Kal-L
Encyclopedia
The Superman of Earth-Two is a fictional character
, a comic book
superhero
published by DC Comics
. The character first appeared in Justice League of America
#73 (August 1969). He is a version of the Kryptonian
superhero Superman
from an alternate reality called Earth-Two
. Unlike the more popular Earth-One
Superman, the Earth-Two Superman is portrayed as decades older and is given the birth name of Kal-L.
came to a close in the 1950s, most of DC Comics' superhero comic books ceased publication. The commencement of the Silver Age
saw characters such as the Flash
and Green Lantern
revamped for more modern times, ignoring or abandoning established continuity and thus creating a clean break between the two eras. It was later established that the Golden Age heroes and Silver Age heroes actually lived on Earth-Two and Earth-One respectively, separate parallel Earths in a single Multiverse
.
However, Superman was one of the few exceptions; his stories had been published without interruption since his debut in 1938's Action Comics #1
. This caused a continuity problem, specifically that Superman was simultaneously a member of the Justice Society of America
on Earth-Two and also member of the Justice League of America
on Earth-One. It was eventually established that there were two Supermen. The "current", Silver Age Superman was Kal-El
from Earth-One, while the Golden Age Superman was Kal-L from Earth-Two.
Several minor differences between the two Supermen were established to make the distinction clearer. The names "Kal-El", "Jor-El
" and "Jonathan and Martha Kent" on Earth-One became "Kal-L", "Jor-L" and "John and Mary Kent" on Earth-Two. Kal-L's S-shield symbol was slightly different. Stories featuring both Supermen also indicated that Kal-L was the older of the two, being depicted as late middle-aged with greying hair at the temples, while his Earth-One counterpart was a youthful man of modern times.
This not only allowed DC Comics to bring Superman's Golden Age stories back into continuity, but also led them to experiment with a Superman who wasn't the mainstream one. Thus, several differences between Kal-L and the more well-known Kal-El were introduced. Kal-L eventually revealed his dual identities of Clark Kent and Superman to the woman he loved, the Lois Lane of Earth-Two, and they were married. Their early marital life was depicted in the feature "Mr. & Mrs. Superman" in DC's Superman Family
series.
's history, being the first individual to appear in a colorful costume and display superhuman abilities. Clark received some training from his Earth-One
counterpart in his teen years. He fought against evil, at first on a local level in his base of operations, the American city of Metropolis
; later in his career, he would consider first the entire United States
, and then the whole world under his protection. In November 1940, Superman became a founding member of the Justice Society of America
. He was referred to as an "honorary member" along with Batman
during the Justice Society's original meeting. He subsequently appeared in two published adventures with this team during the 1940s and aided them on several other occasions retroactively as a member of the World War II
organization known as the All-Star Squadron
. He built a Secret Citadel in the mountains outside of Metropolis as his headquarters and as shown in Infinite Crisis
and eventually built a Fortress of Solitude
comparable to that of his Earth-One counterpart.
In later years, he was considered an "elder statesman" of Earth-Two's superhero community, the one that later generations of superheroes looked to as an example and role model. In his secret identity as Clark Kent, Superman also enjoyed success at the Daily Star
, of which he was appointed editor-in-chief in the 1950s, replacing George Taylor.
At some point during the Silver Age, Superman's cousin Kara arrived on Earth after a lengthy journey from Krypton. When her father Zor-L discovered that Krypton was about to explode, he placed her in a spacecraft directed towards Earth. Although this occurs at the same time that Kal-L's ship is launched, Kara's ship travels more slowly, and she arrives on Earth decades after her cousin has landed. Kara’s Symbioship is designed to keep her in stasis during the journey and provide her with life experiences and education in the form of a virtual reality
. By the time she arrives on Earth, Kara is in her later teens to early twenties.
The Symbioship provided virtual copies of Zor-L, Alura and fellow Kryptonians from within her home city of Kandor. Once removed from the ship, this virtual reality ceases to exist. Only Kara - Power Girl
, as she would later be known - was known to interact with this virtual Kryptonian reality.
and was present at the battle at the dawn of time in which the five remaining Earths were merged into a single universe. As a result, Kal-L still existed and still remembered the history of his home reality, even though no one in the new reality remembered he had ever existed.
After grieving over the loss of his wife Lois and his friends from Earth-Two, Kal-L joins the remaining heroes for a final battle with the Anti-Monitor in the Anti-Matter Universe, where the Anti-Monitor has absorbed all life in that universe. Kal-L strikes the final blow that kills the Anti-Monitor once and for all.
Alexander Luthor of Earth-Three then reveals to Kal-L that he saved the Lois Lane of Earth-Two from the collapse of the Multiverse. Alexander then transports Kal-L, Lois Lane, Superboy
of Earth-Prime and himself into a paradise dimension, sealing themselves off from the universe.
