Superman's Freeze Breath

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Lore & Background

Ultraman exists in the universe of Earth-Three. Unlike Superman, Ultraman is empowered by green kryptonite, developing a new superpower with each new exposure. In one such encounter, Ultraman gains the ability to see through dimensional barriers, making the Crime Syndicate aware of the multiverse. This allows the Syndicate to attack the Justice League and Justice Society of Earth-1. Ultraman differs from Superman in that his version of the planet Krypton has not exploded. In the early 1980s, Ultraman teamed up with Lex Luthor of Earth-One, and Alexei Luthor of Earth-Two, in an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate the Supermen of both Earth-One and Earth-Two. Later, Ultraman joined the rest of the Crime Syndicate in a team-up with a time-traveling villain named Per Degaton, who had found their prison and released them. Degaton used them in his attempt to conquer Earth-Two, by stealing nuclear missiles from the Cuban Missile Crisis of Earth Prime, though they planned to betray him. This proved unsuccessful, as well, and he hurled them into the future of Earth-1, having made sure this would happen if they touched him, and the events were wiped from the timeline afterwards. The original Ultraman is killed in the 1985 series Crisis on Infinite Earths when the Anti-Monitor destroys Earth-Three. Ultraman and the original Crime Syndicate return in the Convergence storyline.

In Their Own Story

Ultraman is from Qward (the antimatter counterpart of Oa) and more powerful than his counterpart Superman. The Crime Syndicate of America (CSA) is revealed to the Justice League by Alexander Luthor, the heroic antimatter counterpart to Lex Luthor. The CSA comes from an antimatter universe, each member being the counterpart to a core League member. Ultraman is Lieutenant Clark Kent, a human astronaut from the antimatter Earth. After his ship imploded into hyperspace, an unknown alien race reconstructed Kent in an attempt to repair the damaged astronaut, which ended up altering him both mentally and physically, giving him 'ultrapowers' similar to Superman's superpowers. According to Alexander Luthor, the process also twisted Ultraman's mind. In contrast to Superman, Ultraman's power relies on his proximity and exposure to a substance called anti-kryptonite; the longer and farther he is separated from it, the weaker he becomes. This substance has no apparent effect on Superman, just as kryptonite has been shown to have no effect on Ultraman. Clark is unhappily married to his Crime Syndicate teammate Superwoman, who uses the alias Lois Lane. In the early 2000s, the two had a child together, but Superwoman maintains a periodic affair with another member of the Crime Syndicate, Owlman, much to Ultraman's frustration. Clark Kent returns to Earth and again leads the Crime Syndicate. In an attempt to repair their Earth after the destruction done by the Weaponers of Qward, the Syndicate kidnaps people from all 52 universes. Ultraman, Owlman and Superwoman are banished to an alternate dimension by Superman after Superman defeats Ultraman in a fight. Ultraman is recruited on a journey to Limbo, along with several other alternate universe Supermen, briefly working with Superman to defeat Mandrakk, the dark Monitor. He is then converted into a vampiric being. Ultraman is apparently killed by the united Supermen alongside Mandrakk.

Reader's Guide

In the New 52 reboot, Ultraman, originally Kal-Il, comes from a version of Krypton whose people were mean-spirited and selfish. Just before this Krypton was destroyed, Kal-Il's parents Jor-Il and Lara sent him to Earth-3 to one day seek vengeance against the being that destroyed Krypton (whom Jor-Il inadvertently summoned), teaching him to become the strongest being on the planet, or become nothing at all. Upon his arrival on Earth-3, the young Kal-Il coerced two alcoholic drug addicts, Johnny and Martha Kent, to adopt him, only to murder them years later once he had no further need of them. He went on to found the Crime Syndicate and take over the world. Ultraman is a violent, homicidal megalomaniac, as well as an elitist and Darwinist who values strength and selfishness, and hates weakness and altruism. After Earth-3 was devastated by the same being that destroyed Krypton-3, Ultraman leads the Crime Syndicate to the Prime Earth to conquer it. During the 'Darkseid War' storyline, Ultraman is released and given kryptonite to battle the former Anti-Monitor: Mobius. When Ultraman attacks Mobius by himself against Superman's advice, he is overpowered and killed. During the 'Year of the Villain' storyline, Ultraman is restored alongside Earth-Three. In Infinite Frontier, Kal-Il is the last survivor of the dead planet Krypton, sent to Earth as a baby. He was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who adopted him and named him Clark. His powers manifested early and he never bothered to hide them, so the other children were afraid of and ostracised him, telling him that he was from space. The Kents exploited Clark and his powers for free labor, teaching him that obedience was the ultimate virtue and that people who did not contribute to society were to be reviled as 'freeloaders'. They also manipulated him to be emotionally dependent on them so that he would never leave the farm. When he was a teenager in 1963 his parents showed him his spacecraft and revealed to him that he was the last of his kind, telling him they were all he had. They hoped this would make him afraid to ever break free of them, but in fact he turned on them, realizing that they had only ever taken advantage of him. He flew away from Smallville, carrying his ship. Ultraman reveals himself to the world on November 22, 1963 by assassinating John F. Kennedy with his heat vision. He is the world's only known metahuman until other beings with unnatural powers emerge in 2021. He rules Metropolis as a semi-benevolent dictator, beloved by some but feared and hated by many others. Ultraman allows the people of Metropolis limited freedom but tolerates no dissent. The only people who challenge him openly are Lex Luthor and Cat Grant. Following the Starro invasion, a number of metahumans reveal themselves to the world, and Luthor recruits them into the Legion of Justice. Owlman and Superwoman approach Ultraman for an alliance to counter Luthor and rule the world, offering to make him their leader. Ultraman accepts and Superwoman also offers herself to him, hoping to conceive an heir. The Legion of Justice, aided by Ultraman's cousin Ultragirl, fight against the Crime Syndicate of America, during which Atomica kills Ultragirl. Ultraman is defeated when the Crime Syndicate comes into conflict with the Suicide Squad, which Amanda Waller combines with the remaining Crime Syndicate into a new Justice League. In Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent, Ultraman would encounter Jon once more, overpowering him and threatening both to murder the Lois Lane of Jon's Earth and resume his previous torture of Jon in the volcano, only to be killed when the Superman of the Injustice universe intervenes and snaps Ultraman's neck.

Did You Know?

• Ultraman first appeared in Justice League of America #29 (August 1964).
• Unlike Superman, Ultraman is empowered by green kryptonite, developing a new superpower with each new exposure.
• In the Pre-Crisis version, Ultraman's Krypton has not exploded.
• In the New 52 reboot, Ultraman's original name is Kal-Il, and he murdered his adoptive parents Johnny and Martha Kent.
• Ultraman reveals himself to the world on November 22, 1963 by assassinating John F. Kennedy with his heat vision.