Bizarro

This article is about the supervillain. For other uses, see Bizarro (disambiguation).

Bizarro
File:ClassicBizarro.PNG Bizarro: art from the cover of Superman #202 (Dec. 1967). Art by Curt Swan & George Klein.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958)
Created by	Otto Binder George Papp (based upon Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)
In-story information
Alter ego	El-Kal, Kent Clark
Place of origin	Bizarro World
Team affiliations	Injustice League The Society
Notable aliases	Bizarro #1, Superman, Bizarro Clark, Bizarro-Superman, Kent Clark, The Phantom,
Abilities	Reverse Versions of Kryptonian Powers: Freeze Vision Heat Breath Vacuum Breath Spot-Light Vision X-Ray Hearing

Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68 (1958). Since then various iterations of Bizarro have appeared - often, but not always, as an antagonist to Superman.

Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books (1956 - c. 1970), the character has appeared in both comic books and graphic novels, and other DC Comics-related products such as animated and live-action television series, trading cards, toys, and video games.

Bizarro was Ranked #25 on IGN's List of 100 Top Comic Book Villains.

Publication history

Bizarro debuted in Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958), writer Otto Binder casting the character as a Frankenstein's monster pastiche that possessed all the powers of Superboy. Shunned for his grotesque appearance, the teen version of Bizarro only appeared in a single comic book story. An adult version, however, followed soon after: debuting in the Superman daily newspaper comic strip, featuring in Episode 105: "The Battle With Bizarro" (Strips 6147-6242 :Aug. 25, 1958 to Dec. 13, 1958). This storyline also introduced the strange speech patterns that became synonymous with the character, with all of Bizarro's comments meaning the opposite (e.g.. "bad" means "good"). The newspaper version also wore a "B" on his chest, as opposed to the distinctive "S".

Writer of the strip Alvin Schwartz stated:

I was striving, you might say, for that mirror-image, that opposite. And out of a machine which would reveal the negative Superman, came the mirror image, - always remembering that in a mirror everything is reversed...The times were such that one-dimensional characters, your standard superheroes, even in comics, seemed rather simplistic, like paper cut-outs. What was demanded was the full dimensional personality - a figure that carried a shadow, if you like. I was certainly inspired to some degree also by C.G. Jung's archetype of "the shadow" - and Bizarro certainly reflected that, as well.

Binder revised the character, this time wearing an "S" in Action Comics #254 (July 1959). Bizarro proved popular, and starred in the back-up feature in Adventure Comics for fifteen issues, running from issue #285 - 299 (June 1961 - Aug. 1962). The character made forty appearances in the Superman family of titles - Action Comics, Superman, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane, Adventure Comics, Secret Society of Super Villains, and DC Comics Presents - from 1959 to 1984 prior to a reboot of the DC Universe as a result of the limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 - 12 (April 1985 - March 1986).

Bizarro was reintroduced into the DC Universe in The Man of Steel #5 (Dec. 1986). An unrelated four issue limited series titled A. Bizarro (July - Oct.) was published in 1999.

Yet another version was introduced during the "Emperor Joker" storyline in Action Comics #769 – 770 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Adventures of Superman #582 – 583 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Superman #160 – 161 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), Superman: The Man of Steel #104 – 105 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), and Superman: Emperor Joker #1 (Oct. 2000). Remaining in DC Comics continuity, Bizarro continued to make semi-regular guest appearances that firmly established the character as part of the Superman mythos. The character appeared in Action Comics #785 (Jan. 2002), Infinite Crisis #1 (Oct. 2005), the Superman: Last Son storyline in Action Comics 844-846 (Dec. 2006 - Feb. 2007), 851 (Aug. 2007), #855 - 857 (Oct. 2007 - Dec. 2007), Annual #11 (July 2008), and #873 (March 2009).

The character appeared in the limited series Rann/Thanagar Holy War #1 - 8 (July 2008 - Feb. 2009), Strange Adventures #1 - 8 (May - Dec. 2009), and Solomon Grundy #1 - 7 (May - Nov. 2009). Bizarro also appeared in a chapter of the Blackest Night storyline in Superman/Batman #66 - 67 (Jan. - Feb. 2010).

Fictional character biography

Pre-Crisis Bizarro

General Dru-Zod had originally created bizarro duplicates of himself to dominate the planet Krypton. The bizarros had no power because they were not under a yellow sun, but they were soldiers ready to kill and die without wincing. That was why Zod was banished to the Phantom Zone for 25 Krypton sun-cycles (Phantom Zone #1).