As a tribute to the Earth-Two Superman before the Superman character was recreated by John Byrne in the Man of Steel mini-series, Kal-L's origin was retold in Secret Origins
#1 (April 1986), written by Roy Thomas
and drawn by former Superman artist Wayne Boring
.
In post-Crisis continuity, Kal-L's role in various All-Star Squadron adventures was taken by the character Iron Munro
from the Young All-Stars
series. Kal-L's roles as the most respected member of the Justice Society of America and the person who found his cousin Power Girl
were given to the Golden Age Green Lantern
Alan Scott
and Kal-El respectively. Lee Travis (the first Crimson Avenger
) became the post-Crisis universe's first costumed hero after being shown a vision of Kal-El's future heroism before the start of his career (keeping Superman as the inspiration for Earth's superheroes in the new universe as well).
Kal-L later felt that the paradise was more of a prison than a refuge, and eventually discovered a doorway that would allow him to leave the "paradise" dimension without causing the destruction of the universe.
Kal was initially content to stay in the "paradise" dimension until Lois began to fall ill. Kal then created a replica of Metropolis and the Daily Star office building in an attempt to help. After the attempt failed, Kal-L began to believe Alexander's claims that the "paradise" dimension they were in was eating away at their souls. Alexander and Superboy used Kal-L's distraction over Lois' health to break out of the "paradise" dimension and start their plan to recreate the Multiverse.
Appalled by the rapidly deteriorating state of affairs in the world, Kal-L, along with his three companions, decide to emerge from their self-imposed exile to lend their aid. Kal-L batters an exit through the crystalline barrier which has separated them from the rest of reality.
Kal-L then meets up with his cousin Power Girl
, explains her true origins to her, (as well as the previous Crisis and the merger of the remaining Earths, with Earth-One being dominant and some of Earth-Two's heroes having been lost), and enlists her help.
After having her memories restored by the Earth-Two Lois' touch, Kal-L then reveals to Power Girl that his plan is to bring back Earth-Two. Kal-L then attempts to enlist Batman
's aid by claiming that Batman's distrust of the heroes has been caused by Earth-One’s darker nature, and promises that he will always stand by Bruce when the 'right' Earth returns. Batman, however, asks Kal-L if the Dick Grayson
of this Earth is a corrupted version of the one that Kal-L knew, and attempts to use the Kryptonite
ring against him. Kal-L destroys the ring and departs.
Power Girl is knocked out and captured by Superboy-Prime after discovering Alexander Luthor Jr.'s tuning fork, which he plans to use to restore the Multiverse in order to search for the perfect Earth. Alexander succeeds in recreating Earth-Two, which causes Kal-L and the Earth-Two Lois, (along with the heroes who originated there), to be sent there.
Soon after their arrival on Earth-Two, the Earth-Two Lois dies after telling Kal-L she was happy to have lived such a long life. Kal-El hears Kal-L's screams of sorrow from the current Earth and investigates. A griefstricken Kal-L angrily attacks Kal-El upon his arrival and blames him for corrupting Earth-Two as he did on his own Earth. During the fight, both Supermen experience lucid visions of the other's life and attempt to change things on the other's Earth for the better. However, they both eventually fail.
After his battle with Kal-El, Kal-L realizes that a perfect Earth doesn’t need a Superman and that Alexander is using him for his own purposes. Kal-L then survives the collapse of the alternate Earths into New Earth and then witnesses the death of Kon-El
, which makes him realize he condemned the wrong Superboy.
Kal-L and Kal-El then join forces to defeat Doomsday
and Bizarro
during the Secret Society’s assault on Metropolis
.
The two Supermen then team up to take down Superboy-Prime
by dragging him into space through Krypton’s red sun Rao (which cause the three of them to lose their powers), and then crash landing on the planet Green Lantern
Mogo
. Kal-L and Kal-El, without powers, fight Superboy-Prime on Mogo’s surface, where Superboy-Prime savagely beats Kal-L to death.
Kal-El then intervenes and eventually manages to take down Superboy-Prime, who is then imprisoned by several Green Lanterns. Kal-L passes away in Power Girl’s arms after telling her that he’ll always be with her and whispers "Lois" as his last word.
return to the DC Universe as soulless Black Lanterns
in the midst of the Blackest Night. After killing an unknown number of residents of Smallville, they attack the Kent family by kidnapping Martha to lure his modern counterpart
and Conner Kent
into a confrontation. Kal-L and Lois have stated their intention, among the scheme of Black Hand
and the Black Lantern Corps, is to reunite the family with Jonathan Kent in death. Kal-L proves to be almost unstoppable, until Conner steals the Black Lantern Psycho-Pirate
's Medusa Mask, using its emotion-creating powers to draw Kal-L's ring away from his body, returning Kal-L's corpse to its lifeless state once more.
