Superman is the last hero that needs a vehicle, but the return of one of the ludicrous toys in the DC Universe proves it’s not that useless.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Challenge of the Super Sons #2 by Peter J. Tomasi, Max Raynor, Luis Guerrero, and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
The Super Sons have reunited on a quest to save the DC Universe’s greatest heroes, without anyone knowing they did so. But in the course of their new adventure, the series reintroduces an old vehicle from Superman’s past: the Supermobile.
Yes, the Supermobile which Damian made an appropriate amount of fun about. For whatever reason, Superman once had his own vehicle similar to the Batmobile. This vehicle, however, had more functionality than merely giving Superman a cool new ride, it also saved his life.
Challenge of the Super Sons #2 had Jon and Damian race against time to save the Flash from being killed by a stray lightning bolt. But Damian quickly realized that he wouldn’t be able to accompany Jon to Central City in time. Jon had a workaround, taking his best friend to S.T.A.R. Labs, where his father had been working with its scientists to collect solar radiation samples. Robin correctly asked how Superman could have survived absorbing so much solar radiation. This led perfectly into Jon’s reveal of the Supermobile, which promptly made Damian crack up. But if Jon and Damian’s exchange is any indication, the Supermobile, despite its colorful design and fists, served as an additional layer of protection for the Man of Steel. Superman’s powers come from his body absorbing solar radiation, but too much of it can trigger a fatal reaction in Kryptonian physiology. So by constructing a spaceship resistant to the Sun’s rays, then S.T.A.R. Labs helped prevent an All-Star Superman situation, where Kal-El was dying because of excess solar radiation in his cells.
The original Supermobile was built for far more aggressive reasons. Debuting in Action Comics #481 by Cary Bates and Curt Swan, the Supermobile was designed as a vehicle that mimicked all of Superman’s powers when he found himself in a situation where he was helpless. The first instance is when red sun radiation from a long-dead star reached Earth, depriving Superman of his powers during one of Amazo’s rampages.
The vehicle itself is made out of Supermanium, a metal so strong only Superman’s heat vision could melt it. This made it a nearly indestructible weapon to be used against criminals. It’s honestly a wonder why Superman didn’t make more for his allies. But the reason the vehicle fell mostly out of use is that its creator, Cary Bates, never truly intended for it to be a part of any major story. He didn’t even really want to make it in the first place.