Encyclopedia Kryptonomicon

By Jon Randall

Created in the early 1930's by the pre-teen duo of writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Superman has developed an epic volume of adventures unmatched by nearly any other comic-book character who followed. In sagas which reached through time, space, alternate realities and the most extreme realms of imagination, Superman has been at the center of an ever-growing, ever-complex, and ever-wondrous universe.

This volume is by no means complete, nor could possibly hope to be on the efforts of a single individual in the face of such an overwhelming apocrypha. Rather than being a comprehensive reference guide, this Encyclopedia Kryptonomicon is intended to be a brief glimpse of a legacy of wonder

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* NAM-EK - A Kryptonian scientist and healer who made an illegal "Healing Ray" from the horn of the RONDOR, an endangered animal of pre-cataclysmic KRYPTON. Overexposure to the explosive radiation of that ray transformed him into a Rondor-Kryptonian hybrid beast.

* NELSON, KENT - The real name of DOCTOR FATE(1)

* NEUTRON - NATHANIEL TYRON, an agent of Lex Luthor, gained his abilities of gross, catastrophic destruction during a botched job at a nuclear reactor while a part of Luthor's TNT TRIO.

* NEWSBOY LEGION (1) - A group of rambunctious, spirited Newsboys native to SUICIDE SLUM during the World War II era. It's four members - nicknamed SCRAPPER, BIG WORDS, GABBY and TOMMY - were placed under the guardianship of police officer JIM HARPER (secretly THE GUARDIAN), and later grew up to be directors of the top secret CADMUS PROJECT.

* NEWSBOY LEGION (2) - Genetic clones of the NEWSBOY LEGION (1), plus additional member FLIPPA-DIPPA. The new Newsboy Legion is kept under the watchful eyes of PROJECT CADMUS employees - including their 'dads,' their genetic sources - and the new GUARDIAN (2). The Legion is occasionally joined by the original JIM HARPER's niece.

* NIGHTWING - Also called the BATMAN of KANDOR, partner of FLAMEBIRD, and secretly the scientist VAN-ZEE. The original Nightwing was in fact a disguised, depowered Superman during a visit to the bottle city.
In February 1978 (Superman Family#187 "The Battle With the Bizarro Brain"), Nightwing and Flamebird fight their way into a berserk weather control center whose central processing tape had been tragically modified by a stray bolt of energy from the MATTER DUPLICATOR RAY, the same device which created BIZARRO.

* NIM-EL - Twin brother of JOR-EL II, older brother of ZOR-EL, and father of DON-EL. Nim-El was a prominent weapons scientist.

* NINUKAB - A type of supernatural being, the spirit of a dead sorcerer who inhabits man-made objects. In March 1973 (Superman#262 "The Building That Screamed For Its Life"), A Ninukab inhabits the DEMEOS BUILDING, and seeks to kill the owner PETER DEMEOS, when Demeos attempts to automate the entire building (thereby robbing the Ninukab of his sole source of sustenance - empathetic feeding off of human emotions). Superman exorcises the creature by destroying the Demeos Building.

* NON(MP) - The mute giant member of a trio of PHANTOM ZONE villains who attack Earth and Superman in the 1980 feature film Superman II. Non was a subserviant to ZOD and URSA, and the role of Non was played by Jack O'Halloran.

* NUTRA - True name of the powerful alien being known in folklore as MOTHER NATURE.

* OLIPHENT - A KRYPTONian beast of burden, used largely in the community of URRIKA in the early days of its civilization. A warm-blooded, egg-laying creature with orange-ish skin and an appearance somewhat similar to that of an earless, long-necked prehistoric horse.

* OLSEN, JAMES (JIMMY) BARTHOLOMEW - Photographer and reporter for the DAILY PLANET (among others), Jimmy Olsen is also friend and often partner or assistant to SUPERMAN. Sometimes called "Superman's Pal," also the hero known as ELASTIC LAD. In some
In December 1996 (Superman:The Wedding Album "Wedding Daze"), Jimmy serves as best man to Clark Kent during his wedding to Lois Lane.

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* PARA-DEMONS - The elite shock-troopers of the planet APOKOLIPS, under the command of DARKSEID.
In April 1987 (Legends #6 "Finale!"), Parademons are unleashed upon New York, only to be defeated by Superman and a group of other heroes, including the then-new JUSTICE LEAGUE, as well as WONDER WOMAN, Changeling and the FLASH who was secretly Wally West.

* PHANTOM ZONE - A "twilight dimension" discovered by JOR-EL II. Unrepentant criminals of KRYPTON were sent into the Phantom Zone so as to extricate them from Kryptonian society.

* PHANTOM ZONE PROJECTOR - The device which briefly opens a one-way portal - either going into, or coming out of - the PHANTOM ZONE.

* PIPELINE - Secret organization which answers to the authority of CONDUIT. In July 1995 (SMOS#46 "Finish Line"), Pipeline is forever eradicated as Superman demolishes its physical incorporation and SHADOWDRAGON destroys its intelligence-gathering abilities and library of knowledge.

* POWER GIRL - Initially, KARA ZOR-L of the planet KRYPTON, and cousin to the Superman of Earth-2. Power Girl was a member of INFINITY INC, the SUPER-SQUAD, and at one point took her elder cousin's place in the JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA.
In May-June 1977(All-Star Comics#66 "Injustice Strikes Twice!"), Power Girl is instrumental is defeating members of the INJUSTICE SOCIETY, and rescuing their captive, Wildcat.

* PRANKSTER - In an IMAGINARY STORY in September 1986 (Superman#423 "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow"), Prankster and the TOYMAN expose Superman's secret identity using knowledge gleaned from PETE ROSS. Inspired by MISTER MXYZPTLK into baiting Superman with Ross' dead body, the pair are quickly apprehended.

* PUZZLER, THE - A super-genius gambler and criminal who originally begins his criminal career by planning and over-seeing brilliant heists. In time, the Puzzler turns his attentions to proving that he can best the indefeatable Man of Steel, SUPERMAN. He delights in arranging complex clues and puzzles to confound and debilitate his opponents.

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* QUERL DOX - Real name of LEGION OF SUPERHEROES member, BRANIAC 5.

* QURAC - The middle-Eastern nation which, under the leader of their PRESIDENT MARLO, sponsored several terrorist attacks on the United States of America.