Superman (Kal-L)


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This particular Superman is Superman's counterpart from the parallel universe of Earth-2A. He has been an active superhero since at least the early 1940s.

Background Information
The Superman of Earth-Two was the alternate-universe counterpart of the Superman of Earth-One, who was a part time member of the Justice Society of America and the All-Star Squadron.

Continuity from the Superman (1940s cartoons)
He was born Kal-L, on the planet Krypton, a planet that was inhabited by a race of supermen.

One day, massive quakes threatened to destroy Krypton. One of the planet's leading scientists sensed the approach of doom, and placed his infant son in a small rocket ship, and sent it on a course for the planet Earth, just as Krypton exploded. When the ship landed on Earth, a passing motorist found the child in the rocket, and took him to an orphanage.

As the years went by and the child grew to maturity, he found himself possessed of amazing physical powers. He disguises himself as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper. There he befriends Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.

Continuity from the Super Friends (comic book)
He teamed up with heroes from Earth-1A on more than one occasion. He is obviously older than his Earth-1A counterpart, as he had been active since at least the 40's.

By the mid-to-late 1970's, he has a little gray in his hair and is semi-retired.

Strengths and Abilities
Kryptonian Physiology: Kal-L's powers were attributed to his Kryptonian physiology, and not the radiation of a yellow sun, as all Kryptonians native to this reality did have superpowers in their original red sun system. Hence, Kal-L's powers did not fluctuate under the presence or lack of yellow sun light. This was the primary rationale used for his lower superpower levels to his other dimensional counterparts and his aging.


 * Superhuman Strength: His strength did not compare to his Earth-One counterpart or other other-dimensional Kryptonians.
 * Invulnerability
 * Superhuman Stamina
 * Flight
 * Superhuman Speed
 * Super-Breath
 * Super Hearing
 * Various Vision Based Powers:
 * Heat Vision
 * Super Vision
 * Telescopic Vision
 * X-Ray Vision
 * Microscopic Vision

Weaknesses

 * Magic: Kal-L had a higher than normal vulnerability to magical beings and devices.
 * Kryptonite: Since the destruction of Krypton, its remains (rendered radioactive by the explosion) have been spreading throughout the universe as kryptonite, a crystalline substance whose specific radiation is lethal to Kryptonians native to this reality. In Kal-L's original Earth Two dimension there was only one type of Kryptonite, Green, and its effect is directly poisonous to Earth-Two Kryptonians.  The long term effects of other races being in close or direct contact with Earth-Two dimension Kryptonite was unknown.
 * Other-Dimensional Kryptonians: Kal-L was shown to be far weaker in scope to so called "infinite powered" other dimensional Kryptonians such as Superman (Earth-One), but Kal-L would never retreat from battle with them when he had to despite the large differences in their strength levels to Kal-L.
 * Lead: Kal-L could not see through lead with his vision powers.
 * Bio Energy: Kal-L's will eventually weaken without rest as his body-generated energies are not inexhaustible. Unlike his other dimensional counterparts, Kal-L was not powered by normal (yellow) sun radiation.  Kal-L was not effected by red sunlight and maintained his superpowers in red sun systems unlike the Earth-One and current reality Superman who lose their powers in a red sun system.



Appearances
Superman (1940s cartoons)

Fleischer Studios
 * 1) The Mad Scientist
 * 2) The Mechanical Monsters
 * 3) Billion Dollar Limited
 * 4) The Arctic Giant
 * 5) The Bulleteers
 * 6) The Magnetic Telescope
 * 7) Electric Earthquake
 * 8) Volcano
 * 9) Terror on the Midway

Famous Studios
 * 1) Japoteurs
 * 2) Showdown
 * 3) Eleventh Hour
 * 4) Destruction, Inc.
 * 5) The Mummy Strikes
 * 6) Jungle Drums
 * 7) The Underground World
 * 8) Secret Agent

Super Friends comic book:
 * 1) Super Friends # 7 (October 1977) references:
 * All-Star Comics, Vol. 1 # 69 (November, 1977)