The original Superman was created by Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm, and Stan Berkowitz. The voice actors for Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen were Tim Daly and Dana Delany. The New God Darkseid, Lex Luthor, and many others were voiced by celebrities. While this was a relatively new cartoon, its success has resulted in many sequels. This article looks at the history of the character and the characters who appear in it.
The Animated Series
“Superman: The Animated Series” debuted ten years after its predecessor, and paid tribute to both the classic and contemporary Superman. Though the portrayal of Krypton reflects the older idealized version of the character from the Silver Age of Comic Books, the scope of Superman’s powers is more restrained than in previous versions. Meanwhile, Clark Kent is shown as a self-confident, open person, much like his alter-ego Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Animated Series.
In this cartoon, Clark Kent’s adoptive parents recognize Clark’s supernatural powers, and train him to use them to protect the planet. Superman then has a variety of encounters and often goes undercover as a reporter. Another character he meets is Professor Hamilton, an absent-minded professor who later turns into a villain. Though the series isn’t as popular as the comics, fans will find it entertaining and enlightening.
The Animated Series’ portrayal of Superman is not without its faults. Despite its many flaws, the show’s heroes are still strong role models. Despite its numerous flaws, “Superman: The Animated Series” manages to strike a balance between mature content and cartoon-like animation. A strong sense of humor and clean dialogue make the show a great choice for young audiences.
The New God Darkseid
The New God Darkseid first appeared in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #134, and his debut in The Forever People followed. Darkseid is a supervillain from the DC Universe, the ruler of Apokolips, who aims to conquer the multiverse and destroy all sentient life. Although originally created as the main antagonist in Kirby’s Fourth World saga, Darkseid was renamed after Superman to serve as his archenemy.
As the ruler of Apokolips, Darkseid has the power to control the entire planet. His first step in defeating Superman is to kidnap Supergirl. Darkseid believes he has the power to make her into an equal superhuman. However, Superman intervenes by teleporting her out of his sight. He then uses the Omega beam to kill him. Darkseid then collapses into a pool of ice, and Superman defeats him.
While the comic book version of Darkseid’s power was much greater than the animated version of the character, the comic book version’s version still outshines his animated counterpart, despite his massively reduced power. Darkseid’s power has also been tempered a bit with Superman’s heat vision and Wonder Woman’s bracelets, but this is not a big issue in Superman cartoon.
Darkseid’s ultimate goal is complete subjugation of everything in the universe, so he tries to make it as easy as possible for people to worship him. In order to achieve that, Darkseid plans to probe the minds of every human being. This will ultimately make him stronger and more powerful than ever. However, he is not the only one who is willing to destroy everything. The New God Darkseid has a long history in the DC Universe, as many other DC Universe heroes and villains have.
Lois Lane
If you’ve ever seen a Superman cartoon, you may have wondered, “Who is Lois Lane?” She’s actually a fictional character in American comic books. Her first appearance was in Action Comics #1, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. While the character has been around for over half a century, her appearance in the Superman cartoon was a small part of the overall plot.
When we first see Lois Lane, she is a reporter for the Daily Planet. She and Superman have a relationship. Although she dislikes Clark Kent, she still respects him as a journalist. Lois is opinionated and tough, and she’s also smitten with Superman. But Lois’s love affair with Clark Kent was not a happy one. Lois Lane had a boyfriend before she found out that he was Batman, but she later decided that he was not the man she had imagined.
The story arc of this storyline is pretty interesting. In the first episode, Lois Lane is rescued by Superman from a disintegrator ray by Batman and Wonder Woman. However, after Superman has saved them, he is transported to a post-apocalyptic world. The show features scenes in the future where Lois Lane embraces Lex Luthor after the latter’s death.
Lex Luthor
In the Superman cartoon, Lex Luthor is one of the villains who have become an integral part of the story. As one of the villains exiled to a planet, he is prone to mutiny and violence. He has also been rumored to be the mastermind behind the invention of Superman’s powers. In the Superman cartoon, Lex Luthor is the villain who develops the powers that make Superman so powerful. His greatest achievement was the creation of Superman’s ring.
Lex Luthor was born and raised in the Suicide Slum. Despite his humble beginnings, he proved to be a brilliant young man and later became the beneficiary of his parents’ insurance policy. At fourteen years old, Lex Luthor was the youngest student at MIT, and graduated with a master’s degree in science at the age of twenty. By the time he was twenty, he had become a billionaire, and continued to invent things until he was thirty.
In the Superman cartoon, Lex is portrayed as a hubristic man who is willing to go to any lengths to get what he wants. He wants money and fame before he meets Superman, and after meeting him, he elevates his ambitions to higher levels. As a result, he ends up saving the world and proving that power does not corrupt people. In this manner, Lex Luthor is one of the most infamous villains of the Superman cartoon.
The Arctic Giant
The Arctic Giant is an animated short film from 1942. It is the fourth in the Superman cartoon series and stars Superman battling a giant monster. While it is rushed and has some clunky action sequences, the film still has some fun moments. Superman’s encounter with the giant is very similar to the Godzilla film. The film also features a laser-shooting Supes.
The story opens with a narrator talking about a gigantic, mysterious beast discovered in Siberia. This monster was sent to the Museum of Natural Science for display, but was kept frozen by scientists. Throughout the cartoon, people look at the giant monster, which is in a glass case. Although the nameplate on the case says “Tyrannosaurus,” the monster doesn’t look like one at all.
The monster ruins a dam, flooding the city. Superman flies down to stop the monster by using some of the cables from the suspension bridge. The monster tries to eat Lois, but Superman flies into his mouth and pulls her out of the way. Lois later follows Superman, but the monster eats her. Superman saves the day, but Lois doesn’t listen to him.
World’s Finest
The latest issue of World’s Finest is a return to the classic team-up of Batman and Superman, with writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora. This relaunch of the series harkens back to the golden age of DC comics, with bright, bold colors and lively lettering by Aditya Bidikar. This issue explores the friendship between Superman and Batman, as well as the role of Superman’s friends Doom Patrol.
Mxyzptlk, a fifth-dimensional imp with a unique ability to manipulate reality, makes appearances every ninety days. Upon his return, Superman defeats him and sends him back to his fifth-dimensional home. Mxyzptlk’s voice is given by Gilbert Gottfried. Several new characters also join the cast of the World’s Finest, including the alien Zod.
The series’ biggest draw is its crossover event between Superman and Batman, which brought together The Dark Knight, Man of Steel, and the Joker in one massive comic book event. The resulting crossover storyline, Apokolips… Now! and Legacy, featured the heroes overcoming their differences and finding value in their partnership. For children of the 1990s, this crossover was like the Avengers. They worked so well together that they became best friends.
Despite the lack of direct interaction between Superman and Batman, the team-up proves to be hilarious and entertaining. The Batman/Superman team-up has an interesting dynamic, with Tim Daly’s voice lowered to match Kevin Conroy’s sombre tone. The chemistry between these two characters makes Superman appear more formidable and badass. So, if you’re looking for a classic Superman cartoon, you shouldn’t miss this series.