Match (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
Match is a fictional character in the DC Comics
Universe. He is a clone of Superboy
. Match appeared in the Superboy title, issues of Young Justice
and the Sins of Youth and Joker's Last Laugh crossover
events. Currently, he is a member of the Titans East
, which debuted in Teen Titans #43.
Created using Superboy's DNA, Match was made to serve "the Agenda", a secret organization specializing in creating clone armies. Agent Amanda Spence was able to kidnap Superboy and the Agenda used his DNA to create the clone Match. Match was given implanted memories, like Superboy, but they included a greater host of information that Superboy did not have. He also had improved durability as well as greater control over his powers. In fact, it is believed by some that the host of data he was given helped him hone his powers.
In the resulting battle between the two clones, Superboy managed to come out on top and the reactor holding the Agenda's compound together exploded, destroying the base. Match was left alone and ailing.
Some time later, the Agenda kidnapped Superboy again and took over Project Cadmus
. When the Agenda kidnapped Superboy, Match took his place in Young Justice
. At this time, Project Cadmus
was also infiltrated by several clones loyal to the Agenda. Eventually, Superboy freed himself and joined the fight against Match and the Agenda to free Cadmus.
During Joker's Last Laugh, after being poisoned with Joker venom
, Match returned to infiltrate and terrorize Young Justice disguised to look like Superboy. While Superboy was away, Match was at Young Justice headquarters with Empress
, Secret
, Arrowette
, and Wonder Girl in the hopes of killing them in a comical manner. While the Jokerized Match was unable to keep his plans secret from the girls, they simply believed he was Superboy pretending to be a Jokerized Match to try to lighten the mood after Robin and Impulse both quit earlier that day. Match left however after accidentally making Wonder Girl confess her love for Superboy, causing Match to develop feelings for her as well.
begun forming Titans East, a team created explicitly to take down the Teen Titans. Though he was a powerful physical asset to the team, Match's presence was more of a psychological ploy, due to Superboy's death during the Infinite Crisis
event. Deathstroke counted on Match's resemblance to Superboy, enhanced by changing his costume to match Superboy's last costume, to unbalance Robin, Superboy's best friend and the Titans' leader, and Wonder Girl, Superboy's girlfriend and one of the Titans' most powerful member.
Match's first appearance in Teen Titans #43 shows that both his mind and body have begun to rot away, making him behave more like a normal Bizarro
clone, even going so far as to speak in contradictions. He appears to still have feelings for Wonder Girl, as he claims "I hate Wonder Girl." Following that, in Teen Titans #44, Wonder Girl wakes up in what seems to be a replica of the Fortress of Solitude
in Slade's Titans Tower in New York. She sees what appears to be Superboy on a throne, but it is, in fact, Match, who claims "You so ugly when you sleep, me hate to watch you", continuing to speak in opposite logic as his body and mind deteriorate.
As he attempts to force his feelings on Wonder Girl, Match is unexpectedly attacked by Robin and Batgirl (who was freed from Slade's influence). His body appears less invulnerable than before, as Robin's throwing R's managed to cut into the clone's back. Wonder Girl, still furious at Match's very existence began an all out assault against the clone, only to still end up defeated along with her other teammates by Match and the other Titans East. When Nightwing
, Donna Troy
, Flash
(Bart Allen
) and Beast Boy
arrive with Cyborg, Raven and Duela Dent, the unified Titans battle against the Titans East one last time. Match is defeated when Wonder Girl reflects his heat-vision back at him with her braclets after which Jericho
possesses his unconscious body.
Unfortunately, due to Match's Kryptonian powers, he was proven too dangerous to turn over to conventional authorities. As such, Jericho continued to control Match's body, which proved difficult for him after a point. At one point Match managed to break free of Jericho's control and began destroying Titans Tower. Wonder Girl however manages to sooth him long enough for him to become submissive to Jericho's control again.
Later Jericho, still trapped in Match's body, seemingly escapes from S.T.A.R. Labs in visible distress and asking for his friends' help. The Titans attempt to separate the two, only for Match to break free, with Jericho screaming in panic that he can not control him. When the two are finally separated, however, it is revealed that it was Match who was panicked, and that Jericho, whose mind had been corrupted by the time spent trapped inside Match, was in control of their shared body.
