Superman Through the Ages! Forum

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: DC got the idea behind Brainiac from a “make your own computer” kit.

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: Lex Luthor went bald due to an artist’s mistake.

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: Joe Kelly did not originally intend for his Zod to be Russian.

Well, find out by reading the article:
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2006/11/30/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-79/

I knew about the bald Lex Luthor (which makes the insistence on his baldness as a contributory factor to his villainy even sillier), but the Brainiac thing was new to me! I didn't even know that there had been a rumour to this effect, but I rather relish it since I enjoy building computers myself; my flat's full of electronic stuff. I've never read any of the Russian Zod stuff, though.

I'm surprised about the "Lex Luthor being bald because of a mistake" rumor. I always assumed Lex Luthor became bald in order to duplicate Dr. Sivana. Though that ghost artist made a heck of a happy accident!

The Russian Zod stuff is not surprising, because there's absolutely no way something like that with so much build-up have an explanation that was quite so boring.

No, but it is the reason why they kept it.

Rats, I was hoping to hear that Luthor's floating head in the tree was because the inker couldn't see the pencil lines for the body.

From what I've heard on these boards, Vince Colletta probably erased them.

I've said this before, but, in the original story, Luthor was changed in seconds from one person into another, and I suspect even he didn't realise what had happened to him. I've always thought those freaky chemicals (gases) dousing his skull did a lot more than make his hair fall out; that is, they affected his brain.

And you may have to accept this event as causing his villainy because Luthor's origin story was written by Jerry.

As to the "urban legend" of someone drawing the wrong figure leading to a bald Luthor, I'm not entirely convinced. No one will ever know for sure. E.N.B. said Joe loved depicting bald villains, and there's also the fact Luthor was the successor to the bald mastermind Ultra-Humanite.

From what i always know,Luthor became bald because the artist confused him with the Ultra-Humanite(Someday one of you guys please can tell me the origin of such a weird name),and that's because at that time penciler din't have a character reference.

As far as I know, the artist confused Luthor with his henchman; ENB mentions this briefly in his introduction to Superman: From the 30s to the 70s (this volume, strangely enough, does not contain any encounter with the Ultra-Humanite).

I agree with you, Sword of Superman, that the Ultra-Humanite has a very weird name, and I wish I could tell you where it comes from; I like it, though, because it's really creepy. I guess it just means that his vast intellect has turned him into something more than human.

Here you go:

http://www.supermanartists.comics.org/superwhoswho/ultra-action13.JPG

Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me Super Monkey!
The weirdness of his name for me is that when is translated in my language it doesn't work very well,because the word"humanite"in italian became the equivalent of "humanity",but maybe the significant of the name,when he first appear in our country,was better be adapted than instead really translated.

I think Jerry intended the name to be quasi-Latin for "Beyond Humanity" since that what the character felt he was. Perhaps the editor decided it was too confusing for readers, because the last few Golden Age stories called him just "Ultra" for short.