Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 2

[Spaceman Spiff]

Wasn't there a story in the 1st book where characters use powers they never had before or since

You could be thinking of JLA #46-47 reprinted in the first CoME, where Sandman used a gun that to create glass and cement blocks (!) and Dr. Mid-Nite used a "cyrotuber" to control bad guys' nervous systems.  Thankfully these gadgets didn't last long.  Or maybe you're thinking of JLA #55-56 in CoME v2, where the "black spheres" give Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Hourman extra powers.

The following is somewhat "off-topic", and it could easily fit into several other recent topics about the multiverse, the Earth-Two Superman, and the Earth-Two "Superboy".  However, the (lengthy) item I'm going to quote makes references to stories in CoME v2, so I'm going to ask...

Will the real Golden Age/Earth-Two Superman please stand up?

There are a few missteps along the way. Superman of Earth-2 is identical to his Earth-1 counterpart, with the same "S" and no gray hair.

To my knowledge, the Earth-Two Superman appeared in JLA #73-74, #82-83, #91-92, and #107-108 (with gray hair!) prior to the revival of All-Star Comics in 1976.  In those JLA/JSA team-ups, he appeared to be as powerful as his Earth-One counterpart.  But in All-Star (1970s) Superman (and his newly revealed cousin Power Girl) were shown leaping instead of flying.  This lack of consistency led to questions from readers about the relative powers of the two Supermen.

In Superman Family #191 (Oct 1978), one reader suggested that the Earth-Two Superman only had the powers shown in Action Comics #1 and that when the two Supermen fought in JLA #74, Supes-Two was magically enhanced.  Another reader suggested that when the Earth-Two Superman visited Earth-One, he became as powerful as his Earth-One counterpart.  Editor E. Nelson Bridwell addressed the questions as follows:

Superman Family[/i] #191 (Oct 1978)"]This is a complicated problem, but it can be worked out.  First, it is obvious that there were two Supermen whose exploits were chronicled in the 1940's.  One worked for the Daily Star, whose editor was George Taylor; the other worked for the Daily Planet, whose editor was Perry White.  It is not always possible to tell which is which, since the name of the paper was changed first in the magazine, and for a time we saw Taylor at the Planet.  Many of the adventures must have happened to both Supermen (and, indeed, to the third Superman--of Earth-One--some years later).  It would be tempting, I know, to say that, since the Earth-Two Superman was the one with the Star, we must accept only those stories in which he had limited powers as involving the Earth-Two hero.  Unfortunately, that means omitting many adventures which clearly involved that Superman--including his one adventure with the Justice Society (All-Star #36).  Since we know that was the Earth-Two Superman, the easy solution cannot be accepted.

But that isn't all.  Let's look at the battle of the Supermen.  True, Supes-Two was under the influence of the magical being called Aquarius.  But there is no evidence that his powers had been beefed up.  Indeed, in the preceding issue (JLA #73) he was shown flying and actually staggering the powerful Aquarius with his punch--on Earth-Two!  Moreover, in JLA #82, this Superman flies Dr. Mid-Nite home, saying, "Your base is only a thousand miles out of my way . . . it'll only take four seconds!"  To which Mid-Nite replies, "And that long because you don't dare go full out with a passenger!"

So how do we resolve the differences between the powers displayed by Superman in the early days and those he used later?  First, his Kryptonians did have some powers--including x-raay vision--on their home planet.  But very early, the differences in the gravities of Krypton and Earth were mentioned.  There is, however, another difference which explains this puzzle.  That Superman was a tiny infant when he was sent to Earth, while his Earth-One counterpart was two years old by Earth's calendar.  Hence, while the Superman of today was accustomed to walking in Krypton's gravity, and so rapidly discovered his powers, the Earth-Two Man of Steel learned to walk on Earth and so only gradually found out he was super.  In fact, he had not learned his full potential when he began his career.  He didn't know he could fly because he had never tried!  Similarly, he was unaware of his super-vision and super-hearing.  He knew nothing short of an exploding shell could harm him--but he had not yet been hit by an exploding shell.  Many of them hit him during World War II without doing any damage.  He may have more vulnerabilities than the Earth-One model--Power Girl's recent injury might suggest that, but we really know little of the weapon that caused it.

I have discussed this with Julie Schwartz, the real expert on Earth-Two, since he edited the first tales of the twin Terras, and he is in complete agreement with me.  Julie ought to know--he's now editing a new series on the early married life of the Earth-Two Supes and Lois--Mr. and Mrs. Superman--debuting this month in Superman.--ENB

I got the impression that Bridwell and Schwartz didn't agree with the All-Star editor's ideas about Supes-Two.  By the way, the battle in JLA #74 took place on Earth-Two, but presumably the second reader's theory causes the Earth-One Superman to become weaker on Earth-Two.

