| Ultraman | |
|---|---|
.png) The Pre-Crisis Earth-Three Ultraman as depicted inConvergence: Crime Syndicate #1 (April 2015). Art by Phil Winslade (pencils and inks) and Lovern Kindzierski (colors). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Justice League of America #29 (August 1964) |
| Created by | Gardner Fox Mike Sekowsky (based uponSuperman byJerry Siegel andJoe Shuster) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Clark Kent Kal-Il (New 52 Earth 3) Kal-El (Infinite Frontier Earth 3) |
| Team affiliations | Crime Syndicate/Society of America/Amerika |
| Abilities | See list
|
Ultraman is a supervillain appearing in stories published byDC Comics. The character is an evil alternate-universe counterpart ofSuperman and leader of theCrime Syndicate. Ultraman first appeared inJustice League of America #29 (August 1964).[1] He has been portrayed in live-action byTom Welling on the television seriesSmallville and byDavid Corenswet in the 2025 filmSuperman.
Having created the worlds ofEarth-One, containingSilver Age superheroes, as well asEarth-Two, containing theGolden Age ones,DC Comics decided to expand the universe to include various themed universes. The first of these wasEarth-Three, in which there were villainous counterparts of DC's heroes as well as heroic counterparts of DC's villains.[2] Ultraman is seemingly killed inCrisis on Infinite Earths when Earth-Three is destroyed by an anti-matter wave. Following this, Ultraman appears inAnimal Man andInfinite Crisis.
Post-Crisis, inGrant Morrison'sJLA: Earth 2graphic novel, Ultraman is portrayed as existing in an anti-matter universe. He is later killed at the conclusion of theFinal Crisis series.
Ultraman also appears in theInfinite Crisis andConvergence events.[3]
Following theNew 52 reboot, the character was reintroduced when a new Earth-3 universe was created.[4]
Following the reboot of the multiverse afterDark Nights: Death Metal, a new Earth-3 with Ultraman is created.
Ultraman exists in the universe of Earth-3. Unlike Superman, Ultraman is empowered by greenkryptonite, developing a new superpower with each new exposure. In one such encounter, Ultraman gains the ability to see through dimensional barriers, making the Crime Syndicate aware of themultiverse. This allows the Syndicate to attack the Justice League andJustice Society of Earth-1. Ultraman differs from Superman in that his version of the planetKrypton has not exploded.
Ultraman allies withLex Luthor of Earth-One and Alexei Luthor of Earth-Two in an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate their respective Supermen.[5] Later, Ultraman and the Crime Syndicate ally withPer Degaton, who uses them in his attempt to conquer Earth-Two by stealing nuclear missiles.
Saturn Queen rescues Ultraman from the Anti-Monitor's destruction of Earth-3 and brainwashes him to serve her.[6] Following this, he learns of his status as a fictional character.[7]
Ultraman is fromQward (theantimatter counterpart ofOa) and more powerful than his counterpart Superman.[8] He has enlarged eyes like theWeaponers of Qward. He and the Crime Syndicate (not 'of America') act as Claire Montgomery's second Conglomerate team.
TheCrime Syndicate of America (CSA) is revealed to the Justice League by Alexander Luthor, the heroic antimatter counterpart to Lex Luthor. The CSA comes from an antimatter universe, each member being the counterpart to a core League member.[1]
Ultraman is Lieutenant Clark Kent, a humanastronaut from the antimatter Earth. After his ship imploded into hyperspace, an unknown alien race reconstructed Kent in an attempt to repair the damaged astronaut, which ended up altering him both mentally and physically, giving him "ultrapowers" similar to Superman's superpowers. According to Alexander Luthor, the process also twisted Ultraman's mind. In contrast to Superman, Ultraman's power relies on his proximity and exposure to a substance called Anti-Kryptonite; the longer and farther he is separated from it, the weaker he becomes. This substance has repeatedly been shown to have no apparent effect on Superman, just as Kryptonite has been shown to have no effect on Ultraman.[1]
Clark is unhappily married to his Crime Syndicate teammateSuperwoman, who uses the aliasLois Lane. In the early 2000s, the two had a child together, but Superwoman maintains a periodic affair with another member of the Crime Syndicate,Owlman, much to Ultraman's frustration. Ultraman fires his eyebeams in between Owlman and Superwoman as a warning when he sees Owlman flirting with Superwoman, although undisclosed photographic blackmail material in Owlman's possession stops Ultraman actually doing anything permanent to him.[1]
Clark Kent returns to Earth and again leads the Crime Syndicate. In an attempt to repair their Earth after the destruction done by the Weaponers of Qward, the Syndicate kidnaps people from all 52 universes.[9] Ultraman, Owlman and Superwoman are banished to an alternate dimension by Superman after Superman defeats Ultraman in a fight.[10]
Ultraman is recruited on a journey to Limbo, along with several other alternate universe Supermen, briefly combining - albeit against his will - with Superman to activate a massive robotic version of themselves to defeat Mandrakk, the darkMonitor, their raw power combining in the robot along with Superman's moral strength and Ultraman's pragmatic ruthlessness.[11] He is then converted into a vampiric being. Ultraman is apparently killed by the united Supermen alongside his new master, Mandrakk.[12]
A new version ofEarth-Three is shown as one universe amongst the Post-Crisis DC Multiverse. The team is named the Crime Society of America.[13]
The Society make their first solo appearance inCountdown Presents The Search forRay Palmer: Crime Society #1 (origin of Post Crisis Earth-3 Owlmen, Talons, Jokester, who is a heroic Joker) written bySean McKeever and illustrated byJamal Igle.[14][15][16] In subsequent appearances, the Crime Society are agents ofMonarch's Multiversal army. Ultraman, along with several other members of the Crime Society, were in the Earth-51 dimension when Superman-Prime destroyed the Monarch's containment armor, unleashing all of Monarch's quantum energy, which destroyed the entire dimension. As such, Ultraman is presumed dead along with his fellow Crime Society members. Ultraman appears in The Brave and the Bold, powered by the same kryptonite that weakens Superman. He is brought to the main earth by Mixyezpitelik, the antimatter universe counterpart ofMister Mxyzptlk, to help Superman defeat Megistus.
