Kalel (Earth 23)

Kalel is the Superman of Earth 23. In his civilian identity, he is Calvin Ellis, President of the United States of America.

History

Origin

Years ago, the planet Krypton was annihilated in a cataclysmic explosion, leaving almost nothing left. Shortly before the catastrophe, young scientists Jorel and Lara managed to rocket their infant child, Kalel, into the depths of space, where he would eventually land on the planet Earth. Found by the poor but kind Ellis family, who christened him Calvin, he was raised to stand up for himself no matter the odds, and to fight for what's right. When his star-spanning Kryptonian powers emerged under Earth's yellow sun, he became Superman, champion of the oppressed and defender of peace around the world.

Superman would fight many battles against the likes of Lex Luthor, construct the citadel of Fort Superman, and inspire a generation of superheroes by his emergence who would form the Justice League. But his greatest adventure of all may be, in his identity as Calvin Ellis, becoming the President of the United States of America, where aided by his long-suffering assistant Courtney and the reprogrammed alien intelligence Brainiac, he works to protect the world with political as well as superhuman might.

Final Crisis

During the Final Crisis, this Superman was recruited by the Supermen of the Multiverse to help battle the vampire god Mandrakk, and later helped to stabilize conditions on New Earth.

The New 52

The New 52
The DC Universe heavily changed its continuity into the DCnU following the events of Flashpoint in 2011. This was part of an effort to make storylines more accessible to newer readers, beginning with the New 52. This new timeline combines elements from the DCU, Vertigo Universe and Wildstorm Universe while drastically changing the origins and histories of characters.

Curse of Superman

After fighting a particularly easy battle with his nemesis, Lex Luthor, Kalel realizes that Luthor served only to distract him from his true hidden possession, the Transmatter Sonic Array. As soon as Superman finds this device, three humans barrel out from its entrance. One of them dies, another lies motionless, and the third fires a Kryptonite laser at Superman, but it has no effect. Superman disarms the woman and asks about her situation.

She tells him that she's on the run from a monster named Superman. She reveals that she's from an alternate universe where this monster was the creation of herself and her friends Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen, a thought-powered being built to inspire and save the world bought out and corrupted by the mega-company Overcorp; rampaging across the Multiverse to eliminate other Supermen, "Superdoomsday" already butchered the pint-sized Superman of Earth 42 and Optiman of Earth 36, with its fleeing creator expressing doubt Calvin would prove any different. Soon enough, the monster bursts through the portal device and attacks Superman. With the help of the woman and an unconventional ally in Lex Luthor, they defeat the monster and send him back through the portal, seemingly tearing him to shreds.

Summoning the Justice League, Superman explains what the device is and asks them to analyze it as he finally introduces himself to the woman. She introduces herself in turn as Lois Lane, and says that he must be Superman done right.^[1]

Multiversity

 Main article: The Multiversity

After disabling a robot from another universe, Superman went to the Justice League satellite to have the wreckage examined. The presence of the non-universal material activated Luthor's Transmatter Array, and unwittingly speaking the codeword "S.O.S." transported Superman to the House of Heroes, where he was greeted by Captain Carrot of Earth 26. Meeting with a gathering of several other heroes throughout the Multiverse, the Thunderer of Earth 7 explained that a powerful threat known as The Gentry had destroyed his universe; Superman used Brainiac equipment in his belt to reactivate the station's A.I., Harbinger, which informed them how to traverse the Bleed via Shift-Ships, which Superman's experience with music aided him in operating. He led a party with the intention of rescuing Monitor Nix Uotan from the Gentry on Earth 7, only to find themselves on Earth 8 and confronted by the Retaliators. Before they could come to an understanding, Uotan was reborn from a cosmic egg as the Dark Monitor, corrupted servant of the Gentry.^[2]

