Changes: Kal-El (Earth-Prime)

Superboy was born Kal-El, son of Lara and Jor-El of the planet Krypton. When Kal-El was still a toddler, his scientist father made a grave discovery. He learned that a massive solar flare from Krypton's red sun threatened to engulf their home world, ultimately destroying it. Jor-El brought his concerns to the Kryptonian science council, but rather than offer solutions, they politicized the pending travesty and locked themselves in committee.

In the meantime, Jor-El labored to find a way to save the people of Krypton. Working alongside his scientist wife, Lara, they developed a technology which would enable them to teleport samples of living tissue (weighing less than fifty pounds) across intergalactic distances. He presented his transportation device to the science council, but it was too late. Krypton was already beginning to suffer from the effects of the intense solar radiation. As Krypton shook in its death-throes, Jor-El placed his son inside of the teleportation device and transported him across the universe.

Kal-El rematerialized on the planet Earth. In a New England seacoast town, Jerry and Naomi Kent were hiking through the forests when they discovered the abandoned toddler. They decided to adopt him and raise him as their own. Naomi chose to name him Clark, despite the fact that Clark Kent was the name of a popular comic book hero known as Superman.

Unlike his namesake however, Clark Kent grew up without the benefit of super-powers. His classmates at school would tease him and refer to him as Superboy. However, Clark took the ribbing in stride and soon cultivated a small circle of friends.

As Clark grew older, he became romantically involved with a fellow student named Laurie Lemmon. One evening, Clark, Laurie and several other friends decided to attend a costumed beach party. Being of good humor, Clark donned a Superboy costume similar to that worn by the fictional comic book hero. They drove down to Hampton Beach and sat by the ocean waiting to catch sight of Halley’s Comet.

Suddenly, a tremendous tidal wave rose up on the beachhead threatening to flood the small hamlet. At that same moment, a cosmic vortex opened up above them discharging the Earth-One super-hero known as Superman. At that critical moment, a bizarre transformation took hold of Clark. The physical characteristics of his Kryptonian heritage manifested for the first time and he discovered that he was gifted with flight and super-strength.

Superman quickly introduced himself to his alternate Earth counterpart, but there was little time for pleasantries. He gave Superboy a crash course in the use of his powers and together, they were able to divert the course of the deadly tidal wave.

With the immediate disaster abated, the newly crowned Superboy aided Superman in returning him to his proper world. He followed Superman through the cosmic vortex to Earth-One. Little did Superboy realize that he would never again see his adopted world.

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Main article: Crisis on Infinite Earths

The multiversal catastrophe known as the Crisis on Infinite Earths began as a deadly wave of anti-matter consumed parallel dimensions. Superboy aided heroes from hundreds of different worlds, but none of them were able to save the Earth of his home dimension from destruction.

The Crisis finally culminated with the destruction of the multiverse. In its place existed a solitary static universe with only one version of the planet Earth. Superboy remained as the sole survivor of not only his birth world, but his adopted world as well. He united with an aging version of Superman from the late Earth-Two as well as his wife, Lois Lane. Along with Alexander Luthor of Earth-Three, they traveled into the antimatter universe and forged a quiet, peaceful existence for themselves in a paradise realm.

Infinite Crisis

Main article: Infinite Crisis

SupPrime — Superboy in his Anti-Monitor armor

Eventually, Superboy, Superman, Lois Lane and Alexander Luthor broke free of their paradise realm and returned to Earth of the Post-Crisis reality. The weight of the destruction of his core reality finally took its toll on Superboy and drove him insane.

He first stopped at Earth's moon and destroyed the Watchtower, the headquarters of the JLA. He then flew to Smallville, Kansas where he encountered the Superboy of this reality. He chastised the clone Superboy and accused him of being unworthy of his name. The two fought one another and their epic battle raged across the state, eventually culminating in Keystone City. Members of the JSA and the Teen Titans arrived to lend a hand, but the power-mad Superboy-Prime thwarted even their efforts. He brutally attacked the heroes, killing several including Pantha, Bushido and Wildebeest. Jay Garrick, Wally West, and Bart Allen, grabbed Superboy-Prime and used their combined super-speed to propel him into the kinetic dimension known as the Speed Force.

