[ player information ]
Your Name/Nickname: Bill
Email: spartanxiphos@gmail.com
Messaging Program: AIM - AureliumX
Time Zone: Est
Personal Journal/CDJ: n/a
[ character information ]
Character's Name: Kal-El; named Clark Joseph Kent by his adoptive Earth parents.
Desired Codename: Superman
Group Affiliation: Justice League of America
Character Journal:![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
themanofsteel
Desired PB: Brandon Routh
Personality:
Clark possesses the power of a God, yet lives his life in the service of others. His inherent goodness was nurtured by his adoptive Earth parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, who instilled him with a strong sense of purpose, morality, selflessness, incorruptibility, modesty, fairness, compassion, and hope. The Kents further taught him that his powers are a gift and not to be abused or used for personal gain. As a consequence Clark is often hesitant to use his natural gifts to garner an unfair edge, be it in his daily life or in the heat of combat.
Though a super powered Kryptonian, Clark was raised as a human and so likes to remain among humanity. To him, 'Superman' serves as a vehicle to use his powers as a force for good anonymously, so that he can still live among the people as Clark Kent in a way that Superman never could. It is also for that reason that he lives in a normal apartment and works a typical job, so as to retain something of a normal life when he is not out saving Metropolis or the world. One of the reasons he loves being a journalist is that it is the one area of his life he can compete with his co-workers without any sort of unfair advantage, as the quality of his stories is reviewed and judged based upon his skills as a writer and not any of his superpowers.
While Clark does not have what would typically be called a split personality, he does exhibit different mannerisms in and out of costume. For him, it is another means through which to hide his identity. Few of his co-workers would believe, for instance, that bumbling, clumsy Clark could in fact be the Man of Steel. At the same time, as Superman, he displays infinitely more confidence and self-assurance than he typically allows himself as Clark. Over the years he has become so good at playing to these different aspects of his life that the notion of him being Superman has often been dismissed, even when signs of who he really was should have otherwise been plain to see.
Clark has taken a personal vow never to take a human life, no matter how dangerous the person in question might be. Such is his value to life and adherence to this vow, that he would be unable to carry on as Superman if he failed in this promise to himself. Coupled with this is the personal restraint he shows with his powers, as it is a rare occasion indeed that he will ever exercise his full strength for fear of accidentally hurting or killing anyone.
Finally, Clark is self-sacrificial in his defense of those in need as he is with his free time. As Superman he is known to do such things around Metropolis as rescue cats from trees, participating in fund-raisers and helping with pubic works as well as construction projects when he is able to help out. A lot of his foes and critics do not understand why he would spend so much of his time helping others and doing good, but for Clark, he has simply never known any other way.
Character History:
Kal-El is the last son of Krypton. His father, Jor-El was Krypton's greatest scientist. It was Jor-El who first realized that his planet was on the brink of destruction. Forbidden by Krypton's Science Council from spreading word of the impending doom, Jor-El instead focused on building a rocket ship that would transport his family off planet to escape the end he knew was coming. Given the short amount of time he had, Jor-El was only able to build a ship large enough to transport one passenger, who he intended to be his pregnant wife Lara Lor-Van. As fate would have it, Kal-El was born early, so that his parents chose to send him off alone toward Earth as they died with the planet Krypton.
Reduced to a state of suspended animation during his travel across space, the infant Kal-El eventually crash landed on Earth in a field just outside the town of Smallville, where he was discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent. Despite frequent attempts to have children of their own, the Kents had finally given up after numerous miscarriages. As a consequence, they immediately decided to raise Kal-El as their own son, passing him off as their 'miracle baby.' Under the parenting of the Kents, Kal-El was taught the value of hard work on the farm, as well as an appreciation for life, honesty, and doing whatever he could to help others. Kal-El was named 'Clark', after Martha's maiden name.
