Super-Chief facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Super-Chief |
|
|---|---|
Jon Standing Bear, the third Super-Chief. Art by Phil Jimenez.
|
|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | (I) All-Star Western #117 (March 1961) (II) The Adventures of Superman Annual #9 (1997) (III) 52 Week 22 (October 2006) (IV) Superman #709 (May 2011) |
| Created by | (I) Gardner Fox (writer) Carmine Infantino (artist) (II) Mike W. Barr (writer) Dale Eaglesham (artist) (III) Geoff Johns (writer) Greg Rucka (writer) Grant Morrison (writer) Mark Waid (writer) Eddy Barrows (artist) (IV) Chris Roberson (writer) Eddy Barrows (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | (I) Flying Stag (II) unrevealed (III) Jon Standing Bear (IV) Saganowahna |
| Team affiliations | Justice League Black Lantern Corps Supermen of America Justice Riders |
| Notable aliases | Saganowahna |
| Abilities | super-strength, super-speed, and extended lifespan |
Super-Chief is the name of several characters in the DC Comics universe. Most of them are superheroes, but one was a supervillain. The first Super-Chief was created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino. He first appeared in a comic book called All-Star Western #117 in March 1961.
Over the years, different versions of Super-Chief have appeared. The second version, who was a villain, showed up in The Adventures of Superman Annual #9 in 1997. The third Super-Chief was introduced in 52 Week 22 in October 2006. The most recent Super-Chief, the fourth one, debuted in Superman #709 in May 2011.
Contents
Who are the Super-Chiefs?
Flying Stag: The First Super-Chief
Flying Stag was a brave warrior from the Wolf Clan in the 1400s. He was the best fighter in his group and wanted to win a contest to become the Supreme Chief of the Iroquois people. Some rivals were jealous of him. They trapped him in a deep pit.
While trapped, Flying Stag prayed to the Great Spirit, known as Manitou. A meteorite then fell from the sky. When Flying Stag wore this special meteorite, he gained amazing powers. He honored Manitou and called himself Saganowhana, which means Super-Chief. He became a hero and married a woman named White Fawn. The magic meteorite also made him live much longer than anyone else he knew.
Flying Stag even jumped through time into the 20th century during a big event called Crisis on Infinite Earths. He teamed up with other heroes from the Old West, like Firebrand and Cyclotron, to help save the world.
The Villainous Super-Chief
In a comic called Adventures of Superman Annual #9 (1997), a young Native American character got hold of the powerful meteorite amulet. He agreed to use the Super-Chief powers for a bad purpose. He tried to force everyone out of a town called Dry Gulch so that a gambling resort could be built there. However, Superman stopped him and defeated this villainous Super-Chief.
Jon Standing Bear: The Third Super-Chief
A new Super-Chief appeared in 52 Week 22. This character was a young Native American man named Jon Standing Bear. He had been a soldier and had also spent time in prison. Jon traveled to the city of Metropolis.
Jon went to the funeral of his father, who had been sick. His father and grandfather were upset with Jon because they felt he had forgotten his family's traditions. Jon's grandfather, who was very old, told Jon he was the last in their family line. He asked Jon to become Super-Chief. Jon then took the meteorite fragment from his grandfather.
Super-Chief joined a new team that Firestorm was trying to create, a new Justice League of America. Their first mission was to fix a problem caused by a bad robot named Skeets. Sadly, Skeets attacked and killed Super-Chief. Jon found himself in another world. There, an older man, who seemed to be the original Flying Stag, took back the amulet. He told Jon that he didn't understand the true cost of magic. Jon then vanished.
Saganowahna: The Super-Chief of Wisconsin
In Superman #709, a new, young Super-Chief was seen helping Superman catch some villains in the desert. Superman called him "Saganowahna." This young man explained that his powers came from a "manitou stone" he wore on his wrist. He said some people thought the stone was from Superman's home planet, Krypton, but Superman wasn't sure about that.
This Super-Chief's powers only last for a certain amount of time each day. Later, it was revealed that his stone was a piece of a Kryptonian sunstone that Superman had spread through time. Saganowahna wears a red jacket with a yellow symbol, a white shirt, black tights, and red boots. He is a Native American man with a mohawk hairstyle. It is suggested he is from Wisconsin, as he invited Superman to visit Green Bay. This new Super-Chief later joined Superman's new team, the Supermen of America.
What are Super-Chief's Powers?
- A special meteorite fragment, worn as a necklace, gives Super-Chief amazing powers. These include super-strength, super-speed, and the ability to fly. However, these powers only last for about one hour at a time.
- Using the meteorite for a long time seems to make its users live much longer than normal.
- The newer Super-Chiefs might have slightly different powers than the first one. For example, some stories mention they have super-senses but not always the ability to fly. The third Super-Chief, Jon Standing Bear, was said to have "the strength of a thousand bears, the speed of a thousand running deer, the keen senses of the wolf nation, and the power in his legs to leap higher than the tallest trees in the forest."
