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Supermobile
The Supermobile as seen on Action Comics (first series) #481 (March 1978).
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAction Comics #481 (March 1978)
Created byCary Bates, Curt Swan
In story information
TypeVehicle
Element of stories featuringSuperman

The Supermobile is the fictional vehicle for the DC Comics superhero Superman. It is capable of duplicating all of his abilities in situations where he finds himself powerless.[1] It was introduced in a story entitled "It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Supermobile!", published in Action Comics # 481, cover dated March 1978.[2]

Writer Cary Bates says that the Supermobile was created as a promotional tie-in for the Corgi Toys toy line: "In my opinion, whenever merchandising needs are dictating story content, the odds of any real creativity or inspiration are severely compromised".[3]

Fictional biography

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The Supermobile is a car made of the indestructible metal Supermanium that Superman uses to battle Amazo after temporarily losing his powers to red solar radiation.[4][5][6]

Superman later uses the Supermobile in a battle with the Atomic Skull and Titano.[7] Following this, the Supermobile makes minor cameo appearances.[8][9]

Abilities

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The Supermobile replicates and enhances Superman's abilities, protecting him from red sun radiation.[10]

Besides invulnerability and flight, the Supermobile also channels Superman's other powers using the following devices:

  • Large mechanical arms mounted on either side of the cockpit area, allowing Superman to both punch and grasp.
  • A scope on the control panel which can be adjusted to work with each of Superman's vision-related powers: normal, telescopic, microscopic, x-ray, heat, and night vision.
  • Air jets that pop out from various points around the vehicle, allowing Superman to use his super breath if he blows into a face mask attached to the control panel.
  • A monitor and other communications and listening devices substitute for his super hearing.

In other media

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Television

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Merchandise

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  • Corgi Toys made die-cast models of the Supermobile in two different sizes, the "Junior" model (3 inches in length, about the size of a Matchbox or Hot Wheels car) and a larger, 1/36 scale version.[11]
  • Kenner produced a Supermobile to go with their Super Powers Collection, one that was big enough to fit the line's action figures. The design differed a bit from the original, however; the two mechanical arms were absent, replaced by a front-mounted "Krypton Action Ram".[12]
  • In 2022, McFarlane Toys produced a Supermobile scaled for 5-inch action figures as part of the first wave of its revival of the Super Powers Collection toyline. This version resembles the original Corgi / comic book design, with fists controlled by a dial on the bottom of the toy, a canopy opened by pressing the Superman "S" shield on the front, and two "jail cell compartments" in the wings.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 427. ISBN 978-0-345-50108-0.
  2. ^ Cary Bates (w), Curt Swan (a). "It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Supermobile!" Action Comics, no. 481 (March 1978). DC Comics.
  3. ^ Eury, Michael (2006). The Krypton Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 97. ISBN 9781893905610.
  4. ^ Cary Bates (w), Curt Swan (a). "Amazo's Big Breakthrough" Action Comics, no. 480 (February 1978). DC Comics.
  5. ^ Cary Bates (w), Curt Swan (a). "It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Supermobile!" Action Comics, no. 481, p. 13 (March 1978). DC Comics.
  6. ^ Cary Bates (w), Curt Swan (a). "This is a Job For Supermobile!" Action Comics, no. 482 (April 1978). DC Comics.
  7. ^ Martin Pasko (w), Curt Swan (a). "Beware the Eyes That Paralyze!" Superman, no. 324 (June 1978). DC Comics.
  8. ^ Gail Simone (w), Mike Norton (a). "The Man Who Swallowed Eternity (Part II of II) - The Entropy of the Universe Tends to a Maximum" The All-New Atom, no. 8 (April 2007). DC Comics.
  9. ^ Brian Azzarello (w), Cliff Chiang (a). "Architecture and Morality Chapter Five - Sugar Mountain" Tales of the Unexpected, no. 5 (April 2007). DC Comics.
  10. ^ Cary Bates (w), Curt Swan (a). "It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Supermobile!" Action Comics, no. 481, p. 10 (March 1978). DC Comics.
  11. ^ "The Corgi "Superman" Supermobile". Texastoyman.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
  12. ^ "Supermobile - Shields Superman From Kryptonite!". Actionfigureinsider.com. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
  13. ^ "Supermobile (Super Powers)". mcfarlane.com. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
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