Eradicator

Origin

The Eradicator was created by Superman‘s ancestor, Kem-L to preserve Krypton‘s purity (or at least his version of it) from being corrupted by alien influences. One such alien, the Cleric, took the device and left Krypton with his followers. The Cleric’s followers died shortly after leaving as they were Kryptonian and bound to their homeworld.

The Cleric kept the Eradicator as he traveled the universe until a chance meeting with Superman on Warworld 200,000 years later. The Cleric feared for Superman’s life as he had seen visions of his death at the hands of Mongul and used the device to escape Warworld. He noticed the device protected the last son of Krypton and healed his wounds. He eventually gave the device to Superman and passed away. On Earth, the Eradicator caused a number of bizarre events in it’s efforts to change Earth into a new Krypton. Superman threw the device into Antarctica, where it altered the ice to create the Fortress of Solitude, and used two scientists to create a portal to the Phantom Zone, where it drew Kryptonian artifacts to the Fortress. When Superman recovered the Eradicator, he discovered its xenophobic origin and its plan to transform Earth. It then erased his memory when he tried to stop it. Professor Emil Hamilton, who had previously examined the Eradicator, managed to restore Superman’s memory.

Superman then went into the Phantom Zone to stop the Eradicator’s plan. There he encountered a projection of Kem-L and discovered that only Kem-L’s descendants, the House of El, can control the Eradicator. First though, he had to undergo a rite of passage. When Superman completed the rite, he commanded the Eradicator to shut down and it returned to it’s dormant state.

Creation

The Eradicator first appeared as a Kryptonian device in Action Comics Annual #2. The Eradicator later appeared in humanoid form for the first time in the Day of the Krypton Man story arc. He assumed the identity of Superman in Action Comics #687. He also assumed the identity of Doctor David Conner from S.T.A.R. Labs in Action Comics #692.

• As a Kryptonian Device created by Roger Stern et al.
• As a humanoid form created by Jerry Ordway and Denis Janke.
• As Superman created by Roger Stern, Jackson Guice and Dennis Rodier.
• As Doctor David Conner created by Roger Stern, Jackson Guice and Denis Rodier.
• As an android created by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason.

Major Story Arcs

Krypton Man (New Earth)

For More Information: The Day of the Krypton Man

While on Earth, in the process of transforming the landscape to be more Kryptonian, the Eradicator took on human form and was also known within the story arc as the Krypton Man. He had all the powers of Superman but none of his emotions. As the Krypton Man, he wore black and red Kryptonian garb.

Reign of the Superman

For More Information: Reign of the Supermen

When the “Man of Steel” died during his battle with Doomsday, the Eradicator placed Superman’s body in a Kryptonian rejuvenation chamber and assumed Superman’s appearance and identity. Superman eventually awoke, without his powers, to fight the team of the Cyborg Superman and Mongul. The Eradicator protected Superman by shielding him from a Kryptonite pulse that would have killed The Man of Steel for good and used it to restore Superman’s powers which seemed to kill the Eradicator. The body of the Eradicator was taken to S.T.A.R. Labs for examination but the Eradicator merged with Doctor David Conner who was dying of cancer.

Dr. Conner was now a human/Kryptonian hybrid but could not control the annihilation program and killed his wife and abandoned his children. The Eradicator joined the Outsiders and continued fighting evil.

Fortress Eradictor

For More Information: Adventures of Superman

Dr. Conner’s realized that somehow the Eradicator had split in two, one halve stayed with the hybrid and the other merged with the ash from the Fortress of Solitude becoming a Kryptonian Warsuit. Conner, having allowed himself to be absorbed and briefly gaining control, blasted himself into space vowing never to return, a vow he has failed to keep.

The Eradicator/Conner gestalt returned, greatly changed, to warn Earth’s heroes about the approach of Imperiex.

Return to the Outsiders

For More Information: Outsiders

After the “death” of Batman, Geo-Force eventually takes over leadership of the team. Geo-Force had been acting a little irrationally after his battle with Deathstroke. Without consulting the rest of the team, he orders them to attend a press conference he delivers to the people of Markovia. He announces that he has entered into a non-aggression treaty with the people of New Krypton. While the Kryptonians have been banned from Earth, Geo-Force offers them a safe haven in his country. Eradicator has return as the representative of New Krypton.

