Krypton

[FireStormTrooper]

I would like to see this aspect of the Superman mythos shown in any new Superman film. I don't know if I would want a new Superman origin movie starting with Krypton's explosion or a Superman in his prime with Krypton in flashbacks.

I for one would like to see Krypton and its inhabitants as visually alien as possible. I'm not saying make Jor-El and Lara well-spoken versions of Giger's monstrous Aliens. But am I the only one who thinks that Kryptonians shouldn't look like residents of California?

I like what this Milestone (remember that comic line) did with this one Superman-like character they had called Icon. He was the blue-skinned alien-looking alien who crashed on Earth in the 1800s. He was injured, so he flipped a switch or something and a ray changed him ... into an infant with the same look as whoever first approached the craft. The first person who approached the craft was a black woman, so when the craft opened, the alien was now a black infant. Really underrated series.

Anyway, why not use some of that for the next movie's portrayal of Kryptonians. Make em blue or purple skinned, sufficiently distinct enough so no one would mistake Jor-El or Lara for humans. The aliens put their infant child Kal-El into the craft as their world crumbles. When the craft crashes on Earth, the Kents are the first to find it. The craft would quietly scan the approaching Kents and alter alien Kal-El's phenotype to match theirs, since they would be much more inclined to help a child that looked human as opposed to alien. When the craft opens, a baby that physically resembles the Kents would emerge and of course the Kents would take a seemingly helpless human child in under their wing.

[Darth_zaiyen]

I think that is a little too Star Trek for some people. However, what if the Kryptonians were very human in appearance, but perhaps had exaggerated features that as a race, look funny, but if one person had the same features, they'd look like a regular person? Oh boy, I've confused myself. Say all Kryptonians had the basic human form, but had large, square jaws, white skin, blue eyes and black hair. So thus Kal-El/Clark would also. SO he lands on Earth, but blends in with people perfectly, because Humans, unlike Kryptonians, all look different.

[ModeMan]

"But am I the only one who thinks that Kryptonians shouldn't look like residents of California?"

Well... yeah. That's Clarks story as it was in the comics. Every comic book and film interpretation of Superman's origin includes his father and mother has humans from a distant planet. I think it's a crucial part of the story, personally. What happens when yound Clark first sees the message from his parents from the ship? He'll be scared pissless if he sees some blue-skinned, tentacle man man saying, "I am Jor-El. Your father." And audiences would be more confused and amused than anything. Jor-El and Lara are humans. It helps with the story because the audience, as humans, will feel they can relate more to Jor-El and Lara's pain at having to give up their only son.

[trapdinsteel]

If they redo the origin i think it should at most play as a montage with the opening credits play to set the stage with the accepted origin. Before krypton explodes Jor-el and Lara send their infant son shooting off in the galaxy ending up on earth to be found by the kents, maybe throw a quick aging sequence in there too showing young clark growing throughout the years. And bam, you have recapped the origin so everyone is up to date and haven't wasted time to tell a new and inventive story.

[Frostbite]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ModeMan:
What happens when yound Clark first sees the message from his parents from the ship? He'll be scared pissless if he sees some blue-skinned, tentacle man man saying, "I am Jor-El. Your father." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That would be hillarious.


[This message has been edited by Frostbite (edited 03-26-2003).]

[FireStormTrooper]

Well, maybe the more overt alien-looking Kryptonians could be reserved for the next time they revamp the Superman comics.

But for the next movie ... and let's be honest : unless WB does some MAJOR in-house cleaning soon, we're not seeing this flick in movie theaters until 2008) ... I realize that they may want well-known actors for the roles of Jor-El and Lara. So why not just change their skin color? That's it. Like maybe blue. They could easily do that with today's technology in post-production. A blue-skinned Jor-El and Lara put their blue-skinned newborn Kal-El in the starcraft and when approached by the Kents, the craft's internal technology alter's the baby to appear more human so as to be cared for by whoever finds it.

Here's why I'm pushing this "more-alien-looking" angle. The thought of aliens in deep space looking EXACTLY LIKE US seems so ridiculous (and, onscreen, low-budget), more ridiculous that a man who can fly. The Icon origin-borrowing I suggested earlier in this thread seemed a lot more believable and more in touch with Superman's sci-fi origins. Yes, it is something of a departure from the established mythos, but it's not like putting nipples on Superman's costume. Just a little something that could even possibly enhance the legend.

[Kwick22a]

Well, Kryptonians should look a little different, just from an environmental standpoint.
I mean humans look the way we do because of our environment. Our yellow sun, gravity, atmosphere. It all contributes. So someone who comes from a world with a red sun, which creates a profoundly different environment, should look different in some way.
Not sure how different, but there should be something.

[Frostbite]

What if the average Kryptonian is around 7'4", and Clark just happens to be short?

[Frostbite]

Oh! And all female Kryptonians have stegosaurus plates coming out of their backs?

[ModeMan]

Why would people be upset at the idea that the inhabitants of a distant planet would be human? It never upsets anyone who goes to see Star Wars.
Clarks parents looking human, as I've said, is critical for the story. It's the reason Clark was sent to Earth as opposed to any other planet in the first place. Clark's point of arrival wasn't random. It was specifically chosen by Jor-El for several reasons. First and foremost, the inhabitants were human. Kal-El could blend in. They also weren't enemies of Krypton. They were primitives who had no weapons that could harm him. Their yellow sun would nurture Kal-El even better than the red sun of Krypton and Kal-El could grow safe and strong and do good. And, according to the first movie, their capacity for good. For all we know the Superman universe was riddled with planets containing humans, a lot of which might have been total douche bags. Even more than the humans here.
Anyway, that's all. I'm still in favor of Kryptonians being ordinary humans like us except that their civilization be advanced far beyond ours and they be much more intelligent. And, ofcourse, live under a red sun.

[Golden Falcon]

A while back I made the suggestion/wish that this film should have the Blue Superman as the lead. It makes more sense, Superman is an alien and Clark kent would really be a disguise. Plus, it would be more ethnically PC.

[ModeMan]

That's a joke, right?

[FireStormTrooper]

Can someone explain to me what the deal is with DC Comics' current version of Krypton? I haven't been following the Superman comics for the last couple of years. Did they revamp his alien origin again? Why does Jor-El look like the Silver Age version instead of (much preferred) John Byrne version? Did anyone read the "Return to Krypton II" storyline? Could someone fill me in?

[Frostbite]

Jor-El didn't want his son to be sad that Krypton was dead, so he put memories of a false Krypton (the John Byrne Krypton) into the birthing matrix.

[beppo_the_super_chim]

AAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why?

John Byrne's krypton was... good... krypto not beign there was... good... why... it's not fair.... why should campy, pop art krypton and krypto live when beppo doesnt...

[FireStormTrooper]

Don't worry. If sales slumpbad enough, they'll trash this continuity and make up something more marketable. I'm really disgusted that DC basically retconned a way cool sci-fi rendition of Krypton into some silly Silver Age redux. Such is comics. Only Bucky stays dead.

[D.K.HOOD]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FireStormTrooper:
Such is comics. Only Bucky stays dead.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And Gwen Stacy. I think Captain Stacy stayed dead too.

[Frostbite]

And don't forget the dead DC characters: The Flash, Robin II, Jericho, Danny Chase, Terra... (Alot of Titans have died. Odd.)

[ModeMan]

I saw a clone of Gwen Stacy in a comic several years back.

[D.K.HOOD]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ModeMan:
I saw a clone of Gwen Stacy in a comic several years back.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, but that was a clone. Not the same thing as coming back from the dead ala Superman. And her clone didn't stay around long like some other clones have.

[ModeMan]

Just saying...
That's how a lot of characters tend to come back. Having clones of dead characters to bring back dead characters has been going on since forever. But whatever. Lets hope Jason Todd stays dead at least.

