In the pages of the Superman books, a character has been lurking for over 2 years now. “Mr. Oz” is a mysterious character, seen collecting characters, ‘taking them off the board’ across the DC Universe: Tim Drake, Doomsday, and the recently revealed “Fake Clark Kent,” Mr. Mxyzptlk. The character has been popping up since “Superman” #32 in June of 2014, and we still know very little about him. We know that he has knowledge that is far beyond what others can process, we know he wears a hood, and…well, not much else. We’ve put together a reader poll below, to ask who you guys think he is, but let us lay out our options:
#1 – Superboy-Prime
We were so sure that Fake Clark was Superboy-Prime that this feels like a consolation prize, but we’re going with it. Admittedly, we are a little Prime-crazy lately, but that doesn’t change the fact that he sort of makes sense for the reveal: he would have intimate knowledge of the entire DC Universe, as he’s read these comics his whole life. In addition, in “DC Universe: Rebirth” #1, he tells Clark Kent “you’re not what you think you are” – because Prime knows he’s a fictional character.
#2 – Ozymandias
We all know that the DC Universe/”Watchmen” event is coming, and we’ve seen the hints of Dr. Manhattan and the Comedian already show up. Hell, it’s in the name: OZymandias. Sure, we haven’t seen Bubastis walking around yet, but Mr. Oz doesn’t seem too dissimilar to his “Watchmen” namesake – both are power hungry, see the big picture, and don’t mind breaking some eggs to get there.
#3 – Pre-Flashpoint Lex Luthor
There are some images of Mr. Oz that seemingly reveal green eyes – one of Lex Luthor’s primary physical traits. Oz also appears to be bald (maybe? His hood doesn’t reveal much), and so much of this arc is about the pre-and post-Flashpoint Superman and Lois (especially “Superman” #19), that it makes sense to bring the logical third wheel to their story: Lex.
#4 – Nix Uotan
So, at times, Oz’s skin tone has looked pretty white, but at other points, it has looked considerably darker. I don’t know if it has looked as dark as Nix’s, but I think he makes sense for a few reasons. Like Superboy-Prime, Nix is a comics reader, and so would have knowledge about these characters that would seem truly incredible. Plus, he was suspiciously missing from the ‘Multiplicity’ arc in “Superman” recently.
#5 – Pa Kent
This is all Vince Ostrowski, but he’s on to something. In “Superman” #32, Mr. Oz says this: “Clark…you always get up when you get knocked down…I taught you that.” That sounds a hell of a lot like Pa Kent, doesn’t it? Now, why he’s suddenly this immensely powerful man imprisoning heroes, I don’t know. But it’s a fun theory, right?
#6 – DeSaad
True story: when Mr. Oz first showed up, based on his outfit, I thought he was DeSaad. Now, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen him, but he’s no stranger to impersonations. During the New 52, he posed as Michael Holt, aka Mister Terrific, and has popped up in various stories set on Earth-2. His multiversal presence makes him an intriguing possibility.
#7 – Someone brand new
We are all just assuming that the reveal will be someone we know, but what if DC is throwing us a curveball, and this is a brand new character. Remember when, before we knew Pandora’s name (and we at Multiversity were calling her Carol), everyone was trying to figure out who she was? Turns out, she was just Pandora, someone we never heard of before. Could it be the same for Mr. Oz?
Hopefully, one of these choices seems correct to you. Vote for your choice, and let us know you rationale in the comments!
