Every Superman Clone in DC Comics, Ranked

Superman is a hugely popular and incredibly powerful hero in the DC Universe. He’s a beacon of hope, protecting Metropolis and the Earth from major threats, but he’s also remarkably relatable. He genuinely cares about the people around him – his friends, family, and the citizens he’s sworn to protect. Often called the ‘Big Blue Boy Scout,’ this nickname perfectly captures his strong moral compass and unwavering dedication to doing what’s right.

Superman’s incredible power, stemming from his alien origins, makes him a target. Many would want to control or replicate that power, and if they can’t control him, creating a clone seems like the next best option. Comics have seen numerous attempts to clone Superman – and even clone those clones – and these efforts almost always lead to trouble.

This list focuses on characters in DC Comics who are true clones of Superman – meaning they share his genetic material. We’re excluding characters who simply have similar powers or are artificially created, and generally sticking to clones from the main DC universe. However, we’ve included one exception: a clone of a Superman from another reality. Let’s take a look at these characters.

6) X-El

X-El is a character resembling Lex Luthor, and while not a direct clone of Superman, he’s linked to the creation of Bizarro, a famous Superman clone. Introduced in *Superman* #24 in 2025, X-El was created by Lex Luthor as part of a plan to defeat Superman. Essentially, X-El is a ‘Bizarro’ version of Lex himself – created using a similar process to give Luthor Kryptonian abilities (and immunity to Kryptonite). However, X-El proved unstable, and Lex abandoned him. Later, Mercy Graves freed him, but Lex ultimately ended up killing his own creation.

X-El isn’t a direct copy of Superman, but his similarities to Bizarro are striking, which is why he deserves a place on this list. His existence highlights how even the incredible power of a Kryptonian can be undermined by the mental and emotional problems that often come with cloning. It also raises an interesting question: how do you give a clone Kryptonian abilities without some link to Superman? X-El was created using the same technology that made Bizarro, and Bizarro himself is a clone of the Man of Steel.

5) Match

First appearing in 1997’s *Superboy* #35, Match is essentially a clone of a clone – he’s a copy of Conner Kent’s Superboy. Created to fulfill a mysterious plan called “the Agenda,” Match received implanted memories and was enhanced with improved durability and greater control over his powers, making him a more advanced version than a simple duplicate. He later joins the Suicide Squad.

Match shares similarities with X-El, as his connection to Superman isn’t a direct one and he represents the negative consequences of cloning. He’s essentially a darker, more flawed version of Superboy, often depicted with pale skin and scars. Even with better power control, Match is more aggressive and violent than Superboy, making him a truly disturbing example of a cloning experiment gone wrong – more unsettling than even the story of Bizarro, and less about simple tragedy.

4) Brutaal

Brutaal originally comes from another Earth, and he’s a clone of Superman created by the villain Darkseid – which, unsurprisingly, makes him a dangerous enemy. Darkseid raised and trained Brutaal to be a ruthless soldier, tasking him with eliminating Earth-2’s heroes. Brutaal was incredibly powerful, fiercely loyal, and so brutal that he even killed Steppenwolf, one of Darkseid’s top generals, when Steppenwolf tried to conquer Earth-2 for himself.

Like other Superman clones, Brutaal had critical flaws. During a fight with Earth 2’s Superman, Val-Zod, Brutaal began to fall apart, becoming unstable like a Bizarro creature. He ultimately crumbled into dust. It’s becoming clear that cloning Superman has dangerous consequences for the resulting beings. However, Brutaal stands out from other clones because, while he was still functioning, he showed just how dangerous an evil version of Superman could be, especially if allied with a major multiversal threat.

3) Eradicator

Following Superman’s death in his fight with Doomsday, the Eradicator, an ancient Kryptonian weapon, became important in the events that followed. It initially attempted to possess Superman’s body to carry on Krypton’s legacy, but when that failed, it created a duplicate and transferred Superman’s consciousness to a healing chamber in the Fortress of Solitude. The copy wasn’t exact, so the Eradicator had to wear special glasses to compensate for the differences.

After Superman was temporarily out of action, the Eradicator took on the role of hero, wearing Superman’s suit, but he was far more aggressive and lacked compassion. When Superman returned, the two had to team up to fight the Cyborg Superman. Though not a true clone, the Eradicator was created using Superman’s genetic material, making him a kind of artificial Superman. This gives him an advantage over other clones like Brutaal, as he doesn’t suffer from the usual degradation and remains fully mentally capable – he’s essentially a sentient artificial intelligence. This complexity allows the Eradicator to be portrayed as both a hero and a villain over time, offering an interesting perspective on Superman’s Kryptonian heritage.

2) Kon-El

Kon-El, also known as Conner Kent or Superboy, is a unique clone of Superman. He’s not a traditional clone, but a hybrid – created using the cloned DNA of both Superman and Lex Luthor. Appearing shortly after Superman’s death, Superboy possesses the power of tactile telekinesis, and has also developed typical Kryptonian abilities like super strength, speed, and resilience. He’s a very powerful and well-liked character.

As a critic, I’ve always appreciated Kon-El as one of the best Superman clones out there, and it’s largely because he feels genuinely *earned*. He’s not just a carbon copy of the Man of Steel; the writers really took the time to build a unique personality and power set for him. What’s truly compelling is watching him forge his own path and define his own role within the larger Superman mythos. He’s a surprisingly human character, and that relatability is what makes reading his stories so engaging.

1) Bizarro

As a lifelong movie and comic book fan, when you think of Superman copycats, there’s really only one that stands out: Bizarro. He’s the original, first appearing way back in the Silver Age of comics. Basically, he was created when a machine meant to duplicate Superman went wrong, and the result was this… twisted mirror image. Everything about him is backwards – he even *talks* backwards! Like, if he says he hates something, it means he actually loves it. They’ve tweaked his origin story a few times – sometimes Lex Luthor is involved – but the core idea of a reversed Superman has always stayed the same. He’s just a fascinating, messed-up character.

Bizarro appears in many different forms throughout comic books, with countless variations. However, at his heart, he’s the most interesting and well-developed clone of Superman. He’s not simply a good guy or a bad guy; he’s a deeply sad character who, like Superman, makes us consider what it truly means to be human.

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2025-10-07 19:13