Bizarro
Encyclopedia
Bizarro is a fictional character
that appears in publication
s published by DC Comics
. The character was created by writer Otto Binder
and artist George Papp
as a "mirror image" of Superman
and first appeared in Superboy #68 (1958). Since then various iterations of Bizarro have appeared - often, but not always, as an antagonist to Superman.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
(1956 - c. 1970), the character has appeared in both comic book
s and graphic novel
s, and other DC Comics-related products such as animated and live-action television series, trading card
s, toy
s, and video games.
Bizarro was Ranked #25 on IGN
's List of 100 Top Comic Book Villains.
in Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958), writer Otto Binder
casting the character as a Frankenstein's monster
pastiche
that possessed all the powers of Superboy. Shunned for his grotesque appearance, the teen version of Bizarro only appeared in a single comic book story. An adult version, however, followed soon after: debuting in the Superman
daily newspaper comic strip, featuring in Episode 105: "The Battle With Bizarro" (Strips 6147-6242 :Aug. 25, 1958 to Dec. 13, 1958). This storyline also introduced the strange speech patterns that became synonymous with the character, with all of Bizarro's comments meaning the opposite (e.g.. "bad" means "good"). The newspaper version also wore a "B" on his chest, as opposed to the distinctive "S".
Writer of the strip Alvin Schwartz stated:
Binder revised the character, this time wearing an "S" in Action Comics
#254 (July 1959). Bizarro proved popular, and starred in the back-up feature in Adventure Comics
for fifteen issues, running from issue #285 - 299 (June 1961 - Aug. 1962). The character made forty appearances in the Superman family of titles - Action Comics
, Superman
, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
, Adventure Comics
, Secret Society of Super Villains
, and DC Comics Presents
- from 1959 to 1984 prior to a reboot of the DC Universe as a result of the limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths
#1 - 12 (April 1985 - March 1986).
Bizarro was reintroduced into the DC Universe in The Man of Steel #5 (Dec. 1986). An unrelated four issue limited series
titled A. Bizarro
(July - Oct.) was published in 1999.
Yet another version was introduced during the "Emperor Joker" storyline in Action Comics #769 – 770 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Adventures of Superman #582 – 583 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Superman #160 – 161 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Superman: The Man of Steel
#104 – 105 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), and Superman: Emperor Joker #1 (Oct. 2000). Remaining in DC Comics continuity, Bizarro continued to make semi-regular guest appearances that firmly established the character as part of the Superman mythos. The character appeared in Action Comics #785 (Jan. 2002), Infinite Crisis
#1 (Oct. 2005), the Superman: Last Son
storyline in Action Comics 844-846 (Dec. 2006 - Feb. 2007), 851 (Aug. 2007), #855 - 857 (Oct. 2007 - Dec. 2007), Annual #11 (July 2008), and #873 (March 2009).
The character appeared in the limited series Rann/Thanagar Holy War #1 - 8 (July 2008 - Feb. 2009), Strange Adventures
#1 - 8 (May - Dec. 2009), and Solomon Grundy
#1 - 7 (May - Nov. 2009). Bizarro also appeared in a chapter of the Blackest Night storyline in Superman/Batman
#66 - 67 (Jan. - Feb. 2010).
.
The bizarros had no power because they were not under a yellow sun, but they were soldiers ready to kill and die without wincing. That was why Zod was banished to the Phantom Zone for 25 Krypton sun-cycles (Phantom Zone #1).
Circa 12 years later, totally oblivious to these facts, a scientist in the Earth is demonstrating his newly invented "duplicating ray" to Superboy
, and an accident causes the ray to duplicate the teen hero. The copy, quickly labeled "Bizarro", is a flawed imitation as it possesses chalky white skin and childlike erratic behavior. Shunned by the people of Smallville, Bizarro befriends a blind girl. Superboy is eventually forced to "kill" the doppelgänger
, using the remains of the duplicating machine, which acts like blue kryptonite (as opposed to green kryptonite, Superboy's weakness) on the copy.
Years after this adventure when Superboy has become Superman, his arch-foe Lex Luthor
recreates the "duplicating ray" and uses it on the hero, hoping to control the duplicate. The Bizarro that is created, however, is confused, stating: "Me not human...me not creature...me not even animal! Me unhappy! Me don't belong in world of living people! Me don't know difference between right and wrong-good and evil!" Luthor is forgotten as Bizarro attempts to emulate Superman, creating havoc in the city of Metropolis
and almost exposing Superman's secret identity as Clark Kent
. When Bizarro falls in love with reporter Lois Lane
, she uses the duplicating ray on herself to create a "Bizarro Lois", who is instantly attracted to Bizarro. The Bizarros leave Earth together, determined to find a home where they can be themselves.
