The Liberty Files, on the pre-'' Flashpoint'' Earth-40, the Superman was Zod, a sociopath banished to the Phantom Zone for creating a deadly synthetic plague when he was eleven. When American scientists breached the Zone in an experiment, they found Zod. He feigned almost no memory of his home or his name. Renamed Clark Kent, he was sent to live with the Kents under supervision from the Pentagon, and then began running tests on his powers when they started to develop. Zod fooled most of his superiors by acting dumb, while at the time he was murdering other agents looking for a device called "the Trigger", a device which could simultaneously detonate all power sources on the planet like bombs. Zod, knowing that, if activated, the Trigger would set off nuclear warheads, and that radiation was the only thing that could harm him, wanted the Trigger so he could destroy it. He was finally taken down by the other costumed agents, until the combined forces of the Bat and the Star were able to trap Zod in an orb of nuclear energy in space The post-'' Flashpoint'' Earth-40 has no such individual resident; it is a
pulp fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...
world dominated by villains, and an "opposite" world for Earth-20.''The Multiversity: Society of Super Heroes'' #1 (July 2014)


Chibi Superman (Earth-42)

A "
Super deformed ''Chibi'', also known as ''super deformation'' (''SD''), is an art style originating in Japan, and common in anime and manga where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby with stubby limbs, oversized heads, and ...
" version of Superman, Batman and the Justice League of America appeared in ''Superman/Batman'' #51 and #52. Grant Morrison's ''Action Comics'' (2011) run and ''
The Multiversity ''The Multiversity'' is a two-issue Limited series (comics), limited series combined with seven interrelated one-shot (comics), one-shots set in the Multiverse (DC Comics), DC Multiverse in The New 52, a collection of universes seen in publicatio ...
'' later establish this world to be Earth-42 of the Multiverse.


Gold Superman (Earth-44)

On Earth-44, the Superman of that world is a robot, a member of the
Metal Men The Metal Men are a group of robot superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in '' Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of C ...
, robotic versions of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and Hawkman, created by Doc Tornado, an amalgamation of the Red Tornado and
Will Magnus Doctor William Maxwell "Will" Magnus is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A brilliant scientist who occasionally suffers from debilitating mental illness, he is responsible for creating the Metal Men a ...
. Their base of operations separated with their Earth and collided with New Earth during ''
Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely ...
'' #7, but New Earth's magnetic fields causes them to go berserk and attempt "technocide", destroying most of the mementos in the trophy room before they were shut down by Luthor and Dr. Sivana. He is given the name Gold Superman in ''The Multiversity Guidebook''.


Superman and Superdoom (Earth-45)

Earth-45 is visited in Grant Morrison's ''Action Comics'' run. On this world, Clark Kent is a genius who with Jimmy and Lois intends to invent a robot – Superman – to protect the world. However, the company Overcorp creates a twisted Superman in the form of Superdoom, who rampaged the Multiverse until he was defeated by the Earth-23 Superman.


Sunshine Superman (Earth-47)

Sunshine Superman is a version of Superman that was initially lost in the destruction of the infinite realities of the original Multiverse after the first Crisis. He first appeared as a memory projection of the Psycho-Pirate along with his teammates in the Love Syndicate of Dreamworld: Speed Freak (an alternative female version of the Flash) and Magic Lantern (an alternative version of
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
) in ''Animal Man'' #23 and 24 (May–June 1990). However, his world was subsequently recreated in the reborn
DC Multiverse In most of the DC Comics media, the Multiverse is a "cosmic construct" that is composed of the many fictional universes the stories of DC media take place in. The worlds within the multiverse share a space and fate in common, and its structure h ...
and he is seen in ''Final Crisis'' #7 flying with various other Superman analogues. He is portrayed as a tall, muscular, African-American man with an
Afro The afro is a hair style created by combing out natural growth of afro-textured hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" '' Ebo ...
and a yellow sun shaped S-shield. His name is a reference to the song " Sunshine Superman", by British singer
Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965 and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles ...
. In ''
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
'', Sunshine Superman and other members of his Love Syndicate of Dreamworld exist on Earth-47 (which is based on the culture of the 1970s) and are financed by the immortal teen president " Prez" Rickard .


Apollo and Mister Majestic (pre-Flashpoint Earth-50)

DC's darker
Wildstorm Comics Wildstorm Productions (stylized as WildStorm) is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi to publish through Image Comics, Wildstorm became a publishing imprint of DC C ...
imprint was designated as Earth-50 between 2005 and 2011, but Earth-50 was later merged with Earth-0 at the conclusion of '' Flashpoint''; another Earth-50 then took its place. On the Wildstorm (pre-''Flashpoint'') Earth-50,
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
is identified in ''Final Crisis'' #7 as a Superman of his world. Apollo was genetically enhanced to be a solar powered super-being. He is a member of the superhero team, the Authority, is openly
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
, and is married to his superhero partner
Midnighter Midnighter is a superhero appearing in American comic books first published by WildStorm and later DC Comics once it absorbed the former. The character was created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch. The character made his first appe ...
, an analogue of
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
. Mister Majestic of the Wildstorm (pre-''Flashpoint'') Earth-50 is also shown in ''Final Crisis'' #7 as a Superman analogue. Majestros is an alien warlord from the planet Khera who crashed his ship on Earth thousands of years ago while at war with the Kherans' longtime enemies, the Daemonites. He and his fellow Kherans protect the Earth until the present day inspiring many of Earth's myths and legends. He is also an off and on member of the superhero team the WildC.A.T.s and Earth-50's most powerful hero. For a time he was thrown into the main DC Universe and filled in for Superman while Kal-El was trapped in Kandor. Majestros is nearly as strong as Superman with advanced longevity and is a born warrior with great intellectual prowess and centuries of experience.


Justice Lord Superman (post-Flashpoint Earth-50)

Following ''Flashpoint'' and the merger of Earth-0 and the Wildstorm Universe, Earth-50 is home to the evil Justice Lords from the ''
Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
'' animated series. On this world, Superman murdered President Lex Luthor in retaliation for his killing of the Flash, Wally West, prompting the Justice League to rebrand as the Justice Lords, the overseers of a brutal authoritarian regime.


Icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...
(Dakotaverse)

The superhero
Icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...
is mentioned in ''Final Crisis: Superman Beyond'' #2 as being an analogue to Superman. Icon is an alien named Arnus from the planet Terminus who crashes his lifepod in the southern United States in 1839, and is found by an
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
slave woman. The lifepod alters his DNA to match the male equivalent of hers, but to a highly evolved rate. After more than a century and a half he does not physically age past the age of 40 and has near Superman-level strength and similar powers. He works as a high-class attorney in his secret identity of Augustus Freeman IV, and protects and resides in the city of Dakota. Originally, Icon resided in an alternative reality of unknown designation until his universe was merged with the mainstream DC Universe after the events of ''
Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely ...
''.


Kal-El (Unknown Universe)

The first
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
version of Superman depicted was in ''Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths'' (February 1999), which saw a Kal-El and Kara who were husband and wife, and who had been selected as the last survivors of Krypton through polling selection. This Superman died early in the one-shot, leaving Supergirl to carry on, ultimately sacrificing herself.


Pocket Superboy (Pocket Universe)

The Pocket Universe Superboy was created as an explanation for the existence of the
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
after ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' is a 1985 to 1986 American comic book fictional crossover, crossover series published by DC Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman and penciller, pencilled by George Pérez, it was first released as a 12-issue limited ser ...
''. He is essentially identical to the Silver Age Superboy, the young version of Superman who becomes a Legion member, and he is far more powerful than the post-''
Crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...
'' Superman.''Superman'' (vol. 2) #8 (1987) and ''Action Comics'' #591 (1987) This version of Superboy dies saving Earth of the Pocket Universe in ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' #38 (1987), years before he would have become Superman.


Superboy-Prime Superboy-Prime (Clark Kent; colloquial: "Prime") is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A boy from the Reality, real world Isekai, transported to the DC Universe, as an Alternative vers ...
(
Earth-Prime Earth Prime (or Earth-Prime) is a term sometimes used in works of speculative fiction, most notably in DC Comics, involving parallel universes or a multiverse, and refers either to the universe containing "our" Earth, or to a parallel world with ...
)

Superboy-Prime, or Superman-Prime, or simply Prime is from a parallel Earth called
Earth-Prime Earth Prime (or Earth-Prime) is a term sometimes used in works of speculative fiction, most notably in DC Comics, involving parallel universes or a multiverse, and refers either to the universe containing "our" Earth, or to a parallel world with ...
, devoid of any superhumans. There,
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
and the other comic superheroes were fictional characters, as they are in real life. The Earth-Prime universe was erased during ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' is a 1985 to 1986 American comic book fictional crossover, crossover series published by DC Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman and penciller, pencilled by George Pérez, it was first released as a 12-issue limited ser ...
'', and Superboy-Prime ended up in a "paradise" dimension where, during that time, he found himself unable to let go of his former life and destiny as Earth's greatest hero. Over time, his convictions and morals become twisted, and he came to believe that Earth-Prime was the only proper Earth and that he himself was the only one worthy of the Superboy mantle. Prime firmly believes that being Superman is his calling despite the fact that he has become a psychotic, murderous, and even sadistic villain. His overwhelming strength, speed, unpredictability, and ruthlessness made him one of the most dangerous foes in the DC Universe. Following a number of conflicts with the heroes of the mainstream DC Universe, the Dark Nights: Death Metal event saw Superboy-Prime returned to his home universe, which was altered from what he knew, but nonetheless his true home.


Prime Superman (''All-Star Superman'')

The Superman featured in Grant Morrison's 12-issue '' All Star Superman,'' is a compassionate, gentle and altruistic Superman who, according to series writer
Grant Morrison Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
, is the Silver Age Superman, or at the very least has a virtually identical backstory. In his secret identity, Clark Kent acts as a bumbling fool, but each seeming mistake subtly helps those around him. After being overdosed with solar radiation, his cells begin to die, the very source of his powers seemingly killing him. He attempts to make his final adventures as meaningful as possible, revealing his identity to his universe's
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
, aiding the scientist Leo Quintum, and inspiring the Superman Squad of the future. These adventures become known as his Twelve Super-Challenges. After a final confrontation with Lex Luthor, who had orchestrated Superman's solar overexposure, Kal-El flies into the sun in order to construct it an artificial heart. While the people of Earth believed Superman dead, he in truth lived within the sun until his final task was complete. Superman left behind his genetic code, so that Quintum could create the genetic son of Lois and Clark, the second Superman.


Other characters known as Superman

* Kon-El, the modern
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
, is a clone created from the combined genetic material of the Man of Steel and
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
. He arrived in Metropolis shortly after Superman's death. Originally, he had no name besides "Superman". When the original Superman returned, he declared that the clone had earned the name "Superboy", much to his dismay. Superboy eventually became a hero is his own right, and Superman came to think of him as family, giving him the Kryptonian name of Kon-El and the human alias Conner Kent, cousin to Clark. Originally, Kon-El's origins were depicted as being created from genetically altered human DNA and made to look like Superman and to be as Kryptonian as possible, manipulating Superman's bio-electric aura into a telekinetic field, but eventually this was
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
ned so that 50% of his DNA actually does come from Superman (despite Cadmus earlier concluding that this was impossible due to the far greater complexity of Kryptonian DNA). They also learned that the genetically altered human DNA came from Luthor, rather than Paul Westfield as initially stated by Cadmus. In a future depicted in the ''
Titans Tomorrow "Titans Tomorrow" is a storyline of a possible alternate future in the DC Comics Universe, from ''Teen Titans'' vol. 3 #17–19 (2005), by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone. The story arc has been collected as part of the ''Teen Titans: The Future is No ...
'' story arc, Conner becomes a tyrannical Superman after Kal-El dies again. Although Conner died during the ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
'' (2006), his future self, as Superman, is part of a story arc in ''
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'', published in late 2007. The second ''Titans Tomorrow'' Conner is
Tim Drake Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in ''Batman'' #436 (August 19 ...
's clone of the original. The first Conner returned to life during the events of ''
Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely ...
'' in the story ''Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds'' and remained active within the DC Universe up until ''
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
'' reboot, where he is once again just beginning his career as a superhero. *
Hank Henshaw Hank Henshaw is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, also known by the name Cyborg Superman. Created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens, the character originally appeared primarily as an enemy of Superman, and beginn ...
was one of several to claim the name of Superman, following the original's death. To differentiate him from the others, the press dubbed him the Cyborg Superman. After the Coast City incident, he was referred to simply as the Cyborg (not to be confused with Victor Stone). * The Eradicator also emerged as a Superman impostor, "the Last Son of Krypton", during the Reign of the Supermen. No longer able to absorb energy directly from the Sun, he used Kal-El's body as a power source. He eventually became delusional and believed himself to be Superman, but this taught him humanity. He eventually gave his life to stop the Cyborg Superman and restore Kal-El's powers. * John Henry Irons made a suit of armor and cape emblazoned with the Superman-insignia, as tribute to the fallen Man of Steel. Unfortunately, he was lumped in with the other Superman impostors, even though he made no claim to the name. Eventually dubbed "Steel" by the resurrected Superman, he became a close ally and friend to Kal-El. * The
Superman Dynasty The Superman dynasty, an extension of the House of El, is a lineage of DC Comics superheroes. The term is used for the descendants of Kal-El, the original Superman, who continue to uphold his legacy of heroism well into the 853rd century, as depic ...
is the line of Superman's descendants and successors, featured in ''DC One Million''. In this story, his first direct successor is called Superman Secundus. In the 853rd century, Kal Kent is the last scion of the dynasty, and leader of Justice Legion A. Essentially, he is the descendant of the same Superman from ''All-Star Superman''.


