"I was striving, you might say, for that mirror-image, that opposite. And out of a machine which would reveal the negative Superman, came the mirror image – always remembering that in a mirror everything is reversed... The times were such that one-dimensional characters, your standard superheroes, even in comics, seemed rather simplistic, like paper cut-outs. What was demanded was the full dimensional personality – a figure that carried a shadow, if you like. I was certainly inspired to some degree also by C. G. Jung's archetype of "the shadow" – and Bizarro certainly reflected that, as well."
-Superman newspaper strip writer Alan Schwartz, on creating Bizarro
BIZARRO- Silver Age
Created By: Otto Binder & George Papp (newspaper writer Alan Schwartz claims creation)
First Appearance: Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958)
Role: Mirror Image Villain, Flying Brick
Group Affiliations: The Bizarro League, The Secret Society of Super-Villains, The Injustice League
PL 14 (239)
STRENGTH 20
STAMINA 18
AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8
DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3
AWARENESS -3
PRESENCE -3
Skills:
Intimidation 12 (+9)
Perception 4 (+1)
Ranged Combat (Heat Vision) 2 (+10)
Advantages:
Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Heat Vision), Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Takedown, Ultimate Strength Check, Withstand Damage
Powers:
Power-Lifting 2 (100,00 tons) [2]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 11) [13]
Senses 12 (Microscopic Vision 2, Extended Vision 2, Extended Hearing 2, Vision Penetrates Concealment, Infravision, Ultra-Hearing) [12]
"Heat Vision" Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 2) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (48) -- [53]
- AE: "Heat Beam" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (42)
- AE: "Freeze Breath" Affliction 16 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition) (48)
- AE: "Freeze Cone" Affliction 15 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (48)
- AE: "Ground Pound" Affliction 15 (Strength/Athletics; Hindered & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Both Must Be Grounded, Instant Recovery) (31)
- AE: "Super-Breath" Affliction 15 (Strength/Athletics; Hindered & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Both Must Be Grounded, Instant Recovery) Linked to Move Object 11 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Touch Range) (39)
"Faster Than a Speeding Bullet"
Flight 18 (50,000 mph) (Feats: Dynamic) (37) -- [41]
- Dynamic AE: Quickness 14 (Feats: Dynamic) (15)
- Dynamic AE: Speed 13 (16,000 mph) (Feats: Dynamic) (14)
Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) [2]
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Heat Vision +10 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Freeze & Ground Pound +15 Area (+15 Affliction, DC 25)
Initiative +2
Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +18, Fortitude +14, Will +3
Complications:
Responsibility (Must Say Things in Reverse)- This isn't always enforced, but he often says things like "Goodbye" instead of "Hello".
Power Loss, Weakness (All Powers, Blue Kryptonite Exposure)- Blue Kryptonite has the effect on Bizarro that green kryptonite does on Kryptonians- he will rapidly lose his powers and die.
Power Loss (X-Ray Vision)- Kryptonian X-Ray Vision cannot penetrate Lead.
Rivalry (Superman)- Bizarro often attempts to be the opposite of Superman, or mimic him in every way (such as rescuing or falling in love with Lois Lane).
Reputation (Moron)
Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 123 / Defenses: 12 (239)
Bizarro- The Superman Clone:
-Bizarro is an ever-lasting constant in the life of the Man of Steel, appearing in most long-running adaptations- he's even famous enough that an entire
Seinfeld episode featured an ongoing reference to him, when Elaine met another crew of friends, headed by a "Bizarro-Jerry". Though Seinfeld (a HUGE Superman fan in real life) made sure to reference to how Bizarro is the opposite of Superman in every way, with Elaine "That Guy"-ing him with "Does everyone live underwater? IS HE BLACK?" to tease him. But really, the character is ridiculously silly, which allows writers to indulge their comic chops (though most comic book writers are actually pretty shitty comedians- this is why "Comedy Books" are usually pretty god-awful; the REAL comedians are in stand-up and sitcoms).
