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Superman

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SuperFriends / Justice League of America Team Member

"Out of the infinite reaches of interstellar space came Superman, son of the doomed planet Krypton, to fight the forces of evil upon Earth...!"
— ' From Action Comics, #63 (August 1943)'


Season 1 - Superman INTRO Card

Season 1, Intro Card

Season 2 - Superman INTRO Card

Season 2, Intro Card

Superman (07x08c - The Recruiter)
Superman (09x03 - The Darkseid Deception)

Season 9 Appearance

Superman is an alien from the distant planet Krypton. His Kryptonian birth name is Kal-El. He was sent to Earth as a child to survive Krypton’s destruction. He was found in his ship in found in a field outside of Smallville.

His adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent named him Clark Kent. Together they raised him with high moral ideals, which he uses to fight evil and protect the innocent.

In his civilian identity, he is a mild-mannered reporter working for the Daily Planet in Metropolis.

He is considered the premiere hero on Earth and a founding member of the SuperFriends.

Personality[]

Superman's personality is that of a "Boy scout". Which comes as no surprise considering he was a boy scout as a kid. As Clark Kent, appears somewhat cowardly, and even clumsy[11]. As Superman, he appears brave and often admirable making him one of the SuperFriends more prominent leaders. Superman goes out of his way to protect the lives of all living beings, even those of his enemies.

He apparently has a strong fondness of disco music. One of his favorites was disco versions of Mozart songs, called "Disco Mozart," which he purchased on cassette tape.[12]

He also loves baseball. One of his favorite baseball players is the Metropolis Metros' Slam Thomas.[13]


Background Information[]

As a Baby on Krypton[]

As a Baby on Krypton
Main Article: As a Baby on Krypton
Main Article: Destruction of Krypton
Baby Clark 1

In the parallel-universe of Earth-1A, Kal-El was born to Jor-El and Lara on the planet Krypton. Jor-El, one of Krypton’s leading Astro-Scientists and member of the Science Council, discovered that Krypton was doomed, and that it would soon explode. He called a meeting at the Hall of Wisdom (seat of the Kryptonian Science Council) to get his fellow council members to agree to an evacuation plan that must be implimented right away. He wanted them to build space arks to send all of Krypton's inhabitants to Earth, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. They laughed at him and were also outraged at the thought, since space travel was illegal on Krypton, because 20 years previously a group of rogue scientists tried to exile the council in space (on Earth-One, this rogue group was led by Jax-Ur).[14] Jor-El went ahead with a plan anyway, but only had time to build a ship big enough to transport his wife and their baby. He and Laura placed their infant son, Kal-El into the ship, and at the last minute it was decided that Kal would go alone. So they sent him rocketing towards Earth with hopes that he would survive and be made strong by its yellow sun. In the end, the negligence of the council cost them and the rest of the population of Krypton their lives.[15]

As a Baby on Earth[]

As a Baby on Earth
Main Article: As a Baby on Earth
Main article: Superbaby
The Kents and Baby Kal
In the parallel-universe of Earth-1A, the rocket-ship[16] eventually landed on Earth, in the town of Smallville, where it was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent. They decided to take the abandoned child to the County Orphanage[17] to have him checked out. Having no children of their own, Martha tells the director that they were interested in adopting him. The director tells her they first must investigate all of their applicants carefully. She asks how long that would take, and he tells her it shouldn't be too long and that they will let them know as soon as possible. One couple come in to the Orphanage, but decide they do not want to adopt him, because his seems to have incredible strength. A few days later, at the Kent house, Martha receives a phone call from the orphanage. They have chosen the Kents to adopt the children. They Kents eventually adopt the boy, and named him Clark Kent, who now, under the Earth's yellow sun, possessed powers far beyond those of mortal men.[18]

As a Boy[]

As a Boy
Young Kent 2

According to one source, Jonathan and Martha soon learned that their foster son possessed a vast range of super-powers at a young age.[19] His superpowers were hard to control when Clark was young. On one occasion, Martha has a difficult time keeping Clark from using his super powers at the grocery store.[20] On another occasion, when young Clark was left with a babysitter the young lady soon finds out that she has her hands full when dealing with a super powered child who wants to stay up late to watch television.[21]

In the parallel-universe of Earth-One, Martha Kent was moved to fashion a super-playsuit for the infant Superman because the child was constantly destroying his store-bought clothes by engaging in various forms of super-powered play. Fortunately, the Kents had had the foresight to save the three blankets - one red, one blue, and one yellow – in which the infant Superman had been swathed when he arrived on Earth in his rocket. Unable to cut it with scissors, Martha unraveled the ends and then had young Clark use heat vision to cut the fabric so she could fashion indestructible clothes.[22] It was learned over the years that this costume is, by all accounts, absolutely indestructible. Fire cannot burn it, the strongest shears cannot cut it, and neither bullets nor lightning can make a mark on it. Not even the force of six atomic bombs exploding inside it can do harm. Its indestructibility remained, as long as it remains on Earth. On red-sun planets, Superman’s costume loses its indestructibility and can be torn and damaged like any ordinary garment on Earth.[23]

As Superboy[]

As Superboy
Main Article: Superboy
Superboy (History of Doom)

Superboy

In the parallel-universe of Earth-One, Clark grows up on Earth, he is mindful to obey the laws of humanity and works directly with Police Chief Parker and other law enforcement agencies, which leads to Superboy’s acceptance as a hero by the people of Smallville.[24] In fact, by the time Clark is around 12 or so, the town officially recognizes their most popular citizen with a billboard that publicly announces: "Welcome to Smallville – the home of Superboy".[25] He used his powers and abilities to protect the citizens of Smallville from evil, and eventually the rest of the world.

Shortly before this, Martha Kent unraveled the playsuit she made years ago and re-wove the thread into Superman’s now-famous costume. The young Superman used "strips of rubber padding" salvaged from the wreckage of his rocket to fashion a pair of bright red boots, while a yellow strap, also salvaged from the rocket, became his belt.[26]

When Clark goes to high school,[27] he meets Pete Ross,[28] his future childhood sweetheart, Lana Lang[29] and also his Kryptonian dog Krypto.[30] According the parallel-universe of Earth-One, Lana tries repeatedly to prove that Clark Kent and Superboy are the same person, it is Pete who actually bears witness to Clark’s secret with his own eyes, watching in secret as Clark changes into his Superboy costume during a camping trip. Nevertheless, Pete takes it upon himself never to reveal this secret to anyone, and never to give any indication to Clark that he might know it either. Superboy discovers his origins from Krypton for the first time by overtaking light rays reflected off the dead planet prior to its destruction.[31]

While in school, Clark gets in trouble when another student blames him for letting the class guinea pig out of the cage.[32] He also goes on a camping trip with his boy scout troops;[33] joins the circus;[34] runs away for a short time;[35] has a birthday party at the farm;[36] takes his driving test;[37] goes on his first date with Lana Lang to a concert;[38] decides to play football but Pa asks him to reconsider and Clark gets a pair of glasses for the first time.[39]

As Superboy, young Clark learned of his Kryptonian origins.[40] For a time, he believed himself Krypton’s last survivor but he encountered a slew of other survivors – including the juvenile delinquent Dev-Em,[41] the citizens of the bottle city of Kandor[42] and those imprisoned in the Phantom Zone (a dimension discovered by Jor-El years earlier).[43] In the parallel-universe of Earth-1A, in 1957 at around fifteen, three Phantom Zone criminals (Hul, Logar and Rom-Lok), who have traveled back in time to defeat a young Superman for imprisoning them, are ultimately defeated by Superboy, his older self and Green Lantern who have time traveled from 1983.[44]

At this young age, he would also discover his greatest weakness — Kryptonite, a radioactive fragment of the planet Krypton that was lethal to him.[45]

It wouldn’t be long before he met one of Smallville’s newest resident’s Lex Luthor. In his first meeting, a chance meteor of Kryptonite crash lands on to the Luthor property. Lex, who has been a huge fan of Superboy’s for years, saves him from the Green Kryptonite. As a show of thanks, the Boy of Steel creates a modern laboratory for Luthor. One afternoon, while Luthor is working on cure for Superboy against the deadly influence of Kryptonite in new lab, he accidentally causes a minor explosion. Superboy arrives and sees smoke coming out of the window, he mistakes it for a fire and using his superbreath, he blows at the smoke, but in doing so, he accidentally blows the fumes directly on Lex causing him to become bald. This leaves Luthor furious at Superboy, believing he was jealous of his intelligence, so he vows to have his revenge on Superboy.[46] NOTE: Luthor’s parents died in a car accident soon afterward. His younger sister, Lena Thorul, who as a young girl had gained psychic powers after a freak accident in Luthor’s lab, grew up with no idea she was related to the notorious villain.[47] Luthor went to great lengths to prevent her from finding out.

According the parallel-universe of Earth-One, Superboy is also contacted by a club of adolescent superheroes from the 30th Century, known as the Legion of Super-Heroes. He becomes good friends with Legionnaires Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, time travels to the future and has several adventures.[48]

According the parallel-universe of Earth-One, during his stint as Superboy, he would also encounters the threat of Red Kryptonite when a Martian traveler exposes him to it and creates an evil duplicate of his Clark Kent persona.[49] Lana Lang would acquire a Bio-Genetic Ring from an alien that she rescued, allowing her to manifest insectoid abilities and traits at will. With the ring, Lana fabricated an alter ego as the super-heroine Insect Queen, although her heroic exploits were mostly limited to those which would grab Superboy's attention.[50] Occasionally, Superboy met and teamed-up with the half-Atlantean wandering youth Arthur Curry, alias Aquaboy.[51] He would also encounter many people who would later become his close friends: a teenaged Bruce Wayne[52] Oliver Queen, [53] and Hal Jordan.[54] Superboy would also encounter others via time travel, including Robin[55] and Jimmy Olsen.[56] A time-lost Superboy also met and actually trained his Earth-Two counterpart as a boy.[57] When Superboy brought the Crystal of Catastrophe back from the 30th century, it temporarily endowed young Barbara Gordon (the future Batgirl) with super-powers, transforming her into Mighty Girl.[58]

Age 18 was a time of significant transitions. Clark Kent graduated from Smallville High[59] and moves to Metropolis to attend Metropolis University.[60] While in college, he changed his superhero name from "Superboy" to "Superman,"[61] lived in a in a dormitory with roommate Billy Cramer, joined a fraternity,[62] became a cheerleader for the college football team, studied advanced science under Professor Thaddeus V. Maxwell,[63] had a bittersweet romance his senior year with the mysterious wheelchair-bound beauty, Lori Lemaris[64] (who is secretly a mermaid);[65] and achieved a degree in journalism.[66]

At some point during Superboy's career, he is seen on TV by Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, who is seen eagerly watching the exploits of new super-hero to earth, Superman.[67] [NOTE: In the Earth-1A Universe, this would fall somewhere between 1961 and 1963.]