Bizarros

Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain or anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy (comic bo ...
is the imperfect copy of Superman. There have been many incarnations of the character, varyingly portrayed as evil or as well-meaning but destructive. The Bizarros share many of the strengths and weaknesses of Superman, although there are some minor differences relating to
kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton (comics), Krypton that emits a u ...
coloring and certain Kryptonian powers, for instance the Bizarros have at times been characterized by having heat breath and freeze vision. * Bizarro Superboy was the first version of Bizarro to appear in comics, making his first (and only) appearance in ''Superboy'' #68 (1958). Created by accident, Bizarro Superboy is a misunderstood monster who only wants to be accepted, but most residents of Smallville, including
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
, regard him as a menace. The only friend he makes is a blind girl, and in the end he sacrifices himself to restore her sight. * The Silver and Bronze Age Bizarro #1 is accidentally created by Lex Luthor's duplicating ray when he uses it against
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
. Not only does he survive his initial encounter with Superman, he eventually gains a cast of supporting characters such as Bizarro versions of Lois, the ''Daily Planet'' staff, and the Justice League, and, eventually, Htrae, a cube-shaped world filled with Bizarros. His story comes to an end in ''Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?'' He strives to be the "perfect imperfect duplicate" of Superman, after being manipulated by Mr. Mxyzptlk. Since Superman saves people, he goes on a murder spree, and since Superman is a survivor of Krypton, he kills himself. * '' The Man of Steel'' miniseries, which rebooted the Superman mythology in 1986, presents the first modern Bizarro, who is originally created by Lex Luthor. Because Luthor is unable to adequately replicate Kryptonian DNA, the clones' bodies would degenerate into a chalky-skinned caricature of the Man of Steel. This Bizarro, too, sacrificed his life to restore the eyesight of a blind girl, Lucy Lane, that had befriended him. * Bizarro #1 is the only modern Bizarro that has survived, although he is not created like the others; having stolen the powers of Mr. Mxyzptlk, the Joker (character), Joker creates him (along with a Bizarro version of Batman, named Batzarro). Unlike the others, Bizarro #1's suit is purple-toned. * In ''All-Star Superman'', an entire race of Bizarros appear, who are spawned wholesale from a cube-shaped planet which originally belongs in the Underverse, an alternative universe on a different gravitonic plane than our own. Originally opaque, shapeless beings, they take on skewed characteristics of people they encounter. This planet also produced what might be the ultimate Bizarro - Zibarro, a sort of Bizarro Bizarro who is, by normal standards, sane - and therefore feared and reviled by his own people, as he is more closely related to Superman than he is to Bizarro. * In ''Superman: Red Son'', Bizarro was one of many creatures created by Lex Luthor and the American CIA in attempts to destroy the threat posed by the Communist Superman. This version was very similar in appearance to villain Solomon Grundy (comics), Solomon Grundy and wore a uniform similar to the original Golden Age Superman. He was said to have many of the same powers and abilities as Superman. After endangering much of London in his battle with Superman, Bizarro sacrificed himself to save the city from a nuclear detonation. * ''The Multiversity, The Multiversity Guidebook'' (2015) reveals that Earth-29, also known as Htrae, is a parallel world populated by Bizarro characters.


Other alternative depictions

Between 1989 and 2004, DC's ''Elseworlds'' imprint was used to showcase unofficial alternative universe stories; before 1989, "Imaginary Stories, imaginary stories" served the same purpose. Since 2004, stories outside of the main DC continuity have carried no particular name or imprint. The examples listed below are just a few of the many alternative versions of Superman depicted in these stories.


Frank Miller's Superman

Frank Miller's Superman, the Superman of All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder, is not the same as the Superman of ''All-Star Superman''. The artist of ''All-Star Batman'', Jim Lee, has stated that he is based on the Golden Age Superman, which is why he is shown running on water instead of flying. However, they make no mention of this in the actual comic. Conversely, Frank Miller's Superman is seen flying in his other comics about Batman. This is notionally the same Superman who will evolve to the jingoistic government agent seen in ''The Dark Knight Returns'' and ''The Dark Knight Strikes Again'', at least from Miller's authorial point of view, as there is no official canonical link between the ''All-Star'' and ''Dark Knight'' continuities yet.


Superman: The Dark Side

In ''Superman: The Dark Side'' (1998), Kal-El's rocket is diverted from Earth to Apokolips, and Superman is raised by Darkseid.


Superman: True Brit

''Superman: True Brit'' is a humorous re-imagining of Superman in which the ship crashed in England and his career as a superhero is severely limited both by Tall poppy syndrome, glory-averse adoptive parents and the scandal-hungry tabloid journalism, tabloid press.


Superman, Inc.