Circa 12 years later, totally oblivious to these facts, a scientist in the Earth is demonstrating his newly invented "duplicating ray" to Superboy, and an accident causes the ray to duplicate the teen hero. The copy, quickly labeled "Bizarro", is a flawed imitation as it possesses chalky white skin and childlike erratic behavior. Shunned by the people of Smallville, Bizarro befriends a blind girl. Superboy is eventually forced to "kill" the doppelgänger, using the remains of the duplicating machine, which acts like blue kryptonite (as opposed to green kryptonite, Superboy's weakness) on the copy.

Years after this adventure when Superboy has become Superman, his arch-foe Lex Luthor recreates the "duplicating ray" and uses it on the hero, hoping to control the duplicate. The Bizarro that is created, however, is confused, stating: "Me not human...me not creature...me not even animal! Me unhappy! Me don't belong in world of living people! Me don't know difference between right and wrong-good and evil!" Luthor is forgotten as Bizarro attempts to emulate Superman, creating havoc in the city of Metropolis and almost exposing Superman's secret identity as Clark Kent. When Bizarro falls in love with reporter Lois Lane, she uses the duplicating ray on herself to create a "Bizarro Lois", who is instantly attracted to Bizarro. The Bizarros leave Earth together, determined to find a home where they can be themselves.

Superman encounters the couple once again, discovering that Bizarro - now called Bizarro #1 - has used a version of the duplication ray to create an entire world of Bizarros, who now reside on a cube-shaped planet called "Htrae" (Earth spelled backwards). Bizarro #1 and Bizarro-Lois #1 also give birth to a child who while super-powered, appears to be totally human. Considered a freak by Bizarro standards, the child is the catalyst for a brief war between Htrae and Earth. Bizarro also has a series of adventures on Htrae, aiding a normal Jimmy Olsen when accidentally trapped on the Bizarro world, preventing an invasion of blue kryptonite statues, and stopping the Bizarro version of Titano.

Bizarro's influence is also felt on Earth: Jimmy Olsen is inadvertently turned into a Bizarro for a time, and a new teen version of Bizarro travels to the 30th century, attempting to join the Legion of Super-Heroes. When rejected by the Legion, the Bizarro teen creates his own Bizarro version of the Legion, which Superboy eventually persuades him to disband.

When Bizarro encountered Superman once again, he had developed certain powers that were the opposite of Superman's (such as possessing freeze vision as opposed to heat vision), and unsuccessfully attempts to once again kidnap Lois Lane. Bizarro also temporarily joins the Secret Society of Super Villains to battle the Justice League of America and Captain Comet.

Post-Crisis

After the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Lex Luthor orders his scientific team to create a clone of Superman. However, wrongfully starting from the assumption that Superman is a human with metahuman abilities (his alien origin had not yet been publicly revealed), the process results in a flawed copy, which Luthor sneeringly dubs "Bizarro" and orders disposed. The monstrous clone survives and, although mute and possessed of only limited intelligence and vague memories of Clark Kent's life, attempts to mimic Superman; he kidnaps Lois Lane and is finally destroyed when colliding with Superman in mid-air.

File:ActionComicsCvr785.jpg

The new "Bizarro": cover of Action Comics #785 (Jan. 2002).
Art by Ed McGuinness.

The version of Bizarro currently depicted in DC's mainstream continuity possesses all the abilities of Superman but with a child-like mentality and method of speech. He is created by Batman's arch-foe the Joker when the villain steals the powers of the fifth-dimensional imp Mr. Mxyzptlk. Creating a twisted version of Earth called "Jokerworld" - a perfect cube with Joker's image on each facet - the villain designates Bizarro to be the planet's greatest hero and leader of a reimagined "JLA" (the "Joker's League of Anarchy"). When Mxyzptlk regains his powers, the imp allows Bizarro and several other beings to remain on the restored Earth.

Bizarro suffers a setback when captured by the Pokolistanian dictator General Zod. Zod beats and tortures Bizarro, apparently simply because the creature resembles Superman. The hero rescues Bizarro, and to help him adjust to the normal Earth rebuilds Bizarro's "Graveyard of Solitude" (the opposite of Superman's Fortress of Solitude). During the Infinite Crisis, Bizarro is tricked into joining the reformed Secret Society of Super Villains by Flash foe Zoom, and during a battle with superteam the Freedom Fighters accidentally kills the Human Bomb, constantly hitting the hero to observe the flashes of light that are produced from the kinetic energy of the blows.

