The Composite Superman is a supervillain, an enemy of Superman and Batman. There have been several versions of the character; the original version first appeared in World's Finest Comics #142 (June 1964) and was created by Edmond Hamilton and Curt Swan.[1]
| Composite Superman | |
|---|---|
 Composite Superman as depicted in World's Finest Comics #283 (1982). Art by Rich Buckler and Frank Giacoia. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | World's Finest Comics #142 (1964) |
| Created by | Edmond Hamilton (writer) Curt Swan (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | First - Joseph Meach Second - Xan |
| Notable aliases | Xan - Amalgamax |
| Abilities | Possesses the combined powers of Superman and many members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. |
Fictional character biography
editJoseph Meach
editJoseph Meach is a former diver who Superman employs at the Superman Museum after saving his life from a failed dive.[2] However, Meach continues to resent Superman and battles him after a freak accident where he is struck by lightning and gains the combined powers of the Legion of Super-Heroes.[3] Meach attempts to reveal Superman and Batman's secret identities, but his powers fade before he can do so.[4]
After regaining his powers from the alien villain Xan, Meach battles Superman and Batman before sacrificing himself to save them.[5][6]
Xan
editXan later escapes prison and travels back in time to recreate the event that gave Meach his powers, taking the name Amalgamax. Superman, Batman, and the Legion defeat Amalgamax by making him believe that he has the same disease that killed his father.[7]
Composite
editA third incarnation of Composite Superman appears in Superman/Batman Annual #3. This version is a clone created by Professor Ivo in an attempt to replicate the Justice League's powers. However, he becomes unstable after being unable to solve every crime at once and commits suicide.[8]
Composite Man
editA fourth incarnation of Composite Superman appears following Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!, which reboots the Legion's continuity. This version is a Durlan and a member of the Dark Circle. He battles the Legion of Super-Heroes before Saturn Girl shuts down his mind, leaving him catatonic.
Powers and abilities
editJoseph Meach
editIn terms of abilities and raw power, the Joseph Meach version of the Composite Superman was one of the most powerful enemies Superman and Batman ever faced. He had all of Superman's powers, as well as those of Supergirl, Mon-El, and Ultra Boy. The Composite Superman also possessed numerous special powers, derived from various Legion members:
- Growth (Colossal Boy)
- Shrinking (Shrinking Violet)
- The ability to divide into three people (Triplicate Girl)
- Electrokinesis (Lightning Lad)
- Pyrokinesis (Sun Boy)
- The ability to make things super-lightweight (Light Lass)
- The ability to make things super-heavy (Star Boy)
- Matter consumption (Matter-Eater Lad)
- Invisibility (Invisible Kid)
- Inflation (Bouncing Boy)
- Elasticity (Elastic Lad)
- Shapeshifting (Chameleon Boy)
- Telepathy (Saturn Girl)
- 12th-level intelligence (Brainiac 5)
- Magnetic manipulation (Cosmic Boy)
- X-ray vision (Ultra Boy)
- Elemental transmutation (Element Lad)
- Intangibility (Phantom Girl)
Composite
editProfessor Ivo's version of the character was shown to possess the powers of Superman, Batman, Atom, Elongated Man, and Red Tornado.
Other versions
edit- Crayd'l / Composite Superboy, a nanotech computer who possesses Robin and Superboy's abilities, appears in Impulse #56.
- A DC Animated Universe-inspired incarnation of Composite Superman appears in Superman and Batman: World's Funnest.
- A mecha based on Composite Superman appears in Superman/Batman #6.
- An original incarnation of Composite Superman formed from the fusion of several alternate universe counterparts of Batman and Superman appears in Superman/Batman #25.[9]
- The Joseph Meach incarnation of Composite Superman makes a cameo appearance in The Kingdom: Planet Krypton #1.
In other media
editTelevision
edit- The Composite Superman makes a cameo appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Greatest Story Never Told", voiced by Susan Eisenberg. This version is an amalgamation of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman created by Mordru.
- The Composite Santa Claus, a character based on Composite Superman, appears in Robot Chicken, voiced by Christian Slater.
- The Composite Superman appears in Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship, voiced by Jonathan Banks.
Film
editA mecha based on Composite Superman appears in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
Video games
edit- The Joseph Meach incarnation of the Composite Superman appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[10]
- The Joseph Meach incarnation of the Composite Superman appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Travis Willingham.[11]
Merchandise
editDC Direct released a Composite Superman action figure Archived 2006-08-22 at the Wayback Machine in 2005, and a second one (based on the Superman/Batman Vengeance 5 version) in 2008.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Fleisher, Michael L. (2007). The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, vol 3: Superman. DC Comics. pp. 44–45. ISBN 978-1401213893.
- ^ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 59–60. ISBN 978-0-345-50108-0.
- ^ Greenberger, Robert (2008). The Essential Batman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 94–95. ISBN 9780345501066.
- ^ World's Finest Comics #142 (June 1964)
- ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 64. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
- ^ World's Finest Comics #168 (August 1967)
- ^ World's Finest Comics #283 (September 1982)
- ^ Superman/Batman Annual #3 (March 2009)
- ^ Superman/Batman #25 (May 2006)
- ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ LEGO Batman [@LEGOBatmanGame] (4 November 2014). "COUNTDOWN TO NOV 11: 50% SUPER, 50% BAT, 100% AWESOME. It's Composite Superman! #LEGOBatmanGame" (Tweet) – via Twitter.