Refresher: Superman in a Nutshell

For those who have watched Superman (2025) and need a refresher on the characters and events.

Key Takeaways

• Clark Kent, aka Superman (David Corenswet), is an extremely powerful alien from Krypton who doubles as a journalist for the Daily Planet while presenting as Clark, and Superman while presenting as a superhero
• After being targeted by billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), Superman inadvertently reveals the location of his secret Kryptonian sanctuary, the Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica
  • Lex’s lackey, the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), who tracked down the location then brings Lex and a team there
• While at the Fortress of Solitude, they capture Superman’s powered foster dog, Krypto, and the Engineer restores a portion of a message sent with Superman when he was spared from Krypton’s destruction by his parents that he had previously been unable to view due to damage, revealing to the world that he was actually sent to rule over Earth
  • Prior to this, Clark believed they had sent him here to do good, based on the first half of the message that was undamaged, and this fueled his choice to become Superman
• Public opinion turns on Superman after the message is revealed, and Superman allows himself to be arrested in hopes that it will lead him to Krypto
• Superman is brought into a pocket dimension created by Lex where Krypto is being held, but is weakened by Rex/Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), who is able to replicate Kryptonite with his elemental abilities
• Meanwhile, Clark’s girlfriend and fellow journalist, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), knows his secret identity as Superman and goes to the Justice Gang, comprised of Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), for assistance
  • Guy and Hawkgirl decline to get involved, but Mister Terrific is able to track Clark’s movement into the portal to the pocket dimension and accompanies Lois there
• While Mister Terrific and Lois break into the pocket dimension, Superman wins Metamorpho to his side by promising to rescue his infant son, Joey, and Metamorpho is able to replicate a yellow sun, restoring Superman’s powers
  • Superman breaks out of the pocket dimension with Metamorpho, Joey, and Krypto, damaging the portal in the process
• Lex’s girlfriend, Eve (Sara Sampaio) – who previously dated Clark’s best friend at the Daily Planet, photographer Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) – sends Jimmy incriminating evidence against Lex
• Lex turns the portal on, knowing that it will cause a dimensional rift that could harm Earth, in an effort to lure Superman back
• Superman, Krypto, and Mister Terrific fight the Engineer and Ultraman, another Lex lackey, while Guy, Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho handle an invasion by foreign country Boravia into Jarhanpur
• Hawkgirl kills the Boravian president Ghurkos (Zlatko Curic), and Superman defeats the Engineer and discovers that Ultraman is a clone of himself made by Lex
• Superman sends Ultraman into a black hole, Lois and Jimmy expose Lex’s true intentions of ruling over half of Jarhanpur, and Mister Terrific repairs the dimensional rift
• Lex is arrested and sent to Belle Reve prison, where supervillains are held
• Clark’s cousin Kara (Milly Alcock), revealed to be Krypto’s true owner, visits the Fortress of Solitude to retrieve him, and goes off to a planet with a red sun

Major Characters

Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman

Clark (David Corenswet) is an alien from Krypton who was sent to Earth as a baby by his parents, Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara (Angela Sarafyan). His Kryptonian name is Kal-El, and while under the Earth’s yellow sun, he has a variety of powerful abilities, including flying, super strength, eye laser beams, x-ray vision, frost breath, and extraordinary durability. He also has a Kyroptionian cousin, Kara, who has a dog named Krypto that Clark is currently watching for her. He was adopted and raised in Kansas by farmers Ma (Neva Howell) and Pa (Pruitt Taylor Vince) Kent. His Kryptonian parents sent a message with him, but it was damaged during transit, so Clark only heard the first half, which indicated they sent Kal-El to Earth to do good. Clark took this message to heart, using his abilities to become Superman, one of the most powerful and popular superheroes on Earth.

As Clark, he also works as a journalist for the Daily Planet, along with fellow journalist and girlfriend Lois Lane, and photographer and best friend Jimmy Olsen. As Superman, he sometimes works with the Justice Gang, a group of superheroes funded by the Lord Corporation, who know his secret identity. He also has a secret sanctuary in Antarctica called the Fortress of Solitude that uses Kryptonian tech and is run by a variety of robots.

Billionaire Lex Luthor has made it his personal mission to bring down Superman, going to great lengths to injure and defame him. Lex locates the Fortress of Solitude and is able to restore the damaged portion of Jor-El and Lara’s message. As it turns out, they did not send Kal-El here to do good after all, but to conquer Earth and rule it as a tyrant. Lex broadcasts this message to the world, turning them against Superman and plaguing Clark with doubts. Lex also captured Krypto while at the Fortress of Solitude, so Superman turns himself in for arrest in hopes of finding him.