Kal-L's corpse is placed in Justice Society headquarters away from the Black Lanterns, his wife Black Lantern Lois tries to get close enough to her husband's body when Power Girl prevents her. Black Lantern Lois sacrifices herself by removing her ring and giving it to Kal-L to reanimate him once again. During the battle between Kal-L and Power Girl, Mr. Terrific
creates a machine powered by Alan Scott
's ring, the Helm of Nabu
, Lightning
's electrical abilities, and Stargirl
's cosmic rod, that destroys Black Lanterns. Mr. Terrific activates the machine, which severs the Black Ring's connection to Superman.
, Curt Swan
, John Byrne, Dan Jurgens
and Leinil Francis Yu
.
Written collaboratively by Kurt Busiek
, Fabian Nicieza
and Geoff Johns
, the new version includes details such as Krypto
's presence on Krypton, Jor-El's frustrations with the Council of Krypton refusing to evacuate the planet, Clark's awareness of his adopted status from a young age, having interacted with Lex Luthor
at a younger age, Clark not being the direct cause of Lex's baldness, his wearing glasses as far back as his early teens in Smallville, and using his powers to help others at a younger age. The new version also supports the portrayal and aesthetic design of Jor-El
, now similar to Marlon Brando
's portrayal of the role, and Krypton, as featured in the ongoing Richard Donner
co-authored arcs of Action Comics (essentially rendering Krypton closer in style to his and Bryan Singer
's shared film continuity), as well as the fitting in with the discovery in The Lightning Saga
that Clark was a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes
during his adolescence and still retains possession of a Legion flight ring.
Superman is established as a founding member of the Justice League in Justice League of America (vol. 2) #0.
The framing device of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is the tale of a Daily Planet reporter, Tim Crane, in the then-future year of 1997, paying a visit to former Planet reporter Lois Lane-Elliot, hoping that she, as the last person to have seen Superman alive, can shed some light on the mystery of the Man of Steel's disappearance ten years previous. The majority of the story is told in flashback, as Lois recounts for Crane the tale of Superman's final days. After the interview is over and Crane leaves the Elliot residence, it is indirectly revealed that the mechanic Jordan Elliot, Lois' husband, is in fact Superman himself — apparently now without powers and living the life of a typical working-class suburbanite with Lois and their son Jonathan (very likely named after Jonathan Kent) — meaning he did not in fact die in the Arctic, although exactly how he did survive is never revealed. He seems to prefer the life of a normal man, finding great pleasure in his job as a car mechanic and stating, "Superman was overrated. Too wrapped up in himself. Thought the world couldn't get along without him." At his feet, his son, Jonathan, playfully squeezes the coal in his hand. Opening it he stares gleefully at a large, glimmering diamond. The final image is of Jordan delivering a classic "Superman" wink to the reader, as he and Lois continue to "just live happily ever after". The elder Superman, in Superman/Batman 3: Absolute Power, maybe either of these other Supermen. The Jordan Elliot Superman is clearly linked to the Elder Superman of Absolute Power by having a similar ending as the previous tale and his costume is somewhat similar to the Golden Age Superman, to the same or a similar version.
Originally, he was significantly weaker than the Silver Age Superman of Earth-One or the Modern Age Superman; it was later revealed his powers took longer to develop or be discovered. While he initially could only leap an eighth of a mile, Superman soon gained full-fledged flight by the early 1940s. By the time Kal-L met Kal-El in the late 1960s, the two heroes were almost evenly matched in terms of power levels. However, almost all later renditions of the Earth-Two Kal-L showed him exhibiting his more limited abilities including reliance for a time in his leaping ability while allied with the Justice Society on a case involving his cousin Power Girl and the immortal criminal Vandal Savage
.
Based on Superman's first origin and subsequent reference by U-Ban, this Superman came from a race of Kryptonians that inherently possessed superhuman strength, leaping ability, and some visual aptitudes while on that planet to compensate for its greater gravitation pull. Most of the Earth-Two Kal-L origin stories state his powers originated with his Kryptonian heritage and not the energy of a yellow sun (Secret Origins
#1 [1986]) and retained his powers in red sun systems (Superman Family
#186 and 207). A later conflicted re-interpretation stated Kal-L's powers fluctuated when under a red sun as noted in Infinite Crisis and All-Star Comics.
