10 Best Lobo Team-Ups With the Superman Family, Ranked

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Lobo is one of DC Comics’ most beloved characters for his unpredictable and crude behavior. He does not abide by any standards set by the main heroes of the DC Universe, and in doing so, makes his own way through life. He also happens to be single-handedly responsible for the complete elimination of his species, leaving him the last of the Czarnians. Coupling this with his powers, which put him on Superman‘s level, and the fact that it seems he cannot be killed by mere force, Lobo is an enduring character because he is fun and just too stubborn to die.

Yet, some of his most interesting comics occur when he is paired up with another character. Especially when that person is a member of the Super Family or somehow connected to them. The contrast that occurs not only reveals hidden depths to the Main Man but also challenges his companions to start thinking outside the box. Jason Momoa’s upcoming role as Lobo in the DCU’s adaptation of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be a live-action team-up of the Main Man and the Super Family, though it’s far from their only outing together in comics and beyond.

10

Lobo Teamed Up With Martian Manhunter and Superman

All Three Are Bonded by Loss

Even though Lobo’s code of conduct is opposed to Superman and the Martian Manhunter, there is evidence to suggest that the three of them have an unspoken bond over being the last members of their respective species. Granted, in Lobo’s case, he caused the tragedy that left him as the last Czarnian, and he did it on purpose. After wandering the universe alone, some part of Lobo empathized with Martian Manhunter and Superman for the horror that wiped out their people.

That shared understanding at one point allowed Lobo to join a variant of the Justice League known as the Justice League of Aliens. Like all team-ups, it was only for a little while before Lobo reverted to his lone wolf ways. Yet, his alliance with Martian Manhunter and Superman briefly created one of the most powerful trios the DCU had ever seen.

9

Saving the Earth from Vampires

Lobo Surprisingly Sided With Humanity

It’s no coincidence that, as one of the biggest wildcards in the DC Universe, Lobo is always fun to throw into an alternate world story. He takes a situation that does not have to abide by the status quo and makes it even more chaotic. In this scenario, Lobo showed up late to the party, arriving on Earth after it had been conquered by the vampires. Surprisingly, he sided with the surviving humans and heroes in their desperate attempt to part the clouds and restore the sun to the planet so that Supergirl could regain her powers.

It even worked. Thanks to the distraction Lobo provided, humanity’s best line of defense was able to become strong again and tipped the scales enough to result in a temporary, if not tense, truce between both factions. Lobo’s own abilities also make him uniquely qualified to fight vampires. His regenerative properties could make him immune to the vampiric transformation, and with his strength rivaling Superman’s and only a handful of beings left on the planet who could match him, Lobo could be one of humanity’s best defenders if he ever found a reason to care about them.

8

Lobo Escorted Supergirl to Rann

He Encountered the Endless Along the Way

Superman isn’t the only one who’s had to put up with Lobo’s nonsense. Supergirl had a pretty aggravating journey with the Main Man when she hired him to escort her to the planet Rann. Though it started with the two of them arm wrestling, it quickly became much more annoying for Supergirl when Lobo kept talking down to her because she was a girl. Things then escalated when they got caught in a maze created by Destiny of the Endless, turning what should have been a funny opposites traveling together storyline into a cosmic tale of major significance.

In the end, much like her cousin, Supergirl got the last laugh. Together, the duo made it to Rann, but when Lobo demanded payment from her, she revealed that his payment had already been given. As it turned out, Supergirl could have easily won their arm wrestling match, but decided to spare Lobo’s reputation by letting him win instead of easily overpowering him. So, even though he spent most of the trip annoying her, Supergirl ultimately came out on top in this exchange.

7

Curing Darkseid in DCeased

Darkseid Ate Lobo’s Hand

Though he only appeared a handful of times in the final installment of the DCeased series, Lobo played arguably one of the most important roles in the entire universe. After figuring out that his regenerative abilities made him immune to the Anti-Living Virus, Lobo became the perfect frontline soldier to deliver the cure to some of the virus’ most dangerous victims. Among them was Darkseid himself. As the vanguard of Erebos’ army of the dead, Darkseid was easily the biggest threat on the battlefield. All that power with no restraint. The only point of him was to take lives.

So, that made Lobo the perfect counter. He could not be physically destroyed and was willing to do whatever it took to deliver the cure to Darkseid. Lobo ended up doing it in a way that was absolutely him, while also being hilarious. He shoved his whole fist inside Darkseid’s mouth to make sure he swallowed it. Zombie Darkseid did bite off Lobo’s hand in the process, getting an amusing line about how Lobo liked to do “some of his favorite things with that hand.” So, while he did cure Darkseid, the knowledge that the hand Lobo did unspeakable things with is in the stomach of the god of evil is something DC fans get to hold onto forever.

6

Capturing and Escaping With Superman

Lobo Proved He Was One of Superman’s Few Equals

Lobo got his first animated appearance in the Superman: The Animated Series episode, “The Main Man.” Lobo was hired by an alien zookeeper known as the Preserver to capture Superman. This was early in Superman’s career, so the knowledge that he was the last Kryptonian was quickly spreading throughout the cosmos, and this made him a tantalizing addition to the Preserver’s collection. Though Lobo lost their first fight, he managed to lure Superman into a trap aboard the Preserver’s ship.

