INFORMATION ABOUT SUPERMAN:

Superman is the sole survivor of the planet Krypton. His father, Jor-El, discovered that a nuclear chain reaction was building inside Krypton that would soon shatter the entire world. Jor-El therefore had his unborn son Kal-El removed from the Kryptonian Gestation Chambers and affixed the life matrix containing Kal-El to an experimental vessel for travel through hyperspace. Jor-El launched the starcraft toward Earth just before Krypton exploded.

Superman was, in effect, born on Earth when the starcraft landed there. Jonathan and Martha Kent found the infant inside the vessel and brought him to their farm in Smallville, Kansas. Since he appeared entirely human, the Kents assumed that the baby was a victim of a cruel experiment. At this time the baby had no super powers. The Kents named the infant Clark and raised him as their own son.

As clark grew older his Kryptonian body began developing superhuman abilities. When Clark was eighteen, took him to the field where his starcraft still lay hidden and explained how he and Martha had found him. Clark resolved to use his powers from then on only for the good of mankind. After revealing his secret to his childhood friend, Lana Lang, Clark left Smallville to study at Metropolis University.

Clark initially used his powers covertly to help people and prevent or thwart disasters. Ultimately, he was forced to use his powers in public to prev ent the crash of a NASA space-plane. Thereafter he and his foster parents devised a new costumed secret identity he would adopt when using his abilities in public. They called his new persona "Superman," the name given him by Lois Lane, a reporter for the Metropolis Daily Planet who had been aboard the space-plane.

Shortly afterward, Clark obtained a job as a reporter for the Daily Planet by turning in his first detailed story about Superman. He currently enjoys a freelance status with the Planet.

Some time ago Superman journeyed to an otherdimensional "pocket universe" that had its own Krypton and Earth. After defeating three Kryptonians native to that universe who had murdered the entire population of its Earth, Superman executed the trio, believing there was no other way to stop them. The tremendous guilt Superman felt over this act combined by the psychic manipulation by his foe Braniac, caused him to develop a temporary split personality. Believing himself to be potentially dangerous to humanity, Superman exiled himself to space, eventually taken prisoner by the forces of the alien tyrant Mongul. During this time Superman resolved never to kill again...."

Superman lives by the traditional moral values instilled in him by his foster parents. Superman is an idealist, devoted to promoting "truth, justice, and the American way," and has proved over and over that he is a true hero, capable of whatever bravery and self-sacrifice is necessary to right a wrong or save a life.

Powers and Weapons
Since Superman is a native of Krypton, a planet that had a red sun, under a yellow sun (like that of Earth's his Kryptonian cells act as living solar batteries, absorbing solar energy and giving him superhuman powers. He possesses tremendous strength; while Superman's strength is not infinite, its full extent is so grea that it has never been accurately measured. His body is virtually indesrtuctible.

Superman's sharp senses enable him to hear souns too faint to be detected by the normal human ear. His "telescopic vision" enables him to focus his sight on distant objects far beyond the range of normal human sight. His "microscopic vision" allows him to observe an object in microscopic detail. Superman's so called "x-ray vision" enables him to see clearly through solid objects. Certain dense materials, notably lead, obstruct this ability. His power to generate heat within objects manifests itself as a red glow within his eyes, and is therefore known as "heat vision."

Superman can move, react, and think at superhuman speeds greater than that of sound. He can defy gravity and fly through force of will. Superman's irradiated cells generate a force field that extends for a fraction of an inch around his body, rendering any material within the field nearly indestructible, such as his skin tight costume. (Because his cape extends beyond the field, it is easily damaged.)

Superman is vulnerable to the radiation of Kryptonite, a substance from his native planet. Kryptonite radiation will kill Superman within minutes. He is also vulnerable to magic, and to the psionic powers of some beings, such as Braniac.

Superman must fill his lungs with air before flying through outer space. He can thus survive without breathing for several hours, but ulitmately he must replenish his oxygen supply to remain alive.

THE BAD GUYS:

Metallo:

Everyone knows that Superman's one weakness is Kryptonite, an element derived from the debris of his home planet of Krypton that becomes deadly under Earth's yellow sun. But what happens when you take that Kryptonite, and bond it irrevocably to someone who despises the man of steel?

Metallo happens.

Everyone knows that Superman's one weakness is Kryptonite, an element derived from the debris of his home planet of Krypton that becomes deadly under Earth's yellow sun. But what happens when you take that Kryptonite, and bond it irrevocably to someone who despises the man of steel?While he has had several different origins, the basic idea remains the same: John Corben, who is either a con-man or a soldier, depending on in which era he's appearing, is either mortally injured or volunteers for an experiment, resulting in mad scientists bonding his body with robotic pieces which are powered by a heart of Kryptonite — giving him strength that rivals Superman's, and empowering him with the iconic hero's greatest weakness.

Parasite:

Another character with several varying but closely related origins and identities depending on the time period, Parasite began life as either Raymond Jensen, or in modern incarnations, Rudy Jones, a low-level worker in a laboratory. Thinking that a container hidden in one of the labs, in fact, contained valuables, he opened it, exposing himself to strange, radioactive material and becoming the twisted, vampiric Parasite.