As Superman[]

As Superman
2Clark Kent

Clark Kent

Following his college graduation, Clark Kent returned to Smallville to meet one heartbreak, soon to be followed by another. His mother had died, having succumbed to a rare tropical plague. His father was also afflicted and rapidly declining. Just before his father’s death, Jonathan Kent made Clark promise to use his abilities only for good.[68] Shortly, before their passing, Superboy was in the 30th century. Saturn Girl empathized with the young man, knowing his parents fate, but would not say anything to him before he returned to the 20th century, for fear of changing history.[69]

It was a bereaved Clark Kent who departed Smallville to embark on his chosen career as a newspaper reporter in Metropolis at the Daily Planet. Clark’s boss was editor-in-chief Perry White, and his co-workers included Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.[70] He took up residence in apartment 3-D at 344 Clinton Street,[71] a high-rise apartment building[72] in the midtown area[73] of Metropolis.[74] A fake wall in the apartment, which slides open at the touch of a secret button mounted on the apartment wall, conceals a secret closet housing a number of Superman’s sophisticated robots, several numbered boxes of Superman trophies and samples of kryptonite, and various other Superman mementos. When he is not wearing his Superman costume, Clark Kent sometimes hangs it in this secret closet.

About six months after his arrival in Metropolis, Superman is exposed to Red Kryptonite which not only robs him of his super-powers; it also robs him of his memory! He awakens to find himself on the ranch of Digby Selwyn. He comes up with the name "Jim White." Not sure where to go, he stays on to help. Over the course of a week, becomes a ranch hand, working a the Selwyn Lumber co. and falls in love with Selwyn’s lovely blonde haired daughter Sally. But a rival named Bart arranges for Clark to be crippled in a riding accident and then knocks him into a river. Clark is saved by Aquaman and taken to Atlantis, where he is nursed back to health by his old sweetheart, Lori Lemaris. While the effects of the Red Kryptonite eventually wear off, the Man of Steel has no memories of the preceding events or Sally, who was led to believe that "Jim White" committed suicide.[75]

Soon other heroes made themselves known, including the hero who would become Superman’s best friend in the superhero community, Batman. They even knew each other’s secret identities.[76]The two heroes would engage in regular team-ups over their careers.[77]

During his adult superhero career, Clark found various new challenges, such as the first of many battles against the supervillain android Brainiac[78] and Lex Luthor, who plagued Superman as a youth in Smallville, would return repeatedly to face Superman as his primary adult foe.

On one such villainous scheme, Luthor, with help from his assistant Vekko, poses as a scientist that supposedly has come up with an antidote for Green Kryptonite. Unbeknownst to our heroes, Luthor recreated the imperfect Duplicator Ray that Professor Dalton created. Learning this, Perry White tells Superman who goes and visits the faux professor. Superman willingly lets himself be zapped with the duplication machine and is horrified to learn that he’s been tricked and the device has created a Bizarro Superman. Luthor’s plan of an evil Superman is foiled when Bizarro turns out to be just a tragic character who wants nothing to do with the land of normal people. Bizarro then helps Superman apprehend Luthor and his assistant and turn them over to the police. It is soon realized that Bizarro Superman has retained the memories of his predecessor but had an overwhelming compulsion to prove its worth to Lois Lane. Lois ended up using the Duplicator Ray on herself to create a perfect mate for Bizarro: a Bizarro Lois Lane. Together, the two took off for the depths of space, to find an imperfect world that they could call their own.[79] Bizarro and his bride settled upon an uninhabited Earth-like world and stumbled upon the ruins of an extinct civilization, reusing the materials of its abandoned cities to create a distorted replica of Metropolis. When Bizarro Lois grew lonely, Bizarro used the Duplicator Ray to create an entire population of Bizarro Supermen and Bizarro Lois Lanes. To distinguish themselves from their duplicates Bizarro Superman and Bizarro Lois Lane wore necklaces bearing stone engravings proclaiming them both ‘#1.’ By chance, Superman stumbled upon the Bizarro World. Being to handsome and too perfect, he was apprehended. This caused Bizarro #1 to have Superman jailed. Fortunately, Superman stymied Bizarro #1 by pointing out that the shape of their planet (Htrae) was not wildly deviant from Earth’s shape, forcing him to let Superman and the other prisoners go on principle of making up for hypocrisy. Once free, Superman terraformed Htrae into a cube-shaped planetary mass, granting the Bizarros’ wish to have a truly imperfect world at last.[80]

Superman was eventually introduced to the by the that mischievous imp from the 5th-dimensional land of Zrfff, Mr. Mxyzptlk, although the nature of Mxyzptlk’s pranks remained more annoying than malicious. Every time Superman would contrive some way to make the magical being say his name backwards and return to his own dimension, and upon every return Mxyzptlk would think of some new way to "cover his blind spots" from previous defeats, such as by using hypnotism on Superman, submerging himself in water, or installing an alarm into his derby hat.[81]

Superman soon found himself needing a retreat from his life in Metropolis. So he built a secret sanctuary in the Arctic. He called it his Fortress of Solitude and filled with advanced equipment, personal mementos, and alien animals from throughout the galaxy.[82] The Fortress later became home to a most unusual artifact: the lost Kryptonian city of Kandor, stolen decades earlier by the Coluan android Brainiac, reduced to tiny size, and stored in a life support bottle.[83] Superman was able to temporarily miniaturize himself to visit Kandor's inhabitants, even going on the occasional adventures in the miniature city. On one occasion Superman Jimmy Olsen become trapped in bottle. Powerless inside the bottle, Superman adopted the identity of costumed adventurer ‘Nightwing’ (inspired by his crime-fighting partner Batman), while Jimmy became a ‘Robin-inspired’ persona calling himself ‘Flamebird.’ With the help of Superman's facially similar distant relative Van-Zee, Lan Karr (Jor-El’s old friend), and the Superman Emergency Squad, they saved the city and escaped.[84]

In January 1971, Morgan Edge, owner Galaxy Communications purchases the Daily Planet. Clark Kent becomes a full-time newscaster on another Galaxy property, Metropolis television station WGBS-TV[85] working alongside of WGBS-TV sports anchor Steve Lombard[86] and childhood friend Lana Lang, who became Clark’s co-anchor.[87]

On the evening of February 11, 1959[88] (1971 in the Earth-1A universe) new hero, Plastic Man along with several other heroes was on hand for an unknown to the public, yet historical occasion. Future fellow Leaguer, Martian Manhunter had been kidnapped by Commander Blanx who was also from Mars. The gathered heroes, along with Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and the Flash free the Manhunter. These heroes believe that the world is not ready to handle Martians on earth and decided to keep the incident a secret.[89]

Not long after taking on the responsibility to protect Kandor, Superman learned that his uncle and aunt, Zor-El and Allura In-Ze, and their teenage daughter, Kara Zor-El, had survived the destruction of Krypton in the domed Argo City, which had been propelled into space by the force of the explosion. Most of Argo City’s residents later perished of Kryptonite poisoning, but Zor-El was able to send Kara to Earth, where the girl was reunited with her cousin and became Supergirl.[90] Superman thought that it would be best for his teenage cousin to enter an orphanage under the name of Linda Lee, insisting that she keep her existence carefully hidden – for her safety as well as serving as his ‘secret emergency weapon’ while learning to master her powers. During her stay at the orphanage, she accompanied the Legion of Super-Heroes on a mission,[91] but it was not until after her adoption by Fred and Edna Danvers[92] that Superman allowed her existence to become publicly known in the 20th century.[93]

A consortium of would-be universal conquerors from the planet Wexr II banded together as the Superman Revenge Squad to retaliate against the Man of Tomorrow for crushing their ambitions back when he was Superboy. Their revenge would repeatedly revolve around orchestrating some improbable series of catastrophes with alien technology to derail Superman's life and impair his ability to function as a crime-fighter. In their first appearance, the Revenge Squad exposed Superman to Red Kryptonite without his knowing to cause him to lapse into bizarre dreams of strange futuristic scenarios.[94]

On an accidental trip ‘backwards’ through time to Krypton, several years before its destruction, Superman fell in love with the actress Lyla Lerrol (referred to as Lyla Ler-Rol in the Earth-1A universe). Tragically, any permanent romance between the two was not to be, as the circumstance of Krypton’s looming death and the necessity of Superman’s departure prior to the cataclysm cut their relationship short. Like everyone else on Krypton at the time of its destruction, Lyla Lerrol perished, to be mourned by her one-time lover decades into the future and light years away.[95]

The Justice League[]

The Justice League
Main Artcle: Justice League of America

The Early Years (1973 – 1979 in the Earth-1A Universe)[]

The next assembly of earth’s mightiest heroes included the Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter and the Green Lantern. As a team they stopped the invading Appellaxians resulting in the formation of Justice League of America![96]

As Superboy, Superman inspired many other superhuman crime fighters to take action in their own distinctive way. Yet, for the exception of frequent team-ups with Batman and Robin, Superman had very little interaction with other costumed heroes prior to the invasion of the alien Appellaxians.

