Encyclopaedia Kryptonomicon

by Jon Randall

On the following pages you will find a casually accrued compendium of the creators, characters, incidents, events, topographia and arcana of the Superman Family mythos.

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

B

* BATMAN - Alias BRUCE WAYNE, caped crusader of GOTHAM CITY and one of the most recognized comic book characters world-wide. Superman and Batman have had a partnership which dates back almost sixty years.
In mid-year 1985 (Superman Annual #11 "For The Man Who Has Everything"), Batman saves Superman from, and himself falls prey to, the BLACK MERCY. He is revived from its thrall by ROBIN (2).
In an IMAGINARY STORY in September 1986 (Action Comics#583 "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow"), Batman is one of several heroes seen trying unsuccessfully to breach Braniac's force-shield in order to aid the beleaguered Superman.
In Winter 1997 (Batman Chronicles #7 "Equal Justice") Batman is enlisted by Superman to investigate the facts behind the crime of death-row inmate MALLORY BLAIR.

* BELTON - A town in an unspecified area of the United States' "Deep South." In October 1975 (WF#233 "World Without Men"), the SUPER-SONS investigate the former ghost town to find it has been populated by a man-hating society of women. The Sons find that town is ruled by BIG SISTER SYBIL, a mysterious voice speaking from behind a bizarre monolith. The Sons defeat the menace of Sybil, but do so too late to prevent the deaths of Belton's mayor Sara, and police chief Diana.

* BEPPO - Also known as the SUPER-MONKEY, a KRYPTONian chimpanzee used as a test subject by Superman's father JOR-EL in testing the space rocket which would bring baby KAL-EL to Earth. Member of the LEGION OF SUPER-PETS.

* BETHGAR - A KRYPTONESE term meaning "ruler." It's feminine form is Bythgar.

* BGBZNZ, MS. - The ex-wife of MISTER MXYZPTLK. In July 1980 (Superman#349 "The Turnabout Trap), it is revealed that the Mxyzptlk-Bgbznz marriage had been annulled, owing to the false pretenses under which it was carried out (Ms.Bgbznz's beauty was in fact an illusion, covering up her more classically-impish ugliness. Faced with such a "disappointing" countenance, Mxyzptlk chose to end the marriage).

* BIG SISTER SYBIL - A hideously deformed alien who, from the anonymous perch of her spaceship/monolith, controls the Southern town of BELTON in October 1975 (WF#233 "World Without Men"). Hating all things of beauty, Sybil infects the all-female population of the town with a slow-acting serum which will eventually turn the beautiful women into terribly deformed monsters. The SUPER-SONS manage to defeat Sybil and send her back to her homeworld (there she is punished by being caged in a mirrored prison, where she must view her hideousness "for all eternity"), and administer the antidote to her serum - "a male's touch."

* BIRON - The centaur who, through the magic of CIRCE, eventually becomes COMET the SUPER-HORSE.

* BIZARRO - One of several "imperfect" duplicates of Superman.
In an IMAGINARY STORY in September 1986 (Superman#423 "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow"), apparently motivated by MISTER MXYZPTLK, Bizarro decides that his life is not "imperfect" enough. So as to more directly mirror Superman, he purposefully destroys HTRAE and comes to Earth as an adult (As opposed to KRYPTON exploding accidentally and KAL-EL rocketing to Earth as a child), rampages across METROPOLIS, killing "lots of people," and finally takes his own life.

* BIZARRO RAY - Also known as the MATTER DUPLICATOR RAY, the device which creates the 'imperfect duplicates' known as BIZARROS.