''Superman, Inc.'' sees a world where Kal-El was placed in an orphanage rather than being found directly by the Kents, starting a chain of events that led to 'Dale Suderman' suppressing all memory of his powers after his foster mother died in an accident when she fell down a flight of stairs after witnessing him flying, Dale becoming withdrawn for years until he eventually found an outlet in sports. As a result, he becomes a major sports star and media figure, but when his actions undermine Lex Luthor's position, Luthor's research into his background exposes his otherworldly origins. At the story's conclusion, after a conversation with police detective 'Martian Manhunter, John Jones' about his possible future, Dale goes into hiding as 'Clark Kent', taking journalism classes to find a normal life after publicly proclaiming that he is leaving Earth to investigate his true history and donating his fortune to a charitable foundation.


Superman: Kal-El's

In ''Superman: Kal-El's'', Kal-El's rocket lands on Earth in the Middle Ages, where he becomes a blacksmith's apprentice in a village ruled by Baron Luthor, who seeks to marry Lady Loisse, daughter of the village's murdered protector Lord Lane. After Kal uses his powers to forge the "silver egg" his parents found him in into a suit of armour for Baron Luthor, he asks for Loisse's hand in marriage as payment, but Luthor takes Loisse to his own bed on her wedding night due to an old feudal law- able to overpower Kal due to a kryptonite gemstone he wears- subsequently beating her to death while raping her. When Kal recovers the following morning, he leads a revolt against Luthor using a sword he forged for himself at the same time as he made Luthor's armour (the sword is implied to be Excalibur) In their final confrontation, Kal manages to slay Luthor, but he is severely wounded by Luthor's gemstone in the process, the story concluding with him being laid to rest in the lake where Loisse's body was thrown after her death.


Superman: Speeding Bullets

''Superman: Speeding Bullets'' has Superman found and adopted by the Waynes and christened Bruce. He sees his foster parents murdered in front of him and grows up to be a superpowered Batman, but decides to change tactics after a confrontation with the Joker (in this reality an insane Lex Luthor) and a conversation with Lois about the need for him to inspire rather than intimidate. Earlier imaginary stories, such as the stories of "Bruce (Superman) Wayne" told in ''Superman'' (vol. 1) #353, #358 and #363 (1980–1981), also explored the scenario of the infant Kal-El being adopted by the Waynes.


Superman: Last Son of Earth

''Superman: Last Son of Earth'' is a dramatic role reversal for many Superman traditions. In this story, he is Clark Kent, biological son of Jonathan and Martha Kent, who is sent into space to escape the impending destruction of Earth by collision with a space rock. He lands on Krypton and is adopted by Jor-El and Lara as their son, Kal-El, eventually discovering an Green Lantern, Oan Power ring (DC Comics), power ring.


Superman: Secret Identity

In ''Superman: Secret Identity'', a teenage boy named Clark Kent in the "real world" (where Superman is a just a comic book character) somehow develops superpowers like those of his namesake. After a brief career as a mysterious, non-costumed "Superboy", Clark dons the fictional character's colors and continues to work in secret as "Superman".


Superman & Batman: Generations

''Superman & Batman: Generations'' I-III, three limited series which present a unified cohesive history of many elements seen throughout the characters' history, with the characters interacting in real time from the early 20th century onward.


Batman: Holy Terror

In ''Batman: Holy Terror'' (1991), the body of an alien known simply as "the Green Man" with a similar origin to Superman is shown, and his origin is described during this story. When he sees the body of the Green Man, Batman is struck by sorrow, feeling as though the world has lost its greatest hope. During the confrontation with Doctor Erdel, the scientists responsible for analysing various superhumans for the Star Chamber, Erdel is killed when a bullet ricochets off the Green Man's chest to strike Erdel.


52 Pick-Up

The ''Booster Gold'' story arc "52 Pick-Up" briefly depicts a Superman in ''Booster Gold'' #3, when showing a timeline where Superman was found by Lionel Luthor and raised as Lionel Jr. alongside
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
. Lex finds out his brother's secret and ends up killing him a year later.


Hypertension

The ''Hypertension'' storyline in ''Superboy'' #60-64 (1999) shows an alternative version of Kon-El named Black Zero. Black Zero is a genetically altered human clone of Superman (just as Kon-El was from 1993 to 2003) that has successfully grown to adulthood after Superman dies at the hands of Doomsday (comics), Doomsday. For a time, he acts as the new Superman, even calling himself Superman 2. He exhibits both Superman's abilities as well as Superboy's tactile telekinesis. Without Superman alive to look up to, he instead views head of Cadmus Paul Westfield as his father figure. Eventually he turns to evil after a battle between himself and several of Superman's enemies results in the deaths of Supergirl (Matrix), Matrix, Brainiac and over 300 innocent people which causes widespread persecution of clones. He first conquers his Earth, then enlists the help of the New God Metron (comics), Metron to travel to alternative realities and conquer them as well to protect the clone community. He is defeated by the combined efforts of Kon-El, multiple versions of Superboy and the Challengers of the Unknown. He is lost in
Hypertime Hypertime is a fictional concept in DC Comics which first appeared in the 1999 '' The Kingdom'' limited series. It is a variation of the Multiverse concept that existed in DC Comics before 1985's ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' limited series and wa ...
at the end of the story and has not been seen since.


Unlimited Access

In ''Unlimited Access'', a limited series which further explored themes introduced in DC vs. Marvel, the hero known as Access formed an amalgamation of what appeared to be the Silver Age versions of Thor and
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
(in his then-current blue energy form). Together, they were known as Thor-El.


Just Imagine...

In the ''Just Imagine...'' series, Superman is reimagined as a police officer from Krypton named Salden who is accidentally transported to Earth and only wishes to go home. He becomes a superhero because he believes Earth's primitive technology is a result of humans squandering their resources fighting crime, corruption, and other ills, and that alleviating these problems will allow humanity to advance to the point of creating a means to send him home. He has superhuman strength and speed, and wears a flying harness. This version was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema.


Marvel/DC Crossovers

In the majority of the Marvel Comics, Marvel/DC Intercompany crossover, crossovers, Superman is from the same universe as many Marvel characters, as in an Elseworlds story.


JLA: Shogun of Steel

''JLA: Shogun of Steel'' (2002), set in feudal Japan, features a Japanese Superman.


