Origin
Superwoman is an evil counterpart of Wonder Woman from a parallel universe. She is an Amazon and is a member of the Crime Syndicate of America.
Creation
The Earth-Three Super-Woman was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky in 1964’s Justice League of America #29. The Antimatter Earth Superwoman was created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely in 1999’s JLA: Earth-2. The modern Earth-3 Superwoman of the Crime Society of America was created by the writers and artists behind the 2006 maxiseries 52, and first appeared in 52 Week 52, the series’s final issue.
Character Evolution
Silver Age
Earth-Three Super-Woman is a renegade Amazon who left that universe’s Paradise Island to see the outside world. She originally appeared with jet-black hair, but in later appearances, she has a white streak in front of her hair, which may indicate that she is aging, due to the possibility that like the Earth-Two Wonder Woman, the Amazons stripped Super-Woman of her immortality. Super-Woman has similar powers to Wonder Woman, but her magic lasso differed in that it could change its shape into any form she desired.
Post-Crisis Qwardian
This version of Super-Woman appeared only in a flashback in Justice League Quarterly #8. She has same history as the Silver Age Super-Woman, but she is from the anti-matter universe of Qward and is a Qwardian being. Hal Jordan states that this Crime Syndicate had fought the JLA, JSA, and Captain Comet in the past (as per the Post-Crisis DC Universe history). This version of Super-Woman, along with the Crime Syndicate she was a part of, was never seen or heard from again after this issue.
Modern Age
Earth-2 Superwoman is from the antimatter universe of Qward, but is not Qwardian. She was born on Damnation Island (the antimatter name for Paradise Island), and is the last Amazon of her world (because she has killed all of her fellow Amazon sisters). She left the island afterwards to see the human world, which she calls “Patriarch’s World” as opposed to “man’s world”. She took on the alias Lois Lane and took the job at the Daily Planet as a reporter (what became of the real Lois Lane is unknown). She worked her way up to the position of editor on the newspaper, despite her co-workers at the Planet despising her. Superwoman is considered to be the most twisted member of Crime Syndicate. Though Superwoman is an alternate version of Wonder Woman, she also has heat vision, similar to Superman. She has a magic lasso, which releases a person’s inhibitions.
Post-Infinite Crisis
In the wake of the 52, a newly re-created Earth-3 Superwoman emerged. She is a member of the Crime Society of America, an alternate version of the new Earth-2 Justice Society of America. Like the Earth-2 Superwoman, her alias is Lois Lane and she also is married to Ultraman. She has similar powers to Wonder Woman of New Earth.
The New 52
Following the DC Multiverse’s restructure during Flashpoint, Superwoman and the Crime Syndicate have had their entire history rewritten. No longer do they hail from the Antimatter Universe; instead, they are once again native to Earth 3, a universe where villains, not heroes, are the dominant force. It was revealed in Justice League #23 that the Crime Syndicate of America has been behind the Secret Society of Super Villains‘ plot, and have been preparing since Darkseid’s invasion to take Earth Prime for themselves. Following the success of their plan, Superwoman and her compatriots cross the barrier between the universes and step foot on Earth Prime. Her costume has been altered, looking essentially the same as her previous versions, but her lasso is now shaped like barbed wire.
In Justice League #23.4, Owlman is seen having a relationship with Superwoman in Earth-3. Later in Forever Evil #2, he and Superwoman discuss that Ultraman will eventually find out that her unborn child is not his, but Owlman’s.
However, in Forever Evil #7, it is revealed that the child is neither Ultraman nor Owlman’s and is instead the child of Alexander Luthor Sr. Superwoman states to Ultraman that Alex is stronger than him and when he asks her the reason for the betrayal. The Crime Syndicate is eventually defeated and Alexander Luthor Sr. is killed. Superwoman is placed is captivity, and while speaking with Wonder Woman, she tells her that the baby has started kicking. Superwoman gives birth to her son, whose father is MAZAHS. She is using the baby to bring the powers of Darkseid within the baby and before she can complete her task Grail uses her own Omega Beam effect to obliterate Superwoman.
