Superman: The Animated Series | |
---|---|
Image showing Superman during the end credits of the series | |
Genre | |
Based on | Superman by |
Developed by | |
Voices of | |
Theme music composer | Shirley Walker |
Composer(s) | Kristopher Carter Michael McCuistion Lolita Ritmanis Shirley Walker Harvey Cohen |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of seasons | 3 |
No. of episodes | 54 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Running time | 25 minutes |
Production company(s) | Warner Bros. Animation |
Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | Kids' WB |
Original release | September 6, 1996 – February 12, 2000 |
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Batman: The Animated Series |
Related shows | The New Batman/Superman Adventures Superman (1980s) |
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics's flagship character, Superman.[1] It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and originally aired on Kids' WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. The series was the first of several followups of the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, and was equally praised for its thematic complexity, quality animation, maturity and modernization of its title character.[2][3]
- 5Cast
- 6Home media
- 7Music
Overview[edit]
Premiering ten years after the 1986 reboot of the Superman comic-book character, the animated series paid tribute to both the classic Superman of old and the newer 'modern' Superman. For instance, the depiction of Krypton reflects the older idealized version in the Silver Age of Comic Books while the scope of Superman's powers reflects the more restrained contemporary concept as developed by John Byrne in that the superhero has to struggle to perform spectacular feats, while Clark Kent is shown to be openly, if quietly, self-confident (similar to the depiction of Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, in Batman: The Animated Series).
Midway through the series' run, it was combined with The New Batman Adventures to become The New Batman/Superman Adventures. The characters of Superman and Batman were then spun off into a new animated series, Justice League, which also featured other popular DC Comics characters, including Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl which spawned a sequel series Justice League Unlimited.
Development and production[edit]
Originally producer Bruce Timm wanted the show to have a more 1940s Fleischer StudiosSuperman-cartoon feel.[citation needed] Another original character design sheet showed the characters in a stylised 1950s style (not unlike that of the live-action Adventures of Superman TV series), suggesting that the producers also considered setting the series during that period, or possibly ending up like Batman: The Animated Series (set during modern times, but with an Art Deco feel) or as the producers said Gotham was Art Deco with Gothic elements, Metropolis was 'Ocean Liner Deco'.[citation needed] As with the first season of Batman, the opening theme sequence of Superman lacked an on-screen title. Also like Batman, the opening theme for Superman lacked any lyrics, instead being an instrumental piece played over various scenes from the series. Koko Enterprise Co., LTD., TMS-Kyokuchi Corporation and Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD contributed some of the animation for this series.
During the series, Bruce Timm and his crew began using TMS as an outsourced pre-production unit as well as an animation unit, and they storyboarded and directed episodes themselves.
One noticeable aspect of the series carried over from Byrne's work was Superman's powers were significantly downplayed compared to his comic book counterpart. Where as in the comic he could lift millions or billions of tons effortlessly, this version struggled lifting trucks, construction equipment, roadways, etc. The writers admit that he was made as strong as story permitted. His durability was also considerably less that while bullets bounced off him, heavier ordnance like high caliber bullets, cannons and missiles caused him pain or discomfort (but it's often due only to the recoil, such weapons are still rather inefficient, only slowing him down). He's also recurrently shown being sensitive to electricity, high-voltage electric currents being able to cause him a great deal of pain (for this reason, Livewire is one of his most formidable enemies in this animated series), and in one episode lasers proved capable to blind him temporarily. Despite this greatly reduced durability, he's very rarely shown injured or bleeding. His lung capacity seems also quite limited, since he needs special equipment to go underwater or in outer space.
In the series, the evil computer Brainiac is not only from Krypton, but is portrayed as responsible for preventing the knowledge of Krypton's imminent destruction from reaching its people so as to save himself, rather than be committed in the presumably futile task of saving the population of the planet. In addition, the ship that carries the infant Kal-El to Earth is designed to have a pilot, and the autopilot used instead was programmed to land smoothly upon reaching its destination. This was done so that the ship is in perfect working condition during Superman's adulthood and could be used as his mode of long range transportation in space. Access to Kryptonian technology and artifacts is initially severely restricted, such as the ship containing a phantom zone projector and Braniac's technology, although Superman later finds a devastated colony in Krypton's solar system with partially salvageable technology, in addition to Kara In-Ze in her functioning cryostasis capsule.
Season two was originally scheduled to run 26 episodes, but it was extended to 28 episodes in order to accommodate a two-part story introducing Supergirl.[4]
While the series features adaptations of much of Superman's rogues gallery, the writers supplemented the supply of enemies by paying tribute to Jack Kirby's Fourth World creations that introduced the villain Darkseid to the series as Superman's archenemy. Darkseid had been portrayed as a villain in Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians in the 1980s, but in this series, he was closer to the enormously powerful, evil cosmic emperor originally envisioned by Kirby. Corey Burton's voice performance as Brainiac was done in the same cold, low-affect style as HAL 9000 in the Space Odyssey films, and was also modeled after the 'Control Voice' heard during the opening narration of The Outer Limits.[citation needed]
TMS also did the digital black hole effects in the Superman: The Animated Series episode 'Absolute Power,' although Koko and Dong Yang did the background and character animation.
Comic adaptation[edit]
As with the majority of shows in DC animated universe, Superman: The Animated Series received a comic adaptation taking place in the same universe, that ran from 1996 to 2001, with 68 issues, an annual and a special issue featuring Lobo. Paul Dini wrote the first issue of the series, followed by Scott McCloud, Mark Millar and Evan Dorkin. Among the artists that contributed with the series are Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, Mike Manley, Aluir Amancio, Min S.Ku and Neil Vokes.
Episodes[edit]
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||
1 | 13 | September 6, 1996 | February 15, 1997 | ||
2 | 28 | September 8, 1997 | May 2, 1998 | ||
3 | 13 | September 19, 1998 | February 12, 2000 |
Cast[edit]
Actor | Role |
---|---|
Tim Daly | Clark Joseph Kent / Superman / Kal-El / Bizarro |
Dana Delany | Lois Lane |
David Kaufman | James 'Jimmy' Olsen |
Clancy Brown | Alexander 'Lex' Joseph Luthor |
Corey Burton | Brainiac |
Michael Ironside | Darkseid |
Joseph Bologna | SCU Lt. Daniel 'Terrible' Turpin |
George Dzundza | Perry White |
Lisa Edelstein | Mercy Graves |
Lauren Tom | Angela Chen |
Mike Farrell | Jonathan Kent |
Shelley Fabares | Martha Kent |
Joely Fisher | Lana Lang |
Victor Brandt | Professor Emil Hamilton |
Joanna Cassidy | Inspector Maggie Sawyer |
Supporting Characters[edit]
- Ron Perlman – Jax-Ur
- Christopher McDonald – Jor-El
- Finola Hughes – Lara
- Dorian Harewood – Ron Troupe
- Gilbert Gottfried – Mister Mxyzptlk
- Sarah Douglas – Mala
- Malcolm McDowell – John Corben / Metallo
- Michael Dorn – Kalibak & John Henry Irons / Steel
- Robert Morse – DeSaad
- Sherman Howard – Steppenwolf
- Ed Asner – Granny Goodness
- Steve Sandor – Orion
- Diane Delano – Stompa
- Andrea Martin – Mad Harriet
- Diane Michelle – Lashina
- Lori Petty – Leslie Willis / Livewire
- Bruce Weitz – Bruno Mannheim
- Brad Garrett – Lobo & Bibbo
- Dean Jones – Colonel Sam Lane
- Peri Gilpin – Claire Selton / Volcana
- Jason Marsden – Teenage Clark Kent
- Nicholle Tom – Kara In-Ze / Kara Kent / Supergirl
- Bud Cort – Winslow Schott / Toyman
- Brion James – Rudy Jones / Parasite
- Sharon Lawrence – Maxima
- Miguel Ferrer – Weather Wizard & Aquaman
- George Del Hoyo – Kent Nelson / Dr. Fate
- Ted Levine – Sinestro & Karkull
- Brian Cox - Earl Garver
- Michael P. Greco – Kyle Rayner / Green Lantern
- Charlie Schlatter – Wally West / The Flash
- Melissa Joan Hart – Saturn Girl
- Chad Lowe – Rokk Krinn / Cosmic Boy
- Frank Welker – Titano
- Scott Menville – Trouble & Kenny Braverman
- Jason Priestley – Reep Daggle / Chameleon Boy
- Kevin Conroy – Bruce Wayne / Batman
- Mark Hamill – The Joker
- Arleen Sorkin – Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn
- Paul Williams – Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin
- Bob Hastings – Commissioner James Gordon
- Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. – Alfred Pennyworth
- Robert Costanzo – Detective Harvey Bullock
- Mathew Valencia – Tim Drake / Robin
- Charity James – Roxanne Sutton / Roxy Rocket
- David Warner – Ra's al Ghul ('The Demon Reborn')
- Olivia Hussey – Talia al Ghul ('The Demon Reborn')
- Roddy McDowall – Jervis Tetch / The Mad Hatter
- John Glover – Edward Nygma / The Riddler
- Henry Silva – Bane
- Stephen Root – Reverend Amos Howell
- Robert Hays – Edward Lytener / Luminus
- Jennifer Lien – Inza
Home media[edit]
Much like Batman: The Animated Series and other Warner Bros. cartoons adapted from popular DC Comic books, Superman: The Animated Series was released on DVD January 25, 2005, though it did not receive the same disc transfer as Batman did (the second disc of each volume was given the Side A/B treatment). The DVDs present the series' episodes in their airing order along with special features. Volume Two was released on December 6, 2005 and Volume Three was released on June 20, 2006. On November 24, 2009, Warner Home Video released Superman: The Complete Animated Series, a 7-disc boxed set that includes all 54 episodes of the series as well as extensive bonus features.[5][6][7]
A direct-to-DVD feature, Superman: Brainiac Attacks was released in 2006, although it is not considered to be part of DCAU continuity, despite featuring the same character designs as Superman: The Animated Series, as well as both Tim Daly and Dana Delany reprising their voice roles as Superman and Lois Lane, respectively.
DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date | Additional Information |
---|---|---|---|
Superman: The Animated Series – Volume 1 | 18 | January 25, 2005 |
|
Superman: The Animated Series – Volume 2 | 18 | December 6, 2005 |
|
Superman: The Animated Series – Volume 3 | 18 | June 20, 2006 |
|
Superman: The Complete Animated Series | 54 | November 24, 2009 |
|
Altered sequence in 'Apokolips..Now! Part II'[edit]
'Apokolips..Now! Part II' was later altered from its original airing on February 7, 1998. Originally the Dan Turpin funeral at the episode's end was a true homage to late New Gods creator Jack Kirby and featured several of his comic creations as attendees to the funeral including Nick Fury, the Fantastic Four, Big Barda, Scott Free, Orion and others, alongside Kirby's friends and fans Mark Evanier, Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alex Ross, his father Norman Ross and Stan Lee. These characters and persons were later removed and the scene pacing was re-edited for subsequent airings and its DVD release on Superman: The Animated Series Volume 3 Disc 3. The original sketches for this scene can be found at Michael Eury's book The Krypton Companion published by TwoMorrow's Publishing (ISBN1-893905-61-6). Neither DC nor Warner ever commented on the decision to alter this particular scene, but it has been speculated that copyright issues regarding the use of the likenesses of Marvel Comics characters and the long-time rivalry between the two companies might have motivated the deletion.
Music[edit]
As with Batman: The Animated Series, Shirley Walker was in charge of the series' music. Walker wrote the series theme and composed themes for various characters, as well as scoring six episodes herself – 'Father's Day,' 'The Hand of Fate,' 'Obsession,' 'Absolute Power' and the two-parter 'Legacy.' Unlike the previous series, only four other composers worked on the series – Kristopher Carter, Harvey R. Cohen, Michael McCuistion and Lolita Ritmanis. Almost every episode had a completely original score; very few reused music from previous shows, and only one episode ('Superman's Pal,' credited to Carter, McCuistion, Ritmanis and Walker) was entirely 'scored' with tracked material.[8]
On January 28, 2014, La-La Land Records released a 4-disc compilation of music from the series, collecting 20 complete episode scores, including those of the 'World's Finest' three-parter, the 'Apokolips.. Now!' two-parter, the 'Little Girl Lost' two-parter and 'In Brightest Day..'. It is a limited edition release of 3000 units and can be purchased through the label's website.[9]
If sales of this release improve significantly, La-La Land Records will produce a second volume.[10]
Track listing[edit]
- Superman: The Animated Series – Main Title (Shirley Walker) 1:07
- The Last Son of Krypton Part I (Lolita Ritmanis)
- Krypton Opening/Monster Attack 2:37
- Family Theme 1:12
- Earthquake/Jor-El Appeals* 1:59
- Brainiac Confrontation* 2:14
- Jor-El Escapes Arrest/Jor-El Outside 1:52
- Decision to Send Kal-El 3:01
- Brainiac Leaves Krypton*/Kal-El Leaves Krypton*/** 1:43
- The Last Son of Krypton Part II (Michael McCuistion)
- Recap (The Last Son of Krypton, Part II)*1:07
- Kal-El Lands on Earth/Couple Find Kal-El 2:09
- Clark's Abilities/Clark Meets His Parents 3:19
- Clark's First Flight*** 2:24
- News Program Source :32
- Industrial Film Source 1:10
- Superman Rescues Lois*/Missile Hits Airliner* 3:13
- The Last Son of Krypton Part III (Harvey R. Cohen)
- Recap (The Last Son of Krypton, Part III)* 1:00
- Superman Saves Airliner* 2:39
- Clark's Identity Crisis* :56
- Lois Abducts Bibbo/Lois Meets John 1:46
- Clark Recognizes Ship*/Orders to Kill Lois* 2:05
- Robot Loose in City* 2:08
- Lois Gets Story* 1:03
- Monkey Fun (Lolita Ritmanis)
- Family Pet 2:00
- Titano Lost and Found 2:06
- Monkey Business/Babysitting With Fleas/Bacteria Attack* 2:07
- Jimmy Runs Away* 1:01
- Monkeys on the Loose*/Superman Cages Lions 1:54
- Titano at the Dock 1:53
- Titano/Amusement Park* 1:37
- Superman vs. Titano 1:39
- Pop Goes the Weasel (Traditional, arr. L. Ritmanis) :37
- Titano Relocated 1:13
- Tools of the Trade (Kristopher Carter)
- Tank Attack* 3:04
- Meet Kanto/Mannheim Gets Gloves 1:22
- Train Wreck/Train Robbery 1:31
- To the Rescue* 1:44
- Turpin Resigns 1:11
- Prisoner Turpin/Superman Finds Turpin/Turpin Saves Superman* 3:55
- Superman Thanks Turpin*/ Planet Apokolips* 1:20
- Tools of the Trade – Bonus Track (Kristopher Carter)
- Train Wreck/Train Robbery (Alternate) 1:51
- Superman: The Animated Series – Video End Credits (Shirley Walker) 2:37
- THE LAST SON OF KRYPTON, PART III – Bonus Music-And-Effects Track
- Superman Destroys Robot*(H. Cohen)/Superman Spurns Lex*(M. McCuistion)/Brainiac Returns*(L. Ritmanis) 3:07
- The New Batman/Superman Adventures – Main Title (Shirley Walker) 1:05
- World's Finest Part I (Michael McCuistion)
- Closing Time*/Joke in the Box Source*/ Batman Takes Evidence* 1:37
- Terrorists on Plane* 1:11
- Lois Talks to Superman/Lois Beats Herself Up :58
- Joker Abducts Lex 1:20
- Lex & Joker Make a Deal/Lois Meets Bruce 1:42
- Joker Undoes Carlini 1:27
- WayneLex T-7 :52
- First Dance 1:11
- Batman Shows Up/Binko's Bad Night*/Batman Bugs Superman* 3:29
- World's Finest Part II (Michael McCuistion)
- Recap (World's Finest, Part II) :38
- Bruce and Lois Go Out/Joker Crashes Date/Joker's Plan 2:23
- Batwing Takes Off*/Superman Meets Joker* 1:39
- Batman Saves Superman* 3:08
- Batman Makes His Exit :29
- Harley Cheers Up Joker/Lex Meets With Joker 2:01
- Batman Pays Lex a Visit/Superman Flies By* 1:14
- Jet Pac Transportation*/Joker Uses Robot 1:12
- World's Finest Part III (Michael McCuistion & Lolita Ritmanis)
- Recap (World's Finest, Part III) (M. McCuistion) :35
- Ship in Distress (M. McCuistion) 1:45
- Batman Drops In/ Batman Unmasked/ Superman Stops Robot (M. McCuistion) 1:30
- Batman Has to Leave/Lex Sets Up Joker (M. McCuistion) 1:28
- Arrival at Lab*/Robots Battle Superman*/Batman Gets to Lexwing*(L. Ritmanis) 6:04
- Lexwing Crashes*(M. McCuistion) 2:22
- Bruce Returns to Gotham* (M. McCuistion) 1:08
- Mxyzpixilated (Harvey R. Cohen)
- Stopping Traffic/Reading the Comics/The Statue Moves 2:43
- Chickens/Setting the Rules 3:23
- A Close Shave*/Proofreading/Apartment Source 3:52
- Building Battle Suit 1:54
- Clark's Calendar/Office Menagerie/Aerial Chase* 4:50
- Why Am I Eating This? :56
- Father's Day (Shirley Walker)
- Scream Machine Lands/Superman vs. Machine 3:56
- Desaad's Tricky Plan 1:26
- Kalibak Comes to Earth/Kalibak Trashes Minerva 1:56
- Kalibak Ambushes Superman :48
- Superman vs. Kalibak/Fight on Train Track 2:04
- Battle Continues/Power Struggle 3:25
- Darkseid Beams Superman 2:21
- Father's Day – Bonus Track (Shirley Walker)
- Restaurant Source 1:07
- The New Batman/Superman Adventures – End Credits (Shirley Walker) :35
- Superman: The Animated Series – Twenty-Second Promo (Shirley Walker) :26
- In Brightest Day (Michael McCuistion)
- Kyle Catches Thief :58
- Abin Makes Ring Choose/Ring Chooses Kyle* 3:27
- Kyle Is Green Lantern :32
- Superman Finds Abin/Sinestro Wants the Ring 2:22
- Superman Meets Guardian :44
- Kyle Saves Little Girl/Fight Continues 3:02
- Superman Helps Council/Fight for Power/Kyle Wins Battle 4:05
- Kyle's Their Man 1:16
- A Little Piece of Home (Kristopher Carter)
- Break-In at the Museum* 2:14
- Lex Sees Superman Weak*/Waiting for a Reaction :51
- Lois Gets a Phone Call/Steal Treasury Plates*/No Deal with Lex* 5:31
- Lois Visits S.T.A.R. Labs/Superman vs. Dinosaur*/Superman Throws Rock* 4:26
- Livewire (Harvey R. Cohen)
- Wake-Up Source 1:30
- Construction Crane/Prevents Crane Accident* 2:42
- Centennial Park Source 1:15
- Leslie Becomes Livewire* 1:37
- Livewire Checks Out :59
- Metamorphosis Complete 1:07
- She Turns Off the Light/Tower of Power Is Back 1:31
- Superman Averts Planes* :59
- Livewire Gets Recharged*/Caution Sign 3:41
- Apokolips Now! Part I (Kristopher Carter)
- Maggie Brings Cash :51
- Hovercraft Steals Truck/Superman Fights Craft/Superman & Broken Glass 2:56
- Darkseid Arrives*/Orion Arrives 2:10
- New Genesis & Apokolips* 2:55
- Air Base Battle/Orion Zaps Hovercraft/Orion Wins at Air Base* 3:20
- Mannheim at Power Plant :33
- Orion Goes Back 1:24
- Power Plant Explodes*/Superman Sees Explosion 1:20
- Apokolips Now! Part II (Kristopher Carter)
- Recap (Apokolips Now! Part II) 1:00
- Hamilton Has Bad News 1:06
- Meet Steppenwolf :26
- Steppenwolf Arrives*/Missiles Bring Down Superman 2:11
- Demons Take Over City/Attack of the Demons* 2:01
- Superman Puts Out Fire* 1:44
- Darkseid Appears* 1:00
- Dan Fights Demons* 1:39
- Apokoliptic War Machine/Darkseid Takes Control* 1:14
- Orion to the Rescue*/Dan's Funeral 4:42
- The New Batman/Superman Adventures – Twenty-Second Promo :26 (Shirley Walker)
- Superman: The Animated Series – Ten-Second Promo (Shirley Walker) :16
- Little Girl Lost Part I (Lolita Ritmanis)
- Journey Through Space 2:43
- Superman Enters Chamber/Kala's Story/Superman Finds Kara 3:02
- Kara Flies 1:17
- Intergang Interest/Intergang Arrives :28
- Gang Fights Superman* 2:38
- Granny Knows Best/Kara Joins Jimmy :48
- Following Gang Into Building :45
- Granny Takes Control**** 2:52
- Little Girl Lost Part II (Lolita Ritmanis)
- Recap (Little Girl Lost, Part II) :53
- Surrounded 1:53
- Superman Is Captured*/Kara Leaves for Apokolips 3:23
- Kara Arrives on Apokolips**** 1:18
- Kara Escapes Parademons**** 2:00
- Superman Kneels*/Darkseid's Prediction/Get Back Home* 3:31
- Stop Comet*/Superman Catches 2:50
- Supergirl's OK 1:07
- Feeding Time (Michael McCuistion)
- Toxic Waste* 2:28
- Rudy Becomes Toxic/Goo on Superman's Finger* 1:24
- Parasite Saps Police* 1:16