While Clark gradually became aware that he had powers growing up, he was completely unaware of his Kryptonian origin. In school, he exceeded in academics as well as sports. It was during this time that he first met and befriended Lex Luthor, who would later become his greatest rival, and Chloe Sullivan, who would be an on and off confidant throughout his life. He also had a major crush on another friend and neighbor, Lana Lang. After his adopted parents, Lana was the first to witness the superhuman powers of Clark.
Though Clark had always suspected and known to one degree or another that he was something more than human, it was not until he was 18 and on the verge of graduating high school that his father finally revealed his true heritage to him. Taking him out to the farm where the space ship that had transported him from Krypton still remained buried, Clark finally learned who he really was, a revelation that was shocking but not one he took with any amount of bitterness. Clark was quick to assure his adoptive parents that he understood what they had done, and that he loved them no less having learned the truth. After a bit of tinkering around with the ship, Clark uncovered a recording from his biological father Jor-El, and began to learn of his birth planet, Krypton.
After graduating from high school, Clark decided to travel the world for a number of years to learn about various cultures, languages, and customs. At the same time, he would help people when he could with his powers, even as he sought to understand and learn better control over them. Upon returning to the United States, Clark moved to Metropolis to attend Metropolis University, where he met up with Chloe Sullivan once more to resume their friendship. While taking classes and working part time as a cook he would also fight crime, though at this time he did not have a costume, nor did he seek to make his presence known. Despite his busy schedule, he managed to graduate with a degree in journalism after only two years, which he used to secure a job at the Daily Planet.
He made his first public debut as a hero when he took to the skies to save an experimental shuttle from crashing. It was his co-worker and rival, Lois Lane, who first identified him as 'Superman' with her byline. After much thought, Clark returned to seek the advice of his adoptive parents as to whether or not he should continue as a hero, and they convinced him that, given his superpowers he should as there was a lot of good he could do in the world. With the help of his Earth mother, Clark returned to Metropolis with a costume to formally become Superman, the Man of Steel, as he has been for some years now, having become a hero and champion of the people.
While he has had many adventures on his own and with the Justice League of America and saved Metropolis as well as Earth countless times, he has only recently faced his greatest challenge of all: Doomsday. When Doomsday first appeared, he tore through the heroes of Earth like a force of nature, laying waste to anything and everyone he encountered. It did not take long for Clark to realize that he would have to go it alone against the monster, but even he found himself hard pressed. Blow by earth shattering blow, Clark fought like he had never before, forced to let go of his traditional restraint in the face of the greatest threat to Metropolis he had ever experienced. The epic battle only ended when Clark and Doomsday knocked each other out, the force of their punches shattering windows and glass over several city blocks.
When it was over, Clark lay near death. Scarcely able to move let alone continue on as 'Superman', he had no choice but to retreat to his Fortress of Solitude to heal and recover from his injuries. He watched idly but with pride as new heroes rose in his place to defend Metropolis while he could not. While seeing that Metropolis was in capable hands did not alleviate the pace he set toward recovering from his injuries, it did help ease his worries. To explain his time away from the Daily Planet, he called Perry White to inform him that he had been injured during the Doomsday attack and returned home to Smallville to recover, which was actually not all that far from the truth.
After three long months, Superman finally returned to Metropolis, more vigilant than ever, to reclaim his place as the defender of Metropolis and champion to those in need all over the world.
Occupation:
Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet. While his work is generally well received he has few friends among his peers and is often the brunt of jokes. His frequent tardiness and habit of often being late on account of his dual life as Superman frequently puts him at odds with Perry White, his boss and the Editor-and-Chief. Lois Lane also frequently gives him a hard time, but Clark tends not to mind as he has been secretly infatuated with her for years. The one true friend Clark can always count on is Jimmy Olsen. It is no coincidence that Clark is also close to Lois and Jimmy as Superman. His role at the Planet is also important to him as it allows him to keep track of ongoing events in Metropolis and around the world that he might be able to help in or influence as Superman. His job is also beneficial to his superhero alter-ego as being a reporter gives him an excuse for being present at crime scenes. Additionally, his occupation does not require him to be accounted for as long as he meets the deadlines that are set for him.