Infinite Frontier
After the event series Death Metal, the multiverse is rebooted again and earth 3, the Crime Syndicate and their members too. In the 2021 Crime Syndicate series, the origin of the team an their members is explored. This time, Superwoman is an alternate version of Donna Troy who killed Diana and is praised for her mother for such act. Unlike the Amazons from earth 0, these Amazons enjoy showing their power to the world and are willing to conquer it.
Major Story Arcs
Silver Age
Crime Syndicate of America
As a member of Crime Syndicate of America, Super-Woman fought both the Earth-Two Justice Society of America and the Earth-One Justice League of America. They are defeated and are imprisoning between the Earth-One and the Earth-Two universes. During Captain Comet‘s battles with the Secret Society of Super-Villains, they passed through the area between dimensions and accidentally freed her along with Power Ring and Johnny Quick. Super-Woman, like the rest of the original Crime Syndicate, would later fight the JLA and the JSA yet again, this time at the behest of JSA villain Per Degaton. The Syndicate would later perish as the first victims of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Alexander Luthor, Sr. (the only hero of Earth-Three) sees her as she tries to keep a mountain from falling apart. He tries to call out to her, but she simply responds with “Luthor? What do you want?!?” just as she is swallowed up by the wave of antimatter. She would make a couple of post-mortem appearances: first in issues 23-24 of Animal Man, where the Psycho-Pirate tried to restore the characters killed during the Crisis; and then for a brief cameo in Infinite Crisis, as Alexander Luthor, Jr. tried merging a remade Earth-Three with New Earth. She is nearly fused with Wonder Woman in this attempt.
Modern Age
The Antimatter Superwoman is married to Ultraman, but she despises him and seems to have a variety of lovers. She has an arrangement with the Antimatter universe’s Jimmy Olsen, which involves him watching her undress in order to reward him for giving her information and keeping her identity secret. Her nickname for him is “Superwoman’s Snitch: Jimmy Olsen.” She is also romantically involved with Owlman, though it is undetermined whether this relationship is purely of a sexual nature, or if there are deeper feelings involved. Ultraman is aware of Superwoman’s relationship with Owlman; he has refrained from ending their affair, because of blackmail material Owlman possesses, giving him some sway over Ultraman.
Crime Syndicate of Amerika
When Superwoman and the Syndicate cross over to New Earth (during the “Syndicate Rules” story arc in JLA), her relationship Owlman relationship heats up (starting with a night in Venice, Italy). In the 2006 Superman/Batman Annual #1, Mr. Mxyzptlk tells Bizarro the story of how Batman and Superman first teamed up to stop Ultraman and Owlman from sinking the cruise liner both are on. In said story, Superwoman later shows up to attack Bruce Wayne. Superwoman and the rest of the Crime Syndicate reappeared in the 2010 Justice League of America story arc “Omega“, where she fights Donna Troy and reveals that she killed all of her world’s Amazons.
Post-Infinite Crisis/Countdown to Final Crisis
The Crime Society Superwoman and her team fight against the Challengers from Beyond, who are traveling from dimension to dimension in search of Ray Palmer. She and her team join the Monarch‘s army to go after the Challengers. She later fights Jason Todd (who had taken on the identity of Red Robin) on Earth-51 where he gouges out her eyes with his blades. This Superwoman’s fate remains unknown after Earth-51 is destroyed.
Crime Syndicate series
In the 2021 mini-series Crime Syndicate, the origin of the team of earth 3 and their members is explored. She is first seen in the very first issue of the series where she is identified as the US Ambassador to Theymiscra. Superwoman’s introduction scene is of her torturing President Oliver Queen. She is seen tying him upside down in his own office and squeezing his face intimidatingly. She makes him admit that she is the power behind his presidency and coerces him into handing over top secret files. Her role is pivotal to defeat the Starro invader.
