Superman: Red Son - Continuity in The DC Universe

Continuity in The DC Universe

Although told as an Elseworlds tale, the characters and their universe are part of the greater DC Comics continuum. According to DC editors, the Red Son universe is one of the new post-52 Earths, each of which represents a different incarnation of the standard DC comics characters. Indeed, the Red Son Superman has made appearances in other comics, notably near the end of the fifth issue of Infinite Crisis as well as in Superman/Batman #22-#23. This version of Superman also has strong resemblances to other variants such as the "Golden Age" Superman, who lived on Earth-Two prior to its destruction in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Both share the name Kal-L, as opposed to "Kal-El", the name of both the pre-crisis Earth-One and modern versions. Red Son Superman is also extremely powerful, as was the Pre-Crisis Superman, and wields a number of super-abilities including such mainstays as super strength, hearing, and sight, flight, and heat vision. He is also depicted as much more intelligent than the average human and is something of a "super-scientist." With the exception of "red sun radiation", which reduces him to a "normal" (or at least vulnerable) level, he has no apparent weaknesses.

Kryptonite is never mentioned, although Brainiac attacks Superman with unnamed green energy near the end of "Red Son Setting". Kryptonite likely does not exist in the Red Son universe because the planet Krypton, where Kryptonite comes from, is revealed to be a future version of Earth.

The universe of Superman: Red Son is considered one of the 52 Earths of the current DC Multiverse. Specifically, Red Son is Earth-30, and was visited briefly by the Challengers From Beyond in Countdown #32, where they spotted the Soviet Superman and left immediately. It is revisited in the one-shot, Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Red Son, where the Challengers, Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner, Jason Todd, and Bob the Monitor assist Batman in saving Ray Palmer and subduing Wonder Woman before confronting Superman in Siberia. Despite their combined efforts, events play out exactly as they did in Red Son #2, with Batman imprisoning Superman briefly under red sun lamps, and detonating the bomb in his intestine upon his escape. The Challengers are captured, bound and gagged, and almost converted into Superman robots before the Atom threatens to destroy Stalingrad if his friends are not released. They are allowed to leave.

The Superman of Earth-30 is later seen with an army of Superman analogues in Final Crisis #7.