Ultraman (DC)
Ultraman is a male comic supervillain who features in DC Comics.
Contents[hide] |
Biography
Origin
Ultraman was a superpowered being who was an inhabitant of Earth-3 in the Multiverse.
Eventually, he came to join a group of other supervillains where they banded together to form the Crime Syndicate of America. Together, they performed numerous crimes on their Earth and always evaded the attempts by the authorities to arrest them. However, eventually, they came to grow bored by their activities and felt that nothing really challenged them. One day, Ultraman robbed a facility that was storing a large chunk of Kryptonite where the meteor's radiation simply empowered him further. This went to the point that his super-vision was able to glimpse through other realities in the Multiverse and he was able to peer into Earth-1. He was surprised to find a world that consisted of superheroes who fought criminals and supervillains with him seeing this as a potential challenge for the Crime Syndicate. Ultraman brought his findings to his comrades where they were all excited at the prospect of fighting equals. (Justice League of America v1 #29)
In time, he managed to free himself but came to despise his good counterpart on the other Earth. At some point, he came to witness the arrival of Earth-1 Lex Luthor and his Earth-2 counterpart Alexei Luthor. Ultraman initially believed that this was an attack from Earth-1 but the two revealed themselves to be villains. The Luthors had escaped Superman and were setting up a base of operations on Earth-3 where he formed an alliance with Ultraman. (DC Comics Presents Annual v1 #1)
Due to the actions of the Anti-Monitor, the cosmic being had created an anti-matter wave that was consuming the Multiverse. This wave consumed most of Earth-3 leaving the planet as the last remaining world in its universe. The cataclysm caused a wave of natural disasters to affect the world with Ultraman and the Crime Syndicate attempting to save their home. Despite their efforts, they could not save their world and Ultraman decided to spend his last moments fighting where he was then killed with the rest of Earth-3. (Crisis on Infinite Earths v1 #1)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. This saw a version of Earth being created in the Anti-Matter Universe where it was the complete opposite of its positive matter counterpart. On this world, an astronaut named Clark Kent was part of a deep space mission when his ship imploded in hyperspace. However, some unknown beings uncovered his destroyed body where they had attempted to repair him with limited understanding of human physiology. Thus, they inadvertently gave him superpowers but in the process his mind became twisted leading to him becoming this Earth's first supervillain. At some point, he was noted to had encountered a White Martian who became his first rival with Ultraman ultimately managing to kill his opponent. Later on, he encountered his universe's Brainiac who was exploring the universe when Ultraman managed to enslave him. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
At some point, Ultraman came to encounter an Ultra-Dog called Neutro, which for some reason he euthanized. (Adventures of Superman v1 #604)
The actions of Ultraman and his ruthless domination of their native dimension Earth that would cause that reality's Lex Luthor to rise up to protect his world from the repression of Ultraman and his associates in the Crime Syndicate of Amerika. Luthor's plan would result in the first cross-Earth meeting where the Crime Syndicate would engage in battle against the Justice League before they were returned to their Earth for fear of losing their home base to the social attitudes of those native to the Justice League's Earth. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
Through the Anti-Phantom Zone, Ultraman alongside Owlman and Superwoman, were behind the Super-Baby under Superman's protection with the intention of killing him, but when the infant was finally in their possession they discovered it was no ordinary child. (Adventures of Superman v1 #604) The baby revealed itself to be the antimatter Brainiac who became ultrapowerful by fusing with Ultraman's DNA. Planning to destroy both the matter and antimatter worlds, Owlman used a bluff to scare Brainiac, saying he had the means to destroy Ultraman and anyone with his power, greatly enraging the ultravillian. With Brainiac murdered by his wife, Ultraman and his allies returned to their world. (Adventures of Superman v1 #605)
He accompanied Monarch's armada alongside Lord Havok as they witnessed the destruction of a Dominion fleet. (Countdown v1 #23)
The Monitor Zillo Valla came to recruit Ultraman alongside other versions of Superman from across the Multiverse in order to combat the threat Mandrakk. He was joined by Superman from New Earth, Overman of Earth-10, Captain Marvel of Earth-5 and Captain Adam of Earth-4]]. Their ship the Ultima Thule came under attack from a destroyer with Ultraman attacking it and causing the ship to crash where the team led the vessel to the Graveyard Earth of Universe-51. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Kal-Il was a male Kryptonian who was the son of Jor-Il and Lara from his reality. Around 25 years ago, a catastrophic event affected this universe's version of Krypton that threatened to destroy the planet. The frail Kal-Il was taken by his parents to an escape ship where they murdered people as they made their way to the spacecraft that sent their son to safety. His parents had intended their child to survive so that he could bring about their vengeance against the being that destroyed their planet. They had intentionally sent him to Earth as they were aware that he would take over its inhabitants and rule over them. His pod crashed on Earth in the town of Smallville where he was found by Jonny Kent and Martha Kent who were low-life criminals wanting to hatch a scheme that would earn them a lot of money. Kal-Il's ship crashed by the house with it damaging it and the Kryptonian baby ate some Kryptonite where he used his heat-vision to burn off Jonny Kent's hand. He then forced the two humans to be his parents and to care for him. When he was 7 years old, the Kents attempted to flee from the house with Kal-Il killing them and burning down the farm before moving onto another family care for him until he reached adulthood. (Justice League v2 #24)