- Parasite Visits LeBeau*/Parasite Saps Superman's Energy* 2:23
- Parasite Can't Rob Bank :32
- Parasite Attacks Clark/His New Meal Plan* :49
- Jimmy Gets Idea 2:19
- Superman Saves Jimmy/Saved by a Bug* 2:25
- Legacy Part I (Shirley Walker)
- Planet Attack 2:20
- Leader Revealed 1:27
- Kal-El's Dream 1:20
- Brainwashed 2:01
- Supergirl Chases Robot 2:01
- Lex Knows :34
- Ready for Battle :49
- Kal-El Attacks Earth :57
- Lex Kills Kal-El 3:53
- Legacy Part II (Shirley Walker)
- Recap (Legacy, Part II) :28
- Taken Prisoner 1:37
- Superman Tries to Escape 2:09
- Lois Springs Superman*** 3:47
- Lois Comforts Superman*** 2:08
- Return to Apokolips 1:20
- Superman vs. Furies 1:01
- Superman vs. Darkseid 2:16
- Darkseid Prevails 2:07
- Lois and Superman :46
Video games[edit]
Superman 64, released for the Nintendo 64 console in 1999, was the first video game to be produced based upon the series, however it is considered to be one of the worst Superman video games and worst games ever.[11] A second video game, Superman: Shadow of Apokolips was released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube consoles. It was produced by a different company, and was described as 'a respectable but average superhero game.[12]
Awards and nominations[edit]
- 1997– Best Individual Achievement: Music in a TV Production- Shirley Walker for Superman main title theme. (nominated)
- 1997– Outstanding Special Class Animated Program- Bob Goodman, Jean MacCurdy, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Dan Riba, Andrea Romano, Stan Berkowitz and Hilary J. Bader. (nominated)
- 1998 – Outstanding Special Class Animated Program- Jean MacCurdy, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Hilary Bader, Stan Berkowitz, Rich Fogel, Steve Gerber, Bob Goodman, Hiroyuki Aoyama, Curt Geda, Kenji Hachizaki, Butch Lukic, Toshihiko Masuda, Dan Riba, Andrea Romano and Yûichirô Yano (shared with The New Batman Adventures) (won)
- 1999 – Outstanding Sound Mixing - Special Class- Tom Maydeck, Robert Hargreaves, Pat Rodman and John Hegedes (shared with The New Batman Adventures) (won)
- 2000– Outstanding Music Direction and Composition- Lolita Ritmanis for 'Fish Story.' (nominated)
- 2000– Outstanding Music Direction and Composition- Michael McCuistion for 'In Brightest Day..' (nominated)
- 2000– Outstanding Sound Editing – Special Class- Gregory Beaumont, Diane Griffen, Mark Keatts, George Brooks, Kelly Ann Foley, Robert Hargreaves, Linda Di Franco, John Hegedes. (shared with The New Batman Adventures) (nominated)
References[edit]
- ^'Superman: The Complete Animated Series'. DVD Talk. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^'IGN's Top 25 Comic Book TV Shows'. IGN. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
- ^'Video Games, Wikis, Cheats, Walkthroughs, Reviews, News & Videos – IGN'. IGN. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
- ^Allstetter, Rob (August 1997). 'Superman Gets Caged'. Wizard (72). p. 118.
- ^'Superman: The Animated Series DVD news: Press Release for Superman: The Animated Series – The Complete Animated Series'. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
- ^'Superman: The Animated Series Volume One'. DVD Talk. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^'Superman: The Animated Series Volume Two'. DVD Talk. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^John Takis, 'Maestros of Metropolis: The Music of Superman: The Animated Series, pg. 6, Superman: The Animated Series original soundtrack, La-La Land Records LLLCD 1276
- ^'Superman The Animated Series: Limited Edition (4-CD SET) - LLLCD 1276'. lalalandrecords.com. La-La Land Records.
- ^http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=119094&forumID=1&archive=0
- ^'Superman Reviews'. GameRankings. Retrieved April 1, 2008.
- ^'Superman: Shadow of Apokolips'. IGN. September 26, 2002. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Superman: The Animated Series |
- Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 27 December 2014)
- Superman: The Animated Series on IMDb
- Superman: The Animated Series at TV.com
- Superman: The Animated Series at The World's Finest
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By IGN TVSmallville continues with the showdown with Doomsday this week with more urging by Chloe (913517.html'>Allison Mack) for Clark (Tom Welling) to finish him off. Chloe knows that Davis (Sam Witwer) is a ticking timebomb just waiting to go off.
Not to be left out, Tess (Cassidy Freeman) has assembled a team of meteor freaks, including Plastique (Jessica Parker Kennedy) and Parasite (Brendan Fletcher) to search for Davis. However, things get out of hand once Tess's team discovers she is double-crossing them.
Tune in to Smallville when it airs this Thursday, May 7th, at 8:00pm ET on The CW.
In the meantime, if you're impatient in waiting for the new episode, pass some time at our Smallville message board or hit up our dedicated Smallville portal, where you can find all of the latest Smallville reviews, news and information.
Clark Kent | |
---|---|
Clark Kent in Superman: Peace on Earth #1 (November 1998) Art by Alex Ross | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | Action Comics#1 (June 1938) |
Created by | Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Kal-El Superman |
Species | Kryptonian |
Place of origin | Krypton |
Team affiliations | Daily Planet Justice League |
Partnerships | Lois Lane Jimmy Olsen |
Notable aliases | Superman, Superboy |
Clark Joseph Kent is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, he debuted in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superheroSuperman.
Over the decades there has been considerable debate as to which personality the character identifies with most. From his first introduction in 1938 to the mid-1980s, 'Clark Kent' was seen mostly as a disguise for Superman, enabling him to mix with ordinary people. This was the view in most comics and other media such as movie serials and TV (e.g., in Atom Man vs. Superman starring Kirk Alyn and The Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves) and radio. In 1986, during John Byrne's revamping of the character, Clark Kent became more emphasized. Different takes persist in the present, with the character typically depicted as being clumsy and mild-mannered.
- 1Overview
- 2Secret identity
- 3In other media
Overview[edit]
As Superman's alter ego, the personality, concept, and name of Clark Kent have become ingrained in popular culture as well, becoming synonymous with secret identities and innocuous fronts for ulterior motives and activities. In 1992, Superman co-creator Joe Shuster told the Toronto Star that the name derived from 1930s cinematic leading men Clark Gable and Kent Taylor, but the persona from bespectacled silent film comic Harold Lloyd and himself.[1] Another, perhaps more likely possibility, is that Jerry Siegel pulled from his own love of pulp heroes Doc Clark Savage and The Shadow alias Kent Allard. This idea was notably stated in the book Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Rise of the American Comic Book.
Clark's middle name is given variously as either Joseph, Jerome, or Jonathan, all being allusions to creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Beginnings[edit]
In the earliest Superman comics, Clark Kent's primary purpose was to fulfill the perceived dramatic requirement that a costumed superhero cannot remain on full duty all the time. Clark thus acted as little more than a front for Superman's activities. Although his name and history were taken from his early life with his adoptive Earth parents, everything about Clark was staged for the benefit of his alternate identity: as a reporter for the Daily Planet, he receives late-breaking news before the general public, has a plausible reason to be present at crime scenes, and need not strictly account for his whereabouts as long as he makes his story deadlines. He sees his job as a journalist as an extension of his Superman responsibilities—bringing truth to the forefront and fighting for the little guy. He believes that everybody has the right to know what is going on in the world, regardless of who is involved.[2]
To deflect suspicion that he is Superman, Clark Kent adopted a largely passive and introverted personality with conservative mannerisms, a higher-pitched voice, and a slight slouch. This personality is typically described as 'mild-mannered', perhaps most famously by the opening narration of Max Fleischer's Superman animated theatrical shorts. These traits extended into Clark's wardrobe, which typically consists of a bland-colored business suit, a red necktie, black-rimmed glasses, combed-back hair, and occasionally a fedora.
Fellow reporter Lois Lane became the object of Clark's/Superman's romantic affection. Lois' affection for Superman and her rejection of Clark's clumsy advances have been a recurring theme in Superman comics, as well as in movies and on television.
Transitions[edit]
Clark wears his Superman costume underneath his street clothes, allowing easy changes between the two personae and the dramatic gesture of ripping open his shirt to reveal the familiar 'S' emblem when called into action. Superman usually stores his Clark Kent clothing compressed in a secret pouch within his cape,[3] though some stories have shown him leaving his clothes in some covert location (such as the Daily Planet storeroom[4]) for later retrieval.
In the Pre-Crisis Superman comic book, Clark appears in occasional back-up stories called 'The Private Life of Clark Kent', wherein he solves problems subtly as Clark without changing into Superman. The feature was later shown in the Superman Family title.
