Superman robots
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Superman Robots were fictional robots from the DC Comics Universe. The robots resembled Superman in appearance and abilities.
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[edit] Silver Age versions
Superman robots played a particularly dominant role in late 1950s and 1960s era Superman comics, when readers were first introduced to Superman possessing various robot duplicates. These robots each possessed a fraction of the Man of Steel's powers, and were sometimes used to substitute for him on missions (such as those where kryptonite was present) or for the purposes of protecting his secret identity (to that end, Superman also possessed a few Clark Kent robots). One notable Superman robot is Ajax A.K.A Wonder Man
The idea of Superman robots were extended into Superboy stories of the period as well, where it was revealed that Superboy also possessed robot duplicates of himself (both as Superboy and as Clark Kent). Nearly all of these robots were either deactivated or converted into adult-sized robots when Superboy grew up to become Superman.
In the early 1970s, the Superman comics largely abandoned the use of Superman robots as part of a change in the books' tone and writing style; the excuse given in the comics was that Earth's pollution levels and atmospheric conditions had rendered Superman's robots unusable.
[edit] Modern Age versions
The notion of Superman robots was reintroduced for post-Crisis comic continuity in a late 1990s storyline. During the period where Superman (under the control of Dominus) felt he must police the entire earth, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week he built an army of Superman Robots (created in his own image, all wearing the famous "S" shield but wearing variations of the Red, Blue and Yellow costume). However, unlike the pre-Crisis Superman robots, these automata were not realistic androids capable of passing for the real Superman, but instead were obviously mechanical, with metallic bodies that possessed no artificial skin. These modern Superman Robot's powers included Super-Strength, Flight and Heat Vision, but were inferior to Superman's own powers. The Superman Robots were also given a small degree of sentience, making each one an autonomous agent of the Man of Steel. Their job: To protect mankind (aggressively if necessary) and attend to crises beyond Superman's reach.
Once Dominus had been defeated, Superman had most of the Robots destroyed. One particular Robot (programmed to protect Lois) was particularly difficult to get rid of.
After Krypto almost kills Mongul, Superman realizes that Krypto is too dangerous to have around and confines him to the Fortress of Solitude. A Superman robot, nicknamed "Ned" is employed as Krypto's caretaker. The robot is programmed to give off Superman's scent every now and again to keep Krypto happy.
In a recent storyline, Brainiac 8 revives and increases the power to a forgotten Superman robot. The robot attacks the Teen Titans, killing Donna Troy and Omen before it is defeated.
In Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman, a league of Superman robots is seen operating various equipment in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. The robots have a more obvious robotic appearance, with blue capes and the yellow and red on the S insignia transposed.
[edit] Elseworlds Versions
In Superman: Red Son, the Superman robots are actually Soviet citizens lobotomized and fitted with cybernetic implants for speaking or acting against the Soviet regime.
[edit] External links
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