Kal-El (Earth One)
Encyclopedia
The Superman of Earth-One
is the Silver Age of Comic Books
, Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths
incarnation of Superman
.
.
With this in mind, the new Superman named Kal-El was established as having lived on Earth-One. His Golden Age counterpart Kal-L, the Earth-Two
Superman, was retcon
ned as having been a hero on Earth-Two. In addition, Kal-L was noted for having aged with graying temples and visible wrinkles, while the new Earth-One Superman was depicted as being far more youthful.
. He met Lana Lang and Pete Ross in Smallville, his first love and his best friend respectively, and also had a Kryptonian dog Krypto as a pet. His cousin Kara Zor-El, another survivor of Krypton's doom, came to Earth and became Supergirl
.
Superman's human identity of mild-mannered Clark Kent worked for the Daily Planet, his boss was Perry White, and his co-workers included Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Later, Clark worked for WGBS-TV, with his boss Morgan Edge, and Steve Lombard and Lana Lang as co-workers. This Superman's Fortress of Solitude was much more elaborate, locked with a huge key. He also had a broader range of vulnerabilities, including numerous varieties of kryptonite.
This Superman is the mightiest version of the character because his powers were nearer to being god-like than other versions. This Superman is strong enough to move an entire planet and can run faster than the speed of light, and often revealed new abilities as needed (anything a human could, he could somehow do it super). His enemies include Lex Luthor (an enemy from his days as Superboy on), Brainiac, Metallo, among many others. The leader of the Justice League of America, Superman was recognized as the world's greatest hero, and his legends would endure for centuries.
rebooted all comics continuity, and their universes were erased from existence. The Post-Crisis Earth would be an entirely new continuity, but some aspects of the Earth-One version remained intact. However, Clark's career as Superboy, Supergirl, and Superman's tenure with the Legion of Superheroes was removed entirely from the new timeline. Writer John Byrne acknowledged that he intended to reintroduce several modified Silver Age aspects such as Superboy to the comics, but he was fired after two years due to "creative differences" with DC.
after the Infinite Crisis
, a number of the Earth-One elements have been restored to the Post-Crisis Earth (dubbed "New Earth"). Although several Byrne aspects, such as his portrayal of Clark's football days and love interest in Lana, remain in continuity, the Kryptonian criminal Jax-Ur
has been re-introduced into "Post-Infinite Crisis" canon in the Superman: Last Son
story arc, and Clark is revealed to have been made an honorary member of the Legion of Super Heroes during his late-teens. According to Clark, he met Mon-El and wrongly assumed him to have been his long-lost brother from Krypton, based on their similar names, and Superman still has a Legion flight ring in his possession. He is shown to have been wearing glasses as far back as his adolescent Smallville years, and he has actively been saving lives in a low-profile. Although he had a quite adventurous career as a teenager, he did not wear a costume or was referred to as "Superboy" in his own time, but as revealed in Superman: Secret Origin
, he used the name while travelling to the future as a member of the Legion of Superheroes.
It is revealed in Countdown to Final Crisis
#34, Lex Luthor did spend some time in Smallville under the care of his Aunt Lena. He did befriend and interact with Clark, Lana, and Pete, who were a few years his junior. Unlike the Earth-One or Birthright versions, he did not burn his hair off in an accident he blamed Clark for, but he left after a few months, "under a cloud of suspicion". Instead, like Byrne showed, his hair receded over time until he was bald.
, featured John Haymes Newton
(Season 1) and Gerard Christopher
(Season 2-onwards) in the role of the college-aged Clark Kent/Superboy. Like the Earth-One's Superboy, he was depicted as being a peer (but not a friend) of fellow student Lex Luthor, who blamed him for the loss of his hair after he rescued him from a laboratory accident.
The current 2000s CW Network alternate universe series Smallville
focus on a Clark Kent (played by Tom Welling
) who does not fly or wear the suit during his adolescence or teenage years. However, the ever-thinning relationship with Lex (Michael Rosenbaum
) is changed with the Meteor Shower Clark arrived in having inadvertently caused Lex's disfiguring baldness and his supposed ability to recover quicker than normal.
and with art by Shane Davis
. The story focuses on a young Superman's decisions to use his powers to help the world rather than use his powers for his own benefit. Due to the weekly series Trinity (comic book)
creating a new Earth One this may be part of the DC multiverse, as J. Michael Straczynski said that it is not part of the main DCU.
Earth-One
Earth-One is a name given to two fictional universes that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics...
is 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...
, Pre-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...
incarnation 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...
.
Retconning a New Beginning
In the mid 1950s, following the decline of super-hero comics after World War II, the editors at DC decided to revive some of them with completely new origins and backstories. Starting with The Flash in 1956, new versions were introduced as completely separate characters with no connection to previous incarnations. This concept eventually became canonized as the MultiverseMultiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
.
With this in mind, the new Superman named Kal-El was established as having lived on Earth-One. His Golden Age counterpart Kal-L, the Earth-Two
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
Superman, was retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned as having been a hero on Earth-Two. In addition, Kal-L was noted for having aged with graying temples and visible wrinkles, while the new Earth-One Superman was depicted as being far more youthful.
History
Nearly identical in origin, powers, and motivations to the Earth-Two version, except in Kryptonian name and that he had his full complement of powers from childhood on (usually age eight), fighting crime in Smallville as SuperboySuperboy (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...