Superman encounters the couple once again, discovering that Bizarro - now called Bizarro #1 - has used a version of the duplication ray to create an entire world of Bizarros, who now reside on a cube-shaped planet called "Htrae" (Earth spelled backwards). Bizarro #1 and Bizarro-Lois #1 also give birth to a child who while super-powered, appears to be totally human. Considered a freak by Bizarro standards, the child is the catalyst for a brief war between Htrae and Earth. Bizarro also has a series of adventures on Htrae, aiding a normal Jimmy Olsen
when accidentally trapped on the Bizarro world, preventing an invasion of blue kryptonite statues, and stopping the Bizarro version of Titano
.
Bizarro's influence is also felt on Earth: Jimmy Olsen is inadvertently turned into a Bizarro for a time, and a new teen version of Bizarro travels to the 30th century, attempting to join the Legion of Super-Heroes
. When rejected by the Legion, the Bizarro teen creates his own Bizarro version of the Legion, which Superboy eventually persuades him to disband.
When Bizarro encountered Superman once again, he had developed certain powers that were the opposite of Superman's (such as possessing freeze vision as opposed to heat vision), and unsuccessfully attempts to once again kidnap Lois Lane. Bizarro also temporarily joins the Secret Society of Super Villains
to battle the Justice League of America and Captain Comet
.
, Lex Luthor orders his scientific team to create a clone
of Superman. However, wrongfully starting from the assumption that Superman is a human with metahuman abilities (his alien origin had not yet been publicly revealed), the process results in a flawed copy, which Luthor sneeringly dubs "Bizarro" and orders disposed. The monstrous clone survives and, although mute and possessed of only limited intelligence and vague memories of Clark Kent's life, attempts to mimic Superman; he kidnaps Lois Lane and is finally destroyed when colliding with Superman in mid-air.
The version of Bizarro currently depicted in DC's mainstream continuity possesses all the abilities of Superman but with a child-like mentality and method of speech. He is created by Batman
's arch-foe the Joker
when the villain steals the powers of the fifth-dimensional imp
Mr. Mxyzptlk. Creating a twisted version of Earth called "Jokerworld" - a perfect cube with Joker's image on each facet - the villain designates Bizarro to be the planet's greatest hero and leader of a reimagined "JLA" (the "Joker's League of Anarchy"). When Mxyzptlk regains his powers, the imp allows Bizarro and several other beings to remain on the restored Earth.
Bizarro suffers a setback when captured by the Pokolistan
ian dictator General Zod. Zod beats and tortures Bizarro, apparently simply because the creature resembles Superman. The hero rescues Bizarro, and to help him adjust to the normal Earth rebuilds Bizarro's "Graveyard of Solitude" (the opposite of Superman's Fortress of Solitude
). During the Infinite Crisis
, Bizarro is tricked into joining the reformed Secret Society of Super Villains
by Flash
foe Zoom
, and during a battle with superteam the Freedom Fighters
accidentally kills the Human Bomb
, constantly hitting the hero to observe the flashes of light that are produced from the kinetic energy of the blows.
Bizarro becomes involved when Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod
escape to Earth, but wishing to create a home for himself, Bizarro travels into deep space to a solar system occupied by a blue sun. After creating a cube shaped planet, filled with abstract versions of various buildings and locations on Earth, Bizarro is still lonely. The blue sun, however, gives Bizarro a new ability called "Bizarro Vision", which allows him to create new Bizarros. When this fails, Bizarro kidnaps Jonathan Kent, Superman's adopted father on Earth. Superman rescues his father and helps Bizarro become his world's greatest hero.
Bizarro eventually appears on the planet Throneworld, eventually befriending and aiding Earth hero Adam Strange
and allies Prince Gavyn, Captain Comet
, and the Weird
. Together they participate in the war between alien worlds Rann
and Thanagar
, and against villains Lady Styx
and Synnar. Bizarro eventually visits the grave of a deceased Jonathan Kent, and is then sent (by rogue Kryptonians) with other Superman foes to the inter-dimensional prison, the Phantom Zone
.
Bizarro has a series of encounters with former Secret Society ally Solomon Grundy
, and during the events of Blackest Night, Bizarro confronts the Black Lantern
version of Grundy. Bizarro eventually destroys Grundy by driving him into the heart of the Sun.