Reign of Doomsday

For More Information: Reign of Doomsday

“No. Superboy, Steel, the three of us once tried to take on the mantle of Superman. We continue to attempt to be worthy of him. If there ever was a time to make him proud– –that day is today!”

During the events of the Reign of Doomsday, Doomsday seeks vengeance against Superboy, Steel, Cyborg Superman and Eradicator for their rise up after the apparent death of Superman, the four that rose up in the arc Reign of the Supermen. Doomsday defeats the other members of the outsiders easily leaving just Eradicator. Eradicator is impaled and seemingly killed by Doomsday in Outsiders #37. Doomsday then leaves the scene and takes Eradicator’s body with him. It is later seen that Eradicator, Supergirl, Superboy, Steel and Cyborg Superman had all been captured by Doomsday and brought to a space station in the debris of Krypton. It is here that Eradicator, Superman and the other captives find out the terrible secret of The Doomsdays.

Eradicator’s body is completely destroyed by Doomslayer. His energies possess the body of Doomsday and he leads the charge into battle.

Powers & Abilities (New Earth)

Powers

• Kryptonian Clone: Under the effects of a “yellow” sun, he possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:

• Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of his 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.

• Superhuman Strength: His 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 of force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass. Eradicator’s superhuman strength has allowed him to hold his own against the likes of Superman, Mister Majestic and Cyborg Superman, among others.
• Invulnerability: This ability’s levels have changed over time, at times allowing him to fly into a sun and emerge unharmed, as evident most recently through Krypton’s red sun and survive and directly entering directly into the Sun.
• Superhuman Stamina: He is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on her body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy, but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
• Flight: He is able to manipulate gravitation particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
• Superhuman Speed He is not as fast as the Flash, but he can achieve faster than light speed under his own power in space.
• Super-Breath: He 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.
• Super Hearing: His 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: He also possess a superior sensory arrangement of microscopic, telescopic, infrared and ultraviolet visual capabilities. He is able to see the entire spectrum. Microscopic, chemical, x-ray, auditory, ultrasonic, magnetic, photonic, etc.
• Heat Vision: He 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.

• Energy Projection: What distinguishes the Eradicator from other Kryptonians is his ability to manipulate energy. Eradicator is actually a being of pure energy, therefore he possesses vast energy manipulation abilities, ranging from being able to absorb, convert and release various forms of energy as powerful blasts from his hands or eyes.

• Cybernetic Awareness: After an altercation, namely the Eradicator having fought Mr. Majestic, the Eradicator’s programming had been enhanced in a way to make him more aware of his surroundings. The full extent of this new hardware alteration is unclear, although it has been shown that he can sense beings and gateways from alternate realities such as the Bleed.
• Mechanokinesis: As a sentient supercomputer, the Eradicator has limitless cybrenized interactive capability, being able to control and operate the vastly more advanced crystal based nanotech computers of the Fortress of Solitude along with lower level technologies of earth.
• Enhanced Intellect: Being a program from Krypton, the Eradicator possesses extensive knowledge of Krypton, is extremely intelligent, as well as the ability to compute and process information at incredible speed.
• Telepathy: The Eradicator has vast mental abilities of it’s own design, able to influence if not outright manipulate the thoughts of beings like Superman and Matrix.

Abilities

• Computer Operation
• Medicine

Weaknesses

• Power Limitation: The Eradicator cannot see through lead with his vision powers.
• Vulnerability to Kryptonite

New 52

Home Invasion (Prime Earth)

For More Information: Home Invasion

The Eradicator is a sentient program that functions as the computer system in Supergirl’s Sanctuary of Solitude. While the computer ran normal and helpful functions for Kara, it had a system failure when Power Girl appeared within the Sanctuary alongside Supergirl. Seeking to eradicate the ‘clone’ and all others who it deemed unhelpful to Kryptonians, it took form; first as a sentient robot. Eradicator later appeared in a more unique form as a glowing green humanoid who attacked Superboy, another clone, while the boy of steel was in a divergent timeline.

Rebirth

Son of Superman (Prime Earth)

For More Information: Son of Superman

Note: Despite the similarities in name and appearance, this current version is a different character from the New Earth Eradicator.

