What would you want from an “Ultimate Superman”?

[Prime]

I agree with you Vordan as always we need something thatÂ’s different from the main continuity. I would have Maxima as his main love interests. Maybe have Lex with hair lol

[Prime]

Reading a lot of Champion of the Oppressed here, but I highly doubt DC would veer that far off from Superman to have Clark actually be the Champion of the Oppressed, simply because of "Truth, Justice, and the American Way".

Also. Superman and Wonder Woman as a couple. Read a few comments saying Lana Lang, interesting, but you'll need a really creative writer to not make her a Lois Lane clone or pull everything from Smallville. I've been thinking about what Lana brings to the table beyond just being his childhood crush or Lois Lane's rival in love. But, if Scott Snyder is doing this, he'll probably write that Batman/Wonder Woman story he's quietly pushing.

But yeah, Superman and Wonder Woman, largely unexplored territory and ripped for interesting stories.

Personally I think a Superman/Wonder Woman thing has a lot of potential. But it needs to be done proper this time tbh.

[Yoda]

I would want an Ultimate Superman that followed the Ultimate line at its most successful - Ultimate Spider-Man. A distilled and modernized version of the character in a fresh continuity. Not a complete reimagining that tossed off the main continuity traits of the character. Ultimate Peter's powers and costumes were identical to the classic version. They tweaked and modernized his origin to genetic manipulation, but he still got bit by the spider, Uncle Ben still bit it. I mean, his main love interest in the Ultimate line was Mary Jane, the exact same love interest he was married to in the main line continuity. They built it up and explored that relationship over the course of the comics with realistic ups and downs. They introduced recognizable, but modernized versions of all his most popular villains. They kept the secret identity, but addressed the difficulty it present to his relationships.

So I'd want a classic retelling, basically Morrison's Action with the classic costume and no editorial edict to have Lois and Clark say they were best buddies every couple of issues. Explore the triangle for two in a modern variation and update and tweak it. You can play with the relationship in the modern context as well. I think this allows for exploration of the other love interests in the context of modern dating (ala Peter & Kitty) but the Lois & Clark dichotomy is central. Update the villains, we've seen this done well with MAWS - Parasite as corporate greed, while I didn't like the Gyndam suit thing, that version of the character was awesome. Explore them as twenty somethings in modern context. Its all there, just streamline and modernize. What do "Truth and Justice" mean today? What is "Truth" in a world were everyone's "opinion" is allowed to carry the same weight as a facts? There's a ton there.

But I think the most successful variations of the Ultimate line and concept are a modernized and streamlined take on the character. More Ultimate Spider-Man than Ultimatum.

[manwhohaseverything]

What would I want? Hmm. Something that's actually *different.* Something that doesn't feel like a DC Superman story. I wouldn't even want something that could easily fit inside the label 'superhero.' Innovate. Push boundaries. Isn't that what made Superman a global icon in the first place? We can definitely do a 'back to basics but modernized' kind of Bendis-Spidey thing, and it could be super fun if handled even halfway well, but....don't we basically have a bunch of those out there already? From Smashes the Klan to My Adventures With Superman, we're not hurting for 'classic Supes but with today's writing sensibilities and some tweaks here and there' stories. And I'm not hating on those stories or saying they're identical, but they're not cutting new paths, they're just trimming the ones already here.

So what I'd want is something that breaks into a completely different, unexpected kind story. Something that comes from a warm, recognizable place but reaches beyond that, in the same way Clark himself has roots in the pulps but didn't stop there. Naturally there's no point to doing it if it doesn't look and feel like Superman, but that doesn't mean our only options are whether he's young/single, who he could date that isn't Lois, or the specifics on his powers.

And I think, as far as the Bendis/Spidey style Ultimate thing goes, didn't Morrison basically do that with Action? I feel like, as far as a 'reasonable' expectation goes, it doesn't get much better than that kind of 'modernized return to the real beginning' approach. If DC gave me a new Golden Age style Superman I'd celebrate. That's the guy I think the world needs and I think it's the approach that would reinvigorate the franchise. But I don't think DC is quite ballsy enough to do more than dip a toe in the waters now and then. I don't think they'd stray too far from ground they know is safe. Which is fine, a quality Superman story is always welcome. But what I *want* out of an Ultimate Superman? It isn't a superhero. It's something...deeper. And I don't think DC has the tools to make it.

Dc is a company..i am sure there are or will be independent people out there making stuff that ain't superhero..but deeper.

[HsssH]

Sometimes when I read comments about Morrison's run or early Golden Age stories I wonder if I read the same stories. To me main difference is that he wouldn't babble about hope and trust and whatever else, but just punch wife beater in the face. Or in general, would get involved in humam problems without "they have to decide for themselves" excuses.

Therr isn't that much, if any at all, tearing down of anything.

[bat39]

And I think that's the problem. You can't have Superman spouting Truth, Justice, and the American Way, while trying to have stand against the corruption that's seeped into America. Because Truth, Justice, and the American stands for America, not wanting to tear down the system. Superman went through extreme lengths to enact change. I can't imagine people would be happy with Clark doing that.

Who said he's trying to 'tear down' the American system, any more than Batman is trying to 'tear down' the justice system of Gotham City?