In the League’s earliest adventures, Superman played somewhat of a backseat role, however. For instance, he was confined to outer space, protecting Earth from a swarm of meteoroids, as the JLA fought and defeated the starfish-like alien invader Starro the Conqueror.[97]

Superman would take a more active role starting with the JLA’s encounter with the Kalanorian tyrant Despero;[98] the JLA's first encounter with the Lord of Time, Demons Three and Felix Faust;[99] Dr. Light;[100] the Crime Champions and Doctor Alchemy (with help from the Justice Society of America from Earth-Two);[101] a mad other-dimensional tyrant;[102] an extradimensional entity called "I" ;[103] the Crime Syndicate of Earth-Three ;[104] the misguided scientist Brain Storm;[105] the Materioptikon weapon of the nefarious Dr. Destiny;[106] when the Key brainwashed Snapper Carr;[107] an extradimensional being called the Unimaginable (while assessing the worthiness of Metamorpho to join the JL);[108] Amos Fortune and his Royal Flush Gang;[109] a magical duplicate of Felix Faust;[110] Queen Bee;[111] the mad scientist T.O. Morrow from Earth-Two;[112] when Green Arrow was framed for the (faked) murder of the Tattooed Man;[113] and the Creeper.[114]

Formation of the SuperFriends!

Main Article: SuperFriends

In late 1975, shortly after the Martian Manhunter had left Earth,[115] and in response to the formation of the Legion of Doom; Superman and handful of the Justice Leaguers and a few unaffiliated heroes had gathered together. Superman, leading the charge, states that, "the best way for us to combat crime and be prepared for world-wide emergencies is to work together. From now on, we'll be the SuperFriends."[116] The heroes on hand for this historic occasion were Aquaman, Batman, Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Black Vulcan and Samurai.[117] This arrangement was spear-headed by Superman, Batman (and Robin), Aquaman and Wonder Woman (the core-five) and included the training of young people (or Junior Super Friends) for law enforcement at the Hall of Justice. Marvin White and Wendy Harris, and later Zan and Jayna of the Wonder Twins are the first of the trainees.[118]

The above mentioned, Legion of Doom is an organized body of self-proposed Supervillains led by Lex Luthor. Superman, along with the SuperFriends and a few Justice Leaguers would battle the villainous group on many occasions for the remainder of the decade.

The Final Years (1980 – 1984 in the Earth-1A Universe)[]

There was no lasting reconciliation between Superman and Lex Luthor, whose enmity only escalated in adulthood. Although Luthor was capable of moments of nobility and heroism — when Lena Thorul finally learned she was his sister,[119] he expressed genuine remorse over the pain he’d caused their family — they were inevitably undone by his manic hatred of the Man of Steel. The most tragic example was a distant planet the inhabitants later renamed Lexor, where Luthor was lifted up as a savior. Although Luthor settled on Lexor for a time, his desire to destroy Superman eventually led to Lexor's destruction and the deaths of Luthor's wife and infant son.[120]

Unbeknownst to our heroes, the Crisis on Infinite Earths was only a few years off. In these final days, Batman and Superman began to team up on a regular basis.

Together they would stop the threat of the Pi-Meson Man.[121] When Clayface returned and kidnapped Lois Lane, Superman and Batman used the oldest of their tricks and switched identities to confuse the criminal and stop his mad plan.[122] Batman and Superman then stopped Metallo, who had escaped from Superman Island and started a crime wave using a black hole.[123]

When several weapons were stolen from the Fortress of Solitude,[124] Batman and Superman investigated and came in conflict with the intergalactic villain called Weapon-Master.[125] When Superman was captured by the Weapon-Master, Batman used one of Superman’s machines to save his friend. In the end the Weapon-Master escaped.[126] After this, the heroes worked together to stop Mister Freeze from altering the weather in both their cities.[127] Batman and Superman then stop the threat of a lethal plague.[128] The heroes then assisted Hawkman to restore peace in Thanagar.[129] Afterwards, Batman and Superman confronted and stopped General Scarr’s Army of Crime.[130]

Batman and Superman were then threatened by a mystical being[131] and Batman was possessed by a dark entity[132] and taken away to Madame Zodiac's lair.[133] Superman searched all over the world and eventually found Batman. The Man of Steel helped Batman overcome the possession and with unexpected help from Dr. Zodiac, the heroes managed to defeat Madame Zodiac and the Dark Entity.[134] Later, they stopped the powerful duo called Null and Void[135], the menace of Chronos[136] and finally, they stopped the threat of Nightwolf before they decided to go their separate ways.[137] Batman quits the JLA, joins other non-JLA heroes and forms the Outsiders.[138]

By the time of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superman and Lois had temporarily ended their relationship,[139] mainly because Superman's persistent refusal to admit that he was Clark Kent, which Lois had long suspected.

Final Days & The Crisis on Infinite Earths[]

Final Days & The Crisis on Infinite Earths

Justice League Detroit

Main Article: Justice League Detroit

On one notable occasion, the Martian Manhunter is seen rapidly entering the earth’s atmosphere and crashing into the East River off Manhattan. As several JLA members (Aquaman, Black Canary, Elongated Man, Firestorm, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Red Tornado and Zatanna) comes to his aid, he tells them that a squadron of Martian warships hot on his tail with plans to conquer the earth. The Manhunter is eventually able to confront the fleets Marshal in open combat. He defeats the Marshal and is able to convince the remainder of the fleet to agree to a cease-fire. They leave Earth's orbit to return to Mars II. J'onn however, elects to stay behind on earth. In the aftermath of the confrontation, the JLA HQ Satellite is virtually destroyed.[140]

With the Justice League splintered, Aquaman, as a charter member of the League and the only original League member present, addresses the general assembly of the United Nations, announcing that they cannot protect the Earth without complete commitment from all of their members. The new team that rises in their place includes Aquaman, Elongated Man, Gypsy, Martian Manhunter, Steel, Vibe, Vixen and Zatanna. To remain closer to those they’re sworn to protect, they establish new headquarters in a Detroit compound operated by Dale Gunn.[141]

The reason that Aquaman is the only original Leaguer present when he disbanded the JLA is because the Green Lantern has turned in his ring to the Guardians in the wake of the Satellite’s destruction, wanting to marry Carol Ferris[142] and the Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman are on Earth-Two, having left before Martian Manhunter’s arrival. The reason for our heores departure is revealed only a few hours before on the JL Satellite. The Flash had called a meeting with Superman, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl. Their meeting is interrupted by three people who immediately transport the quartet to Earth-Two! On that world, Dr. Fate, Starman, Green Lantern, and Dr. Mid-Nite are battling winged monkeys somehow connected to the trio who have brought our famed Leaguers there.[143] It is revealed that the Joshua Champion has discovered an 'alternate universe' and has been possessed by a malevolent entity who rules that dimension. He attempts to invade the earth, leading a horde of creatures and calling himself the Commander. It takes the combined effort the Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl and the JSA . Together they free the scientist from the alien's control and exile the creature back to its home dimension. Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash have no idea of the changes to the Justice League during their absences from Earth-One.[144]

Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash travel to the Justice League satellite—to find it destroyed! A signal, from the satellite headquarters of the Justice League of America, alerts Aquaman to the return of our heroes. As our heroes look around they are stunned because they were gone only a few hours. Superman discovers a Soviet satellite in the wreckage. Wonder Woman identifies the satellite's point of origin. Aquaman monitors as they descend to Earth, specifically Star City, in the Soviet Union. Aquaman summons the ‘new’ League. The Russian Air Force greets the trio's invasion of their air space with missiles, then fighters, but the heroes land without injury. As they attempt to end the hostilities they are surrounded by Star City's security forces and confronted by a strange musician, wielding an instrument hauntingly familiar to the Flash. The musician plays demons into existence that subdue and capture the three heroes. Their captor is General Anton Gorki. At Gorki's winter estate, our heroes revive, but find themselves incapable of moving. They find that Anton Allegro is also Gorki's prisoner. It is Allegro's cursed instrument that the musician is wielding.[145] Dale Gunn has convinced Steel's grandfather to use his CIA contacts to find out where the three former JLA members are held captive, and the team flies to Russia. After an escape attempt, Gorki kills Allegro. Soon the ‘new’ League storm Gorki's winter house and subdue his forces. Offering no answers to Superman's questions, Aquaman orders the League to depart the Soviet Union.[146] The trio are finally informed that their "short" trip to parallel worlds actually took three weeks, and that in that time the Justice League has been disbanded and reformed. Wonder Woman demand to know why Aquaman disbanded the JLA. Aquaman states that, in the beginning, the individual members gave their all to the Justice League of America. As time went on, however, the Justice League of America ceased to be a priority for the membership. After the Earth-Mars war, Aquaman decided to disband the current incarnation of the Justice League of America, in favor of a new incarnation. Wonder Woman disputes Aquaman's right to disband the League, but Superman points out an amendment in the charter that allowed for Aquaman's actions. The Flash acknowledges that the new members' commitment to the JLA is stronger than his own. The trio accepts Aquaman's decision, and gracefully bow out of the Justice League of America![147]

A short time later, Wonder Woman along with Batman and Robin, pay Superman a visit at his Fortress of Solitude, with Batman and Wonder Woman bearing gifts for the Man of Steel's birthday. Upon arrival, they see something is very wrong – they see Superman standing rather still with a strange alien plant attached to his chest and wrapping its tendrils around him. As the three heroes try to determine where the plant came from and what it's doing to Superman, a gigantic yellow-skinned muscular humanoid male calling himself Mongul shows up, telling them that the plant is a Black Mercy. Batman succeeds in pulling Black Mercy off Superman, only for it to now latch onto him and give him a fantasy-induced dream based on the desires of his heart. In Batman's fantasy, his father, on the night that his parents were murdered, succeeds in overpowering the criminal, preventing the murder from ever happening. Bruce grows up happy, marrying Kathy Kane. Together, they have a daughter. Meanwhile, Superman has attacked Mongul in a rage (thinking over his fantasy of being on a Krypton that was never destroyed). It’s a full on melee now. Robin uses the gauntlets that Mongul pulled off his hands and grabs Black Mercy, pulling it off Batman and carrying it to where he would hope to dump it on Mongul. The fight between Superman and Mongul continues, with neither side prevailing. Robin is able to put the Black Mercy right on Mongul, and it instantly wraps itself around Mongul, giving him a fantasy of his own heart's desire. In that fantasy, he kills Robin as well as well as the others. Now, Mongul is able to take over the world, as leader of a new Warworld. In reality, Mongul simply drops to the ground, with the heroes now relieved that the fight is over. The heroes secure Mongul and decide that this is the best time to Superman with his gifts. Wonder Woman shows him a perfect replica of the Bottle City of Kandor made by the Paradise Island Gemsmiths. He quickly goes to hide the replica he already has before taking the one from Wonder Woman and kissing her. The two think about a romantic relationship, but concede it will be too predictable. Batman shows him a new species of a plant blossom called the Krypton – a blossom that ended up being crushed during the fight.[148]

