What became of Superman?

[Agent Richard07]

In the most recent episode of Smallville called "Legion", the Legion of Super-Heroes travel back from the 31st century to the present where they meet Clark Kent. Throughout the episode, they refer to Clark in the past tense, making it clear that he wasn't around in their time. Also, on the animated series Legion of Super-Heroes, it's the same thing. No Superman and a big museum dedicated to him which includes his costume.

So my question is this... What became of Superman?

 

[Trekker4747]

It's possible they were just trying to make it SOUND like he wasn't around in their time as part of some Temporal PD sort of thing.

 

[Brent]

Forgive me, my knowledge of this stuff isn't that great, but I remember hearing about or reading somewhere that for some period of time in Superman's life he decided to go live inside the core of the Sun for a very long time, is this correct? how much time was it?

 

[DeafPoet]

Forgive me, my knowledge of this stuff isn't that great, but I remember hearing about or reading somewhere that for some period of time in Superman's life he decided to go live inside the core of the Sun for a very long time, is this correct? how much time was it?

I know even less about the non-movie Superman mythos than you do, but that sounds like a pretty fucking boring way to spend any stretch of time.

They don't even get Teh Internet there!

 

[Guy Gardener]

IN DC 1 Million, by Grant Morrison (mostly), set a million months after the publication of action comics #1, Superman did live in the centre of the sun till the late 853rd century when the Martian Manhunter had finaly killed that evil sun and they pulled Krypton through time from seconds before it was supposed to have exploded.

Alan Moore Wrote "What ever became of the Man of Tomorrow" to cmoplete the silver age as the Original crisis began to reboot everything, to mark the end of of everything. Clark Gold Krytonited himself (Powers gone forever) dyed his hair blonde and lived happily ever after with Lois and had children.

Or you could believe in John Byrne and His batman Superman Generations insanity.

 

[Trekker4747]

IN DC 1 Million, by Grant Morrison (mostly), set a million months after the publication of action comics #1, Superman did live in the centre of the sun till the late 853rd century when the Martian Manhunter had finaly killed that evil sun and they pulled Krypton through time from seconds before it was supposed to have exploded.

Alan Moore Wrote "What ever became of the Man of Tomorrow" to cmoplete the silver age as the Original crisis began to reboot everything, to mark the end of of everything. Clark Gold Krytonited himself (Powers gone forever) dyed his hair blonde and lived happily ever after with Lois and had children.

Or you could believe in John Byrne and His batman Superman Generations insanity.

I'll take death.

 

[EnsignRicky]

I don't follow the comics either, and I'm sure there could be good reasons to the contrary, but I would just think that by the 31st century, he would be long dead of old age. I know Kryptonians gain super powers from our yellow sun, But I never got the impression that they were immortal, or even that their lifespan overly exceeded that of humans.

 

[Trekker4747]

I don't follow the comics either, and I'm sure there could be good reasons to the contrary, but I would just think that by the 31st century, he would be long dead of old age. I know Kryptonians gain super powers from our yellow sun, But I never got the impression that they were immortal, or even that their lifespan overly exceeded that of humans.

Smallville has suggested it. In one episode they encounter a Meteror Freak who can see how people will die by touching them. When he touches Clark he doesn't see Clark's death but an image of a red cape with a yellow "S-shield" on it flapping in the "wind" against a space/galactic backdrop. The kid says that it "seems as though if you go on forever, Clark, like you never die." -or something to that effect.

 

[TGTheodore]

No, Superman did age, but much more slowly. (Silver Age mythos, I believe). So perhaps he finally just died "naturally", or went out saving someone again.

--Ted

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Some writers, like Elliot S! Maggin, speculate that Superman left Earth for deep-space. This short story answers some of your questions but only in terms of the Bronze Age Superman of the 70s and 80s.

http://theages.superman.nu/u/maggin/luthors-gift/

Same with Superman, vol.1, number #400 by Jim Steranko:

http://theages.superman.nu/400/exile.php

Then there's also the version of Superman's death and destiny in All-Star Superman.

In terms of the Smallville episode "Legion," I think that Maggin's sojourn for Superman might be what happens to Clark Kent since Lightening Lad speaks of Clark's influence reaching outward into the galaxy.

 

[EnsignRicky]

My question would be that if he is indeed immortal, is it yet another benefit of his exposure to our sun, or is it due to Kryptonian biology. Meaning if and when his existence exceeds the lifespan of a normal Kryptonian, is he then bound to Earth out of the knowledge that the moment he leaves the influence of the sun, his normal aging process will kick in reducing him to dust in the cosmic winds. If that's the case, at some point in the future, some supervillan could sure use that information to their advantage.

