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Bizarro
Bizarro, in art from the cover to Superman #202 (December 1967). Art by Curt Swan and George Klein.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958)
Created by	Otto Binder George Papp
In-story information
Alter ego	Kent Clark
Place of origin	Htrae
Team affiliations	Injustice League The Society
Notable aliases	Bizarro #1 Superman Bizarro Clark Bizarro-Superman
Abilities	Reverse versions of Kryptonian powers including 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 first appeared in Superboy #68 (1958), and was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp.

Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books, 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.

[edit] Publication history

[edit] Origin

Bizarro debuted in Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958), writer Otto Binder casting the character as a Frankenstein 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 synonmous with the character, with all of Bizarro's comments meaning the opposite (eg. "bad" means "good"). The newspaper version also wore a "B" on his chest, as opposed to the distinctive "S".^[1]

Writer of the strip Alvin Schwartz stated:

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 - 300 (June 1961 - Sep. 1962). The character made forty appearances^[3] 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: Man of Steel #104 – 105 (Sep. - Oct. 2000) and Superman: Emperor Joker #1 (Oct. 2000).

[edit] Biography

[edit] Pre-Crisis Bizarro

When a scientist is demonstrating his newly invented "duplicating ray" to Superboy, an accident causes the ray to duplicate the teen hero. The copy, quickly labelled "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 doppelganger, using the remains of the duplicating machine, which acts like blue kryptonite (as opposed to green kryptonite, Superboy's weakness) on the copy.^[4]

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!"^[5] 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 instantly attracted to Bizarro. The Bizarros leave Earth together, determined to find a home where they can be themselves.^[6]

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 square-shaped planet called "Htrae" (Earth spelled backwards).^[7] 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.^[8] Bizarro also has a series of adventures on Htrae, aiding a normal Jimmy Olsen when accidentally trapped on the Bizarro world;^[9] preventing an invasion of blue kryptonite statues^[10] and stopping the Bizarro version of Titano.^[11]

The character returned to Earth time and again, and a new teen version even 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.^[12]

[edit] Post-Crisis Bizarro

In Man of Steel #5, Lex Luthor creates a clone to combat the Man of Steel.^[13] The clone is proven to be imperfect, the imperfections in the duplicates eventually fatal. The mute creature makes several attempts to "be" Superman, including wearing a jacket and glasses over his still visible costume. The flawed duplicate is destroyed when he and Superman fly into each other.^[14] The powdered remains of Bizarro restore sight to Lois Lane's blind sister.

Luthor later recreates Bizarro to offer insight into how to stop the "Clone Plague". The new Bizarro escapes, and kidnaps Lois Lane, taking her to "Bizarro World"; a warehouse set up like a surreal version of Metropolis. He subjects her to danger, but she manages to escape. Bizarro is recaptured by Lexcorp, where he subsequently dies.

The Bizarro from the Emperor Joker storyline. Art by Ed McGuinness.

A later version of Bizarro is created by the Joker by the use of the powers of Mr. Mxyzptlk^[15]. The Joker creates a twisted version of Earth, a perfect cube with Joker's image on each facet. Created to be the greatest hero of Jokerworld and leader of that world's JLA (Joker's League of Anarchy), the backwards talking Bizarro is one of a number of characters Mxyzptlk saves from that world after Joker loses the stolen powers. The creature is subsequently captured by the Pokolistanian dictator General Zod, and tortured, apparently just for the pleasure of beating someone who resembles Superman.

After escaping from Pokolistan with Superman's help, Bizarro recreates his Jokerworld headquarters, the Graveyard of Solitude, and at erratic intervals emerges to "help" or hinder Superman; the decision as to which being seemingly random, and the same amount of trouble caused either way.

Bizarro is invited to join the Secret Society of Supervillains. Bizarro challenges Zoom to a race, due to Bizarro's complicated speech patterns, neither Zoom nor Cheetah are sure which end result of the race would convince Bizarro to join. The two race across the planet, Bizarro's erratic zig-zag path a point of contention with Zoom. When Zoom insults and threatens Bizarro, he is convinced that Zoom is his friend and joins. While with the Society, Bizarro kills the Human Bomb, commenting that he likes the flashes of light that the Bomb's powers produce.^[14]

One year later, Bizarro is a captive of Lex Luthor and has been watching television in a small room for thirteen months. As a result, he is better informed than before.

Afterwards Bizarro left Earth to create a home for himself. After creating a cube shaped planet, filled with abstract versions of various buildings and locations on Earth, Bizarro found himself still lonely. Bizarro finds that, under the power of a blue sun, he gained a new ability called "Bizarro Vision". He uses his new ability to populate the planet with Bizarros, starting with a Bizarro Lois, that feared and hated him. Attempting to find answers Bizarro abducts Pa Kent and Superman follows in pursuit. With Superman's help, he becomes the new Bizarro World's greatest hero.^[14]

In Superman #682, Bizarro goes to the grave of Jonathan Kent. When Clark and Martha arrive, he says "Me am happy." before flying off. Later, he is rounded up and placed in the Phantom Zone by members of Kandor. Superman frees all supervillains to be taken to Belle Reve, but Bizarro disappears from the Phantom Zone, somehow escaping.^[16] Bizarro mysteriously wound up on Throneworld; Home of Prince Gavyn. In fifteen minutes a lost, angry Bizarro defeated half of Throneworld's Imperial Guard before Gavyn stopped Bizarro by befriending him. Gavyn kept Bizarro sedated with food and cartoons until Adam Strange, having learned from the Weird of Bizarro's presence on Throneworld, teleported the two to Hardcore Station to aid his overpowered allies. Bizarro became embroiled in the war between Rann, Thanagar, Lady Styx, and Synnar.

Bizarro, along with Adam Strange and Comet currently star in Strange Adventures written by Jim Starlin.

Bizarro is confronted with the Black Lantern version of his late friend Solomon Grundy.^[17] When Grundy is assaulting Bizarro, his black ring initially reads his emotions as inversions of the Emotional spectrum ("rage" shows as pink rather then red). It then starts losing the ability to read Bizarro's emotions completely as his aura changes to a brilliant white. Bizarro eventually destroys his former friend by flying him into the sun, completely incinerating the Black Lantern Grundy and his ring.^[18]

[edit] 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.

Several alternate universe 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).

[edit] In other media

Bizarro appears in the animated television series Challenge of the Super Friends (1978) voiced by Bill Calloway; Super Friends (1980 - 1982); The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985 - 1986) voiced by Danny Dark; Superman: The Animated Series (1996 - 2000) and Justice League Unlimited (2004 - 2006) voiced by George Newbern.

The character also appears in live-action television adaptations, appears in Superboy (1998 - 2002) played by Barry Meyers and Smallville (2001 - present) played by Tom Welling.

Tom Welling as Bizarro in the seventh season episode (#133) of Smallville titled "Bizarro". (2007)

Bizarro also stars in two epsiodes of the humourous television series Robot Chicken.

Bizarro appears in several video games, including Superman 64 (1999); Superman: The Man of Steel (2002) and Superman Returns (2006) voiced by John DiMaggio.

A Bizarro feature film is being developed by writers Dean Parisot and Robert Gordon.^[19][20]

[edit] See also

• Bizarro roller coaster at Six Flags New England
• Bizarro roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure

[edit] References

[edit] 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
• Smallvile wiki's article about Bizarro