Ultraman is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is an evil alternate-universe counterpart of Superman and leader of the Crime Syndicate. Ultraman first appeared in Justice League of America #29 (August 1964). He has been portrayed in live-action by Tom Welling on the television series Smallville and by David Corenswet in the 2025 film Superman.
Publication history Having created the worlds of Earth-One, containing Silver Age superheroes, as well as Earth-Two, containing the Golden Age ones, DC Comics decided to expand the universe to include various themed universes. The first of these was Earth-Three, in which there were villainous counterparts of DC's heroes as well as heroic counterparts of DC's villains. Ultraman is seemingly killed in Crisis on Infinite Earths when Earth-Three is destroyed by an anti-matter wave. Following this, Ultraman appears in Animal Man and Infinite Crisis. Post-Crisis, in Grant Morrison's JLA: Earth 2 graphic novel, Ultraman is portrayed as existing in an anti-matter universe. He is later killed at the conclusion of the Final Crisis series. Ultraman also appears in the Infinite Crisis and Convergence events. Following the New 52 reboot, the character was reintroduced when a new Earth-3 universe was created. Following the reboot of the multiverse after Dark Nights: Death Metal, a new Earth-3 with Ultraman is created.
Fictional character biography
Pre-Crisis Ultraman exists in the universe of Earth-Three. Unlike Superman, Ultraman is empowered by green kryptonite, developing a new superpower with each new exposure. In one such encounter, Ultraman gains the ability to see through dimensional barriers, making the Crime Syndicate aware of the multiverse. This allows the Syndicate to attack the Justice League and Justice Society of Earth-1. Ultraman differs from Superman in that his version of the planet Krypton has not exploded. In the early 1980s, Ultraman teamed up with Lex Luthor of Earth-One, and Alexei Luthor of Earth-Two, in an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate the Supermen of both Earth-One and Earth-Two. Later, Ultraman joined the rest of the Crime Syndicate in a team-up with a time-traveling villain named Per Degaton, who had found their prison and released them. Degaton used them in his attempt to conquer Earth-Two, by stealing nuclear missiles from the Cuban Missile Crisis of Earth Prime, though they planned to betray him. This proved unsuccessful, as well, and he hurled them into the future of Earth-1, having made sure this would happen if they touched him, and the events were wiped from the timeline afterwards. The original Ultraman is killed in the 1985 series Crisis on Infinite Earths when the Anti-Monitor destroys Earth-Three. Ultraman and the original Crime Syndicate return in the Convergence storyline.
Early Modern Age Ultraman is from Qward (the antimatter counterpart of Oa) and more powerful than his counterpart Superman.
Post-Zero Hour
The Crime Syndicate of America (CSA) is revealed to the Justice League by Alexander Luthor, the heroic antimatter counterpart to Lex Luthor. The CSA comes from an antimatter universe, each member being the counterpart to a core League member. Ultraman is Lieutenant Clark Kent, a human astronaut from the antimatter Earth. After his ship imploded into hyperspace, an unknown alien race reconstructed Kent in an attempt to repair the damaged astronaut, which ended up altering him both mentally and physically, giving him "ultrapowers" similar to Superman's superpowers. According to Alexander Luthor, the process also twisted Ultraman's mind. In contrast to Superman, Ultraman's power relies on his proximity and exposure to a substance called anti-kryptonite; the longer and farther he is separated from it, the weaker he becomes. This substance has no apparent effect on Superman, just as kryptonite has been shown to have no effect on Ultraman. Clark is unhappily married to his Crime Syndicate teammate Superwoman, who uses the alias Lois Lane. In the early 2000s, the two had a child together, but Superwoman maintains a periodic affair with another member of the Crime Syndicate, Owlman, much to Ultraman's frustration. Clark Kent returns to Earth and again leads the Crime Syndicate. In an attempt to repair their Earth after the destruction done by the Weaponers of Qward, the Syndicate kidnaps people from all 52 universes. Ultraman, Owlman and Superwoman are banished to an alternate dimension by Superman after Superman defeats Ultraman in a fight. Ultraman is recruited on a journey to Limbo, along with several other alternate universe Supermen, briefly working with Superman to defeat Mandrakk, the dark Monitor. He is then converted into a vampiric being. Ultraman is apparently killed by the united Supermen alongside Mandrakk.
52 A new version of Earth-Three is shown as one universe amongst the post-Crisis DC Multiverse. The team is named the Crime Society of America. The Society make their first solo appearance in Countdown Presents The Search for Ray Palmer: Crime Society. In subsequent appearances, the Crime Society are agents of Monarch's Multiversal army. Ultraman, along with several other members of the Crime Society, were in the Earth-51 dimension when Superman-Prime destroyed the Monarch's containment armor, unleashing all of Monarch's quantum energy, which destroyed the entire dimension. As such, Ultraman is presumed dead along with his fellow Crime Society members. Ultraman appears in The Brave and the Bold, powered by the same kryptonite that weakens Superman. He is brought to the main earth by Mixyezpitelik, the antimatter universe counterpart of Mister Mxyzptlk, to help Superman defeat Megistus.
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