However Kal-El Prime escaped from his imprisonment and built a battle-suit based on the Anti-Monitor's armor that constantly supplies his body with yellow sunlight. Kal-El Prime arrived at Alexander Luthor's tower to battle with Nightwing, Superboy of New Earth and Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark). The heroes succeeded in releasing the metahumans powering the machine. After a brief fight, Connor grabbed Superboy-Prime and flew into the tower destroying it. But the planet moving Superboy-Prime beat Connor to death in retaliation for destroying the machine as his chance for reforming his source Earth-Prime was now lost.

Kal-El Prime then was seen at the Battle of Metropolis, killing the heroes with ease. He continued his killing until he was met with resistance by Bart Allen in his grandfather's, Barry Allen, uniform. He was pulverized by Bart, but left Earth to destroy Oa in an attempt to cause another Big Bang and reform the current universe hopefully closer to his original Earth-Prime reality. On the way to ignite this universal rebirth, Kal-El Prime killed 32 Green Lanterns. Then, while passing the Krypton solar system, Kal-L and Kal-El forced Kal-El Prime through Krypton's red sun to depower the vastly overpowered Kal-El Prime to levels where the elder Supermen could handle Kal-El Prime directly. The three crash landed on Mogo, where they continued to fight. Kal-L's power levels were intact, but was still no match for even the power fading levels of Kal-El Prime who was able literally beat Kal-L to death with his bare fists and was able to fight against the New Earth adult Kal-El whose own superpower levels had completely faded. But the time and effort Kal-El Prime used to attack Kal-L whose strength and endurance was still superhuman was enough to completely drain off Kal-El Prime's own power level to where the fully adult Kal-El of New Earth was able to beat the still only teenage Kal-El Prime.

Kal-El Prime was then taken into the custody of the Green Lantern Corps. Too powerful to be placed in a regular sciencell on Oa, the Guardians of the Universe imprisoned him inside a Sciencell near what is alternately described as a red sun or a Red Sun-Eater, constantly being guarded by fifty Green Lanters. Members of the Corps were often assigned to "Prime Duty" as punishment. While in prison, Kal-El Prime carved a bloody "S" on his chest using his fingernail, saying that he had always found a way out (referring, presumably, to his escape from the Speed Force and his future prison).

Sinestro Corps

Superboy-Prime was freed, along with Hank Henshaw, by a strike force of Sinestro Corps members who turned the red sun to yellow, presumably thereby restoring his powers. Kal-El Prime was brought to Qward, where he was made into a herald of the Anti-Monitor, along with Henshaw and the Parallax-possessed Kyle Rayner. ^[1]

Now calling himself Superman-Prime, Kal-El Prime joined in the battle to attack most of the major heroes of Earth as part of the strike force of the Sinestro Corps. And again, due to the massive power difference between himself and the others, Kal-El Prime was able to cut a path of destruction throughout the known universe, once again successfully defeating Kal-El of New Earth but this with Power Girl and Supergirl all at the same time with them charged up as well, ending the debate of who was the most powerful of the Supermen as well as many other high powered heroes in his role as the herald of the Anti-Monitor.

However Kal-El Prime was shown that his main goal is to still gain his revenge on the Anti-Monitor who he accidently revived during his time in the Paradise Dimension and somehow recover his lost universe, or at least the recognition as the so called "real" Superman over weaker incarnations such as the adult Kal-El of New Earth.

Towards the end of the Sinestro War, Kal-El Prime was confronted by the Guardians of the Universe, who introduced the new Ion, the Daxamite Sodam Yat. Kal-El Prime amd Sodam Yat battle each other in a brutal and fierce fight though it is clear that Prime is clearly overpowered to Yat though Yat refuses to yield in anyway. But when the battle is taken inside a nuclear power plant (with its walls lined with lead), Ion is obviously weakened by lead poisoning to the point that he can not even really fight back against Kal-El Prime. Kal-El Prime spears Ion with several uranium rods, then beats him unconcious and leaves Yat for dead until the Guardians interrupt him from actually finishing Yat.

