Welcome.
So in this video we are going to discuss 10 alternate versions of Superman.
The video is arranged chronologically from the oldest version of Superman to the newest,
so it doubles up as a history lesson of the superman comics as well.
The first 5 entries are historic versions of Superman, and the last 5 entries we will
look at some of the crazier alternative Superman’s, like Nazi superman.
So let’s begin.
Number 1.
The Golden Age Superman The Golden Age is a term describing an era
of comics beginning in 1938, when Superman first appeared.
The Superman stories from this time are characterized by their everyday plots of dealing with gangsters
and corrupt politicians, rather than the supervillains and aliens that would appear in later eras.
Superman’s power levels started off incredibly low.
He was able to leap but not fly; he wasn’t invulnerable to large explosions and could
only run at 60mph.
The end of this era is vague and nonspecific but it is generally agreed that by the mid-1950s,
the Silver Age had begun.
Number 2.
The Silver Age Superman The Silver Age of Comics was a historical
period in the publication of DC comic books characterized by "campy" storylines.
Characters such as Supergirl, Krypto, Streaky, and the Legion of Super-Heroes, amongst others,
were added to the Superman universe during this era.
During this time, Superman was very powerful, with abilities such as superhuman strength
and speed, superhuman vision and hearing, invulnerability, flight, super breath, super
intelligence and memory, and he was omni-lingual.
There's no clear beginning of this era, however but the silver age did have a clear end: the
storyline ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ erased all existing DC continuities and merged
elements of them into one consistent universe, called ‘New Earth’.
Number 3.
The Bronze Age Superman In 1971, Dennis O'Neil and Julius Schwartz
set out to ground Superman's overelaborate framework.
They streamlined the Superman mythos, by downsizing his abilities and reducing his powers.
This version only lasted a few issues.
DC attempted more of a soft reboot in the 45th Anniversary of Action Comics.
Lex Luthor and Brainiac were updated and modernized to make them more visibly dangerous for Superman.
Superman was de-powered since the Silver Age.
He could do all the same things, but now many of them required more effort.
Number 4.
The Modern Age Superman The Modern Age is an era in the history of
Superman comics that began in 1985 following the Crisis on Infinite Earths story.
The Superman comics of this era began by doing away with many of the "campier" elements of
the Superman Mythos, and reinventing his story in many ways.
However, over the years since, various elements were re-introduced, such as Supergirl and
Krypto.
This era includes the Death of Superman, one of the best-selling comic stories of all time,
introducing Doomsday.
Superman’s power levels were high.
While still lower than the godlike power of the Silver Age superman, Modern Age Superman
has steadily increased in power and is currently extremely powerful.
Number 5.
Post-crisis Superman The Multiverse system was discarded in the
aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series in 1986 by compounding all of DC continuity
into one single- continual New Earth.
The post-Crisis Superman was the Superman from 1986 to 2011.
In the aftermath of the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series, which depicts all existing
Earths collapsing into one in an event that changes the DC Universe history, Superman's
backstory was heavily revised and many Silver Age elements, such as his career as Superboy,
were removed.
Significant changes included a reimagining of all Kryptonians being genetically bound
to Krypton, making it fatal for them to leave the planet.
Jor-El devises a serum to counter this, which he administers to baby Kal-El.
Clark never becomes Superboy, with his powers manifesting gradually as he matures.
His power level is also toned down to the point where he is no longer able to travel
through time with his super speed, can no longer withstand a nuclear explosion and is
not strong enough to push planets out of orbit like his Silver age versions.
Number 6.
Ultraman There are several versions of evil Superman,
such as Ultraman, who was originally introduced as Superman's evil analogue from Earth-Three.
After the Multiverse concept was retired, Ultraman was introduced as an alien from Qward
with powers similar to the original; this version made only one appearance.
DC later attempted the "evil universe" trope again with the Antimatter Universe in JLA:
Earth 2, introducing an Ultraman who is Lt. Clark Kent, a human astronaut who is experimented
on during a deep space mission.
Number 7.
Quantum Superman The Superman of Post-Crisis Earth-4 is Captain
Allen Adam, the Quantum Superman, and one of the most powerful beings in all of the
52 Earths.
Air Force Captain Allen Adam gained his quantum abilities when he was disintegrated in a blast
caused by an experimental U-235 engine.
The U-235 particles fused with his body, and his disembodied consciousness built an enhanced
copy of his former body, but he keeps his "quantum senses" at a managed level by using
drugs.
He is one of the Supermen from throughout the Multiverse who are recruited by Monitrix
Zillo Valla in Final Crisis: Superman Beyond, and allows the drugs in his system to wear
off in order to reach a grander state of being, fusing the consciousness of Ultraman and Superman
together.
Number 8.
Tangent Superman The Superman from DC's Tangent Comics imprint
is a radically different character from the traditional Superman.
Due to an experiment conducted on an entire town by a government black-ops group called
Nightwing, Harvey Dent was the lone infant survivor of a failed super-human program that
killed hundreds.
After growing to adulthood, and falling from the world's tallest building in an attempt
to save a suicidal man, his dormant powers activate and he develops advanced physical
and psychic abilities.
Evolving millions of years past normal humans, he eventually becomes a "modern-day superhero”.
He is illustrated as a tall, bald, African American man wearing a blue robe, and carrying
a staff.
This version of Superman has become the most powerful person on Earth.
This Earth is numbered Earth-9 in the DC Multiverse.
Number 9.
Nazi Superman Earth-10, which is under the control of the
Nazi Party, depicts an alternative Superman, usually known as Overman, who supports the
Nazi's policy of genetic purity.
He is a member of the JL-Axis, a Nazi-themed Justice League.
Two polar opposite versions exist.
One is a stereotypical blonde Aryan with a Nazi swastika replacing the S-shield, while
the other is a black-haired twin of the standard Superman with an "S" resembling one from the
Schutzstaffel emblem; the latter is portrayed in Superman: Beyond as ‘guilt-ridden’.
And number 10.
Superdemon On Earth-13, Superman's role is filled by
Superdemon, a character who shares characteristics with Etrigan the Demon and Superman, and who
leads the League of Shadows in a world of magic and cloak and dagger adventures.
So that’s it, those are 10 alternate versions of superman from history.
And there are many more.
Which one is your favorite?
Please let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to like this video.
Thanks for watching.