Superman has been positioned as the center of the DCU, which is exactly where he belongs. While you can make the very correct argument that Batman is more popular than the Man of Steel, the Kryptonian hero represents the hope at the center of the DC Multiverse better than the Dark Knight. Starting with the Last Son of Krypton also opens the door for some of the best characters in comics, including a roster of villains full of would-be superstars. Superman faces the biggest threats out there, and most adaptations have barely scratched the surface of his rogues gallery. Lex Luthor has already proven to be a hit with fans and Brainiac is on the way in Man of Tomorrow. There’s one Superman villain who can play a huge role in that movie and it could lead to the best version of the villain ever coming to the big screen – Bizarro.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Bizarro first appeared in Superboy (Vol. 1) #68. He was created by a duplicator ray used on the Teen of Steel, except that it couldn’t perfectly imitate young Kal-El, leading to the villain we all know and love. At around the same time, the adult version of the villain appeared in the Superman daily newspaper strip in Episode 105, “The Battle with Bizarro”. This would lead to him making his first comic appearance in Action Comics #254, when Luthor was able to duplicate the duplicator ray. Bizarro would go on to become one of the strangest villains in comics, inextricably linked to the history of the Man of Steel. Post-Crisis DC would see many changes, and Bizarro would end up changing as well. With Man of Tomorrow coming up, DC Studios has the chance to introduce fans to the best version of Bizarro.
It Took Ages for DC to Find the Right Bizarro
Bizarro has starred in many stories, but when most fans think of him, they think of the pre-Crisis version, the bumbling perfect imperfect duplicate of Superman. He came from the mind of Otto Binder, the former Captain Marvel writer who introduced some of the weirdest – and best – characters and ideas to Superman comics. Eventually, Bizarro-Earth was created for him, a world where everyone spoke in opposite and did the opposite of what they did on Earth-One, giving him a home. Post-Crisis DC saw Superman changed completely and Bizarro followed suit.
Lex Luthor was also responsible for his creation. He got his hands on Superman’s DNA and decided to clone him, trying to create his own version of the world’s greatest hero. Instead, he got Bizarro, using him as a weapon against Superman. This was the version of Bizarro we got from 1986 to about the year 2000. He was more serious and dangerous, something that would change when Jeph Loeb took over the character. Bizarro started to become more humorous again and eventually, as pre-Crisis ideas came back into vogue in the mid ’00s, he would be more like the old school version, with the return of Bizarro-Earth completing the process.
However, the New 52 would see the history of the DC Multiverse changed again. We wouldn’t get to see Bizarro until Forever Evil, when it was revealed that Lex had tried to clone Superman and created Subject B-Zero. Instead of being evil, this version of the villain was childlike and sweet. He became one of the best parts of Forever Evil, the relationship between him and Lex humanizing the villain. He was somewhat like the more friendly pre-Crisis Bizarro and it was fun. He died at the end of the story, a nice tragedy for Lex as he became a hero, but we wouldn’t have to wait long for him to come back.
Since he was a clone, Lex was able to create a new version of him, leading to the birth of Bizarro II. He would end up joining the Outlaws along with Artemis, taking the places of Starfire and Arsenal. Red Hood and the Outlaws was usually considered one of the worst books of the New 52, but the Red Hood/Bizarro/Artemis version of the group that came during the DC Rebirth publishing initiative introduced the idea of a twisted Trinity, each of them representing the three main heroes of DC gone slightly wrong. Fans seriously loved this version of the team, but it would eventually end in 2018.
It was great to see this new version of Bizarro. While he wasn’t the perfect imperfect duplicate, the idea of the childlike Superman as a hero was a lot of fun. James Gunn has shown that he loves using post-Crisis ideas in the DCU, so he’s almost certainly going to use the Lex Luthor cloning Kal-El option when he brings in the villain. Bizarro would be the perfect addition to Man of Tomorrow, but Gunn could tweak it from other versions who have been adapted by making him more like Subject B-Zero/Bizarro II.
There are times when a new version of a villain, especially a Superman villain, just doesn’t work. Sure, bad guys like Lex and Brainiac have been able to change over the years, but when was the last time you saw Terra-Man? Kryptonite Man? Over the years, many revamps of Superman villains have failed and B-Zero could have been one of these. However, the return of the character would show that it wasn’t a fluke and that could be the direction the movie would take.
This version would be better fit James Gunn’s style than one of the more evil Bizarro clones of the past. He could become a mascot for the movie, much like Krypto was the first movie. We know Lex can make Superman clones, so maybe Bizarro is him trying to change the formula, as it were, and make him stronger, creating this version. It would be awesome to have him and Superman bond while Lex groans in the background, all while he treats Luthor like a puppy does his master. It would be a great way to introduce the character to the DCU.
The DCU Has a Chance to Bring the Best Bizarro to the Big Screen
Bizarro is an important part of Superman history, having been a part of the hero’s world for almost seventy years now. We’ve gotten numerous versions of the villain, some of them silly and some of them deadly serious, and creators have been using him to tell all kinds of brilliant stories over the years. The clone version of him from the modern era has always been an interesting modification of the original, but B-Zero broke the mold. Making the clone more sympathetic and good was just the right choice.
This is the direction with Bizarro that Man of Tomorrow could take. Lex already made one Superman clone, so there’s no reason he couldn’t do it again. However, he would definitely try to “improve” on the design and that could explain why he is the way he is. Bizarro needs to be brought to the big screen and this more sympathetic version is definitely the way to go.
Do you think that Bizarro is going to show up in Man of Tomorrow? What version do you want to see? Sound off in the comment section below.
5 Writers Who Built Superman’s Legacy — and Made Him Bigger Than the Comics
More Comics
-
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics Marvel
13 hours agoThe Original X-Men’s Richest Member Became Its Deadliest Hero, and the MCU Needs to Tell His Story
-
Movies
14 hours agoStar Wars Already Has the Perfect Story for Darth Vader’s Rumored Solo Movie
-
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics Comics
1 day agoMarvel Canceled This Modern Classic Before Its Biggest Twist and the Avengers May Finish the Story
-
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics Collectibles
1 day agoThis Copy of Gambit’s First Appearance Is a Perfect Ten, But That Might Not Be Enough for Some Collectors