[FireStormTrooper]

Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast, my friend. Have you been reading Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's current run on BATMAN? If you have, then you have to consider the mystery villian in bandages may not be Harvey Dent as he claims. In the latest ish, The villian takes off his bandages and the Joker recognizes him as Two-Face, but we (the readers) never SEE HIS FACE. Also, Batman and Nightwing found traces of a substance used in the LAZARUS PIT where the mystery villian had been involved. Combine that with the fact that a preview of a future issue's cover shows Batman digging up a GRAVE and looking shocked at what he finds. It doesn't show whose grave on the cover.
What does this all add up to?
Are you sure you want to know?


Jason Todd is Alive.

Jason Todd is the Mystery Villain.

[ModeMan]

I haven't read any of it. Thank you for ruining all of it.

[FireStormTrooper]

Oh, chill out. It's all guesswork on my part. They wouldn't bring him back and ruin the most poignant moment in Batman's 60+ history.

Besides, if you haven't read any of it, why do you care in the first place?

[Frostbite]

Maybe he was waiting for the TPB.

[norrinraad]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FireStormTrooper:
In the latest ish, The villian takes off his bandages and the Joker recognizes him as Two-Face, but we (the readers) never SEE HIS FACE.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Exactly. I Don't buy for a second it's Two-Face. It's still too early in the series to let the cat out of the bag like that. I just hope you're all wrong about Jason Todd. I'm tired of seeing classic storylines invalidated by resurrecting dead characters.

Ooops, totally forgot this is the Superman Forum...

[ModeMan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Oh, chill out. It's all guesswork on my part. They wouldn't bring him back and ruin the most poignant moment in Batman's 60+ history.
Besides, if you haven't read any of it, why do you care in the first place?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dude, relax. I was kidding.

And I do plan on buying it as a graphic novel. Part 1 is already out. I missed out on buying the issues invidually.



[This message has been edited by ModeMan (edited 06-03-2003).]

[FireStormTrooper]

Don't worry about it. It's all good. Anyway, this thread is about Krypton, not Jason Todd. So back to topic ....

Does anyone else think that KRYPTON could make for a good TV series? Like maybe after SMALLVILLE concludes its run in a couple years, this series could debut in syndication, or exlusively on the Sci-Fi channel or something.

The premise would be life during the last few years on the planet Krypton. A younger Jor-El would be the protagonist. Lara, of course would be present. As would Zod, Ursa, Non, The Eradicator (in weapon form) and Brainiac (as he was in S:TAS). I'm sure other characters would be introduced, such as Jor-El and Lara's parents and the like. The first episode of the first season would Jor-El and Lara's first meeting. The midpoint of the series would be the birth Kal-El, baby Superman. The last episode of the last season would end with Kal-El rocketed away as Krypton (and everyone on it) explodes and dies.

I think a Krypton series covering the earliest years of Superman's life (from conception to age 3) is doable. Maybe not now, but in 5 years time. What do you think?

[D.K.HOOD]

It would never work on regular tv as a live-action series. There's just not a big enough audience for something like that, which would be very expensive to produce. But as a cartoon, I could see it lasting for years. And like you said, perhaps it would be something that the Sci-Fi Channel could do. I liked the first Dune mini-series(haven't seen the second one) and I think they could do a good job with Krypton.

[ModeMan]

Yeah it would definately have to be limited. Either a mini-series or a 2-3 season series max. They can't even drag Smallville on much longer. Not because it wouldn't be successful but because it has to end some time. Eventually Superboy has to become Superman.

[FireStormTrooper]

Isn't it something that Superman is the only comic book character to have different portions of his life on TV and film?

Think about it ...

SMALLVILLE series (2001 - present) : Age 15-20
SUPERBOY series (1988 - 1992) : Age 20-25
LOIS & CLARK series (1993 - 1997) : Age 25-30
SUPERMAN I - IV film franchise (1978 - 1987) : Age 30 - 35
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN series (1951-1957) : Age 35-40

If there was a KRYPTON series that lasted a few seasons, we'd have probably covered Kal from conception to age 3-5.

What other comic book character can boast the kind of life coverage Supes has had over the past 65 years?