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When it comes to Superman, his appearances in the films have left out more than a handful of things. Since the character first appeared in the late 1930s, his lore has grown considerably into one of the greatest superhero mythos in comic books.
To be fair, the films have captured a lot of what makes Superman work, from his altruistic nature, to the Fortress of Solitude, and especially his love of humanity. However, there’s more than a handful of things that the movies have left out when adapting the Man of Steel. Read on to discover 10 important ways Superman is different in the comics compared to the movies.
10
Other Love Interests
It’s Never Been Just Lois
Yes, Superman and Lois Lane are 100% meant to be together, but that doesn’t mean that Clark hasn’t dated around. Before he ever settled down with Lois, Superman had a number of other romantic partners that haven’t appeared in the films. While Lana Lang has gotten a few cameos, her history with Clark in Smallville has rarely been explored. And let’s face it, there hasn’t been a film brave enough to cover Superman’s time dating the mermaid Lori Lemaris. Lois and Clark are definitely still endgame, but it’d be interesting to see Superman’s dating history in greater detail.
9
His Past as Superboy
The Glory Days in Smallville
So far, the films have done a good job showing that Superman developed his powers as a boy when he was growing up in Smallville, which is in line with current comic canon. However, what the movies have failed to capture is Clark’s time as Superboy. Admittedly, not everyone is a fan of the idea that Clark was a hero as a teen. But it was a big part of his lore for decades. Perhaps a future film will take a cue from the comics and explore the ins and outs of Superman’s first attempts at heroism as Superboy.
8
Other Super-Pets
Superman Had More Than One Furry Friend
Film fans everywhere fell hard for the goodest boy Krypto when he showed up in the teaser for James Gunn’s Superman. But that’s not the only animal with powers that’s featured in the Superman line of comics. For a brief period of time, Clark had a super-powered monkey pal known as Beppo, who often teamed up with Superboy. While not his pets, Superman was also familiar with Supergirl’s animal friends, Streaky the Supercat and Comet the Super-Horse. The films have finally debuted Krypto, but it might take a while to get the rest of the Legion of Super-Pets in live-action.
7
His Rogues’ Gallery
So Many Great Villains Film Fans Haven’t Seen
The films have done a great job adapting villains like Lex Luthor and General Zod and showing audiences how dangerous Superman’s foes really are. However, while those two have received the lion’s share of attention, that’s only scratching the surface of Superman’s coterie of supervillains. He’s got the sinister information pirate Brainiac, his backwards counterpart Bizarro, and Mr. Mxyzptlk, an imp who can alter reality just to get a laugh at Superman’s expense. The next Superman film is highlighting Lex Luthor once again, but hopefully, fans will one day get to see some of Clark’s other impressive villains.
6
Other Kryptonians
Superman’s Not as Alone as One Thinks
Don’t be fooled by the ‘Last Son of Krypton’ moniker. While Superman was alone when he was rocketed to Earth, he wasn’t the only one who survived the planet’s destruction. Yes, fans have seen a handful of Kryptonians like Supergirl and General Zod in the films. But they haven’t seen the other criminals lurking in the Phantom Zone, like Jax-Ur or other sinister foes such as H’El. Not to mention, Clark has even helped produce a new generation of Kryptonians like Conner and Jonathan Kent. Maybe the new DCU will showcase just how many Kryptonians beside Superman there really are.
5
Other Powers
Fans Haven’t Seen Half of What He Can Do
Granted, the movies have done a great job showing off a lot of Superman’s powers, like his incredible strength and flying. And they’ve even covered some of his more peculiar powers, like heat vision and freeze breath. But there are a couple of powers that Superman has that have never been seen onscreen, such as his impressive Solar Flare technique or even the subtleties of his tactile telekinesis. While there’s no need to give him as many powers as he had during the Silver Age, it’d be cool to see some of Superman’s lesser-used, but still canon, powers.
4
Alternate Forms of Kryptonite
More Than One Way to Hurt the Man of Steel
Anyone even remotely familiar with Superman knows that his greatest Achilles’ heel is kryptonite, the radioactive slivers of his home planet. While kryptonite has a major role in the films, it’s only ever been seen in one particular flavor, the standard green. But there are multiple variants of kryptonite, each with their own distinct powers. Gold kryptonite can de-power Kryptonians while red kryponite can cause wildly unpredictable changes or transformations. While green kryptonite is a staple, the films should make more of an effort to showcase the other forms of kryptonite to show how they challenge Superman.
3
His History with Lex
A Feud That Spans Decades
As mentioned, Lex Luthor has a substantial role in the films and has gone up against the Man of Tomorrow numerous times. However, they have a much different relationship in the comics, one that goes all the way back to their shared hometown of Smallville. During their formative years, Clark and Lex knew one another, and for a brief moment, it appeared like the two of them could actually be friends. The Smallville show did a good job highlighting this dynamic and it’s time the movies followed suit by showing Superman and Lex’s history together.
2
The Super-Family
Superman’s Work is Better as a Family Affair
As the saying goes, ‘more hands make less work’. And while Superman can get any job done solo, he gets things done faster with the Super-Family by his side. Movie fans have seen Supergirl and even Steel, sure. But the films have never shown off some of the more expansive members of the Super-Family such as Conner Kent or some of the newer additions like Superman’s son Jonathan, Kenan Kong, the Super-Man of China, or Clark’s adopted children, the Super-Twins. Hopefully, in the future, film fans will get a chance to see Superman become more of a family man.
1
His Friendship with Other Heroes
He’s Ride or Die with Heroes Like Batman and Wonder Woman
While Superman’s first big meeting with Batman onscreen resulted in a dramatic fight, the truth is, the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel are 100% besties. Same for Clark and Wonder Woman, the Trinity being one of the tightest-knit group of super friends in the entire DC Universe. But beyond that, Superman just loves being around other heroes. Not just fighting crime with them, but bonding with them while flying or doing other amazing feats. Clark is a real social butterfly and, ideally, his next film appearance will show just how well Superman gets along with his powerful peers.
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