Later, while investigating an object that crashes into a Metropolis park and leaves a massive crystallized crater in its center, Dr. Light
and Gangbuster
discover a Bizarro-like creature that resembles Supergirl. The Bizarro Supergirl takes the heroes hostage, but is ultimately defeated in battle by the real Supergirl. It is revealed that the Bizarro Supergirl is a refugee from the cube-shaped Bizarro World, and was sent to Earth by her cousin after their planet was attacked by a being known as the Godship. Dr. Light attempts to take the Bizarro Supergirl to S.T.A.R. Labs, only to be violently knocked unconscious by Supergirl, who then absconds with her doppelganger and her ship, hoping to stop the Godship and save Bizarro World. After taking Bizarro Supergirl back to Bizarro World, Bizarro Superman is reunited with Bizarro Supergirl, and they infer by Supergirl that their world is danger.
In the 2004 graphic novel, Trinity mini-series
, by Matt Wagner
, Bizarro is a genetic clone of Superman that is the result of Luthercorp's "Project Replica". The creature was then sealed away in the frozen wasteland of Antarctica, encased within ice, until it was released by Ra's Al Ghul
, who used him as a pawn in his plan to use nuclear warheads to decimate Gotham as well as destroy a cluster of communication satellites, causing a major communications blackout, and several lucrative oil fields. The end goal of his mission being to incite chaos and purge the Earth of the "cancer" that is civilization
Several alternate universe
versions of the character exist: one-shot The Superman Monster
(1999), essentially a Frankenstein
pastiche
features monstrous copy of Bizarro; one-shot Superman: Red Son
(2004) features a nameless version created in the United States
to stop the Soviet-based Superman and Lex Luthor creates Bizarro-like duplicates in the limited series JLA: The Nail
(1998).
The 2002 graphic novel Bizarro Comics is an anthology of short comics by artists of the independent scene handling various DC Comics characters in humoristic tales set out of any continuity. All the stories are bookended by Bizarro Wars, a comic written by Chris Duffy with art by Stephen DeStefano in which Mxyzptlk seeks the aid of Superman to save the fifth dimension from a cosmic conqueror named "A", but ends up with Bizarro (here introduced as a new character that neither Superman nor Mxyzptlk formerly knew of) instead. The other comics in the volume (including one short story by Bizarro creator Alvin Schwartz) are presented as creations of the deranged mind of Bizarro himself.
Bizarro appears in the animated television series Challenge of the Super Friends
(1978) voiced by Bill Calloway, Super Friends (1980–1982), The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
(1985–1986) voiced by Danny Dark
, Superman: The Animated Series
(1996–2000) voiced by Tim Daly, and Justice League Unlimited
(2004–2006) voiced by George Newbern
. Noticeably, the Challenge of the Super Friends incarnation was the only one in which Bizarro was not voiced by Superman's voice actor.
In the direct-to-video animated film All-Star Superman
, a statue of Bizarro appears in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, among statues of various enemies and friends of Superman.
He appears in Superboy
(1988–1992) played by Barry Meyers. In this incarnation, he is given his classic pre-crisis origin whereby the bizarre creature is created after Superboy is accidentally exposed to a duplicator ray. The creature names himself after Superboy and the ray's inventor comment this is bizarre, prompting the creature first speak and state "Bizarro? Me Bizzaro?" The writers chose to downplay the "opposite" dynamic that was the main focus of most of Bizarro's Silver Age appearances and instead focused on him as a tragic character, even more alone than Superboy with little understanding of the world around him, which is further complicated by the fact the public at large regards him as a freak and presumably hostile. However, as in most other incantantions of the character, attempts to stop him through use of Green Kryptonite fail as his physiology is too dissimilar to Superboy's. In the episode "Bride of Bizarro", the duplicator ray is used on Lana Lang, giving Bizarro a girlfriend in the form of "Bizarro Lana". Bizarro Lana helps Bizarro to better understand humanity and right from wrong. Gradually through the course of the character's appearances, Bizarro goes from being a dangerous villain to an unlikely ally or "brother" as Superboy himself refers to him.
Bizarro appeared in Smallville
(2007) played by Tom Welling
as a genetically engineered being released from the Phantom Zone that required a Kryptonian body to survive. Bizarro although never explicitly named as such, took the form of Clark Kent though his face disfigures in the sun and their strengths and weaknesses work in opposite ways; Bizarro absorbs energy from green Kryptonite and is weakened by sunlight. After spending two weeks living with Lana Lang without her realizing the difference between him and Clark, Bizarro is apparently destroyed when he is tricked into coming into contact with blue kryptonite, which causes normal Kryptonians to be rendered automatically powerless but causes Bizarro to 'overload' to the point that he explodes.
