Superman's Inability To Have Children?

[SMARTASS8]

I doubt they'll ever give Superman a biological kid in the regular DC universe. There are some heroes who are so iconic(especially the "Trinity") that any change you make with them not only affects the comics, but the movies, cartoons, and merchandising as well. That is probably the main reason why Lois has never been pregnant(how that happened, out of wedlock no less, in Superman Returns proves that Bryan Singer must have naked pictures of people at Warner Bros.). Having said all that, Geoff Johns has been quoted several times since he came onboard the Superman books saying that Clark and Lois can't have kids. Ignoring comedic dialogue from Kevin Smith, is he the first writer to actually say that Lois conceiving a Kryptonian half-breed is impossible?

[DonC]

Yes, it has been said in the comics that Earthlings and Kryptonians are unable to breed.

[Rik Levins]

is he the first writer to actually say that Lois conceiving a Kryptonian half-breed is impossible?

Hardly. Larry Niven wrote about it in his "Woman of Kleenex" essay decades ago.

If you mean, the first writer at DC Comics to say it, of course not. Luthor mocked Superman in a story in the early Nineties, taunting him that he (Lex) could have children while Superman never would. I don't recall who wrote that story, and of course it could be discounted as merely Luthor's opinion (although an opinion backed by years of studying Superman's biology), but the idea had certainly been put forth.

--and disproven shortly thereafter, when it was established that Kon-El was not a genetically-modified human, but an actual combination of Superman's and Luthor's DNA.

Despite the massive ick factor of that retcon, it confirmed that Kryptonian-Terran hybrids can in fact be created, at least in a laboratory. Lois might have to get artifically impregnated, but Superboy's (former) existence proves that she and Clark can indeed have a child.

[Xybernauts]

Doesn't Batman have a son now?Superman having a child could work out if they did it right, as long as the kid doesn't infringe on his ability to be a hero. I mean doesn't Superman have women from the whole city Kandor to help him him out in that department? Maybe use Kryptonian fertility clinics and voila, Kryptonian octuplet superbabies! I mean it doesn't have to be Lois' child does it. And even if it did have to be her baby to, they could weave together some explanation. For example, I always thought they should use that superwoman formula Superman gave Lois in Allstar Superman to develop a bigger story revolving around Superman and Lois procreating. Basically they use the superman formula to make Lois' dna compatible with Clark's. It always bothered me that Jor-El gave Clark so many resources through the fortress of solitude except one of the most obvious, a way to start to repopulate the universe with Kryptonians.

[Lorendiac]

If you mean, the first writer at DC Comics to say it, of course not. Luthor mocked Superman in a story in the early Nineties, taunting him that he (Lex) could have children while Superman never would. I don't recall who wrote that story, and of course it could be discounted as merely Luthor's opinion (although an opinion backed by years of studying Superman's biology), but the idea had certainly been put forth.

I don't recall that story offhand, but I'll take your word for it. On the other hand, didn't one of the "Armageddon 2001" annuals published in 1991 show a "possible future timeline" in which Lois definitely had become pregnant with Clark's child -- and then she died painfully? Implicitly because carrying a Kryptonian baby inside her might be more dangerous than they'd realized, although I don't think anyone said exactly why she died? I believe that was the story that ended with Clark finally marrying Maxima, who presumably was tough enough to take it if she became pregnant with his child.

--and disproven shortly thereafter, when it was established that Kon-El was not a genetically-modified human, but an actual combination of Superman's and Luthor's DNA.

Well, to be fair, Luthor probably meant to say it was impossible for Superman to "naturally reproduce" if Earthwomen were the only females available to him as potential mates. I doubt Lex meant to rule out every theoretically possible method of "gene-splicing" in a state-of-the-art laboratory, et cetera (although I could be wrong, since I don't remember the story in question and thus don't know exactly how he chose his words!).

But if Luthor said that in the early 90s, then it was only about a decade later, in the early 2000s, that we finally had the retcon forced down our throats: "Superboy is the half-human, half-Kryptonian, gene-spliced child of Clark and Lex!"

P.S. Years ago, I tried to list all the different approaches I had seen writers take regarding: "What would happen if a male Kryptonian tried to get an Earthwoman pregnant?"

I listed lots of possible answers to that question, and then concluded with something along these lines: "It seems clear that DC's editorial policy on this subject is to Absolutely Refuse to have any consistent editorial policy on this subject! How courageous of them!"

[WorstThingUS]

Geoff Johns has been quoted several times since he came onboard the Superman books saying that Clark and Lois can't have kids. Ignoring comedic dialogue from Kevin Smith, is he the first writer to actually say that Lois conceiving a Kryptonian half-breed is impossible?

Given that Geoff Johns didn't create Superman, doesn't own Superman and won't be the last writer of Superman, I'd say his opinion on the matter means jack s@*t.