. He met Lana Lang and Pete Ross in Smallville, his first love and his best friend respectively, and also had a Kryptonian dog Krypto as a pet. His cousin Kara Zor-El, another survivor of Krypton's doom, came to Earth and became Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
.
Superman's human identity of mild-mannered Clark Kent worked for the Daily Planet, his boss was Perry White, and his co-workers included Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Later, Clark worked for WGBS-TV, with his boss Morgan Edge, and Steve Lombard and Lana Lang as co-workers. This Superman's Fortress of Solitude was much more elaborate, locked with a huge key. He also had a broader range of vulnerabilities, including numerous varieties of kryptonite.
This Superman is the mightiest version of the character because his powers were nearer to being god-like than other versions. This Superman is strong enough to move an entire planet and can run faster than the speed of light, and often revealed new abilities as needed (anything a human could, he could somehow do it super). His enemies include Lex Luthor (an enemy from his days as Superboy on), Brainiac, Metallo, among many others. The leader of the Justice League of America, Superman was recognized as the world's greatest hero, and his legends would endure for centuries.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Along with his Earth-Two counterpart, Kal-El perished when the 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...
rebooted all comics continuity, and their universes were erased from existence. The Post-Crisis Earth would be an entirely new continuity, but some aspects of the Earth-One version remained intact. However, Clark's career as Superboy, Supergirl, and Superman's tenure with the Legion of Superheroes was removed entirely from the new timeline. Writer John Byrne acknowledged that he intended to reintroduce several modified Silver Age aspects such as Superboy to the comics, but he was fired after two years due to "creative differences" with DC.
Infinite Crisis
One Year LaterOne Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
after 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...
, a number of the Earth-One elements have been restored to the Post-Crisis Earth (dubbed "New Earth"). Although several Byrne aspects, such as his portrayal of Clark's football days and love interest in Lana, remain in continuity, the Kryptonian criminal Jax-Ur
Jax-Ur
Jax-Ur is a fictional character, a Kryptonian supervillain in the . He first appears in Adventure Comics #289 and was created by Otto Binder and George Papp.-Pre-Crisis:Jax-Ur was an amoral and criminally deviant scientist on the planet Krypton...
has been re-introduced into "Post-Infinite Crisis" canon in 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...
story arc, and Clark is revealed to have been made an honorary member of the Legion of Super Heroes during his late-teens. According to Clark, he met Mon-El and wrongly assumed him to have been his long-lost brother from Krypton, based on their similar names, and Superman still has a Legion flight ring in his possession. He is shown to have been wearing glasses as far back as his adolescent Smallville years, and he has actively been saving lives in a low-profile. Although he had a quite adventurous career as a teenager, he did not wear a costume or was referred to as "Superboy" in his own time, but as revealed in Superman: Secret Origin
Superman: Secret Origin
Superman: Secret Origin was a six-issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank starring the DC Comics superhero Superman...
, he used the name while travelling to the future as a member of the Legion of Superheroes.
It is revealed in Countdown to Final Crisis
Countdown to Final Crisis
Countdown, known as Countdown to Final Crisis for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of the last issue of 52...
#34, Lex Luthor did spend some time in Smallville under the care of his Aunt Lena. He did befriend and interact with Clark, Lana, and Pete, who were a few years his junior. Unlike the Earth-One or Birthright versions, he did not burn his hair off in an accident he blamed Clark for, but he left after a few months, "under a cloud of suspicion". Instead, like Byrne showed, his hair receded over time until he was bald.
In other media
The 1980s TV series SuperboySuperboy (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...
, featured John Haymes Newton
John Haymes Newton
John Newton is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his regular roles on the television programs Superboy as Clark Kent in the show's first season and as Ryan McBride on the original Melrose Place.-Career:...
(Season 1) and Gerard Christopher
Gerard Christopher
Gerard Christopher is an American actor. He was the second actor to play the role of Superboy in the series of the same name . During his tenure on Superboy he would later also be a producer and writer on the series...
(Season 2-onwards) in the role of the college-aged Clark Kent/Superboy. Like the Earth-One's Superboy, he was depicted as being a peer (but not a friend) of fellow student Lex Luthor, who blamed him for the loss of his hair after he rescued him from a laboratory accident.
The current 2000s CW Network alternate universe series Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
focus on a Clark Kent (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....
) who does not fly or wear the suit during his adolescence or teenage years. However, the ever-thinning relationship with Lex (Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville and Dutch on FOX's Breaking In, and for providing the voice for the Flash in the DC animated universe...
) is changed with the Meteor Shower Clark arrived in having inadvertently caused Lex's disfiguring baldness and his supposed ability to recover quicker than normal.
Superman Earth One graphic novel
DC Comics will release an original graphic novel written by J. Michael StraczynskiJ. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
and with art by Shane Davis
Shane Davis
Shane Davis is an American comic book artist, currently under exclusive contract for DC Comics.-Career:Davis broke into the industry in 2003 by illustrating Robin #110 and a spot illustration in JLA-Z #3...
. The story focuses on a young Superman's decisions to use his powers to help the world rather than use his powers for his own benefit. Due to the weekly series Trinity (comic book)
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:...
creating a new Earth One this may be part of the DC multiverse, as J. Michael Straczynski said that it is not part of the main DCU.