Adoption[edit]
Adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent from the Kansas town of Smallville, Clark (and thus Superman) was raised with the values of a typical rural American town, including attending the local Methodist Church (though it is debated by comic fans if Superman is a Methodist).[5]
Most continuities state that the Kents never had biological children of their own and were usually depicted as middle-aged or elderly when they found Clark. In the Golden and Silver Age versions of his origin, after the Kents retrieved Clark from his rocket, they brought him to the Smallville Orphanage and returned a few days later to formally adopt the orphan, giving him as a first name Martha's maiden name, 'Clark'.[6][7] In John Byrne's 1986 origin version The Man of Steel, instead of adopting him through an orphanage, the Kents passed Clark off as their own child after their farm was isolated for months by a series of snowstorms that took place shortly after they found his rocket, using their past medical history of various miscarriages to account for their reasons for keeping Martha's pregnancy secret.
Silver Age[edit]
In the Silver Age comics continuity, Clark's superpowers manifested upon his landing on Earth and he gradually learned to master them, adopting the superhero identity of Superboy at the age of eight. He subsequently developed Clark's timid demeanor as a means of ensuring that no one would suspect any connection between the two alter-egos.[6][8]
Modern Age retroactive continuity[edit]
In the wake of John Byrne's reboot of Superman continuity in The Man of Steel, many traditional aspects of Clark Kent were dropped in favor of giving him a more aggressive and extroverted personality (although not as strong as Lois's), including such aspects as making Clark a top football player in high school along with being a successful author and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, which includes at least two original novels, The Janus Contract, and Under a Yellow Sun.[9] Furthermore, Clark's motivations for his professional writing were deepened as both a love for the art that he considers at least as a much a contribution to social good as his Superman activities and as a matter of personal fulfillment in an intellectual field in which his abilities give no unfair competition to his colleagues beyond typing extraordinarily fast. Following One Year Later, Clark adopts some tricks to account for his absences, such as feigning illness or offering to call the police. These, as well as his slouching posture, are references to his earlier mild-mannered Pre-Crisis versions, but he still maintains a sense of authority and his assertive self. Feeling that Clark is the real person and that Clark is not afraid to be himself in his civilian identity, John Byrne has stated in interviews that he took inspiration for this portrayal from the George Reeves version of Superman.
Clark's favorite movie is To Kill a Mockingbird (in which Gregory Peck wears glasses not unlike Kent's). According to the DC Comics Official Guide to Superman, Clark enjoys peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, football games, and the smell of Kansas in the springtime.[10][11] His favorite baseball team is the Metropolis Monarchs and his favorite football team is the Metropolis Sharks.[citation needed] As of One Year Later, Clark is in his mid-thirties, stands at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m), and weighs about 225 pounds (102 kg). Unlike in the Silver Age, his powers developed over several years, only coming to their peak when he was an adult.
Secret identity[edit]
Superman's secret identity as Clark Kent is one of the DC Universe's greatest secrets. Only a few trusted people are aware of it, such as Batman and other members of the Justice League, Superman's cousin Supergirl, and Clark's childhood friend Lana Lang. (In pre-Crisis stories, Lana did not know, but their friend Pete Ross did, unbeknownst to anyone, including Clark.) Lex Luthor, other supervillains, and various civilians have learned the secret identity several times, though their knowledge is usually removed through various means (the boxer Muhammad Ali is one of the very few to deduce the identity and retain the knowledge).
Traditionally, Lois Lane (and sometimes others) would often suspect Superman of truly being Clark Kent; this was particularly prominent in Silver Age stories, including those in the series Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane. More recent stories (post-Crisis) often feature the general public assuming that Superman has no secret identity owing to the fact that he, unlike most heroes, does not wear a mask. In 'The Secret Revealed', a supercomputer constructed by Lex Luthor calculated Superman's true identity from information that had been assembled by his staff, but Lex dismissed the idea because he could not believe that someone so powerful would want another, weaker identity.[12] In post-Crisis continuity, Lois Lane, feeling that someone like Clark could not be Superman, never suspected the dual identity beyond one isolated incident before Clark finally revealed it to her. In 'Visitor', Lois finds Superman at the Kent farm with Lana Lang and asks him point-blank if he is Clark Kent. Before he can answer, the Kents tell her that they raised Superman alongside Clark like a brother.[13] In the 2009 retcon of the mythos, Lois Lane is fully aware from the beginning, along with Perry White, that the meek, pudgy, and bumbling Clark Kent deliberately holds himself back: however, still far from associating him with Superman, they simply believe he's hiding his qualities as a good reporter.[14]
In the current continuity established by DC's New 52 relaunch in 2011, Lois Lane remains unaware that Clark is Superman until she discovers his identity as part of an elaborate plan by new villain Hordr-Root—later revealed to be a son of Vandal Savage—to blackmail Superman at the same time as he is experiencing a strange power shortage, with his abilities gradually draining each time he uses them. Shortly before this trouble began, Superman also revealed his identity to Jimmy Olsen.[15] In an attempt to protect Superman from his Hordr-Root's blackmail efforts, Lois reveals his identity herself, forcing Clark to go off-grid to find the source of his power shortage after his Daily Planet colleagues abandon him in disgust at his lies. This storyline concludes with the New 52 Superman being forced to subject himself to a form of kryptonite chemotherapy to restore his powers and defeat Savage's latest plot, only to subsequently die of kryptonite poisoning.
Following the death of the New-52 Superman, he is 'replaced' as Superman by his counterpart from the pre-Flashpoint timeline—who operates in secret in a farmhouse with his wife and son after the events of Convergence saw them trapped in this new universe—but all are left puzzled when a completely human Clark Kent appears. Superman's tests confirming that this new man genuinely believes that he is Clark Kent, adopted by the Kents after his biological parents died in a gas explosion when he was three months old, who went into hiding while investigating the mysterious Geneticorp and allowed Superman to claim to be him to divert attention from his own actions.[16] However, when Lois—replacing her apparently dead New 52 counterpart—accepts a date with this Clark to find out more about him, she is unnerved when he goes all out on their date, hiring a limo and booking an expensive restaurant to propose to her. When Lois leaves, she is followed by 'Clark' back to the house she lives in with her family, with 'Clark' being so outraged at the sight of Lois with someone else that he triggers an attack that somehow erases the Kents' entire house and their son Jon, subsequently revealing that he is really Mister Mxyzptlk, having subjected himself to an intense spell that made him literally believe he was Clark Kent for a time. This confrontation with Mxyzptlk concludes with the essence of pre-Flashpoint Clark and Lois merging with the essences of their New 52 counterparts, allowing them to exist in the new universe with a mixture of their pre-Flashpoint and New 52 histories, although Mxyzptlk's actions have allowed Superman to resume his identity as Clark.
In the 2016 miniseries American Alien, written by Max Landis. Clark's powers and the fact he is Superman's alter ego is an open secret in Smallville. This is due primarily to power flare ups that happened in his childhood, such as spontaneously beginning to float in front of his friends at a drive through movie. The Smallville Police Department even approach a young Clark to ask for his help solving a local murder.[17]
In the future of the Legion of Super-Heroes, his secret identity is historical fact, with exhibits at a Superman Museum depicting the hero and his friends' and family's adventures.
Security of identity[edit]
Various explanations over the decades have been offered for why people have never suspected Superman and Clark Kent of being one and the same:
- The explanation most commonly offered is simply that, despite their physical resemblance, Superman and Clark are perceived as being too different in mannerisms and personality to be the same individual. Some comics note, in the words of Barry Allen, that 'Clark slouches, wears clothes two sizes too big and raises his voice an octave', making him appear shorter and overweight instead of muscular.[14][18] The 2004 limited series Superman: Birthright has a young Clark Kent study the Meisner technique to move seamlessly between his Clark and Superman personae (dropping his head, lowering his shoulders, and talking in a lighter tone as Clark Kent, while standing straight and talking in a deeper tone as Superman). Live-action actors adopting this approach while playing Clark Kent/Superman include:
- George Reeves in the 1950s live-action television series Adventures of Superman, who brought a naturalistic approach to the dual role. Reeves played Clark as moderately assertive, often taking charge in dangerous or risky situations and unafraid to take reasonable risks. This fact was one of the main inspirations for the 1980s reboot of the Clark Kent half of the Superman character, according to writer and artist John Byrne in the article 'Super-Discussions' published by Attic Books in Comics Values Monthly Special #2 (1992).
- Christopher Reeve in the Superman film series, who was praised for making the disguise's effectiveness credible to audiences, portrayed Clark Kent as clumsy and mild mannered. In his book Still Me, Reeve says he based his interpretation of Clark Kent on Cary Grant's nerdy character in Bringing Up Baby. Tom Mankiewicz described his performance on the commentary track for Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut as always playing Superman but, when he was Clark, playing Superman playing Clark Kent.
- Dean Cain in the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman showed Clark as a normal and shy Everyman demonstrating occasional touches of clumsiness (e.g., pretending to burn his mouth on coffee), but still a highly skilled journalist, much like the current post-Crisis portrayal. His Superman, by contrast, was very much the model of the classic hero who stood up straight and spoke in a more formal and authoritative voice. In the episode 'Tempus Fugitive', the time-traveler Tempus mocks Lois, saying that future historians laugh at her for being fooled by a pair of glasses. On the other hand, H.G. Wells tells Lois that in truth the people of the future simply considered Lois to be blinded by love, and that this has made her story a compelling one throughout the intervening years.[19]
- In the 1970s, one suggestion was that the lenses of Clark Kent's glasses (made of Kryptonian materials) constantly amplified a low-level super-hypnosis power, thereby creating the illusion of others viewing Clark Kent as a weak and frailer being.[20] However, this reason was abandoned almost as quickly as it was introduced, since it had various flaws (such as stories where Batman, who is at the peak of human fitness, would disguise himself as Clark Kent, among others).[citation needed]
- Another reason given in the 1987 story 'The Secret Revealed' was that the public simply does not know that Superman has a secret identity, considering he does not wear a mask, which implies to most that he has nothing to hide. As an added precaution, Superman would vibrate his face slightly (like Jay Garrick, the Golden-Age Flash), so that photographs would only show his features as a blur, thus preventing the danger of photographs of both identities being reliably compared.[12] However, more subsequent stories showing Superman being photographed have tended to ignore this factor. The 2004 series Superman: Birthright also explained that Superman's eyes are an inhumanly vivid shade of blue, which Clark's glasses diffuse to make his eyes appear more human[volume & issue needed]. A subsequent explanation is the fact that most people only know of Clark as a name in a byline and only see Superman from a distance, if they see him at all. As most people do not spend much time with both Clark Kent and Superman, the similar appearances are not considered.