, Kal-L's black power ring needs to be charged by feeding on the hearts of living beings within the emotional spectrum. The ring appears to have given Kal-L's body all of his previous abilities as a Kryptonian under a yellow sun would have, as well as his brain being able to recollect certain aspects of his former life. Wearing the ring, however, places Kal-L under the influences of Nekron
and his disciples Scar
and Black Hand
.
, a new Multiverse is revealed, originally consisting of 52 identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-2". As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-Two, including an alternate Superman along with other Justice Society of America
characters. However, the names of the characters and the team are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear.
Based on comments by Grant Morrison
, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-Two.
This separation was confirmed in Justice Society of America Annual #1 (2008) when during the battle between the JSA
and Justice Society Infinity, it is revealed that this universe's Superman has been missing for several years after a major crisis. The Post-Crisis Earth-2 Power Girl was searching for him for years.
It was revealed by Starman that the missing Post-Crisis Earth-2 Superman was still alive (Justice Society of America [second series] #23) despite being lost, unlike Kal-L who is dead.
episode "Legends", the League team up with the "Justice Guild of America
", an analogue of the Justice Society. JGA member Tom Turbine is a cross between Kal-L and the Golden Age Atom. He also appears in the video games Justice League Heroes
and Superman Returns
as an alternate costume for Superman.
Character (arts)
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...
, a 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...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
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 first appeared in Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
#73 (August 1969). He is a version of the Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
superhero 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...
from an alternate reality called 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...
. Unlike the more popular Earth-One
Earth-One
Earth-One is a name given to two fictional universes that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics...
Superman, the Earth-Two Superman is portrayed as decades older and is given the birth name of Kal-L.
Fictional character biography
When the Golden Age of Comic BooksGolden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
came to a close in the 1950s, most of DC Comics' superhero comic books ceased publication. The commencement of the Silver Age
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...
saw characters such as the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
and Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
revamped for more modern times, ignoring or abandoning established continuity and thus creating a clean break between the two eras. It was later established that the Golden Age heroes and Silver Age heroes actually lived on Earth-Two and Earth-One respectively, separate parallel Earths in a single Multiverse
Multiverse (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...
.
However, Superman was one of the few exceptions; his stories had been published without interruption since his debut in 1938's Action Comics #1
Action Comics 1
Action Comics #1 is the first issue of the comic book series Action Comics. It features the first appearance of several comic book heroes, most notably the Jerry Siegel/Joe Shuster creation Superman.-Contents:...
. This caused a continuity problem, specifically that Superman was simultaneously a member of the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
on Earth-Two and also member of the Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
on Earth-One. It was eventually established that there were two Supermen. The "current", Silver Age Superman was Kal-El
Kal-El (Earth One)
The Superman of Earth-One is the Silver Age of Comic Books, Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths incarnation of Superman.-Retconning a New Beginning:...
from Earth-One, while the Golden Age Superman was Kal-L from Earth-Two.
Several minor differences between the two Supermen were established to make the distinction clearer. The names "Kal-El", "Jor-El
Jor-El
Jor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father....
" and "Jonathan and Martha Kent" on Earth-One became "Kal-L", "Jor-L" and "John and Mary Kent" on Earth-Two. Kal-L's S-shield symbol was slightly different. Stories featuring both Supermen also indicated that Kal-L was the older of the two, being depicted as late middle-aged with greying hair at the temples, while his Earth-One counterpart was a youthful man of modern times.
This not only allowed DC Comics to bring Superman's Golden Age stories back into continuity, but also led them to experiment with a Superman who wasn't the mainstream one. Thus, several differences between Kal-L and the more well-known Kal-El were introduced. Kal-L eventually revealed his dual identities of Clark Kent and Superman to the woman he loved, the Lois Lane of Earth-Two, and they were married. Their early marital life was depicted in the feature "Mr. & Mrs. Superman" in DC's Superman Family
Superman Family
Superman Family was a DC Comics comic book series which ran from 1974 to 1982 featuring stories starring supporting characters in the Superman comics...
series.
Allies
As Superman, Kal-L was considered to be the first superhero in Earth-TwoEarth-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...
's history, being the first individual to appear in a colorful costume and display superhuman abilities. Clark received some training from his Earth-One
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...
counterpart in his teen years. He fought against evil, at first on a local level in his base of operations, the American 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 ....
; later in his career, he would consider first the entire United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and then the whole world under his protection. In November 1940, Superman became a founding member of the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. He was referred to as an "honorary member" along with Batman
Batman (Earth-Two)
The Batman of Earth-Two is a parallel version of the DC Comics superhero, who was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters which had been published in the Golden Age of comic books...
during the Justice Society's original meeting. He subsequently appeared in two published adventures with this team during the 1940s and aided them on several other occasions retroactively as a member of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
organization known as the All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
. He built a Secret Citadel in the mountains outside of Metropolis as his headquarters and as shown in 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...
and eventually built a 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...
comparable to that of his Earth-One counterpart.
