Ultraman in James Gunn’s Superman: The Surprising DC Villain You Need to Know About!

by

In James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film, various DC characters will make an appearance, including Metamorpho and Green Lantern Guy Gardner. However, a somewhat lesser-known DC character is set to appear, and he can be seen in the latest trailer: Ultraman, not the Japanese superhero, but rather the villain from DC Comics. Despite looking different in the trailer, this character bears the “U” emblem on his chest, which is characteristic of DC’s Ultraman. Recent toy images have confirmed that this figure indeed represents Ultraman. Yet, it remains to be seen if it’s the same Ultraman from the comics, as there have been three different villains by that name in the comics.

DC Comics’ First Ultraman, an Evil Superman from Earth-3

In 1964, the first version of DC Comics’ Ultraman debuted as a villain in Earth-3, which was introduced in issue #29 of Justice League of America. This occurred during the initial stages of DC’s Multiverse, not long after they introduced Earth-2, home to the Justice Society from World War II. On Earth-3, Ultraman, a malevolent counterpart to Superman, was the leader of an evil version of the Justice League. Unlike the virtuous Superman, this Ultraman used his powers for criminal activities.

Ultraman hails from a non-exploded Krypton, unlike Superman, and instead of being weakened by Kryptonite, he grows stronger from it. The existence of Kryptonite in a planet that didn’t explode is something we don’t fully understand. Ultraman collaborated with the Crime Syndicate to invade Earth-1 with Lex Luthor’s help. For many decades, they wreaked havoc on Earth-1’s heroes. However, during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, when Earth-3 was in danger, Ultraman changed his ways and became a hero. He even sacrificed himself heroically during the Crisis to save his world.

The Second Ultraman, from the Anti-Matter Earth

After the Crisis, Grant Morrison reinvented Ultraman and the Crime Syndicate as inhabitants of the Antimatter Universe in the DC Universe. In the graphic novel JLA: Earth-2, written by Morrison and illustrated by Frank Quitely, this version of Ultraman is actually Clark Kent, a human astronaut who developed powers in space after meeting aliens who manipulated his DNA using Kryptonite. They sent him back to Earth with powers similar to those of the Kryptonians and a desire to dominate the world.

In 2013, DC introduced yet another Ultraman, this time from a new version of Earth-3.

Ultraman from the Reimagined Earth-3

In the latest DC Comics storyline, Ultraman is revealed to be a Kryptonian counterpart to Superman, but instead of being Kal-El, son of Jor-El, he is Kal-Il, son of Jor-Il. Contrary to his mission of saving Earth, he was sent by his father with the intention to conquer it. The Kent family, who took him in as their adopted son under the name Clark, were unwittingly providing him with a cover. Unlike previous incarnations, Ultraman proved to be irredeemably wicked, showing no remorse even as young as 7 when he murdered his adoptive parents. Exposure to Kryptonite increased his power and he led the Crime Syndicate. In this storyline, he met his apparent end in a battle against Superman’s son, Jonathan Kent.

Is Ultraman from James Gunn’s Superman Really Bizarro?

It’s possible that the Ultraman character from James Gunn’s film won’t be a version from the Multiverse, but rather a fusion of two alternate versions of Superman: Ultraman and Bizarro. While we can’t confirm this, it’s an interesting theory. In the comics, Bizarro was created as a twisted clone of Superman, with his DNA deteriorating over time to make him simple-minded and pale-skinned. It’s speculated that Ultraman might also be a clone of Superman, using a mask to hide his identity from Kal-El. If this theory holds true, Ultraman could serve as Lex Luthor’s main weapon against Superman. However, it’s important to note that we don’t know for certain if he will hail from the Multiverse. Additionally, it wouldn’t be surprising if by the end of the movie, Ultraman transforms into Bizarro, as Bizarro is a well-known Superman villain who has yet to appear in a film. If this happens, it could make for an exciting twist at the end.

Superman arrives in theaters on July 11.

Read More

2025-05-20 01:33