- A variation of this idea was seen when Lex Luthor had a massive investigation carried out to determine the connection between Clark Kent and Superman; while the resulting data gathered allowed a computer to deduce that Clark Kent was Superman, Luthor dismissed that theory as he is psychologically incapable of understanding why Superman would want to be someone like Clark, believing that Superman would constantly revel in his power just because that is what Luthor would do.
- The idea of Superman's identity being secret as the idea never occurs to others has been further explored in other continuities. In the Elseworlds story JLA: Another Nail—a sequel to JLA: The Nail, where Kal-El was discovered by and raised in an Amish community when the Kents' truck had a nail in the tyre on the day they would have gone out and seen his ship crash— while trying to establish a civilian identity to give new hero Superman a chance to feel human, the Kents initially heavily disguised him with a thick fake beard and large dark glasses. Arriving as they put this disguise together, Lois Lane suggests the alternative of regular glasses and casual hair, on the grounds that the original look gave the impression that he had something to hide, while nobody would particularly pay attention to Kal-El when he looked like this.
- Various stories over the decades often show Superman relying upon an imitator on occasions when Clark and Superman are required to appear together. The most prominent such means include:
- Superman robots, androids that physically resemble Superman in powers and appearance.[21] Superman robots were primarily used during the Silver Age, but were largely disposed of after the early 1970s.[22] Clark Kent robots were also maintained by Superman for similar purposes.[23]
- Batman disguising himself as either Clark or Superman. This was most often seen in Silver Age stories.[24]
- Shapeshifters have also aided Clark in protecting his secret identity. For example, after the 'Return of Superman' storyline in the 1990s, 'Clark' (in reality the Supergirl at the time, also known as Matrix, who was capable of shape shifting) was photographed besides Superman after Superman had returned from the dead, Matrix using her shape-shifting abilities to create the impression that Clark Kent had been trapped in an underground bunker during Doomsday's rampage to account for Clark and Superman's mutual absences. In other occasions, Clark's comrade in the Justice League, the Martian Manhunter, has provided similar assistance.
Identity change[edit]
Art by Alex Ross
When crises arise, Clark quickly changes into Superman. Originally during his appearances in Action Comics and later in his own magazine, the Man of Steel would strip to his costume and stand revealed as Superman, often with the transformation having already been completed. But within a short time, Joe Shuster and his ghost artists began depicting Clark Kent ripping open his shirt to reveal the 'S' insignia on his chest—an image that became so iconic that other superheroes, during the Golden Age and later periods, would copy the same type of change during transformations.
In the Fleischer theatrical cartoons released by Paramount, the mild-mannered reporter often ducked into a telephone booth or stockroom to make the transformation. Since the shorts were produced during the rise of film noir in cinema, the change was usually represented as a stylized sequence: Clark Kent's silhouette is clearly seen behind a closed door's pebble glass window (or a shadow thrown across a wall) as he strips to his Superman costume. Then, the superhero emerges having transformed from his meek disguise to his true self. In the comic books and in the George Reeves television series, he favors the Daily Planet's storeroom for his changes of identities (the heroic change between identities within the storeroom is almost always seen in the comics, but never viewed in the Reeves series).
The CBS Saturday morning series The New Adventures of Superman produced by Filmation Studios—as well as The Adventures of Superboy from the same animation house—featured the iconic 'shirt rip' to reveal the 'S' or Clark Kent removing his unbuttoned white dress shirt in a secluded spot, usually thanks to stock animation which was reused over dozens of episodes, to reveal his costume underneath while uttering his famed line 'This is a job for Superman!'
As a dramatic plot device, Clark often has to quickly improvise in order to find a way to change unnoticed. For example, in Superman (1978), Clark, unable to use a newer, open-kiosk pay phone (and getting a nice laugh from the theater audience), runs down the street and rips open his shirt to reveal his costume underneath. He quickly enters a revolving door, spinning through it at incredible speed while changing clothes. Thus made invisible, he appears to have entered the building as Clark Kent and exited seconds later as Superman. Later in the film, when the need to change is more urgent (as he believes the city is about to be poisoned by Lex Luthor), he simply jumps out a window of the Daily Planet offices, changing at super-speed as he falls (the film merely shows the falling Kent blurring into a falling Superman) and flies off. Further films in the series continued this tradition, with Clark blurring into Superman, changing at super-speed while he runs.
In Lois & Clark, Clark's usual method of changing was to either 'suddenly' remember something urgent that required his immediate attention or leave the room/area under the pretense of contacting a source, summoning the police, heading to a breaking story's location, etc. The change would then frequently occur off-screen, although the shirt-rip reveal was a prominently used move well-associated with the show. Clark also developed a method of rapidly spinning into his costume at super speed which became a trademark change, especially during the third and fourth seasons of the series, and extremely popular with the show's fans. An alternate universe Clark (who lost his adoptive parents as a child and only adopted the Superman persona at the urging of Lois from the main timeline) was shown to enter an empty room and emerge as Superman a moment later, although he did adopt the spinning move eventually at Lois' advice.
In one scene of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Clark becomes aware of an emergency while talking with Bruce Wayne and, in the next panel, he has flown out of his Kent clothing and glasses so quickly that they have had no time to fall.
In Season 8 of Smallville, Clark begins to show a bit more of his double identity. He starts slowing down his superspeed enough for surveillance cameras to see his iconic red and blue streak. This reveals to the citizens of Metropolis that a superhero is among them and the name 'The Red-Blue Blur' is coined. When Jimmy Olsen becomes suspicious, Clark decides to reserve his usual red-and-blue for saving people. He carries a backpack with him to work every day, containing his change of clothes. He begins to practice his speed change at home and at the Daily Planet. He changes in a superspeed spin in the Daily Planet's phone booth and once even in his office chair. The last minute of the last episode of Smallville had Clark responding to an emergency, rushing to the top of the Daily Planet building, and then using the familiar shirt-rip while the camera zoomed in on the familiar S-logo to the original John Williams fanfare.
Debate over true identity[edit]
There is debate as to which of the two identities (Superman or Clark Kent) is the real person and which is the façade. Fans and Superman scholars follow one of three interpretations:
- Superman is real, Clark Kent the mask: Pre-Crisis interpretations of Superman assumed that Clark Kent was the 'mask' and Kal-El the person (in the classic story Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, when Superman's dual life is revealed, he completely abandons his Clark Kent persona). In one 1960s comic, when Kent finds himself at a loose end when staff at the Daily Planet go on strike, he seriously considers it a chance to try out a new identity in case he has 'to abandon [his] Clark Kent role permanently'. His options include becoming a full-time policeman or even a mere tramp 'whom no one would ever suspect of being the Man of Steel'.[25] In the Smallville episode 'Masquerade', Clark tells Lois that Clark Kent is just a name, just two words, and that the Blur is who he really is. This argument, made in Jules Feiffer's series of articles published in The Great Comic Book Heroes, is famously cited in a climactic scene of Kill Bill: Volume 2, with the character of Bill noting that Superman was not born into his alter ego (Spider-Man was 'Peter Parker' first, Batman was born 'Bruce Wayne'), using the blanket he was wrapped in as his costume, and Clark Kent is a collage of mankind's less impressive traits meant to blend in with other humans (as well as a device to pursue Lois Lane's affections), using this analogy to demonstrate how the character of the Bride could never abandon the killer she is even if she pretended to be something else, though as Bill is the villain of the movie, whether or not audiences are meant to empathize with anything he says is debatable. Richard Donner, the director of the first Reeve movie, stated that he believes Clark Kent to be the disguise (this is never made clear in the film).
- Clark Kent is real, Superman the mask: With John Byrne's more assertive revamp of Clark Kent as well as Superman's greater grounding in Earth culture and humanity (as opposed to the everpresent Kryptonian heritage of the Pre-Crisis version), Superman is considered the 'mask' and Clark the person. This is made explicit by Clark himself in Superman (vol. 2) #53, when following his revelation to Lois of his role as Superman (Action Comics #662), he states: 'I'm Clark, the man you love. Superman is the creation – you named me, Lois.' In pre-Crisis continuity, Kal-El was already a toddler before leaving Krypton, and retained memories of that childhood that later resurfaced, while, in Post-Crisis continuity, he was sent to Earth pre-natally in a 'birthing matrix' (more recently retconned as an infant) and raised entirely by the Kents. As a result of their rearing, Kal-El grows up to think of himself as Clark Kent, completely unaware of his alien heritage until he was well into adulthood (the fact that the Kents found him sometime just after the Cold War meant that the Kents assumed the rocket they found him in was from an Earth-based space program — possibly that of Communist Russia — and that Clark had superhuman abilities because he was either a metahuman or some kind of genetic experiment). Although the morals instilled in him by the Kents have motivated Kal-El to use his abilities to help others, he developed the Superman persona to protect his Clark Kent identity. In the Superman: The Animated Series episode 'The Late Mr. Kent', wherein Clark Kent is presumed dead, Superman expresses frustration at the idea of not being Clark and having to be someone else instead ('I am Clark. I need to be Clark. I'd go crazy if I had to be Superman all the time!'). In a previous episode, the third part of the 'Last Son of Krypton' arc, Jonathan 'Pa' Kent assures his adoptive son that he will 'always be Clark Kent' and that 'Superman just helps out every now and then.' In the 'Tempus Fugitive' episode of Lois & Clark, Clark attempts to persuade Lois that Superman does not define him: 'Superman is what I can do. Clark is who I am.'