Later on, during the final battle between the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps, The Anti-Monitor is severely injured when the Green Lanterns throw Warworld at him like a grenade. Prime takes this opprotunity to turn on him and throws the Anti-Monitor into deep space. Prime is then attacked by both Corps and kills several members from both sides. Before any more lives can be lost, one of the Guardians uses himself as a living bomb and explodes himself to kill Prime. The explosion does not kill Kal-El Prime but merely transports him far across the cosmos. An unexpected result of the transport was that Kal-El Prime's atoms are enfused with a large portion of the Guardian's own energies that the Guardian thought would destroy Kal-El Prime. The infusion of the Guardian's energy as part of his energy absorption and processing ability restructures his body to now appear as a fully adult man rather than his actual age of only 19.

Countdown

During the "Countdown" adventures the now adult looking Kal-El Prime has started a murderous rampage against all of his other dimensional counterparts and their supporters while searching for Earth-Prime. Kal-El Prime was shown killing the Superman of the Earth-15 dimension and his wife and unborn child. After killing that world's Justice League, Kal-El Prime destroys Earth-15. Returning to his new base of operations, the Source Wall, Kal-El Prime is shown torturing Mr. Mxyzptlk to recreate Earth-Prime using his super-science/magick abilities or at least show him its locale. During his torture, Mxyzptlk reveals to Prime that his aging to adulthood was from him absorbing the cosmic Oan powers of the Guardian that blew himself up to kill Prime. He also tells Kal-El Prime that the cosmic energies will wear off very soon, and then he will turn back into a boy. After he escapes, Prime is angered and gives up on the use of magic to achieve his goals.

After finding out about the so called perfect universe which he thinks is his original source universe, Kal-El Prime heads off to the Monitor's satellite headquarters, threatening the brutal Earth-8 Monitor Solomon to help him find this recreated Earth-Prime. Superman-Prime demands to know where this "perfect universe" is. Seeking to manipulate the infinite powered Superman Prime to defeat Monitor's forces against those of Monarch for the Monitors, Solomon sends Kal-El Prime to Earth-51.

And as Solomon predetermined, the successfully manipulated Prime flies to the battlefield to challenge Monarch, in order to keep him from destroying Earth-51. Superman-Prime goes into a rage and attacks Monarch, with his cosmic powers seemingly beginning to dissipate. Prime then tears off the chestplate of Monarch's containment armor. The energies inside Monarch's armor are released, resulting in an explosion of quantum energy so massive, it destroys the entire Earth-51 universe.

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds

Spoiler Warning: Plot or ending details follow. Please skip this section if you do not want foreknowledge of this plot.

The Time Trapper has brought the young Kal-El Prime to the 31st century in his never ending scheme to destroy the Legion of Super-Heroes. He crashes into the 31st Century a little bit outside of Smallville. Prime was brought from the time just right after the Monarch War. His stolen Oan energy at this point had faded reverting him to his actual young age as well as returning his power to their previous levels, which was what Mr. Mxyzptlk had foretold.

Upon arriving he is encountered by a old farming couple, who thinks he's superboy, which makes him extremely mad. He considers himself a man not a boy and he kills the couple. When he flies to Smallville he comes upon the Superman Museum, further fomenting his fury at how beloved Superman is in the future; then becomes even more enraged when he sees the hall of villains, only to find out that he is not even considered a villain of Superman's, but no more then a nuisance and his statue is kept in back storage. Further more history retells that he was defeated by Conner Kent and Sodam Yat, totally contrary to what really happened. He proceeds to wreck the entire museum and kill whatever security or police officers he comes across. The Museum tour guide (a holographic recreation of Jimmy Olsen) tells Prime of the Legion of Super-Villains.

When Prime learned that the Legion followed a code of evil, inspired by a dark being whose "name was never spoken." he got the idea to be the greatest villain Superman had ever faced. Prime, then went to the prison planet Takron-Galtos, and frees the imprisoned Lightning Lord, Saturn Queen, and Cosmic King. When they see Prime they immediately know him and hail him as the inspiration of the Legion's evil code, making him the dark being in question. He then burns an S shield into the planet, that can be seen from space.