Location/Base of Operations:
Clark owns a modest one bed apartment in the heart of downtown Metropolis that is kept in impeccable condition on account of his spending almost none of his time there. His only real reason for the apartment at all is to keep up appearances and to have a place to invite friends and co-workers to on occasion. Still, his place is important to him, as it tends to be where he does his writing. The apartment also makes him feel as though he fits into human society like a 'normal person.'
The majority of his time as Clark Kent is spent in or around the Daily Planet where he works as a star reporter alongside the likes of Lois Lane and Cat Grant. His office there, like his apartment, is kept in superb condition.
While as Clark Kent he lives in Metropolis, the true retreat and headquarters of Superman is his Fortress of Solitude. The crystalline building is of Kryptonian architecture, and houses a wealth of knowledge from his home world. It is also a place where he keeps a large collection of intergalactic artifacts, from dangerous weapons he has taken from defeated enemies to endangered species he keeps in what amounts to a zoo. It is also here that he works on various projects, such as working toward finding a way around his weakness to Kryptonite.
Appearance:
Standing six foot three inches, Clark is tall, broad shouldered, and powerfully built. The vast majority of people do not realize this, however, as he almost always wears clothing to obscure his physique. Over the years he has become so good at this that many of his co-workers have come to mistake his bulk as fat. He has clear blue eyes and short black hair. As Clark Kent he is almost never seen in anything but a suit, tie, and his thick glasses.
As Superman, Clark wears a skin tight blue body suit with red trunks, knee high boots, and a flowing cape. His chest is adorned with an "S", that stands both for Superman and the House of El that he hails from, though few recognize the symbol as the latter. The belt around his waist is yellow, and also features the "S" on the buckle. It is notable that the general public, for the most part, does not suspect him of having a civilian identity on account of his not wearing a mask, which tends to give the impression that he has nothing to hide.
Character's Age: 35
Skills/Powers/Equipment:
Superman's Kryptonian physiology is denser and more resilient than human tissue. Under the yellow solar energy of the Earth's sun, Superman gains the powers that make him who he is. This energy absorption makes Superman arguably the strongest man on Earth, and one of the strongest beings in the universe. While the upper limits of his strength are unknown, he has been observed effortlessly lifting millions of tons. Superman is also nigh invulnerable; bullets and high explosives have no effect on him. When he is injured he can heal almost instantly from any wound, as long as the process is not interrupted by something like Kryptonite.
In addition to serving as the basis of his power, the yellow solar energy he absorbs continually while on Earth also grants him unlimited stamina. If he so chose, he could forgo food and water to subsist only upon the nourishment he gains from the Sun. He does not have to sleep, either.
Though Superman is capable of faster than light speeds in flight, he tends to fly around Mach 10 while in Earth's atmosphere. This super speed extends to his bodily movements, reaction time, and mental processes.
Superman can hear any sound, at any pitch or volume. His hearing is such that he can identify people by their heart beat. It is his keen ear that allows notifies him of trouble in Metropolis more often than not faster than anyone else. Fortunately, for his sanity, he has learned block out ambient sounds, to focus on a specific frequency or person. His sense of smell is heightened to a similar degree.
With his tremendous lung capacity, he can create hurricane force winds merely by exhaling, and chill his breath in order to freeze a given target. Conversely, he can breathe in large amounts of air to dispose of things like poison gas.
A number of Superman's powers are related to his vision. Offensively, he can project heat beams from his eyes of variable temperature. Visually, he can see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, a feat he has used to avoid detection by radar and satellite monitoring. He can also see objects at a grant distance.. Most impressive of all is his x-ray vision, which allows him to see through objects as if they were not there, consciously peeling back layers in his mind. The only thing he cannot see through is lead.