- Neither Clark Kent nor Superman is the real person: Some versions of Superman explain that the Clark Kent and Superman identities are different facets of the same person. It has been implied, especially in the 'alternate future' story Kingdom Come, that the Clark Kent persona represents the values taught to him by his Midwestern parents. These values are what he holds most dear, giving him an instinctive knowledge of right and wrong that allows him to adopt his Superman persona without being consumed by the moral implications of his actions. Superman is the means through which he can bring this example to the world at large. At the story's climax, when Superman stands poised to destroy the United Nations, Norman McCay makes him realise that, when he abandoned Clark Kent fifteen years prior (after the murder of Lois Lane by the Joker) and retreated into his Superman self, he lost his instinctive morality, and thus the ability to be a heroic Superman. With this knowledge and a pair of glasses given to him as a gift by Wonder Woman, 'Clark' regains his humanity and sets out to become a hero again by re-fertilizing the formerly-irradiated fields of Kansas. Director Bryan Singer stated at the 2006 Comic-Con that he favored the three-persona concept, stating that there was Clark Kent on the farm, the bumbling Metropolis Clark, and Superman, the Last Son of Krypton. Brandon Routh himself stated, in an HBO First Look interview that he was playing three characters: Clark Kent, the reporter/farm boy; Superman, the protagonist and savior of Metropolis; and Kal-El, the Last Son of Krypton.
Clark Kent has also been depicted without the Superman alter ego. In the Elseworlds stories starting with Superman: Last Son of Earth, he is the son of Jonathan Kent, who saves his son from the destruction of the Earth. Clark ends up on Krypton, where he is adopted by Jor-El and becomes the planet's Green Lantern.
In other media[edit]
The Adventures of Superman radio series (1940–1951)[edit]
In the early Adventures of Superman radio episodes, Kal-El landed on Earth as an adult. He saved a man and his son and they gave him the idea of living as a normal person. They gave him the name of Clark Kent, and he later got a job as a newspaper reporter under that name. In that role he adopted a higher voice and a more introverted personality – clearly establishing that Kent is the secret identity and Superman is the true person.
Later episodes shifted to the usual origin story, in which Kal-El landed on Earth as a baby and was raised by the Kent family.
Traveling to the Beybalde World Championships means these individuals will have to join together to work as a team if one of them is to become the top blader in the world. After initially battling each other to see who is the most powerful blader in the World, the small group of bladers at the first tournament join together to form a traveling group of players. Beyblade metal masters full season. Based on the Manga comic and the popular spinning top game, this Japanese anime brings together a number of bladers from around the World who are initially challenged by a newcomer, Masamune.
Clayton 'Bud' Collyer voiced both Clark Kent and Superman, until Michael Fitzmaurice replaced him in the final episodes.
Kirk Alyn film serials (1948–1950)[edit]
In the film serials Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), Kirk Alyn portrays Clark as a mild-mannered reporter who comes to Metropolis and secures a job at the Daily Planet, following the death of his foster parents. While he quickly gains the respect of Planet editor Perry White, he is forced to contend with rival reporter Lois Lane, who often uses trickery to prevent Clark from pursuing a lead (giving her the chance to scoop him). Nevertheless, his journalistic skills are useful as he pursues stories on the crime boss known as the Spider Lady, and the criminal scientist Luthor (who had yet to receive his first name, Lex).
Adventures of Superman TV series (1952–1958)[edit]
In the 1950s George Reeves series, Clark Kent is portrayed as a cerebral character who is the crime reporter for the Daily Planet and who as Kent uses his intelligence and powers of deduction to solve crimes (often before Inspector Henderson does) before catching the villain as Superman. Examples include the episodes Mystery of the Broken Statues, A Ghost for Scotland Yard, The Man in the Lead Mask, and The Golden Vulture. George Reeves' Kent/Superman is also established as a champion of justice for the oppressed in episodes like The Unknown People and The Birthday Letter. Although Kent is described in the show introduction as 'mild-mannered', he can be very assertive, often giving orders to people and taking authoritative command of situations, though, as in the Pre-Crisis Superman stories at that time, Clark is still considered the secret identity. He gets people to trust his judgment very easily and has a good, often wisecracking, sense of humor. Reeves, who first appeared as the character in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men, was older than subsequent Superman actors.
Christopher Reeve Superman films (1978–1987) and Superman Returns (2006)[edit]
In 1978, the first of four Superman films was made in which Clark Kent and Superman were portrayed by Christopher Reeve (with teenage Kent played by Jeff East in the first film). This was followed nearly two decades later by a fifth film called Superman Returns with Brandon Routh giving a performance very similar to Reeve's. In contrast to George Reeves' intellectual Clark Kent, Reeve's version is much more of an awkward fumbler and bungler, although Reeve is also an especially athletic, dashing and debonair Superman. Clark Kent's hair is always absolutely flat, while Superman's hair has a slight wave and is parted on the opposite side as Kent's. These films leave the impression that Clark Kent is really a secret identity that is used to enable Superman to serve humanity better, rather than just a role to help him assimilate into the human community.
A great deal of emphasis is placed on his origins on the planet Krypton with exotic crystalline sets designed by John Barry, effectively giving Superman a third persona as Kal-El. The first film is in three sections: Kal-El's infancy on Krypton (shot in London on the 007 stage), Clark Kent's teen years in Smallville, and Kent/Superman's adult life in Metropolis (shot in New York City). In earlier sections of the film, Reeve's Kent interacts with both his earthly parents and the spirit of his Kryptonian father through a special crystal, in a way George Reeves never did. The film has a fair amount of quasi-Biblical imagery suggestive of Superman as a sort of Christ-figure sent by Jor-El 'to show humans the way'.[26] (See also Superman (1978 film)#Themes). In Superman II Reeve's Superman has to sacrifice his powers (effectively becoming just Clark Kent) in order to have a love relationship with Lois Lane, a choice he eventually abrogates to protect the world.
The relationship between Superman and Kent came to actual physical blows in Superman III. Superman is given a piece of manufactured Kryptonite, but instead of weakening or killing him it drives him crazy, depressed, angry, and casually destructive, committing crimes which range from petty acts of vandalism to environmental disasters, like causing an oil spillage in order to bed a lusty woman by the name of Lorelei in league with the villains. Driven alcoholic, Superman, his outfit dirty and neglected, eventually goes to a car wrecking yard where Kent, in a proper business suit and glasses, suddenly emerges from within him. A fight ensues in which the 'evil' Superman tries to dispose of the 'good' Kent using various pieces of junkyard machinery (he drops an electromagnet on Kent, tries to crush him inside a car baling press and then finally puts him through a scrap shredder), but Kent fights back stronger after every failed attempt, and eventually 'kills' the evil side to his nature and, reclaiming the Superman mantle, sets off to repair the damage and capture the villains. Les Daniels comments in his book, DC Comics: A Celebration of the World's Favourite Comic Book Heroes, 'The 'good' Superman, ultimately triumphant, (is) dressed as Clark, thus implying that he is the more valid personality (as well as the one Lana loves)' and expresses annoyance that 'Something could have been made of this, but sadly nothing was'.
The indirect 'Christianization' of Superman in the Reeve films (admitted by film producer Pierre Spengler on the DVD commentaries) has provoked comment on the Jewish origins of Superman. Rabbi Simcha Weinstein's book Up, Up and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero says that Superman is both a pillar of society and one whose cape conceals a 'nebbish', saying, 'He's a bumbling, nebbish Jewish stereotype. He's Woody Allen.'[27][28] Ironically, it is also in the Reeve films that Clark Kent's persona has the greatest resemblance to Woody Allen, though his conscious model was Cary Grant's character in Bringing up Baby. This same theme is pursued about '40s superheroes generally in Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero by Danny Fingeroth.
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993–1997)[edit]
Clark Kent's character is given one of its heaviest emphases in the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. It is made very clear during the series, even discussed directly by the characters, that Clark Kent is who he really is, rather than his superheroic alter-ego.
In Lois and Clark, Kent (Dean Cain) is a stereotypical wide-eyed farm kid from Kansas with the charm, grace and humor of George Reeves, but without the awkward geekiness of Christopher Reeve. Emphasis is laid on the comic elements of his dual relationship with Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher). The ban on Christopher Reeve's Superman having a relationship with a human while retaining his superpowers is entirely absent in the world of Lois and Clark. In the final season, Clark Kent marries Lois Lane (a few years after her almost-marriage to his arch-enemy Lex Luthor, whom she refused at the altar), finding love, happiness, and completeness in this relationship which does not jeopardize his Superman persona.
Superman's secret identity was discovered by a number of villains during the series. In some cases, like that of Lex Luthor, the villain died before he could share the discovery. In two cases, the claim was discredited by having Superman and Clark appear together in public, using a hologram in the first case and a Clark Kent from a parallel universe in the second (in the first case, there was also footage filmed of Superman uniforms in Kent's closet, but that was explained by stating Superman simply needs a place to store them). In one case, Superman destroyed the evidence (a time traveler's journal), and stated that the villain's unsupported words will be ignored.
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Smallville TV series (2001–2011)[edit]
Smallville was adapted to television in 2001, by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Clark Kent is played by Tom Welling, with others portraying Clark as an infant. Throughout the series, Clark never officially adopted a costume until around the eighth season, but prior to this was seen wearing Superman's traditional colors of red and blue, more often as the series progresses (more commonly a blue shirt underneath a red jacket, reflecting Superman's uniform and cape colors). He is going through a process of character formation, making many mistakes in his youth, over time forming better and better judgment, while always self-consciously aware of his status as an alien from another planet who is different from other people. In season eight, he begins a fight against evil, hoping to be a source of inspiration and hope to others. A modest amount of religious imagery is seen occasionally in the series, but to a lesser degree than in the Christopher Reeve series.
Smallville's Kent is particularly inwardly conflicted as he attempts to live the life of a normal human being, while keeping the secret of his alien heritage from his friends.[29] Throughout the first seven seasons of the series he has a complicated relationship with Lana Lang,[30] as well as his self-perceived guilt over the fact that the meteor shower that killed Lana's parents and created most of the superhumans he fought in the show's first few years was caused by his rocket coming to Earth and dragging pieces of Krypton with it. Clark's powers appear over time. He is not aware of all of his powers at the start of the show; for instance, his heat vision and super breath do not develop until seasons two and six, respectively,[31][32] and his power of flight did not emerge until the series finale, up until that point the power appeared only in a few rare cases, such as when he was temporarily 're-programmed' to assume a Kryptonian persona or when he was trapped in a virtual reality.
Clark Kent starts out best friends with Lex Luthor, whom he meets after saving the latter's life.[33] (Boyhood friendship with Lex Luthor had been the basis of a Superboy adventure published in 1960).[34]
Clark and Lex remain entangled for most of the series. Lex Luthor's father, Lionel Luthor, is an unscrupulous industrialist with whom Lex has a troubled relationship. Lex would like to transcend his family background and be a better person than his father, but after multiple setbacks he slowly slips into evil, becoming convinced that only way he can 'protect' the world from the perceived alien threats is by taking control of it, regardless of the cost to others. In turn, Clark Kent has a slightly dark side with which he comes to grips over time, made even worse by his experiences with Red Kryptonite, which causes him to lose his morals and act solely on impulse while under its influence. In different ways to Luthor, at times Clark also does not have a fully ideal relationship either with his adoptive father, Jonathan, nor with an A.I. based on Jor-El that was sent by the original to guide him, Jonathan occasionally having trouble relating to Clark while Jor-El's lack of his template's emotions causes him to treat Clark too harshly at times. The younger Luthor slightly envies Clark's 'clean-cut' and wholesome parents (who disapprove of Clark's friendship with Luthor), while Clark is impressed with Luthor's wealth while failing to understand some of the manipulations he carries out in his interactions with others. Even in his better days, Luthor is highly ambitious for power and wealth, at one time noting that he shares his name with Alexander the Great. Clark Kent, on the other hand, has no idea what he is going to do with his life while bewildered by his powers, and his uncertainty as to why he was sent to Earth.
In season eight of Smallville, Clark Kent begins to work as a reporter at the Daily Planet. Shortly after he begins to save lives as an anonymous superhero crimefighter, which becomes known as the 'Red-Blue Blur' after a photograph is taken of one of his rescues.
In season nine, Clark unintentionally begins to formalize his dual identity to protect his secret and also privately introduces the well-known glasses to Lois Lane. Additionally, during the opening scene of the season nine finale, Clark finds a gift from his mother containing his Superman suit (although the suit is subsequently taken by Jor-El until Clark is ready for it).
In season ten, for the first time in public Clark begins to formulate a bumbling/stuttering Kent with glasses akin to the Christoper Reeve/Brandon Routh portrayal of the character. In the season ten finale of the series he fully adopts the Superman identity, when he takes action to save Earth from Darkseid, who was drawn to Earth by Clark's actions and sought to take the hero as a host.
Smallville's Kent has also appeared in various literature (including comics and over a dozen young adult novels) based on the television series.
Animated series[edit]
In the 1940s Superman shorts, Clark is shown to have a wisecracking sense of humor and he and Lois are good friends. At the end of each short Clark commonly gives a smile and a wink to the audience (a knowing mannerism which was carried over to the 1966 Superman animated series), an example of breaking the fourth wall.
In the Superman: The Animated Series of the mid to late 1990s, Clark Kent is shown as a mild-mannered but competent reporter and is shown exposing various criminals through his reporter identity. In this identity, Clark and Lois are good friends (with Lois frequently calling him 'Smallville' in a teasing but good-natured way) but do not share romantic feelings; instead, it is Superman and Lois who have a romantic relationship. Lana Lang on the other hand knows of Clark's identity as Superman but seems more interested in Clark because she knew him as that first.
Arrowverse[edit]
Clark Kent/Superman appeared in the television series Supergirl portrayed by Tyler Hoechlin.[35][36] Compared to Superman's charismatic and strong personality, Clark purposefully comes off as clumsy around others to help maintain his secret identity, though he admits that some of his ineptitudes are genuine. He maintains a close friendship with James Olsen and his romantic relationship with Lois Lane is strong, to the chagrin of his former coworker Cat Grant. He is very supportive of his cousin Kara, often staying in touch with her via instant messaging to give her advice.
DC Extended Universe[edit]
In the Superman reboot film Man of Steel, Clark Kent is portrayed by Henry Cavill, with Dylan Sprayberry and Cooper Timberline portraying younger versions of the character.
In this film, Kal-El is Krypton's first natural birth in centuries, a birth without using Krypton's genesis chamber. In order to save Krypton's future and stop Zod's coup, his biological father Jor-El steals Krypton's DNA template (Codex), bonds it to Kal-El's cells, and sends him to Earth before Krypton explodes. Kal-El's ship lands in a small Kansas town. He is raised as the adoptive son of Jonathan and Martha Kent, who name him Clark.
As a boy, Clark is a conflicted and lonely person who questions his place and purpose in the world. At a very young age, he learns of his superhuman abilities such as X-ray vision and superhuman strength, and this discovery frightens him. Jonathan Kent impresses on Clark to keep his abilities a secret and not to use them openly for fear of the consequences. This comes to a head when Clark uses his powers to save his schoolmates from drowning after their bus crashes into a lake. Jonathan is dismayed that Clark would risk exposing himself, and even tells Clark that maybe he should have let the kids die. Despite being ridiculed throughout his childhood and adolescence, Clark still wants to use his abilities to help others and make a difference in the world. This causes tension between him and Jonathan, who would rather he remain on the farm, believing that a useful endeavor by itself, and live his life in relative safety. Jonathan carries this conviction even to his death, when he stops Clark from saving him from being killed by a tornado to prevent him revealing his powers to others.
After Jonathan's death, an adult Clark spends several years living a nomadic lifestyle, working different jobs under false identities while saving people in secret, as well as struggling to cope with the loss of his adoptive father. He is now shown to be a confused, slightly angry individual who is forced to show restraint to bring harm to those who try to harm him or others. He eventually infiltrates a U.S. military investigation of a Kryptonian scout spaceship in the Arctic. Clark enters the alien ship and communicates with the preserved consciousness of Jor-El in the form of a hologram. Jor-El reveals Clark's origins and the extinction of his race, and tells Clark that he was sent to Earth to bring hope to mankind. Lois Lane, a journalist from the Daily Planet sent to write a story on the discovery, sneaks inside the ship while following Clark and is rescued by him when she is injured. Lois' editor, Perry White, rejects her story of a 'superhuman' rescuer, so she traces Clark back to Kansas with the intention of writing an exposé. After hearing his story, she decides not to reveal his secret. After the discovery of his background and purpose, he is shown to be less confused and a little more joyful, as evidenced by his discussion with his adoptive mother Martha.
When Zod arrives to transform Earth into a new Krypton, Lois helps Clark/Superman stop Zod. By film's end, to create an alias that gives him access to dangerous situations without arousing suspicion, Clark takes a job as a reporter at the Daily Planet and adopts a modernized version of his 'mild-mannered' look from the comics.
It is worth noting that, as a nod to many comics, Clark is implied to have an interest in football, as evidenced when he is seen watching a game while drinking beer just before Zod's arrival and ultimatum.
Henry Cavill reprises his role as Clark Kent in the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Here, his full name is given as Clark Joseph Kent. Nearly two years after the events of Man of Steel, Clark and Lois are close in their relationship, but Clark finds himself continually questioning his role as Superman. At the beginning, he rescues Lois from African terrorists when a riot ensues that he is blamed for. When he hears of Batman's actions in Gotham, he decides to investigate against Perry White's orders, believing Batman's methods to be unjust. He meets Bruce Wayne at a party hosted by Lex Luthor and grows suspicious when he hears Alfred communicating to Bruce in an earpiece. He later confronts Batman when the vigilante is chasing down Luthor's men who have kryptonite, and orders him to cease his activities. Superman is later summoned by Senator June Finch to the U.S. Capitol to discuss his actions, but the room is bombed by Luthor, framing Superman once more. He goes into a self-exile, feeling guilty for not stopping the bombing.
Later, he dons the costume once more when Lois is endangered by Lex, and confronts the scientist on the roof. However, Lex reveals he knows all about Clark's true identity and blackmails Superman into fighting Batman by holding Martha hostage. Superman tries to reason with Batman, revealing that he knows his secrets, but this leads to a fight in which Batman nearly kills Superman with a kryptonite spear. Superman pleads for Batman to 'save Martha', which was also the latter's late mother's name, causing him to come to his senses and realize Superman is not a threat. Upon learning of Luthor's plan, Batman leaves to rescue Martha while Superman confronts Luthor, who unleashes a monstrous artificially-bred creature he dubs as Clark's 'Doomsday' made with Kryptonian technology on the crashed ship. Superman is aided by Batman and the mysterious Wonder Woman in confronting the monster, but none of them are able to put the creature down. Knowing it's kryptonian, Clark retrieves the kryptonite spear and impales Doomsday with the object, who in response mortally wounds Clark by stabbing him with one of its claws. Two separate funerals are held. Metropolis holds a funeral for Superman, but the Kent farm holds a private one for Clark Kent (which contains his actual body). Martha gives Lois an engagement ring that Clark planned to give to her. The dirt around Clark's casket briefly levitates indicating he may still be alive.
Batman also had a vision at one point in the movie where he leads a rebellion against the forces of Superman in a dystopian future where Clark kills two hostages with his heat vision before killing Batman while saying 'You took her from me.' A mysterious time traveler also briefly appears warning him that Lois is the key. Whether or not Batman's vision comes true remains to be seen.
Cavill once again returns as Clark in Justice League. The world at large has fallen into a state of despair after the death of Superman. Batman and Wonder Woman acknowledge that Superman offered Earth's burgeoning superhero community a beacon of hope to rally around and Steppenwolf, general of Apokolips, thinks that with Superman dead, Earth is vulnerable to an invasion from Apokolips. To prevent Steppenwolf from enslaving mankind, Batman and Wonder Woman form the Justice League in Superman's honor; however, their initial confrontation with Steppenwolf's forces makes them realize they are still woefully unprepared. Batman proposes a controversial strategy: use the Mother Box and the Kryptonian genesis chamber to resurrect Superman. Despite Wonder Woman's initial reluctance, the heroes go ahead with this plan, which does succeed in resurrecting Superman. However, Superman's memories have not returned, and he attacks the group after Cyborg accidentally launches a projectile at him. On the verge of being killed by Superman, Batman enacts his contingency plan: Lois. Superman calms down and leaves with Lane to his family home in Smallville, where he reflects and his memories slowly come back. After reconnecting with Lois and Martha, Superman departs for Russia to help the Justice League defeat Steppenwolf. Superman's presence in the battle proves crucial in the Justice League's victory. With the battle over, Clark resumes his double life.
Marvel Comics cameo[edit]
Clark Kent makes a cameo appearance in Marvel Comics' Thor #341 (1984; art by Walter Simonson). When Thor asks Nick Fury to set up a new alternate identity for him since he cannot turn into Donald Blake anymore, Fury gives him a pair of glasses as a disguise aid, stating, 'It always worked for that other guy.' Right afterwards, Thor accidentally bumps into Kent, who is attending a press conference at S.H.I.E.L.D. with Lois Lane. Thanks to the glasses, Kent nearly recognizes Thor, but then (ironically) dismisses the idea.
Parasite Smallville Free
References[edit]
- ^Schutz, David (April 26, 1992). 'When Superman Worked at The Star'. The Adventures of Superman. Archived from the original on July 17, 2010. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
- ^'The New Batman/Superman Adventures'. Warner Bros. Archived from the original on February 2, 2007.
- ^John Sikela (p). 'The Origin of Superboy's Costume!' Superboy 78 (January 1960), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Seagle, Steven T. (w), McDaniel, Scott (p), Owens, Andy (i). 'Truth' Superman: The 10¢ Adventure 1 (March 2003), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^'The religion of Superman (Clark Kent / Kal-El)'. Adherents.com. August 14, 2007.
- ^ abBinder, Otto (w), Plastino, Al (p), Plastino, Al (i). 'The Story of Superman's Life!' Superman 146 (July 1961), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Siegel, Jerry, Bill Finger, Otto Binderet al (w), Shuster, Joe, Paul Cassidy, Jack Burnleyet al (p), Cassidy, Paul, Jack Burnley, Stan Kaye et al (i). Limited Collectors' Edition C-31 (November 1974), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Bates, Cary (w), Schaffenberger, Kurt (p), Hunt, Dave (i). 'Most Important Year of Superboy's Life' The New Adventures of Superboy v2, 1 (January 1980), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Moore, John Francis (1994). Superman: Under a Yellow Sun. DC Comics. ISBN978-1563891090.
- ^Jurgens, Dan (w), Jurgens, Dan (p), Breeding, Brett (i). 'Another Panic in the Sky!' Superman v2, 67 (May 1992), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Jurgens, Dan (w), Jurgens, Dan (p), Breeding, Brett (i). 'Resurrections' Superman v2, 81 (September 1993), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^ abByrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Austin, Terry, Keith Williams (i). 'The Secret Revealed!' Superman v2, 2 (February 1987), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Starr, Leonard, Keith Williams (i). 'Visitor' Action Comics 597 (February 1988), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^ abJohns, Geoff (w), Frank, Gary (p), Sibal, Jon (i). 'Secret Origin Book Three: Mild-Mannered Reporter' Superman: Secret Origin 3 (January 2010), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Guerrero, Tony (February 9, 2015). 'Off My Mind: Superman Finally Reveals His Identity'. Comic Vine.
- ^Jurgens, Dan (w), Zircher, Patrick (a). 'Superman, Meet Clark Kent - Part 2' Action Comics 964 (November 2016), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Landis, Max (w), Dragotta, Nick, Tommy Lee Edwards, Joëlle Joneset al (a). Superman: American Alien (January–July 2016), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Johns, Geoff (w), Mahnke, Doug (p), Alamy, Christian, Doug Mahnke, Tom Nguyen et al (i). 'Only the Good Die Young' Green Lantern v4, 44 (September 2009), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Lee Hutson, Jack Weinstein (writers) & James R. Bagdonas (director) (March 26, 1995). 'Tempus Fugitive'. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Season 2. Episode 18. ABC.
- ^Pasko, Martin (w), Swan, Curt (p), Chiaramonte, Frank (i). 'The Master Mesmerizer of Metropolis!' Superman 330 (December 1978), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Hamilton, Edmond (w), Swan, Curt (p), Klein, George (i). 'The Last Days of Superman!' Superman 156 (October 1962), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^O'Neil, Dennis (w), Dillin, Dick (p), Giella, Joe (i). 'Superman and Batman: 'Vengeance of the Tomb-Thing!' World's Finest 202 (May 1971), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Finger, Bill (w), Plastino, Al (a). 'Superman's Toughest Day!' Action Comics 282 (November 1961), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Schwartz, Alvin (w), Swan, Curt (p), Kaye, Stan (i). 'Batman - Double for Superman!' World's Finest Comics 71 (July 1954), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Illustration included in the Penguin Book of Comics by George Perry and Alan Aldridge, published in 1967.
- ^This is discussed by the producers in their DVD commentary to the original theatrical cut.
- ^Elkin, Michael (July 6, 2006). 'Super … Mensch?'. Jewish Exponent. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ^'Clark Kent — Superman Is 'Jewish' - Contactmusic News'. Contactmusic.com. June 20, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
- ^Simpson, Paul (2004). Smallville: The Official Companion Season 1. London: Titan Books. pp. 8–17. ISBN978-1-84023-795-5.
- ^Episode in which the pair start and end their relationship: season two's 'Exodus', season three's 'Phoenix', season five's 'Arrival' & 'Hypnotic', season seven's 'Fierce' & 'Arctic'
- ^Mark Verheiden (writer) & James Marshall (director) (2002-10-01). 'Heat'. Smallville. Season 2. Episode 2. 42 minutes in. The WB.
- ^Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer (writers) & Paul Shapiro (director) (2006-10-06). 'Sneeze'. Smallville. Season 6. Episode 2. The WB.
- ^Alfred Gough, Miles Millar (writers); David Nutter (director) (October 16, 2001). 'Pilot'. Smallville. Season 1. Episode 1. 42 minutes in. The WB.
- ^Siegel, Jerry (w), Plastino, Al (a). 'Superboy: 'How Luthor Met Superboy!' Adventure Comics 271 (April 1960), New York, NY: DC Comics
- ^Bucksbaum, Sydney (June 6, 2016). ''Supergirl' Will Introduce Superman In Season 2'. The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^Fowler, Matt (June 16, 2016). 'Superman Cast for Supergirl: Season 2'. IGN. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
External links[edit]
- Clark Kent (III — Post-Crisis) at the Comic Book DB.
- Clark Joseph Kent (Post-Crisis) at the Comic Book DB.
- Clark Kent at the Smallville Wiki.
- Supermanica: Clark Kent[permanent dead link]
← Action Comics series was debuted with its historical first issue. See Action Comics and Action Comics 1 for more info and the previous timeline. | Timeline of DC Comics (1930s) June 1938 (See also: Superman, Origin of Superman, Krypton, Kryptonian, Superman dynasty, Superman logo, Daily Star (DC Comics), George Taylor (DC Comics), Lois Lane and Superman and Lois Lane) | The character Zatara was debuted by Fred Gaudineer along with the first character named Tigress. See Zatara and Tigress (DC Comics) for more info and next timeline. |
The trailer for the latest episode of Supergirl teases a new version of the Parasite - the classic Superman villain who has the power to absorb the abilities of any metahuman or alien he touches. What makes this reveal so interesting is how this version of the Parasite was created and how Supergirl has already used this concept once before.
First appearing in Action Comics #340 in August 1966, the first Parasite was a petty crook named Raymond Maxwell Jensen, who got a job working at a scientific research center so that he could case and rob the facility. Wrongly believing that the center's payroll was hidden inside one of the containers used for storing hazardous materials, Maxwell accidentally exposed himself to strange energies. This transformed him into a monstrous being who could absorb the knowledge and physical properties of anyone he touched. A similar accident at STAR Labs' facility in Pittsburgh in Firestorm Vol. 2 #58 would transform janitor Rudy Jones into the second Parasite.
Related: Supergirl Takes First Step Toward Introducing Darkseid
The trailer for the upcoming episode 'Parasite Lost,' which can be viewed below, reveals the new version of the Parasite that will be plaguing Supergirl. This time the Parasite is Agent Jensen - a rogue DEO agent, who betrayed the agency by helping anti-alien terrorists Mercy and Otis Graves escape custody. Agent Jensen was also responsible for stealing the DEO technology the Graves siblings later used to seed the atmosphere with Kryptonite in the episode 'Fallout.'
Jensen's apparent transformation into the new Parasite occurred at the end of the most recent episode, 'Ahimsa.' It was here that the Graves siblings, their ally Agent Liberty and Jensen attempted to stage a series of alien rampages, using an abducted alien empath named Fiona, a pair of violent convicted alien criminals, some old LexCorp technology and a parasitic alien worm. Though Supergirl and the DEO were able to thwart the scheme, Agent Jensen was able to get away with the alien worm. The episode concluded with Agent Liberty inserting the worm into Jensen's ear canal, assuring him that he was about to 'make something of himself' for their cause.
This alien worm seems to be identical to the one that created the first version of the Parasite in the Arrowverse, which appeared in the season 2 episode 'Changing.' It was here that climatology professor Dr. Rudy Jones became infected by some manner of alien worm, which had been hibernating inside of a wolf's body for thousands of years after becoming trapped in the ice. Much like the symbiote in Venom, the alien repressed Dr. Jones' self-control even as it gave him the ability to drain the life force from other creatures with a touch. Dr. Jones was ultimately transformed into a giant purple monster, similar to the Parasite from the comics, after he attempted to drain the powers from Supergirl and Martian Manhunter at the same time, apparently taking too much power and becoming stuck in a new shape while reflexively mimicking Martian Manhunter's shapeshifting powers.
It remains to be seen if Agent Jensen will undergo a similar metamorphosis in the upcoming episode 'Parasite Lost.' However, the reintroduction of the Parasite suggests that the showrunners of Supergirl realize they made a mistake in killing off the Rudy Jones version of the Parasite after only one outing. Whatever the reason for the return, the battle between Supergirl and this new Parasite is sure to be a memorable one.
More: Supergirl Season 4: Cast & Guest Star Guide
Supergirl season 4 continues Sunday, November 11, on The CW.
Source: The CW