When the Legion of Super-Heroes learns of the prison break they decide they need to bring Superman from the 21st Century. Superman and Brainiac 5 decide to bring in two other versions of the legion to combat the Legion of Super-Villains. Superman believes the only way to stop the carnage is to try to redeem Prime.

Prime later makes his way to Sorcerer's World where he recruits Mordru to his legion and kills the "last" active Green Lantern Rond Vidar.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Power Levels

Kal-El of former Earth-Prime literally has no limitations that are not self-imposed onto himself and his powers as his own arrogance, lack of patience and unwillingness to learn to refine his power mastery. Kal-El has repeatedly shown that he prefers to batter through his problems rather than think the matter completely through, which has allowed others of obvious lesser powers to his own to still overcome him long enough to survive and escape Kal-El's attacks.

Kal-El of former Earth-Prime is one of the most powerful beings in the DC multiverse and has no limitations in his ability to directly use or overwhelm other physical or energy sources, as shown in him breaching higher dimensions (going into and out of the 5th dimension at will) and even the Source Wall itself and surviving the annihilation of an entire dimension.

He was formally empowered by the energies of the Guardian of the Universe he sacrificed his life to get rid of Prime. These Oan energies aged him to adulthood, increasing his powers even more then normal. Though they weren't to last, as he used them all up to fight against the Monarch. Since that battle he has reverted to his former physical age and his powers have returned to that previous level. ^[2]

Kryptonian-Prime Powers

Kryptonian Physiology: Kal-El Prime's cellular structure is more dense, resilient and biologically more effective than human tissue. Strangely enough, he does not seem to possess superhuman strength levels despite his enhanced cellular ability without constant exposure to yellow solar energy. Without such charging, his strength seems on par for a human of his height and weight who engages in regular physical activity. As an alien he possess several organs whose functions are not yet disclosed or understood but are believed to be part of and perhaps even the source of his biomatrix force field and reclamation aura. Kal-El Prime's body also stores energy actively within his bio-cellular matrix as an energy pattern that is linked to his body's electromagnetic field. This energy powers most of Superboy's electromagnetic capabilities such as flight and heat vision. It also supplements his physical strength by a factor of 12,000 times or so.

Energy Absorption: Technically, this is the primary source of Kal-El-Prime's powers. Because Kal-El Prime's powers are mostly the result of his ability to absord and process yellow sun energy, his powers have been affected by extreme absorptions of solar power, whether voluntary or involuntary. Prime seems either unique due to his hailing from another dimension or maybe this may be an unknown advancement of this ability that other kryptonians have yet to achieve. Prime's body is not limited to processing only yellow sun energy as the energy of the Willpower-manipulating energy of the Guardian's is completely compatible to his body's energy processing ability. It is unclear what other energy sources Kal-El Prime's cells can effectively process. But presently only these two seperate and distinct known sources (yellow solar energy and Guardian mental energy) are the most effective.

Superhuman Strength: Kal-El Prime has near infinite physical strength under his own original superhuman levels, which are present in all of his other physical abilities as long as he is charged by yellow solar radiation. Fully charged, Kal-El Prime has repeatedly shown himself to be able to move entire planets out of their orbits at will and has defeated multiple attacks by fully charged other dimensional Kryptonian counterparts to himself at his regular "charged-up" levels.

Invulnerability: Fully charged in a yellow star solar system, Kal-El Prime is impervious to all known physical attacks and has directly survived traveling through a sun.

Superhuman Stamina: Kal-El Prime has the ability to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an undefined period. Theoretically, most incarnations of the character has unlimited stamina as his enhanced nourishment is produced from the solar energy his cells process; however his base physical structure still does need to process food stuffs as well as has the psychological need to eat and drink just as Earth humans do, despite the fact that his superhuman powers receives the majority of that power from a yellow sun.