Match is later tracked down and killed by Superboy-Prime
, who then turns his body over to the rogue scientist Doctor Calligan. Calligan dissects Match's body and uses it to reverse engineer three clones of Superboy that resemble the hero when he first appeared, during his time with Young Justice
, and during the brief period when he was brainwashed by Lex Luthor
, respectively. During the ensuing battle, Robin
and Ravager
destroy all three clones by using a Kryptonite
blade.
) that form a shape akin to three circles. Match's look is currently very similar to a Bizarro
clone of Superboy. Like Superboy after his redesign, Match has jeans and black t-shirt. However, the shirt has several tears or holes and the "S" shield is reversed, like Bizarro's. His body exhibits extreme skin calcification
, a trait he shares with Bizarro. Due to genetic damage which accumulated over time, his mental and speech patterns currently resemble those of a Bizarro.
of flight and super-strength, but can also be used to disassemble machinery. Occasionally, he has also displayed the ability to create blasts of energy from his eyes. Although Superboy eventually began to develop real Kryptonian powers from exposure to Earth's yellow sun, it is unclear if Match has developed such powers as well. It appears that Match's cloned body and mind are slowly rotting away over time, leaving the full extent of his current powers questionable. His body appears to be less shielded or invulnerable, as Robin and Batgirl managed to cause him pain by striking him with Robin's throwing R's.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Universe. He is a clone of Superboy
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
. Match appeared in the Superboy title, issues of Young Justice
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
and the Sins of Youth and Joker's Last Laugh crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
events. Currently, he is a member of the Titans East
Titans East
Titans East is the name of several DC Comics teams. The teams appear in the Teen Titans comic books and animated series. The comic book incarnation of Titans East first appeared in the "Titans Tomorrow" storyline, which is set in the future. The first modern incarnation appeared in Teen Titans vol....
, which debuted in Teen Titans #43.
The Agenda
In the resulting battle between the two clones, Superboy managed to come out on top and the reactor holding the Agenda's compound together exploded, destroying the base. Match was left alone and ailing.
Some time later, the Agenda kidnapped Superboy again and took over Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 , and was run by the former Newsboy Legion...
. When the Agenda kidnapped Superboy, Match took his place in Young Justice
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
. At this time, Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 , and was run by the former Newsboy Legion...
was also infiltrated by several clones loyal to the Agenda. Eventually, Superboy freed himself and joined the fight against Match and the Agenda to free Cadmus.
During Joker's Last Laugh, after being poisoned with Joker venom
Joker venom
Joker venom, also called Joker toxin or Smilex, is a fictional toxin, a favorite murder weapon used by The Joker in the Batman franchise of movies, comics, and cartoons...
, Match returned to infiltrate and terrorize Young Justice disguised to look like Superboy. While Superboy was away, Match was at Young Justice headquarters with Empress
Empress (comics)
Empress is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She first appeared in Young Justice #16 .-Fictional character biography:...
, Secret
Secret (comics)
Secret is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Secret first appeared in a one-shot comic, part of the Girlfrenzy fifth week event, by Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck called Young Justice: The Secret, in which Robin, Impulse, and Superboy helped...
, Arrowette
Arrowette
Arrowette is the name of two fictional superheroes in the DC Comics universe. The first character is the mother of the second.-Bonnie King:The first Arrowette is Bonnie King, a would-be sidekick and general nuisance to Green Arrow...
, and Wonder Girl in the hopes of killing them in a comical manner. While the Jokerized Match was unable to keep his plans secret from the girls, they simply believed he was Superboy pretending to be a Jokerized Match to try to lighten the mood after Robin and Impulse both quit earlier that day. Match left however after accidentally making Wonder Girl confess her love for Superboy, causing Match to develop feelings for her as well.
Titans East
The criminal mercenary DeathstrokeDeathstroke
Deathstroke the Terminator , originally simply the Terminator, and known by the Teen Titans as Slade, is a fictional character, a supervillain and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics Universe. He is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2...
begun forming Titans East, a team created explicitly to take down the Teen Titans. Though he was a powerful physical asset to the team, Match's presence was more of a psychological ploy, due to Superboy's death during the Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
event. Deathstroke counted on Match's resemblance to Superboy, enhanced by changing his costume to match Superboy's last costume, to unbalance Robin, Superboy's best friend and the Titans' leader, and Wonder Girl, Superboy's girlfriend and one of the Titans' most powerful member.