 

[Trekker4747]

My question would be that if he is indeed immortal, is it yet another benefit of his exposure to our sun, or is it due to Kryptonian biology. Meaning if and when his existence exceeds the lifespan of a normal Kryptonian, is he then bound to Earth out of the knowledge that the moment he leaves the influence of the sun, his normal aging process will kick in reducing him to dust in the cosmic winds. If that's the case, at some point in the future, some supervillan could sure use that information to their advantage.

Why would it do that? Once he leaves the influence of the sun why wouldn't he just start aging normally? It's not like when he leaves the influence of the sun all of his bones are going the shatter and his discs herniate from all of the battles he's been in and heavy shit he's lifted.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I don't follow the comics either, and I'm sure there could be good reasons to the contrary, but I would just think that by the 31st century, he would be long dead of old age. I know Kryptonians gain super powers from our yellow sun, But I never got the impression that they were immortal, or even that their lifespan overly exceeded that of humans.

The recent conclusion to "Thy Kingdom Come" in Justice Society shows what happens to Clark Kent/Superman in the Kingdom Come timeline; he's still alive when the Legion is active, albeit very aged.

 

[EnsignRicky]

My question would be that if he is indeed immortal, is it yet another benefit of his exposure to our sun, or is it due to Kryptonian biology. Meaning if and when his existence exceeds the lifespan of a normal Kryptonian, is he then bound to Earth out of the knowledge that the moment he leaves the influence of the sun, his normal aging process will kick in reducing him to dust in the cosmic winds. If that's the case, at some point in the future, some supervillan could sure use that information to their advantage.

Why would it do that? Once he leaves the influence of the sun why wouldn't he just start aging normally? It's not like when he leaves the influence of the sun all of his bones are going the shatter and his discs herniate from all of the battles he's been in and heavy shit he's lifted.

That's true. He could just resume aging normally from that point as opposed to immediately advancing to the age he would be in relation to the years that he has existed. I may be getting superlore mixed up with vampires or mummies or something; It's all very confusing.

 

[Mysterion]

Well aside from that llama ranch he was running near Encino...

 

[Kryton]

No, Superman did age, but much more slowly. (Silver Age mythos, I believe).

You'll remember that his Earthday (anniversary of his arrival on the Kent farm) was on leap year day, so they always used to joke in the letter columns that for every 4 years WE age, he only ages by 1.

 

[Christopher]

That's true. He could just resume aging normally from that point as opposed to immediately advancing to the age he would be in relation to the years that he has existed. I may be getting superlore mixed up with vampires or mummies or something; It's all very confusing.

There is no reason in hell why a being with an artificially prolonged life would instantly, magically advance to their "true" age once the prolonging mechanism was interrupted. That's a particularly ludicrous fictional trope. Aging is not caused by the mere progression of the calendar. It's caused by gradual wear and tear on the body -- cells accumulating genetic errors and failing to replicate or work as well, joints and tendons wearing out from cumulative stress, toxins accumulating in the organs, DNA strands replicating so many times that their telomeres shorten to nothing and they can't replicate anymore. If there were a mechanism that halted or reversed all those processes to keep your body at peak health for centuries, then if that mechanism ceased to apply, you'd still be at peak health and it would take decades for that cumulative damage and decay to take hold.


As for the influence of the Sun on Superman, remember that it's not just our Sun, it's any yellow star. Assuming that means F or G stars inclusive, there are something like 40 billion of those in our galaxy, about 10 percent of the galaxy's stars (not counting brown dwarfs). So there would be plenty of worlds where Kal-El would have the power to be Superman. Of course, red stars outnumber yellow ones by about 9 to 1, so there'd be plenty more where he wouldn't.

 

[Trekker4747]

I wonder how other types of stars effect Kryptonians and how their physiology as "solar batteries" effects their interstellar/galactic travels?

What if a Kryptonian interstellar vessel visited a planet with a blue star?

 

[Leandar]

I THINK a blue star would make him even more powerful and an orange one would make him still superpowered, but weaker as it's closer to red.

 

[Trekker4747]

I THINK a blue star would make him even more powerful and an orange one would make him still superpowered, but weaker as it's closer to red.

So you think his power is related to the wavelength of light and not by the energies outputted by the star, its type or other factors I would think could be more at play than the wavelength of the light.

But who knows?

Are their viloet or ultraviloet "stars"? How would a blackhole effect him?