10 Insane Alternate Superhero Origins You Won't Believe Exist
4. The Red Son
Is it a hammer? Is it a sickle? No, it’s Communist Superman!
Following the total annihilation of Krypton, Jor-El sends his baby son Kal-El off in a rocket ship destined to land on Earth where, thanks to a couple hours time difference to the traditional origins, he crash lands in a Soviet Union run Ukrainian collective farm instead of Smallville.
Leaving truth, justice and the American way at the door, the last son of Krypton has instead been raised to be the common workers’ champion, fighting for Stalinism, socialism and the expansion of the Warsaw Pact among other things. As Superman, he is Russia’s greatest protector, doing battle with foes such as Lex Luthor, CIA agent Jimmy Olsen, an anarchic Russian Batman, Colonel Hal Jordan, Wonder Woman and clones of himself courtesy of Luthor.
An especially entertaining and well regarded What If story, Mark Millar’s Superman: Red Son offered wild takes and fresh origins for a variety of DC’s most beloved characters whilst running through several decades of a scarily different DC Earth where the big blue boy scout quickly becomes the big grey tyrant, Look out for the animated film adaptation next year.