In later years, he was considered an "elder statesman" of Earth-Two's superhero community, the one that later generations of superheroes looked to as an example and role model. In his secret identity as Clark Kent, Superman also enjoyed success at the Daily Star
Daily Star (DC Comics)
The Daily Star was a fictional broadsheet newspaper that appeared in Superman stories published by DC Comics between 1938 and 1986. The Daily Star was based in Metropolis and employed Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen; its chief editor was George Taylor.In the comics, the newspaper was located...
, of which he was appointed editor-in-chief in the 1950s, replacing George Taylor.
Fellow Kryptonians
In 1950, Superman encountered three other surviving Kryptonians known as U-Ban, Kizo, and Mala. All three brothers were members of the ruling scientific council exiled from Krypton after they attempted to conquer the planet. Imprisoned in suspended animation tube vessels, they were later freed. Later Superman's lookalike Mala created a counterfeit Earth.At some point during the Silver Age, Superman's cousin Kara arrived on Earth after a lengthy journey from Krypton. When her father Zor-L discovered that Krypton was about to explode, he placed her in a spacecraft directed towards Earth. Although this occurs at the same time that Kal-L's ship is launched, Kara's ship travels more slowly, and she arrives on Earth decades after her cousin has landed. Kara’s Symbioship is designed to keep her in stasis during the journey and provide her with life experiences and education in the form of a virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
. By the time she arrives on Earth, Kara is in her later teens to early twenties.
The Symbioship provided virtual copies of Zor-L, Alura and fellow Kryptonians from within her home city of Kandor. Once removed from the ship, this virtual reality ceases to exist. Only Kara - Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
, as she would later be known - was known to interact with this virtual Kryptonian reality.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Kal-L was one of the heroes from various Earths who fought to save the Multiverse from destruction during 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...
and was present at the battle at the dawn of time in which the five remaining Earths were merged into a single universe. As a result, Kal-L still existed and still remembered the history of his home reality, even though no one in the new reality remembered he had ever existed.
After grieving over the loss of his wife Lois and his friends from Earth-Two, Kal-L joins the remaining heroes for a final battle with the Anti-Monitor in the Anti-Matter Universe, where the Anti-Monitor has absorbed all life in that universe. Kal-L strikes the final blow that kills the Anti-Monitor once and for all.
Alexander Luthor of Earth-Three then reveals to Kal-L that he saved the Lois Lane of Earth-Two from the collapse of the Multiverse. Alexander then transports Kal-L, Lois Lane, Superboy
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
of Earth-Prime and himself into a paradise dimension, sealing themselves off from the universe.
Secret Origins
Secret Origins is the title of three American comic book series published by DC Comics.The title began in 1961 and for one issue, all reprints. The title Secret Origins of Super Heroes went onto a second series, also reprints, which ran for seven issues from 1973-1974...
#1 (April 1986), written by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and drawn by former Superman artist Wayne Boring
Wayne Boring
Wayne Boring was an American comic book artist best known for his work on Superman from the late 1940s to 1950s. He occasionally used the pseudonym Jack Harmon....
.
In post-Crisis continuity, Kal-L's role in various All-Star Squadron adventures was taken by the character Iron Munro
Iron Munro
Iron Munro is a fictional superhero, who first appeared in Shadow Comics #1 , published by Street & Smith. He is loosely based on Aarn Munro, the hero of a series of short stories written by John W. Campbell in the 1930s...
from the Young All-Stars
Young All-Stars
The Young All-Stars are a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes. They were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Michael Bair, and introduced in Young All-Stars #1, dated June 1987.-Publication history:...
series. Kal-L's roles as the most respected member of the Justice Society of America and the person who found his cousin Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
were given to the Golden Age Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
Alan Scott
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
and Kal-El respectively. Lee Travis (the first Crimson Avenger
Crimson Avenger
The Crimson Avenger is the name of three separate fictional characters, superheroes who exist in the DC Comics universe.-Lee Walter Travis:The original Crimson Avenger made his first published appearance in Detective Comics #20...
) became the post-Crisis universe's first costumed hero after being shown a vision of Kal-El's future heroism before the start of his career (keeping Superman as the inspiration for Earth's superheroes in the new universe as well).
Kal-L later felt that the paradise was more of a prison than a refuge, and eventually discovered a doorway that would allow him to leave the "paradise" dimension without causing the destruction of the universe.
Infinite Crisis
Appalled by the rapidly deteriorating state of affairs in the world, Kal-L, along with his three companions, decide to emerge from their self-imposed exile to lend their aid. Kal-L batters an exit through the crystalline barrier which has separated them from the rest of reality.
