Kristin Wells
Encyclopedia
Kristin Wells is a comic book
character
, the secret identity
of one version of DC Comics
Superwoman
. Created by Superman
comic writer Elliot S! Maggin
, Wells first appeared in Maggin's novel Superman: Miracle Monday
(1981); he later introduced her into comics continuity as Superwoman.
who lives in the 29th century (like Jimmy, Wells is a freckled redhead). She is a journalism student whose graduate thesis was the successful investigation of the origins of the holiday known as Miracle Monday, using a form of time travel
technology that had just begun to be used by the public in her era. She then became a teacher, but became interested in finding out the identity of Superwoman, the last superhero from the 20th century whose secret identity had never been discovered. She managed to convince the authorities of her time to send her again to the present, at the moment when Superwoman was supposed to debut, helping Superman fight a villain called King Kosmos. Wells soon deduced that she herself was supposed to become Superwoman, and, using some of the technology she had brought from the future which allowed her to have superpowers
(including flight
, teleportation
, empathy
, precognition
, and telekinesis
), she disguised herself and helped Superman defeat Kosmos. She revealed the truth to Superman, then returned to the future to make the information public. Wells realized she would have to periodically return to the 20th century to ensure that all the historical events Superwoman was part of were fulfilled.
However, during one of those trips, a malfunction of the time travel process---which was still imperfect---left Wells trapped in the past, suffering amnesia
. This caused her boyfriend to lead a movement against time travel that eventually resulted in it being banned. Years later, Wells returned home, apparently having recovered her memories, and was reunited with him. The details of her later activities in the present (and of her return to the future) remained unrevealed. The 29th-century Kristin's last appearances to date are in the non-canonical story Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
in 1986, and a brief cameo as a one panel ghost in The Kingdom: Planet Krypton in 1999.
In Superman: The Third Kryptonian
, it is revealed that a third Kryptonian
(that is, after Clark and Kara
) is on Earth. It is explained that the third Kryptonian does not refer to Chris Kent
(Superman's foster son, General Zod
's biological child), Power Girl
(an Earth-Two
Kryptonian) or Krypto
(a canine Kryptonian). The storyline introduces a new Kristin Wells, an older woman and Kryptonian survivor named Karsta Wor-Ul who had left the planet many years before its destruction.
. Combined with a time-warp belt the amulet could create a five-dimensional "hole poker" that could create time/space warps. Space-pocket retention gave her invulnerability and time-field projection gave her limited intuition abilities.
Following the Third Kryptonian storyline, Wells has powers closely associated with Kryptonians
.
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...
character
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...
, the secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
of one version of 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...
Superwoman
Superwoman
Superwoman is the name given to several fictional characters published over the years by DC Comics, most of them being, like the popular Supergirl, a woman with powers similar to those of DC's highly popular Superman. The name "Superwoman" was originally copyrighted by Detective Comics in an effort...
. Created by 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...
comic writer Elliot S! Maggin
Elliot S! Maggin
Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin , is an American writer of comic books, film, television and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s...
, Wells first appeared in Maggin's novel Superman: Miracle Monday
Miracle Monday
Miracle Monday is a novel written by Elliot S! Maggin and based on the DC Comics character Superman. It was published in 1981.Miracle Monday tells the story of Superman trying to stop an entity of pure evil from causing universal chaos. This is Elliot S! Maggin's second Superman novel and is just...
(1981); he later introduced her into comics continuity as Superwoman.
Fictional character biography
Wells is a descendant of Jimmy OlsenJimmy 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...
who lives in the 29th century (like Jimmy, Wells is a freckled redhead). She is a journalism student whose graduate thesis was the successful investigation of the origins of the holiday known as Miracle Monday, using a form of time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
technology that had just begun to be used by the public in her era. She then became a teacher, but became interested in finding out the identity of Superwoman, the last superhero from the 20th century whose secret identity had never been discovered. She managed to convince the authorities of her time to send her again to the present, at the moment when Superwoman was supposed to debut, helping Superman fight a villain called King Kosmos. Wells soon deduced that she herself was supposed to become Superwoman, and, using some of the technology she had brought from the future which allowed her to have superpowers
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
(including flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
, teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
, empathy
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
, precognition
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
, and telekinesis
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
), she disguised herself and helped Superman defeat Kosmos. She revealed the truth to Superman, then returned to the future to make the information public. Wells realized she would have to periodically return to the 20th century to ensure that all the historical events Superwoman was part of were fulfilled.
However, during one of those trips, a malfunction of the time travel process---which was still imperfect---left Wells trapped in the past, suffering amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
. This caused her boyfriend to lead a movement against time travel that eventually resulted in it being banned. Years later, Wells returned home, apparently having recovered her memories, and was reunited with him. The details of her later activities in the present (and of her return to the future) remained unrevealed. The 29th-century Kristin's last appearances to date are in the non-canonical story Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
"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, beginning in Superman #423 and ending in Action Comics #583, both published in September 1986...
in 1986, and a brief cameo as a one panel ghost in The Kingdom: Planet Krypton in 1999.
Third Kryptonian
Superman: The Third Kryptonian
"The Third Kryptonian" is a three-issue Superman comic book story arc written by Kurt Busiek with art by Rick Leonardi.The story arc appears in Superman #668-670, and is rooted in a three part story arc that was released between "Superman: Up, Up and Away!" and "Last Son" called "Back in Action",...
, it is revealed that a third 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...
(that is, after Clark and Kara
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...
) is on Earth. It is explained that the third Kryptonian does not refer to Chris Kent
Chris Kent (comics)
Christopher Kent is a fictional character, a Kryptonian in the , who first appeared in Action Comics #844 , the first part of the Action Comics story arc "Superman: Last Son". Created by Richard Donner and Geoff Johns, he is the biological son of General Zod and Ursa, and the foster son of Clark...
(Superman's foster son, 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...
's biological child), Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
(an 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...
Kryptonian) or 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...
(a canine Kryptonian). The storyline introduces a new Kristin Wells, an older woman and Kryptonian survivor named Karsta Wor-Ul who had left the planet many years before its destruction.
Power and abilities
In Pre-Crisis, Wells has no inherent superpowers. For the most part Superwoman's powers were based on 29th century technology. Using a gravity redistribution flightbelt she was able to fly and an opal beam amulet gave her the power of decorporealization, which among other things enabled her to pass through solid objects. The opal amulet also gave her the power of teleportation. Amulet mass reduction gave her superhuman strengthSuperhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
. Combined with a time-warp belt the amulet could create a five-dimensional "hole poker" that could create time/space warps. Space-pocket retention gave her invulnerability and time-field projection gave her limited intuition abilities.
Following the Third Kryptonian storyline, Wells has powers closely associated with Kryptonians
Powers and abilities of Superman
The powers of DC Comics character Superman have changed a great deal since his introduction in the 1930s. The extent of his powers peaked during the 1970s and 1980s to the point where various writers found it difficult to create suitable challenges for the character...
.