History WesternAnimation / SupermanTheAnimatedSeries

** During the ''ComicBook/PublicEnemies'' arc of ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman'' comic, Metallo's disguise was reminiscent of his human form and disguise from the DCAU.

* The first arc of the series concerns ComicBook/LexLuthor, the most powerful man in Metropolis before Superman's arrival. The CorruptCorporateExecutive version of the character from the ComicBook/PostCrisis Franchise/DCUniverse, he is ever the MagnificentBastard. With heavy doses of the VillainWithGoodPublicity, he immediately sees the man flying around righting wrongs as a threat and he begins a number of plots to either destroy Superman or [[WeCanRuleTogether get him on his side]]. These attempts include utilizing an [[KryptoniteFactor unusual rock from space that seems to give Superman a hard time]], cloning Superman (resulting in [[CloneDegeneration a creature that could only be described as "Bizarro"]]) and [[WeCanRebuildHim recreating a foreign mercenary as an android assassin]]... All in the first half of the series.[[invoked]]
* The second arc concerns the character of ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}. [[RetCanon His origin was rewritten for the series]], tying his origin far more closely with that of Superman. In this adaptation, he is the [[DeusEstMachina computer system]] responsible for the upkeep of the entire planet of Krypton and he darn well knows in the pilot episode that the planet is doomed. However, he does not want the people to know because he is too busy making provisions to save himself. After the planet explodes he becomes an [[OmnicidalManiac Omnicidal]] [[PlanetLooters Planet Looter]], determined to repeat Krypton's fate ad infinitum: collect all the data in the universe, then destroy the originals to keep his collected info from becoming obsolete. His quest brings him into conflict with Superman a number of times--though, in practice, most of his schemes just involve him trying to rebuild himself after the last time Superman destroyed him. Again, and again, and again...
* The third arc brought in the characters from Creator/JackKirby's ''ComicBook/NewGods''. The [[GalacticConqueror intergalactic tyrant]] ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} (taking the role of the BigBad for the overall series) sets his sights on Earth, and he wants Superman's help in conquering it. Darkseid is not the type to take "no" for an answer. This arc is usually regarded as the best of the series, as the drama and action were at its peak and the individual episodes collectively formed more of an ongoing story. This arc also brought in ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}.

As befitting a ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'' installment, the voice work is absolutely top notch. Creator/TimDaly plays both halves of the title character with authority and distinction. Creator/DanaDelany gives us an utterly no-nonsense ComicBook/LoisLane who absolutely will not tolerate babysitting the newcomer from Kansas, and is skeptical about the man in the red cape flying around doing good deeds. Ultimately, Creator/ClancyBrown is the perfect ComicBook/LexLuthor, smooth and cruel, slimy and utterly charming at the same time.

** In this version, the failure to evacuate Krypton is due to Brainiac's deliberate suppression of Jor-El's theories, making the comic-book Coluan robot into a Kryptonian example of AIIsACrapshoot. As such, Brainiac is responsible for Superman's status as (initially) the LastOfHisKind. Brainiac goes on to be one of the series' {{Big Bad}}s alongside ComicBook/LexLuthor and ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}.

* BaldOfEvil: [[ComicBook/LexLuthor Three guesses who]]. (You also get credit if you guessed Braniac.)

* BigBad: ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}, whose schemes drive the ongoing plot-arc, as opposed to Brainiac and Luthor, whose schemes are more self-contained.

* BullyingADragon: ComicBook/LexLuthor's favorite sport. Granted, [[IdealHero Sup]][[TheCape er]][[NiceGuy man]] would probably never actually ''do'' anything - but that doesn't change the fact that Luthor is harassing a guy who could kill him in any number of ways before he could even blink, let alone do anything.

* CatUpATree: After ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} brainwashes ComicBook/{{Superman}} into attacking Earth, Supes end up being captured by the military and held prisoner in a facility built by ComicBook/LexLuthor. When Superman asks for a chance to prove himself, a General sarcastically asks if he intends to do it by rescuing a cat from a tree.
* TheCavalry: In "Apokolips... Now!", Earth has refused to submit to Apokoliptian rule and Darkseid is about to annihilate the entire planet, with the implication that he really is able to do it, when the forces of New Genesis arrive. Orion explains that Earth is now under Highfather's protection, and any aggression against it will lead to all-out war between the ComicBook/NewGods.