Created by General Zod, the Eradicator was part of a group of androids to seek out and arrest Kryptonians who had broken the law. They were directed to draw out there life force and transfer them to a Phantom Zone projector, with the bodies being put into cryo-chambers to await trial. Returning from a mission in deep space, the Eradicator witness the destruction of Krypton (which coated him in organic matter as it also wiped all mechanical vestiges) as well as Kal-El’s rocket flying away. Moving systematically from one solar system to the next, seeking out its passenger it eventually came in contact with Jonathan‘s DNA on Earth. After using this DNA to enter the Fortress of Solitude, the Eradicator assimilates more Kryptonian genome as well as items belong to Clark Kent, taking on an appearance similar to the original Eradicator and having some knowledge of New Earth history.

Since Jon is only half Kryptonian, the Eradicator tries to absorb him so as to remove his “human taint.” Sensing danger from the Eradicator, Krypto leaps in front of the Eradicator and is sent to the Phantom Zone. This causes a fight, a combined hit from Superman and Jon breaks the Eradicator’s outer shell, releasing the Kryptonian souls it had captured. Later on, to help Superman, these spirits sacrifice themselves by allowing themselves to be assimilated by the Eradicator, all at once causing the Eradicator’s systems to overload causing a energy backlash that throws it into a harbor.

Eventually escaping to the moon, Superman’s power is increased by the remnants of the dead Kryptonians as the Eradicator, using the energy of its one remaining soul presses its attack. In the resulting battle, which is televised all over the world due to the devastation happening on the moon, Krypto breaks out of the Eradicator and helps Superman destroy it, the resulting explosion is a mushroom cloud.

Superman Revenge Squad

For More Information: Revenge

Some time later, a red and black digitized figure approaches the Eradicator’s make-shift grave on the moon and resurrects it. The figure makes an offer to help it seek revenge on Superman to which the Eradicator reluctantly accepts, also revealing that they know each other. Later, the Eradicator has taken over Batman’s moon base. Blanque and Metallo are forcibly teleported into the base. The two initially attempt to attack the Eradicator but are stopped by the digitized figure who appears as a blond Caucasian male. This person reveals himself as Hank Henshaw, who welcomes them all to the new Superman Revenge Squad. General Zod is recruited into the team, however, most of the team doesn’t want Zod as there leader, Zod then betrays them and sends the Eradicator and Cyborg Superman into the Phantom Zone.

Henshaw thinks they are there to retrieve Zod’s army, but instead the Eradicator is given orders by Zod to rescue his wife Ursa and there son Lor-Zod to help begin Zod’s plans on rebuilding a new Krypton on the planet Jekuul. Cyborg Superman is left trapped in the Zone.

Powers and Abilities (Rebirth)

Powers

• Kryptonian Android Body: The Eradicator is an android that absorbed the DNA of Jon Kent, and as such, it has at least some of the powers of an average Kryptonian under the effects of a “yellow” sun in addition to its own.
• Superhuman Strength
• Superhuman Speed
• Invulnerability
• Flight
• Energy Projection
• Soul Absorption

Injustice

The Eradicators are a Kryptonian security system housed within the Fortress of Solitude that act as an army of super-strong Superman robots. In the event that Cyborg was the one to defeat Superman and topple his regime, the hero would connect with the Eradicators he found in the Fortress and become their new leader to reorganize justice.

However, months after Superman’s defeat by an alternate reality Superman, the Eradicators became the defense system for Martha and Jonathan Kent, who lived in the Fortress, unable to go back to Smallville after what their adoptive son had done.

Other Media

Video Game

The Death and Return of Superman (1994) (SNES / Sega)

Released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo and in 1995 for the Sega Genesis, the game is an adaption of the Death and Return of Superman. The Eradicator’s profile states, “Regenerated within the Fortress of Solitude, the Eradicator is Superman reborn. Or is he?”

The Eradicator uses plasma blasts as a projectile attack. His super move causes the screen to go dark and him to charge plasma in his hands.

Animated

The Death of Superman

The Eradicator makes a brief cameo appearance at the end of film where he arrives at the Fortress of Solitude.

Reign of the Supermen

The Eradicator made his debut appearance in an animated movie Reign of the Supermen. He was voiced by Charles Halford.