Superman is indeed sent to the same place as Krypto, a pocket dimension created by Lex and accessible via portals Lex set up at certain locations. Within the pocket dimension is a high-tech prison, where Lex keeps a variety of superheroes and people who have wronged him. Among the other prisoners are Metamorpho, a metahuman who is able to change his body into different elements, and Metamorpho’s infant son, Joey. Initially, Lex uses Joey as leverage to force Metamorpho to turn his hand into Kryptonite, Superman’s only weakness, to keep Superman in check, but Superman is able to convince Metamorpho to help him in exchange for rescuing Joey. Metamorpho is able to replicate a yellow sun, which restores Superman’s powers, and together they escape with Joey and Krypto.

Lex uses the pocket dimension portal to unleash a dimensional rift in order to lure Superman back, and Superman, Krypto, and Justice Gang member Mister Terrific arrive to stop the rift and fight Lex’s lackeys, the Engineer and Ultraman. Superman is able to defeat the Engineer, but realizes that Ultraman is a clone of himself, fabricated by Lex and given commands Lex has designed specifically to defeat Superman. With Krypto’s help, Superman is able to send Ultraman into a black hole created by the rift, and Mister Terrific closes the rift. Superman then confronts Lex, destroying the headquarters he used to control Ultraman, until Lex is exposed publicly for his contribution to the instigation of a foreign war in an attempt to become a tyrant.

With the threats defeated, Clark shares a tender moment with Lois and chooses to continue the good fight, now honoring his adoptive parents rather than his biological ones.

Lex Luthor

Lex (Nicholas Hoult) is a billionaire who is obsessed with taking down Superman. He has spent years studying Superman and has created a clone of him named Ultraman, who he controls through a series of commands given through a team of lackeys. He also has another more prominent lackey named the Engineer, who is equally distrustful of Superman and more than eager to help Lex fulfill his mission. Lex is also secretly working behind the scenes with Boravian president Ghurkos to invade the country of Jarhanpur, with the intent of splitting the land afterwards between the two of them. Lex kicks his plans into motion, trying to both defeat Superman and conquer Jarhanpur simultaneously. Additionally, Lex has created a pocket dimension that can be accessed via portals placed strategically around the planet, in which he has built a special prison where he sends metahumans and even people who offend him in some way, including many of his ex-girlfriends.

With the aid of the Engineer, Lex breaks into Superman’s Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica and recovers the message sent with Superman by his Kryptonian parents. Until then, part of the message was damaged, but the Engineer is able to restore that portion, revealing that Superman’s parents sent him here to conquer Earth. Lex releases the message to the public, successfully turning their opinion against him, and leading to Superman’s arrest. Lex attempts to pry information from Superman while he is in captivity within the pocket dimension by threatening the people Superman cares about, killing an acquaintance of his in the process. However, Superman is able to escape, along with some of Lex’s other prisoners.

Lex triggers a dimensional rift in hopes of luring Superman back. It works, and Superman gets into a fight with the Engineer and Ultraman, though he is able to defeat both. Meanwhile, Lex’s current girlfriend, Eve, turns on him, fearing captivity in the pocket dimension prison herself, and sends incriminating evidence against him to Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen. As Superman confronts Lex at his headquarters – where his team helps control Ultraman by triggering actions based on Lex’s orders – Jimmy’s evidence is revealed to the world, exposing Lex’s schemes regarding Jarhanpur and leading to Lex’s arrest. Lex is then sent to Belle Reve maximum-security prison in Louisiana.

Mister Terrific

Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) is a super-genius and member of the Justice Gang, along with Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl, and knows of Superman’s secret identity as Clark Kent. He has developed a special technology he calls T-spheres, flying electronic spheres that he can send out for reconnaissance and assistance in battles. When Lex sends a monster to attack the city, the Justice Gang joins forces with Superman to defeat it, and Mister Terrific deals the killing blow. Shortly after, a message from Clark’s Kryptonian parents is released to the public, framing Superman as a tyrannical conqueror, though Mister Terrific believes Clark when he says he hadn’t heard that part of the message yet. Clark then allows himself to be arrested, and Lois goes to the Justice Gang for help. Though Guy and Hawkgirl decline, Mister Terrific tracks Clark to a point where he seemingly disappears off the planet, which intrigues him. Mister Terrific takes Lois to the location, discovering a portal to a pocket dimension. This aggravates Mister Terrific, as he knows such things are extremely volatile and could cause a dimensional rift. Together, Mister Terrific and Lois open the portal and help Superman and a few others escape, but his fears are soon proved true as Lex intentionally unleashes a dimensional rift in order to lure Superman back. While Superman deals with Lex’s minions, Mister Terrific is able to seal the rift, though it doesn’t line everything up perfectly when the city is restored.