Here are my thoughts:
1) The Golden Age Superman started out with limited powers, but by the end of the 1940s he was quite powerful.  Flying, breaking the time barrier, withstanding nuclear explosions, he did all of this by 1950.  As ENB says, this Superman was the one who appeared with the JSA in All-Star #36, and he is approximately equal in power to the Earth-One Superman of the 1960s and 1970s.
2) The Earth-Two Superman shown in JLA/JSA team-ups was equal in power to the Earth-One Superman.  See ENB's references to JLA #73-74 and #82.  This was also implied in JLA #91, and in JLA #108 he saves Japan by holding up its tectonic plates.  This is consistent with the Golden Age Superman, so the Earth-Two Superman and the Golden Age Superman could be one and the same.
3) The writers and editors of All-Star (1970s) ignored much of the JLA/JSA team-up history.  Several JSAers who had been active in JLA/JSA team-ups were said to be "retired" or "inactive" in All-Star.
4) The writers and editors of All-Star (1970s) also ignored much of Superman's Golden Age history.  They tried to revert him to the Superman of 1938-1940.
5) The writers and editors of JLA also ignored some of Superman's Golden Age history.  For example, in JLA #91, Earth-Two's Clark Kent is said to be editor of the Daily Star.  But the paper's name was changed to the Daily Planet in 1940.  Of course, it could have changed back sometime after the "switchover" to the Earth-One Superman.
6) ENB's theory is at odds with the "Golden Age Superboy was Golden Age Superman as a boy" theory that India Ink suggested in another topic.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Golden Age Superboy display powers greater than the 1938-1940 Superman?

My conclusions:
1) The Earth-Two Superman is the Golden Age Superman and his powers are approximately equal to the Earth-One Superman's.
2) All-Star (1970s) was inconsistent with lots of established continuity from the Golden Age and the JLA/JSA team-ups.
3) The Earth-Two Clark Kent could have changed the newspaper's name back to the Daily Star when he became the editor.  I just don't buy the "two different Supermen in the Golden Age" theory.
4) The Golden Age Superboy could be the Golden Age (and therefore Earth-Two) Superman as a boy if you ignore the limited powers displayed by the 1938-1940 Superman.

I'd like to hear what you guys think about these ideas and ENB's comments.

[Just a fan]

I think the difference between the power levels of supermen has to do with their thought process. Earth-2 superman came to earth as an infant and was raises as an earthling, who didn’t really get the scope of his powers until he got older, so he limited himself to human standards because he just didn’t know he could be that powerful that’s why as he became exposed to things like surviving exploding shells he became more powerful because he learned he was and thus became expanding his self imposed limitations. Whereas the Earth-1 superman came to earth as a two or three year old, and had his powers right from the beginning and having the limitless imagination of a child didn’t stop to think there were limits to his powers, just stuff he hadn’t tried yet. This is shown again in a DC Presents (not sure of the number) where the Earth-1, Earth-2 supermen and Luthor of 3 team up to battle Ultraman.  The Earth-2 superman makes a comment about getting old and his powers diminishing, no matter how much he knows he’s not an earthling he still places human limits on himself.

Just my thoughts on the subject, what do you think?

[nightwing]

I rather like Bridwell's explanation.  Superman in his early days faced decidedly Earth-bound foes like gangsters, spies and two-bit killers.  They all tried to stab, shoot or burn him with no effect -- so he knew he was at least that invulnerable -- but beyond that, who could say?  So he -- or the writers -- said "nothing less than a bursting shell" could hurt him, because that's the worst thing he/they could imagine.  Then came that inevitable day when a shell burst on him harmlessly and he had to up the ante: "okay well nothing less than an A-Bomb, then..."  which held until an A-Bomb hit him!

And so on...

Few of us know what we can do until we try, and this would hold even more true for Superman, who was rarely tested to his limits in the Golden Age.  Why fly into space, for example, if you don't really care what's going on up there? (Unlike the SA version, who seems to feel he's half Earth-citizen and half wandering space orphan).  But when the day came (in "Menace From Space" if not before) he flies into space just fine.

On the other hand weren't there times in the early days when he was overcome by gas, implying he didn't have the super-lungs he later did?  So maybe some of it's just inconsistent writing.

My memory's not what it used to be, but for some reason I'm thinking it was established in later years (like maybe the 80s' JLA/JSA/SSSV crossover drawn by Perez) that Earth-2 Superman got more powerful as he got older.  In fact, it took him until what looks like his 50s or 60s to reach the power levels of Earth-1 Superman at 29/30.  Anyway, he certainly seems to be a match for him in "Crisis".

[Rugal 3:16]

some comments about inconsistencies in volume 1 that I cannot find any assumption..

1. Superman is being portrayed as vulnerable to magic AS MUCH as K (This would make those Thor fans happy) and use this moment as a basis of

Magic > Supes

but in his own silver age titles, sure Magic can get through supes' weakness but not as absurd as here..

Well of course, DIFFERENT EDITORS.. but wouldn't schwartz consult with weisinger on these kinds of things?? there's little thing to be assumed of what is supposed to bring out our imagination when inconsistencies like this come very large.

2. Why is the spectre "jobbing" to the anti-matter man? he's supposed to be the "Deus Ex Machina" in uberness to DCU as The Living Tribunal is to Marvel.. does that mean the anti-matter man would kick up ol' shiny naked golden judge with a towel as well?

I have more at the back of my head but that's all I can remember for now.