Template:Infobox comics elements The Supermobile is the fictional vehicle for the DC Comics superhero Superman. It is capable of duplicating all of his abilities in situations where he finds himself powerless.[1] It was introduced in a story entitled "It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Supermobile!", published in Action Comics # 481, cover dated March 1978.[2]
Writer Cary Bates says that the Supermobile was created as a promotional tie-in for the Corgi Toys toy line: "In my opinion, whenever merchandising needs are dictating story content, the odds of any real creativity or inspiration are severely compromised".[3]
Fictional biography
The Supermobile is a car made of the indestructible metal Supermanium that Superman uses to battle Amazo after temporarily losing his powers to red solar radiation.[4][5][6]
Superman later uses the Supermobile in a battle with the Atomic Skull and Titano.[7] Following this, the Supermobile makes minor cameo appearances.[8][9]
Abilities
The Supermobile replicates and enhances Superman's abilities, protecting him from red sun radiation.[10]
Besides invulnerability and flight, the Supermobile also channels Superman's other powers using the following devices:
- Large mechanical arms mounted on either side of the cockpit area, allowing Superman to both punch and grasp.
- A scope on the control panel which can be adjusted to work with each of Superman's vision-related powers: normal, telescopic, microscopic, x-ray, heat, and night vision.
- Air jets that pop out from various points around the vehicle, allowing Superman to use his super breath if he blows into a face mask attached to the control panel.
- A monitor and other communications and listening devices substitute for his super hearing.
In other media
Television
- The Supermobile appears in Super Friends.
- A variant of the Supermobile used by Lex Luthor appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Battle of the Super-Heroes!".
Merchandise
- Corgi Toys made die-cast models of the Supermobile in two different sizes, the "Junior" model (3 inches in length, about the size of a Matchbox or Hot Wheels car) and a larger, 1/36 scale version.[11]
- Kenner produced a Supermobile to go with their Super Powers Collection, one that was big enough to fit the line's action figures. The design differed a bit from the original, however; the two mechanical arms were absent, replaced by a front-mounted "Krypton Action Ram".[12]
- In 2022, McFarlane Toys produced a Supermobile scaled for 5-inch action figures as part of the first wave of its revival of the Super Powers Collection toyline. This version resembles the original Corgi / comic book design, with fists controlled by a dial on the bottom of the toy, a canopy opened by pressing the Superman "S" shield on the front, and two "jail cell compartments" in the wings.[13]