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Main Article: Crisis on Infinite Earths

As Batman squares off with the Joker in Gotham, he sees a distraught image of the Flash, warning about the end of the world. Batman tries to talk to the Flash, but he disintegrates before his eyes.[149] Distraught over this vision he calls Superman. As Superman arrives, he wonders what it could be, as he could hear the fear and urgency in his voice. They meet atop a building in Metropolis. Superman apologizes for being late. He was stopping a volcano in the middle of the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. After he says how strange it was, Batman tells him that it’s about the Flash and the image he saw. How he cried out and that none of them have heard from him since his trial.[150] Just then, the Pariah appears. He is happy to see the heroes, for their fame had reached his world before it was destroyed. He tells them that their world and universe is about to be destroyed. Then he cries out saying that he is being pulled away and cannot resist. Batman is concerned and looks at Superman and says that is exactly what the Flash said.[151]

It is July 1985. The skies overhead have turned red. Weather around the world is out of whack. All the signs point to the coming of Armageddon. The antimatter wave has reached Earth-One and it slowly begins to dissolve everything in its path. The Teen Titans (Changeling, Cyborg, Jericho, Kole, Nightwing / Dick Grayson, Starfire and Wonder Girl / Donna Troy) team up with the Outsiders (Black Lightning, Halo, Katana and Metamorpho) to save as many citizens of New York City as possible. Batman and Superman arrive to lend a hand. Suddenly, the Flash appears to the gathered heroes. He tells them that something is happening in the future, everything is unraveling, fraying at the seams. Batman tries talking to him, but before the Flash can respond, he screams in pain and terror as he is pulled away and disappears.[152]

Over the following weeks, the crisis grows, as the world seems to be tearing itself apart With no end in sight, Batman calls on the Outsiders, saying they’ve got a job to do.[153] Superman, along with the Outsiders and the Titans are now in Metropolis, looking to the massive tower that has appeared in the middle of the city for answers (NOTE: They are unaware of the Monitor at this point and the war with the Anti-Monitor). As they approach, a female looking very similar to Dr. Light, speaks to them in Japanese. She tries to warn the heroes approaching her to stay away from the tower, and blasts them away with a burst of light. Black Lightning is concerned, but Katana, and Superman, understanding Japanese, realize she is an ally, tells the female Dr. Light that they are here to help.[154]

Lex Luthor contrives a hoax that makes Clark Kent file an unknowingly false Superman story and gets him fired from WGBS and the Daily Planet.[155] Later, at the Daily Planet, Clark Kent broods over the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that has come over him. Using his x-ray vision, he spots a bizarre cosmic calamity taking place in the Rennial V sector of space. He excuses himself and flies off as Superman. Supergirl meets up with him, and together they explore the region. They discover twin black holes in close proximity and theorize that they may be responsible for the recent universal havoc. Suddenly, Supergirl's old foe, Blackstarr, emerges from one of the black holes. Superman accuses her of willfully attempting to destroy the cosmos, but Blackstarr confesses that the current calamity is not of her doing. He still doesn't trust her, and Supergirl is forced to rein her cousin back from attacking Blackstarr. After a brief skirmish, Blackstarr disappears and our two Kryptoians head home.[156]

Superman and his allies turn up again, aboard a strange satellite. The heroes have been summoned by Alex Luthor Jr. of Earth-Three, Pariah and Harbinger. This trio has brought together a massive congregation of heroes from Earth-One and Earth-Two – against their will. Together the three explain that a being called the Anti-Monitor is consuming all positive-matter realities, but also explain that in order for things to correct themselves, the Multiverse must be folded back upon itself and become a single universe – the way it was intended, or else all worlds will be destroyed.[157]

Luthor, taking advantage of the Crisis, makes Superman experience an illusion that he has killed Lex Luthor and doomed Metropolis to nuclear holocaust, Luthor succeeds in making the Man of Steel doubt his hold on reality.[158] Then Luthor captures Superman and convinces him, by an hallucination, that he has stolen the Earth. Breaking free from the hallucination, he pursues Luthor. Suddenly, Luthor is pulled away by a vortex that has mysteriously appeared and disappeared.[159] Luthor has been transported to Brainiac’s ship. Luthor is surprised, never having seen Brainiac in his robotic form. The living computer reveals a plan to make them rulers of the universe.[160]

As if Superman doesn’t have enough to deal with, Kasta, a Thrill-Killer from Thanagar, saps power from a black hole and comes to Earth to attempt to murder Superman. Hawkman helps to save him.[161]

Later, Alex Luthor Jr. comes to Superman and brings him to a strange asteroid. He is joined by Blue Beetle from Earth-Four, Superman of Earth-Two, Lady Quark from the now destroyed Earth-Six, Uncle Sam from Earth-X and Captain Marvel from Earth-S. While on the asteroid, Lyla (aka Harbinger), explains to our six heroes the birth of the multiverse and the antimatter universe by Krona’s (a renegade Maltusian scientist) peering back to the dawn of time, the roots of the Crisis at the hand of Pariah and the origin of the Monitor and Anti-Monitor by Krona.[162] She goes on to explain how the Anti-Monitor’s power grows by the consuming of a universe. And how every universe that was consumed the Monitor’s power grew weaker. Soon, the Monitor needed a new plan. He found young Lyla, floating in the ocean after her ship had sunk. The Monitor raised the child and prepared her for a great mission – the gathering of super-powered heroes![163]

As our select group of heroes assemble for the great battle, other heroes are concerned for their safety and success. Among the concerned heroes are the Spectre, Phantom Stranger and Deadman. They are discussing whether or not they should go with them. The Phantom Stranger reminds them that wouldn’t matter, as their powers will be useless in the Anti-Matter Universe. Our six heroes, including Mon-El, Captain Atom, Jade, Green Lantern of Earth-Two, Wonder Woman, the Ray, Martian Manhunter, Wildfire, Firestorm, Dr. Light, and Supergirl are led by Pariah through the portal between the two universes, that was opened by Alex Luthor, Jr. Soon they come upon the Anti-Monitor's floating stone fortress. As the heroes engage in battle, the fortress itself comes to life, creating stone soldiers. As some heroes begin to realize that their powers don’t work in the anti-matter universe, Superman of Earth-One and the new Dr. Light manage to reach the heart of the fortress, where they see a massive machine. Dr. Light explains to Superman that it is a ‘solar-collector’ converting starlight into energy and that it also reduces the vibrational differences between earths. It is the very machine responsible for the merging of the universes. As Superman of Earth-One heads in to destroy it, but is suddenly attacked by the Anti-Monitor by a powerful blast. His scream of agony attracts the attention of his cousin Supergirl, who engages the Anti-Monitor in physical combat. Dr. Light is amazed and inspired by her selfless fury. Supergirl almost totally destroyed his body by her pulverizing blows. With his energy is now waning, she manages to destroy the universe-merging machine, but in the process is wounded. Dr Light comes to her aid, but the Anti-Monitor sees the weakened Supergirl and hits her with a titanic blast of energy. As the Anti-Monitor turns to escape and recuperate, Superman of Earth-One swoops in to hold his cousin Kara. She dies in his arms and Superman screams out, vowing that he would have his revenge. Superman of Earth-Two is also their grieving for Kara and comforting his younger counterpart. At that moment, the Anti-Monitor's fortress falls apart and our heroes head back to back to their own universe.[164]

The Crisis is Apparently Over

The Following Events Take Place Simultaneously or Within a Few Hours of Each Other...

For the most part, the five Earths are for now out of danger. The time distortions have ceased, and the Earths remain linked, if not fully merged. Soon afterward, the worlds receive the news of Super-girl's death and a memorial service is held in Earth-One Chicago. Thousands of people, including Brainiac 5 and many super-heroes attend. Batgirl makes the opening address, praising her friend, while both Lois Lane and Lana Lang oversee their respective broadcasts. Batgirl states that: "Kara is a hero. She will not be forgotten."[165]

Later, Superman of Earth-One leaves his Fortress of Solitude with the body of Kara, wrapped in her indestructible cape. He takes her to space and sets her free, promising to remember and miss her forever.[166] Rather than head back to earth, Superman sits on the moon mourning the recent loss. Suddenly, a spaceship carrying members of the Superman Revenge Squad passes over the moon and picks Superman up on their monitors. They fire an experimental extra-dimensional weapon at him, which sends him into a parallel universe. He quickly recognizes the surrounding geography as that of Earth-Prime. As he flies over a small New England coastal community he finds a young boy dressed in a costume similar to his own. In fact, the boy looks just like he did when he was younger. Even more incredibly, the boy suddenly exhibits Kryptonian powers. As this Superboy takes to the sky, Superman greets him. The two Kryptonians share a brief conversation. As they talk, the boy demonstrates knowledge of the Crisis. Superman reveals that he is unable to return to his universe. After averting a near-disaster, Superboy sets out to help his older counterpart return to his native dimension. Superman and Superboy use Polarian technology to create a vibrational tuning device that opens a vortex back into the Earth-One reality allowing Superman to return home. Superboy accompanies him. As they arrive in Metropolis, Superboy is sucked through a vortex. Just like the one Lex Luthor was pulled thorough a few days before.[167]

Meanwhile, back on Earth-One, the Superman Revenge Squad has infiltrated Superman’s Fortress of Solitude in Superman’s absence. They gather as much information as they could desire. Soon Superman is back in Metropolis. They seize the moment, when Superman is helping Superboy who is being sucked into a vortex. As Superman is helping Superboy, they pull him away and subdue him. Superman is then taken to New Krypton, home of the Kandorians, and is forced to watch as the Revenge Squad attempts to conquer and destroy the planet. Eventually, they are thwarted by Sylvia (the wife of Superman’s cousin Van-Zee). Apparently, in Superman’s absence, the Fortress contacted Sylvia and told her to carry a Phantom Zone Projector concealed on her person until the appropriate time. Superman brings the Squad to justice and thanks Van Zee and Sylvia. Before leaving New Krypton for the last time, Superman retrieves Kara's body from earth's moon and leaves it with her natural parents, Zor-El and Allura.[168]