Unfortunately, as the last czarnian, Lobo was also a specimen the Preserver was interested in, resulting in his own capture. Forced to work with his quarry, Lobo and Superman escaped from their cages and battled their way through the ship, eventually confronting the Preserver, who transformed into a more monstrous appearance to take them down. Lobo ended up ejecting him into the vacuum of space, but his first encounter with Superman resulted in chaos, betrayal, and finally teamwork in perhaps one of Superman’s most annoying team-ups.

5

Joining the Justice League

Everyone Hated Having Him as a Teammate

During the DCAU Justice League show, there was a brief moment where Superman was believed to have been killed by Toyman. In reality, he had been hurled into the far future, but no one else knew this at the time. With the League and the rest of the planet in mourning, Lobo thought it was the perfect time to step in as Superman’s replacement, his abrasive and violent attitude only making an emotionally painful situation all the more aggravating.

From demanding he be the team leader to using excessive force when brought along on a League mission, Lobo quickly proved that though he could match Superman in terms of strength, his character was nowhere near the same level. Thankfully, Superman managed to find a way back to the past, and once the elation of having him back was settled, Lobo was immediately fired from the Justice League. Furious, he left Earth and was never seen again in the show.

4

Joining Young Justice

This Triggered One of Lobo’s Bloodiest Scenes

Considering how much of a jerk he is, it’s amazing that Lobo hasn’t faced more consequences for his actions. One notable instance of him finally getting a bit a karma occurred when Klarion the Witch Boy used his magic to revert Lobo to a teenage state. Going by the nickname, “L’il Lobo,” he ended up joining Young Justice. They managed to convince him that, far from being a problem, his new, younger state was actually an interesting challenge that would make his life a bit more engaging since things wouldn’t be so easy for him.

This change didn’t last long, though. Joining Young Justice on a mission to Apokolips, he ended up sacrificing himself to save Empress, whom he had developed an attraction to. This took the form of Lobo taking on an army of parademons by himself and eventually getting overpowered by them. In his younger state, his regenerative powers were even more potent, only requiring a single drop of his blood to reform. Unfortunately, with how much blood he spilled, Lobo’s return quickly became extremely violent.

3

There Was a Heroic Version of Lobo

He Made the Ultimate Sacrifice for His Friends

Even someone like Lobo has something redeemable inside him. Spinning out of the L’il Lobo storyline, after being killed by parademons, numerous clones of Lobo were formed that eventually fought each other to the death for the right to be the true Main Man. All but one, that is. This clone of Lobo was weaker than the rest and knew it right away. So, he hid aboard Young Justice’s ship and not long after joined their team as a mechanic.

He formed a friendly relationship with the heroine, Secret, who inspired him to take his new name “Slobo” based on a story she told him about his progenitor. While Slobo was never really a fighter, he did still have the original’s guts. When Secret was in danger of being destroyed by Darkseid’s omega beams, Slobo sacrificed himself so that Secret would not be killed. He ended up trapped in a statue of himself in the far future, but even though his fate was tragic, it proved that there is some good in Lobo overall.

2

Lobo Learns What It’s Like to be Loved

It Took Almost Ruining Reality to do So

In the Black Label miniseries, Superman vs. Lobo, the two would clash once again, but this time they would team up to learn more about what each has to contribute to the universe. It was a fascinating examination and contrasting of their different perspectives on reality. Superman always represented hope because he sees the best in people, but Lobo has spent so long seeing only the worst that is on offer that he genuinely believes everyone is as horrible as he is.

The irony of all this is that, despite his statements to the contrary, Lobo is actually jealous of Superman. He never has to work for it because everyone loves him, whereas most people despise Lobo. Towards the end of the series, Lobo alters history to make himself a hero and Superman the villain, proving that he does want to be happy in the end. Upon feeling remorse for his actions, Lobo undid the changes he had made and decided to put some distance between himself and Earth.

1

Lobo Recently Helped Save the Entire Super Family

He Also Got to Fight a Biker Gang of Czarnians

The most recent team-up between the Man of Steel and the Main Man occurred in Joshua Williamson’s run on Superman. During the events of the “House of Brainiac” crossover, Superman’s powered family members were kidnapped by Brainiac, who was working alongside several Czarnians. Seeking a lead, he got Lobo to agree to help him rescue his family. Since Lobo wanted to maintain his status as the last Czarnian, he agreed, but quickly changed his tune when the leader of the other Czarnians, General Chacal, offered him the ruling role in their society.

Lobo betrayed Superman then and there, but as with Lobo, his unpredictable nature makes consistency his greatest failing. When Brainiac betrayed his Czarnian brethren and sacrificed them all to the newly born Brainiac Queen, Lobo realized that he got what he initially wanted again: to be the last of his kind. Infuriated by the loss, he freed Superman and helped him defeat Brainiac. It was standard fare for the bounty hunter, but he did promise to give Superman a real fight the next time they met. For just one moment, Lobo understood what it felt like to fit in and be respected for what he had to contribute.

“}]] Despite his crude nature and usual loner status, Lobo has had quite a few amazing team-ups with DC’s powerful Superman Family in comics and beyond.  Read More