Wraith (Prime Earth)

Unknown
Mainstream Universe‎‎, 2011‎-present
Gallery
Real Name	Unknown
Affiliation	United States Army
Base Of Operations	The Machine
Status
Alignment	Neutral
Identity	Secret Identity
Marital Status	Single
Occupation	Government Agent
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Eyes	Red
Hair	No Hair
Skin	Grey
Origin
Universe	Prime Earth
Creators	Scott Snyder · Jim Lee
First Appearance	Superman Unchained #1 (August, 2013)
Appearance of Death	Superman Unchained #9 (January, 2015)

We have the real Superman here. And he's been working for the United States for nearly seventy-five years.

— General Samuel Lane

History

On the brink of World War II in 1938, US scientists sent a mathematical equation into space, but the mathematical equation was incorrect, and added up to more than the sum of its parts, to signify the message "let us add up to more, together." Eleven seconds later, a ship crash landed on Earth, with a similar, more complex equation, with a gift enclose, an alien who'd be known as Wraith, or "William Rudolph's Ace in the Hole". The US Army would build a home for Wraith known as "the Machine", and in return, he'd operate in secret for the Army during world crisis. His first major mission was to act as the bomb that was dropped over Nagasaki, which lead the world to believe the US had more nuclear arms than it did, and he served to minimize conflict and eliminate global threats around the entire world for seventy-five years, until the arrival of Superman.

Admiring the Kryptonian, Wraith ultimately aided him in the conflict against the terrorist group "Ascension", though he regretted that he believed he would ultimately be forced to kill Superman at the behest of the U.S. Army if he grew too power hungry or was otherwise ordered to do so. His sole order that he did not follow as given by the United States government is to find out Superman's human identity, seeing no reason to do so with the consideration that Superman will eventually be forced to shed his human disguise by circumstance of others' aging and deaths.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Alien Physiology: Wraith has a physiology that is similar to, but much stronger than that of Superman. Wraith notes that this amount of control over his energy signature has taken decades.

• Energy Absorption: Wraith is capable of absorbing and manipulating the absorption of electromagnetic energy, especially solar power. His absorption, when controlled, averages at one hundred and sixty gigawatts of solar energy.
• Energy Projection: Wraith is capable of releasing powerful blasts of energy that are capable of destroying large metal structures, causing them to detonate.
• Energy Transference: Wraith is capable of manipulating his energy signature to such a degree that he can transform his body in minor ways such as developing spikes that can emit the same signature as Kryptonite.
• Flight
• Sound Manipulation: Capable of tightening his throat muscles to create an echo chamber in order to release a sonic attack from his mouth.
• Superhuman Durability: Capable of withstanding more force than Superman.
• Superhuman Speed: Capable of catching a punch from Superman with minimal effort.
• Superhuman Strength: Possesses a strength greater than that of Superman, able to kick him halfway across the continental United States.

Abilities

• Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic): Unlike Superman, who always had to be prepared to fend for himself, Wraith had the U.S. military backing him for much of his career. As a result, he only has very basic hand-to-hand skills, relying heavily on his powers instead.

Weaknesses

• Vulnerability to Select Radiological Frequency: Much like Superman, he is able to be weakened and even stopped by the use of a radioactive isotope that interacts with his specific energy signature.
  

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• Cloaking Device: Technology from "The Machine" cloaks his energy signature.
• Anti-Ring Suit: To fight Batman, he utilizes a suit of armor covering his arms, legs, and torso made from a kind of red crystal to negate the effects of the radiological frequency he is vulnerable to.

Recommended Reading

• Superman Unchained

Related

• 9 Appearances of Wraith (Prime Earth)
• 6 Images featuring Wraith (Prime Earth)
• 1 Quotations by or about Wraith (Prime Earth)
• Character Gallery: Wraith (Prime Earth)