WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Infinite Frontier: Secret Files #1 by Joshua Williamson, Brandon Thomas, Valentine De Landro, Marissa Louise, Triona Farrell and Tom Napolitano, now available digitally.
The Fortress of Solitude is one of the most important places in Superman’s life. While it’s the last vestige of Superman’s home planet, it’s also a place the Man of Steel can go to get away, relax and recharge. For Calvin Ellis, one of the most prominent Supermen in the multiverse, that peace and quiet is essential and they have the Fortress of Solitude to prove it.
The first chapter of DC’s digital-first series Infinite Frontier: Secret Files gives an insight into Earth-23’s Calvin Ellis, also known as President Superman and the leader of the multiverse’s Justice League — Justice Incarnate. With the responsibilities of being Superman, being president and leading a Justice League that protects the entire multiverse, there isn’t much time in the day for this Superman to rest and recharge. Throughout this chapter of Infinite Frontier: Secret Files, Calvin Ellis is shown trying to beat the clock to carve out as much spare time as he can from his busy schedule. As he manages to get three minutes and 52 seconds all to himself he takes out the key to his continued success — literally.
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
Ellis pulls out a key given to him by the Black Martians that can be used on any door, turning any entranceway into a portal to a space where no sound or thought can penetrate. This space, called “The Margin,” is Calvin Ellis’s equivalent to the Fortress of Solitude. It is used to heal mental trauma, like how Superman uses his regular Fortress of Solitude to recover mentally. The reason why Calvin Ellis’s Superman doesn’t have the same Arctic Escape, or any sort of traditional Fortress, is because he finds that nothing else works for him. It seems that the Superman that goes that extra mile needs a Fortress that goes that extra mile too.
As the leaders of President Superman’s administration debate over what to do about an alien armada at the start of the story, Ellis reveals that he learned another useful trick from the Superman of Earth-24: how to turn off his super-hearing. Ellis does this to momentarily escape from the constant endless responsibilities he faces and the ever-present buzz of noise that accompanies them. He only interjects to tell the assembled politicians and military leaders that they should come up with solutions that don’t involve Superman. It’s clear then that Ellis wants more time to escape from this world with any opportunity he gets, not just by carving out time to spend in “The Margin.”
Another aspect of Ellis’s own version of the Fortress that sets him apart from all other Supermen is where exactly it is. The Margin is a space between dimensions, which essentially removes Ellis from the multiverse in the same way that Clark Kent’s Arctic escape removes him from Earth’s hustle and bustle. This highlights how President Superman is more than just a Superman to Earth-23; he’s a Superman to the multiverse as a whole. The fact then that his Fortress of Solitude is a place between dimensions highlights that the only place he can achieve true peace is a place outside of every universe, not just his own.
It’s a good thing therefore that President Superman isn’t alone in his pursuit of Justice. The Infinite Frontier series by Joshua Williamson and Xermanico launching on June 22 will show Ellis exploring the new ever-growing DC Omniverse alongside Justice Incarnate. And considering the threats in front of him and his team, Calvin Ellis will need to get all the rest he can get.
About The Author