** Jimmy's friend [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Kyle]] draws superhero comic books and gets a rejection letter from Creator/DCComics.

** ComicBook/TheFlash. Although it is never stated which Flash is in "Speed Demons", he is confirmed to be ComicBook/WallyWest in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. His personality has a lot in common with Bart Allen and he has Barry Allen's day job as a forensic scientist.

* ContinuityCameo: In the three-part pilot, the El family have a puppy, presumably named [[ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog Krypto]].

* EvilerThanThou: When ComicBook/TheJoker goes to Metropolis, ComicBook/LexLuthor at first considers him beneath his notice due to his inability to destroy his "[[ComicBook/{{Batman}} mere mortal in a Halloween costume]]". Eventually, they strike up a partnership and the entire time, Lex believes that he's got the Joker's strings. After the Joker fails to kill Superman (though he came close), Lex decides to betray the Joker. [[NotSoHarmlessVillain The Joker anticipates this and turns it right back on him, taking Lex prisoner and stealing a bomber he was building, with the intent to kill Lex and level all of the buildings he built in Metropolis (half of the city).]] He's only stopped by the timely intervention of Batman and Superman.

* HitchhikersLeg: In "World's Finest", ComicBook/TheJoker, of all people, pulls this off while acting like a hitchhiker to stop ComicBook/LexLuthor's car (driven by [[Characters/HarleyQuinnTheCharacter Harley Quinn]]) to pick him up.

* HumanAliens: Kryptonians, of course, as well as the ComicBook/NewGods (Apart from the Parademons and a few of the ruling class).

* IndignantSlap: In the episode "[[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS2E12BraveNewMetropolis Brave New Metropolis]]," Lois goes into an alternate reality where [[BewareTheSuperman Superman went off the deep end]] and partnered with Luthor to make Metropolis into a police state. When Superman tries to justify how he's trying to make the world safer after his Lois was killed [[KnightTemplar by using more heavy handed tactics]], she slaps him saying he was using her death as an excuse to abuse his powers.
* InsultBackfire: In episode "Girls' Night Out" ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} and ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} fight Livewire, Poison Ivy, and ComicBook/HarleyQuinn. Harley rescues Livewire by ''spraying her with water''. Livewire gets up and grabs Harley, preparing to fry her:

* LivingMuseumExhibit: In the episode "The Main Man", an alien known as the Preserver keeps endangered aliens in his zoo, in which he hired ComicBook/{{Lobo}} to capture Superman. The Preserver also betrayed him after finding out that he is also endangered ([[WhereIWasBornAndRazed by his own volition]]) but the two escaped and defeated him. Superman took his zoo and placed them in the Fortress of Solitude.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Fictional character version - [[spoiler:Dan Turpin]]'s funeral is attended by Jack Kirby characters such as the ComicBook/FantasticFour in their civilian identities; sadly, later versions of the episode remove these characters to avoid lawsuits. [[WordOfGod Bruce Timm admitted]] that Dan Turpin was modeled on Creator/JackKirby himself.

* NotSoDifferentRemark: Unusually, Superman gets this from an ''ally''. When he goes to ComicBook/DoctorFate for help, Fate explains that he has retired from superheroics, weary from the endless battle. He tells Superman that the two of them are similar, both masters of their own fate, and Superman should join him and likewise leave behind the petty conflicts of humanity. Superman, of course, explains that they are ''nothing'' alike.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: In "World's Finest", when ComicBook/TheJoker arrives in Metropolis, the mob, Luthor, and Superman all assume that he must be, at best, a minor irritant, just a powerless whackjob in a weird suit. By the end of the three-part series, he has taken over the Metropolis mob, almost blown up half the city, and nearly killed both Luthor and Superman. When ComicBook/{{Batman}} shows up, it's pretty clear that Superman and Luthor don't take him seriously either. At first.

