Monday, December 4, 2023

Character Analysis: Pre-Crises Superman

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Background


Silver age Superman’s backstory is pretty similar to most of his latter counterparts. He originated from the planet Krypton and is the son of the famous scientist Jor-el. His birth name is Kal-el and he was sent away to Earth when Krypton’s uranium core became unstable, leading to the implosion of the planet.


His ship crash landed in smallville where he was discovered by the couple John and Martha Kent. They then secretly dropped him off at an orphanage and then later came back to adopt him legally. Kal-El was then given the human name Clark Kent, and spent his youth growing up in smallville. 


Almost immediately Clark developed powers due to his alien origin and took up a hero career as a toddler under the name “Superbaby” and then later a teenager named “Superboy”. He also joined a band of futuristic heroes from the 30th century named the Legion of Superheroes.


Superbaby


Superboy


Legion


Eventually Clark’s parents passed away due to a disease, and he left smallville to attend college, then later moved to metropolis.


and after being inspired by a girl named Marla, Clark transitioned into the identity Superman.


Clark held multiple jobs while living in Metropolis. First he became a reporter for the Daily star, then a reporter for the Daily Planet and then a news anchor for the Galaxy Broadcasting news network.


Over the years he developed a romantic relationship with several women, most prominently Lois Lane and Lana Lang. He also discovered he has a cousin named Kara, whom he later trained to become Supergirl. He eventually took part in the COIE crossover and aided in the fight against the Anti-Monitor. Silver age Superman ultimately does survive COIE and he eventually becomes the post-crisis Superman of the 90s+ due to the timeline alterations caused by that event.


Unlike many other versions of Superman, the Silver age version spent several years on Krypton before being sent to Earth.


Additionally during this period of Superman’s history “Clark Kent” was the disguise, not the other way around.


 That said, many comics show that he has a great respect for both sides of his identity.  He RETAINS human insecurities, feelings and morals despite viewing himself as Superman first and Clark second..

Armor

Kyptonian suit

Superman’s suite was sewn together by his mother using the blankets from his baby ship and the rocket's internal parts. Because these fabrics were created with Krytonian materials, Superman’s suit is near indestructible and can stretch to absurd lengths.   


Stretching


Kyrptonian cape

Superman’s cape was also created using Krytonian fabrics taken from his baby rocket. His cape is indestructible, can stretch to city sized lengths and is insulated from fire/electricity. 


Stretching


Insulation



Kryptonian glasses

Superman’s glasses were created using the kryptonian glass from his baby rocket. This allows them to withstand the heat of his heat vision without melting.

Weapons

Sword of Superman

The sword of Superman is an ancient weapon forged from primordial matter from the beginning of the universe.  It’s a magical blade that boosts Superman’s power and can act independently of his control. 


Powers

It also grants additional powers. Such as omnipotence, universal knowledge, and a form of immortality. Though Superman could only utilize its full power by giving up his mortal life, which he found himself unwilling to do.


Magic Belt

A belt obtained from a pantheon of Greek gods led by the god Neptune. It has multiple applications, including a set of pipes that can force a person to dance, an ability to make the user immune to swords, transmuting things into gold and creating sunlight or ice.


Misc weapons

Abilities

Kryptonian Biology

Silver age Superman was the first Superman to have a more complex explanation for the origin of his Kryptonian powers. According to Superman he has “muscular/strength” based powers on Earth because its gravity is much lighter than Krypton’s, making him stronger compared to a normal Earthling. He also has “energy/non-muscular powers” that are derived from absorbing the yellow sun radiation from the sun orbiting Earth. 


Non-muscular powers

Superboy’s vision, invulnerability, brainpower, flight and heat vision all come from yellow sun energy.


Muscular powers

Superboy’s muscular powers include super strength, super speed and super breath.


Longevity

Superman is also shown in many instances to have a longer than normal lifespan. Once while being forced to age while time traveling, he lived to be over 1 million years old. The same story stated he was more or less immortal, and portrayed him living until the end of the universe.


Healing

Yellow sunlight also heals Superman’s wounds


Energy absorption

In addition to yellow solar radiation Superman can also absorb various other forms of energy. This includes magnetic energy, electrical energy, cosmic energy, other forms of radiation and magic.


