Villain file · 08

Parasite.

One touch, and Superman's powers are his.

The file

The facts, in one place.

The Parasite absorbs life force, powers and memories by touch, including Superman's, and takes on his weaknesses too. The first Parasite, Raymond Maxwell Jensen, appeared in Action Comics #340 (August 1966), created by Jim Shooter. The best-known version, Rudy Jones, first appeared in Firestorm (vol. 2) #58 (April 1987).

First appearance: Action Comics #340, 1966

Through the years

Every era, a new plan.

Silver Age (1956–1970)
Raymond Maxwell Jensen debuts in Action Comics #340 (August 1966), created by Jim Shooter. Al Plastino's co-creator credit is disputed by Shooter.
Post-Crisis (1986–2011)
Rudy Jones, the best-known Parasite, first appears in Firestorm (vol. 2) #58 (April 1987), by John Ostrander and Joe Brozowski, and goes on to plague Superman.
Film and TV
Brion James (Superman: The Animated Series), Brendan Fletcher (Smallville), William Mapother and Anthony Konechny (Supergirl), Rya Kihlstedt as Ally Allston (Superman & Lois) and Brett Dalton (Superman: Man of Tomorrow, 2020).

The full file

The whole story.

Superman can shrug off bullets, bombs and most alien weapons. The Parasite doesn’t need to hurt him. One touch, and Superman’s own powers start flowing into his enemy.

Who is the Parasite?

The Parasite is a villain who absorbs other people’s life force, powers, knowledge and memories by touch. He can also mimic DNA. Against most heroes that’s dangerous; against Superman, whose powers come from stored sunlight in his cells (see Superman’s solar battery), it can turn the fight around.

The Parasite’s first appearance

There have been two main Parasites:

Parasite	First appearance	Creators	Confidence
Raymond Maxwell Jensen	Action Comics #340 (August 1966)	Jim Shooter (Al Plastino’s co-credit is disputed by Shooter)	Confirmed
Rudy Jones	Firestorm (vol. 2) #58 (April 1987)	John Ostrander and Joe Brozowski	Confirmed

Rudy Jones is the version most people mean today.

Powers and a built-in weakness

When the Parasite drains Superman, he gets the bad along with the good: he inherits his victims’ weaknesses, including kryptonite.

How Superman beats him

Our source doesn’t describe one standard way. In one published story, the Parasite dies after unknowingly absorbing the kryptonite poisoning that was affecting Superman. You’ll see “overload him with energy” suggested online, but we haven’t found a source for it, so treat it as a fan theory. For Superman’s other weak spots, see Superman’s weaknesses.

Key stories

There’s no agreed ranking of the best Parasite stories, but these are well reviewed:

Superman #2–3 (2023), by Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell: a Parasite crisis across Metropolis, and a great modern place to start (Likely).
Superman (vol. 3) #23.4 (2013), a Villains Month issue with a tragic origin.
Superman (vol. 2) #157 (2000), in which the Parasite dies of kryptonite poisoning before he can reveal where Lois is.

The Parasite on screen

Brion James voiced him in Superman: The Animated Series and Brett Dalton in the animated Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020). Brendan Fletcher played him in Smallville, William Mapother and Anthony Konechny in Supergirl, and Rya Kihlstedt played Ally Allston, a Parasite, in Superman & Lois. See also Metallo and Superman’s villains.

Questions

Asked and answered.

What does the Parasite do to Superman?

He absorbs Superman's life force, powers, knowledge and memories by touch. The catch is that he also takes on Superman's weaknesses, such as kryptonite.

Who created the Parasite?

Jim Shooter created the first Parasite, Raymond Maxwell Jensen, in Action Comics #340 (August 1966). Al Plastino's co-credit is disputed by Shooter. Rudy Jones was created by John Ostrander and Joe Brozowski in 1987.

Who plays the Parasite?

Brion James voiced him in Superman: The Animated Series, Brendan Fletcher played him in Smallville, and William Mapother and Anthony Konechny played versions in Supergirl. Rya Kihlstedt played a Parasite, Ally Allston, in Superman & Lois.