Welcome again as soon as extra to ASK…THE QUESTION, our month-to-month column the place we take your urgent DC mysteries and supply solutions to the perfect of our capability. I’m your host, Alex Jaffe, higher recognized within the DC Neighborhood as HubCityQuestion. As at all times, for those who’d wish to submit a query of your individual, you’ll be able to cease by my digital workplace at any time within the DC Neighborhood to make your inquiry, which I’ll, in time, handle to the perfect of my capability.
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Encyclopedia Extraterrestria, Vol. 5: S-T
Jeff-Midnighter asks:
Thanagarians, Kryptonians, Kherubims, oh my. What number of aliens have come, gone, or stayed on Earth?
Our six-month expedition via Earth’s alien guests continues right here, in my exhaustive try to deal with this specific inquiry. It’s possible you’ll seek the advice of earlier installments of this column for Earth-visiting aliens below A-R, in addition to the lengthy checklist of caveats and exceptions concerning the sorts of alien races which won’t be showing right here. If there’s one you assume I’ve omitted, please don’t hesitate to jot down. We’ll embrace any famous species which have evaded my search in an appendix on the finish.
Sabromians: A large race of green-skinned aliens with batlike ears, stable crimson eyes, and 4 whisker-like face protuberances who as soon as staged an invasion of Earth by beginning with the Fortress of Solitude.
Saturnians: Within the Golden Age, the Empire of Saturn occupied the ringed planet and all of its moons, dominated by the devil-like Emperor of Saturn. Saturnian slavers Saturnette and Eviless had been incessantly opposed by Marvel Lady within the Emperor’s bid to annex Earth below his rule. Ultimately, Saturnians got here to be typified by such red-skinned humanoids as Jemm, Son of Saturn, and had been additional established as descendants of Martian colonists.
Scrubb: The hairless, blue-skinned Scrubb are recognized for his or her love of sport and competitors, difficult planetary civilizations to confront their very own champions one-on-one to be spared destruction. In a single well-known incident, each Superman and boxer Muhammad Ali volunteered to symbolize Earth towards the Scrubb.
Sh’pilkuzzians: The race of Larfleeze, keeper of the Orange Lantern. Larfleeze has been to Earth on a number of events, from aiding within the battle towards Nekron in Blackest Evening, to discovering the true that means of Christmas.
Sklarians: Human in look, the Sklarians appear to be a matriarchal, technologically easy race with superhuman reflexes that depends on raiding others for development. An all-female cadre of Sklarian raiders deal with the Legion of Tremendous-Heroes 1,000 years sooner or later.
Somahutrans: A light-weight purple-skinned race with two antennae on their brow, Somahutrans reside symbiotically with a various array of micro organism of their our bodies infectious to most different races. The Somahutran Infectious Lass is a member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes.
House Kraken: The monstrous house kraken of the planet Ahnkis had been dropped at Earth as dwelling warcraft by the alien sea god Commander Drogue, aquaforming the planet and reworking its inhabitants into mutated troopers.
Star Conquerors: A cosmic race of one-eyed starfish with some telepathic capability able to controlling host our bodies by grafting themselves onto their faces. Capable of develop to monumental sizes, as within the case of Starro the Conqueror.
Solar-Eaters: A number of the strongest beings within the recognized universe, a Solar-Eater can take a big amorphous or humanoid form to empty vitality on a cosmic scale. Superman has typically saved a child Solar-Eater on the Fortress of Solitude, and the Justice League has on a number of events battled the humanoid Solar-Eater, Starbreaker.
Symbeasts: A race of tiny parasitic creatures which may take a mess of types by linking up with each other, remodeling and lengthening from their host physique. These alien symbeasts are the ability supply of Menagerie, of the Elite.
Talokites: A race of blue-skinned humanoids from the Talok star system. Mikaal Tomas, the alien Starman, is a Talokite, as is Sinestro Corps lorekeeper Lyssa Drak, and Shadow Lass of the Legion of Tremendous-Heroes.
Talynians: An elflike race which genetically engineered their very own warlike tendencies away to change into a tradition of peace, till they had been worn out by Psimon of the Fearsome 5. Jarras Minion, the final of the Talynians, escaped to Earth and have become an ally to the Teen Titans.
