Composite Superman

Last updated
Composite Superman
Worldsfinest283.JPG
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 egoFirst - Joseph Meach
Second - Xan
Notable aliasesXan - Amalgamax
AbilitiesPossesses the combined powers of Superman and many members of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

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]

Contents

Fictional character biography

Joseph Meach

Joseph Meach was a diver who had fallen on hard times. In an attempt to draw publicity to himself, Meach set up a water tank on a sidewalk in Metropolis and dove off a building. Unbeknownst to Meach, the tank was leaking and Meach would have died if not for the intervention of Superman. Upon learning of Meach's misfortunes, Superman obtained a job for him at the Superman Museum, where Meach was employed as a janitor. Meach's bitterness did not subside and being surrounded by mementos of Superman's career directed his anger towards Superman. [2] One night, as Meach was sweeping in front of a series of statuettes depicting the Legion of Super-Heroes, a bolt of lightning struck the display, giving him the combined powers of the Legion members. Determined to defeat Superman, Batman, and Robin, Meach used his shapeshifting power to turn his skin green and form a costume that was half of Superman's costume and half of Batman's costume. [3] Calling himself the Composite Superman, Meach left a message in both heroes' bases to meet him on a mountain. There, he told the heroes that if he was not allowed to join their team, he would expose their secret identities, which he had learned via telepathy. The Composite Superman then created situations for Superman or Batman to handle, but which he intentionally sabotaged to humiliate the heroes, then sorted them out himself. Superman and Batman's attempt to expose him by using robot duplicates failed, due to the Composite Superman's ability to read their minds. Just before Meach could reveal the heroes' secret identities, the powers he gained from the statues faded away. Meach tried to write down the secret of his powers in the Superman Museum, but his memory faded before he could finish. [4]

A few years later an alien villain named Xan came to Earth to avenge his dead father, a criminal who had been imprisoned by Superman and Batman. Xan restored Joseph Meach's powers by recreating the original accident. Meach by this time no longer resented Superman and Batman, but the accident restored his memory and malevolence along with his powers. To symbolize his renewed purpose to kill the heroes, he used the powers of Sun Boy and Lightning Lad to destroy statues of Superman and Batman, leading to investigation by the duo. [5] This time, the duo were able to deduce their enemy's identity, as they checked the museum employees who were not around when the Composite Superman was sighted. Superman then destroyed the Legion statuettes to prevent their foe from charging up again. The Composite Superman captured Superman and Batman by impersonating a chained Robin, then tried to kill the team by using his powers to simultaneously turn half of their bodies to anti-matter; Meach's powers (and resentment) wore off before he could accomplish this, but Xan appeared to finish the job, firing a lethal energy blast at the heroes with his Magna-Gun. The remorseful Meach sacrificed himself to save the two and had a statue made in his honor. [6]

Xan

Xan later escaped from prison and traveled back in time to recreate the event that gave Joseph Meach his powers and gain them for himself, taking the name Amalgamax. Superman traveled to the 30th century to ask the Legion of Super-Heroes for assistance. Superman, Batman, and the Legion defeated Amalgamax by making him believe that the disease that killed his father had developed in him and that his excessive power was causing the disease to develop rapidly. [7]

Composite

The Composite Superman's origin was reimagined as an early attempt of Professor Ivo's to duplicate the Justice League's powers by creating clones of the Justice League. It was only ever referred to as "Composite". Believing it to be a failure, Professor Ivo buried his creature in a field. The clones later revived themselves, merged into one being, and stole Superman and Batman outfits from a store, sewing half of each together. Acting as both Superman/Batman and their alter egos of Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, the Composite creature kidnapped Lois Lane and Tim Drake in an attempt to live the lives of both of its counterparts. He was later attacking Metallo when Batman and Superman arrived, but the duo could not defeat him and he escaped. They tracked him down and told him if he wanted to be both of them, then go ahead. They told him of many crimes taking place and he could not decide whom to help first. Composite became unstable and ripped himself apart before they could help him. [8]

Composite Man

Following the Zero Hour reboot of Legion history, the Composite Superman was removed from continuity. Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #68 introduced a new villain called the "Composite Man", a Durlan who had the ability to duplicate any Legionnaire's powers and appearance. Rather than the clean, split-down-the-middle appearance of the Composite Superman, the Composite Man had a shifting mixture of costume elements from all the Legion members. Both he and his sister had been given these abilities by the Durlan government to be weapons and resented this. However, while she chose to make her own destiny, the Composite Man joined the Dark Circle to gain revenge on Durla.

Biography

On the planet Durla, there was a long cultural struggle between secular and religious movements. Before the formation of the United Planets, the Secularists of Durla created a program to produce living weapons through mutation. The goal was to acquire soldiers capable of not only mimicking the appearance, but also the function of any species.

When they lost their grip on power, the Secularists found their program deemed sinful by the theocratic government and the test subjects were imprisoned in crystals. During regular maintenance to keep the living weapons contained, one of the crystals was damaged and an unnamed Durlan mutant broke free, killing the entire priest class of Durla. The living weapon went in search of Durlan priest and Legionnaire Reep Daggle. When battling the Legion of Super-Heroes, the living weapon not only imitated the Legionnaires' abilities, but also parts of their respective appearances. The Composite Man met his end when Saturn Girl used her telepathy to shut down his mind, leaving him in a catatonic state.

Powers and abilities

Joseph Meach

In 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 and the similarly-powered Mon-El and Ultra Boy. The Composite Superman also possessed numerous special powers, derived from various Legion members:

Composite

Professor Ivo's version of the character was shown to possess the powers of Superman, Batman, Atom, Elongated Man, and Red Tornado.