Parasite feeds on energy to live. Originally, this need was only satisfied by the life energy of others, leaving common mortals dead at his touch. But against someone like Superman, Parasite's deadly touch allows him to sap the powers and memories of his victims, making him more deadly every time they come in contact. He also retains knowledge gained from these encounters, so unlike many of Superman's foes (at least before he unmasked), Parasite is actually usually aware of his secret identity.

Parasite is a formidable foe, and his early origin, in which he had a wife and family who he could no longer touch, added an element of pathos necessary for the best villains.

Mongul:

Mongul was originally the despotic ruler of a brutal alien world — an occupation not uncommon to enemies of Superman — until the citizens rebelled, exiling him into space. He traveled around, attempting to conquer other worlds, until he came across Warworld, an artificial planet that he ruled without question, forcing its inhabitants to do battle in gladiatorial combat. After attempts to turn Earth into another Warworld, Superman and a veritable army of other heroes invaded the planet, deposing Mongul and saving the Earth.

The first Mongul had incredible strength, rivaling even that of Superman, but more than that he was cunning and ruthless, often using trickery and treachery to assault his enemies. His most famous and diabolical act was the destruction of Coast City, home of the Green Lantern Hal Jordan, as part of another scheme to conquer Earth — which resulted in Hal Jordan's eventual fall from grace, as well as Mongul's imprisonment in an intergalactic prison.

Though Mongul I was eventually killed by the demon Neron, his son, Mongul II quickly rose to power as an enemy of the Green Lanterns, and a member of the Sinestro Corps, their sworn enemies, even rising to lead the Corps after the defeat of its founder, Sinestro. However, Sinestro eventually regained control of his army and imprisoned Mongul II — though he later returned with a new Warworld.

Darkseid:

Darkseid is the unquestioned master of Apokolips, a far-flung planet populated with godlike beings of immense evil. Apokolips shares its solar system with New Genesis, a planet of similar, but more benevolent beings. As ruler of Apokolips, Darkseid spends his time menacing the citizens of New Genesis, and the rest of the universe, in his hunt for the all-powerful 'Anti-Life Equation,' which will give him the power to rule the universe.

Created as the primary nemesis in Jack Kirby's 'Fourth World' cycle, Darkseid initially began fighting the Man of Steel because Superman, via his pal Jimmy Olsen, was the person that connected the Fourth World to the rest of the DC Universe. Over time, especially after Kirby's tenure at DC ended, Darkseid and the other New Gods, as they were called, began appearing more and more outside of their own corner of continuity, with Darkseid becoming a prime threat for Superman and the rest of the DCU.

Darkseid has appeared as the main villain in several Superman stories, as well as many stories involving the Justice League in various media. He is even the main villain of the Justice League's 'New 52' relaunch, a run that culminated with 'The Darkseid War.'

With power levels possibly even far above Superman's, including almost incalculable strength and an enigmatic power known as the 'Omega Effect,' Darkseid is one of Superman's most powerful and recognizable foes.

Lex Luthor:

Lex Luthor isn't just Superman's greatest enemy, he's one of the greatest enemies of the entire DCU. Still, with Luthor, it all comes back to Superman. Over the years, Luthor has fluctuated between corrupt businessman, to mad scientist, to all-out, megalomaniacal, world-conquering supervillain - he was even once elected president and, later found a position as part of the Justice League.

Up until recently, his motivation is almost always the same: take down Superman, prove that Luthor is the best and that all others, including the Man of Steel, are beneath him. After all, no one is as brutally intelligent, as calculatingly cunning, and as devastatingly dashing as Luthor. Therefore, doesn't Luthor deserve the world at his feet?

Whatever the incarnation of Lex Luthor, there's a perfect dichotomy between Luthor and Superman. Superman represents an outside force, achieving things that humanity could never dream to accomplish, all for the good of his adopted world. Luthor is humanity's greatest potential, too selfish and arrogant to use his gifts to better anyone but himself. There's a subtle, but brilliant dynamic between the two viewpoints that makes Superman seem all the stronger, and Luthor seem all the more malevolent.

No Superman villain is as well known, as well-loved, or as well-traveled as Lex Luthor. Often seen as the de facto leader of all of the DCU's supervillains, he's been portrayed as such in too many incarnations to name, much like Superman is most often seen as the leader of DC's pantheon of heroes.

Brainiac

An alien intelligence with a cold, calculating mind, a nearly indestructible, always repairable body, and an unrivaled thirst for knowledge and power. This is Brainiac, an artificial intelligence created by the Computer Tyrants of Colu, an alien world where logic and knowledge are paramount to everything else.

Fearing the power they had instilled in Brainiac, who was designed to conquer alien worlds, they made him only as smart as their smartest members. But he quickly developed a stronger intelligence and struck out on his own, coming into conflict with Superman again and again.

Brainiac is perhaps most notorious for shrinking the Kryptonian city of Kandor and storing it in a bottle on his ship along with cities from many other worlds. Kandor was, therefore, one of the only remaining vestiges of Kryptonian society. After a conflict in which the true Brainiac (it was revealed that the other incarnations Superman had faced over the years were merely emissaries or duplicates) came to Earth, Superman finally rescued Kandor, restoring it to full size and leading to it becoming New Krypton, a satellite planet in orbit around the Earth.

Of course, that didn't last, thanks to the machinations of Brainiac and Lex Luthor, who has often been shown to ally with the mad computer intelligence in their mutual pursuit of conquest and power.

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