Kal-L then meets up with his cousin Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
, explains her true origins to her, (as well as the previous Crisis and the merger of the remaining Earths, with Earth-One being dominant and some of Earth-Two's heroes having been lost), and enlists her help.
After having her memories restored by the Earth-Two Lois' touch, Kal-L then reveals to Power Girl that his plan is to bring back Earth-Two. Kal-L then attempts to enlist Batman
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 aid by claiming that Batman's distrust of the heroes has been caused by Earth-One’s darker nature, and promises that he will always stand by Bruce when the 'right' Earth returns. Batman, however, asks Kal-L if the Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
of this Earth is a corrupted version of the one that Kal-L knew, and attempts to use the Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
ring against him. Kal-L destroys the ring and departs.
Power Girl is knocked out and captured by Superboy-Prime after discovering Alexander Luthor Jr.'s tuning fork, which he plans to use to restore the Multiverse in order to search for the perfect Earth. Alexander succeeds in recreating Earth-Two, which causes Kal-L and the Earth-Two Lois, (along with the heroes who originated there), to be sent there.
After his battle with Kal-El, Kal-L realizes that a perfect Earth doesn’t need a Superman and that Alexander is using him for his own purposes. Kal-L then survives the collapse of the alternate Earths into New Earth and then witnesses the death of Kon-El
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
, which makes him realize he condemned the wrong Superboy.
Kal-L and Kal-El then join forces to defeat Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
and Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications 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...
during the Secret Society’s assault on 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 ....
.
The two Supermen then team up to take down Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
by dragging him into space through Krypton’s red sun Rao (which cause the three of them to lose their powers), and then crash landing on the planet Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
Mogo
Mogo
Mogo is a fictional character and planet in the DC Universe, a member of the Green Lantern Corps. It first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2 #188 , in a story titled "Mogo Doesn't Socialize." Mogo was created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons....
. Kal-L and Kal-El, without powers, fight Superboy-Prime on Mogo’s surface, where Superboy-Prime savagely beats Kal-L to death.
Kal-El then intervenes and eventually manages to take down Superboy-Prime, who is then imprisoned by several Green Lanterns. Kal-L passes away in Power Girl’s arms after telling her that he’ll always be with her and whispers "Lois" as his last word.
Blackest Night
Kal-L and his wife Lois Lane Kent of pre-Crisis Earth-TwoEarth-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...
return to the DC Universe as soulless Black Lanterns
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:...
in the midst of the Blackest Night. After killing an unknown number of residents of Smallville, they attack the Kent family by kidnapping Martha to lure his modern counterpart
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 Conner Kent
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
into a confrontation. Kal-L and Lois have stated their intention, among the scheme of Black Hand
Black Hand (comics)
Black Hand is a DC Comics supervillain and a recurring foe to Green Lantern. He first appeared in Green Lantern #29 and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane...
and the Black Lantern Corps, is to reunite the family with Jonathan Kent in death. Kal-L proves to be almost unstoppable, until Conner steals the Black Lantern Psycho-Pirate
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
's Medusa Mask, using its emotion-creating powers to draw Kal-L's ring away from his body, returning Kal-L's corpse to its lifeless state once more.
Kal-L's corpse is placed in Justice Society headquarters away from the Black Lanterns, his wife Black Lantern Lois tries to get close enough to her husband's body when Power Girl prevents her. Black Lantern Lois sacrifices herself by removing her ring and giving it to Kal-L to reanimate him once again. During the battle between Kal-L and Power Girl, Mr. Terrific
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)
Michael Holt is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics. First appearing in Spectre #54 , he is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle....
creates a machine powered by Alan Scott
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
's ring, the Helm of Nabu
Lords of Chaos and Order
The Lords of Chaos and Lords of Order are complementary groups of supernatural entities with godlike powers that appear in DC Comics. They have also been retconned into the histories of Amethyst, Doctor Fate, Kid Eternity, the Phantom Stranger, Shazam and Hawk and Dove...
, Lightning
Lightning (DC Comics)
Lightning is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. A member of the Justice Society of America, she is the youngest daughter of Black Lightning and sister of the heroine Thunder. The current version of Lightning debuted in Justice Society of America vol...
's electrical abilities, and Stargirl
Starman (comics)
Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...
's cosmic rod, that destroys Black Lanterns. Mr. Terrific activates the machine, which severs the Black Ring's connection to Superman.
