Bar-El (All-Star Superman)

Bar-El was the first space astronaut from Krypton who got lost in space and drifted with his wife, Lilo-El, for decades.

History

He is one of the few living ancestors of Superman. Bar-El and Lilo arrived on Earth right before Superman had returned from the Bizarro Invasion. The Man of Steel soon found out that Bar-El and Lilo had taken Metropolis and placed crystaline structures through out the city.

They were eventually greeted by Superman, but took short notice of his presence believing it to be the wind. Bar-El stated that he remembered Jor-El, whom he described as a young and ineffectual dreamer. They then flew to The Fortress of Solitude, and re-modeled it to celebrate the new life of Krypton, leaving the statue of Jor-El and Lara in ruins as they replaced it with one of themselves.

After seeing many souls (Whom they believed to be more worthy than humans) trapped in the Phantom Zone, Bar-El turned to Kal-El and stated that he had betrayed his own heritage. Superman had hoped that his new found brethren, would one day become the new protectors of Earth when he died, but their selfish attitudes caused him to question their true intentions. Infuriated by his treason, Bar-El and Lilo began to furiously scold Superman and eventually hurled him into the Moon so hard, that they cracked it in two. It took various landmarks and huge bridges, just to patch up.

Back on Earth, Lilo and Bar-El confronted Superman(while disguised as Clark Kent) again, this time at the Daily Planet. It was there that they began to lose their abilities and sight. When their ship had followed Kal-El's ship's flight path, it had passed through the debris field of Krypton, causing them to be exposed to Kryptonite. The minerals in their bodies had been slowly turning into Kryptonite and poisoning them. Kal-El brought them to a chamber where he tried to cure them, but was unable to due to lack of time. Left with no other choice Bar-El asked Superman to send him and Lilo to the Phantom Zone using the Phantom Zone Projector. Bar-El then apologized to Superman and said that their greatness lived on through him.

Superman warned them that the PZP would dematerialize their bodies into the Phantom Zone forever, but he vowed to find a way to bring them back. After activating the ray, Bar-El and Lilo were transfered to the Phantom Zone where they would live on together.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Bar-El possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
  • Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Bar-El's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
  • Heat Vision: Bar-El can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
  • Super-Hearing: Bar-El's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
  • Enhanced Vision: Bar-El's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.
    This umbrella ability includes the following:
    • Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Bar-El can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
    • Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
    • X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Bar-Els can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
    • Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
    • Infrared Vision: Bar-El can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
  • Flight: Bar-El is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
  • Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Bar-El is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
    • Enhanced Immunity
  • Superhuman Stamina: Bar-El is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
  • Superhuman Strength: Bar-El's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
  • Superhuman Speed: Bar-El is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid-flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time.
    This also confers:
    • Superhuman Agility
    • Superhuman Reflexes
  • Super-Breath: Bar-El is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.
  • Longevity: Bar-El can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.

Abilities

• Science: Bar-El was a skilled scientist.

Weaknesses

• Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Bar-El possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
  • Vulnerability to Kryptonite
  • Vulnerability to Magic

Notes

• Bar-El was named after the Scottish prison Barlinnie, colloquially known as "Bar-L".^[1]

Related

• 3 Appearances of Bar-El (All-Star Superman)
• 1 Images featuring Bar-El (All-Star Superman)
• 1 Quotations by or about Bar-El (All-Star Superman)
• Character Gallery: Bar-El (All-Star Superman)

Footnotes

Superman Villain(s) This character has been primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category."