While Superman is away, the JL Satellite is destroyed in a freak accident caused by the Red Tornado, who was also apparently destroyed. It was soon discovered that his body was inhabited by a sentient Tornado Spirit and that mind has occupied the three weather control satellites. The Martian Manhunter, and Superman destroy the three weather satellites. Sutton amazingly is able to convince the Red Tornado to resume a more human form. Taking human form, the Red Tornado taunts the JLA by saying that that they may be able to save the world from the Anti-Monitor, but warns that a reckoning will be forthcoming. He then vanishes into the sky.[169]

Back at the Fortress, Superman discovers an intruder. Salkor, an alien, is taking a round metal object from the Supergirl room. He is shocked to leaen that the intruder is really Supergirl’s husband, whom she married while she was rendered amnesiac from a collision with a Kryptonite meteor. The two discover a holographic recording of Kara, who explains that she lost her memories of Salkor and their marriage when her original memories returned, only to regain them after her first encounter with Blackstarr.[170] During the message, she mentions that she will probably be dead by the time they hear the recording. Salkor and Superman realize she must have had a premonition of her own death. Superman and Salkor bid each other farewell, and Salkor leaves Earth.[171]

Because of the Crisis, the Creeper, in his identity as TV newsman Jack Ryder, begins giving air time to the crackpots who claim to be behind the strange forces signaling the end of the world. Most are harmless — however, one of them uses his media exposure to form a psychic conduit between an ancient demon and the viewers of Ryder’s show. Together, Superman and the Creeper defeat the demon.[172]

With the Crisis having been apparently abated, Superman has asked the Challengers of the Unknown on Challenger Mountain, to monitoring a flux out in space. He has also asked Cyborg to remain in New York at the Titans Tower to be on the lookout for anything unusual and to help if needed. While they carry out his tasks, he and Power Girl of Earth-Two and several others struggle to pierce the barrier separating the merging Earths, Lyla has an idea that may help. She gathers Jay Garrick and summons the retired Wally West (aka Kid Flash)[173] to help her. Wally is resistant, but Jay tells him that this is what Earth-One’s Flash would have wanted for him. He then hands Wally a ring the Titans say was his old ring. Together they rebuild Barry Allen's cosmic treadmill (which he used to travel through time by use of super-speed) and bring it to a section of NY, just north of Greenwhich Village. They are joined by an assembly of heroes standing on connecting platforms, ready to do battle. The new Robin (Jason Todd) tells Batman that says he’s kind of nervous about traveling another earth. Batman tells him to do his best.[174]

Suddenly the Spectre, in a grand display of his power – makes his presence known across the five partially merged Earths. He speaks to all of the heroes and villains at once, warning them that the Anti-Monitor is still alive and that he has retreated into the past, to the dawn of time itself. And while everyone is engaged in meaningless battle, the Monitor is trying to consume all realities, leaving only the Anti-Matter Universe. He further explains that one group of ‘super-powered beings’ must travel to the beginning of time and the other half must go to Oa’s past, to the time of the mad-scientist Krona. He states that they must decide now, there will be no second chances.[175]

In response, various teams descend upon Death Valley to also provide their own means of time-traveling capabilities – Rip Hunter’s Time-Sphere, the Legion of Super-Heroes’ Time-Bubbles and Lord of Time’s Temporal Transporter. As they prepare, Superboy of Earth-Prime joins them. The two older Superman greet him and ask him about his disappearance.[176] He tells them he’s unsure of what exactly happened, but he is here now and wants to join them on their mission to the past. Magno Lad, Cosmic Boy and one of the Metal Men, Gold, finish working on a large magnetic conductor that will be able to shunt our heroes backwards through time with help of electricity-based heroes. As they prepare, Superman personally flies Earth-Three’s Alex Luthor, Jr. ahead of the time traveling group, back to the dawn of time, in order for Luthor to open the portal between the multiverse and the anti-matter universe. At the same time, Brainiac decides that success is futile, so he shuts down all his bio-functions and prepares to preserve his cognitive functions aboard his Skull ship which, for now, drifts in space. As our heroes prepare to head to the dawn of time, the ‘Lord of Time’ takes Lex Luthor and his allies backwards in time ten billion years to the planet Oa, before Krona’s experiment creates the multiverse and the anti-matter universe. One group is stopped by a group of Oan’s, unsure of the nature of the attack, another bursts into Krona’s laboratory, but he is ready for them. He kills Icicle, Mirror Master and Maaldor. The mission is unsuccessful.[177]

At the dawn of time, the heroes find the captured Pariah and then come face-to-face with the awaiting Anti-Monitor. Fifty-strong channel all of their energy into him (their combined energies could decimate a solar system), but with the absorbed energy of all the universes he has consumed and the energy form his own anti-matter universe, he appears un-phased. In fact, he appears to be absorbing their energy as well. The non-powered heroes, who also came, watch in disbelief, only able to offer their hope. In this moment, when all appears to be lost, the Spectre appears before the Anti-Monitor, channeling all the mystical energy of Earth’s most powerful sorcerers. As he attacks the Anti-Monitor directly, Krona appears in the skies above. He is in his lab peering backwards to observe the dawn time. Just then, the Spectre’s attack unleashes an explosion of energy, which appears to consume all reality.[178]

Clark awakens in the Daily Planet offices. He hears a ruckus in the outer bullpen area. It’s Clark from Earth-Two. He quickly diffuses the situation by claiming that this was his uncle. They decide to fly off to the ‘Warp Zone’ where the merged earth’s intersect. Upon arrival, they discover that the area is no longer roped off, and apparently it never was. They fly off to Central City in the hopes of finding Barry Allen’s lab when they notice that Central City is now adjacent to Earth-Two’s Keystone City. They find Jay Garrick's residence in Keystone City. Surprisingly, Jay Garrick’s wife doesn’t recognize Superman of Earth-Two, though Jay still does. Jay goes on to explain that not only do people remember Barry Allen’s Flash and his trial,[179] they also remember his version of the Flash – the original Flash, but from decades past. The two Superman’s tell Jay of their plan and he takes them to his lab where Wally West is already setting up the Cosmic Treadmill. Wally chimes in and says, that when this done, they should all look for Barry. They agree. Soon, Jay, Wally and both Supermen race on the treadmill, only to find themselves transported out into a void where the Earth-Two universe should have been. As they phase out of earth’s reality they enter a void where Earth-Two should be – it is a vast nothingness. Wally says that they must get back and gather everyone together. Superman of Earth-Two however, begins to lament saying that he doesn’t have a past, he doesn’t belong, that his wife, Lois Lane-Kent is gone, Krypton is gone and then suddenly begins to fly into the void, as if it was his destiny. Superman of Earth-One stops him and they abruptly return back to what now is clearly a New Earth. Upon their return, the Cosmic Treadmill is destroyed beyond repair. Wally tells them that he has the perfect place to gather all the heroes together.[180]

Later, at the Titans Tower situated on a private Island on New York’s East River, there is a gathering of present-day superheroes from the various universes such as Captain Marvel (of Earth-S) and Uncle Sam (of Earth-X). They and the others are talking amongst themselves about how they are unable to return to their own universe and are somehow stuck on Earth-One. As they seek answers, Lyla appears as Harbinger again (her powers restored on this New Earth) and reveals that with time resetting itself, the five surviving positive-matter universes have all merged into one, with histories from those universes merging into a single history and only those present at the battle at the Dawn of Time remember the multiverse. The supervillains that went back in time to Oa in an attempt to prevent Krona's experiment from taking place, don't remember ever taking that trip. In short, what arose from the ashes is this singular universe – a New Earth. However, she also tells them, that in this universe, that even though there are duplicates of Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman from various earths now existing on this one earth that emerged, there is only history for one Superman, Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman. Superman of Earth-Two begins to crack under the strain and flies away. Harbinger says that there are things he doesn’t know yet and needs to be told. Superman from Earth-One goes after him. Robin and the Huntress from Earth-Two, realize that they were never born.[181]

Suddenly, the skies are thunderous and glow red. It spreads over the entire world. In the Tower, Pariah suffers pain but doesn’t disappear and Alex Luthor, Jr. glows with the anti-matter effect. On a rooftop in New York, the two Supermen, seeing the sky, realize that the Earth is being drawn into the anti-matter universe. They are soon confronted by a huge image of the Anti-Monitor, welcoming them to his home, and to their deaths.[182] He explains further, that thousands of universes have perished without resistance, but you have refused. He then applauds their willingness to live, then tells them that it ultimately doesn’t matter nor do the deaths of both Supergirl and the Flash – because they will all die! Before he disappears and the skies turn black, he tells them that his Shadow Demons are ravaging the earth as he speaks.[183]

The Harbinger appears to both Supermen who stand on the rooftop dismayed at their plight and teleports them away. At that very moment, another image of Harbinger gathers Dr. Light from Japan leaving Sunburst to defend their homeland. As Dr. Light travels with the Harbinger, she can’t help but feel that the Harbinger has summoned her because it is she who is responsible for Supergirl’s death. Note: Once the Harbinger needed a machine to use her power, now that power is part of her.[184]

Meanwhile, a revived Brainiac determines that his power is inadequate to battle the Anti-Monitor, so he sets a course for inter-dimensional space to find a particular being who can help.[185]

On Qward, Harbinger’s gathered heroes prepare to confront the Anti-Monitor. The Supermen of Earth One and Two, Power Girl, Martian Manhunter, Kid Flash, Dr. Light, Captain Atom, Lady Quark, Firestorm, Firehawk, Captain Marvel, both Wonder Women, and other heroes are on hand for what seems like a final battle. Meanwhile, the Kid Flash sees an image of the Flash—the last one Barry cast before his death. Wally follows the afterimage to where an insane Psycho-Pirate clutches at an empty uniform. Kid Flash knocks him out and Lady Quark finds his ring. Pariah senses evil and the Anti-Monitor appears.[186]