Flight: Through an act of will, Kal-El Prime can fly without the aid of wings or other navigational devices. His recorded speed while flying under yellow solar energy only has been noted to be well beyond light speed being able to do independent time travel by exceeding the light speed barrier as evident during the Infinite Crisis saga, rather than the slower vibrational matching technique that Wally West, Bart Allen and Jay Garrick use to move in time.

Superhuman Speed: Kal-El Prime possesses the ability to move at an incredible speed, like the Flashes. This includes running at speeds that are beyond supersonic, but usually engages in flying as that is usually less strenuous and more versatile. As stated above, his flight speed is beyond light speed and is able to time travel by exceeding the light speed barrier.

Enhanced Senses: Kal-El Prime possesses super enhanced senses that allow him to detect vibrational movements at least in the sub-atomic motion level. Some of his known super-senses include

Super Breath: Kal-El Prime can generate a concentrated gust of wind from his mouth capable of freezing matter within a limited range, as evidenced by him freezing several Green Lanterns to death while fighting them off in space.

Vision specific powers

Telescopic Vision: Kal-El Prime can perceive objects at great distances. The range of his telescopic vision is unknown, but he can see objects from several hundred miles away. This ability operates independently of normal vision and can be activated or deactivated by an act of will.

X-Ray Vision: Through an act of will, Kal-El Prime can perceive items in the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see through solid objects of varying depths and thickness. The exact range of Kal-El Prime's X-ray vision is unknown.

Microscopic Vision: The ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level (normal optical microscopes can only see objects down to the size of chromosomes).

Infrared Vision Kal-El Prime can see in total darkness

Electro-magnetic Spectrum Vision: can see well into most of the EM Spectrum. He can see and identify radio/television and any and all broadcast/transmitted frequencies, allowing him to avoid detection through radar or satellite monitoring methods.

Heat Vision: Kal-El Prime can generate beams of intensified heat from both of his eyes. His heat vision is strong enough to melt through Titanium steel and other durable metals. His heat vision also generates concussive force, which can repel opponents away from him.

Other super-sensory powers

Superhuman Hearing: Kal-El Prime has the ability to hear any sound at any volume or pitch from vast distances. This power is suggested to be a form of mental telepathy that corresponds to sound as he has been shown to hear sounds in outer space where there is no air for the sounds to travel through.

Abilities

Magic Resistance: Kal-El Prime has a high resistance to magical based attacks as he was only minimally effect from a blast from Black Adam, stating that it only "tickled" him. As the same effect happened when he was attacked by Mordru.

Kryptonite Immunity: Krypton of Earth-Prime's universe—unlike other versions of the planet—was swallowed up by its sun Rao, rather than destroyed in an explosion that might have created kryptonite, so there is no known kryptonite that can affect Kal-El Prime. Kal-El Prime, as well as Kal-L, has been shown to be immune to the Kryptonite of the New Earth Universe. Presently there is no known variant of Kryptonite that originates in the curent reality that can effect Kal-El Prime. It is unknown at this time if Prime can be affected by variant of Kryptonite from other dimensions.

Weaknesses

Solar Energy: Kal-El Prime's superhuman powers all result from his ability to store process and convert compatable energy sources in his body for effect. His primary and most accessible energy source is yellow solar energy. In order to function at peak capacity using solar energy, Kal-El Prime must remain within the accessible area of such yellow solar radiation or his powers fade to greatly reduced levels, some disappearing entirely if his solar reserves are empty. It is presently unclear what other solar energy sources Kal-El Prime can directly use though it is known red sun energy will NOT empower him.

It is thought that he can not process energy from the lower frequency orange O-class stars and cannot process the higher-frequency White K or blue F classes, as that is the case in some other dimensional Kryptonians such as Kal-El of New Earth. But this limitation is presently unconfirmed.

Unlike most other dimensional Kryptonians such as the current primary Superman, Kal-El Prime loses his charging very fast, though likewise can charge up very fast (was shown being able to charge up to near full strength withing a few seconds while being beaten by a mass of heroes on Earth and recovered almost completely, within seconds, when he entered into sunlight). However Kal-El Prime has to remain within direct exposure of that charging yellow sun radiation, or he begins to lose his abilities. This is very different from the current Primary Earth dimension Kryptonians whose bodies process, store and dissipate yellow solar radiation much more slowly.

