Batman may be the only member of the Justice League without superpowers, but he’s not the only one with a super-car. Believe it or not, Superman has his very own version of the Batmobile. As one would expect, this vehicle is the one and only Supermobile, which has finally made its triumphant return to DC Comics canon.
The Supermobile first appeared in Action Comics #481 by Cary Bates and Curt Swana back in 1978. When Earth becomes covered in red solar radiation (depriving Superman of his powers), the android known as Amazo is reactivated and escapes imprisonment. Amazo traps the rest of the Justice League in an alternate dimension, leaving only a powerless Superman to save the day. Fortunately, the Man of Steel has a trick up his sleeve. He lures the android to his Fortress of Solitude, where he reveals his secret weapon: the Supermobile, a vehicle that can essentially mimic all of Superman’s powers. The Supermobile is equipped with mechanical arms (super strength), listening devices (super hearing), air jets (super-breath), and an adjustable scope (heat/x-ray vision). The vehicle can also fly and is constructed out of a nearly indestructible material called, no joke, Supermanium, making the Supermobile just as durable as Kal-El himself.
The Supermobile only made a few more brief appearances before fading away into obscurity, but in the recently released Justice League Annual #2, the Man of Steel’s ride has resurfaced for the first time since the pre-Crisis era. This issue sees the Justice League forced to fight against the defense measures of their very own Hall of Justice, only to discover that whoever hacked the building’s defenses has also hacked their vehicles. That includes the long-forgotten Supermobile, which chases after Superman and The Flash.
As funny as this exchange between Flash and Superman may be, Clark actually makes a good point. According to Cary Bates, the Supermobile was created for the sole purpose of selling Superman toys, which shows how closely intertwined the comic book and toy industries were at the time. Toy lines were such a big part of the superhero genre, they had a direct influence on what stories were published. However, as Barry points out, Superman does fly, so it's little surprise the Supermobile’s tenure in Action Comics was as short as it was - at the end of the day, it just doesn't make sense for Superman to have a car.
Regardless of the Supermobile’s origins, it’s always nice to see modern writers pay homage to classic comics. And now that fans know the Supermobile still exists in the post-Crisis DC universe, who knows if its greatest story may still be told?