John Corben (DCAU)

John Corben
DC Animated Universe‎
Gallery
Real Name	John Corben
Other Aliases	Superior-Man
Affiliation	Legion of Doom · formerly Superman Revenge Squad
Status
Alignment	Bad
Identity	Public Identity
Marital Status	Single
Occupation	Mercenary
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Eyes	Black · Green
Hair	Blond
Origin
Universe	DCAU
Creators	Robert Bernstein · Al Plastino · Alan Burnett · Paul Dini · Bruce Timm
First Appearance	Superman & Batman Magazine #1 (June, 1993)
Last Appearance	"Chaos at the Earth's Core" (September 24, 2005)

History

John Corben was a mercenary working for Lex Luthor, during a smuggling campaign to Kaznia. Superman stopped him. In prison, Corben was diagnosed with a virus that would kill him. Luthor proposed to a plan to rescue him, but left out the details. And so, Corben woke up with his mind transplanted in an android body. He first sought revenge on Superman, but the Man of Steel revealed the origin of the virus: it was made by Luthor for the sole purpose of making a puppet out of Corben.

Corben struck out on his own, battling with an identity crisis and amnesia. He eventually found his way to Grodd's Legion of Doom. During a mission to Skartaris, he was captured by John Stewart and STRIPE. Before he could be questioned, something shut down his mind, and he was rendered in an inactive state.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Android Physiology: After being infected with a virus, Corben's mind was placed in an android. An artificial skin was placed around the metal body and his eyes glowed green because of his kryptonite power source.
  • Superhuman Strength
  • Superhuman Durability
  • Superhuman Stamina
  • Self-Sustenance: Due to his android body, Metallo can survive environments that would be lethal to a normal human. He can walk along the ocean floor, or be encased in lava, with no ill effects.

Weaknesses

• Orozco's Retrovirus: In order to sway Corben to his side, Luthor infected him with a violent strain of Morozco's Retrovirus, for which no cure existed. The only alternative was to become a cyborg.
• Kryptonite Removal: Metallo is powered by the lump of kryptonite in his chest. Removing the kryptonite will cause him to power down.
  

Paraphernalia

Weapons

• Kryptonite Cannon: Metallo could channel the radiation of the lump of kryptonite in his chest into a beam.

Notes

• This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the DC Animated Universe and is an adaptation of John Corben/Metallo. The original character was created by Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino and first appeared in Action Comics #252.
• John Corben was voiced by Malcolm McDowell for all appearances in the animated series Superman and the Justice League Unlimited episode "Chaos at the Earth's Core". Corey Burton voiced the character for the Justice League episode "Hereafter, Part I".
  

Recommended Reading

• Superman (1996 TV Series) Episode: The Way of All Flesh

Related

• 26 Appearances of John Corben (DCAU)
• 5 Images featuring John Corben (DCAU)
• 2 Quotations by or about John Corben (DCAU)
• Character Gallery: John Corben (DCAU)

External Links

• Metallo at the DC Animated Universe Wiki

Footnotes

Superman Villain(s) This character has been primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category."

Steel Villain(s) This character, team or organization, is or was primarily an enemy of Steel. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Steel Villains category."

Legion of Doom member This character is or was a member of the Legion of Doom, a team of supervillains called together for the purpose of conquering the world and defeating the Super Friends, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Legion of Doom members" category.