Kal-El is the last survivor of the planet Krypton who was raised in Apokolips under the rule of Darkseid.
History
His father Jor-El realized that the planet was on the brink of destruction, so he placed his son in a spaceship to escape certain death. Rocketed to Earth, the space ship was intercepted by Metron who gave the child to Darkseid, raising him as his son to became the most powerful warrior of Apokolips.
Finally revealed, the Superman quickly defeated Kalibak and became the new champion of Apokolips, gaining fame across the planet. His true mission at hand, Kal-El led a battalion against the God planet New Genesis in order to plant the Omega Warhead in the heart of the planet, finally destroying the home of the New Gods. As the planet died, Kal-El approached the Highfather who revealed him the truth about his origin and The Source's prophecy for him, ultimately transporting him to Earth.
He fell on the planet and nearly drowned to death by his heavy armor, forcing him to remove it before falling unconscious and being saved by a woman called Lane.[1]
Confused, Kal started to wonder where he was when Ms. Lane abandoned him to his luck, unaware that he followed her and unexpectedly saved her from a mob group. He was taken into custody but managed to escape with his newfound strength, wandering alone until coming across a man called Bibbo and a kid called Jimmy who gave him a helping hand.
After he saved a group of people from a building destroyed by a battle between New Gods, Kal realized that their war was brought to Earth, coming across with Lois Lane once more before encountering the surviving New Gods. As they were about to destroy him for retribution, Barda's arrival saved Kal from the Genesisians who retreated soon after, with Barda ordering Kal to return to Apokolips, reluctantly agreeing.
As he looked for his armor, Kal and Barda were ambushed by human soldiers using New God technology to successfully lead him into a trap, transporting him to Lex Luthor and Scott Free who immobilized him and were about to experiment on him when Darkseid arrived to take him back to Apokolips. Deesad was decoding the Anti-Life Equation from him when Darkseid told Kal the truth about his purpose, but Kal nonetheless defied him and his father before Desaad finally completed the Anti-Life Equation for Darkseid, now ready to invade Earth.[2]
Fortunately, Kal managed to escape Desaad's grasp and returned to Earth thanks to Barda's help, but his arrival was nearly in vain since Apokolips already took over the entire planet. Thus the New Gods joined forces with Kal and the remaining humans with freewill as a last effort to defeat Darkseid, a nearly futile effort until Orion joined the fight and equalled the odds between the two sides. But Darkseid was too strong, easily defeating both Superman and Orion until Scott Free returned to aid them with his new knowledge.
Lightray gave Superman a portion of his power for him to stand and fight again, but was fatally wounded before he ultimately gave Superman the last of his life force to finally defeat Darkseid once and for all.
With the war over, Kal and Orion were unsure of what to do now, but Scott told them that their journeys were just beginning before bidding them farewell, with both warriors deciding to find new paths.
Kal returned to Apokolips to dismantle the battle-torn war machine and started to rebuild the planet into a free world, releasing the lowlies from Darkseid's previous tyranny and terraforming the surface into life-giving land. With Barda at his side, Superman became the new peaceful ruler of Apokolips, and once their work is done they will reseed New Genesis.[3]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Kal-El possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Kal-El's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
- Heat Vision: Kal-El can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
- Super-Hearing: Kal-El's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
- Enhanced Vision: Kal-El's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.
This umbrella ability includes the following:- Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Kal-El can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
- Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
- X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Kal-Els can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
- Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
- Infrared Vision: Kal-El can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
- Flight: Kal-El is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
- Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Kal-El is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
- Superhuman Stamina: Kal-El is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
- Superhuman Strength: Kal-El's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
- Superhuman Speed: Kal-El is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid-flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time.
This also confers: - Super-Breath: Kal-El is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.
- Longevity: Kal-El can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.
Abilities
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Kal-El was trained in the art of combat by Darkseid himself.[1] Being capable of fending off against multiple opponents simultaneously. [2]
- Military Protocol
Weaknesses
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Kal-El possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Apokoliptian Armor: This armor acts as conduct wich draws geothermal energy from the heart of Apokolips, effectively fueling Kal-El's Kryptonian metabolism which grants him an immense array of abilities.[1]
- Superhuman Strength: It gave Kal-El enough strength to easily defeat and kill Kalibak.[1]
- Superhuman Stamina
- Invulnerability: It could endure the overwhelming heat of the fire pit.[1]
- Superhuman Speed: It could reach the core of New Genesis from the planet's atmosphere in a few seconds.[1]
- Flight
The armor, however, becomes completely ineffective if driven away from Apokolips' orbit, rendering Kal-El powerless.[1] (Formerly)
- Mother Box: Kal-El received the Mother Box of a fallen New God, immediately gaining illumination and serenity from the God computer. The Mother Box recognized Kal's fate and decided to protect him, managing to shield him from even Orion's Astro-Force.[2] (Destroyed)
- Enhanced Armor: When the Genesisian Mother Box merged with his Apokoliptian Armor, it received additional properties that the Armor alone didn't possess. It should be noticed that the armor retained this modifications even after the Mother Box's destruction.[3]
- Solar Energy Absorption: The armor gained the ability to absorb Kal-El's previously absorbed solar radiation (or any identical power source) in order to be functional while away of Apokolips and to amplify it's already existing attributes in order to give it's wearer even greater abilities.[3]
- Enhanced Armor: When the Genesisian Mother Box merged with his Apokoliptian Armor, it received additional properties that the Armor alone didn't possess. It should be noticed that the armor retained this modifications even after the Mother Box's destruction.[3]
Transportation
Weapons
- Apokoliptian Sword (Formerly)
- Omega Warhead: A bomb designed by Darkseid which carries a payload of pure Omega Force, it has enough power to destroy an entire planet.[1]
Recommended Reading
Related
- 4 Appearances of Kal-El (Earth-1198)
- 13 Images featuring Kal-El (Earth-1198)
- 1 Quotations by or about Kal-El (Earth-1198)
- Character Gallery: Kal-El (Earth-1198)
Footnotes
Superman Family member |
Jack Kirby's Fourth World This character or group of characters are related to Jack Kirby's Fourth World, either the original concept and group of titles by Jack Kirby, or any of their subsequent adaptations by other creators. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Fourth World Characters category. |