Superman’s Clone is Becoming Bizarro?!

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James Gunn’s version of Superman doesn’t have many unexpected twists, but it does include a few major ones. One significant twist is discovering that Lex Luthor’s masked super-soldier, Ultraman, is actually a clone of Superman who isn’t very aware of his actions. This character bears a striking resemblance to one of Superman’s recurring enemies from the DC Comics, Bizarro. However, Ultraman doesn’t fully transform into Bizarro in this film yet. But James Gunn does set up the possibility for that development in future instalments.

Bizarro’s Silver Age Comic Book Origins

In the world of comics, Bizarro has been a frequent foe to Superman since his debut during the Silver Age in 1958’s “Superboy” #68. This character was brought to life when a scientist used a duplicating device on Superboy, creating an inferior version with Superboy’s powers but lacking intelligence. He also had pale, chalky skin, giving him a monstrous appearance. Essentially, Bizarro was imagined as if Frankenstein’s monster had Superboy’s abilities but in a more kid-friendly way. Initially conceived as a one-time adversary, readers found Bizarro intriguing, and the character was subsequently revived by DC Comics.

In approximately a year, Lex Luthor employed the replicating device on an aged Superman, resulting in a perplexed version of Bizarro in Action Comics issue 254. The Frankenstein comparisons grew starker, with Bizarro communicating in a fractured, juvenile English and expressing everything “opposite.” This Bizarro became a common character in the Silver Age comics, constructing his own Bizarro realm populated by peculiar duplicates of all Superman’s associates. Notably, they inhabited a cube-shaped planet (the Silver Age was quite whimsical). Bizarro further cemented his presence when he joined the Legion of Doom on the Saturday morning series Super Friends. The portrayal of Christopher Reeve battling an evil replica of himself in a shabby costume in Superman III bore striking similarities to Bizarro.

Bizarro in the Modern Era of Superman Comics

After the reboot of Superman following the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” by John Byrne, Lex Luthor created Bizarro once more, but this time through cloning. However, since Luthor wasn’t aware that Superman was an alien (this information was not public at the time), he couldn’t account for the extraterrestrial DNA. As a result, the clone turned out differently than intended. Eventually, this flawed clone broke free from Luthor’s grip and started causing chaos in Metropolis. Although it wasn’t driven by malice, more so by confusion. This portrayal of Bizarro served as the basis for his character in “Superman: The Animated Series”, and many subsequent comic book versions followed suit with this depiction.

Could Ultraman Become the DCU’s Bizarro?

In the DC Universe, Ultraman shares many traits similar to the typical origin story of Bizarro. He’s a Luthor-made clone of Superman, but he lacks intelligence and isn’t fully developed. Unlike Bizarro, he doesn’t wear a copy of Superman’s costume and doesn’t have Bizarro’s dead-like skin. If Ultraman survives the black hole in the collapsing pocket universe (which is likely), his appearance might change significantly, perhaps making him look a bit pale and monstrous. Given this, it appears that if a sequel to Superman is made, Ultraman could easily transform into Bizarro. Director Gunn should ensure that Ultraman is dressed in a dirty Superman suit with a backward ‘S’ symbol. To us, it’s not a matter of “if” Ultraman becomes Bizarro, but rather “when.

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2025-07-14 10:02