Afterwords
Although he was retconned out of existence by the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and All-Star Squadron #60, he was restored to continuity in The Kingdom #2. He was killed by hero-turned-villain Superboy-Prime in Infinite Crisis #7, but later resurrected as a Black Lantern, along with his wife Lois.New Earth
Action Comics #850 (2007) presents the latest revision of Superman's origin, since the history of the DC Universe was reset in Infinite Crisis. The new timeline is indicated to revise the complicated web of origins in a panel which shows a progression of four to five successive versions of Superman that are viewed by Kara Zor-El, clearly aping the art styles of Joe ShusterJoe Shuster
Joseph "Joe" Shuster was a Canadian-born American comic book artist. He was best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1...
, Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
, John Byrne, Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for creating the superhero Booster Gold, and for his lengthy runs on the Superman titles Adventures of Superman and Superman , particularly during The Death of Superman storyline...
and Leinil Francis Yu
Leinil Francis Yu
Leinil Francis Yu is a Filipino comic book artist, who began working for the American market through Wildstorm Productions. In an interview published in Marvel's Daily Bugle newsletter, he described his style as "Dynamic Pseudo-Realism."-Career:Leinil Francis Yu was first recognized after winning...
.
Written collaboratively by Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
, Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
and Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
, the new version includes details such as Krypto
Krypto
Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional character. He is Superman's pet dog in the various Superman comic books published by DC Comics. Krypto's first appearance was in a Superboy story in Adventure Comics #210 in March 1955...
's presence on Krypton, Jor-El's frustrations with the Council of Krypton refusing to evacuate the planet, Clark's awareness of his adopted status from a young age, having interacted with 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...
at a younger age, Clark not being the direct cause of Lex's baldness, his wearing glasses as far back as his early teens in Smallville, and using his powers to help others at a younger age. The new version also supports the portrayal and aesthetic design of Jor-El
Jor-El
Jor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father....
, now similar to Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
's portrayal of the role, and Krypton, as featured in the ongoing Richard Donner
Richard Donner
Richard Donner is an American film director, film producer, and comic book writer.The production company The Donners' Company is owned by Donner and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner. After directing the horror film The Omen, Donner became famous for the hailed creation of the first modern...
co-authored arcs of Action Comics (essentially rendering Krypton closer in style to his and Bryan Singer
Bryan Singer
Bryan Singer is an American film director and film producer. Singer won critical acclaim for his work on The Usual Suspects, and is especially well-known among fans of the science fiction and superhero genres for his work on the X-Men films and Superman Returns.-Early life:Singer was born in New...
's shared film continuity), as well as the fitting in with the discovery in The Lightning Saga
The Lightning Saga
"The Lightning Saga" is a comic book crossover story arc that took place in DC Comics' two flagship team books: Justice League of America and Justice Society of America. It was written by Brad Meltzer and Geoff Johns, and illustrated by Ed Benes, Dale Eaglesham, and Shane Davis...
that Clark was a member of 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....
during his adolescence and still retains possession of a Legion flight ring.
Superman is established as a founding member of the Justice League in Justice League of America (vol. 2) #0.
Superman/Batman 3: Absolute Power
A version of Superman, from an alternate reality appears and might the Superman of Earth One. "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" is a 1986 comic book story featuring the DC Comics character of Superman. The story was published in two parts, in the final issues of the series Superman (Vol. 1) (#423) and Action Comics (#583), both published in September 1986. Written by Alan Moore, pencilled by long-time Superman artist Curt Swan, and inked by George Pérez (Superman) and Kurt Schaffenberger (Action), the tale incorporates the Mort Weisinger-era style but has a distinctly modern twist. The story was intended to close the book on the original character's history subsequent to the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and in preparation for the following The Man of Steel reboot by John Byrne, and was Swan's final major contribution to the series, though he would later occasionally return for special occasions. Superman (vol. 1) #423The framing device of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is the tale of a Daily Planet reporter, Tim Crane, in the then-future year of 1997, paying a visit to former Planet reporter Lois Lane-Elliot, hoping that she, as the last person to have seen Superman alive, can shed some light on the mystery of the Man of Steel's disappearance ten years previous. The majority of the story is told in flashback, as Lois recounts for Crane the tale of Superman's final days. After the interview is over and Crane leaves the Elliot residence, it is indirectly revealed that the mechanic Jordan Elliot, Lois' husband, is in fact Superman himself — apparently now without powers and living the life of a typical working-class suburbanite with Lois and their son Jonathan (very likely named after Jonathan Kent) — meaning he did not in fact die in the Arctic, although exactly how he did survive is never revealed. He seems to prefer the life of a normal man, finding great pleasure in his job as a car mechanic and stating, "Superman was overrated. Too wrapped up in himself. Thought the world couldn't get along without him." At his feet, his son, Jonathan, playfully squeezes the coal in his hand. Opening it he stares gleefully at a large, glimmering diamond. The final image is of Jordan delivering a classic "Superman" wink to the reader, as he and Lois continue to "just live happily ever after". The elder Superman, in Superman/Batman 3: Absolute Power, maybe either of these other Supermen. The Jordan Elliot Superman is clearly linked to the Elder Superman of Absolute Power by having a similar ending as the previous tale and his costume is somewhat similar to the Golden Age Superman, to the same or a similar version.
