Welcome to Comic Comparisons, a segment that compares the tropes and plot lines of comic book series. Originally this was a special episode where it would become a Comic Theory. It was about Brian Michael Bendis‘ run on Superman and where I thought it would lead. Turns out I should’ve kept expectations low because Bendis is one of those few writers who doesn’t recycle ideas. Instead we’re going to look at all of comics different Superman Expies.
Superman Expies?
Expies or pastiches are stylistic imitations of characters for various purposes. Since Superman is such a popular character and a closely guarded IP, having different takes on him is where creators experiment. The most common of which are characters who diverge from Superman in ways that challenge the Man of Steel.
Side note, we will not be including Shazam or Sentry; they’re a category all of their own.
Bendis’ First Superman
For example, the first time Bendis has a Superman-like character he shows a different light. That’s in Bendis’ creator-owned series Powers, and its loose adaptation on the Playstation Network streaming platform. The character Supershock is an obvious homage to Superman; an idealistic hero who seems to be a favorite among the public. But Supershock’s next appearance displays that after decades of crime fighting, hero work, and preserving a clean image; he loses his connection with reality. When a scandal about his teammate gets out, Supershock snaps going on a rampage. He kills most of his former teammates and causes international incidents. Supershock’s activities cause all Power activity to become illegal, hero or villain.
Another Superman
This is not even the only time that someone took liberties about the Superman mythos should Superman go insane. And no I’m not talking about Injustice. I’m referring to Mark Waid’s Eisner nominated series, Irredeemable.
The Superman expy, the Plutonian has a similar career to Superman until his life becomes ugly. His girlfriend reveals his secret identity out of anger, he has an affair with one of his teammates, he doesn’t take well to criticism, he shares technology that causes an incident, and his sidekick reveals Plutonian’s involvement in the outbreak. Plutonian snaps lobotomizing his sidekick and going on a rampage that turns the world upside-down.
Exploration through Superman Expies
Irredeemable and Powers end up exploring how Superman’s powers work once you ignore the mythology. Superman’s powers never really seem to go together at all; most people just put a bunch of powers together for fun and sticking with the ones they like best. So how do you explain these powers out of nowhere? Most creators just hand-wave them off as alien biology; but for a theorist, the reason Superman has so many powers is because in reality he only has one. Superman may actually be his world’s most powerful psionic; able to control matter at the atomic level and see into people’s memories when the plot calls for it.
This actually fits very well into Superman mythos. For example, the very first Superman story by Shuster and Spiegel is about a bald Superman. This character can get away with almost everything because of his dangerous telekinetic powers. Superman’s clone Superboy even has a tactile form of telekinesis; it allows him to fly, grant super strength, and with more focus could eventually have heat vision. Supershock and Plutonian take this idea to the point of being reality warpers. The only way they could be stopped was be put down was through tricks.
And The Others
With so many ways to portray a character, many creators have formed characters based on Superman.
DC’s Imprint Supermen
There’s Apollo, Wildstorm’s solar-power Superman who is a safe way to romantically ship Superman with Batman (Midnighter). Apollo’s not the only Wildstorm Superman, Mister Majestic for example is an alien warlord who is practically immortal. This shows a more militant and tech savvy Superman with a no-nonsense attitude. Not only that but later renditions show how problematic such characters can be. While not tyrannical, they’re not above threatening enemies or powers that be into submission.
Now let’s look at Milestone Media’s Icon, a Dwayne McDuffie creation on the journey to become a paragon. Because despite his sidekick Rocket propelling him into action, he’s still a kid when it comes to status quo. As a conservative, Augustus like to play it safe. So Rocket has to be the person to push him to take risks. It’s why Icon turns out better than Milestone’s other Superman, John Tower. The pressures of being a paragon got to him to the point of entitlement. To stay on top of his enemies, Tower’s drastic measures turn him towards villainy. If anything Milestone shows that being a paragon is both empowering to people and an addiction.
Marvel’s Supermen
Marvel meanwhile shows darker supermen and how the character is under pressures. Hyperion for example is an idealistic idiot, naively seeing himself as the boundary between good and evil. He and the Shi’ar’s Gladiator display the dangers of fighting for ideals; because that can lead to shortsightedness and manipulation.
Fortunately, Marvel doesn’t only mock their competition, they display the virtues of Superman. Super-Skrull Virtue for example rejects his people’s conquering ways upon living Superman’s life. Kree hero, Captain Glory also has the aspirational stuff of Superman that he passes onto his son Marvel Boy. Blue Marvel is by all accounts a good man; unfortunately being an African American in the 50s forces him to retire for decades. It’s only in modern times where he begins to operate and does more good than ever before. Truly they are men of many tomorrows.
The Rest
Among all of the others the Superman expies, they are on a spectrum. At the most virtuous and closest to Superman you have characters like Astro City‘s Samaritan. He’s just way more absurd in regards to his virtues that he barely has time for himself. People watching Amazon shows might be familiar with… Omni-Man, Invincible‘s Superman expy. One that shows him from a culture of conquerors but mellows out after time with his family. But he’s nothing in comparison to Supreme, Rob Liefeld’s Superman. It’s only when Alan Moore takes Liefeld’s messy writing that Supreme explores the core of Superman, an ever-changing idea. Because, Liefeld’s initial Supreme is only a constant jerkwad. Finally, let’s discuss the more villainous Homelander of The Boys. He’s essentially when the idea of Superman is corrupted by forces in a controlled environment.
Purpose of Superman Expies
Superman has always been a paragon of justice and epitome of health. Superman’s eternal youth and health prevent any mental problems from arising. Also his stable small town upbringing really keeps him as chill as possible. So it’s best to explore different angles in ‘what if’ stories in order not to disrupt Superman’s character. With Superman too big an icon, expies come in to fill the niche. And there’s a lot of them. Whether the Superman expies are the last sign of good or problematic people, they all make Superman look good.
Thanks for coming and as always, remember to look between the panels.