Superman has an indomitable will as a result of the way his Earth parents raised him. He is all but incapable of being tempted by evil. Instead, he has been taught to help others and use his powers for the betterment and protection of mankind. Having trained under the likes of Wildcat in boxing, Mongul in the fighting arts, and even Batman, Superman is a master combatant. Additionally, he has a genius-level intellect.
Weaknesses:
Superman is vulnerable to Kryptonite, which can be lethal to him. He is additionally vulnerable to magic and mind control on the same level an ordinary human being would be. Red sunlight can be used to weaken him, and he cannot see through lead with his x-ray vision. Superman is not completely invulnerable either. Individuals of similar or greater strength has been known to hurt, or in other cases nearly kill him, as was the case with Doomsday. Also, his restraint has to be considered. While Superman is perhaps the strongest man on Earth and likely one of the mightiest in the universe, he constantly holds back from exercising all of his strength for fear of killing anyone. Adversaries who notice his tendency to hold back have exploited this hesitation to their advantage.
Likes: Equality, justice, peace, order, solitude, farm life, journalism, his rivalry with Lois Lane.
Dislikes: Kryptonite, injustice, tyrants, firearms, and violence.
Influences: Comics, movies, and cartoons, oh my!
Plot lines you're interested in playing out: (Optional!)
• A battle with Brainiac, either solo or with the Justice League. This just has to happen!
• Potential romantic relationship with Wonder Woman.
• Being put in a position wherein his powers are either significantly reduced or temporarily drained from him.
• Possibly serving as a mentor to younger heroes.
• Playing 'Clark Kent' the reporter, too.
Other Information:
• Clark writes fiction in his spare time, and has published two books, "The Janus Contract" and "Under a Yellow Sun."
• His favorite book and movie was To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper (revealed in Superman #81).
[ writing sample ]
5. What does a typical day for your character entail? Describe part of it.
"Kent!", Perry White bellowed from the other side of the Daily Planet. "Kent, where is your story!?! It was due an hour ago,and I can't hold the presses any longer!"
Clark, who has just slipped into his office through the window was still in the midst of replacing his civilian clothing over his blue and red costume when he heard his editor beginning to thunder toward his door. The story Perry wanted in his hand at this moment had not even been started yet. It was not as though Clark had not put forth the effort, for his notes lay strewn about his desk in preparation for writing. Nor was it that he had been slacking off, as he had been on the other side of the world saving the passengers of a sinking luxury liner. While he certainly valued his work, being Superman had just taken too much out of the past couple days for him to even sit at his desk, let alone start the story.
But all that was about to change.
"...Just stapling everything together for you, Chief!", Clark called back as he moved with a blur of motion to his desk. His fingers were everywhere at once as his computer struggled to keep up with the speed of his typing. Words appeared on the new document he created as if materialized there, so that he had a good two pages before Perry had even made it half way to his door.
"Great Caesar's Ghost, Kent, are you going to make me walk all the way to your office for this story? It had better be good! And don't call me Chief!" The heavy footfalls nearing told Clark he had but scant seconds left. He did not particularly like to use any of his powers even remotely for his job, but in this situation he found he had little choice. Titling, saving, and printing the document, he shot out of his desk as pages literally flew from the printer into his hands. His preternatural speed only slowed when Perry flung the door open, to find him stapling, as he said he was.
"There you go Chief", Clark said uneasily, taking a step forward and putting the document into the hands of his boss. Perry looked at him long and hard a moment, as if deciding whether or not to further admonish him but in the end just shook his head.
"It's a good thing you're such a good writer, Kent. And that I like you", he said, with a rare smirk. "Now get the hell out of here. Enjoy your weekend, and for heaven's sake, get some rest man. You look terrible."
Clark made a show of releasing tension from his shoulders as he nodded and grabbed his coat. "Thanks, Mr. White. I will be sure to do just that."
