History WMG / Superman

* Oddly, however, this WMG is older than one might think. A [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] story involved ComicBook/JimmyOlsen attempting to write a novel in which a time-traveling Superman actually was Hercules.

* This was actually semi-canon in UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}}, when Kryptonians were said to be the descendants of two stranded [[HumanAliens Human Alien]] space travelers named Kryp and Tonn. A classic AdamAndEvePlot. And all DC Universe humanoids, including Kryptonians and Earthlings, were once said to be the descendants of the Oans. In the Post-Crisis continuity, it's implied that the Kryptonians genetically modified themselves, which could concieveably include mingling the [=DNA=] of native solar-absorbing lifeforms with "alien" Earth-human genes to help them better adapt to their harsh new homeworld.

The Pre-Crisis descriptions of X-Ray Vision made it clear that actual X-Rays were being projected (in at least one comic, Superman uses this to decontaminate a germ-ridden artifact). And we know that Kryptonians can project infrared radiation (heat vision). But there are some hints that the power goes beyond this. One old [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] cover showed Superman, underwater, using his eyes as ''headlights''. In other words, he was projecting light in the visible spectrum. This implies that old-school Kryptonians may be able to project any kind of electromagnetic radiation they want. Superman restricts himself to "X-ray vision" and "heat vision" because that's how he conceptualizes his powers. But his biology probably isn't actually limited to that.

* The ComicBook/PostCrisis Byrne reboot explanation was that red suns simply put out less energy than yellow ones-- the red sunlight by itself ''didn't'' weaken him at all, it just wasn't enough to ''strengthen'' Kryptonians to Superman-levels (in fact one storyline of that era had him time-travel to Krypton and ''still had his powers''). The recent "red sunlight weakness" is a [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] element that has crept back in thanks to those RunningTheAsylum, and Silver Age stuff doesn't ''have'' to make sense. But, if sense you must have, maybe the presence of the specific frequencies of light that Kryptonian bodies are evolved for "resets" the metabolism, including the solar energy absorbtion/conversion, to its basline levels. The body becomes keyed to Kryptonian conditions so as to better absorb the exact same type of energy present in the environment that it's best adapted to. In other words, it fools his body into "thinking" it's back on Krypton. Or maybe...

* This is hardly original with ''Birthright'', it's an idea that's been explored since the early [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] of comics (late 60s/early 70s at least)-- that "Clark" and "Superman" are both aspects of "Kal-El", the "real" identity.

And the reason she has a boy's name is that she's a MtF transsexual.

In 2003, in the milestone issue ''Superman'' (vol. 2) #200, Superman changed his own history through Hypertime shenanigans: this was an in-universe reason for why Superman’s backstory switched from Byrne’s ''Superman: The Man of Steel'' to Waid & Yu’s ''Superman: Birthright''. But perhaps this CosmicRetcon was also responsible for rewriting the character of Superboy. Before mid-2003, Kon-El had been firmly established as a genetically-altered human, cloned from the late director of Project Cadmus and modified to resemble Superman and approximate his powers. Then, from the beginning of the relaunched ''Teen Titans'' series, he was suddenly revealed to be a Kryptonian-human hybrid cloned from Superman and Lex Luthor’s DNA. (He also doubled in muscle mass and started wearing T-shirts and jeans.) This directly contradicted what we’d already seen of Superboy’s origin — but perhaps that very origin had been altered by the big CosmicRetcon happening at the same time. For bonus points, ''Superman: Birthright'' significantly altered Lex Luthor’s backstory as well, restoring his post-Crisis science background and his time in Smallville as a teenager — both things that could make him more likely to be involved in cloning his own Superboy.

[[WMG:[[Franchise/{{Dragonball}} Son Goku]] is literally the Superman of his universe.]]

Thomas Wayne did die (so Franchise/{{Batman}}'s angst is valid), but Martha escaped and went into witness protection, moving out to Kansas and marrying Jonathan Kent. Martha doesn't know Batman's identity (as seen in Identity Crisis) and even Superman may not even realize it.

* Riiiight. If Superman is Clark Kent and Batman is Bruce Wayne who is Comicbook/{{Robin}}? Dick Grayson? And Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} is brunette, mild-mannered Linda Danvers? And Comicbook/{{Batgirl}} is shy librarian Barbara Gordon? That is nonsense!