** "Superman's Pal" gave Metallo a brief one when he realized that ComicBook/JimmyOlsen had just removed his Kryptonite power source with a splash of battery acid. He has time for a brief shriek before he collapses.

* RaceLift
** Following in the same vein as the character's earlier appearances in ''Series/LoisAndClark'', [[http://dcau.wikia.com/wiki/Commissioner_Henderson William Henderson]] here is African-American.

* RememberTheNewGuy: ComicBook/DoctorFate, whose sole appearance is treated as a return to the series.

** In "The Last Son of Krypton, part 3", Martha Kent tells Clark, "I don't want anyone thinking you're like [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries that nut in Gotham City]]."
** In "My Girl," Lex Luthor is overheard explaining to his henchman that he wants him in [[ComicBook/TheFlash Central City]] by that night.

* TenMinuteRetirement: ComicBook/DoctorFate abandoned the war against evil after he grew weary of the endless conflict that never changed anything. He tried to get Superman to likewise step back from humanity, but Superman's refusal to do so inspired Fate to return to the war.

* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul: The Legion of Super-Heroes aren't as tight with Superman as their comic counterparts. In the original comics (aside from various CosmicRetcons that downplayed or outright discarded their ties to Superman, usually in relation to the established continuity at the time choosing to disregard [[KidHeroAllGrownUp Superman's history as the original Superboy]]), the Legion of Super-Heroes was inspired to form by Superman's boyhood exploits as Superboy and appreciated his hand in their existence so much that they used time travel to recruit the young Superman-to-be into their team and regularly allowed him to participate on missions. In this continuity, their interaction with the Man of Steel is limited to three of them visiting him as a teenager ''once'' in the episode "New Kids in Town".

* ComicBookAdaptation: The show recieved a comic book tie-in titled ''ComicBook/TheSupermanAdventures'' (which lasted 66 issues, one annual and two one-shots titled ''Superman vs. Lobo'' and ''Dimensions of the Dark Shadows''). There was also a one-shot that adapted the "World's Finest" two-parter that crossed over with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''.

* ComicBookAdaptation: The show recieved a comic book tie-in titled ''Superman Adventures'' (which lasted 66 issues, one annual and two one-shots titled ''Superman vs. Lobo'' and ''Dimensions of the Dark Shadows''). There was also a one-shot that adapted the "World's Finest" two-parter that crossed over with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''.

* DropTheHammer: ComicBook/{{Steel}} guest-stars towards the end of the series.

* ExactWords: Karkull's promise to whoever frees him. He said he ''was'' "power beyond understanding", not that you would ''get'' any of that power, foolish mortal.

** [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner]] is a combination of Kyle, Hal Jordan, and John Stewart from the comics (Later, in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', John Stewart eventually becomes a main character and Hal Jordan gets a minor cameo). When Kyle Rayner appeared in ''JLU'' ("The Return"), he was redesigned to look less like Hal Jordan and more like his comic book counterpart.

* InvokedTrope: Ra's al Ghul wants to arrange a meeting with Superman and, since he does not have the personal relationship with him as he does with Batman, [[DistressedDamsel he kidnaps "Lois" and leaves her in mortal peril]], since he knows Superman always shows up to save her.

** "New Kids in Town" has two-thirds of the classic ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes trio visiting a young Clark Kent. While Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl are retained, Lightning Lad is replaced with Chameleon Boy, though this overlaps with DecompositeCharacter since Lightning Lad is stil present, [[DemotedToExtra but only in a brief cameo among the rest of the Legionnaires]].

** "New Kids in Town" has two-thirds of the classic ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes trio visiting a young Clark Kent. While Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl are retained, Lightning Lad is replaced with Chameleon Boy.

* CerebusSyndrome: The first appearance of Darkseid. Until then, Superman had faced various foes, but none of them could withstand him in a conventional fight for long - not even Brainiac or Metallo. In “[[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS2E15FathersDay Father's Day]]”, Superman fights off Darkseid's son Kalibak with some difficulty, but then he meets the lord of Apokolips himself [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw68uJ8DREg and is laid low in seconds]] as a warning and a [[KneelBeforeZod command to bend the knee]]. Darkseid's next appearance sees him outright defeat superman and string him up for the world to see and despair at. He leaves after humanity tells him to get lost, but not before [[SacrificialLamb murdering Dan Turpin]] for leading the shouts of defiance.

** Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy's cameos in "New Kids in Town" differ considerably from how they would later appear in the ''Justice League Unlimited'' episode "New Kids in Town". Brainiac 5 has a mullet, his eyes are completely white, his belt is of a different design and includes a buckle shaped like the Legion of Super-Heroes insignia, plus he lacks his ancestor the original Brainiac's iconic diodes on his forehead while having a chest insignia resembling them. Bouncing Boy, meanwhile, wears a gloved costume colored blue and white that is more akin to the Silver Age aesthetic of the Legionnaires' uniforms and has a body that is noticeably more spherical.

** The Flash as depicted in "Speed Demons" looks slightly different from how he'd be depicted in ''WesternAnimation/JustcieLeague'', with the outline of the circle portion of his chest insignia being colored black instead of yellow, the yellow ornaments on his temples being shaped more like wings than lightning bolts and his chin being less narrow.

** The Flash as depicted in "Speed Demons" looks slightly different from how he'd be depicted in ''WesternAnimation/JustieLeague'', with the outline of the circle portion of his chest insignia being colored black instead of yellow, the yellow ornaments on his temples being shaped more like wings than lightning bolts and his chin being less narrow.

* The first arc of the series concerns ComicBook/LexLuthor, the most powerful man in Metropolis before Superman's arrival. The CorruptCorporateExecutive version of the character from the ComicBook/PostCrisis Franchise/DCUniverse, he is ever the MagnificentBastard. With heavy doses of the VillainWithGoodPublicity, he immediately sees the man flying around righting wrongs as a threat and he begins a number of plots to either destroy Superman or [[WeCanRuleTogether get him on his side]]. These attempts include utilizing an [[KryptoniteFactor unusual rock from space that seems to give Superman a hard time]], [[CloningBlues cloning]] Superman (resulting in [[CloneDegeneration a creature that could only be described as "Bizarro"]]) and [[WeCanRebuildHim recreating a foreign mercenary as an android assassin]]... All in the first half of the series.[[invoked]]

* AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle: Played for laughs in "Identity Crisis", when the [[CloningBlues clone Superman]] gives a speech about dares and courage to a group of kids. Their reactions are mixed.

* CloningBlues: Luthor's attempt to create a clone army of Supermen [[GoneHorriblyWrong goes horribly wrong]] in "Identity Crisis".

''Superman: The Animated Series'' (or ''The New Superman Adventures'' in its second season) is an animated television series than ran from 1996 to 2000 on Creator/KidsWB. After ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' proved to be an enormous success, Creator/BruceTimm and Creator/PaulDini turned their attention to Creator/DCComics's other major hero: Franchise/{{Superman}}. The new series would use the same "back to basics" approach to storyline and art stylings, [[AdaptationDistillation giving the Superman mythos the same timeless feel that they brought to the Batman mythos]].

Standalone episodes were, of course, not unknown. An intergalactic bounty hunter named Lobo showed up to collect a Kryptonian pelt. Toyman was reimagined as a thoroughly creepy PsychopathicManchild. A new female villain named Livewire was introduced and, while not as popular as ''Batman: The Animated Series''[='s=] Harley Quinn, similarly [[CanonImmigrant made the jump to the main DC Universe]]. An [[GreatGazoo imp from another dimension]] named Mr. Mxyzptlk showed up twice to give Superman fits. A pair of Kryptonian criminals were paroled from their [[PhantomZone extradimensional prison]], only to wreak havoc on Earth. And, of course, Franchise/{{Batman}} came to town, hot on the Joker's trail after the latter had gotten his hands on a massive chunk of Kryptonite. The more sci-fi feel of the show allowed DC characters that would have seemed out of place on ''Batman: TAS'' (like Franchise/TheFlash, the Franchise/{{Green Lantern}}s, and ComicBook/DoctorFate) to show up.