Supermen/Batmen

Multiple versions of Superman appeared in ''Superman/Batman'' #25's "Supermen/Batmen", who come to aid the mainstream Superman. Among them are
Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain or anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy (comic bo ...
#1; Superman Red; a blond-haired Superman; a Superman depicted as a stereotypical African-American; a Superman with a different style "S" shield resembling the Golden Age Superman's in Action Comics 1, ''Action Comics'' #1; and a black-suited, long-haired Superman from "The Return of Superman".


Injustice: Gods Among Us

''Injustice: Gods Among Us'' (2013) is a video game and tie-in comic book depicting a world in which Superman presides over an authoritarian regime. In this alternate universe, Superman is married to Lois Lane, who becomes pregnant with his child. However, the Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois and their unborn son, and a nuke placed on Lois' heart detonates upon her death, destroying Metropolis and killing millions. Driven over the edge by this, Superman kills the Joker in retaliation at the time when Batman was interrogating Joker. Afterwards, Superman takes drastic measures to "save" the world, forcing people to follow his will and killing those who resist.


JLA: The Nail

''JLA: The Nail'' and ''JLA: Another Nail'' show a Superman in which Kal-El was raised by Amish folk instead of the Kents. His Amish upbringing delays Superman from revealing himself to the world, which places
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
(Hal Jordan) as the leader and most powerful member of the Justice League until Superman's discovery. This Superman is more humble, less in touch with the outside world, calmer and less experienced than other incarnations.


Flashpoint

In the alternative timeline of the '' Flashpoint'' event, Kal-El's rocket crashed directly into Metropolis, resulting in the deaths of over thirty-five thousand people, and the infant was subsequently taken into government captivity to control his powers for uses to make supersoldiers. Sam Lane (comics), Sam Lane takes a liking to him, as he becomes the son Lane never had. Kal-El later makes friends with Krypto, who was also being held in the facility, but they are separated after Kal fails to appease the government workers. Kal-El is helped by Apollo (comics), Neil Sinclair to free himself, and attacks Sam. Kal-El makes his way to Lane's office, where he finds
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
, Sam's young daughter. Sinclair attempts to kill Lois, but Kal protects her. Sam uses a Phantom Zone gun to send himself and Sinclair into the Phantom Zone. Afterward, Kal-El is deemed Subject 1 and placed in a government underground bunker life sentence by General Captain Atom, Nathaniel Adam. Sometime later, attempting to rally support in his attempt to restore the timeline to normal, the Barry Allen, Flash, aided by Batman (Thomas Wayne), Batman and Cyborg (comics), Cyborg break into the facility where Kal-El is being kept, only to find a very thin man incapable of speech who seems terrified just at the sight of others. Once they break out into the daylight, Kal-El rises into the air. He uses his heat vision on the attacking guards and flies away. Kal-El arrives in Western Europe and rescues Lois from the Amazons who are attempting to kill her. Just as the two reunite, Sinclair attacks them. While Sinclair fights some Amazons, Lois tells Kal-El that he must leave. He refuses and says that he learned from Sam that they must protect people from villains like Sinclair. Kal-El manages to overload Sinclair's body with energy, and punches him through the chest, killing him in a huge explosion; Lois is unfortunately caught in the blast. Kal-El holds the dying Lois in his arms, and Lois tells him to save the people. Kal-El arrives at the scene of the Atlantis (DC Comics), Atlantean/Amazons (DC Comics), Amazon war and intends to attack both leaders
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles ...
and
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
at the last battle. In the sequel ''Flashpoint Beyond'', the Flashpoint reality has been restarted after Prime-Earth's Batman stole the snowglobe associated with it from the Time Masters. In this reality's retelling, Batman found Kal-El's rocket and freed him from it. There has been many sightings of him as he is called Super-Man. After intimidating one of the muggers that Batman was fighting, Super-Man took Batman to the Oasis where refugees of all kinds are residing there with help from Poison Ivy (who turned up alive after her last fight with Batman) and Floronic Man, Jason Woodrue (who is this reality's version of Swamp Thing). Super-Man shows Batman the message from Jor-El that Krypton is dying and that they need a new planet to call their home as they want Super-Man to get Earth ready for their takeover. Batman is reluctant to help Super-Man out when the Kryptonians arrive in five days. By the end of the miniseries, Batman and Dexter Dent as his sidekick are among the superheroes that help Super-Man deal with the Kryptonian invasion.


Nightwing: The New Order

In the alternate universe of ''Nightwing: The New Order'', a major battle takes place in Metropolis between superpowered beings that causes the deaths of millions. During the conflict, Superman was infected with black kryptonite and murders Batman. This results in Nightwing activating a device that depowers ninety percent of the superpowered population. This builds to a future where superpowers are outlawed and any superpowered being must take inhibitor medications or be contained and studied. Despite being depowered, Superman still defends Metropolis as a vigilante with the help of Lex Luthor.