Bizarro appears in several video games, including Superman (1999), Superman: The Man of Steel
(2002), Superman Returns
(2006) voiced by John DiMaggio
and DC Universe Online
(2011).
A Bizarro feature film
is being developed by writers Dean Parisot
and Robert Gordon
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
s published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The character was created by writer Otto Binder
Otto Binder
Otto Oscar Binder was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books...
and artist George Papp
George Papp
George Edward Papp was a U.S. comic book artist. Best known as one of the principal artists on the long-running Superboy feature for DC Comics, Papp also co-created the Green Arrow character with Mort Weisinger and co-created Congorilla along with writer Whitney Ellsworth.Papp began his comic...
as a "mirror image" of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and first appeared in Superboy #68 (1958). Since then various iterations of Bizarro have appeared - often, but not always, as an antagonist to Superman.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
(1956 - c. 1970), the character has appeared in both comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s and graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s, and other DC Comics-related products such as animated and live-action television series, trading card
Trading card
A trading card is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing and a short description of the picture, along with other text...
s, toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s, and video games.
Bizarro was Ranked #25 on IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's List of 100 Top Comic Book Villains.
Publication history
Bizarro debutedFirst appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958), writer Otto Binder
Otto Binder
Otto Oscar Binder was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books...
casting the character as a Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
that possessed all the powers of Superboy. Shunned for his grotesque appearance, the teen version of Bizarro only appeared in a single comic book story. An adult version, however, followed soon after: debuting in the Superman
Superman (comic strip)
Superman was a daily newspaper comic strip which began on January 16, 1939, and a separate Sunday strip was added on November 5, 1939. These strips ran continuously until May 1966. In 1941, the McClure Syndicate had placed the strip in hundreds of newspapers...
daily newspaper comic strip, featuring in Episode 105: "The Battle With Bizarro" (Strips 6147-6242 :Aug. 25, 1958 to Dec. 13, 1958). This storyline also introduced the strange speech patterns that became synonymous with the character, with all of Bizarro's comments meaning the opposite (e.g.. "bad" means "good"). The newspaper version also wore a "B" on his chest, as opposed to the distinctive "S".
Writer of the strip Alvin Schwartz stated:
Binder revised the character, this time wearing an "S" in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#254 (July 1959). Bizarro proved popular, and starred in the back-up feature in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
for fifteen issues, running from issue #285 - 299 (June 1961 - Aug. 1962). The character made forty appearances in the Superman family of titles - Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
, Superman
Superman (comic book)
Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...
, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane was a comic book series published monthly by DC Comics focusing on the adventures of supporting character Lois Lane. The series began publication March/April 1958 and ended its run September/October 1974 with 137 regular issues and 2 80-page Annuals...
, Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
, Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
, and DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
- from 1959 to 1984 prior to a reboot of the DC Universe as a result of the limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
#1 - 12 (April 1985 - March 1986).
Bizarro was reintroduced into the DC Universe in The Man of Steel #5 (Dec. 1986). An unrelated four issue limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
titled A. Bizarro
A. Bizarro
A. Bizarro is the title of a four-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 1999, and the name of the lead character of that series. The creators included writer Steve Gerber, penciller M. D. Bright, inker Greg Adams, colorist Tom Ziuko with separations by Digital Chameleon,...
(July - Oct.) was published in 1999.
Yet another version was introduced during the "Emperor Joker" storyline in Action Comics #769 – 770 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Adventures of Superman #582 – 583 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Superman #160 – 161 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Superman: The Man of Steel
Superman: The Man of Steel
Superman: The Man of Steel is the title of a monthly American comic book series that ran 136 issues from 1991 to 2003. published by DC Comics, featuring Superman. As a consequence of introducing this series alongside its already existing titles, DC Comics was able to publish a new Superman comic...
#104 – 105 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), and Superman: Emperor Joker #1 (Oct. 2000). Remaining in DC Comics continuity, Bizarro continued to make semi-regular guest appearances that firmly established the character as part of the Superman mythos. The character appeared in Action Comics #785 (Jan. 2002), Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
#1 (Oct. 2005), the Superman: Last Son
Superman: Last Son
"Last Son" is a five-issue comic book story arc featuring Superman in the monthly Action Comics. It is written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner, the director of the well-known 1978 film Superman: The Movie and a portion of Superman II, with pencils by Adam Kubert...
storyline in Action Comics 844-846 (Dec. 2006 - Feb. 2007), 851 (Aug. 2007), #855 - 857 (Oct. 2007 - Dec. 2007), Annual #11 (July 2008), and #873 (March 2009).
