Kal-El/Filmation

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Superman
Aliases:	Superman; Kal-El; Clark Kent
Continuity:	The New Adventures of Superman
Notability:	Main character
Type:	Super-hero; Reporter
Gender:	Male
Race:	Kryptonian
Location:	Metropolis
Associations:	Daily Planet staff
Known relatives:	Jor-El Lara Lor-Van Jonathan Kent Martha Kent
Status:	Alive
First:	"The Force Phantom"
Voice actor:	Bud Collyer

Kal-El, also known as Clark Kent, is a fictional super-hero based on the character of Superman as seen in comic books published by DC Comics. This version of the character appeared in The New Adventures of Superman cartoon series that was produced by Filmation Associates and aired on CBS on Saturday mornings in 1966. He was voiced by actor Bud Collyer in the series.

Biography[]

Kal-El was an alien who was born on the planet Krypton. Krypton suffered from geological upheavel that threatened to destroy it, so his parents placed him on a rocket and sent him to Earth where he was adopted and raised by the Kent family. He was given the human name Clark Kent. Under Earth's yellow sun, Kal-El developed fantastic superhuman abilities including the power of flight, enhanced strength & speed and the ability to project beams of thermal energy from his eyes. When he was still a teenager, he decided to use his gifts for the benefit of humanity and adopted a costume and code name - Superboy. When Clark grew to adulthood, he began referring to himself as Superman.

Out of a desire to separate his heroic life from his civilian life, Kal-El maintained the demeanor of being a mild-mannered reporter who worked for the Daily Planet newspaper in Metropolis. His boss was Perry White, and he was often partnered up with fellow reporter Lois Lane, and ace photographer Jimmy Olsen. As Superman, Kal-El often had to come to Lois and Jimmy's rescue, as their pursuit of good stories usually got them into some measure of trouble.

Abilities[]

Powers[]

Kryptonian physiology: Kryptonians are an alien race that hail from the planet Krypton. In their natural environment, they are physiologically no different than a normal human. This is because Krypton revolves around a red sun. If a Kryptonian is on a world that revolves around a yellow sun, such as Earth, they will develop fantastic superhuman abilities.

Solar energy absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Kal-El's super powers. They are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. Kal-El's biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. Yellow solar energy is stored for later use, which also allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available rather than immediate failure.
Energy projection: Kal-El can project beams of intense thermal energy from the eyes. This is also known as "heat vision", and operates in similar function to that of an amplified laser beam. It is destructive enough to kill lesser beings, and cause significant damage to large structures and landmarks, including mountains.
Enhanced vision: Kal-El's visual acuity is significantly greater than that of a normal human being and encompasses several sub-abilities or applications. This includes perception of different levels of the electromagnetic spectrum with varying degrees of range and focus.

Telescopic vision: This is the ability to perceive something visually at a great distance, without external resources or violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to that of the zoom lens on a camera.
X-ray vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Kal-El can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. Kal-El can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden images or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived including x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans may vary.

Flight: Kal-El can defy the gravity of any environment for the purposes of levitation, and directional flying. This also includes flight capability in a zero-gravity environment such as outer space. Kal-El can fly at great speeds, crossing oceans in the matter of minutes.
Invulnerability: Under a yellow sun, Kal-El is impervious to nearly all forms of conventional injury. Kal-El's skin cannot be scratched, scarred, penetrated for burned. Muscle tissue and ligaments will not tear or strain. Bones will not break. However, Kal-El's invulnerability, as well as the rest of the Kryptonian powers, diminish while in the presence of green Kryptonite. Kryptonite produces radiation which effectively burns out the absorbed solar power from a Kryptonian's cells. A Kryptonian will find him or herself drastically weakened while in its presence. Prolonged exposure to Kryptonite is fatal. Once the presence of Kryptonite is removed, their natural abilities will return to them.
Self-sustenance: Kal-El's physiology does not process oxygen the same way that a human does. An application of invulnerability, Kal-El cannot starve or drown, and can also survive in the vacuum of space. Kal-El is also immune to most forms of poison and toxins.
Super-hearing: Kal-El's hearing is sensitive enough to perceive nearly any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, one can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific localized source or frequency.
Super-breath: Kal-El can expel volumes of breath with great force over a sustained period of time. This is an effective long-range attack strategy as the breath can exert enough force comparable to that of a gale-force wind. Super-breath enables Kal-El to blow people back several yards, overturn vehicles, and generate excessive damage to property and other sedentary objects.
Super-speed: Kal-El is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This trait extends to Kal-El's perceptions and allows for other feats such as catching bullets in mid flight, as well as covering vast distances in little or no time. Super-speed is also an application of the ability to fly.
Superhuman stamina: Kal-El does not suffer from fatigue and can function physically for extended periods of time without tiring. As an application of this, it is likely that Kal-El does not require the same amount of REM sleep that a normal human would in order to function at full capacity.
Superhuman strength: Kal-El's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation being absorbed into the body. Kal-El can conduct fantastic feats of strength such as lifting large objects such as satellites or ocean liners, and combating opponents of equal strength value. Kal-El's strength level will diminish to that of a standard human level while in the presence of green Kryptonite.

Skills[]

Journalism: Clark Kent is a professional reporter, though he is not above using his Kryptonian abilities to aide him in his journalistic endeavors.

Notes & Trivia[]

Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. He first appeared in Action Comics #1 in June, 1938 in a story called "Superman, Champion of the Opressed".

There is one major distinction to be made between this version of Superman and other versions. The Filmation Superman does not have a compunction against killing. In his first appearance, he obliterated a space ship being flown by two Deimosians, both of whom died when the ship exploded. Superman seemed relieved that the threat was gone and hoped that there weren't any more pesky aliens awaiting him in the future. ^[1]