** In this version, the failure to evacuate Krypton is due to Brainiac's deliberate suppression of Jor-El's theories, making the comic-book Coluan robot into a Kryptonian example of AIIsACrapshoot. As such, Brainiac is responsible for Superman's status as (initially) the LastOfHisKind. Brainiac goes on to be one of the series' {{Big Bad}}s alongside Comicbook/LexLuthor and {{Comicbook/Darkseid}}.

* BigBad: {{ComicBook/Darkseid}}, whose schemes drive the ongoing plot-arc, as opposed to Brainiac and Luthor, whose schemes are more self-contained.

* CatUpATree: After {{ComicBook/Darkseid}} brainwashes Franchise/{{Superman}} into attacking Earth, Supes end up being captured by the military and held prisoner in a facility built by ComicBook/LexLuthor. When Superman asks for a chance to prove himself, a General sarcastically asks if he intends to do it by rescuing a cat from a tree.

** Jimmy's friend [[Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle]] draws superhero comic books and gets a rejection letter from Creator/DCComics.

** [[Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner]] is a combination of Kyle, Hal Jordan, and John Stewart from the comics (Later, in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', John Stewart eventually becomes a main character and Hal Jordan gets a minor cameo). When Kyle Rayner appeared in ''JLU'' ("The Return"), he was redesigned to look less like Hal Jordan and more like his comic book counterpart.
** Franchise/TheFlash. Although it is never stated which Flash is in "Speed Demons", he is confirmed to be ComicBook/WallyWest in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. His personality has a lot in common with Bart Allen and he has Barry Allen's day job as a forensic scientist.

* EvilerThanThou: When ComicBook/TheJoker goes to Metropolis, ComicBook/LexLuthor at first considers him beneath his notice due to his inability to destroy his "[[{{Franchise/Batman}} mere mortal in a Halloween costume]]". Eventually, they strike up a partnership and the entire time, Lex believes that he's got the Joker's strings. After the Joker fails to kill Superman (though he came close), Lex decides to betray the Joker. [[NotSoHarmlessVillain The Joker anticipates this and turns it right back on him, taking Lex prisoner and stealing a bomber he was building, with the intent to kill Lex and level all of the buildings he built in Metropolis (half of the city).]] He's only stopped by the timely intervention of Batman and Superman.

* InsultBackfire: In episode "Girls' Night Out" Comicbook/{{Batgirl}} and Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} fight Livewire, Poison Ivy, and ComicBook/HarleyQuinn. Harley rescues Livewire by ''spraying her with water''. Livewire gets up and grabs Harley, preparing to fry her:

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Fictional character version - [[spoiler:Dan Turpin]]'s funeral is attended by Jack Kirby characters such as the Franchise/FantasticFour in their civilian identities; sadly, later versions of the episode remove these characters to avoid lawsuits. [[WordOfGod Bruce Timm admitted]] that Dan Turpin was modeled on Creator/JackKirby himself.

* NotSoHarmlessVillain: In "World's Finest", when ComicBook/TheJoker arrives in Metropolis, the mob, Luthor, and Superman all assume that he must be, at best, a minor irritant, just a powerless whackjob in a weird suit. By the end of the three-part series, he has taken over the Metropolis mob, almost blown up half the city, and nearly killed both Luthor and Superman. When {{Franchise/Batman}} shows up, it's pretty clear that Superman and Luthor don't take him seriously either. At first.

** In "My Girl," Lex Luthor is overheard explaining to his henchman that he wants him in [[Franchise/TheFlash Central City]] by that night.
** In an example mixed with a TakeThat, another episode has Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} reading a comic book about a [[ComicBook/SpiderMan spider-themed superhero]] before disgustedly stating that the character is gross.

* TakeThat: "[[Franchise/SpiderMan Spider powers?]] Ew."

-->-- '''Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS1E1To3TheLastSonOfKrypton'''

'''Martha Kent:''' Still, it would be bad if people knew a little more about Superman. I don't want anyone thinking you're like [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries that nut in Gotham City]].\\