Kal-El Prime can easily survive conditions in deep space, but he does need to breathe, eat, sleep, and excrete. Kal-El Prime can hold his breath for an unknown amount of time. However it is suggested that he needs to sleep in order to allow his mind to dream. Unlike humans and Earth-Two dimension Kryptonians who were directly shown to need sleep, Kal-El Prime has been shown to be more like the former Earth-One dimension Kryptonians who when charged did not experience the psychological effects of sleep deprivation as would any other person who missed a night of sleep. Kal-El Prime has been shown that while wearing his solar charging armor on Qward he did not sleep for an extended amount of time without losing any of his concentration effects.

When Kal-El Prime's solar energy reserves are depleted, his powers and abilities, such as his resistance to physical punishment, drops. However the true extent of that limitation is not known, as he was drained excessively while fighting most of the Primary Earth heroes and was able to successfully withstand their attacks at his weakened power levels until sunrise on his locale whereby he was able to recharge and regained most of his power levels within seconds. ^[3]

Lead: As Superboy, all of Kal-El Prime's vision powers are ineffective against lead or lead-based material.

Psionics: It is unknown if Kal-El Prime can be overwhelmed by those who are able to generate psionic energies. Though based on similar solar powered Kryptonians such as the Earth-One Superman it is suggested that Kal-El Prime's latent super-concentration would be able to save him from such attacks if he does not allow them to continue against him.

Mental Instability: Prime is utterly single-minded in his pursuit of creating what he believes to be the "Perfect Earth;" as such, his judgment has shown itself to be severely impaired when it comes to dealing with others in achieving this goal. His mania and arrested emotional maturity level have led to countless deaths across the multiverse; both intentional and from his rampaging carelessness.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Solar Armor: Super charging armor that kept his power levels at their maximum even inside of non yellow sun solar systems. While imprisoned by the Flashes on an alternate Earth, Superboy-Prime builds a power suit modeled after the Anti-Monitor, which collects and feeds him yellow solar energy, to maintain his power levels even when exposed to a red sun. Although he claims to have made it himself, Bart Allen remembers him stealing it following his escape. It is destroyed when the two Supermen fly Superboy-Prime through Krypton's red sun. After his escape from Oa, Superboy-Prime is given a new power suit built by the Sinestro Corps. This suit was destroyed by various heroes during the Sinestro Corps invasion of Earth.

Notes

This Pre-Crisis version of Superboy is unique to the reality of Earth-Prime and is not to be confused with the Silver Age Superboy of Earth-One nor the Superboy who originated from the Pocket Universe.
Superboy of Earth-Prime does not suffer harmful side-effects from red solar radiation, but will lose his superpowers the longer he is away from a yellow sun system (i.e. under a red sun). Kal-El Prime built his Solar Armor to counter this.

Currently with the extra power he attained, Kal-El Prime no longer loses his powers in red sun systems or needs external yellow solar battery systems such as his armor.

Trivia

Superman-Prime was not born with his super-abilities like most Pre-Crisis Kryptonians. For the early years of his life, he was as strong and as vulnerable as a normal human being.

External Links

Superboy-Prime article at Supermanica

Footnotes

↑ Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special #1
↑ Geoff Johns confirmed Superman-Prime did indeed survive the destruction of Monarch and will return in the later portion of 2008
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=139577
↑ Superman-Prime #1

Superman Family member
This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of Superman, and a member of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Family members" category.

Superman Villain(s)

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Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular Vol 1 1 Textless 1960s Variant

Green Lantern Villain(s)

This character is or was primarily an enemy of the Green Lantern of Earth, or the Green Lantern Corps as a whole. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Green Lantern Villains."

[1] Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special #1

[2] Geoff Johns confirmed Superman-Prime did indeed survive the destruction of Monarch and will return in the later portion of 2008
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=139577

[3] Superman-Prime #1

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