* Superman and Clark Kent have too been seen in the same place at the same time. Definitely not with the help of a certain shapeshifting Martian friend of his. Or some alien goo that happens to take the form of ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}''. Now Clark Kent and Batman...

He wasn't erased from history.Being utterly over-powered and having visited Earth-Prime,[[GenreSavvy Supes was aware]] the events of ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths would RetGone him.Using his total overpoweredness,he punched through reality and fled.However the resulting continuity disturbances would cause him to become even more powerful, causing him to create the entire 5th Dimension by accident.Now an UnPerson,Supes decided to pretend to be an inhabitant,later known as Mr Mxyptlzk,and mess around with other versions of himself.Bat-Mite was created based off Batman,who was just as powerful and created [[Comicbook/TeenTitans Larry and his dimension.]]Hence why he has MediumAwareness-he's visited our universe

* Where does that leave Franchise/WonderWoman then?

[[WMG: The souls of [[Franchise/SpiderMan Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson]], along with all other ruined {{Official Couple}}s, are currently residing in Clark Kent and Lois Lane.]]

The HoYay between him and Superman, the fact that he created [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} a son]] for them, the shapeshifting ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'' alien he was sleeping with, it all fits. (Not that [[Tropers/AntMan I]] can blame him for that last one...)

[[WMG:In ''[[Comicbook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan Earth-7642]]'' [[Franchise/SpiderMan Peter and MJ]] are married]]
Clearly, when Mephisto tried to screw with Peter's marriage, Earth-7642 Superman -who is an alternate Silver/Bronze Age Superman- punched him out. And when Mephisto's agents tried to change history, Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} travelled back in time and blasted them. Married [[TheCape Capes]] look after each other.

In Comicbook/JLAAvengers, the reason ''Superman'' of all people isn't "worthy" to wield Thor's hammer without special permission from Odin is that one of Thor's duties is to be willing and able to ''wage war,'' and Superman will never kill. Captain America and Wonder Woman don't have this problem. It says something pretty nice about Supes, actually.

Multiversity still mentions Universe 15 being destroyed by him, and there's some BroadStrokes suggesting he's still around. Having already survived one CosmicRetcon and been last seen [[FateWorseThanDeath embedded in the Source Wall]], Superboy-Prime survived another, partly because the Source Wall protected him and partly because he's already broken with continuity. Unfortunately for him, [[AndIMustScream he's still stuck]], and never even existed in the new Earth-Prime(Earth 33), and those he hates and fears have forgotten who he is(again) except for Post-Crisis Superman and Lois Lane. [[Franchise/GreenLantern Due to Black Hand reviving those in the Source Wall]], it's possible that he may have been broken out, but for now is out of commission and even more insane([[BoredWithInsanity or not]]). Spending all that time in the Source Wall [[BodyHorror has likely mutated him]] into a HumanoidAbomination, like how messing with the Source Wall turned Black Hand into a walking Source Wall who King Midas'd planets.

** Nope, Colbert is in the MarvelUniverse. He's appeared in their comics and has ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's shield, for Cthulhu's sake!

** If by "starting" you mean "for the last two decades". Longer, if you count Gladiator, a Superman CaptainErsatz from the MarvelUniverse.

[[WMG: SuperMan is '''BLACK''']]

He wasn't erased from history.Being utterly over-powered and having visited Earth-Prime,[[GenreSavvy Supes was aware]] the events of ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths would RetGone him.Using his total overpoweredness,he punched through reality and fled.However the resulting continuity disturbances would cause him to [[UpToEleven become even more powerful]],causing him to create the entire 5th Dimension by accident.Now an UnPerson,Supes decided to pretend to be an inhabitant,later known as Mr Mxyptlzk,and mess around with other versions of himself.Bat-Mite was created based off Batman,who was just as powerful and created [[Comicbook/TeenTitans Larry and his dimension.]]Hence why he has MediumAwareness-he's visited our universe

Seriously, if there were a real LawfulGood uber-god on the loose, why would anyone in their right minds try to commit a crime? I mean, I know criminals are stupid, but given people will act crazy to try to get celebrities' attention, it makes sense that at least some people will rob and commit violence simply so they can meet the Man of Steel.

* Also, the ''Film/{{Supergirl}}'' film takes place during Superman's five-year absense. The reason why the radio reports Superman as on a "peace mission" is because they needed to come up with a plausible reason for his disappearance for fear of the public reaction. It's just that this story falls apart quickly when the officials are pressed for specifics, and this leads to events that allow Lois to write her Pulitzer-winning article.

