50 Years Later, DC Goes Nuclear With Superman Villain Redesign
An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.
His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.
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The beauty of comics as a visual medium is its potential to always keep things fresh with its characters and their respective designs as stories change hands. This can mean a wardrobe change like in Batman: The Killing Joke with the Joker's Hawaiian shirt-clad ambush leaving Barbara Gordon paralyzed. It can also mean radical aesthetic changes pushed by new power-ups, like the recent instance involving Hex Luthor. But for some of Superman's villains, their designs have taken some radical shifts, with Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra's work on Absolute Superman #24 providing some truly memorable new looks at the Atomic Skull.
Absolute Superman's been making a four-course meal out of its villain redesign showcases, with its latest issue containing a memorable sequence of Kal-El's tireless work, with John Henry Irons, finally embracing his identity as Steel, there to witness it all. The Atomic Skull in this universe, this time evidently Albert Michaels like the first character to bear the name, is yet another corrupted victim of Brainiac's experiments, granting immense power yet absorbing its enormous, traumatic burdens in the process. Ditching the supervillain suit, much like Chemo in the same issue, Atomic Skull's Absolute Superman redesign is a raw, fearsome presence, incredibly powerful while concealing deep sorrow in the process.
Warning: Read Ahead Only If You've Finished Absolute Superman #24 Or Are Okay With Spoilers!
Superman Villain From 1976 Gets Latest Dark Redesign
Atomic Skull's appearance is about as overt in this iteration as it can be: a tall, sinewy body with contorted muscle fiber covering his skeleton, with his skull emitting visible, dangerous amounts of radiation. It's conceptually simple yet effective as far as redesigns go, with his uncannily long fingers functioning as claws for close combat, the energy emitted by his enraged state at times resembling purple blood escaping his body. But his nightmarish form comes at a steep price, with Superman quickly deducing this man's state was due to Brainiac.
Absolute Atomic Skull's particularly dangerous new powers allow him to literally eat uranium fuel rods at an active nuclear power plant, and potentially rupture its core and potentially causing irreparable environmental disasters. He still plays the hits of the old iterations, though, with his Brain-Wave Attack capable of infiltrating Superman's mind and flooding him with his own thoughts. These briefly convince Superman that he's actually Albert Michaels, while revealing the suicidal state Brainiac presumably left him in after initiating "Atomic Shock Therapy."
It's an interesting spin on the character compared to his Superman #303 origins from 1976, but also a telling glimpse into the horrific addiction his powers left him with, a constant need to feed on radon and radium to quell the screaming noise in his head.
Atomic Skull & Other Villains Witness Superman's Compassion Firsthand
One of the most beautiful things about Absolute Superman is how much more brightly Superman's kindness shines in a world hell-bent on snuffing his light out. Kal-El works tirelessly, doesn't eat, and barely ever sleeps, with Steel noting the one time he dozed after his close call with Atomic Skull. In that moment, Steel observed how Superman felt he'd failed the Earth by resting even just a moment.
But his endless good deeds are paying off. The toxic sludge creature was kept alive and given a containment matrix enabling it to walk freely and prevent any further suffering, adopting the name Chemo. With Chemo becoming a more docile character content living near Chernobyl, while another villain to make his Absolute Superman debut, Bloodsport, is making the most of his time in prison, perhaps the most striking conclusion is that of all of them, Michaels' journey recovering from his addiction as Atomic Skull. A character once desperate to soothe the searing agony in his cranium is now writing to Superman every week from rehab.
Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition
Superman
Trivia Challenge
🌏OriginsLast son
☠VillainsKneel!
⚡PowersInvincible
🎥FilmsBelieve
💫LegacyHope
01
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
But despite all the horrors Brainiac unleashes upon the world, Superman is continuously putting them out with unflappable kindness every step of the way. It's clearly setting up Brainiac's big move to break this streak in Absolute Superman #25, but for dozens of issues now, despite being set in a universe inundated with evil, Superman fans have gotten to see just how pure of heart their favorite superhero is, with or without being raised by the Kents since his earliest days.
- Movie(s)
- Superman, Superman II, Superman III, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Superman Returns, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Superman, Man of Tomorrow
- TV Show(s)
- Adventures of Superman, Superman, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, Superman: The Animated Series, My Adventures With Superman
- Comic
- Superman (2023)
- First Film
- Superman
- Genres
- Superhero, Action
- Cast
- Christopher Reeve, David Corenswet, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, Tom Welling, Tyler Hoechlin, Margot Kidder, Rachel Brosnahan, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, Gene Hackman, Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Spacey, Jesse Eisenberg
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.