Our heroes strike at the Anti-Monitor. Harbinger explains to Dr. Light the reason the Monitor created her and it was for this time. Dr. Light absorbs the energy of one of the binary suns that the Anti-Monitor is drawing power from. Alex Luthor begins to drain the antimatter energy away from the Anti-Monitor. The Negative Woman, uses her radioactive power to bind the Anti-Monitor and inhibit him, while the other heroes engage in a frontal assault. He falls to a nearby planetoid seemingly killed and our heroes cheer. Just then Wonder Woman of Earth-One is struck with a flash of power from the Anti-Monitor and appears to disintegrate. Superman of Earth-One and Lady Quark vow deadly revenge, but Superman of Earth-Two knocks them out, and tells Superboy to take them back. [NOTE: This is the last we see of Superman!] The elder Superman, believing he has the least to lose (no world and no wife to return to), confronts the evil Monitor head-on. Then he confronts the monstrous Anti-Monitor, and batters him. Superboy sends Superman and Lady Quark back through Alex's shrinking body, but decides to stay and comes to the elder Superman’s aid. Alex warns them that the he has very little power left to keep the portal open. The elder Superman continues his one-man war against the Anti-Monitor. He decides that now is the time to take a life and he destroys Qwards moon and uses the asteroids to assault the anti-monitor. Superboy gets in on the action, but is blasted by the Anti-matter and almost rendered unconscious. At the same time we learn that Darkseid has technology to look through Alex Luthor’s eyes and has been able to watch the whole battle. Just then Superman delivers what should be a devastating blow and the Anti-Monitor falls back into an asteroid unconscious. As Superman assists the wounded Superboy, the Anti-Monitor awakens. His attack pushes the heroes back. Darkseid, realizing that the fate of the universe is at stake, including his home world, decides to attack. He sends a power burst (i.e. Omega Effect) at him through Alex's eyes. The enemy is devastated and hurled into the core of one of the binary suns. Superman, Superboy, and Alex are stunned to see a fiery ball of their enemy rising from the sun. Superman smashes into his foe's fiery body obliterating him. The Anti-Monitor’s remains fall back into the sun and the star begins to implode. The trio gazes in disbelief, realizing that it is over but that the devastated Sun will destroy everything for millions of miles.[187]

As our three heroes (Superman of Earth-Two, Superboy of Earth-Prime, and Alex from Earth-Three) discuss what to do next, in the short time they have, Alex tells them that he does not have the energy to reopen the portal between universes. Superman wishes that his Lois was there to share in the victory. Alex tells him that she did survive and that he has safely tucked her away in a ‘pocket-universe.’ He reveals her to Superman and the two embrace. She tells her husband that she had been to a tranquil world. Alex decides to head back into the pocket universe. Superman, Lois and Superboy all realize that they do not have a place in the new Post-Crisis universe and decide to accompany Alex into the paradise-like dimension. The foursome vanish seconds before the exploding sun would have reached them.[188]

NOTE: Superman survived the Crisis, but it cost him his cousin Supergirl[189] and several friends, including his Earth-Two counterpart and Earth-One's Wonder Woman.[190] Shortly after the final battle with the Anti-Monitor, Superman's history was overwritten by that of his post-Crisis counterpart, This new origin is found in Man of Steel #1–6 (October, 1986 – December, 1986). At that point, the Earth-One Superman ceased to exist, although much of his early history was replicated in the Pocket Universe created by the Time Trapper to ensure the continued existence of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Along with the existence of his Earth-Two counterpart, Superman's Earth-One existence and history were erased from continuity, after the conclusion of 1985-86 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths following the destruction of the Pre-Crisis universe in that storyline. The Post-Crisis Earth would be an entirely new continuity, and the Post-Crisis Superman an entirely new person, but some aspects of the Earth-One version remained intact.


Hidden Lair[]

Superman’s secret hideout, the Fortress of Solitude, is hidden in the arctic.

[]

Season 1 - Superman INTRO Card

The Superman logo or Superman shield; sometimes called the Superman symbol resembled a letter "S," on a triangular shaped shield. The shield was on his chest, not that he needed it, as he was already invulnerable practically and it didn't even cover much of his costume at all.

The Superman logo became a popular image throughout the 20th century and beyond. It was commonly seen on T-shirts, toys and even peanut butter jars for Superman Peanut Butter.

It was immediately recognizable as the crest of the Superman Family, as Supergirl also wore it, as did many other members of the Man of Steel's extended family.

Powers and Abilities[]

Super powers[]

Abilities[]

  • Agriculture: Growing up on a farm, he learned a lot about agriculture.
  • Advanced Hand-to-Hand Combat: Superman has been trained in various forms of combat, allowing him to take on supervillains his own strength. Even General Zod, who is trained in military combat, has yet to defeat the Man of Steel in a hand-to-hand battle.
  • Boxing: One type of hand-to-hand combat Superman is skilled in is the martial art of boxing.
  • Martial arts: In addition to boxing, Superman is also skilled in at least two forms of Kryptonian martial arts.
  • Genius-Level Intellect: Superman is incredibly smart. He built much of the equipment in his Fortress of Solitude which is far more advanced than most technology on Earth.
  • Indomitable Will: Superman has amazing Power of Will. He is free of evil and temptation.
  • Investigation: Superman uses this skill when tracking down supervillains, and getting stories for the Daily Planet.
  • Journalism: Clark's investigation skills make him a worthy journalist. He is also a good typist and writer.
  • Leadership: Superman has constantly proven himself as a leader, particularly when leading the Justice League.
  • Limiters: Over the course of his life and acquisition of power under a yellow sun, Superman has learned how to place mental inhibitors on his own power. These "limiters" as he calls them, are used to keep his power in check so that he doesn't accidentally "flex and cause the tectonic plates to shift." Though it is known that he has placed several of these limiters within his own mind, it is unknown how many and just how powerful he would be if he decided to release them all. To him, they are the barriers that allow him to be human enough to live a normal life, and he only ever releases one of them when fighting a particularly powerful opponent or performing a predominately difficult task. When he punches a normal human, his punch is considerably pulled, otherwise they could be knocked clear to another planet, and die instantly.
  • Ventriloquism: He also studied ventriloquism when he was in High School. Superman's use of ventriloquism is at a superhuman level. He can throw his voice, even in the vacuum of space, so that he can be heard in space, which would otherwise normally be silent. This indicates that when he talks, he is able to release and manipulate the air molecules inside his body, to the extent that sound is present once the air molecules reach the person he intends to communicate with.


Superman Superman

The Man of Steel!

Weaknesses[]

Paraphernalia[]

Superman's popular catchphrases[]

  • "Great Krypton!"
  • "Great Scott!"
  • "Great Suns!"
  • "Up, up and away!"


SuperFriends Team Members[]

Members of the Justice League

Justice League:
Aquaman (founding member) • Batman (founding member) • Superman (founding member) • Flash (founding member)
Green Lantern (founding member) • Martian Manhunter (founding member) • Wonder Woman (founding member)

Comic Book JLA Team Members:
Black Canary • Elongated Man • Red Tornado • Zatanna Zatara
Phantom Stranger (part-time Leaguer) • Sargon, The Sorcerer (honorary Leaguer)

Other Known Justice Leaguers:
 The Huntress • Black Orchid • Captain Marvel • Supergirl • Green Fury • Plastic Man • Atom • Green Arrow

SuperFriends Founding Members:
Superman • Batman • Wonder Woman • Aquaman
Hawkman • Samurai • Green Lantern • Flash • Black Vulcan

Other Known SuperFriends Members:
Hawkgirl • Apache Chief • El Dorado • Rima

Junior SuperFriends:
Robin • Cyborg • Firestorm
Zan • Jayna
Marvin White • Wendy Harris

Mascots:
Gleek • Wonder Dog


Appearances[]

The New Adventures of Superman (1966–1969)[]

Every Episode:


The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967–68)[]


Super Friends TV Series (1973-1985)[]


Comic book (1976-1981)[]

Every Issue!


SuperFriends 'Clark Kent' Appearances[]


Superman (1988)[]

  • Every Episode


Superman's First Appearance[]

  • Superman first appeared in publications by DC Comics in Action Comics, vol. 1 #1[192] in June 30, 1938.
  • According to the DC Database, the Earth-One Superman first appears in More Fun Comics, #101 (January, 1945) . They cite the following as the rational: “The Earth-One universe first appears in the Superboy story in this issue. Earth-One is first named in The Flash, #123 (1961), but this issue is retroactively cited as its first appearance because Superboy has no Earth-Two counterpart.”
  • Wikipedia’s Superman (Earth-One) page cites Superman, #46/3 (May 1947) as the first Earth-One sighting of Superman. This would be logical since it is the first mention of Superboy in a Superman story. However, this story has teenage Clark and his friends graduating from ‘Metropolis High School.’ So this clearly cannot be the Earth-One Superman. This is why the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Compendium’ places this story on Earth-Forty.
  • The Earth-One Superman's origin story was retold in various stories. The most prominent retellings were in Superman, #146 (July 1961), Limited Collectors' Edition, #C-31 (November/December 1974), and Action Comics, #500 (October 1979).