Later on, Ultraman came to be freed from prison where he was given Kryptonite to empower him in the fight against Mobius the Anti-Monitor. During the battle, he ignored the advice of Superman and attacked his foe but quickly find himself to be overpowered. The Anti-Monitor then came to brutally kill Ultraman in cold blood. (Justice League v2 #48)
Despite his death, it was revealed that the Multiverse came to recreate Earth-3 and all its inhabitants which included Ultraman. He resumed his position within the Crime Syndicate where he continued terrorising his world. Around this time, the Lex Luthor of New Earth arrived where he transported the Syndicate to meet his new master who was the cosmic being Perpetua. She had been released from her captivity behind the Source Wall and had unlocked all her lost power thus allowing her to take back control of the Multiverse. Those worlds that did not match her needs were destroyed but in Earth-3 she found its populace aligning to her principles of doom. Thus, she decided that they would be spared and allowed to become her followers where the inhabitants of Earth-3 were transformed into Apex Predators. These were human/Martian hybrids that were to serve as her army in conquering all of creation. The Syndicate themselves were not to face this fate and instead allowed to join her forces but Johnny Quick felt that this was a bad idea. In response, Perpetua aged him to dust whereupon the rest of the Crime Syndicate pledged their loyalty to the dark goddess. (Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen v1 #1)
Overview
Personality and attributes
One incarnation of him had his real name being Kal-Il. (Justice League v2 #24)
His father had taught him to be the strongest or be nothing at all. Weakness of any kind was to be rooted out and destroyed. There was only strength with Kal-Il being taught to destroy weakness from both within and without. (Justice League v2 #24)
He was the son of Jor-Il and Lara thus making him a son of the House of Il that was considered a family of strength. (Justice League v2 #24)
Ultraman was taught that humans were not suitable for him and that he should not demean himself with them. (Justice League v2 #24)
He cared little for his pets and had put his canine companion Neutro the Ultra-Dog to sleep. (Adventures of Superman v1 #604)
Powers and abilities
The source of his strength was the remains of his homeworld of Krypton where consumption of it empowered his cells. (Justice League v2 #24) Consuming enough Kryptonite could increase his super-vision to the point that it could pierce through dimensions into other realities. (Justice League of America v1 #29)
Ultraman's stamina was thus dependent of the quantity of anti-kryptonite that his body's cells absorb. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
It was said that solar energy could break down the Kryptonite radioactivity flourishing within his cells which was why he had to avoid the sunlight. (Justice League v2 #24)
He came to grow weaker the longer he was separated from the anti-Kryptonite that gave him his powers. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
Ultraman's eyes can emit beams of concentrated energy which have a myriad of effects depending on his design at the time. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1) With his Ultravision, he was able to scan the genetic patterns of a person. (Adventures of Superman v1 #604) Ultraman's eyes can see across vast distances. He could clearly see a single individual on the surface of Earth from the planet's atmosphere. He could also emit intense heat from which that is hot enough to instantaneously calcinate human flesh. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
Ultraman's new cellular structure allows him to absorb, store, and metabolize anti-kryptonite to fuel all of his abilities. He does this by taking doses of the mineral from the U-Chamber on his Flying Fortress. (JLA v1 #108) To maintain his powers, he had time-release capsules containing anti-Kryptonite that was inserted under his skin. This allowed him to continue using his superpowers for a week without having a need recharge. (JLA v1 #111)
Ultraman was noted to had operated a mobile headquarters called the Flying Fortress that moved across the sky. It contained an Ultra-Laboratory where experiments could be conducted for him. This included creating diseased hybrids that were products of genetic experimentation. The base had a teleporter that linked to the Crime Syndicate's moon-based headquarters. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
As the leader of the Crime Syndicate, Ultraman possesses a distress signal to summon all the members of the villainous organization whenever he needed. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
He once had a pet dog named Neutro the Ultra-Dog who he would put to sleep one day. (Adventures of Superman v1 #604)
At one point, he came to enslave his universe's Brainiac who was a 12-level transorganic syntellect. (JLA: Earth-2 v1 #1)
Notes
- Ultraman was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky where he made his first appearance in Justice League of America v1 #29 (August, 1964).
