Injustice 2: Superman Beats Mario and PAC-MAN to Snag This Guinness World Record

05/19/2017 03:51 pm EDT

Following the wildly successful launch of Injustice 2 (read our review here), today it was revealed that Superman has broken a prestigious world record. Guinness World Records recognize Superman as the longest-running video game character, beating out industry constants like PAC-MAN, Mario, and Donkey Kong.

Injustice 2 included, it was revealed that Superman has now starred in video games for well over 38 years. I know most of you are wondering how that's even possible. Guinness World Records notes that the very first video game in which Superman appeared was Superman, released in 1978 on the Atari 2600. PAC-MAN didn't appear in arcades until 1980, and Mario and Donkey Kong didn't hit the scene until the Donkey Kong arcade game was released in 1981.

It's noted in a post on the official Guinness World Records website that the 1978 Superman game also holds the distinction of being the first official superhero video game ever developed. The man of steel's track record isn't spotless, though. Guinness World Records reminds us (as if we needed reminding) that Superman 64 also holds the record as the lowest-rated commercial video game as well, "with a score of just 22.9% on GameRankings." It really was a fantastic failure.

In the picture above you can see a certificate for the record being presented to NetherRealm Studios creative director Ed Boon by Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition editor Stephen Daultrey. All around them are fans cosplaying as various DC Comics heroes and, hilariously, Superman is nowhere to be found. We assume that he was busy attempting to reassemble his regime and put an end to all crime.

As for Injustice 2, we'd be surprised if it didn't end up breaking a few more records on its own in the coming weeks. Initial reviews across the board -- from fans and from critics -- have been overwhelmingly positive, even if Superman is a bit of a jerk in the game.

Congratulations to Ed Boon and the entire team over at NetherRealm.

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.