Notes[]

  • Superman was created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster
  • Clark Kent, Superman's secret identity, was based partly on Harold Lloyd and named after Clark Gable and Kent Taylor.[193][194]
  • With the introduction of DC's multiverse, it was retroactively declared that the version of Superman published between 1938 and the early 1950s lived on Earth-Two, while comics featuring Superman published since the mid-1950s took place on Earth-One. This was confirmed by the introduction of the Earth-Two Superman as a distinct character in Justice League of America, #73 (August 1969). However, since Superman (Like Wonder Woman) was one of several DC characters continuously published throughout the 1950s, there isn't a clear dividing line between the Earth-One and Earth-Two versions of Superman.
  • The Superman of Earth-One is the incarnation of Superman that existed during the Silver Age and Bronze Age publications of DC Comics. He is also known by the following names: ‘Silver Age Superman’ and ‘Pre-Crisis Superman.’
  • This change of character is noted as being attributed to two events that occurred at DC comics which contributed to a redefining of the character. [1] Editorial duties at DC Comics were redistributed, giving Mort Weisinger sole control over the character. [2] This time period also marked the return of Jerry Siegel in 1959. Together with science fiction greats Edmond Hamilton and Otto Binder, they set out to clearly define the personalities of the characters in the Superman mythos.
  • Jerry Siegel’s stint was short lived. He retired in the mid-1960’s. Hamilton and Binder also retired before the decade was over. The end of an era finally came in 1970, when Mort Weisinger, the man who had presided over more of Superman's adventures than anyone before or since, retired. Control over the Man of Steel was initially parceled out to a group of editors but it was all consolidated under Julius Schwartz. This marked the beginning of the Bronze Age.
  • Important to note, several stories published before the mid-1950s took place on Earth-One, such as:
    • The appearance of an adult Lana Lang in Superman, #78 (September/October 1952).
  • Also, in Adventure, #271 (April 1960) we learn for the first time that the hostility between Superman and Lex Luthor (given a first name for the first time) [195] extends back to the time they were teenagers (aka Superboy’s day). In January of 1960, (Superboy, #78) Clark met Mister Mxyzptlk. In August he met young Bruce Wayne for the first time (Adventure, #275). In January 1961, Superboy met Lori Lemaris, although the story was contrived so that neither of them would remember the incident (Adventure, #280).
  • Another important feature of the Silver Age is that earlier events were blithely contradicted or reused in new stories with no reference to their predecessors. August 1953’s Adventure Comics, #191 story was offered up in Adventure Comics, #290 November 1961 as the first Sun Boy story. Similarly, in Adventure Comics, #282 March 1961, Lana Lang’s December 1953 Adventure Comics, #195 romance with Mars Boy became the first Star Boy adventure. The January 1953 story "Superman's Lost Brother" (Superman, #80) is word for word almost identical to the March 1961 introduction of Mon-El (Superboy, #89).
  • Also during this new ‘age,’ a new explanation for Superman’s powers began to develop. For the first time, in Action, #262 (March 1960) the notion that Superman’s powers derive from ‘yellow sun radiation’ appears. In Superman, #146 (July 1961) the explanation is amplified. Superman's muscular powers, super strength, speed, and flight, are attributed to gravity. The powers of his super senses: x-ray vision, telescopic vision, etc., are attributed to the yellow sun. The new explanation provided an unexpected bonus of a new weakness for Superman. He no longer had super powers on a world without a yellow sun. Although he had never visited such worlds in the past, he began to make frequent trips to them throughout the 60s. Later, villains like Luthor would invent weapons powered by "red sun radiation" which would make Kal-El's life more miserable (and conversely, the writer's life became much easier.)[196]


External Links[]


Appearances in Other Media[]

Live Action[]

Animation[]


References[]