Lois Lane

Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) is a journalist for the Daily Planet. She recently started dating Clark Kent and is one of only a handful of people who know he is also Superman. She is still a bit on the fence about the relationship, and starts to pull away. When Superman is arrested after being defamed by Lex Luthor, she goes to the Justice Gang for help. One of the members, Mister Terrific, agrees to assist her and brings her to the place Clark was taken, revealing a portal to a pocket dimension. Together, they are able to open the portal and help Superman and a few others escape. Lois and her coworker Jimmy Olsen are able to get ahold of incriminating photos revealing Lex’s secret plans to conquer the foreign nation of Jarhanpur, so they release an article exposing him and leading to his arrest. Lois admits her love to Clark, and the two rekindle their relationship.

Jimmy Olsen

Jimmy (Skyler Gisondo) is a photographer for the Daily Planet and Clark Kent’s best friend, though he doesn’t know that Clark is secretly Superman. Jimmy tends to draw the attention of women, and at one point dated Eve (Sara Sampaio), though he broke up with her. Eve is now dating Lex Luthor, but she’s still infatuated with Jimmy, though she’s too scared of Lex to leave him. Ultimately siding with Jimmy, she provides him with information and pictures to take Lex down. Jimmy is able to use these to expose Lex’s nefarious plans to the world, leading to his arrest. Eve now believes she and Jimmy are together again, much to Jimmy’s chagrin.

The Engineer

The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria) is Lex’s primary ally in fighting Superman. She has become infused with nanite technology, which allows her to reshape her body however she desires. She tracks Superman back to the Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica and leads Lex and his team there. Once inside, she is able to restore the damaged part of a message sent by Superman’s Kryptonian parents, revealing that they sent him on a mission to conquer Earth. Though this initially leads to Superman’s arrest, he is able to escape, so the Engineer fights him once more, nearly defeating him by sending nanites into his lungs. Superman is able to turn the tide, however, knocking her unconscious.

Guy Gardner/Green Lantern

Guy (Nathan Fillion) is a member of the Green Lantern Corps and a part of the Justice Gang, a name he insists on despite the arguments of his teammates. He knows that Clark Kent is Superman, and is terrible at keeping this secret. He and the Justice Gang help Superman defeat a monster Lex unleashes on the city to cause chaos, but refuses to help rescue Superman after he is arrested due to the reveal of his parents’ message that damages his reputation, fearing the publicity. He does, however, go with Hawkgirl and Metamorpho to stop the Boravian invasion into Jarhanpur, which is Lex’s true agenda. Metamorpho then joins the team, ultimately winning Guy’s approval by complimenting the team’s name.

Hawkgirl

Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) is a metahuman member of the Justice Gang. She can fly via hawk wings and fights with a mace. She and her team help Superman defeat a monster unleashed by Lex, but decline to aid Superman afterwards when he is arrested. Later, she goes with Guy and Metamorpho to Jarhanpur, which is being invaded by Boravia, and kills the Boravian president.

Rex Mason/Metamorpho

Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) is a metahuman who can alter his physiology into various elements. He and his infant son, Joey, were captured by Lex and imprisoned within Lex’s pocket dimension prison. When Superman is arrested and sent there as well, Lex forces Metamorpho to turn his hand into Kryptonite to weaken Superman by threatening Joey. But when Lex heartlessly kills one of Superman’s acquaintances in an attempt to make Superman talk, Metamorpho transforms into a simulation of a yellow sun to restore Superman’s powers, with Superman’s promise to save Joey. Together, they break out of the pocket dimension with Joey. Metamorpho then lends his help to Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl when they protect Jarhanpur from the invading Boravian force. Afterwards, he joins them in their team, the Justice Gang.

Minor Character

Daily Planet Coworkers

At the Daily Planet, Clark, Lois, and Jimmy often interact with three other characters: Perry White (Wendell Pierce), their boss; Cat Grant (Mikaela Hoover), fellow journalist and Lois’s friend; and Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett), a sports journalist.

Ma and Pa Kent

When Clark landed on Earth as a baby, he was taken in by Ma (Neva Howell) and Pa (Pruitt Taylor Vince) Kent, farmers from rural Kansas who raised him to be a good and considerate person.

Gary

Several numbered robots run the Fortress of Solitude and provide Clark aid whenever he requires it. Among these robots, the most prominent is number Four (voiced by Alan Tudik), who renames himself Gary at the end.

Kara

Clark’s cousin, Kara (Milly Alcock) is the only other surviving Kryptonian. She has a dog named Krypto, who Clark watches for her in her absence, and likes to visit planets with red suns in order to get drunk, as Earth’s yellow sun prevents this.

