Ultra-Humanite

The **Ultra-Humanite** is an American scientist and villain in Earth-Two. Bound to a wheelchair, the Ultra-Humanite (**Ultra** for short) describes himself as "the head of a vast ring of evil enterprises," and possesses exceptional mental abilities as a result of an unspecified scientific experiment. He plans on using his superior intelligence to dominate the world, and oversees a number of small-time criminal operations from a distance, including in Metropolis, where Superman has greatly complicated his plans.

## Biography

In 1939, Superman unraveled a taxi-cab scheme in Metropolis that eventually led him to the Ultra-Humanite's hideout far from the city's urban center. Once the two met, Superman tried to apprehend Ultra, but walked into a powerful electric trap, knocking him dizzy long enough for Ultra-Humanite and his underling Reynolds to tie him to a table saw. As Superman's head made contact with the blades, the metal shattered, sending a sharp fragment into Reynolds's neck and killing him. More of Ultra's henchmen came in, carried his handicapped frame out of the cabin, and set fire to it in an attempt to finish Superman off for good. Superman recovered and escaped, following Ultra's plane into the sky with a mighty leap and knocking it to the ground. Ultra managed to survive via parachute, evading Superman's sight and making good his escape from the crash site. Recognizing the threat that Superman posed, Ultra set his sights on neutralizing his new foe. Superman soon uncovered the secret behind Star, Inc., which had used cheap, shoddy working materials in building Metropolis's subway. Superman chased two thugs from Star to another of Ultra-Humanite's hideouts, where he had a specially prepared trap for Superman: a machine that would encase him in a thick block of crystal when he fell into it. Superman fell into the trap exactly as planned, but his inhuman power allowed him to easily break through the crystal once inside it. Ultra escaped through a trap door, evacuating to plan his vengeance once more. He then organized a series of ship sabotages for large amounts of protection money, but this scheme too was stopped by Superman. Ultra sent a projected image of himself to retrieve the money, keeping himself safe when Superman showed up attempting to capture him.

Ultra-Humanite began to set his villainous sights higher, using a large aircraft to spread a disease called the Purple Plague across Metropolis. While scientist Henry Travers sought a cure, Superman again opposed Ultra directly, faking hypnosis to get aboard the craft in question and destroy it. He then confronted Ultra in person, at which point Ultra tried to fire at him with an electric-laser beam. Superman turned it back on him, causing Ultra to blast himself with it at close range and seemingly kill himself. Ultra was narrowly revived by his underlings with adrenalin, but his body would not survive long. For reasons unclear, they targeted Hollywood film actress Dolores Winters, kidnapping her and switching her brain with Ultra's, effectively killing her and leaving Ultra's body behind. In his new body, Ultra announced Winters's retirement from the film industry, scheduling a retirement party on the ship *Sea-Serpent* with myriad Hollywood celebrities and executives attending and with his own cronies as crew. Once out at sea, he held them hostage for a ransom of five million dollars. Superman happened to be in town, and again put a stop to Ultra's plans, sensing his presence as soon as he got a look at "Dolores's" eyes. Ultra escaped, once more slipping from Superman's grasp, while Superman rescued the hostages and returned the ransom.

## References

1. ↑ *Action Comics* #13a: "Superman vs. the Cab Protective League." (June 1939) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
2. ↑ *Action Comics* #14a: "Superman Meets the Ultra-Humanite." (July 1939) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
3. ↑ *Action Comics* #17a: "The Return of the Ultra-Humanite." (October 1939) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
4. ↑ *Action Comics* #19a: "Superman and the Purple Plague." (December 1939) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
5. ↑ *Action Comics* #20a: "Superman and the Screen Siren." (January 1940) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).