The Superman Robots are fictional robots from the DC Comics Universe. The robots resembled Superman in appearance and abilities.
History
Silver Age versions
Superman robots played a particularly dominant role in late 1950s and 1960s era Superman comics, when readers were first introduced to Superman possessing various robot duplicates. These robots each possessed a fraction of Superman's powers, and were sometimes used to substitute for him on missions or protect his secret identity. One notable Superman robot was named Ajax, also known as Wonder Man. Other Superman robots had other names, including Robot Z, Robot X-3, and MacDuff.
The idea of Superman robots extended into Superboy and Supergirl stories of the period as well, with the two also possessing robotic duplicates.
In the early 1970s, the Superman comics largely abandoned the Superman robots as part of a change in tone and writing style. In-universe, the robots are rendered unusable by Earth's pollution levels and artificial radiation.
Modern Age versions
The notion of Superman robots was reintroduced for post-Crisis comic continuity in a late 1990s storyline. While under Dominus' control, Superman builds a series of robots to oversee the Earth. Unlike the original Superman robots, they possess a more mechanical appearance.
In Superman (vol. 2) #170, Krypto nearly kills Mongul and is confined to the Fortress of Solitude as punishment. A Superman robot nicknamed "Ned" is employed as Krypto's caretaker.
In a later storyline, Brainiac 8 revived and increased the power to a forgotten Superman robot. The robot attacked the Teen Titans, killing Troia and Omen before it was defeated.
Other versions
- Insectoid robots inspired by the Superman robots appear in Tangent: Superman's Reign.
- An alternate universe version of the Superman robots appear in Superman: Red Son #2. These versions are Soviet citizens who were lobotomized and fitted with cybernetic implants as punishment for speaking or acting against the Soviet regime.
- An alternate universe version of the Superman robots appear in All-Star Superman. These versions are caretakers of the Fortress of Solitude before being killed in a battle with Solaris.
In other media
Television
- The Superman robots appear in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians episode "The Death of Superman".
- The Superman robots appear in the Superman: The Animated Series two-part series finale "Legacy".
- The Superman robots appear in the Justice League two-part episode "A Better World" as guards at Arkham Asylum in the Justice Lords' universe.
- A Superman robot resembling Cyborg Superman appears in the Legion of Super Heroes episode "Message in a Bottle" as a guard of the Fortress of Solitude.
- Dog-Bot, a robotic duplicate of Krypto inspired by the Superman robots, appears in Krypto the Superdog, voiced by Scott McNeil.
- The Superman robots appear in Justice League Action.
Film
- A robot inspired by the Superman robots appears in Superman: Doomsday, voiced by Tom Kenny.
- The Superman robots appear in All-Star Superman.
- The Superman robots appear in Superman vs. The Elite.
Video games
- The Superman robots appear in Cyborg's ending in Injustice: Gods Among Us.
References
- Action Comics #282 (November 1961)
- Roberts, Dan (2014). Famous Robots and Cyborgs: An Encyclopedia of Robots from TV, Film, Literature, Comics, Toys, and More. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 9781626363892.
- Superman #163 (August 1963)
- Action Comics #274 (March 1961)
- Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #30 (January 1962)
- Superman #414 (December 1985)
- Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #37 (June 1959)
- Action Comics #270 (November 1960)
- World's Finest Comics #202 (May 1971)
- Weldon, Glen (2013). Superman: The Unauthorized Biography. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 9781118483824.
- Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day #3 (August 2003)
- Superman: Red Son #2-3 (July–August 2003)
- All-Star Superman #2 (February 2006)
- All-Star Superman #9 - #11 (December 2007 - July 2008)
- Jahangir, Sharna (March 22, 2017). "Review: Justice League Action S1E21". Dark Knight News. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
- "The Robot Voice - Superman: Doomsday (Movie)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 8, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
External links
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