The character appeared in the limited series Rann/Thanagar Holy War #1 - 8 (July 2008 - Feb. 2009), Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures was the title of several American comic books published by DC Comics, most notably a long-running science fiction anthology that began in 1950.-Original series:...
#1 - 8 (May - Dec. 2009), and Solomon Grundy
Solomon Grundy (comics)
Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...
#1 - 7 (May - Nov. 2009). Bizarro also appeared in a chapter of the Blackest Night storyline in Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
#66 - 67 (Jan. - Feb. 2010).
Pre-Crisis Bizarro
General Dru-Zod had originally created bizarro duplicates of himself to dominate the planet KryptonKrypton
Krypton is a chemical element with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a member of Group 18 and Period 4 elements. A colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, krypton occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere, is isolated by fractionally distilling liquified air, and is often used with other...
.
The bizarros had no power because they were not under a yellow sun, but they were soldiers ready to kill and die without wincing. That was why Zod was banished to the Phantom Zone for 25 Krypton sun-cycles (Phantom Zone #1).
Circa 12 years later, totally oblivious to these facts, a scientist in the Earth is demonstrating his newly invented "duplicating ray" to Superboy
Superboy (Kal-El)
The original Superboy is a fictional superhero who appears in DC Comics. The name of Superman as a boy, Superboy has adventures that occur in the relative past to those of Superman and take place predominantly in his hometown of Smallville...
, and an accident causes the ray to duplicate the teen hero. The copy, quickly labeled "Bizarro", is a flawed imitation as it possesses chalky white skin and childlike erratic behavior. Shunned by the people of Smallville, Bizarro befriends a blind girl. Superboy is eventually forced to "kill" the doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
, using the remains of the duplicating machine, which acts like blue kryptonite (as opposed to green kryptonite, Superboy's weakness) on the copy.
Years after this adventure when Superboy has become Superman, his arch-foe Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
recreates the "duplicating ray" and uses it on the hero, hoping to control the duplicate. The Bizarro that is created, however, is confused, stating: "Me not human...me not creature...me not even animal! Me unhappy! Me don't belong in world of living people! Me don't know difference between right and wrong-good and evil!" Luthor is forgotten as Bizarro attempts to emulate Superman, creating havoc in the city of Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
and almost exposing Superman's secret identity as Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
. When Bizarro falls in love with reporter Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, she uses the duplicating ray on herself to create a "Bizarro Lois", who is instantly attracted to Bizarro. The Bizarros leave Earth together, determined to find a home where they can be themselves.
Superman encounters the couple once again, discovering that Bizarro - now called Bizarro #1 - has used a version of the duplication ray to create an entire world of Bizarros, who now reside on a cube-shaped planet called "Htrae" (Earth spelled backwards). Bizarro #1 and Bizarro-Lois #1 also give birth to a child who while super-powered, appears to be totally human. Considered a freak by Bizarro standards, the child is the catalyst for a brief war between Htrae and Earth. Bizarro also has a series of adventures on Htrae, aiding a normal Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
when accidentally trapped on the Bizarro world, preventing an invasion of blue kryptonite statues, and stopping the Bizarro version of Titano
Titano
Titano the Super-Ape is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, primarily as a foe of Superman. He was clearly inspired by King Kong.-Pre-Crisis version:...
.
Bizarro's influence is also felt on Earth: Jimmy Olsen is inadvertently turned into a Bizarro for a time, and a new teen version of Bizarro travels to the 30th century, attempting to join the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
. When rejected by the Legion, the Bizarro teen creates his own Bizarro version of the Legion, which Superboy eventually persuades him to disband.
When Bizarro encountered Superman once again, he had developed certain powers that were the opposite of Superman's (such as possessing freeze vision as opposed to heat vision), and unsuccessfully attempts to once again kidnap Lois Lane. Bizarro also temporarily joins the Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
to battle the Justice League of America and Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
.
Post-Crisis
After the events of Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, Lex Luthor orders his scientific team to create a clone
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
of Superman. However, wrongfully starting from the assumption that Superman is a human with metahuman abilities (his alien origin had not yet been publicly revealed), the process results in a flawed copy, which Luthor sneeringly dubs "Bizarro" and orders disposed. The monstrous clone survives and, although mute and possessed of only limited intelligence and vague memories of Clark Kent's life, attempts to mimic Superman; he kidnaps Lois Lane and is finally destroyed when colliding with Superman in mid-air.