-Bizarro actually started out in
Superboy, and was a Frankenstein's Monster-thing that had all the powers of Superboy- appearing with lines all over his pale body in a pastiche of the "patchwork" look, Bizarro was shunned, and only lasted one story. So it turns out that if you clone Kryptonians, you get "Bizarros"- ugly, pasty-faced clones that lack intelligence. General Dru-Zod had created an army of them on Krypton, which was why he was initially exiled to the Phantom Zone. Ignorant to this fact, a scientist in Smallville demonstrated his "Duplicating Ray" to young Superboy, but an accident created a Superboy clone! Surprising everyone by taking this same appearance, "Bizarro" is shunned, but befriends a blind girl named Melissa (which also makes him feel bad- the only reason she didn't flee was because she couldn't see him). Superboy is eventually forced to kill his deranged copy by using the machine to make "Blue Kryptonite", which has the effect green kryptonite has on him. The explosion, however, restores Melissa's eyesight (SCIENCE!).
Bizarro #1:
-An adult version of Bizarro popped up around the same time for the
Superman daily newspaper strip, lasting for the back half of 1958- writer Alan Schwartz claims to have come up with the concept himself. The strip introduced most of the "Iconic" Bizarro trademarks, such as the "B" on his chest, reversings words to mean the opposite ("bad" means "good" and vice-versa). 1959 saw the adult version appear in
Action Comics, created by Lex Luthor's own Duplicating Ray- he goes on an accidental rampage, while bemoaning his own creation ("Me don't know difference between right and wrong- good and evil!")- a true "antihero", or pathetic monster story. He falls in love with Lois Lane, but she cleverly uses the ray to make a "Bizarro-Lois" for Bizarro, who happily flies off with her. Bizarro proved so popular so quickly that a
Bizarro World feature ran in
Adventure Comics for fifteen issues (1961-62), as he uses a ray to make even MORE Bizarros, calling himself "Bizarro #1" and ruling a cube-shaped planet where everyone is forced to act the opposite of normal humans. He & Bizarro-Lois even have a child who looks completely human- this causes a mess on Bizarro World. Soon there's a Bizarro-Supergirl (briefly), and Bizarro fights a Bizarro-Titano, too. Jimmy Olsen becomes a Bizarro for a time, and a Teen Bizarro tries to join the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future.
-All in all, Bizarro made 40 appearances in the Silver & Bronze Age... which actually doesn't sound like that much for a recurring villain with that longevity. I'm guessing he was a bit of a "fad" and died out a bit here and there- an all-Bizarro Giant comic was released in 1968, for example- a bit of a gap between that and
Bizarro World. The sheer glut of spin-offs is a very "DC" thing to do- chasing what's popular by replicating the absolute shit out of it until the bottom falls out and nobody cares anymore (see: Krypto, Streaky, Beppo & Comet; Marvel would do the same thing with the X-Books eventually).
Future Bizarros:
-When Bizarro next meets Superman, the writers cleverly start giving him "opposite" powers to Superman, like Freeze Vision and Heat Breath. He temporarily joins the Secret Society of Super Villains and fights the Justice League, finally becoming a villain. In Alan Moore's imaginary story
Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, he goes berserk and destroys the Bizarro World and commits suicide (I still remember his final words: "Hello, Superman... hello."). His real final Pre-Crisis appearance features Mr. Mxyzptlk being controlled into destroying the Bizarro World, killing all its inhabitants- Bizarro's severed head crashes into Clark Kent's desk and addresses him before expiring. For this reason, Bizarro is one of very few famous characters to not appear in
Crisis on Infinite Earths- he's already dead.
Bizarro's Might:
-Bizarro is nearly as powerful as the Silver Age Superman, making him a remarkably strong PL 14 fighter. One version reverses the Heat & Freeze powers.