  1. ↑ Danny Dark did the voice of the Man of Steel in the entire Super Friends TV Series.
  2. ↑ Beau Weaver provided the voice of Superman in the Superman series from 1988.
  3. ↑ Bud Collyer did the voice of Superman in the Filmation animated series.
  4. ↑ Lennie Weinrib did the voice of Superman in Sesame Street and The Brady Kids.
  5. ↑ Jerry Dexter and Bob Hastings did the voice of Superboy, which is the younger version of Superman. Dexter voiced him in Return of the Phantoms and Hastings voiced him in the Filmation cartoons.
  6. ↑ Townsend Coleman did the voice of a teenage Clark Kent in the Superman series.
  7. ↑ Gabriele Calindri provided the voice of Superman on the Italian dub of the Super Friends.
  8. ↑ Michel Vigné provided the voice of Superman on the French dub of Super Friends.
  9. ↑ David Kaye provided the voice of an alternate universe version of Superman, in the 2010 DC Super Friends episode "The Joker's Playhouse."
  10. ↑ Matthew Mercer provided the voice of an alternate universe version of Superman in the 2015 DC Super Friends series.
  11. ↑ As seen in the Superman animated series.
  12. ↑ As seen in the Superman animated series.
  13. ↑ Need Citation
  14. ↑ This indirect reference to Jax-Ur was made in the Season 1 episode: The Planet-Splitter (December 15, 1973). Jax-Ur was a renegade scientist, who was exiled into the Phantom Zone for the destruction of Wegthor, an inhabited moon of Krypton. This was revealed in Action Comics, #284 (January 1962).
  15. ↑ Origin revealed in the SuperFriends TV Show, Season 1 episode: The Planet-Splitter (December 15, 1973) and the Season 3 episode: Secret Origins of the SuperFriends (October 28, 1978 ). This origin is the same as the Earth-One origin stories found in: Superman, #146 (July 1961), Limited Collectors' Edition, #C-31 (November/December 1974), and Action Comics, #500 (October 1979).
  16. ↑ Young Kal-El’s ship was called a ‘rocket-ship’ by his father Jor-El, in the Season 1 episode, The Planet-Splitter.
  17. ↑ Young Clark having a short stay at the Smallville Orphanage before he is adopted, is the same as the original Silver-Age origin revealed in several 1960’s origin stories, Here are a few of those stories: "Action Comics, #273" (February, 1961) and "Superman, #161" (May, 1963). Most 1970’s versions of the story skip the orphanage and have the Kents pass Kal-El off as their own distant relative whose birth parents have died.
  18. ↑ Continuity from Hanna-Barbera's SuperFriends TV Show , Season 1 episode: The Planet-Splitter (December 15, 1973) and from theSuperman (TV series) episode: The Adoption (September 17, 1988),
  19. ↑ These post-crisis depictions deviate from the contemporary comics as well as the Earth-One depictions, having Clark develop his powers shortly after infancy. Also, the pre-crisis Earth-One counterpart has the Kents sell their farm and move into downtown Smallville shortly before Clark started school. The Kents subsequently open a general store. After training in the mastery of his superpowers, Clark at age 8 began a superhero career as Superboy, Earth-One’s first noteworthy superpowered superhero. This origin is found in: Superman, #146 (July 1961), Limited Collectors' Edition, #C-31 (November/December 1974), More Fun Comics #101/3 (January/February 1945), and Action Comics, #500 (October 1979).
  20. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: The Supermarket.
  21. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: At the Babysitter's.
  22. ↑ As revealed in Superboy, #8 (May, 1950) and Superman, #146 (July 1961).
  23. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #78 (September 1952).
  24. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #144/2 (April 1961).
  25. ↑ Jerry Dexter provided the voice of Superboy on Hanna-Barbera's SuperFriends and in the Filmation series, he was voiced by Bob Hastings.
  26. ↑ As revealed in Superman Annual, No. 8 (1963).
  27. ↑ As revealed in flashback portion of Superboy, #75 (September 1959).
  28. ↑ As reveled in Superboy,#86 (January 1961).
  29. ↑ As reveled in Superboy,#10 (September/October 1950).
  30. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #210 (March 1955).
  31. ↑ As revealed in Superboy, #89 (June, 1961). NOTE: In post-Infinite Crisis continuity, Lana was privy to his secret.
  32. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: The First Day of School.
  33. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: Overnight with the Scouts.
  34. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: The Circus.
  35. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: Little Runaway.
  36. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: The Birthday Party.
  37. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: The Driver's Licence.
  38. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: First Date.
  39. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: To Play or Not to Play. Also see Earth-One story, Superboy, #70/3 (January 1959).
  40. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #146 (July 1961).
  41. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #287 - #288 (August – September 1961) and Adventure Comics, #320 (May 1964).
  42. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #242 (July 1958).
  43. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #283 (April 1961).
  44. ↑ As depicted in the Season 7 episode: Return of the Phantoms (October 8, 1983).
  45. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #251 (August 1958). NOTE: Kryptonite first appears in Superman #61 (November, 1949).
  46. ↑ Continuity from Hanna-Barbera's SuperFriends TV Show Season 3, episode: History of Doom (December 23, 1978). This exact story, with more details is revealed in the Earth-One story: Adventure Comics, #271 (April 1960).
  47. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #295 (December, 1962).
  48. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #247 (April 1958); the Legion of Super-Heroes, #222 - #259 (Dec. 1976 — Jan. 1980).
  49. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #139 (August, 1960).
  50. ↑ As revealed in Superboy , #124 (October, 1965).
  51. ↑ As revealed in Superboy, #171 (January, 1971).
  52. ↑ As revealed in World’'s Finest Comics, #84 (October, 1956).
  53. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #258 (March, 1959).
  54. ↑ As revealed in New Adventures of Superboy, #13 (February, 1981).
  55. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #253 (October, 1958)
  56. ↑ As revealed in Superboy, #55 (March, 1957)
  57. ↑ As revealed in New Adventures of Superboy #15–16 (March – April 1981).
  58. ↑ As revealed in Adventure Comics, #453 (October, 1977).
  59. ↑ Continuity from Superman (TV series) episode: Graduation. NOTE: in this episode, even though he had got his glasses before, he isn’t seen with them in this episode, which seems to be a bit of a contradiction.
  60. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #125/2 (November 1958).
  61. ↑ As revealed in Superman: The Secret Years, #4 (May 1985).
  62. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #129/3 (May 1959).
  63. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #125/2 (November 1958).
  64. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #129/3 (May 1959) and Superman: The Secret Years, #2 (March 1985).
  65. ↑ Clark learns Lori is a mermaid in Superman: The Secret Years, #3 (April 1985). For more on Clark’s relationship with Lori, see: Superman, #135/2 (February 1960); #138/3 (July 1960) and #139/1 (August 1960).
  66. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #500 (October 1979).
  67. ↑ As revealed in Wonder Woman, #94/3 (November 1957).
  68. ↑ As revealed in Superman #146/1 (July 1961); Superman, #161/1 (May 1963) and Amazing World of Superman, #1 (1973).
  69. ↑ As revealed in Legion of Super-Heroes, #259 (Jan. 1980).
  70. ↑ As revealed in Superman #146/1 (July 1961) and in a flashback story in Superman, #133 (November 1959).
  71. ↑ 344 Clinton Street first actual appearance by name is in Superman, # 46 (May 1947). This story however, is not part of the Earth-One continuity. It is in Earth-40 continuity. Both the address and the apartment number were confirmed to be part of the Earth-One universe in Superman, #112/1 (March 1957). See also: When Did We Learn the Address of Clark Kent's Apartment? at [h ttps://www.cbr.com/ CBR - The World’s Top Destination For Comic, Movie & TV and More]
  72. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest #92 (January/February 1958).
  73. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #8/2 (January/February 1941).
  74. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #15/2 (March/April 1942) and many others.
  75. ↑ As revealed in "Superman #165/2" (November, 1963).
  76. ↑ As revealed in "Superman, #76" (May 1952).
  77. ↑ Starting in World's Finest Comics, #71 (July 1954); "#94" (June 1958) to name a couple.
  78. ↑ As revealed in "Action Comics, #242" (July 1958).
  79. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #254 (July 1959) and #255 (August 1959).
  80. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #263 (April 1960); #264 (May 1960).
  81. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #131 (August 1959); #135 (February 1960); #154 (July 1962); #148 (October 1961); #174 (January 1965).
  82. ↑ As revealed in "Action Comics, #241" (June 1958).
  83. ↑ As revealed in "Action Comics, #242" (July 1958).
  84. ↑ As revealed in "Superman, #158" (January 1963). NOTE: It will be a few years before the Man of Steel was able to permanently enlarge Kandor on an alien world the Kandorians named Rokyn. As revealed in "Superman, #338" (August 1979).
  85. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #233 (January 1971).
  86. ↑ As revealed in Superman,#264 (June 1973).
  87. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #317 (November 1977).
  88. ↑ This date is revealed in Justice League of America, #144 (July, 1977).
  89. ↑ The above adventure is revealed in Justice League of America, #144 (July, 1977).
  90. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #252 (May 1959).
  91. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #276 (May, 1961).
  92. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #279 (August, 1961)
  93. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #285 (February, 1962).
  94. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #286 (March 1962); #287 (April 1962); #295 (December 1962); #300 (May 1963); Superman, #163 (August 1963); Action Comics, #313 (June 1963); World'’s Finest, #175 (May 1968).
  95. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #141 (November 1960) and #156 (October 1962).
  96. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #9 (February, 1962).
  97. ↑ As revealed in The Brave and the Bold, #28 (February/March 1960); #29 (Apri/May 1960); #30 (June/July 1960).
  98. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #1 (October/November 1960).
  99. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #10 (March 1962); #11 (May 1962).
  100. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #12 (June 1962).
  101. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #21 (August 1963); #22 (September 1963).
  102. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #25 (February 1964).
  103. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America , #27 (May 1964).
  104. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #29 (August 1964); #30 (September 1964).
  105. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #32 (December 1964) and #36 (June 1965).
  106. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #34 (March 1965).
  107. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #41 (December 1965).
  108. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #42 (February 1966); #44 (May 1966).
  109. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #43 (March 1966).
  110. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #49 (November 1966).
  111. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #60 (February 1968).
  112. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #65 (September 1968).
  113. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #69 (February 1969).
  114. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #70 (March 1969).
  115. ↑ The Manhunter's departure from earth is found in an Earth-One story found in the following comics: Justice League of America, #71 (May, 1969); World's Finest Comics, #212 (June 1972) and DC Comics Presents, #27 (November, 1980). In the SuperFriends Comic Book, writer E. Nelson Bridwell ties this Earth-One story to the SuperFriends Universe (aka Earth-1A) in the 'wrap-around sequence' in the debut SuperFriends Comic: Limited Collectors' Edition #C-41 (December 1975 / January 1976).
  116. ↑ As quoted in the SuperFriends TV Show, Season 3 episode: History of Doom (December 23, 1978).
  117. ↑ The formation of team and members depicted in SuperFriends TV Show, Season 3 episode: History of Doom (December 23, 1978).
  118. ↑ In November 1976, in the first issue of the SuperFriends comic book, E. Nelson Bridwell makes it very clear that the SuperFriends are sort of a volunteer organization, under the umbrella of the Justice League of America.
  119. ↑ As revealed in Superman Family #214/1 (January 1982). This is the final appearance of the Silver Age Lena Luthor/Thorul/Colby. The revised post-Crisis Lena Luthor makes her first appearance in Superman: Secret Origin, #1 (November, 2009).
  120. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #544 (June 1983).
  121. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #262” (April/May 1980).
  122. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #264 (August/September 1980)
  123. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #270 (August 1981).
  124. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #272 (October 1981).
  125. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #273 (November 1981).
  126. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #274 (December 1981).
  127. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #275 (January 1982).
  128. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #277 (March 1982).
  129. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #278 (March 1982).
  130. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #279 (May 1982); #280 (June 1982); #281 (July 1982).
  131. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #285 (November 1982).
  132. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #286 (December 1982).
  133. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #287 (January 1983).
  134. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #288 (February 1983).
  135. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #293 (July 1983); #307 (September 1984).
  136. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #321 (November 1985).
  137. ↑ As revealed in World’s Finest, #323 (January 1986)
  138. ↑ As revealed in the Outsiders, #1 (August 1983).
  139. ↑ As revealed in Action Comics, #542 (April 1983).
  140. ↑ This ‘Earth-Mars Conflict’ is revealed in Justice League of America, #228 (July 1984) - #230 (September 1984).
  141. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America Annual, #2 (October, 1984).
  142. ↑ As revealed in Green Lantern, #181 (October 1984).
  143. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #231 (October 1984).
  144. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #232 (November 1984).
  145. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #237 (April 1985).
  146. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #238 (May 1985).
  147. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America, #239 (June 1985).
  148. ↑ As revealed in the Superman Annual, #11 (1985).
  149. ↑ According to Flash, #350 (October, 1985): After an adventure in the 64th century to battle Abra Kadabra, the Flash, doesn’t go back to the 20th Century. Instead he journeys to the 30th Century, to pay a visit to his late wife's parents. There the Flash learns how, upon her death, Iris West Allen's soul was drawn back to the 30th Century, where her family had it placed in a new body. At long last, the Flash and Iris are reunited, to resume their happy lives as husband and wife. He is not seen again, till Batman encounters him in Crisis on Infinite Earths #3 (June, 1985).
  150. ↑ During the Flash’s second encounter with the Reverse-Flash he was accidentally killed. Apparently Barry miscalculated the force needed to stop him. Grabbing Zoom in a headlock, Barry snapped the villain’s neck, killing him instantly. This story line is revealed in The Flash, #323 (July 1983); #324 (August 1983); #340 (December 1984); #341 (January 1985); #342 (February 1985); #343 (March 1985); #344 (April 1985); #345 (May 1985); #346 (June 1985); #347 (July 1985); #348 (August 1985); #349 (September 1985) and #350 (October 1985).
  151. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (May 1985).
  152. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #3 (June, 1985).
  153. ↑ As revealed in New Teen Titans, #13 (October 1985).
  154. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 (July, 1985).
  155. ↑ As revealed in Superman,#410 (August 1985).
  156. ↑ As revealed in DC Comics Presents, #86 (October 1985).
  157. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 (August, 1985).
  158. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #412 (October 1985).
  159. ↑ This adventure is revealed in Superman #413 (November, 1985).
  160. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 (September, 1985).
  161. ↑ As revealed in DC Comics Presents, #95 (July 1986).
  162. ↑ For more on this see: Green Lantern, #40 (October, 1965).
  163. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October, 1985).
  164. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October, 1985).
  165. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October, 1985).
  166. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October, 1985).
  167. ↑ As revealed in DC Comics Presents, #87 (November 1985). Luthor’s abduction through a vortex is revealed in Superman, #413 (November, 1985).
  168. ↑ As revealed in Superman, #414 (December 1985).
  169. ↑ As revealed in Justice League of America Annual, #3 (1985).
  170. ↑ This first encounter is revealed in Supergirl, #14 (December, 1983).
  171. ↑ This encounter with Salkor is revealed in Superman, #415 (January 1986).
  172. ↑ As revealed in DC Comics Presents, #88 (December 1985).
  173. ↑ Wally disappears from the public eye after he testifies against Barry Allen (aka the Flash) for the murder of the Reverse Flash. For info on the trial see: The Flash, #344 (April, 1985).
  174. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 (December, 1985).
  175. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 (January, 1986).
  176. ↑ Superboy’s disappearance is chronicled in DC Comics Presents, #87 (November, 1985).
  177. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 (January, 1986).
  178. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 (January, 1986). This originally was intended to be the end of the Crisis storyline. The Anti-Montitor's hand in these events is actually the power source of several DCU characters including Obsidian, Ian Karkull, the Shade, Shadow Thief, Eclipso and others. The giant shadow hand in Swamp Thing, #50 (July, 1986) is called "the Shadowlands" and "the Primordial Darkness." Morpheus trapped Brute and Glob in "The Darkness" to punish them for empowering Garrett Sanford and Hector Hall in Sandman, #12 (January, 1990).
  179. ↑ As revealed inThe Flash, #344 (April, 1985).
  180. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #11 (February, 1986). This issue began an "interregnum" period in which the previous multiverse had been united into a single world, but during which most of the changes later attributed to the Crisis (such as the extensively revised histories of Superman and Wonder Woman) had not yet appeared.
  181. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #11 (February, 1986).
  182. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #11 (February, 1986).
  183. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #12 (March, 1986).
  184. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #12 (March, 1986).
  185. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March, 1986).
  186. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March, 1986).
  187. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March, 1986).
  188. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March, 1986).
  189. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October, 1985).
  190. ↑ As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March, 1986).
  191. ↑ Not all magic could harm Superman. It just depends on how powerful the magic is. For example, the Warlock's magic ruby had no effect on Superman, because it was not powerful enough. A common misconception is that magic is a weakness in the same sense as Kryptonite is. But that is not the case. It has to do with how powerful magic is. Magic is in general very powerful, and just like Darkseid can hurt Superman with his omega beams, so too can magic.
  192. ↑ Go to DC Database for more on Action Comics, #1
  193. ↑ Roger Stern. Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939 - 1943 DC Comics / Kitchen Sink Press, Inc. / Sterling Publishing; 2006; Page xii
  194. ↑ Gross, John (December 15, 1987). "Books of the Times". New York Times. See also: Schutz, David (April 26, 1992). "When Superman Worked at The Star". The Adventures of Superman. Archived from the original on July 17, 2010.
  195. ↑ In addition to the first name, Luthor is not just a run-of-the-mill mad scientist type. He is actually motivated solely by personal hatred for the Man of Tomorrow.
  196. ↑ This bullet point is adapted from The Silver Age Superman (1959-70) article found at the Superman.NU – Superman Through the Ages website.
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