Warning! Spoilers for Superman: Red & Blue #4
Superman’s Fortress of Solitude is one of the most iconic superhero lairs - arguably even cooler than the Batcave. However, DC just revealed that the Man of Steel’s opposite, Bizarro, has his own version of the Fortress, but it’s much more tragic than Superman's.
Created as an imperfect double of Superman, Bizarro was originally an adversary of the Man of Steel, equipped with all the same kryptonian powers. However, a few of his abilities were reversed; instead of heat vision and cold breath, Bizarro had freeze vision and heat breath. The clone also had a massively decreased intellect, often using incorrect grammar and saying the opposite of what he meant. Indeed, Bizarro’s whole character is based on reversal; even the logo on his chest is a mirror image of Superman’s. Despite his villainous origins, however, Bizarro has evolved to become a much more tragic and sympathetic character over the years - an aspect that is hammered home in the latest issue of Superman: Red & Blue.
Superman: Red & Blue is an anthology ongoing series from DC. Each issue contains several, self-contained stories set in the Superman mythos. In issue #4, however, the story titled “For the Man Who Has Nothing” by Michael W. Conrad centers around Bizarro. The title is a nod to the iconic Superman story “For the Man Who Has Everything” by Alan Moore, in which several heroes travel to the Fortress of Solitude for Superman’s birthday. Bizarro’s version is instead set in his own lair, called the Fortress of Multitude. The fortress is essentially an upside-down version of Superman’s located in the desert, the opposite environment of the arctic where the Fortress of Solitude resides. On his birthday, however, Bizarro has no friends to visit him - only visions of the heroes laughing at him conjured by Superman villain Mr. Mxyzptlk.
While it is sad to see Bizarro so alone and tortured by Mxyztplk’s illusions, some solace comes at the end when Superman arrives to give Bizarro a real gift. Even so, the story raises an interesting point about Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Despite it’s name and frigid location, Superman’s Fortress is far less cold and solitary than Bizarro’s. The Man of Steel’s base is a place of commemoration for Krypton and various other alien cultures, and while he does use it for privacy, he’s let others come inside many times, whether it be for protection or simply to visit. In contrast, Bizarro’s Fortress of Multitude is an empty place of despair surrounded by a hellish landscape, and Mxyzptlk's tormenting illusions makes it more akin to a prison than a home.
Giving Bizarro his own, reversed version of Superman’s fortress is a neat idea, even if it is incredibly tragic. Who knows - maybe Superman can help Bizarro get rid of Mxyzptlk and remodel the Fortress of Multitude so it can one day live up to its name.