* BIZARROS - Several significant members of the DC COMICS' continuity have had "imperfect duplicates" of themselves made.
The initial Bizarros (see BIZARRO) were clones of Superman and SUPERBOY(1). Further Bizarros have included imperfect duplicates of PERRY WHITE, LOIS LANE, JIMMY OLSEN and SUPERGIRL(2). Likewise, there have even been Bizarro versions of prominent Superman villains such as LEX LUTHOR (Who, despite being a "wonderful villain" on Earth, is just a "punk hero" on the world of HTRAE) and AMAZO (See individual entries under BIZARRO-...).
In February 1965 (Adv.#329 "The Bizarro-Legion") we are introduced to the "Legion of Stupor-Bizarros," created by Bizarro-SUPERBOY in the Thirtieth Century, the membership of which includes a Bizarro-BRANIAC 5 (whose "loutish computer brain" overheats at the effort of adding two and two), a Bizarro-SATURN GIRL (whose mind-reading abilities allow her to accurately draw Bizarro-Superboy's brain "That what be in your head!"), Bizarro-INVISIBLE KID (1) (who certainly can become invisible, but can't make his clothes do likewise), Bizarro-CHAMELEON BOY (who becomes a Bizarro "Crying Hyena," and prefers to stay that way) and finally a Bizarro-LIGHTNING LAD, -MON-EL, -ULTRA BOY and -COSMIC BOY (all of whose powers work fine, for malicious ends).

* BIZARRO WORLD - Or HTRAE, the cubical homeworld of all Bizarros.

* BLACK FLAME - ZORA VI-LAR, a KANDORian villain and enemy of SUPERGIRL(2), friend of another Supergirl villain LESLA-LAR.
In September-October 1981 (Krypton Chronicles #1 "The Search For Superman's Roots" and #2 "Bring Back Yesterday"), she attempted to trap Superman and SUPERGIRL(2) on ROKYN using a three-dimensional projection of a YAGRUM to delay the pair.

* BLACK FUTURE - A supremacist organization for Americans of African descent. The group is largely prison-oriented, and maintains a violent opposition to the white supremacist group, ARYAN BROTHERHOOD.

* BLACK LIGHTNING - A fellow defender of METROPOLIS, Lightning is actually former Olympian and high school teacher Jefferson Pierce, whose acrobatic skill and lightning-based powers make him a force for justice in Metropolis' "ghetto" area.
In May 1979, Lightning fights his arch-enemy Tobias Whale on the grounds of the SUPERMAN MUSEUM.

* BLACK MERCY - An alien, symbiotic plant-life which affixes itself to a host-body, and feeds from the host's lifeforce. In return, the Mercy grants its host a telepathic "dream-come-true," in which all of the host's fondest wishes come true.
In mid-year 1985 (Superman Annual #11 "For The Man Who Has Everything"), Superman falls prey to the Mercy, caught in a hallucination wherein KRYPTON never exploded. In this dystopian world, KAL-EL is a sample collector at the crater of KANDOR, husband to LYLA LERROL and father of Van-El and Orna Kal-El. His father JOR-EL, an outcast for his unfulfilled predictions of Krypton's doom and invention of the inhumane PHANTOM ZONE, becomes chairman of the Swords of Rao, a right-wing religious-para-military organization. The terrible tragedy of this Krypton, combined with outside efforts from BATMAN, free Superman from the Mercy's grip.
Under its spell, Batman fantasizes a life where his parents were never murdered, he is husband to Kathy Kane and father to an unnamed teenage daughter. MONGUL, who originally employed the Mercy as a weapon against Superman, becomes its victim and dreams of a universe flowing with the blood of his conquered foes.

* BLACKROCK - A supervillain identity created by, and occasionally employed by DR.PETER SILVERSTONE, an employee of UBS. Blackrock uses a scientifically created black stone to manifest his television-broadcast related powers.
In December 1981 (Superman Family #213 "Bad Day With BLackrock"), Peter Silverstone himself dons the mask to blackmail GREG GILBERT into stealing prototype blueprints from GBS' Research and Development team. Having failed to create a single innovative invention for UBS in a solid year, Silverstone feared for the loss of his job, and so hoped to present the unpublished blueprints as his own. Supergirl(2) foils these plans.

* BLAIR, MALLORY - A tragic and complex woman who, in Winter 1997 (Batman Chronicles #7 "Equal Justice"), faces execution in the GOTHAM CITY. Believing there to be extenuating circumstances to her crime (shooting a police officer to death), Superman enlists the aid of BATMAN to uncover the truth, and change her sentence to one less fatal. In the end, Blair, polluted by remorse and hopelessness, arranges for her own death mere moments before the Governor can call in his stay of execution.