Superman, having heard stories of the Monitor in his travels, attempted to get through to Uotan, but was rebuffed and joined in the battle to stop him. After Uotan was disinfected and the heroes of the Multiverse defeated the Gentry, Superman led a small party to Earth 7, where they confronted the Gentry's master, the Empty Hand. Superman expressed doubt for the Empty Hand's expressed intention to destroy the superheroes once and for all at a later date, noting that many such villains had claimed they would before, at which point the party was teleported back to Earth 8. The heroes of the Multiverse, now led by Superman, agreed to work together to defend against the Empty Hand's coming attack, with a small group made up of Superman and several other heroes forming Justice Incarnate.^[3]

DC Rebirth

When the Supermen of the multiverse were being hunted by the Prophecy, the Justice League Incarnate met with Kal-El (New Earth) and Kal-L (Earth-30). Kalel and The League warned the Supermen of the incoming danger and aided them to find Kong Kenan, the Super-Man of China.^[4] The group returned to the House of Heroes, where Superman took the Ultima Thule to the Prophecy to enact his plan as bait, as well as creating a beacon where the other captured Supermen were taken.^[5] The House later received a signal from the Thule, and Red Racer mentions to the group that was their only vessel and building another one would take thousands of years; so he sacrificed himself to build a new one, shocking everyone, but luckily his plan worked and they managed to save the Supermen.^[6]

Infinite Frontier

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Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Superman possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
  • Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Superman's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
  • Heat Vision: Superman can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
  • Super-Hearing: Superman's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
  • Enhanced Vision: Superman's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.
    This umbrella ability includes the following:
    • Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Superman can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
    • Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
    • X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Supermans can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
    • Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
    • Infrared Vision: Superman can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
  • Flight: Superman is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
  • Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Superman is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
    • Enhanced Immunity
  • Superhuman Stamina: Superman is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
  • Superhuman Strength: Superman's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
  • Superhuman Speed: Superman is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid-flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time.
    This also confers:
    • Superhuman Agility
    • Superhuman Reflexes
  • Super-Breath: Superman is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.
  • Longevity: Superman can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.

Abilities

• Boxing: Superman was taught how to box as a child by his adoptive father, a skill that would serve him well when facing off against equally powerful opponents such as Superdoomsday.^[7]
• Leadership: Superman has extensive leadership experience, as the founder of his worlds Justice League and the multiversal Justice Incarnate, and the President of the United States. In the latter role he has shown particular ability, balancing the national budget, solving the Libya Crisis, forming the Alliance of Nations to foster demilitarization and international collaboration, and receiving the highest approval ratings since President Rickard in the 1970s.
• Music: Calvin can play the guitar.^[2]
• Surveillance^[8]

Weaknesses

• Vulnerability to Meta-Nite: Kalel is susceptible to Meta-Nite, another version of Kryptonite from his world. It seems to have the same effects as Green Kryptonite and only affect the Kryptonians of Earth-23.^[9]
  

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• Brainiac

Notes

• This version of Superman is strongly based on both real-life President Barack Obama and famed boxer Muhammad Ali (as confirmed by writer Grant Morrison).^[10]
• He is the third black Superman. The first two being Sunshine Superman and Superman of Earth-D.
  

Trivia

• Despite being a Superman, Kalel wasn't affected by Kryptonite when attacked by the woman from the Superdoom universe. However, Pre-Flashpoint, Kryptonite was shown to only affect Kryptonians from the same universe, and the same appears to apply to the Post-Flashpoint multiverse.^[1] It was later revealed that his world's equivalent of Kryptonite is Meta-Nite.^[9]
• The name "Calvin Ellis" was originally introduced as an alias for Superman in a 1985 story written by Alan Moore.^[11]

Related

• 55 Appearances of Kalel (Earth 23)
• 43 Images featuring Kalel (Earth 23)
• 4 Quotations by or about Kalel (Earth 23)
• Character Gallery: Kalel (Earth 23)

Footnotes

Superman Family member This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of Superman, and a member of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Family members" category.

Justice League member This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.