Superman: American Alien

In ''Superman: American Alien'', by Max Landis, Clark's journey to becoming Superman is shown at different stages in his life. He first manifests his ability to fly while asleep as a child, which causes some trouble when he finds he cannot control it. He eventually gains better control of it and also gains a better understanding of empathy and consequences. As a teenager, he spends his time crushing on
Lana Lang Lana Lang is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is a ''Superman'' supporting character and love interest of the teenage Clark Kent. She was created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela ...
and spending time with his friends Pete Ross and Kenny, who are aware of his abilities. Things grow dark, however, when a murder takes place, and after an argument with Pete Clark tracks down the murderer and tries to stop them. He is hurt by the bullets, due to his powers having not fully developed, and in fear uses his heat vision on his attackers. When he is nineteen Clark wins a trip to the Caribbean, but the helicopter crashes near a yacht. Saving the pilot and coming on board, Clark is mistaken for Batman, Bruce Wayne due to it being his party. After some hesitation, he decides to enjoy himself and meets Green Arrow, Oliver Queen, Sue Dibny, Sue Dearbon, Victor Zsasz, Vic Zsasz and Cheetah (comics), Barbara Ann Minerva, with whom he has a romantic fling. During the night, Clark is drugged by Deathstroke who tries to kill him, but Clark's powers surprise the assassin and result in Clark flicking him off the yacht. Afterwards Clark offers Barbara the choice to stay with him, but she refuses. Years later, Clark moves to Metropolis to be a reporter and on his first day he encounters
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
and is reunited with Oliver, who forgives Clark after the latter comes clean about the mistaken identity. Oliver takes Clark to Lexcorp and introduces him to
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
. Clark interviews him, learning about Lex's arrogant and power-obsessed nature. Before leaving Lexcorp, Clark finds himself in a nursery and encounters Dick Grayson and after seeing everything that was in Dick's pockets as they agreed (using his x-ray vision), the two have a long discussion about Bruce Wayne and eventually Batman, with Dick accurately describing how the vigilante needs someone to balance out his darkness and fear with light and hope, foreshadowing the usual relationship between Superman and Batman. Afterwards, Clark is attacked by Batman, who is then overpowered by Clark and revealed as Bruce Wayne. Batman escapes, leaving behind his cape and Clark's recording of his conversation with Dick, and in return Clark does not reveal the truth about Bruce Wayne's double life. Approximately six months later, Clark has created a makeshift costume that includes Batman's cape and fights crime, and encounters Parasite (comics), Parasite. After defeating him, he learns that Parasite was created by Lex Luthor and confronts him. However, he is surprised and unable to respond when Lex swiftly explains how Clark made the mistake of confronting him with no actual plan. Clark leaves depressed, but after a conversation with Lois about his other identity (which she has no awareness of) becomes more determined and starts to use the name Superman, after what Lex had called him. After a unknown amount of time, Clark has started to wear the traditional Superman costume and is slowly entering a relationship with Lois, though it is not serious, and is visited by Pete and Kenny. Clark shows them around and introduces them to
Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the ''Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Superman, Clark Kent ...
, before the three head back to Clark's apartment. While talking about Batman, Kenny and Pete suggests he tries to contact the other people like him (such as Flash (comics), the red blur in Central City, a Wonder Woman, woman with a lasso in DC, and Aquaman, a fish guy who sinks whaling boats). However Clark does not see them as like him, and this leads to an argument between him and Pete when he says that he has no intention of being Superman forever. Pete calls Clark out on how irresponsible he is being by not seeing the change he is creating as Superman, and how he worries everyone who know the truth about him, since they do not know what his intentions are by being Superman. This leads Clark to admit that he is hoping that any videos of him saving people with the symbol from his ship on his costume will be sent into space, and whoever left him on Earth would come back. When Clark attempts to turn the argument around by saying Pete is jealous, his friend points out that he is changing the world by accident and needs to stop waiting around and really do something, and that he is letting down his Jonathan and Martha Kent, real parents who raised him. This upsets Clark and he attempts to fly to the Moon, but burns away his clothes when reaching the atmosphere and starts to choke due to a lack of oxygen. Before he can die he is saved by Abin Sur and Tomar-Re, who identify him as a Kryptonian before leaving him back on Earth. Clark reconciles with Pete, now apparently a little happier by knowing the name of his species. Skipping forward a few years later, Clark is living with Lois and is texting to Jimmy about having received a less than enthusiastic response from her when he told her that he loved her, when he hears explosions. He investigates as Superman and encounters Lobo (DC Comics), Lobo, who reveals that Krypton exploded years ago and that the Kryptonians are dead. Finally accepting his human roots and letting go of his obsession with his alien origins, Clark battles Lobo and makes him leave the planet. Then as Clark, he checks himself into the hospital under the lie he was harmed in the battle, and Lois arrived and tells him that she loves him.


Homage characters

Outside comics published by DC Comics, the notoriety of the Superman or "Übermensch" archetype makes the character a popular figure to be represented with an analog in entirely unrelated continuities. * Rival publisher
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
parodies Superman through the character Hyperion. Other
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
characters that serve as pastiches, homages, or parodies of Superman include: The Mighty Thor, Wonder Man, Hércules from The Avengers, Count Nefaria, Captain Mar-vell of the Kree, Ikaris of the Eternals, Sentry (Robert Reynolds), Robert Reynolds a.k.a. The Sentry, Gladiator (Kallark), Kallark the Gladiator of the Imperial Guard (Marvel Comics), Shi'ar Imperial Guard; Ethan Edwards, Captain Ultra, Blue Marvel (Marvel Comics), Blue Marvel (Adam Brashear), and Sun God.''New Avengers v''ol. 3, #17 ''"A Perfect World II"'' (June, 2014) * Amalgam Comics' Super-Soldier is the amalgamated version of Superman and Captain America; Clark Kent volunteered during World War II to become a supersoldier using a combination of an enhancement serum and cells taken from an alien spacecraft, plus a super-charge of solar energy. He carries an adamantium shield which resembles Superman's chest insignia. * Robert Kirkman, Robert Kirkman's Omni-Man of Image Comics is a clear homage to Superman. Both he and his Invincible (character), son are children of a dying extraterrestrial race (though the aliens of Image's universe, the Viltrumites, are hostile). * "Superduperman!" was a parody comic seen in ''Mad Magazine'' #4, in which the title hero has "muscles on muscles", battles Captain Marbles (a parody of Captain Marvel), but in the end is still dismissed as "a creep". * Image Comics character Supreme (comics), Supreme, originally a violent, egotistical pastiche of Superman, later retooled by
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...
to more closely resemble the
Silver Age The Ages of Man are the historical stages of human existence according to Greek mythology and its subsequent interpretatio romana, Roman interpretation. Both Hesiod and Ovid offered accounts of the successive ages of humanity, which tend to pr ...
Superman. * Malibu Comics features the characters Powerhouse, an unhinged pastiche of Superman with a similar origin story, and Prime (comics), Prime (though this character is more closely based on Captain Marvel (DC Comics), DC's Captain Marvel). * Irredeemable, The Plutonian of Boom! Studios' ''Irredeemable'' resembles Superman in many ways: he possesses a similar costume and powers, operates under a bespectacled secret identity, and is the head of his world's premiere team of superheroes, the Paradigm (which contains a few other members similar to the members of the Justice League). However, his relative lack of control over his powers, (perceived) ingratitude from the public and his own emotional instability eventually cause him to snap under the pressure of protecting the world, becoming the most dangerous supervillain of all time. He destroys cities and nations on whims, goes out of his way to inflict horrific punishments on random citizens to prove his points, and cuts a bloody swarth through his former allies and enemies alike. Near the end of the series, it is revealed that he is living energy, a "golem" shaped into human form by force of will - but was tragically warped because of the human whose qualities he inherited. He is ultimately reduced back into energy and sent through the multiverse in the hopes that someone can "fix" him; his essence is ultimately shown to inspire Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster to create Superman. * Super-Turtle, an anthropomorphic superheroic turtle, was a series of long-running half-page gag strips that ran in various Silver Age DC comics starting in ''Adventure Comics'' #304 in 1963. * ''The Maximortal'' by Rick Veitch (1992–1993) – published under his own King Hell imprint *SuperDan, a webcomic character who gains Superman-like abilities after being bitten by a radioactive Superman. *Statesman, the first officially recognized superhero in the ''City of Heroes'' game world is a loose analogue to Superman, possessing superhuman speed, strength, senses, breath, and virtual invulnerability. He leads a pair of Justice Society/League-esque teams of heroes at different points in the game's timeline named the Freedom Phalanx, which include homages to characters from both Marvel and DC Comics characters. The character was slain shortly before the game itself was shut down. The character wore a blue and red costume as well, in apparent homage to the colors worn by Superman. *Doctor Manhattan, Dr. Manhattan of the ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'' maxiseries (although he is more based on
Charlton Comics Charlton Comics was an American comic-book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T. W. O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line (comics), line was a divi ...
'
Captain Atom Captain Atom is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books, initially owned by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. All possess some form of energy-manipulating abilities, usually relating to nuc ...
). *Samaritan of the Astro City series by Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek. *Astonishman of The End League.''The End League'' (Jan 2008 - Oct 2009) * Últimos from Ben 10 * Metro Man from Megamind * Silver Sentry from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles * All Might from My Hero Academia * Son Goku from Dragon Ball and Suppaman from Dr. Slump * Meta Man from The Incredibles * Major Man from The Powerpuff Girls * Major Glory from Dexter's Laboratory * Mighty Mouse * Strongman from The Mighty Heroes * A-Ko from Project A-Ko * Blast from One-Punch Man * Superlopez is the spanish versión of Superman