Your Name/Nickname: Bill
Email: spartanxiphos@gmail.com
Messaging Program: AIM - AureliumX
Time Zone: Est
Personal Journal/CDJ: n/a
[ character information ]
Character's Name: Kal-El; named Clark Joseph Kent by his adoptive Earth parents.
Desired Codename: Superman
Group Affiliation: Justice League of America
Character Journal:
themanofsteelDesired PB: Brandon Routh
Personality:
Clark possesses the power of a God, yet lives his life in the service of others. His inherent goodness was nurtured by his adoptive Earth parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, who instilled him with a strong sense of purpose, morality, selflessness, incorruptibility, modesty, fairness, compassion, and hope. The Kents further taught him that his powers are a gift and not to be abused or used for personal gain. As a consequence Clark is often hesitant to use his natural gifts to garner an unfair edge, be it in his daily life or in the heat of combat.
Though a super powered Kryptonian, Clark was raised as a human and so likes to remain among humanity. To him, 'Superman' serves as a vehicle to use his powers as a force for good anonymously, so that he can still live among the people as Clark Kent in a way that Superman never could. It is also for that reason that he lives in a normal apartment and works a typical job, so as to retain something of a normal life when he is not out saving Metropolis or the world. One of the reasons he loves being a journalist is that it is the one area of his life he can compete with his co-workers without any sort of unfair advantage, as the quality of his stories is reviewed and judged based upon his skills as a writer and not any of his superpowers.
While Clark does not have what would typically be called a split personality, he does exhibit different mannerisms in and out of costume. For him, it is another means through which to hide his identity. Few of his co-workers would believe, for instance, that bumbling, clumsy Clark could in fact be the Man of Steel. At the same time, as Superman, he displays infinitely more confidence and self-assurance than he typically allows himself as Clark. Over the years he has become so good at playing to these different aspects of his life that the notion of him being Superman has often been dismissed, even when signs of who he really was should have otherwise been plain to see.
Clark has taken a personal vow never to take a human life, no matter how dangerous the person in question might be. Such is his value to life and adherence to this vow, that he would be unable to carry on as Superman if he failed in this promise to himself. Coupled with this is the personal restraint he shows with his powers, as it is a rare occasion indeed that he will ever exercise his full strength for fear of accidentally hurting or killing anyone.
Finally, Clark is self-sacrificial in his defense of those in need as he is with his free time. As Superman he is known to do such things around Metropolis as rescue cats from trees, participating in fund-raisers and helping with pubic works as well as construction projects when he is able to help out. A lot of his foes and critics do not understand why he would spend so much of his time helping others and doing good, but for Clark, he has simply never known any other way.
Character History:
Kal-El is the last son of Krypton. His father, Jor-El was Krypton's greatest scientist. It was Jor-El who first realized that his planet was on the brink of destruction. Forbidden by Krypton's Science Council from spreading word of the impending doom, Jor-El instead focused on building a rocket ship that would transport his family off planet to escape the end he knew was coming. Given the short amount of time he had, Jor-El was only able to build a ship large enough to transport one passenger, who he intended to be his pregnant wife Lara Lor-Van. As fate would have it, Kal-El was born early, so that his parents chose to send him off alone toward Earth as they died with the planet Krypton.
Reduced to a state of suspended animation during his travel across space, the infant Kal-El eventually crash landed on Earth in a field just outside the town of Smallville, where he was discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent. Despite frequent attempts to have children of their own, the Kents had finally given up after numerous miscarriages. As a consequence, they immediately decided to raise Kal-El as their own son, passing him off as their 'miracle baby.' Under the parenting of the Kents, Kal-El was taught the value of hard work on the farm, as well as an appreciation for life, honesty, and doing whatever he could to help others. Kal-El was named 'Clark', after Martha's maiden name.
