Super-Turtle
| Super-Turtle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics #304 (January 1963) |
| Created by | Henry Boltinoff |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Tur-Tel |
| Species | Turtle |
| Place of origin | Galapagon |
| Abilities | Same range of powers as Superman |
Super-Turtle (or Super Turtle) is a fictional character from DC Comics, created by Henry Boltinoff; he is depicted as a bipedal anthropomorphic turtle wearing a cape like Superman's. His emblem, which is on his cape, is a letter T in a shield.[1]
Publication history
[edit]Created to be a lighthearted parody of Superman, Super-Turtle appeared mostly in one-page comic stories in Silver Age comic books, starting in Adventure Comics #304 (January 1963).[2]
An accepted part of DC Comics history, Super-Turtle tends to show up once in a while in one form or another; e.g., a Super-Turtle figure hangs from the ceiling of the Planet Krypton restaurant in Kingdom Come and he had a cameo appearance in the one-shot Superman and Batman: World's Funnest. Two one-page Super-Turtle stories were created for and appeared in the 2000 Silver Age series.
His most recent comic book appearance was in issue #3 of the 2008 miniseries Ambush Bug: Year None, in which he plays a role like the one Superboy-Prime played in Infinite Crisis; after living in Limbo with Kal-L and company, Super-Turtle (who now calls himself Clark Kent) starts destroying anyone he considers to be a phony Super-Turtle, including Bat-Mite and Conner Kent.
Super-Turtle makes a cameo in the final issue of Batman: The Brave and the Bold.[3]
Super-Turtle has since appeared in Sleepy Time Crime from Capstone Publishing's DC Super-Pets line of children books.[4]
Fictional character biography
[edit]Super-Turtle is part of a species of anthropomorphic turtles from the planet Galapagon. The scientist Shh-Ell realizes that the planet is doomed and convinces the Science Council to evacuate. Slow by nature, the turtles only build one spaceship, in which Shh-Ell's infant son, Tur-Tel, is sent to Earth. There, he is adopted by a kindly farmer couple and becomes Super-Turtle.[5]
Super-Turtle's enemies and allies include parodies of Superman's (such as Brainy-yak) and, in curious circumstances, Superman himself.
Powers and abilities
[edit]Super-Turtle has the same powers as Superman, including flight, invulnerability, superhuman speed and strength, and vision powers.
Appearances
[edit]Super-Turtle appeared in the following comics:[2]
Silver Age
[edit]- Action Comics #299, 301, 305, 309, 318, 321, 336, 374, 381 (1963-1969)
- Adventure Comics #304, 312, 316–317, 326, 329, 341–342, 363, 377, 379 (1963-1969)
- Superboy #103, 105, 107–108, 110, 113–114, 127, 130, 156 (1963-1969)
- Superman #159, 162, 170, 175, 181, 188, 190 (1963-1966)
- World's Finest Comics #149, 151–152, 154, 156, 158, 166, 181 (1965-1968)
- Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #90-91, 115 (1966-1968)
- The Brave and the Bold #70 (1967)
Modern Age revivals
[edit]- Ambush Bug #1, 3 (1985)
- Silver Age 80-Page Giant #1 (2000)
- Silver Age Secret Files and Origins #1 (2000)
- Superman and Batman: World's Funnest (2001)
- Ambush Bug: Year None #3 (2008)
References
[edit]- ^ Becattini, Alberto (2019). "Super-Animals". American Funny Animal Comics in the 20th Century: Volume Two. Theme Park Press. ISBN 978-1683902218.
- ^ a b Eury, Michael (2006). The Krypton Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 192. ISBN 9781893905610.
- ^ Batman: The All New Brave and The Bold #16
- ^ "Sleepy Time Crime".
- ^ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 428. ISBN 978-0-345-50108-0.
External links
[edit]- Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe: Super-Turtle
- Super-Turtle at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Dial B for Blog #314 (with Super-Turtle comic pages)
- Animal superheroes
- Anthropomorphic turtles
- Comics about anthropomorphic turtles
- Comics characters introduced in 1963
- DC Comics animals
- DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds
- DC Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
- DC Comics characters with superhuman strength
- DC Comics extraterrestrial superheroes
- DC Comics male superheroes
- DC Comics superheroes
- Fictional turtles
- Male characters in comics
- Parody superheroes
- Parodies of Superman
- Comics about talking animals