Powers and abilities
Superman has super-strength, the power of flight, super-speed, super-breath, arctic breath, super-hearing, super-vision (including X-ray, heat, microscopic and telescopic visions), and invulnerability to any force other than magic, psionics, and Kryptonite. An additional ability he possessed which his modern day counterpart didn't was an ability to "mold" his face to disguise himself, as chronicled in several Golden Age tales.Originally, he was significantly weaker than the Silver Age Superman of Earth-One or the Modern Age Superman; it was later revealed his powers took longer to develop or be discovered. While he initially could only leap an eighth of a mile, Superman soon gained full-fledged flight by the early 1940s. By the time Kal-L met Kal-El in the late 1960s, the two heroes were almost evenly matched in terms of power levels. However, almost all later renditions of the Earth-Two Kal-L showed him exhibiting his more limited abilities including reliance for a time in his leaping ability while allied with the Justice Society on a case involving his cousin Power Girl and the immortal criminal Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
.
Based on Superman's first origin and subsequent reference by U-Ban, this Superman came from a race of Kryptonians that inherently possessed superhuman strength, leaping ability, and some visual aptitudes while on that planet to compensate for its greater gravitation pull. Most of the Earth-Two Kal-L origin stories state his powers originated with his Kryptonian heritage and not the energy of a yellow sun (Secret Origins
Secret Origins
Secret Origins is the title of three American comic book series published by DC Comics.The title began in 1961 and for one issue, all reprints. The title Secret Origins of Super Heroes went onto a second series, also reprints, which ran for seven issues from 1973-1974...
#1 [1986]) and retained his powers in red sun systems (Superman Family
Superman Family
Superman Family was a DC Comics comic book series which ran from 1974 to 1982 featuring stories starring supporting characters in the Superman comics...
#186 and 207). A later conflicted re-interpretation stated Kal-L's powers fluctuated when under a red sun as noted in Infinite Crisis and All-Star Comics.
As a Black Lantern
As a Black LanternBlack 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:...
, Kal-L's black power ring needs to be charged by feeding on the hearts of living beings within the emotional spectrum. The ring appears to have given Kal-L's body all of his previous abilities as a Kryptonian under a yellow sun would have, as well as his brain being able to recollect certain aspects of his former life. Wearing the ring, however, places Kal-L under the influences of Nekron
Nekron
Nekron is a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, specifically those related to Green Lantern. Created by Mike W. Barr, Len Wein and Joe Staton, the character, who exists as an embodiment of Death, first appeared in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #2...
and his disciples Scar
Scar (comics)
Scar is a supervillain in the . She first appeared as an unnamed Guardian of the Universe in Green Lantern #25, and was first named in the February 2009 Origins and Omens backup stories.-Background:...
and Black Hand
Black Hand (comics)
Black Hand is a DC Comics supervillain and a recurring foe to Green Lantern. He first appeared in Green Lantern #29 and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane...
.
Other versions
In the final issue of 5252 (comic book)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
, a new Multiverse is revealed, originally consisting of 52 identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-2". As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-Two, including an alternate Superman along with other Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
characters. However, the names of the characters and the team are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear.
Based on comments by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-Two.
This separation was confirmed in Justice Society of America Annual #1 (2008) when during the battle between the JSA
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
and Justice Society Infinity, it is revealed that this universe's Superman has been missing for several years after a major crisis. The Post-Crisis Earth-2 Power Girl was searching for him for years.
It was revealed by Starman that the missing Post-Crisis Earth-2 Superman was still alive (Justice Society of America [second series] #23) despite being lost, unlike Kal-L who is dead.
In other media
In the Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
episode "Legends", the League team up with the "Justice Guild of America
Justice Guild of America
The Justice Guild of America is a superhero team featured in the Justice League animated series two-part episode Legends, an homage to the Golden Age Justice Society of America, and to a degree the Silver Age Justice League of America.-Synopsis:...
", an analogue of the Justice Society. JGA member Tom Turbine is a cross between Kal-L and the Golden Age Atom. He also appears in the video games Justice League Heroes
Justice League Heroes
Justice League Heroes is a console video game for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable systems. It is based on DC Comics' premiere superhero team, the Justice League of America. It was developed by Snowblind Studios and published and distributed by Warner Bros...
and 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...
as an alternate costume for Superman.