Bizarro becomes involved when Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod escape to Earth, but wishing to create a home for himself, Bizarro travels into deep space to a solar system occupied by a blue sun. After creating a cube shaped planet, filled with abstract versions of various buildings and locations on Earth, Bizarro is still lonely. The blue sun, however, gives Bizarro a new ability called "Bizarro Vision", which allows him to create new Bizarros. When this fails, Bizarro kidnaps Jonathan Kent, Superman's adopted father on Earth. Superman rescues his father and helps Bizarro become his world's greatest hero.

Bizarro eventually appears on the planet Throneworld, eventually befriending and aiding Earth hero Adam Strange and allies Prince Gavyn, Captain Comet, and the Weird. Together they participate in the war between alien worlds Rann and Thanagar, and against villains Lady Styx and Synnar. Bizarro eventually visits the grave of a deceased Jonathan Kent, and is then sent (by rogue Kryptonians) with other Superman foes to the inter-dimensional prison, the Phantom Zone.

Bizarro has a series of encounters with former Secret Society ally Solomon Grundy, and during the events of Blackest Night, Bizarro confronts the Black Lantern version of Grundy. Bizarro eventually destroys Grundy by driving him into the heart of the Sun.

Later, while investigating an object that crashes into a Metropolis park and leaves a massive crystallized crater in its center, Dr. Light and Gangbuster discover a Bizarro-like creature that resembles Supergirl. The Bizarro Supergirl takes the heroes hostage, but is ultimately defeated in battle by the real Supergirl. It is revealed that the Bizarro Supergirl is a refugee from the cube-shaped Bizarro World, and was sent to Earth by her cousin after their planet was attacked by a being known as the Godship. Dr. Light attempts to take the Bizarro Supergirl to S.T.A.R. Labs, only to be violently knocked unconscious by Supergirl, who then absconds with her doppelganger and her ship, hoping to stop the Godship and save Bizarro World. After taking Bizarro Supergirl back to Bizarro World, Bizarro Superman is reunited with Bizarro Supergirl, and they infer by Supergirl that their world is danger.

Powers and abilities

Main article: Powers and abilities of Superman

Bizarro is depicted as having all the abilities of Superman, although in some incarnations several of these traits have been reversed, such as "freeze vision" instead of heat vision, "flame breath" instead of freeze breath, "vacuum breath" instead of super breath, "microscopic vision" which makes objects 'actually smaller to everyone' rather than merely 'appear to be bigger to only the user'. This also applies to weaknesses, as Bizarro is vulnerable to blue kryptonite, as opposed to green kryptonite, which is lethal to Superman.

Other versions

The limited series All-Star Superman (Jan. 2006 - Oct. 2008) features Bizarro clones from an alternate universe called the "Underverse". They can "infect" a normal human and change them into a Bizarro clone by touch. One of these creatures is called "Zibarro" and is unique in that he has the mental capacity of a normal human.

In the 2004 graphic novel, Trinity mini-series, by Matt Wagner, Bizarro is a genetic clone of Superman that is the result of Luthercorp's "Project Replica". The creature was then sealed away in the frozen wasteland of Antarctica, encased within ice, until it was released by Ra's Al Ghul, who used him as a pawn in his plan to use nuclear warheads to decimate Gotham as well as destroy a cluster of communication satellites, causing a major communications blackout, and several lucrative oil fields. The end goal of his mission being to incite chaos and purge the Earth of the "cancer" that is civilization

Several alternate universe versions of the character exist: one-shot The Superman Monster (1999), essentially a Frankenstein pastiche features monstrous copy of Bizarro; one-shot Superman: Red Son (2004) features a nameless version created in the United States to stop the Soviet-based Superman and Lex Luthor creates Bizarro-like duplicates in the limited series JLA: The Nail (1998).

The 2002 graphic novel Bizarro Comics is an anthology of short comics by artists of the independent scene handling various DC Comics characters in humoristic tales set out of any continuity. All the stories are bookended by Bizarro Wars, a comic written by Chris Duffy with art by Stephen DeStefano in which Mxyzptlk seeks the aid of Superman to save the fifth dimension from a cosmic conqueror named "A", but ends up with Bizarro (here introduced as a new character that neither Superman nor Mxyzptlk formerly knew of) instead. The other comics in the volume (including one short story by Bizarro creator Alvin Schwartz) are presented as creations of the deranged mind of Bizarro himself.