Other versions

In other media

Television

Film

A mecha based on Composite Superman appears in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies .

Video games

Merchandise

DC Direct released a Composite Superman action figure in 2005, and a second one (based on the Superman/Batman Vengeance 5 version) in 2008.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legion of Super-Heroes</span> Fictional characters in DC comics

The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics Universe, and first appeared in Adventure Comics #247.

Invisible Kid is the name of two superheroes in the DC Comics universe, both of whom are members of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries.

The Legion of Substitute Heroes are a group of fictional characters in the future of the DC Comics universe. The "Subs", as they are often called, are rejected Legion of Super-Heroes applicants who band together to prove that their powers are not as useless as they claim. They first appeared in Adventure Comics #306, and were created by Edmond Hamilton and John Forte.

The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of supervillains who appear in comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes. They first appeared in Superman #147.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturn Girl</span> Fictional DC Comics character

Saturn Girl is a superheroine appearing in comics published by DC Comics. A talented telepath from the 30th century, Saturn Girl is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Imra's "Saturn Girl" title refers to her homeworld of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. There have been three versions of Imra since her original debut, separated by the events of the limited series Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! and Infinite Crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmic Boy</span> Fictional DC Comics superhero

Cosmic Boy is a superhero appearing in comics published by DC Comics. He is from the 31st century, and is a founding member and original leader of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matter-Eater Lad</span> DC Comics superhero

Matter-Eater Lad is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #303, and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reep Daggle</span> DC Comics character

Chameleon Boy, also known as Chameleon, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferro Lad</span> DC Comics character

Ferro Lad is a superhero appearing in DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. In post-Zero Hour continuity, he is simply known as Ferro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultra Boy</span> DC Comics superhero

Ultra Boy is a superhero appearing in DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He gained his powers after being eaten by a whale-like beast in space and being exposed to large amounts of radiation while inside. His real name is derived from the Biblical figure Jonah, who also survived being swallowed by a "large fish".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Element Lad</span> DC Comics character

Element Lad is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. A native of the planet Trom, he has the power to transmute chemical elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legion of Super-Pets</span> Fictional superhero team

The Legion of Super-Pets is a fictional team of superhero pets in the DC Universe. The original membership included Krypto the Superdog, Streaky the Supercat, Beppo the Super-Monkey, and Comet the Super-Horse, with the shape-shifting alien Proty II later joining. The team first appeared in Adventure Comics #293, although all of the members except for Comet had appeared individually in earlier issues. The group was removed from mainstream DC Comics continuity in 1986 but a new version appeared in mainstream comics in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildfire (Drake Burroughs)</span> Fictional DC Comics superhero

Wildfire is a superhero appearing in DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. Created by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum, the character debuted in Superboy #195.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. J. Brande</span> Comics character

Rene Jacques "R. J." Brande is a character appearing in DC Comics, primarily in association with the Legion of Super-Heroes. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #350, and was created by E. Nelson Bridwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatal Five</span> DC Comics supervillain group

The Fatal Five is a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 (1967) as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garth Ranzz</span> DC Comics character

Garth Ranzz, also known as Live Wire and Lightning Lad, is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics, usually those featuring the Legion of Superheroes, a 30th and 31st century group of which he is a founding member. He has the superhuman ability to generate electricity, usually in the form of lightning bolts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gim Allon</span> Character in the DC Comics universe

Gim Allon, also known as Colossal Boy, Leviathan, and Micro Lad, is a superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Jim Mooney, the character first appeared in Action Comics #267.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes</span> 2007 comic book DC Comics story arc

"Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" is a 2007 comic book DC Comics story arc written by Geoff Johns, illustrated by Gary Frank, which features the character Superman and the return of the pre-"Crisis on Infinite Earths" Legion of Super-Heroes. It ran in Action Comics #858–863, this arc marked Geoff Johns' debut as a solo writer on Action, having previously written alongside Kurt Busiek and Richard Donner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great Darkness Saga</span> 1982 DC Comics story arc featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes

"The Great Darkness Saga" is a five-issue American comic book story arc featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes. It was written by Paul Levitz, with art by Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt. Published by DC Comics in 1982, the arc first appears in Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2, #290–294. It is notable for featuring appearances by virtually every living past and present Legionnaire as of 1982, as well as most of the team's 30th-century allies, including the Legion of Substitute Heroes, the Wanderers, the Heroes of Lallor, and the 20th-century Kryptonian refugee Dev-Em. The heroes battle an immensely powerful being shrouded in darkness, ultimately revealed to be the ancient ruler of Apokolips, Darkseid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ol-Vir</span> Comics character

Ol-Vir is a supervillain appearing in media published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Legion of Super-Heroes #294, and is often depicted as a member of the Legion of Super-Villains.

References

  1. ↑ Fleisher, Michael L. (2007). The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, vol 3: Superman. DC Comics. pp. 44–45. ISBN   978-1401213893.
  2. ↑ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 59–60. ISBN   978-0-345-50108-0.
  3. ↑ Greenberger, Robert (2008). The Essential Batman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 94–95. ISBN   9780345501066.
  4. ↑ World's Finest Comics #142 (June 1964)
  5. ↑ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 64. ISBN   0-8160-1356-X.
  6. ↑ World's Finest Comics #168 (August 1967)
  7. ↑ World's Finest Comics #283 (September 1982)
  8. ↑ Superman/Batman Annual #3 (March 2009)
  9. ↑ Superman/Batman #25 (May 2006)
  10. ↑ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  11. ↑ LEGO Batman [@LEGOBatmanGame] (4 November 2014). "COUNTDOWN TO NOV 11: 50% SUPER, 50% BAT, 100% AWESOME. It's Composite Superman! #LEGOBatmanGame" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.