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's arch-foe the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
when the villain steals the powers of the fifth-dimensional imp
Imp
An imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word may perhaps derive from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree.-Folklore:...
Mr. Mxyzptlk. Creating a twisted version of Earth called "Jokerworld" - a perfect cube with Joker's image on each facet - the villain designates Bizarro to be the planet's greatest hero and leader of a reimagined "JLA" (the "Joker's League of Anarchy"). When Mxyzptlk regains his powers, the imp allows Bizarro and several other beings to remain on the restored Earth.
Bizarro suffers a setback when captured by the Pokolistan
Pokolistan
Pokolistan is a fictional country in DC Comics. It was introduced during Joe Kelly's run on the Superman titles.A former Soviet republic, Pokolistan was a military dictatorship ruled by General Zod, supported by three metahumans Faora, Ignition and Kancer. While its citizens were not necessarily...
ian dictator General Zod. Zod beats and tortures Bizarro, apparently simply because the creature resembles Superman. The hero rescues Bizarro, and to help him adjust to the normal Earth rebuilds Bizarro's "Graveyard of Solitude" (the opposite of Superman's Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
). During the Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, Bizarro is tricked into joining the reformed Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
by Flash
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
foe Zoom
Zoom (comics)
Zoom is a fictional comic book supervillain from the DC Comics universe. He is primarily associated with the superhero Wally West, the third Flash and is the third of the Reverse-Flashes...
, and during a battle with superteam the Freedom Fighters
Freedom Fighters (comics)
Freedom Fighters is a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. Although the characters were created by Quality, they never were gathered in a group before acquired by DC...
accidentally kills the Human Bomb
Human Bomb
The Human Bomb is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Police Comics #1 , and was created by writer and artist Paul Gustavson.-Publication history:...
, constantly hitting the hero to observe the flashes of light that are produced from the kinetic energy of the blows.
Bizarro becomes involved when Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod
General Zod
General Zod is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, a supervillain who is one of Superman's more-prominent enemies. The character first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
escape to Earth, but wishing to create a home for himself, Bizarro travels into deep space to a solar system occupied by a blue sun. After creating a cube shaped planet, filled with abstract versions of various buildings and locations on Earth, Bizarro is still lonely. The blue sun, however, gives Bizarro a new ability called "Bizarro Vision", which allows him to create new Bizarros. When this fails, Bizarro kidnaps Jonathan Kent, Superman's adopted father on Earth. Superman rescues his father and helps Bizarro become his world's greatest hero.
Bizarro eventually appears on the planet Throneworld, eventually befriending and aiding Earth hero Adam Strange
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
and allies Prince Gavyn, Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
, and the Weird
Weird (comics)
The Weird is a fictional DC Comics character created by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson. He first appeared in his own self-titled miniseries The Weird in 1988.-Publication history:The Weird appeared in the eponymous mini-series....
. Together they participate in the war between alien worlds Rann
Rann
Rann is a fictional planet in the Polaris star system of the whose capitol city is Ranagar. Rann is most famous for being the adopted planet of the Earth explorer and hero Adam Strange and for their teleportation device called the Zeta Beam...
and Thanagar
Thanagar
Thanagar is a fictional planet in the . Thanagar is the original home of the humanoid Thanagarian race, noted for the discovery of gravity-defying Nth metal...
, and against villains Lady Styx
Lady Styx
Lady Styx is a fictional supervillain in the . Her first appearance occurred in the weekly series 52.-Publication history:Lady Styx first appeared in 52 #31 as the main antagonist to Adam Strange, Animal Man, and Starfire. She later made appearances in Omega Men and Countdown to Adventure...
and Synnar. Bizarro eventually visits the grave of a deceased Jonathan Kent, and is then sent (by rogue Kryptonians) with other Superman foes to the inter-dimensional prison, the Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
.
Bizarro has a series of encounters with former Secret Society ally Solomon Grundy
Solomon Grundy (comics)
Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...
, and during the events of Blackest Night, Bizarro confronts the Black Lantern
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
version of Grundy. Bizarro eventually destroys Grundy by driving him into the heart of the Sun.
