From the get go, the new Superman movie establishes that it is set in a world where metahumans have already been around for 300 years.

Therefore, it is no surprise that there are plenty of these super-powered characters in the film.

Much has already been said about the new Superman and his arch-nemesis Lex Luthor, but what about the rest of these metahumans?

From the self-styled “Justice Gang” to the element-shaping Metamorpho and the villainous Engineer, here’s the lowdown on some of these characters.

Guy Gardner

Among all the human Green Lanterns that have been introduced into the DC universe, Guy Gardner has to be the one that stands out the most, mainly because of his abrasive, hot-tempered nature, and his tendency to do what he pleases with no regard for the rules.

Still, while Gardner may not be the most likable hero around, he’s proven over and over again that he is a true Green Lantern, worthy of standing alongside the likes of Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner in the Sector 2814 Hall of Fame.

Co-created by John Broome and Gil Kane and played by Nathan Fillion in Superman, Gardner made his first appearance in 1968’s Green Lantern #59, in which it is shown that when the terminally injured Abin Sur crash landed on Earth, his power ring identified two humans suitable to take over his mantle as Green Lantern – Gardner and Jordan.

The only reason Jordan was chosen was because he was just miles closer to Abin Sur than Gardner!

That wasn’t the only time Gardner missed out on the Power Ring though – in 1971’s Green Lantern #87, Jordan is getting ready to pass the ring to him, but Gardner’s ascension is halted when he is hit by a school bus during a rescue after an earthquake! As a result, John Stewart is chosen as Jordan’s successor instead.

Guy Gardner may be hot-headed and abrasive by nature, but he has a heart of gold. — Photos: DC Comics

His bad luck didn’t end there – when his turn finally came to don the ring (1979’s Green Lantern Vol. 2 #116), a faulty power battery got him transported into the Phantom Zone, and eventually left him with brain damage and in a coma. This experience also drastically altered his personality to the current hot-headed, arrogant version of Gardner.

Gardner’s highest-profile appearance came when he was inducted into the (then) newly formed Justice League International, a stint that is best known for him being knocked out by Batman with one punch.

Despite his intolerable nature, Gardner is a complex character who has earned the respect of the Guardians, and even Superman (Gardner was among the first to fight (and fall) to Doomsday during the Death Of Superman event).

Hawkgirl

While Hawkgirl is one of DC’s earliest super-heroines, the one in Superman (played by Isabela Merced) is actually the third version of the character.

The first one, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created all the way back in 1940’s Flash Comics #1, by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville.

The second Hawkgirl is Shayera Hol, created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Joe Kubert, and first appeared in The Brave And The Bold #34 (March 1961).

The current Hawkgirl, Kendra Saunders, was created by writer David S. Goyer and artist Stephen Sadowski, and first appeared in JSA: Secret Files and Origins #1 (August 1999). She is the granddaughter of the Golden Age Hawkgirl’s cousin, Speed Saunders, and has also made appearances in the live-action DC Arrowverse series The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow.

The Hawkgirl in the movie is actually the third one to bear that name, Kendra Saunders.

While all the Hawkgirls have had almost the same powers and tools (flight, enhanced strength, healing factor, and a nifty Nth metal mace), the origins and past of the hero is quite convoluted, with numerous ret-cons over the years, going from being a reincarnated ancient Egyptian princess, to a warrior from the planet Thanagar.

This was made even more complicated by the Crisis On Infinite Earths event, which drastically changed the entire DC universe back in 1985.

While she is often seen alongside Hawkman, Hawkgirl has since grown into her own over the years, becoming a member of the Birds Of Prey, Justice Society, the Justice League and the Wonders of the World, among other super teams.

Mr Terrific

Though a character called Mister Terrific, real name Terry Sloane, actually made his debut in 1942’s Sensation Comics, it is the second version of the hero, Michael Holt, who makes his big screen debut in Superman, played by Edi Gathegi.

Holt made his first appearance in 1997’s The Spectre #54 (written by John Ostrander and penciled by Tom Mandrake), and is a super-rich, super-athletic, super-smart genius who fights bad guys with his highly advanced “T-Spheres”.

These T-spheres are flying robot spheres that help Holt with all his superheroic needs - from passive functions like communications and reconnaissance, to weaponised ones like electric shocks and explosive charges.

Misterr Terrific fights using high-tech ‘T-Spheres’ which have multiple powerful functions.

Holt’s origin story begins with him growing up in a poor family, and then using his intelligence, athleticism, and a lot of hard work to form one of the world’s leading tech firms, and even finding time to win an Olympic gold medal along the way.

However, when he loses his humanitarian wife to a tragic accident, Holt becomes depressed, until the Spectre tells him about Terry Sloane, the original Mister Terrific. From then onwards, Holt decides to take on Sloane’s mantle, and dedicate his life to following his wife’s footsteps and help people instead.

While he hasn’t been the most high profile of superheroes, Mister Terrific has nevertheless been part of some of DC’s biggest events, and also been a member of the Justice Society.

Metamorpho

Called one of the “world’s strangest superheroes”, Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho, is a shapeshifter who can transmute his body into almost any object that contains natural elements, from common stuff like water and sand, to complex chemical gasses, and even Kryptonite.

Mason made his first appearance in 1965’s The Brave And The Bold #57, was originally a handsome adventurer who was hired to recover an ancient Egyptian artifact.

Metamorpho is one of the most understated heroes in the DC universe.

However, the mission was actually a setup by his employer, who was against Mason marrying his daughter. However, the attempt to eliminate Mason backfired, and the artefact gave him powers instead.

While he doesn’t look like the stereotypical superhero, Metamorpho is nevertheless a selfless hero who has been on several superteams, including the Justice League and the Outsiders, and has even sacrificed his life to save his own teammates several times.

Metamorpho is played by Anthony Carrigan in Superman.

The Engineer

Originally created for highly acclaimed superhero team The Authority, The Engineer in Superman (played by María Gabriela de Faría) is a villain instead.

Created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch in 1999, The Engineer, aka Angela Spica, was a member of the anti-hero superteam The Authority, alongside the likes of Jenny Sparks, Apollo, Midnighter, Swift, the Doctor, and Jack Hawksmoor,

The Engineer was originally a member of The Authority.

In the comics, Spica is actually the second Engineer, and was a scientist who was researching technology that could fuse human beings with machines. The original Engineer (whose real name is unknown) was an expert in nanotechnology, and when Spica decided to replace him as the Engineer, she combined her research with his, and eventually decided to merge her body with nanotech, replacing her own blood with liquid machinery.

This not only gave her a body covered fully in metal, but also gave her the power to create metal tools and weapons.