Tamaraneans: Golden-skinned humanoids from the Vega star system. Like Kryptonians on Earth, Tamaraneans achieve unbelievable energy from photo voltaic vitality, together with tremendous power, flight and the flexibility to course of new languages with bodily contact. Usually represented in comics by Starfire of the Teen Titans.
Tchk-Tchk: A collective insectoid race of invaders who cram themselves en masse into humanoid energy fits to overcome new worlds. The Tchk-Tchk paint these fits yellow, for cover towards the Inexperienced Lantern Corps. In Publish-Disaster continuity, one among Hal Jordan’s first missions as a Inexperienced Lantern was to repel Legion, a Tchk-Tchk invader, from their designs on Earth.
Technis: The Technis are an artificially clever alien pc hivemind, first made conscious of Earth by a spacefaring Swamp Factor. The Technis finally come to Earth to assimilate Cyborg of the Teen Titans.
Thanagarians: The dominant, humanoid race of the planet Thanagar, recognized for his or her excessive power, stamina and senses, militant tradition, and Nth metallic expertise. By many accounts, the unique race of Hawkman and Hawkwoman. (Or a minimum of one among their lives.)
Thought-Beasts: Considerably resembling a triceratops, the Thought-Beasts had been native creatures to Krypton which may challenge psychological photographs. A minimum of one Thought-Beast survived Krypton’s destruction within the Fortress of Solitude.
Tormocks: A sadistic species of shapeshifters with superior bioengineering expertise who’ve raided the universe for millennia. Sworn enemies of the Vuldarians, the Tormocks come to Earth to exterminate Man Gardner.
Trogkians: A quadrupedal species resembling a wooly mammoth with two lengthy tusks rather than any discernable head. Moose, a Trogkian member of the Sinestro Corps, got here to Earth as a fighter within the SInestro Corps Warfare.
Tsauronians: The lizardlike race of Ontiir, a member of the Darkish Circle who infiltrates the Science Police 1,000 years sooner or later.
Flash vs. Superman: Feats of Fleet Toes
capo-mage asks:
Are there any official stats on wins/losses between the Flash and Superman in foot races? I’ve joked about how they appear to get interrupted each single time. I’d like to know if anybody has ever calculated these statistics!!!
Excellent news: we’re about to calculate these statistics for you proper now!
The difficult factor about tabulating the outcomes of races between Superman and the Flash is that for many of DC historical past, there’s solely ever been one Superman, whereas there have been a number of Flashes. So, within the curiosity of measuring Kal-El’s foot velocity towards every particular person Scarlet Speedster, we’re going to separate every of their races.
Jay Garrick
There’s some widespread folklore amongst debaters of this very query that the Flash is quicker than Superman on foot, however Superman can overtake him if he’s allowed to fly. We’ll see if that occurs to be true, however Jay’s solely recorded race with Superman occurred to happen with all toes on the bottom.
In DC 1st: Flash/Superman, Abra Kadabra arranges a race between the heroes the place solely the winner will die and the loser spared. Naturally, every hero desires to make the sacrifice for the opposite. It’s finally Jay who crosses the end line first, by stealing Superman’s velocity in a transfer he realized from Wally West.
Footrace Report: Jay 1, Superman 0
Bart Allen
In season 4, episode 5 of TV’s Smallville, a younger Clark Kent curiously encounters the long run Impulse earlier than ever crossing paths with Barry Allen or Wally West. Exhibiting the long run Man of Tomorrow that he nonetheless has so much to be taught, Bart leaves Clark coughing up his mud on an extended stretch of Kansas street.
Footrace Report: Bart 1, Superman 0
Barry Allen
Now we get into it. Barry Allen’s Pre-Disaster races towards Superman are the place their fame for ties originates, occurring in Superman #199 (footrace), The Flash #175 (flight allowed), and DC Comics Presents #2 (flight allowed). The primary decisive victory between Superman and a speedster takes place in World’s Best Comics #198-199. As the duvet to subject #198 boldly states: “And this time, there MUST be a winner!” Regardless of cowl illustrations on the contrary, this race too is on foot, and it’s Barry who claims victory.