[Ms. M]

I'm sure that Clark and Lois could have a kid together through science or magic if the writers really wanted to make it happen. That said, a baby would probably be a bad idea since aging occurs so slowly in comics. And it isn't as if the writers have done much with babies and children in the past - look at Chris Kent's miraculous aging spurt.

I would like to see a story of a Kryptonian and human having a child, but not Lois and Clark. How about one of the New Kryptonians impregnating an Earthling?

Personally I liked reading Elliot Maggin's theory in the 70s novel Last Son of Krypton that Kryptonians were essentially humans but ones who evolved under much different circumstances and a harsher gravity.

[Slumber Hulk]

I think Lois and Clark could have a kid together.
You'd just want to keep Lois completely out of the sun while pregnant. Or let her wear one of those Red Sun Radiation watches. So her her baby doesn't kick through her stomach.

[Joe Acro]

Luthor mocked Superman in a story in the early Nineties, taunting him that he (Lex) could have children while Superman never would. I don't recall who wrote that story, and of course it could be discounted as merely Luthor's opinion (although an opinion backed by years of studying Superman's biology), but the idea had certainly been put forth.

--and disproven shortly thereafter, when it was established that Kon-El was not a genetically-modified human, but an actual combination of Superman's and Luthor's DNA.

Despite the massive ick factor of that retcon, it confirmed that Kryptonian-Terran hybrids can in fact be created, at least in a laboratory. Lois might have to get artifically impregnated, but Superboy's (former) existence proves that she and Clark can indeed have a child.
Also, there's a continuation of Kingdom Come that sees Clark and Wonder Woman have kids (seen most recently in Justice Society).

But given Wonder Woman's background, there could be some magic involved there.

[Mat001]

Right now, the stance is that Kryptonians and humans cannot have children due to the different types of DNA. A Kryptonian can mate with an Amazon, since the latter are more than physically capable of bearing children. Before Action Comics Annual #11, there was possibilities, but nothing was ever concrete. Most times it was imaginary stories and later Elseworlds tales which stated that they either could or could not. All Geoff Johns did was go with what DC editorial's position is right now and that's they cannot have children.

[Hypestyle]

... of course he can.. it would be a 'miracle baby' just like with Mulder and Scully..

of course, if they do it with Earth -1 Superman, inevitably, they have to end up doing Final Crisis-- Last One-- Really! to bring things back to the traditional dynamic of clueless Lois and clumsy Clark..

[dancj]

I don't recall that story offhand, but I'll take your word for it. On the other hand, didn't one of the "Armageddon 2001" annuals published in 1991 show a "possible future timeline" in which Lois definitely had become pregnant with Clark's child -- and then she died painfully? Implicitly because carrying a Kryptonian baby inside her might be more dangerous than they'd realized, although I don't think anyone said exactly why she died?
IIRC it was because the baby kicked.

Certainly at that time it was presented as a possible future, so even though the story wasn't a definite future it proved that Superman could make Lois pregnant at the time.

[Mat001]

That's because DC editorial was going back and forth. Partially they were going off the Imaginary Stories of the past, partially they were still dealing with Lois and Clark as a couple at the time. So they came up with that story then. But remember that was back in 1991. This is 2009 now and "Last Son" ended last year. A world of difference between then and now. So to bash Geoff Johns for just doing what Paul Levitz, Dan Didio and Matt Idelson agreed to is a bit off the cuff.

[jasonone]

I think they just wanted to have a balance in Superman's life. Imagine he has superpowers, gorgeous wife, contented life. Now is the time to give him something that will make him not so perfect to viewers and that is - incapability of having a kid. :smile:

[Xybernauts]

I think they just wanted to have a balance in Superman's life. Imagine he has superpowers, gorgeous wife, contented life. Now is the time to give him something that will make him not so perfect to viewers and that is - incapability of having a kid. :smile:
I think that if Superman did have a child, it'd be a story alot like the DaVinci Code. The story wouldn't be as simple as he gets Lois pregnant and she has a baby.

Maybe Superman would die again and Lois would go into hiding. You get the gist.
I also be a good way to introduce the Dr. Swan and the Vertas Group of Smallville into the comics.

[tommo123]

regarding kryptonians and humans having kiddies, man of steel, woman of kleenex etc. how would that hold up if supergirl wanted a kiddie and only a human (normal) was available?

forgetting the whole DNA mismatch - could the poor guy survive the umm, 'coupling' any more than a human woman could with a krypto male?

[Fallman]

Clark and Lois have been strongly implied to have had sexual relations without any special preparations, but even if you insist on bringing up the Niven (comedy) essay, he could just fly her up to the Fortress of Solitude for some red solar mood lighting. That's really only a minor problem at most.

[zebop]

Superman is unable to sire children because he does not believe in having sex.

Glad we could clear that up.

Next? :biggrin: