Composite Superman

The Composite Superman is a supervillain, an enemy of Superman and Batman. There have been several versions of the character; the original version first appeared in World's Finest Comics #142 (June 1964) and was created by Edmond Hamilton and Curt Swan.

Joseph Meach is a former diver who Superman employs at the Superman Museum after saving his life from a failed dive. However, Meach continues to resent Superman and battles him after a freak accident where he is struck by lightning and gains the combined powers of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Meach attempts to reveal Superman and Batman's secret identities, but his powers fade before he can do so.

After regaining his powers from the alien villain Xan, Meach battles Superman and Batman before sacrificing himself to save them.

Xan later escapes prison and travels back in time to recreate the event that gave Meach his powers, taking the name Amalgamax. Superman, Batman, and the Legion defeat Amalgamax by making him believe that he has the same disease that killed his father.

A third incarnation of Composite Superman appears in Superman/Batman Annual #3. This version is a clone created by Professor Ivo in an attempt to replicate the Justice League's powers. However, he becomes unstable after being unable to solve every crime at once and commits suicide.

A fourth incarnation of Composite Superman appears following Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!, which reboots the Legion's continuity. This version is a Durlan and a member of the Dark Circle. He battles the Legion of Super-Heroes before Saturn Girl shuts down his mind, leaving him catatonic.

In terms of abilities and raw power, the Joseph Meach version of the Composite Superman was one of the most powerful enemies Superman and Batman ever faced. He had all of Superman's powers, as well as those of Supergirl, Mon-El, and Ultra Boy. The Composite Superman also possessed numerous special powers, derived from various Legion members:

• Growth (Colossal Boy)
• Shrinking (Shrinking Violet)
• The ability to divide into three people (Triplicate Girl)
• Electrokinesis (Lightning Lad)
• Pyrokinesis (Sun Boy)
• The ability to make things super-lightweight (Light Lass)
• The ability to make things super-heavy (Star Boy)
• Matter consumption (Matter-Eater Lad)
• Invisibility (Invisible Kid)
• Inflation (Bouncing Boy)
• Elasticity (Elastic Lad)
• Shapeshifting (Chameleon Boy)
• Telepathy (Saturn Girl)
• 12th-level intelligence (Brainiac 5)
• Magnetic manipulation (Cosmic Boy)
• X-ray vision (Ultra Boy)
• Elemental transmutation (Element Lad)
• Intangibility (Phantom Girl)

Professor Ivo's version of the character was shown to possess the powers of Superman, Batman, Atom, Elongated Man, and Red Tornado.

• Crayd'l / Composite Superboy, a nanotech computer who possesses Robin and Superboy's abilities, appears in Impulse #56.
• A DC Animated Universe-inspired incarnation of Composite Superman appears in Superman and Batman: World's Funnest.
• A mecha based on Composite Superman appears in Superman/Batman #6.
• An original incarnation of Composite Superman formed from the fusion of several alternate universe counterparts of Batman and Superman appears in Superman/Batman #25.
• The Joseph Meach incarnation of Composite Superman makes a cameo appearance in The Kingdom: Planet Krypton #1.

• The Composite Superman makes a cameo appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Greatest Story Never Told", voiced by Susan Eisenberg. This version is an amalgamation of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman created by Mordru.
• The Composite Santa Claus, a character based on Composite Superman, appears in Robot Chicken, voiced by Christian Slater.
• The Composite Superman appears in Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship, voiced by Jonathan Banks.

A mecha based on Composite Superman appears in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

• The Joseph Meach incarnation of the Composite Superman appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
• The Joseph Meach incarnation of the Composite Superman appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Travis Willingham.

• An action figure of Composite Superman was produced by DC Direct and released in 2005. A second version, based on the character's appearance in Superman/Batman: Vengeance issue #5, was released in 2008.
• Beast Kingdom displayed a planned Composite Superman action figure during the 2024 Shanghai Toy Licensing Expo.

• List of Superman enemies
• List of Batman family enemies

• Composite Superman at Comic Vine
• Supermanica: Composite Superman
• A more in-depth look into Composite Superman