The tenth subject of The Dying of Superman, Half 1, a tie-in collection to the Dying of Superman animated film, has Barry reminiscing a few footrace between himself and the departed Superman organized by Mr. Mxyzptlk. Inspired by Superman to make use of the entire powers out there to him, Barry defeats Superman, and spoils a wager Mxy positioned towards him within the course of.
Probably the most notorious race of current reminiscence between Superman and Barry, as soon as extra on foot, is in The Flash: Rebirth #3. There, Superman, together with the remainder of the League, makes an attempt to cease Barry from returning to the Velocity Pressure once more to guard his household, having solely simply reunited with him.
“I’ve raced you earlier than, Barry,” Superman says to his previous pal. “I even received a few of these races.” (Reality examine: doubtful.)
Barry’s response is one you’ve seemingly seen screencapped on the web each time this query comes up: “These had been for charity, Clark.” The Flash promptly kicks into excessive gear, leaving Superman helplessly behind. That is bolstered within the 2018 Flash Warfare story arc, the place a superspeed battle between Barry and Wally leaves Superman with no hope of catching as much as both hero—even in flight.
Superman’s first controversial win towards Barry happens in Superman #709, one of many final Pre-Flashpoint Superman tales, once more on foot. Right here, we discover the Flash’s thoughts overwhelmed by a diadem containing a Kryptonian sunstone, forcing him to run recklessly. Superman manages to catch as much as Barry and take away the mind-altering crown, however Barry insists that his addled state is what allowed Clark to meet up with him within the first place.
The one utterly decisive win for Clark towards Barry happens in Tom King and Andy Kubert’s Superman: Up within the Sky #4, on foot. How does Superman handle to defeat the Flash right here? I’ll be sincere with you: he shouldn’t have. The entire story, and actually each their total histories collectively till now, implement the concept Superman is a being of many abilities, however the Flash will at all times be the quicker hero. However sadly for the Flash, there’s one factor you’ll be able to at all times depend on Superman to do when it completely issues most: the unimaginable. (And hey, possibly that is the race Superman was speaking about earlier.)
Complete Report: Barry 3, Superman 2, Ties 3
Footrace Report: Barry 2, Superman 2, Ties 1
Wally West
Velocity Pressure Students will let you know that though Barry typically will get high billing as of late, Wally West is really the quickest man alive. That appears to ring true from Wally’s first ever race towards Superman, on foot, in Adventures of Superman #463. Superman doubts that the younger speedster filling in for his mentor has what it takes to fill Barry’s boots, however Wally is fast to show him flawed.
Wally would beat the Man of Metal once more in The Flash #209, at the same time as Superman flew. Nonetheless, regardless of his comparatively lengthy stint because the Flash, there simply aren’t as many races of document between Wally and Kal-El. As talked about earlier, Barry and Wally do utterly outclass Superman collectively within the Flash Warfare arc and there a couple of races with outcomes we are able to’t ensure of, equivalent to within the Superman: The Animated Sequence episode “Velocity Demons” and subject #7 of the Rebirth-era Titans collection. We by no means get to see these races end. However for the outcomes on document, Wally is the clear winner.
Complete Report: Wally 3, Superman 0
Footrace Report: Wally 1, Superman 0
As we are able to see from the outcomes right here, the widespread folklore compromise that Superman can beat the Flash—any Flash—if he’s allowed to fly within the race doesn’t truly appear to bear any reality. Within the instances of each Barry and Wally, if we embrace races the place Superman flies, the document towards him is much more lopsided. And the few instances Superman truly has managed to eke out a win had been all on foot. If there’s one factor I’ve gathered, it’s that the true reply to who wins a race between the Flash and Superman is solely this: the winner is whoever wants it extra.
Consider it or not, that’s all of the house now we have for this week. Be a part of us subsequent time once we’ll be ending off our encyclopedia of Earth-visiting aliens. And till then, you’ll be able to at all times cease on by the DC Neighborhood must you dare to ASK…THE QUESTION.
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Alex Jaffe is the writer of our month-to-month “Ask the Query” column and writes about TV, films, comics and superhero historical past for DCComics.com. Observe him on Twitter at @AlexJaffe and discover him within the DC Neighborhood as HubCityQuestion.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this column are solely these of Alex Jaffe and don’t essentially replicate these of DC Leisure or Warner Bros.