* BLOK - A native of the planet DRYAD and a member of the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES. Blok is a silicone-lifeform, whose rocky composure gives incredible strength and resistance to harm.
In Aug.1987 (Superman #8 "Future Shock") he is one of four Legionairres who confront the Post-Crisis SUPERMAN in a search for SUPERBOY (3).

* BORING, WAYNE(1916-1982.) - One of the most pivotal and influential artists to touch the Superman legend, Boring began his work at National Periodical (see DC COMICS) as an assistant to Superman creator JOE SHUSTER. For close to 30 years, Boring's powerfully-built, dramatically-inked Superman was the defining image of this character. Boring ended his career "ghosting" several non-DC comic strips before passing away in 1982.

* BOTTLE CITY - Another name for the shrunken city of KANDOR.

* BRADLEY, SLAM - A hard-hitting ex-police officer turned private investigator who eventually makes a home in METROPOLIS.
An interesting side-note:Bradley was the brainchild of Superman creators JERRY SIEGEL and JOE SHUSTER, whose first published appearance predates Superman.

* BRANDE, R(enee) J(acques) - One of the wealthiest men of the 30th century, he is also the financier of the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, a native of the planet DURLA and father of CHAMELEON BOY.

* BRAKH - A Bedouin raider who, in May 1971 (WF#202, "Vengeance of the Tomb-Thing"), befriends a rogue SUPERMAN ROBOT in order to commit raids upon the archaeological expedition of the Tomb of KING MILAS.

* BRANIAC - VRIL DOX, a powerful and evil mind from the planet COLU, also known as the reducer of KANDOR and one of Superman's greatest foes. Occasional partner to LEX LUTHOR, and ancestor of BRANIAC 5.
In an IMAGINARY STORY in September 1986 (Superman#423 "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow"), Braniac commandeers Luthor's body for use in a final assault against the Man of Steel.

* BRANIAC(Anim) - Even as Superman has played many roles in animation, so have many of his enemies, including Braniac.
In the SUPER FRIENDS series of cartoons, Braniac was a member of the LEGION OF DOOM.
In the SUPERMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES, he was once the network of computers intended to ensure the safety of the planet KRYPTON and its inhabitants, though Braniac developed a sadistic survival urge upon learning of Krypton's impending doom. Convincing the SCIENCE COUNCIL that JOR-EL's predictions of their imminent cataclysm were false, Braniac insured (to his perceptions) that he would be the sole survivor of Krypton, and thereby possess the infinitely valuable sum total of Krypton's knowledge and information.
In January 1997 (Superman Adventures#3 "Distant Thunder"), Braniac rebuilds his robot body and seeks out Superman, demanding the return of the Kryptonian Memory Orb. After a brief battle, and the taking of LOIS LANE as a hostage, Braniac is checkmated when Superman threatens the existence of the Orb. In the end, Braniac hands over his central processing unit, vowing to return yet again.

* BRANIAC 5 - QUERL DOX, descendant of the notorious twentieth century criminal BRANIAC, native of the planet COLU and member of the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES.
In Aug.1987 (Superman #8 "Future Shock") he is one of four Legionairres who confront the Post-Crisis SUPERMAN in a search for SUPERBOY (3).

* BRAVERMAN, "KENNY" - Childhood acquaintance and rival of CLARK KENT who, in time, becomes the twisted villain CONDUIT.

* BRENN-BIR - One of three KANDORian criminals (including VAS-QUOR and KYL-IBO) who, having gained super-powers from the escaped PHANTOM ZONE villain AK-VAR, engaged in a campaign of terror upon Kandor.

* BRUTE - "Milk-Brother" of MOPE who, in exchange for his and Mope's freedom, agrees to capture Superman for the TRIBUNAL.
In November 1995 (SMOS#50, "Split Personality") Brute helps capture a weakened Superman and is later goaded into fighting the Man of Steel outside the confines of the Tribunal vessel. Despite his rapid recharge from the sun's rays, Superman is no match for Brute's remarkable strength, invulnerability and "paralysis beams." Returning the prisoner to the ship, Brute is executed for unwarranted brawling with Superman.