While Clark gradually became aware that he had powers growing up, he was completely unaware of his Kryptonian origin. In school, he exceeded in academics as well as sports. It was during this time that he first met and befriended Lex Luthor, who would later become his greatest rival, and Chloe Sullivan, who would be an on and off confidant throughout his life. He also had a major crush on another friend and neighbor, Lana Lang. After his adopted parents, Lana was the first to witness the superhuman powers of Clark.
Though Clark had always suspected and known to one degree or another that he was something more than human, it was not until he was 18 and on the verge of graduating high school that his father finally revealed his true heritage to him. Taking him out to the farm where the space ship that had transported him from Krypton still remained buried, Clark finally learned who he really was, a revelation that was shocking but not one he took with any amount of bitterness. Clark was quick to assure his adoptive parents that he understood what they had done, and that he loved them no less having learned the truth. After a bit of tinkering around with the ship, Clark uncovered a recording from his biological father Jor-El, and began to learn of his birth planet, Krypton.
After graduating from high school, Clark decided to travel the world for a number of years to learn about various cultures, languages, and customs. At the same time, he would help people when he could with his powers, even as he sought to understand and learn better control over them. Upon returning to the United States, Clark moved to Metropolis to attend Metropolis University, where he met up with Chloe Sullivan once more to resume their friendship. While taking classes and working part time as a cook he would also fight crime, though at this time he did not have a costume, nor did he seek to make his presence known. Despite his busy schedule, he managed to graduate with a degree in journalism after only two years, which he used to secure a job at the Daily Planet.
He made his first public debut as a hero when he took to the skies to save an experimental shuttle from crashing. It was his co-worker and rival, Lois Lane, who first identified him as 'Superman' with her byline. After much thought, Clark returned to seek the advice of his adoptive parents as to whether or not he should continue as a hero, and they convinced him that, given his superpowers he should as there was a lot of good he could do in the world. With the help of his Earth mother, Clark returned to Metropolis with a costume to formally become Superman, the Man of Steel, as he has been for some years now, having become a hero and champion of the people.
While he has had many adventures on his own and with the Justice League of America and saved Metropolis as well as Earth countless times, he has only recently faced his greatest challenge of all: Doomsday. When Doomsday first appeared, he tore through the heroes of Earth like a force of nature, laying waste to anything and everyone he encountered. It did not take long for Clark to realize that he would have to go it alone against the monster, but even he found himself hard pressed. Blow by earth shattering blow, Clark fought like he had never before, forced to let go of his traditional restraint in the face of the greatest threat to Metropolis he had ever experienced. The epic battle only ended when Clark and Doomsday knocked each other out, the force of their punches shattering windows and glass over several city blocks.
When it was over, Clark lay near death. Scarcely able to move let alone continue on as 'Superman', he had no choice but to retreat to his Fortress of Solitude to heal and recover from his injuries. He watched idly but with pride as new heroes rose in his place to defend Metropolis while he could not. While seeing that Metropolis was in capable hands did not alleviate the pace he set toward recovering from his injuries, it did help ease his worries. To explain his time away from the Daily Planet, he called Perry White to inform him that he had been injured during the Doomsday attack and returned home to Smallville to recover, which was actually not all that far from the truth.
After three long months, Superman finally returned to Metropolis, more vigilant than ever, to reclaim his place as the defender of Metropolis and champion to those in need all over the world.
Occupation:
Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet. While his work is generally well received he has few friends among his peers and is often the brunt of jokes. His frequent tardiness and habit of often being late on account of his dual life as Superman frequently puts him at odds with Perry White, his boss and the Editor-and-Chief. Lois Lane also frequently gives him a hard time, but Clark tends not to mind as he has been secretly infatuated with her for years. The one true friend Clark can always count on is Jimmy Olsen. It is no coincidence that Clark is also close to Lois and Jimmy as Superman. His role at the Planet is also important to him as it allows him to keep track of ongoing events in Metropolis and around the world that he might be able to help in or influence as Superman. His job is also beneficial to his superhero alter-ego as being a reporter gives him an excuse for being present at crime scenes. Additionally, his occupation does not require him to be accounted for as long as he meets the deadlines that are set for him.