Later, while investigating an object that crashes into a Metropolis park and leaves a massive crystallized crater in its center, Dr. Light
Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)
Doctor Light is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe.Kimiyo Hoshi is a distinct character from the DC villain of the same name...
and Gangbuster
Gangbuster
Gangbuster is a comic book fictional character, a DC Comics superhero. He first appeared as Jose Delgado in Adventures of Superman #428 , and as Gangbuster in Adventures of Superman #434 . He was created by Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway.-Fictional character biography:Jose Delgado grew up in the...
discover a Bizarro-like creature that resembles Supergirl. The Bizarro Supergirl takes the heroes hostage, but is ultimately defeated in battle by the real Supergirl. It is revealed that the Bizarro Supergirl is a refugee from the cube-shaped Bizarro World, and was sent to Earth by her cousin after their planet was attacked by a being known as the Godship. Dr. Light attempts to take the Bizarro Supergirl to S.T.A.R. Labs, only to be violently knocked unconscious by Supergirl, who then absconds with her doppelganger and her ship, hoping to stop the Godship and save Bizarro World. After taking Bizarro Supergirl back to Bizarro World, Bizarro Superman is reunited with Bizarro Supergirl, and they infer by Supergirl that their world is danger.
Powers and abilities
Bizarro is depicted as having all the abilities of Superman, although in some incarnations several of these traits have been reversed, such as "freeze vision" instead of heat vision, "flame breath" instead of freeze breath, "vacuum breath" instead of super breath, "microscopic vision" which makes objects 'actually smaller to everyone' rather than merely 'appear to be bigger to only the user'. This also applies to weaknesses, as Bizarro is vulnerable to blue kryptonite, as opposed to green kryptonite, which is lethal to Superman.Other versions
The limited series All-Star Superman (Jan. 2006 - Oct. 2008) features Bizarro clones from an alternate universe called the "Underverse". They can "infect" a normal human and change them into a Bizarro clone by touch. One of these creatures is called "Zibarro" and is unique in that he has the mental capacity of a normal human.In the 2004 graphic novel, Trinity mini-series
Trinity (comic book)
Trinity is the title of an American weekly comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted during the first week of June, 2008. It ran for 52 issues.-Conception and production:...
, by Matt Wagner
Matt Wagner
Matt Wagner is an American comic book writer and artist, best known as the creator of the series Mage and Grendel.-Career:...
, Bizarro is a genetic clone of Superman that is the result of Luthercorp's "Project Replica". The creature was then sealed away in the frozen wasteland of Antarctica, encased within ice, until it was released by Ra's Al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
, who used him as a pawn in his plan to use nuclear warheads to decimate Gotham as well as destroy a cluster of communication satellites, causing a major communications blackout, and several lucrative oil fields. The end goal of his mission being to incite chaos and purge the Earth of the "cancer" that is civilization
Several alternate universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
versions of the character exist: one-shot The Superman Monster
The Superman Monster
The Superman Monster is an Elseworlds tale, combining the elements of the Superman mythos with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It was written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, was pencilled by Anthony Williams, and was published by DC Comics in 1999.-Plot:At the Gotham City Iceberg Lounge in 1888,...
(1999), essentially a Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
features monstrous copy of Bizarro; one-shot Superman: Red Son
Superman: Red Son
Superman: Red Son is a three-issue prestige format comic book mini-series published by DC Comics that was released under their Elseworlds imprint in April 2003...
(2004) features a nameless version created in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to stop the Soviet-based Superman and Lex Luthor creates Bizarro-like duplicates in the limited series JLA: The Nail
JLA: The Nail
JLA: The Nail is a three-issue comic book mini-series published in the United States by DC Comics. It is a self-contained story by Alan Davis which stands outside of the mainstream continuity of the DC Universe....
(1998).
The 2002 graphic novel Bizarro Comics is an anthology of short comics by artists of the independent scene handling various DC Comics characters in humoristic tales set out of any continuity. All the stories are bookended by Bizarro Wars, a comic written by Chris Duffy with art by Stephen DeStefano in which Mxyzptlk seeks the aid of Superman to save the fifth dimension from a cosmic conqueror named "A", but ends up with Bizarro (here introduced as a new character that neither Superman nor Mxyzptlk formerly knew of) instead. The other comics in the volume (including one short story by Bizarro creator Alvin Schwartz) are presented as creations of the deranged mind of Bizarro himself.
In other media
Challenge of the Super Friends
Challenge of the Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 9, 1978, to December 23, 1978, on ABC. The complete series was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for Warner Bros. Television and is based on the Justice League and...
(1978) voiced by Bill Calloway, Super Friends (1980–1982), The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1985 to 1986. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.-Summary:In the fall of 1985,...