Magnetic


Electrical


Radiation


Magic


Misc


Flight

Superman can fly. He can also cause various wind or weather effects with the speed of his flight.


Lightning generation

Superman can generate lightning bolts by rubbing his hands together quickly.


Super senses

Superman’s general 5 senses of sight, touch, smell, hearing and taste are greatly enhanced beyond that of a normal human. This allows him to hear audio frequencies beyond the normal human range, and see various electromagnetic frequencies like infrared.


Touch


Sight


Hearing


Smell



Super intelligence

Superman has super intelligence, allowing him to make complex calculations in moments. He also has a photographic memory and can perfectly recall anything that happens in his lifespan.


Photographic memory


Invulnerability

Superman’s body is invulnerable to most forms of harm, including elemental, radiation, and chemical.  He can also survive indefinitely without eating or oxygen, is resistant to atomic disruption, disease, energy draining, elemental attacks, transmogrification, existence/soul erasure, time manipulation and antimatter. He can also fight off most forms of mental assault.


Radiation


Elemental


Chemical/poisonous 


Atomic disruption


Disease


Energy draining


Mental


Chronal/Spatial


Existence/Soul erasure


Transmutation


Anti-Matter


X-ray vision

Superman has X-ray vision that lets him see through solid objects. The one substance Superman can’t see through is lead.


Molecular alteration

These X-rays can moderately alter the molecular structure of objects they hit.


Seeing through invisibility and shapeshifting

They can see through fields that make objects invisible or through elaborate forms of shapeshifting.


Magnetism

The can make metallic objects generate a magnetic pull


Heat of X-ray vision

Originally Superman’s X-rays generated heat. This would later be made its own specific “heat vision” power later in his history.


Misc effects


Telescopic vision

Superman’s eyes can see objects miles or even light years away.


Microscopic vision

Superman has micrope vision, allowing him to see small structures and even atomic particles.


Heat vision

Superman can release beams of intense heat from his eyes. They can raise temperatures by millions of degrees.


Sealing space/time rifts

Superman’s heat vision can seal space/time rifts


Negating Anti-matter

Heat vision can cancel out antimatter


Exciting atomic structures

Heat vision can excite atomic structures


Super Breath

Superman can expel high amounts of compressed air. This can be used to move opponents, objects or blow out fires.


Inhalation

Superman can also inhale large volumes of gasses or substances.


Shouting

Superman can create loud shockwaves or amplify the sound of his voice


Ventriloquism

Superman can also “throw” his voice with ventriloquist techniques.


Ice Breath

Superman can cool down the temperature of his super breath, causing it to freeze anything it touches. It’s temperature can reach near absolute zero.


Vibrational abilities

Superman can vibrate his body to phase through attacks or become invisible. He can also create vibrations that can shatter or destroy various objects.


Invisibility


Destructive applications


Intangibility


Super hypnotism

Superman has several hypnotism techniques. Most commonly he can hypnotize people via eye contact. Less commonly he can move various household objects in unique ways to induce a trance. Once hypnotized Superman can either force the target to follow his commands or alter their memories. Hypnotism is also part of how he maintains his identity, via altering people's perception of his face when he’s wearing glasses.


Suggestion


Memory alteration


Time travel

The most unique power largely correlated to Silver age Superman is his ability to travel fast enough to break the “time barrier” and fly through time to any location of his choosing. This includes the past or the future.


Tracking/sensing chronal energy

Superman can also track/chase objects through time. He can do this by either following the object  directly or sensing the temporal radiation they give off while time traveling.


Alternate dimension travel

Superman can travel between alternate realities by traveling through the time barrier or vibrating his molecules.


Higher dimensional travel

Superman can travel to higher dimensions, like the 5th dimension.


Sending other things through time/dimensions

Superman can throw, toss or send other objects and people through time.


Limitations

Silver age Superman has some fairly consistent limitations regarding how his time travel works. He cannot change events in history that have already happened and he cannot travel to a time period where a younger or older version of himself already exists. If he attempts to violate the second rule, he often becomes an incorporeal ghost unable to physically interact with the world until he leaves.


