Pre-Crisis Ultraman exists in the universe of
Earth-Three. Unlike Superman, Ultraman is empowered by green
kryptonite, developing a new superpower with each new exposure. In one such encounter, Ultraman gains the ability to see through dimensional barriers, making the Crime Syndicate aware of the
multiverse. This allows the Syndicate to attack the Justice League and
Justice Society of Earth-1. Ultraman differs from Superman in that his version of the planet
Krypton has not exploded. In the early 1980s, Ultraman teamed up with
Lex Luthor of
Earth-One, and Alexei Luthor of
Earth-Two, in an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate the Supermen of both Earth-One and Earth-Two. Later, Ultraman joined the rest of the Crime Syndicate in a team-up with a time-traveling villain named
Per Degaton, who had found their prison and released them. Degaton used them in his attempt to conquer Earth-Two, by stealing nuclear missiles from the
Cuban Missile Crisis of
Earth Prime, though they planned to betray him. This proved unsuccessful, as well, and he hurled them into the future of Earth-1, having made sure this would happen if they touched him, and the events were wiped from the timeline afterwards. The original Ultraman is killed in the 1985 series
Crisis on Infinite Earths when the
Anti-Monitor destroys Earth-Three. During the
Convergence storyline, Ultraman was with the Crime Syndicate when they planned to free Superwoman from death row. Ultraman goes on to battle the Superman of the Justice Legion.
Early Modern Age Ultraman is from
Qward (the
antimatter counterpart of
Oa) and more powerful than his counterpart Superman. He has enlarged eyes like the
Weaponers of Qward. He and the Crime Syndicate (not 'of America') act as Claire Montgomery's second Conglomerate team.
Post-Zero Hour The
Crime Syndicate of America (CSA) is revealed to the Justice League by Alexander Luthor, the heroic antimatter counterpart to Lex Luthor. The CSA comes from an antimatter universe, each member being the counterpart to a core League member. Ultraman is recruited on a journey to
Limbo, along with several other alternate universe Supermen, briefly combining - albeit against his will - with Superman to activate a massive robotic version of themselves to defeat Mandrakk, the dark
Monitor, their raw power combining in the robot along with Superman's moral strength and Ultraman's pragmatic ruthlessness. He is then converted into a vampiric being. Ultraman is apparently killed by the united Supermen alongside his new master, Mandrakk.
52 A new version of
Earth-Three is shown as one universe amongst the post-Crisis DC Multiverse. The team is named the Crime Society of America. The Society make their first solo appearance in
Countdown Presents The Search for Ray Palmer: Crime Society #1 (origin of Post Crisis Earth-3 Owlmen, Talons, Jokester, who is a heroic Joker) written by
Sean McKeever and illustrated by
Jamal Igle. In subsequent appearances, the Crime Society are agents of
Monarch's Multiversal army. Ultraman, along with several other members of the Crime Society, were in the Earth-51 dimension when Superman-Prime destroyed the Monarch's containment armor, unleashing all of Monarch's quantum energy, which destroyed the entire dimension. As such, Ultraman is presumed dead along with his fellow Crime Society members. Ultraman appears in
The Brave and the Bold, powered by the same kryptonite that weakens Superman. He is brought to the main earth by Mixyezpitelik, the antimatter universe counterpart of
Mister Mxyzptlk, to help Superman defeat Megistus.
New 52 reboot Ultraman, originally
Kal-Il, comes from a version of Krypton whose people were mean-spirited and selfish. Just before this Krypton was destroyed, Kal-Il's parents
Jor-Il and
Lara sent him to Earth-3 to one day seek vengeance against the being that destroyed Krypton (whom Jor-Il inadvertently summoned), teaching him to become the strongest being on the planet, or become nothing at all. Upon his arrival on Earth-3, the young Kal-Il coerced two alcoholic drug addicts, Johnny and Martha Kent, to adopt him, only to murder them years later once he had no further need of them. He went on to found the Crime Syndicate and take over the world. Ultraman is a violent, homicidal megalomaniac, as well as an elitist and Darwinist who values strength and selfishness, and hates weakness and altruism. After Earth-3 was devastated by the same being that destroyed Krypton-3, Ultraman leads the Crime Syndicate to the Prime Earth to conquer it. Ultraman possesses the standard powers of a Kryptonian, but is empowered by green kryptonite and weakened by yellow sunlight. He was responsible for murdering
Monocle when he claimed that the Crime Syndicate was the Justice League in disguise. Ultraman moved the moon in front of the sun to eclipse the Crime Syndicate's section of Earth as well as to protect himself from its rays. Ultraman lacks Superman's vulnerability to magic. In the final battle, Ultraman engages Alexander Luthor but is beaten, leaving Alexander to steal
Deathstorm's powers. Ultraman later returns and attempts to attack Lex Luthor after he murders Alexander Luthor, but is weakened after
Sinestro and
Black Adam move the moon and expose him to yellow sunlight. Lex Luthor opts not to kill Ultraman and kills Atomica instead. Afterwards, Ultraman and Superwoman are arrested. During the "
Darkseid War" storyline, Ultraman is released and given kryptonite to battle the former Anti-Monitor:
Mobius. When Ultraman attacks Mobius by himself against Superman's advice, he is overpowered and killed. During the "
Year of the Villain" storyline, Ultraman is restored alongside Earth-Three.
Infinite Frontier Kal-Il is the last survivor of the dead planet Krypton, sent to Earth as a baby. He was found by
Jonathan and Martha Kent, who adopted him and named him Clark. His powers manifested early and he never bothered to hide them, so the other children were afraid of and ostracised him, telling him that he was from space. The Kents exploited Clark and his powers for free labor, teaching him that obedience was the ultimate virtue and that people who did not contribute to society were to be reviled as "freeloaders". They also manipulated him to be emotionally dependent on them so that he would never leave the farm. When he was a teenager in 1963 his parents showed him his spacecraft and revealed to him that he was the last of his kind, telling him they were all he had. They hoped this would make him afraid to ever break free of them, but in fact he turned on them, realizing that they had only ever taken advantage of him. He flew away from Smallville, carrying his ship. Ultraman reveals himself to the world on
November 22, 1963 by assassinating
John F. Kennedy with his heat vision. He is the world's only known
metahuman until other beings with unnatural powers emerge in 2021. He rules Metropolis as a semi-benevolent dictator, beloved by some but feared and hated by many others. Ultraman allows the people of Metropolis limited freedom but tolerates no dissent. The only people who challenge him openly are Lex Luthor and
Cat Grant. Following the
Starro invasion, a number of metahumans reveal themselves to the world, and Luthor recruits them into the
Legion of Justice.
Owlman and
Superwoman approach Ultraman for an alliance to counter Luthor and rule the world, offering to make him their leader. Ultraman accepts and Superwoman also offers herself to him, hoping to conceive an heir. The Legion of Justice, aided by Ultraman's cousin Ultragirl, fight against the Crime Syndicate of America, during which Atomica kills Ultragirl, upsetting Ultraman. Later, the remaining members of the Legion of Justice ally with the Crime Syndicate. The Crime Syndicate holds a press conference demanding all metahumans serve them. Emerald Knight criticizes Ultraman's dependence on kryptonite. Ultraman is defeated when the Crime Syndicate comes into conflict with the
Suicide Squad, which
Amanda Waller combines with the remaining Crime Syndicate into a new Justice League. In
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent, Ultraman would encounter Jon once more, overpowering him and threatening both to murder the Lois Lane of Jon's Earth and resume his previous torture of Jon in the volcano, only to be killed when the Superman of the
Injustice universe intervenes and snaps Ultraman's neck. ==Powers and abilities==