Film and television

* In the Superman (1940s cartoons), ''Superman'' cartoons produced by Max Fleischer, Superman is much as he appears in the first years of ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as Detective Comics Inc., which later merged into National ...
'' ' publication, despite changes in his costume, notably the all-red belt or absence of one in later cartoons, and the S-shield with a darkened blue plane and a red S instead of the yellow plane with the red S. He is said to have been found by "a passing motorist" who brought him to an orphanage. This version of Superman lives in and protects Manhattan rather than Metropolis, although in some cartoons such as "''The Bulleteers''", Metropolis is clearly named by the antagonists. * Kirk Alyn starred as Superman in two 15-chapter Serial (film), serials produced by Columbia Pictures, ''Superman (serial), Superman'' (1948) and ''Atom Man vs. Superman'' (1950). In it, Superman has many of the powers demonstrated in the comics. The origin story is similar to what is described in a The Adventures of Superman (novel), 1942 novel about Superman, with Ma and Pa Kent, his foster parents being named Sarah and Eben. * ''Adventures of Superman (TV series), Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1958) was a television series that featured George Reeves in the title role, which he first played in the 1951 movie ''Superman and the Mole Men''. While he had many of the powers demonstrated in the comics, they are not shown at the tremendous levels depicted in the contemporary
Silver Age The Ages of Man are the historical stages of human existence according to Greek mythology and its subsequent interpretatio romana, Roman interpretation. Both Hesiod and Ovid offered accounts of the successive ages of humanity, which tend to pr ...
comics. The show often featured Superman battling generic gangsters. * In 1966, Filmation produced ''The New Adventures of Superman (TV series), The New Adventures of Superman'' and from 1973 to 1986, Hanna-Barbera produced different versions of the Justice League-influenced ''Super Friends'', both of which were animated series aimed at children. In both cartoons, Superman was similar to his contemporaneous comic book counterpart. In one episode of ''The World's Greatest Super Friends'', the Super Friends battled evil Super Friends from an alternative universe, led by an evil Superman. * In the 1978 feature film ''Superman (1978 film), Superman'' and its sequels, ''Superman II'', ''Superman III'', and ''Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'', Superman (1978 film series character), Superman is portrayed by Christopher Reeve and is depicted as possessing an array of abilities never before seen in the comics. He was able to erase Lois' memory of his secret identity with a kiss, restore the Great Wall of China with the use of blue eye beams, and possibly teleport among other abilities. Kryptonian foes such as General Zod even demonstrated telekinetic ability. * In 1988, the producers of ''Superman'' (1978) produced a syndicated TV series entitled ''Superboy (TV series), Superboy'' which featured John Haymes Newton in the role for one season before he was fired and replaced by Gerard Christopher. The show concentrated on a college-aged Kal-El as a journalism student at Siegel University. Legal issues have prevented the series from ever reairing in any syndication market, although the complete series has been released on DVD. * The Superman (1988 TV series), 1988 ''Superman'' series, produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, offered the first animated incarnation of the Post-''Crisis'' Superman. Acting as story editor, ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' writer Marv Wolfman provided several changes to this Superman that included elements from ''The Man of Steel''. In this series, Lex Luthor is not a publicly known criminal, but a rich entrepreneur instead. Clark Kent is Superman's alter ego, instead of the other way around. Furthermore, Martha and Jonathan Kent are still alive in Superman's adulthood in this series. This version of Superman was never Superboy as a teenager, although his powers had appeared very early in childhood. Clark Kent is clumsy in this series. * In ''Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', Dean Cain played the first live-action Superman affected by the changes to the character after ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'', and various elements on the series reference ''The Man of Steel'' miniseries, which heavily influenced the show. This is the first live action Superman series that showed Clark Kent as his "real" persona and Superman as the constructed alter ego. As he explained to Lois in the second-season episode "Tempus Fugitive", "Superman is what I can do, Clark is who I am." As the title implies, Clark is the primary identity with Superman making more sporadic appearances. The ''Lois and Clark'' version reverses the traditional hairstyle distinction between Clark Kent and Superman; here it is Superman who has slicked-back hair and Clark whose fringe falls more naturally. In neither mode does the character feature his trademark spitcurl, making it one of the few depictions of Superman to lack this distinctive feature. His full name was changed from the comic strip adaptations to Clark Jerome Kent. * The Superman: The Animated Series, Superman of the DC animated universe is a synthesis of Superman's 60-plus year history. At first glance, it appears to be an adaptation of ''The Man of Steel'', but also took many aspects of the Silver Age and modernized them. In this continuity, Superman was believed to be the only Kryptonian survivor until Professor Hamilton found a device with access to the Phantom Zone, where two other Kryptonians were found. Kara In-Ze (
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
) from Krypton's "sister" planet, Argo, and the artificial intelligence of Brainiac were also shown to be survivors of Krypton's destruction. His archenemy is the "wealthy business tycoon" version of
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
