Clark Kent (Earth-1)

*For his Earth-2 doppelgänger, see Clark Kent (Earth-2).*

* Clark Kent
* Superman

**Clark Kent** (born **Kal-El**) is a Kryptonian superhero known as the **Superman**, and a former intern for the *Daily Planet*.

## Biography

### Early life

Kal-El was born on Krypton. When he was just an infant, as his planet was dying, Kal-El's parents sent him via ship to the planet Earth, where he was adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. He began living with them in Smallville, Kansas, adopting the name "Clark Kent".

At a young age, he managed to lift a tractor with a single finger, leading to his adoptive parents revealing to him his extraterrestrial origins. This later caused him some distress, crying when his friend Petey described aliens as terrifying.

### Origins as a superhero

Moving to Metropolis to intern at the *Daily Planet*, Clark simultaneously began acting as a superhero, wearing a helmet and goggles, along with a getup, to conceal his identity. During a rocket launch backed by S.T.A.R. Labs at which Clark was reporting, the rocket began to malfunction mid-air, causing Clark to fly up and redirect it into space. Sending it into the sun, he realized that the sun was having an effect on him. Heading back to the *Planet*, he kept his eyes on newly-minted reporter Lois Lane, who had managed to take down corrupt businessman Lex Luthor at the launch. He introduced himself and expressed his admiration of her skills, and she explained how taking down Luthor had been relatively easy. As she left, he noticed photographs she'd inspected of his superheroic alter ego, as well as a caped Batman.

Clark subsequently headed home, trying on his outfit with a cape attached. He was interrupted, however, when an unidentified object hurtled into the atmosphere, revealing itself to be Lobo on his bike. With Lobo identifying him as a Kryptonian, much to Clark's confusion, the two began to fight. Lobo's attacks did little to knock down Clark, simply destroying his clothes, and so they made their way across the city, reaching S.T.A.R. Labs. In an effort to blind Clark, Lobo shot an organic EMP that momentarily darkened the area. Janitor Rudy Jones got caught in the crossfire, with the EMP's organic component submerging him and infecting his body. As a last ditch effort, Lobo used a ring made of irradiated rock from Krypton, this time managing to draw blood from Clark. Before he could do any proper damage, a Martian intervened, giving Clark time to go into the Earth's upper atmosphere and soak in some solar radiation. With Lobo incarcerated, Clark returned to the *Daily Planet*. He noticed Lois not heading to her meeting with secret alter ego, whom she'd dubbed the "Superman". Upon questioning her, she explained that she was playing the long game, making him want to tell her everything, thus getting the true scoop.

Clark headed to Smallville, looking for advice from his parents on how to handle Lois's pending exposé, as well as helping them out around the farm. That night, they were stopped by a mysterious stranger, ultimately revealing himself to be the Martian from before, J'onn J'onzz. He opened an alien object that Clark had brought with him when he arrived on Earth, never having managed to open it, revealing inside a historical record of Clark's family and people, also revealing his birth name, Kal-El. The following morning, Martha gave Clark a new suit to wear as the Superman, having made it from the cloth that he'd been wrapped in as a baby. He returned to Metropolis, quickly intervening Rudy Jones's attack on S.T.A.R. Labs. J'onn J'onzz joined in the cross-city fight, but after Superman's powers were diminished by Rudy's sapping of his power, he used his newly-inherited heat vision to seemingly burn J'onn alive.

Returning to his apartment deflated, having lost much of his power, Clark was visited by Lois, who managed to convince Clark to keep fighting in his own way, unbeknownst that she was convincing him to keep fighting as the Superman. Needing to regain his powers, Superman visited Lex in jail, hoping to have himself sent into space to rejuvenate from the sun. He met Lex in a secret bunker, discovering Lex to now be in cahoots with Lobo. Using Lobo's irradiated ring, they planned to use it against Rudy to finally bring him down, as the parasitic man had not only inherited Clark's powers but also his weaknesses. Shortly after, determining Rudy to be heading for an overloading power plant, Superman fought with him, discovering that he had lost Clark's abilities, along with his weakness. He determinedly kept fighting, allowing Rudy to take some of his last remaining power. With the ring barely working, Clark pleaded with onlooking humans, introducing himself to them as an alien from Krypton, explaining how Rudy was simply human. Noticing the power plant about to blow, Superman headed for it, but was too weak. Rudy noticed the immense amounts of power and made his way towards the plant himself. He absorbed all of the energy, ultimately turning himself to stone, then dust. With Rudy defeated, Lobo bid farewell to Clark and J'onn. Clark then headed for an interview as Superman with Lois, but taking a page from her book, asked to rain check.

### Fighting Brainiac

Brainiac soon came to Earth, and Superman fought him off. The Flash intervened, helping to push him back. Despite some trouble in between, the Flash helped to send a Kryptonite projectile right back at Brainiac, hitting him in the head and killing him. Before parting ways, Flash suggested that they form some kind of superheroic team.

## Powers

* **Kryptonian physiology**: While typically Kryptonians aren't known to be superpowered, while under Earth's sun, Clark has manifested a number of super powers.
	+ **Super strength**: Having first lifted a tractor with one figure while young, Clark has shown the ability to lift objects far heavier than himself.
	+ **X-ray vision**: Clark can see through physical objects such as buildings, and even down beneath ground level.
	+ **Flight**: Clark is able to fly through Earth's atmosphere, even showing the ability to fly somewhat out of the atmosphere and into space.
	+ **Super durability**: Clark's immense durability was apparent during Lobo's repeated attacks, which destroyed all of his clothing but barely left a scratch on him, only managing to be damaged by Kryptonite.
	+ **Heat vision**: While occasionally using it to heat up beverages, Clark is able to project blasts of heat from his eyes and into enemies, seemingly having no effect on the glasses that he wears day-to-day.
	+ **Super breath**: While never displaying it himself, Rudy Jones displayed such an ability after having stolen Clark's powers.

## References

Sheridan, Tim (writer) & Palmer, Chris (director) (August 23, 2020). *Superman: Man of Tomorrow*.
Fitzmartin, Meghan, Adams, Jeremy (writers) & Wamester, Jeff (writer) (April 27, 2021). *Justice Society: World War II*.