- The character was based on Superman who was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In The World's Greatest Super Friends, Ultraman appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "Universe of Evil" where he was voiced by actor Danny Dark. Kal-Ul was native to Earth-Three or universe 1A where he was the son of Jur-Ul who sent his son away from Krypton as the planet exploded.
- In Smallville, Ultraman appeared in the setting of the live-action television series where he was portrayed by actor Tom Welling. This version was native to Earth-Two where he was instead discovered by Lionel Luthor and raised as his adoptive son. He came to be murderous evil individual and by adulthood went under the name of Ultraman where he operated as a supervillain. Clark Luthor was accidentally transported from his universe to Earth-1 where he replaced Clark Kent. This was done after his counterpart unintentionally activated the mirror box, which had been willed to Tess Mercer on Earth-1 by her father Lionel Luthor. Clark Luthor arrived in Clark Kent's reality where he saw the 'S' symbol on the wall in red and knew that "this" world was different then his or "Lionel's," as he specified. He went to the Daily Planet to meet Tess, thinking that she was the Tess from Earth-2. Tess reacted quickly and played her 'role' and he told her that he wanted the box so he could destroy and conquer this world. He also acknowledged that in that universe, Lex had done something right by killing Lionel years ago. Tess summoned Lois Lane to Watchtower to explain her the situation but he attacked them, injuring Lois and threatening Tess to kill her if she refused to hand him over the box. Clark Kent, ultimately managed to get back to his universe, only to find himself surrounded by Tess, Lois and Oliver Queen all wielding kryptonite weapons. The Watchtower trio had been about to kill Clark Luthor when the mirror box was activated. Clark Kent had warned Oliver Queen of Earth-2 to activate his kryptonite trap as soon as the mirror box was activated. Clark Luthor later returned, using the mirror box that was still left in his world to transport himself back to Earth-1. However, due to the lack of a second mirror box, he did not switch places with Clark Kent. To rectify this, he ambushed Kent in his barn and transported him to Earth-2 while he now remained, destroying the mirror box in hopes of staying permanently. Clark Luthor then took up Clark Kent's identity and visited both Lois and Tess who caught on that this was not their Clark and that Luthor had returned. Having dinner with Tess at the Ace of Clubs, he tried to persuade her that all he wanted was a second chance and to get that, the two of them would have to kill Lionel. At LuthorCorp Plaza, Tess betrayed Clark and he hung her out the window, prepared to drop her out much like Alexander "Lex" Luthor had done to Lionel Luthor on Earth-1. Clark Kent rescued Tess, having escaped from Earth-2 and the two Clarks clashed, the battle leading to the Fortress where Kent tried to bring out the good in his counterpart, telling him that there was still good in him and that now that Lionel was no longer on Earth-2, Clark Luthor could go back there and be its hero if he allowed Jor-El to teach him how. Clark Luthor was transported back to his home by the Fortress of Solitude where he was greeted by Jor-El.
Films
- In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Ultraman appeared as an antagonist in the setting of the animated film where he was voiced by actor Brian Bloom using a stereotypical Mafioso accent. Native to another reality, Ultraman came to be the leader of the Crime Syndicate where he held the position of Boss of Bosses.
Video games
- In DC Legends, Ultraman appeared as a playable character in the mobile video game.
Appearances
- Justice League of America v1: (1964)
- DC Comics Presents Annual v1:
- Crisis on Infinite Earths v1:
- JLA: Earth-2 v1:
- JLA v1:
- Adventures of Superman v1:
- Countdown v1:
- Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1:
- Justice League v2:
- Convergence v1:
- Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen v1: (2019)
- Suicide Squad v7:
- War for Earth-3 v1: (2022)
External Links
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