Questions about the Supermobile...

[Super Monkey]

If you got the first Supergirl friends TPB, that story should been their.

In the story, the Wonder Twins was going to visting Aquman's home
city from Altantis, when it's stolen by aliens. Superman attempts to stop it--but that aliens attack him with red sun energy. [Superman is powerless
under a red sun.] While the rest of Superfriends discover that aliens
are from a water-world and imprison by alien's freeze-way. Just after
getting their butt freeze, Superman shows up in the Supermoblie. The
alien know him from his space adventures--not from his Earth adventures.
He attack them--but doesn't smashing the ship for fear of hurting his
friends--unware that Aquman had Zanya (who had transformed himself
into a cold water) free him and the other Superfriends. Aquaman attacks
the water--who explains that they stolen Altantis to study it--since they
are water-based form. The city is returned--the alien take their exit--and a belated tours begins.

Thank Rao for the Supermobile
What would Superman ever do without it

[pocketmego]

Thanks for all the info on the Supermobile, gang.

I really appreciate the knowledge of the fans here.

But, it does just go to show you that at the end of the day, a big purple mech-robot can serve the same purpose as a Supermobile and make for a more interesting toy.

-Ray

[Aldous]

Nightwing:

And Aldous, I'm not sure what you meant by saying the Spider-Buggy (or whatever it was called) was more "honest." But if my memory's right, it did fit more naturally into the cynical, jaded worldview of Spider-Man. I think it was developed by a firm that paid Spidey to drive around in it as an advertisement. And though he wasn't crazy about the idea, he did need the cash...as always...so he did it. When it finally ended up at the bottom of the Hudson River, I think Spidey was as happy as the rest of us to see it go.

Maybe that's what you meant by "honest"...it's possible the writer and artist were sending us a not-so veiled message that the buggy was being forced down their throats by the guys in Marketing.

You know pretty much what I meant, Nightwing. I actually see the Supermobile as more cynical because, unlike in Spider-Man, the reader is supposed to just swallow this contraption with a straight face, and let's all pretend it's not a marketing ploy to try to milk more money from Superman. With Spidey, they let it all hang out, even to the extent of coming clean in Spidey's world itself... And another mark against Supermobile was that Spider-Mobile (yes, that's what it was called) came first, so Superman wasn't just ripping off his fans, and swiping the idea of Adamantium, but he was also blatantly stealing the whole S-Mobile deal from Spidey without so much as an apology.

[Great Rao]

Has anyone else ever noticed the suspicious similarity in design between the Supermobile and Byrne's birthing pod?


On the left is the Supermobile from Action Comics #482, on the right is the cover to Man of Steel #1.

[Brainiac44]

I never did but now that you mention it...

[llozymandias]

Supermanium was created by the early 60s.  It was not a ripoff of Adamantium.  It might have been inspired by Marvelium.  Marvelium was the element created by the original Captain marvel.

[Brainiac44]

Isn't the batmobile made of batmanium?  LOL!

[GeorgeKirk]

^ Does that mean that those rubber hi-bounce balls are really made of Bouncing Boyanium?