The Siegal/Shuster Superman was introduced breaking into the governor's mansion to ensure that an innocent woman wasn't executed. He wasn't exactly introduced breaking into the White House to depose the US Government and establish some kind of socialist utopia

Sometimes when I read comments about Morrison's run or early Golden Age stories I wonder if I read the same stories. To me main difference is that he wouldn't babble about hope and trust and whatever else, but just punch wife beater in the face. Or in general, would get involved in humam problems without "they have to decide for themselves" excuses.

Therr isn't that much, if any at all, tearing down of anything.

Yeah. I think people get way too hung up on the bits about him threatening war profiteers and corrupt businessmen and assume that he was the 1938 equivalent of Antifa or something. To be fair, Morrison didn't help matters by referring to the Siegal/Shuster Superman as a 'socialist'.

[Thor-Ul]

You want him to be different from main continuity? Make him black. It worked for Ultimate Spider-Man, isn't?

[Digifiend]

They already did that, twice. President Superman and Earth-2.

[Thor-Ul]

Yes, but those are not Clark Kent. Make a black Clark Kent.
And by the way, Calvin Ellis is a great character, but Val Zod is horrible. Totally bland.

[Prime]

You want him to be different from main continuity? Make him black. It worked for Ultimate Spider-Man, isn't?

A successor ? Isn’t that what Val is suppose to be ?

[Thor-Ul]

Val is a horrible character.
Also, I must add than actually there are thre young SUpermen flying around: Kon, Kenan and Jon, the last one being the most active in the pages of the comics actually. ANother book with a younger Superman would make several of thiese characters redundant.

[HsssH]

Yes, but those are not Clark Kent. Make a black Clark Kent.
And by the way, Calvin Ellis is a great character, but Val Zod is horrible. Totally bland.

But black Spider-man waa given his own name, he wasn't black Peter Parker.

[Vordan]

Calvin Ellis is a black “Kalel” raised by a kindly couple who are farmers per Williamson’s use of them. It’s been done already, frankly if you’re going to racebend Superman you should do it for an ethnic group that hasn’t been represented yet. Superman as a Native American or Indian or MENA. But at that point it’s less an “Ultimate” take and more an Elseworld like Red Son.

Ditto for him dating Wonder Woman, they’ve done that repeatedly. It’s his second most common romance outside of Lois at this point. I’m not saying doing it again would be good or bad, but it’s not a novel or unique idea.

You know what? Here’s an idea: what if we went back the very first idea of Superman’s upbringing in Action #1 - he wasn’t raised by the Kents at all. Instead he was raised in an orphanage. Now that would be something potentially different. Superman is a product of his life experiences moreso than a singular traumatic event, and so what does a Superman who isn’t raised in a perfect household but also isn’t raised in horrific one turn out to be? That to me offers an opportunity similar in nature to what Hickman is exploring right now with a Spider-Man who gets his powers as a grown man who is married and a father.

[The Frog Bros]

Calvin Ellis is a black “Kalel” raised by a kindly couple who are farmers per Williamson’s use of them. It’s been done already, frankly if you’re going to racebend Superman you should do it for an ethnic group that hasn’t been represented yet. Superman as a Native American or Indian or MENA. But at that point it’s less an “Ultimate” take and more an Elseworld like Red Son.

Ditto for him dating Wonder Woman, they’ve done that repeatedly. It’s his second most common romance outside of Lois at this point. I’m not saying doing it again would be good or bad, but it’s not a novel or unique idea.

You know what? Here’s an idea: what if we went back the very first idea of Superman’s upbringing in Action #1 - he wasn’t raised by the Kents at all. Instead he was raised in an orphanage. Now that would be something potentially different. Superman is a product of his life experiences moreso than a singular traumatic event, and so what does a Superman who isn’t raised in a perfect household but also isn’t raised in horrific one turn out to be? That to me offers an opportunity similar in nature to what Hickman is exploring right now with a Spider-Man who gets his powers as a grown man who is married and a father.

Now that would be a different and interesting take being in an orphanage. Very Dickensian. I like it.

Another possible divergence would be if he’s taken away by the gov shortly after Ma and Pa find him. This could either be in a normal timeline or in a dystopian future setting. The one thing they’d have to steer clear of here though is not making him become a gov stooge. It could be the basis of him going against the establishment.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

You know what? Here’s an idea: what if we went back the very first idea of Superman’s upbringing in Action #1 - he wasn’t raised by the Kents at all. Instead he was raised in an orphanage. Now that would be something potentially different. Superman is a product of his life experiences moreso than a singular traumatic event, and so what does a Superman who isn’t raised in a perfect household but also isn’t raised in horrific one turn out to be? That to me offers an opportunity similar in nature to what Hickman is exploring right now with a Spider-Man who gets his powers as a grown man who is married and a father.

Now that would be a different and interesting take being in an orphanage. Very Dickensian. I like it.

Another possible divergence would be if he’s taken away by the gov shortly after Ma and Pa find him. This could either be in a normal timeline or in a dystopian future setting. The one thing they’d have to steer clear of here though is not making him become a gov stooge. It could be the basis of him going against the establishment.

I'd read both versions.