Location/Base of Operations:
Clark owns a modest one bed apartment in the heart of downtown Metropolis that is kept in impeccable condition on account of his spending almost none of his time there. His only real reason for the apartment at all is to keep up appearances and to have a place to invite friends and co-workers to on occasion. Still, his place is important to him, as it tends to be where he does his writing. The apartment also makes him feel as though he fits into human society like a 'normal person.'
The majority of his time as Clark Kent is spent in or around the Daily Planet where he works as a star reporter alongside the likes of Lois Lane and Cat Grant. His office there, like his apartment, is kept in superb condition.
While as Clark Kent he lives in Metropolis, the true retreat and headquarters of Superman is his Fortress of Solitude. The crystalline building is of Kryptonian architecture, and houses a wealth of knowledge from his home world. It is also a place where he keeps a large collection of intergalactic artifacts, from dangerous weapons he has taken from defeated enemies to endangered species he keeps in what amounts to a zoo. It is also here that he works on various projects, such as working toward finding a way around his weakness to Kryptonite.
Appearance:
Standing six foot three inches, Clark is tall, broad shouldered, and powerfully built. The vast majority of people do not realize this, however, as he almost always wears clothing to obscure his physique. Over the years he has become so good at this that many of his co-workers have come to mistake his bulk as fat. He has clear blue eyes and short black hair. As Clark Kent he is almost never seen in anything but a suit, tie, and his thick glasses.
As Superman, Clark wears a skin tight blue body suit with red trunks, knee high boots, and a flowing cape. His chest is adorned with an "S", that stands both for Superman and the House of El that he hails from, though few recognize the symbol as the latter. The belt around his waist is yellow, and also features the "S" on the buckle. It is notable that the general public, for the most part, does not suspect him of having a civilian identity on account of his not wearing a mask, which tends to give the impression that he has nothing to hide.
Character's Age: 35
Skills/Powers/Equipment:
Superman's Kryptonian physiology is denser and more resilient than human tissue. Under the yellow solar energy of the Earth's sun, Superman gains the powers that make him who he is. This energy absorption makes Superman arguably the strongest man on Earth, and one of the strongest beings in the universe. While the upper limits of his strength are unknown, he has been observed effortlessly lifting millions of tons. Superman is also nigh invulnerable; bullets and high explosives have no effect on him. When he is injured he can heal almost instantly from any wound, as long as the process is not interrupted by something like Kryptonite.
In addition to serving as the basis of his power, the yellow solar energy he absorbs continually while on Earth also grants him unlimited stamina. If he so chose, he could forgo food and water to subsist only upon the nourishment he gains from the Sun. He does not have to sleep, either.
Though Superman is capable of faster than light speeds in flight, he tends to fly around Mach 10 while in Earth's atmosphere. This super speed extends to his bodily movements, reaction time, and mental processes.
Superman can hear any sound, at any pitch or volume. His hearing is such that he can identify people by their heart beat. It is his keen ear that allows notifies him of trouble in Metropolis more often than not faster than anyone else. Fortunately, for his sanity, he has learned block out ambient sounds, to focus on a specific frequency or person. His sense of smell is heightened to a similar degree.
With his tremendous lung capacity, he can create hurricane force winds merely by exhaling, and chill his breath in order to freeze a given target. Conversely, he can breathe in large amounts of air to dispose of things like poison gas.
A number of Superman's powers are related to his vision. Offensively, he can project heat beams from his eyes of variable temperature. Visually, he can see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, a feat he has used to avoid detection by radar and satellite monitoring. He can also see objects at a grant distance.. Most impressive of all is his x-ray vision, which allows him to see through objects as if they were not there, consciously peeling back layers in his mind. The only thing he cannot see through is lead.