The FoeYay between him and Superman, the fact that he created [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} a son]] for them, the shapeshifting ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'' alien he was sleeping with, it all fits. (Not that [[Tropers/AntMan I]] can blame him for that last one...)

The most formative years of young Clark Kent's life were spent with the ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}} - and check out the picture on that page. ''That's'' where he gets his famous dickishness, folks: his adolescent peers. But the Legion were inspired by the legend of Superman, which means that ''they'' learned ''their'' dickishness from Kal-El! It's a temporal loop of dickery, my friends.

[[WMG:Superman, in [[Film/{{Superman}} The Movie]], is literally UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}.]]
Ignore the [[Main/WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic symbolism]] and just focus on the text:
* Jor-El says he will have been dead for thousands of years when Kal-El grows up.
* Krypton blew the heck up. Therefore, the destruction of Krypton was bright enough to be visible on earth as the {{Star of Bethlehem}}, which signified the coming of the savior. Thus, Kal-El is either a second coming of Jesus, or else the first one was just a coincidence.
* In the comics, though, he's Moses. Had Jewish creators, was found in the reeds as a baby, empowered by his heritage, etc...
* "Kal-El" is Hebrew for "All That Is God".
* Try Maggin's novel ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton''. Superman has a near-death experience where he sees the face of God, who looks exactly like Jor-El.

[[SpannerInTheWorks God works]] InMysteriousWays.

During [[ComicBook/BlackestNight Adventure Comics #4 and #5]], Superboy-Prime [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap finally became likeable]], in a crazy metafictional way with fighting off the Black Lanterns and [[WhatTheHellHero calling out the writers.]] In the last pre-ComicBook/New52 Titans story, [[CharacterDerailment he's back to his old]] Jerkass StrawFan traits and [[VillainDecay slapped on the Source Wall]]. Why would they do this? As mentioned before, Prime had called out the writers, and tried to kill them. Fearing for their careers, lives and [[FridgeHorror the horrific implications that what they're making is real]], they chose to not just remove Superboy Prime once and for all, but to ensure that no-one would ever want him to return and that no-one would care for what he has to say-hence they removed the work they did in his ComicBook/BlackestNight appearance and made him a Jerkass StrawFan again. Prime only got back to the DC Universe literally because the writers wanted him there. All his dialogue and thoughts in those issues weren't his own, but rather the writers altering his mind to fit their scheme. Slapping him on the Source Wall comes from how effective its been in the past, considering it worked for ''[[BiggerBad DARKSEID]]'' of all people. [[AndIMustScream Superboy-Prime is trapped on the Source Wall]], and unless another writer is unaware of the attack he made in their office, will likely never be trapped. And even if he does return, there's a good chance they'll continue this and [[ParanoiaFuel the only way we know what Prime is truly thinking is when he's offscreen.]] [[JerkassWoobie Poor guy.]]

He knows that they're all fictional characters, and the only one else who knows it is SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker. Pretty depressing, isn't it?

* Where does that leave WonderWoman then?

* After the ReBoot caused by the ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths, his power levels dropped again -- but slowly climbed again as he continued to encounter Kryptonite.

[[WMG:[[{{Dragonball}} Son Goku]] is literally the Superman of his universe.]]

** All of this talk about mimickng kryptonian abilities has reminded me of a universal debate namely Superman Vs Goku. Since the 1930's Superman has set the tone for massively overpowered superhero's. Does anyone even know his complete catalog of powers? We're pretty sure at one time or another he's had every one listed in the Marvel Superheroes Ultimate Power Guide (TM). Seriously, how much kryptonite is there in the world? Apparently enough to give him a challenge for over half a century of cartoon and comic book appearances. Invulnerable, planet-crushing strength and faster than light with a few dozen odd powers thrown in, Superman is the one American Superhero every villain hates to have crash their party. Enter Goku. Japanese Anime's answer to the Man of Steel. Besides speed racer Dragon Ball Z is one of the first anime's watched by Americans thanks to Creator/CartoonNetwork. Consider: a character built on the assumption that there is no upper power limit *Ever*. Each week they would feature a new mindbogglingly devastating attack from the hero in question. How to challenge such a character? In the show DragonBall-Z, challenging Goku seems irrelevant compared to blowing up things in new and spectacular ways... but they try.