Spotlight On: Superman

As with my recent post relating to Wonder Woman, here I wanted to detail some of the new elements surrounding the New 52 version of Superman. Also, as previously this article will contain spoilers.




Background/First Arc
As has always been the case, on the doomed planet of Krypton, two desperate scientists launch a rocket containing the last hope for the survival of their kind. The alien infant is found by kindly couple Jon and Martha Kent, and grows up to become Superman. This story picks up after Jon and Martha Kent have died in a car crash, leaving Clark with no ties to Smallville. He moves to Metropolis where he works for the Daily Star paper, and fights corruption wearing work boots, blue jeans, a superman tee shirt, and the indestructible Kryptonian cloak he was wrapped in as an infant. The government is intent on capturing the alien specimen, and the special task force, headed by General Lane, Lois Lane's father, and young consultant Lex Luthor. During an attack by the Collector of Worlds, otherwise known as Braniac, Superman infiltrates the invading ship and finds a display case containing relics from his homeworld of Krypton, and, donning an indestructible Kryptonian bodysuit which instantly configures to the crest on his cape, Superman defeats the Collector of Worlds, using his own rocket to hold the computers at bay. Braniac's ship becomes his first Fortress of Solitude. In time, Superman discovers that a seemingly unrelated series of mishaps and tragedy in his life have in fact been perpetrated by a fifth dimensional being known as Vyndktvk, who, using a fractal, is attacking Superman simultaneously, throughout time, causing the car crash that killed his parents, stealing the first piece of Kryptonite, organizing Superman's enemies from all through time, and orchestrating Superman's ultimate demise in the future on the day called Doomsday. In the story, it is implied that Vyndktvx is actually a facet of the personality of the silver age fifth dimensional imp Mr. Mxyzptlk, albeit a much more malicious incarnation. The end of the story shows Lara, Superman's mother, closing a book, having read this story to baby Kal-EL. As with most stories by Grant Morrison, this one is rife with metacommentary. I'll leave it to someone wiser than I to explain that part of the story.

Personality
Many have commented that this incarnation of Superman is much more brash and reckless than previous versions. He also appears cocky when in a position of power, laughing at the scientists who mistook a mutant goat carcass for another of his kind, and commenting to Batman "Your belt is empty Batman" after easily withstanding all of his gadgets at their first meeting. This version of Superman has shown himself willing to kill off his alter ego Clark Kent persona when his identity is in jeopardy. Some aspects of his personality remain consistent, for example, when he beleives he has killed Dr. Light, he immediately shows great remorse and turns himself in to A.R.G.U.S. custody. He is also still in a relationship with Wonder Woman, raising the ire of many who preferred the status quo of Superman's relationship with Lois Lane.

The suit changed in response to Kal-El putting it on

Powers and Abilities
Superman is first shown not yet having developed the ability to fly, although he could jump incredibly high. His invulnerability and strength are also well below their peak. He is shown with bruising after being shot, and he is unable to stop a bullet train from wrecking, although he did slow it down significantly. He manifests some sort of vision power, frying some computer terminals with microwaves, stating that unlike human eyes, his not only absorb radiation, but can emit it as well. His heat vision seems to work at full force, since Superman is shown melting guns with a glance. He is also clocked at 600 m.p.h. when fleeing the police, although it is later established that he can push it up to 25,000 miles per hour. His cape and costume are of Kryptonian design and are, as such, indestructible. His suit is also shown to adapt to either Superman's d.n.a. or his father's cloak, changing from plain white to the signature blue and red. It also changed again in response to Superman picking up a miniaturized alien tower, becoming red witha different emblem in the center. In later issues when

The suit changes a second time 

Superman changes out of his Kent disguise, he takes off his shirt to reveal a Superman tee (which virtually every kid in Metropolis owns a copy of) which then begins spreading out to cover his entire body. It seems to react to his thoughts and has been likened to Kryptonian nano-tech. Of course after the five year jump from New 52 Year One to present day, all of Superman's powers are back with no changes.

The Anti-Superman Army steals Kryptonite from
Superman's rocketship.

Kryptonite
According to Vyndktvx, all of the Kryptonite was derived from the Kryptonite engine in the rocket that carried Superman to Earth.
The later Kryptonite, including its different colored versions were derived from that original piece. This seems to be supported
by the fact that Amanda Waller had Firestorm attempt to transmute Kryptonite for her own
uses. Green Kryptonite seems to be much more potent in this universe, causing blood poisoning and a rapidly degenerating state
of health, rather than weakness or dizziness and loss of powers.