Ultraman, originallyKal-Il, comes from a version of Krypton whose people were mean-spirited and selfish. Just before this Krypton was destroyed, Kal-Il's parentsJor-Il andLara sent him to Earth-3 to one day seek vengeance against the being that destroyed Krypton (whom Jor-Il inadvertently summoned), teaching him to become the strongest being on the planet, or become nothing at all. Upon his arrival on Earth-3, the young Kal-Il coerced two alcoholic drug addicts, Johnny and Martha Kent, to adopt him, only to murder them years later once he had no further need of them. He went on to found the Crime Syndicate and take over the world. Ultraman is a violent, homicidal megalomaniac, as well as an elitist and Darwinist who values strength and selfishness, and hates weakness and altruism. After Earth-3 was devastated by the same being that destroyed Krypton-3, Ultraman leads the Crime Syndicate to the Prime Earth to conquer it.[17][18]
Ultraman possesses the standard powers of a Kryptonian, but is empowered by greenKryptonite and weakened by yellow sunlight. He was responsible for murderingMonocle when he claimed that the Crime Syndicate was the Justice League in disguise. Ultraman moved the moon in front of the sun to eclipse the Crime Syndicate's section of Earth as well as to protect himself from its rays.[19]
Ultraman lacks Superman's vulnerability to magic.[20][21] In the final battle, Ultraman engages Alexander Luthor but is beaten, leaving Alexander to stealDeathstorm's powers. Ultraman later returns and attempts to attack Lex Luthor after he murders Alexander Luthor only to be weakened afterSinestro andBlack Adam move the moon and expose him to yellow sunlight. Lex Luthor opts not to kill Ultraman and kills Atomica instead. Afterwards, Ultraman and Superwoman are arrested.[22]
InDarkseid War, Ultraman is killed by the Anti-Monitor.[23] He is later resurrected in theYear of the Villain event.[24][25][26]
WhenMister Oz sentJon Kent to Earth 3 as part of Jon's eventual timeskip into an adult hero, Ultraman was revealed to have kidnapped and tortured Jon in a volcano at one point.
Kal-Il is the last survivor of the dead planet Krypton, sent to Earth as a baby. He was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who adopted him and named him Clark. His powers manifested early and he never bothered to hide them, so the other children were afraid of and ostracised him, telling him that he was from space. The Kents exploited Clark and his powers for free labor, teaching him that obedience was the ultimate virtue and that people who did not contribute to society were to be reviled as "freeloaders". They also manipulated him to be emotionally dependent on them so that he would never leave the farm. When he was a teenager in 1963 his parents showed him his spacecraft and revealed to him that he was the last of his kind, telling him they were all he had. They hoped this would make him afraid to ever break free of them, but in fact he turned on them, realizing that they had only ever taken advantage of him. He flew away from Smallville, carrying his ship.
Ultraman reveals himself to the world onNovember 22, 1963 by assassinatingJohn F. Kennedy with his heat vision. He is the world's only knownmetahuman until other beings with unnatural powers emerge in 2021. He rules Metropolis as a semi-benevolent dictator, beloved by some but feared and hated by many others. Ultraman allows the people of Metropolis limited freedom but tolerates no dissent. The only people who challenge him openly are Lex Luthor andCat Grant.[27]
Following theStarro invasion, a number of metahumans reveal themselves to the world, and Luthor recruits them into theLegion ofJustice.Owlman andSuperwoman approach Ultraman for an alliance to counter Luthor and rule the world, offering to make him their leader. Ultraman accepts and Superwoman also offers herself to him, hoping to conceive an heir.[28]
The Legion of Justice, aided by Ultraman's cousin Ultragirl, fight against the Crime Syndicate of America, during which Atomica kills Ultragirl, upsetting Ultraman. Later, the remaining members of the Legion of Justice ally with the Crime Syndicate. The Crime Syndicate holds a press conference demanding all metahumans serve them. Emerald Knight criticizes Ultraman's dependence on Kryptonite.[29]
Ultraman is defeated when the Crime Syndicate comes into conflict with theSuicide Squad, whichAmanda Waller combines with the remaining Crime Syndicate into a new Justice League.[30]
InAdventures of Superman: Jon Kent, Ultraman would encounter Jon once more, overpowering him and threatening both to murder the Lois Lane of Jon's Earth and resume his previous torture of Jon in the volcano, only to be killed when the Superman of theInjustice universe intervenes and snaps Ultraman's neck.
Ultraman possesses the same superpowers as Superman. However, he is sometimes portrayed as weakened by yellow sunlight or empowered by green or blue kryptonite. In Silver Age stories, green kryptonite would bestow additional powers on him, including the ability to see other universes.
Superman noted during one conflict that Ultraman's focus on killing his enemies actually made him weaker than Superman, as he killed new superhumans who may not even fully know what they were capable of, whereas Superman letting his enemies live meant that he had to improve his own fighting skills just as his opponents learned what they were capable of. As a result, where Superman has actual experience, he declares that Ultraman basically just "sits on a pile of skulls and calls [himself] tough", having no real combat skills beyond his raw strength.
A vampiric alternate universe variant of Ultraman from Earth-43 appears in "The New 52". This version is a member of the "Blood League".