Exceptions to limitations

The first ever time Superman time traveled he contradicted later rules, by visiting his younger self. It’s also noted in one story that he can alter history in universes that operate under different temporal laws than his own.



Misc abilities


Arsenal

Robot duplicates

Superman owns a small army of robot duplicates of himself. Each of them is capable of fully replicating all his powers, including speed, strength, time travel, heat vision, etc. Many of his robots also have an AI  consciousness that gives them a sense of self and can wield various tools like ropes, radar, self-destruction or handheld weaponry. Most are not as durable as an average Kryptonian, though Superman has claimed a few of them can match him in power.


Intelligence


Powers


Strength


Phantom zone projector 

Superman owns a projector device that can send people or objects into an alternate dimension called the “Phantom Zone”. 


The phantom zone characteristics

The Phantom zone is an invisible dimension where time/space has no effect on its inhabitants. Those sent to the zone become ghostly phantoms unable to interact with the real world.


Time Bubble

A bubble vehicle that can travel across time/space. It was given to Superman by the Legion of Superheroes.


Fortress of Solitude

Superman’s hidden fortress in the arctic. It’s a multi-layered bunker and can only be entered using a giant 1000s tons Key.  The fortress contains a zoo with exotic creatures, various confiscated weapons, Superman’s personal inventions, and memorabilia from his adventures on Earth.


Supercomputer

The fortress has a massive supercomputer that monitors the Earth. It can crunch numbers and run possible scenarios for Superman.


General defenses

Superman’s fortress has various defense robots, scanners and energy shielding to protect it.


General Inventions and doomsday devices


Shrinking/growth rays


Misc “on the spot” creations

Feats

Strength


Speed


Endurance

Scaling

Experience


General monsters


Super-villains/Heroes part 1

Super-villains/Heroes part 2


Super-villains/Heroes part 3


Lex Luthor



Misc Experience

Weaknesses


Kryptonite

Superman’s primary weakness is kryptonite, radioactive fragments of his home planet. Kryptonite comes in several different colors with varying effects. Superman typically keeps samples of all versions of kryptonite.


Green

Green is the standard Kryptonite. It weakens Superman and long enough exposure can kill him.


Red

Red Kryptonite was created when Green-K traveled through a cosmic cloud. This variety has completely unpredictable effects on Superman that last between 24-72 hours. Every piece of Red-K only works on Superman once.

In some rare cases effects of different strands of Red-K can be “similar” though. Superman can also sometimes influence the effects they have with concentration.


Superman stores versions of Red-K for experimentation or intended usage.


Negative effects


Positive effects


Blue

Blue-K weakens Superman’s clone Bizarro, but has no effect on him.


White

White-K kills planet life, but is harmless to Superman


Gold

Gold-K is the most dangerous variety of Kryptonite. It can permanently strip Superman of his powers.


Jewel

Jewel-K can magnify mental energy.


Counter measures to Kryptonite 

Superman has numerous countermeasures to Kryptonite. Most commonly he can create lead suits or coat himself in alloys that simply block its radiation. He can also outrun the rays if he’s aware its nearby.


Red Solar Radiation

While red solar radiation is not harmful, it does not energize Superman the same way yellow sunlight does. Exposure to red solar radiation strips Superman of most of his non-muscular super powers, such as his enhanced vision, invulnerability, and flight.


Other types of solar radiation

Superman’s powers can fluctuate based on the color of solar radiation he’s given. He has no powers under green solar radiation and his powers only work at half strength under orange sun radiation. White solar energy actually increases his power though.


Counter measures to solar radiation

Superman has developed several sunscreens that can block out red radiation. He also has inventions that can let him fly fast enough to time travel without the need for his powers and can outrun red sun radiation with clever planning.


Magic

Traditionally Superman’s powers work under scientific principles and because of this he has no innate protection to magic. Most magic (in the context of the Silver age), weakens him. His own powers also tend to be less effective against those who are magical in nature.


Counter measures

Superman’s been able to overpower magic through sheer willpower and in some cases can even absorb it to use against his opponents.



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