In other media

Television

• Bizarro appears in the Challenge of the Super Friends, voiced by William Callaway. He is seen as a member of the Legion of Doom.

• Bizarro appears in the 1980 Super Friends. In "The Revenge of Doom," Bizarro was seen with the Legion of Doom when they get back together.

• Bizarro appears in the The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians episode "The Bizarro Super Powers Team" voiced by Danny Dark.

• Bizarro appears in the Superboy series, played by Barry Meyers, and is to date the only live-action appearance of the traditional version of the character, complete with angular white features.

• A clone of Superman analogous to Bizarro appears in Lois & Clark played by Dean Cain. Created by Lex Luthor for the purpose of replacing Superman, he does not have Bizarro's distinct appearance, and is visually indistinguishable from Superman, as well as possessing all the usual powers and weaknesses of Superman. Although he does not speak backwards he does appear childlike and slightly simple-minded, and Lois refers to him at one point as seeming "bizarre".

• Bizarro later appears in Superman: The Animated Series, voiced by Tim Daly (who also voiced the title character). His origin is the same as the Post-Crisis Bizarro from the comics and his appearance, aside from the typical traits also bears resemblance to Frankenstein's monster, and homage is paid to his angular featured design in the first few seconds of his arrival. He is kindhearted and childlike, and although he has trouble distinguishing good, evil or harm, he wishes to protect innocents in the same way as Superman.

• Bizarro appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Ultimatum" voiced by George Newbern. He is attracted to Giganta and fights Wonder Woman for her when they try to break Gorilla Grodd from prison. Later on, Bizarro starts to both speak and comprehend things backwards, a nod to the comic version. In later episodes, Bizarro appears as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Legion of Doom.

Tom Welling as Bizarro in Smallville.

• A villain nicknamed Bizarro appears in Smallville, played by Tom Welling. However, this version differs significantly from comic book versions of the character, being neither unintelligent nor "backwards", and appearing as a perfect duplicate under most circumstances (though he wore a blue jacket and red T-shirt, in contrast to Clark's usual red jacket and blue T-shirt). This version of Bizarro was once a Kryptonian experiment (similar to Davis Bloome/Doomsday) turned into a wraith who was trapped in the Phantom Zone until Clark accidentally released it. It was revealed that this wraith burned out its human host bodies within 24 hours, killing them, and that it needed a Kryptonian body in order to sustain its life. He is able to steal Clark's cells, and becomes a carbon copy of him. However, whereas the yellow sun of Earth powers Clark, it turns the phantom's skin into a jagged stone-like appearance. The phantom attempts to replace Clark and live his life, but is sent to Mars by the Martian Manhunter, who describes the creature as having been "made in a laboratory" on Krypton; nothing further of its origin is elaborated. He returns shortly after, and is able to fool Clark's friends into believing it's him. Clark returns, and finds that the phantom's true weakness is Blue Kryptonite. Lana is able to get the Blue Kryponite close enough to Bizarro to cause his strength to grow exponentially. Because his body could not contain that kind of power, he imploded, and was seemingly destroyed.

• In an episode of Robot Chicken, Superman, while he, Flash and Wonder Woman were comparing 'reverse villains', states that Bizarro "looks like someone threw up in an ice cube tray," as well as an addition, more vulgar comparison to kryptonite. In another episode, Bizarro is portrayed as Paris Hilton's boyfriend, using his Bizarro speech to insult Paris in what on the surface appears to be a compliment.

Film

• In the direct-to-video animated film All-Star Superman, a statue of Bizarro appears in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, among statues of various enemies and friends of Superman.

• A Bizarro feature film is being developed by writers Dean Parisot and Robert Gordon.

Video games

• Bizarro appears in Superman 64.
• Bizarro appears in Superman: The Man of Steel.
• Bizarro is a villain and playable character in the Superman Returns video game voiced by John DiMaggio.
• Bizarro appears in the video game DC Universe Online.

See also

• Bizarro World
• Bizarro (roller coaster at Six Flags New England)
• Bizarro (roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure)

External links

• Don Markstein's Toonpedia: Bizarro
• Supermanica: Bizarro Supermanica entry on the Pre-Crisis Bizarro
• Supermanica: Bizarro-Superboy Supermanica entry on the original Pre-Crisis character.
• DC Database Bizarro disambiguation page
• DC Animated Universe article on Bizarro
• Smallville wiki's article about Bizarro