(1985–1986) voiced by Danny Dark
Danny Dark
Danny Dark was widely acknowledged in the commercial industry as the voice-over king. For nearly four decades, he embedded pop culture with memorable lines in advertisements for Budweiser , Raid Ant & Roach Killer and StarKist Tuna...
, Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
(1996–2000) voiced by Tim Daly, and Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
(2004–2006) voiced by George Newbern
George Newbern
George Young Newbern is an American television and film actor best known for his roles as Bryan MacKenzie in Father of the Bride and its sequel Father of the Bride Part II as well as Danny in Friends...
. Noticeably, the Challenge of the Super Friends incarnation was the only one in which Bizarro was not voiced by Superman's voice actor.
In the direct-to-video animated film All-Star Superman
All-Star Superman (film)
All-Star Superman is a direct-to-video animated film based on the acclaimed comic book series All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. The film is the tenth in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line released by Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation and the first in the...
, a statue of Bizarro appears in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, among statues of various enemies and friends of Superman.
He appears in Superboy
Superboy (TV series)
Superboy is a half-hour live-action television series based on the fictional DC Comics comic book character Kal-El's early years as Superboy. The show ran from 1988–1992 in syndication...
(1988–1992) played by Barry Meyers. In this incarnation, he is given his classic pre-crisis origin whereby the bizarre creature is created after Superboy is accidentally exposed to a duplicator ray. The creature names himself after Superboy and the ray's inventor comment this is bizarre, prompting the creature first speak and state "Bizarro? Me Bizzaro?" The writers chose to downplay the "opposite" dynamic that was the main focus of most of Bizarro's Silver Age appearances and instead focused on him as a tragic character, even more alone than Superboy with little understanding of the world around him, which is further complicated by the fact the public at large regards him as a freak and presumably hostile. However, as in most other incantantions of the character, attempts to stop him through use of Green Kryptonite fail as his physiology is too dissimilar to Superboy's. In the episode "Bride of Bizarro", the duplicator ray is used on Lana Lang, giving Bizarro a girlfriend in the form of "Bizarro Lana". Bizarro Lana helps Bizarro to better understand humanity and right from wrong. Gradually through the course of the character's appearances, Bizarro goes from being a dangerous villain to an unlikely ally or "brother" as Superboy himself refers to him.
Bizarro appeared in Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
(2007) played by Tom Welling
Tom Welling
Thomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
as a genetically engineered being released from the Phantom Zone that required a Kryptonian body to survive. Bizarro although never explicitly named as such, took the form of Clark Kent though his face disfigures in the sun and their strengths and weaknesses work in opposite ways; Bizarro absorbs energy from green Kryptonite and is weakened by sunlight. After spending two weeks living with Lana Lang without her realizing the difference between him and Clark, Bizarro is apparently destroyed when he is tricked into coming into contact with blue kryptonite, which causes normal Kryptonians to be rendered automatically powerless but causes Bizarro to 'overload' to the point that he explodes.
Bizarro appears in several video games, including Superman (1999), Superman: The Man of Steel
Superman: The Man of Steel (video game)
Superman: The Man of Steel is a console video game exclusively for the Xbox, based on DC Comics' flagship character Superman. It was developed by Circus Freak Studios and published by Atari in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics...
(2002), Superman Returns
Superman Returns (video game)
Superman Returns is a video game loosely based on the movie of the same name, developed by Electronic Arts-Tiburon in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with Warner Bros...
(2006) voiced by John DiMaggio
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio is an American voice actor. A native of North Plainfield, New Jersey, he is known for his gruff, deep voice and New Jersey accent, which he uses to voice mainly villains and anti-heroes.-Filmography:...
and DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
(2011).
A Bizarro feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
is being developed by writers Dean Parisot
Dean Parisot
Aldo L. "Dean" Parisot is an American film and television director. He won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Short Film, Live Action for The Appointments of Dennis Jennings, which starred comedian Steven Wright...
and Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon (screenwriter)
Robert Gordon is an American screenwriter. His credits include Addicted to Love , Galaxy Quest , Men in Black II and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events...
.
See also
- Bizarro World
- Bizarro (roller coaster at Six Flags New EnglandSix Flags New EnglandSix Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
) - Bizarro (roller coaster at Six Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
)
External links
- Don Markstein's Toonpedia: Bizarro
- Supermanica: Bizarro Supermanica entry on the Pre-Crisis Bizarro
- Supermanica: Bizarro-Superboy Supermanica entry on the original Pre-Crisis character.
- DC Database Bizarro disambiguation page
- DC Animated Universe article on Bizarro
- Smallville wiki's article about Bizarro