Powers & Abilities
Superpowers
Superwoman possesses superhuman strength, invulnerability, flight, speed, enhanced senses and immortality. The antimatter version is also known to have heat vision like her husband, Ultraman. As a Amazon (by birth) she has strength comparable to Wonder Woman.
Equipment
Magic Lasso
Earth-Three Super-Woman’s magic lasso can change its shape by her will, while the antimatter Earth version’s can release people’s inhibitions.
Bracelets
The antimatter version also possesses bracelets similar to Wonder Woman’s, that can deflect gunfire.
Physical Characteristics
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 140 lbs.
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
Other Versions
JLA: Another Nail
In the 2004 Elseworlds story “JLA: Another Nail” (where she has a variation of her look that includes knee-high boot cuts), she appears with the rest of the Crime Syndicate (who also resemble their Earth-Three versions) when they interrogate the Flash and the Atom.
Other Media
Films
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Superwoman (voiced by Gina Torres) is an alternate version of Wonder Woman, with some combination of Superman’s powers. She is very strong, agile, durable, and can fly. She can suck in massive amounts of air and is an extremely capable hand-to-hand fighter. As one of the more powerful heads of the Syndicate, she’s a natural leader. Superwoman is the only female head of the Syndicate and is tied with Ultraman as the most powerful. Her first appearance in the movie is walking with the other members of the syndicate trying to capture Lex Luthor and The Jester (alternate version of the Joker), who in this reality are heroes. Luthor escapes by using a device that allows him to travel to parallel earths, but unfortunately the Syndicate Capture and kill his friend the Jester. By Luthor’s description of his world, the syndicate is in control of everything and have divided up territories which they rule.
Luthor takes the Justice League to his world, where Owlan and Superwoman are. The Justice League fight the Crime Syndicate, and barely secure a victory. Superwoman goes toe to toe with Superman in this fight. Later Luthor tells them that the Superwoman and Owlman are “dating”, a reference to the comics in which Superwoman had a hold over both Ultraman and Owlman and used them to her leisure.
Superwoman then starts to suspect Owlman’s head isn’t in the conquering game, and so she spends a few moments interrogating him trying to find out his true plan. When Owlman resists and dodges the question, Superwoman walks towards him constricting his personal space. He stumbles as she gets close to him, and she grabs his arms on both sides locking them in place on his desk. He yields and tells her that he thinks the there is only action worth taking if one has that much power. Both Owlman and Superwoman are psychotic killers, in Superwoman’s own words, and together they plan to destroy all the worlds by destroying Earth Prime. Owlman predicts that by destroying Earth Prime all other Earths will also be destroyed.
Superwoman attacks the Justice League’s base in order to retrieve the Quantum Trigger, a key component to the plan. While invading the Watchtower base to get what he needs she meets Batman. Batman is a far inferior fighter to Superwoman, so she toys with him. She pins Batman to a wall by his neck and says “You have possibilities little man!”, as he reminds her of Owlman. Based on previous interactions of Owlman and Superwoman, it is safe to assume that Owlman is treated by Superwoman in a much similar way, if not worse. She then takes a moment to kiss him, biting his lip as he squirms, telling him that unfortunately she doesn’t have time to play with him.
Now bored of him, she throws Batman on the floor, and returns to her world, but Batman joins her during her escape. Superwoman tells one of her “Made Men”, who are her servants, to take the Quantum Trigger to Owlman, so that she can play with Batman. She throws him around her castle for a while severely injuring him, even breaking his rib when he tries to fight back. Batman luckily uses a moment of separation between himself and Superwoman to use a toxic gas to knock Superwoman out temporarily, and calls the Justice League for backup.
Superwoman remains captured by Wonder Woman for the rest of this movie, and has a brief fighting scene at the end with Wonder Woman which she loses. Superwoman and Owlman’s plan is foiled at the end and the world is saved. Superwoman is most likely captured and imprisoned by the Justice League.