Summary

Clark Kent, aka Superman, is injured for the first time by a mysterious new supervillain named the Hammer of Boravia and goes to the Fortress of Solitude to recover. Once replenished by the healing powers of focused yellow sun energy, he returns to the fight, unaware that his foe is being controlled remotely by Lex Luthor, who has studied Superman’s fighting style for years and developed a series of attacks to use against him. The fight is used to cast Superman’s actions in a questioning light, as he essentially represented America when he attacked the villain to protect the foreign country Jarhanpur from Boravia. Clark’s girlfriend and fellow journalist at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane, points this out to Clark, which upsets him because, in his mind, he was trying to save innocent lives, not make a political statement.

Unbeknownst to him, one of Lex’s allies, the Engineer, followed him to the Fortress of Solitude when he stopped by there, revealing the location to Lex. Lex and the Engineer break into the place, damaging several of the robots who run it, kidnapping Superman’s foster dog Krypto, and hacking the message Clark’s Kryptonian parents included when they sent him to Earth as a baby to spare him from his planet’s imminent destruction. However, the message was damaged in transit, so Clark only ever heard the first half. That part seemed to indicate that they sent Clark to Earth to do good, but the Engineer is able to use her nanites to restore the second half, revealing that they really sent him here to conquer Earth as a tyrant and create harems to replenish the Kryptonian bloodline.

Lex unleashes a monster to attack the city and distract Superman, which also attracts the attention of the Justice Gang, a team of superheroes founded by the Lord Corporation and consisting of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific. Superman wants to relocate the monster to a safer location, either capturing it or killing it in a humane fashion, but the Justice Gang disagrees, attacking with the intent to kill. Mister Terrific is able to defeat the monster by sending his T-spheres, complex devices he uses to fight, into the beast’s belly and exploding them. As soon as that threat is dealt with, however, Lex broadcasts the message from Clark’s parents, causing the public to turn on him.

Realizing that Krypto was also taken when Lex invaded the Fortress of Solitude, Clark willingly turns himself in for arrest in hopes that it will lead him to Krypto. He’s taken to a pocket dimension created by Lex where Krypto is being held, along with many other metahumans and people who have in some way offended Lex, including several of his ex-girlfriends. Lex forces one of the other prisoners, Metamorpho, to weaken Superman by partially transforming into Kryptonite and attempts to pry information from Superman by threatening people he cares about. He shoots a regular man Superman had previously helped, which upsets Metamorpho. When Lex leaves to track down another hostage for further leverage against Superman, Metamorpho agrees to help Superman, under the condition that he rescue Metamorpho’s son, Joey, who is also being held in the pocket dimension as leverage against him. Metamorpho is able to replicate the energy of a yellow sun, restoring Superman’s powers, and the two break out of their cell, then free Joey and Krypto.

Meanwhile, Lois goes to the Justice Gang to request help in saving Clark, but Guy and Hawkgirl refuse, fearing the publicity backlash for aiding a man most people now hate. However, Mister Terrific, who put trackers in Clark, notices that his trail disappeared in a mysterious way, and agrees to assist Lois. They go to the place Clark was taken and find the dimensional portal. Mister Terrific realizes that Lex created a pocket dimension and fears the ramifications, as such a thing is extremely dangerous and could cause a dimensional rift that could destroy the planet. He then hacks into the portal and helps Superman and the others escape. Clark and Lois retreat to Clark’s family home in Kansas to recuperate.

Enraged by Superman’s escape, Lex intentionally triggers the dimensional rift Mister Terrific predicted, causing a schism to spread throughout Metropolis. At the same time, he launches another part of his plan, sending Boravian troops to invade Jarhanpur under the arrangement he’s made with Boravian president Ghurkos. Superman, Krypto, and Mister Terrific go to deal with the dimensional rift, while Guy, Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho handle the Boravian attack. Additionally, Lex’s girlfriend, Eve, who is infatuated with Clark and Lois’s coworker Jimmy Olsen, turns on Lex, sending Jimmy incriminating evidence that proves he has been working with Ghurkos. The team in Boravia successfully protects Jarhanpur, and Hawkgirl kills Ghurkos. Superman defeats the Engineer and Ultraman, who is revealed to be a clone of Superman created by Lex and had also been posing as the Hammer of Boravia. Mister Terrific is also able to seal the rift. Superman confronts Lex at his headquarters as Lois and Jimmy release an article exposing Lex’s schemes, restoring Superman’s reputation and leading to Lex’s arrest. Lex is then sent to Belle Reve maximum-security prison, where supervillains are held in captivity.

In the aftermath, Metamorpho joins the Justice Gang, Clark and Lois confess their love for each other, and Clark resolves his inner turmoil about his parents’ message by choosing to honor his adoptive parents instead. Clark’s cousin, Kara, shows up to retrieve her dog before departing for a planet with a red sun so she can get drunk, which the yellow sun of Earth prevents.

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