Match's first appearance in Teen Titans #43 shows that both his mind and body have begun to rot away, making him behave more like a normal Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
clone, even going so far as to speak in contradictions. He appears to still have feelings for Wonder Girl, as he claims "I hate Wonder Girl." Following that, in Teen Titans #44, Wonder Girl wakes up in what seems to be a replica of the Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
in Slade's Titans Tower in New York. She sees what appears to be Superboy on a throne, but it is, in fact, Match, who claims "You so ugly when you sleep, me hate to watch you", continuing to speak in opposite logic as his body and mind deteriorate.
As he attempts to force his feelings on Wonder Girl, Match is unexpectedly attacked by Robin and Batgirl (who was freed from Slade's influence). His body appears less invulnerable than before, as Robin's throwing R's managed to cut into the clone's back. Wonder Girl, still furious at Match's very existence began an all out assault against the clone, only to still end up defeated along with her other teammates by Match and the other Titans East. When Nightwing
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
, Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
, Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
(Bart Allen
Bart Allen
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen is a superhero in the . Allen first appeared as the superhero Impulse. He would later go on to become the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Allen's first cameo appearance was in The Flash #91, while his first full appearance was in issue #92...
) and Beast Boy
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
arrive with Cyborg, Raven and Duela Dent, the unified Titans battle against the Titans East one last time. Match is defeated when Wonder Girl reflects his heat-vision back at him with her braclets after which Jericho
Jericho (comics)
Jericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics...
possesses his unconscious body.
Unfortunately, due to Match's Kryptonian powers, he was proven too dangerous to turn over to conventional authorities. As such, Jericho continued to control Match's body, which proved difficult for him after a point. At one point Match managed to break free of Jericho's control and began destroying Titans Tower. Wonder Girl however manages to sooth him long enough for him to become submissive to Jericho's control again.
Later Jericho, still trapped in Match's body, seemingly escapes from S.T.A.R. Labs in visible distress and asking for his friends' help. The Titans attempt to separate the two, only for Match to break free, with Jericho screaming in panic that he can not control him. When the two are finally separated, however, it is revealed that it was Match who was panicked, and that Jericho, whose mind had been corrupted by the time spent trapped inside Match, was in control of their shared body.
Match is later tracked down and killed by Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
, who then turns his body over to the rogue scientist Doctor Calligan. Calligan dissects Match's body and uses it to reverse engineer three clones of Superboy that resemble the hero when he first appeared, during his time with Young Justice
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
, and during the brief period when he was brainwashed by Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, respectively. During the ensuing battle, Robin
Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne is a fictional character in the . Damian is the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and thus the grandson of Batman villain Ra's al Ghul....
and Ravager
Rose Wilson
Rose Wilson is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is a member of the Teen Titans and the illegitimate daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator.-Fictional character biography:...
destroy all three clones by using a Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
blade.
Appearance
Originally, Match's physical appearance was practically identical to Superboy's, except for white hair and pale eyes (in comparison to Superboy's black hair and blue eyes) and a "brand" of the Agenda's logo on the left side of his chest. This logo was also on his original costume, two intertwined double helixes (most likely to represent DNADNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
) that form a shape akin to three circles. Match's look is currently very similar to a Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
clone of Superboy. Like Superboy after his redesign, Match has jeans and black t-shirt. However, the shirt has several tears or holes and the "S" shield is reversed, like Bizarro's. His body exhibits extreme skin calcification
Calcification
Calcification is the process in which calcium salts build up in soft tissue, causing it to harden. Calcifications may be classified on whether there is mineral balance or not, and the location of the calcification.-Causes:...
, a trait he shares with Bizarro. Due to genetic damage which accumulated over time, his mental and speech patterns currently resemble those of a Bizarro.
Powers and abilities
Match has exhibited powers similar to Superboy, but supposedly had greater control. These powers include tactile telekinesis which can mimic Superman's powersPowers and abilities of Superman
The powers of DC Comics character Superman have changed a great deal since his introduction in the 1930s. The extent of his powers peaked during the 1970s and 1980s to the point where various writers found it difficult to create suitable challenges for the character...
of flight and super-strength, but can also be used to disassemble machinery. Occasionally, he has also displayed the ability to create blasts of energy from his eyes. Although Superboy eventually began to develop real Kryptonian powers from exposure to Earth's yellow sun, it is unclear if Match has developed such powers as well. It appears that Match's cloned body and mind are slowly rotting away over time, leaving the full extent of his current powers questionable. His body appears to be less shielded or invulnerable, as Robin and Batgirl managed to cause him pain by striking him with Robin's throwing R's.