Superman has an indomitable will as a result of the way his Earth parents raised him. He is all but incapable of being tempted by evil. Instead, he has been taught to help others and use his powers for the betterment and protection of mankind. Having trained under the likes of Wildcat in boxing, Mongul in the fighting arts, and even Batman, Superman is a master combatant. Additionally, he has a genius-level intellect.
Weaknesses:
Superman is vulnerable to Kryptonite, which can be lethal to him. He is additionally vulnerable to magic and mind control on the same level an ordinary human being would be. Red sunlight can be used to weaken him, and he cannot see through lead with his x-ray vision. Superman is not completely invulnerable either. Individuals of similar or greater strength has been known to hurt, or in other cases nearly kill him, as was the case with Doomsday. Also, his restraint has to be considered. While Superman is perhaps the strongest man on Earth and likely one of the mightiest in the universe, he constantly holds back from exercising all of his strength for fear of killing anyone. Adversaries who notice his tendency to hold back have exploited this hesitation to their advantage.
Likes: Equality, justice, peace, order, solitude, farm life, journalism, his rivalry with Lois Lane.
Dislikes: Kryptonite, injustice, tyrants, firearms, and violence.
Influences: Comics, movies, and cartoons, oh my!
Plot lines you're interested in playing out: (Optional!)
• A battle with Brainiac, either solo or with the Justice League. This just has to happen!
• Potential romantic relationship with Wonder Woman.
• Being put in a position wherein his powers are either significantly reduced or temporarily drained from him.
• Possibly serving as a mentor to younger heroes.
• Playing 'Clark Kent' the reporter, too.
Other Information:
• Clark writes fiction in his spare time, and has published two books, "The Janus Contract" and "Under a Yellow Sun."
• His favorite book and movie was To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper (revealed in Superman #81).
[ writing sample ]
5. What does a typical day for your character entail? Describe part of it.
"Kent!", Perry White bellowed from the other side of the Daily Planet. "Kent, where is your story!?! It was due an hour ago,and I can't hold the presses any longer!"
Clark, who has just slipped into his office through the window was still in the midst of replacing his civilian clothing over his blue and red costume when he heard his editor beginning to thunder toward his door. The story Perry wanted in his hand at this moment had not even been started yet. It was not as though Clark had not put forth the effort, for his notes lay strewn about his desk in preparation for writing. Nor was it that he had been slacking off, as he had been on the other side of the world saving the passengers of a sinking luxury liner. While he certainly valued his work, being Superman had just taken too much out of the past couple days for him to even sit at his desk, let alone start the story.
But all that was about to change.
"...Just stapling everything together for you, Chief!", Clark called back as he moved with a blur of motion to his desk. His fingers were everywhere at once as his computer struggled to keep up with the speed of his typing. Words appeared on the new document he created as if materialized there, so that he had a good two pages before Perry had even made it half way to his door.
"Great Caesar's Ghost, Kent, are you going to make me walk all the way to your office for this story? It had better be good! And don't call me Chief!" The heavy footfalls nearing told Clark he had but scant seconds left. He did not particularly like to use any of his powers even remotely for his job, but in this situation he found he had little choice. Titling, saving, and printing the document, he shot out of his desk as pages literally flew from the printer into his hands. His preternatural speed only slowed when Perry flung the door open, to find him stapling, as he said he was.
"There you go Chief", Clark said uneasily, taking a step forward and putting the document into the hands of his boss. Perry looked at him long and hard a moment, as if deciding whether or not to further admonish him but in the end just shook his head.
"It's a good thing you're such a good writer, Kent. And that I like you", he said, with a rare smirk. "Now get the hell out of here. Enjoy your weekend, and for heaven's sake, get some rest man. You look terrible."
Clark made a show of releasing tension from his shoulders as he nodded and grabbed his coat. "Thanks, Mr. White. I will be sure to do just that."