There’s hardly a soul alive who doesn’t know who Superman is. Whether you’ve read every comic alive or barely skimmed the surface of pop culture, the Man of Steel is one of the few comic book characters whose image is burned in the minds of millions, if not billions. And if you consider yourself a bit more seasoned than the average fan, chances are you know some other versions of Superman, like his son Jon Kent, or his wicked doppelganger from the Injustice franchise. But there’s a panoply of Superman counterparts that most have honestly never heard of.
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And I’m not just talking about Superman’s variants from books like Dark Knights of Steel or Red Son, either. I’m talking about the deeper dives, the kind that, while more or less popular with comic fans, didn’t exactly strike a chord with the larger population. Like Just Imagine’s Superman, a version of the hero who was reimagined by comic legend, Stan Lee. Or Milkman Man, a powerful, imperfect copy of Superman that looks like he stepped out of the 1940s. Read on to discover 5 interesting Superman variants that you have almost certainly never heard of before.
5. Harvey Dent
No, not Batman’s enemy Two-Face. Like everyone else in the Tangent Universe, all he has in common with his counterpart is his name. And that extends to his alter ego as well. Instead of being a Kryptonian with amazing physical powers, Dent’s Superman is a telepath, the strongest one on his world, in fact. Dent’s powers come from a government experiment to create enhanced humans, which ended up turning him into the smartest and most powerful person alive. Sadly, though he tried to be a hero, this Superman took control of the world to save it from itself.
4. Milkman Man
Don’t let that retro charm fool you. Milkman Man might look somehow even more wholesome than the real Man of Steel, but this guy is an absolute terror. Milkman Man was created by Retconn, who used an impossible being, modeled him after Superman, and used him as its lead enforcer during the incredibly bizarre “Milk Wars” event. Milkman Man has all of Superman’s powers, but with none of the charm or compassion that drives the genuine article. Thankfully, he was defeated before he could ever be a permanent threat to the DC Universe.
3. Stan Lee’s Superman
Everyone knows that Stan Lee left his mark on Marvel Comics, but what about the distinguished competition? Well, fans got to find out what it would have been like if Lee created the Man of Tomorrow in the Just Imagine series. This version of Superman, known as Salden, is still an alien who comes to Earth, but as an adult lawman chasing an old enemy. After discovering he’s far faster, stronger, and tougher on Earth than on his own planet, Salden makes the new world his home. Though he’s not as powerful as Superman, he’s got the same heart.
2. Ultra Comics
Earth-33 is much like our world in that it doesn’t have superheroes. But to protect it from a cosmic destroyer known as the Gentry, Ultra Comics was created. Ultra Comics is a living comic book that is activated whenever he’s read, powered by the minds of his readers. His powers are, sadly, limited by the constraints of his physical form. But for what’s essentially a haunted comic book, Ultra Comics stands out as one of the coolest versions of Superman in the entire multiverse (even if he’s a little less ‘super’ than most).
1. Super-Man
Notice the hyphen, because we’re talking about Super-Man, aka Kenan Kong, China’s version of the Last Son of Krypton. Kenan was infused with Superman’s life force and as such, possesses the full array of his hero’s powers. Even cooler, Super-Man possesses an immunity to magic, a force that so often means trouble for the American Superman. But what’s really interesting about Super-Man isn’t his powers. It’s that Kenan grew from an S-tier jerk to someone who truly embodied the spirit of the DCU’s greatest hero. If you’ve never had the pleasure of reading New Super-Man, I cannot recommend it enough.
What alternate version of Superman is your favorite? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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