Iconic Superman Villain Debuts Best Design of All Time, Bar None
Warning: contains potential spoilers for Absolute Superman #22!
An iconic Superman villain just debuted their best redesign of all time, bar none. Superman’s gallery of rogues is as diverse and powerful as the Man of Steel himself. They range from super geniuses, such as Lex Luthor, all the way to alien warlords such as Mongul or Brainiac. Now, one of his most underrated villains is stepping up to the plate.
Debuting first in the daily syndicated Superman newspaper strip before arriving in comics a short while later, Metallo has become a consistent thorn in Kal-El’s side. A cyborg powered by a Kryptonite heart, Metallo has been able to take Superman down to the wire on more than one occasion. One of the most underrated Superman villains, Metallo has also appeared in other media as well, including cartoons as well as the live-action Supergirl television series.
Recently, the Superman mythos was flipped on its head with the debut of DC’s Absolute Universe. In it, DC’s biggest icons find themselves without their usual advantages. For instance, Kal-El comes from a working-class Kryptonian family, and did not leave the planet until adulthood. This is but one of many subversions of the classic Superman story the Absolute line has treated fans to thus far, and now DC is unveiling a new incarnation of Metallo, one far scarier than any version before.
Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition
Superman
Trivia Challenge
🌏OriginsLast son
☠VillainsKneel!
⚡PowersInvincible
🎥FilmsBelieve
💫LegacyHope
01
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Are Metallo and Brainiac Working Together?
In Absolute Superman #22, written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Juan Ferreyra, fans meet Absolute Metallo. The issue, part one of the new “Get Brainiac” story, sees Superman go all-out in his quest to find the alien. Metallo is the first obstacle Superman must face, and a sneak preview of the issue provides fans with a tantalizing glimpse of this powerful new version of a classic foe.
Investigating a lead on Brainiac, Superman travels to a supposedly abandoned lab in Argentia. There, he is attacked by the new Metallo, who is seemingly working with Brainiac. Superman and Metallo trade blows, and the cyborg manages to badly hurt the Man of Steel. Bystanders try to distract Metallo, and as the preview ends, the cyborg has Superman in his clutches.
Absolute Metallo is sporting a new appearance as well. While still retaining the robotic appearance of his predecessors, Absolute Metallo has cool flourishes that set him apart. He moves around with robotic claws, giving him an otherworldly look. While the preview does not make it clear if this new Metallo has the Kryptonite heart, he glows green in areas, perhaps indicating the substance does power him here too.
Metallo has been a part of Superman lore for nearly 70 years, but has existed just below the radar of the mainstream. The concept behind the character is undeniably cool, and his Kryptonite heart gives him a clear advantage over Superman. The various writers and artists who have worked on Superman over the years recognized the potential in Metallo. They have given him awesome-looking designs stressing just how much of his humanity he has surrendered due to his hatred of Superman.
Metallo would be a prime candidate to make a jump to James Gunn’s DCU franchise. Brainiac, who is at the center of Absolute Metallo’s debut, will be the primary villain of Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to 2025’s Superman. While Metallo has not been rumored to appear in Man of Tomorrow, it could set him up to debut in a third film, or in another Superman-related project.
And if Gunn and the DCU should ever choose to finally shine the spotlight on Metallo, then the character’s appearance in the preview for Absolute Superman #22 would be the perfect design to utilize.
And if Gunn and the DCU should ever choose to finally shine the spotlight on Metallo, then the character’s appearance in the preview for Absolute Superman #22 would be the perfect design to utilize. Here, Metallo looks more robotic and less human than ever before. The addition of the extra arms and claws give Metallo an alien-like appearance, even less human than before, making it the perfect redesign for this underrated Superman villain.
Absolute Superman #22 is on sale August 5 from DC Comics!