. His parents are still alive, and this Superman was never Superboy. In ''Justice League Unlimited'', which follows the continuity of the animated series (as well as ''Batman: The Animated Series''), Superman is portrayed as slightly older and a different voice actor portrays him (although cast members such as Dana Delany and Clancy Brown re-appeared in guest appearances). * The Clark Kent (Smallville), Clark Kent of the ''Smallville'' TV series leads his life differently, never becoming Superboy, although he secretly performed heroic feats as a teenager and young man before moving to Metropolis and becoming its resident superhero. He meets Lois at a younger age, maintains a complicated friendship with Lex Luthor into young adulthood and for the most part of the series was romantically interested in
Lana Lang Lana Lang is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is a ''Superman'' supporting character and love interest of the teenage Clark Kent. She was created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela ...
. This Clark discovers the Fortress of Solitude, was one of only six real Kryptonians to survive Krypton's destruction, meets Cyborg (comics), Vic Stone, Bart Allen,
Black Canary Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, ...
,
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles ...
, Green Arrow, his cousin Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the
Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" in ''Detective Comics ...
, Zatanna, Legion of Super-Heroes, three Legionnaires, the
Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Books. It first appeared in '' ...
,
Perry White Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the '' Daily Planet''. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and i ...
,
Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the ''Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Superman, Clark Kent ...
, Maggie Sawyer, and Jor-El, and has even fought Zod, Brainiac, Mister Mxyzptlk, Faora, Maxima (comics), Maxima,
Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain or anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy (comic bo ...
and Doomsday (comics), Doomsday, but assumed his superhero identity only after he defeated Darkseid. Clark's best friends in this version was Chloe Sullivan, who for a while worked as a reporter for the ''Daily Planet'', and for the first few seasons, an African-American Pete Ross. During the series finale of the ten seasons of the show, Clark finally managed to fulfill his destiny and became Superman. * In ''Superman Returns'', Brandon Routh takes over the role of Superman. Director Bryan Singer had stated that this film's continuity is based only loosely on the first two ''Superman'' films directed by Richard Donner and Richard Lester, and thus Reeve and Routh's Supermen, though similar in places (even having identical fathers—Jor-El played by Marlon Brando and Ma and Pa Kent, Jonathan Kent played by Glenn Ford), may not be exactly the same individual. For example, the events of the Superman III, third and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, fourth films, and Supergirl (1984 film), ''Supergirl'', are ignored. * The animated series ''Legion of Super Heroes (TV series), Legion of Super Heroes'' features a teenage Superman, who, like the original
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
, travels to the future to join the Legion of Super Heroes, Legion. As shown in the first episode of the series, in his own time, the early 21st century, Clark Kent secretly performs heroic deeds, but has not yet donned the Superman costume. In addition to Clark, the second season features a Superman from the 41st Century named Kell-El, who is cloned (in part) from the original. In the second two-part second-season finale of ''Legion of the Superheroes'', Saturn Girl fused Kell-El and Superman so they could stay projected in Brainiac 5's mind. This Supreme Superman almost beat Brainiac 1.0. * The animated series ''The Batman (TV series), The Batman'' featured Superman in the two-part season 5 episode "The Batman/Superman Story". This Superman is not related to previous animated versions of the character. George Newbern, the actor that voiced him on ''Justice League'' and ''Justice League Unlimited'', reprised the role. *Clark Kent (DC Extended Universe), Clark Kent / Superman is portrayed by Henry Cavill in the DC Extended Universe, first appearing in the 2013 movie ''Man of Steel (film), Man of Steel'', a reboot of the Superman film series. His parents, Jor-El and Lara (played by Russell Crowe and Ayelet Zurer respectively) imbue Kal-El with the genetic codex of the entire Kryptonian race before sending him to Earth. He arrives on Earth in 1980, and is 33 years old during the present timeline of the film. Jonathan and Martha Kent (played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, respectively) are depicted as being around 30 when they find him. Jonathan is 46 when he dies in 1997, killed by a tornado outbreak, refusing help from his son to keep his powers secret in what he believed was an unprepared world. Martha helped Clark control his powers while he is young. Deciding it is time for him to find out the reason for why he was sent to Earth, he travels the world and takes a series of odd jobs under assumed identities in his 20s, including a crabbing, crabber, but leaves each job when he is forced to use his powers for good, leaving a trail of urban legends which Lois Lane (DC Extended Universe), Lois Lane (played by Amy Adams) eventually finds and investigates. Clark's lifelong secrecy comes to an end when General Zod (DC Extended Universe), General Zod (Michael Shannon) arrives on Earth to transform Earth into a new Krypton after the destruction of the planet, as he is forced to take the mantle of Superman to stop him. He would later be Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, confronted by Bruce Wayne (DC Extended Universe), Batman (Ben Affleck) in the wake of the destruction his final battle with Zod caused, but teams up with him and Diana Prince (DC Extended Universe), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to take down Doomsday (created by Lex Luthor), in which he apparently sacrifices his life in the process. In the 2017 movie ''Justice League (film), Justice League'' and its 2021 director's cut ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'', Clark Kent's body is exhumed and placed in the incubation waters of the Kryptonian ship alongside the Mother Box, which in turn activates and successfully resurrects Superman. Following the events of the film, Superman resumes his life as reporter Clark Kent.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alternative Versions Of Superman Kryptonians Superman Superman characters, Superman lists Lists of fictional superhumans, Superman Alternative versions of Superman