Simon Pooni is the main protagonist of the comic, Superior.
Biography[]
Simon Pooni is suffering from multiple sclerosis, which has rendered him unable to walk. As such, he can no longer play basketball. This has made him a recurring target of the local bully, Sharpie. His only comfort is a series of superhero films about a superhero called Superior.
Simon and his friend, Chris are discussing Superior when Sharpie and his gang arrive and start harassing them. However, the bullies leave when Simon's mother arrives. While sleeping, he is approached by Ormon, who offers him a proposition. Simon is initially horrified, but Ormon makes him a proposition and turns him into Superior, promising that everything will be explained in a week. Simon is very surprised, but his "disappearance" concerns his parents. As a detective enters his room, Simon panics and flies out, leaving a gaping hole in the roof. He goes to Chris's house and asks for his help. Chris is initially horrified, but Simon eventually calms him down and explains the situation.
They eventually go out to test Simon's new superpowers, but to keep him from being mistaken for Tad Scott (the actor who plays Superior in the movies) and asked for autographs, they have Simon go in a disguise. They start by testing Simon's eyesight by having him read a newspaper from a great distance. During the session, Simon discovers that his hearing has also been enhanced. After that, they test Simon's laser vision on some cans, but Simon accidentally starts up a forest fire. He tries to put it out with his freeze-breath, but blows too hard and destroys some trees, forcing him and Chris to flee.
They try testing Simon's strength on a train car, with Simon pulling the chains. Simon has some difficulty, which is not helped by flashbacks that he has to when his multiple sclerosis was starting. Eventually, however, he manages to get the train to move. The boys then decide to test Simon's flight, but Simon is having trouble concentrating and goes upside-down. He starts flying up, but after a while, he gains control of his powers and starts to fly.
In the sky, however, he notices an American space station that has been destroyed by a meteor shower. Thinking fast, he goes to save the people who are trapped inside. This gets the attention of reporter Maddie Knox, who recounts all his other exploits as he helps people. In glee, he recounts his adventures with Chris and later tells him about how he got his powers. Unbeknownst to the boys, however, Ormon is listening.
The next day, it is revealed that production on the next Superior movie has been suspended until the truth about the real Superior can be found. In horror, Tad Scott, the actor, gets out of town. Meanwhile, Maddie drives her car into the ocean to get Superior's attention, but starts to panic for real until Simon saves her. However, this gives her a chance to give her interview to him. Simon reluctantly plays along, but leaves after it is over.
Simon is watching the news when Chris arrives, having had a brutal run-in with Sharpie. Upon learning what happened, Simon goes to deal with Sharpie personally and takes him to the North Pole, threatening to make him polar bear food if he ever picks on Chris again. After a while, he brings Sharpie back and hangs him up on a flagpole.
Simon talks with Chris about what happened and says that he wants to do far more to help the world. He reveals that he has talked with the president, wishing to work for him. He talks with Barack Obama, offering to help him win the war in Afghanistan. He flies with the soldiers to the Taliban to drive out the soldiers, but he wants to kill no one. During his campaign, he drives Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan. He then continues his heroics around the world.
Afterwards, Simon engages in some of his more personal preferences, such as playing baseball, doing music with his favorite band, and helping the Knicks win agains the Heat. However, his figh five with Chris is seen on the news by his parents. It is seen by Sharpie and his parents, as well, much to Sharpie's jealousy.
Later, he flies to Maddie's place to have some dinner with her, only to find Ormon. He asks if Simon enjoys being Earth's protector or would like to go back to the way life was before. Simon obviously refuses, but Ormon takes his powers away anyway, returning him to his original form. Ormon reveals himself to be a demon and offers to make Simon Superior again if Simon gives him his soul.
After hearing Ormon's backstory, Simon is sent back to Earth. Simon appears just as Maddie has returned from her reservation. Maddie demands to know where Superior is, but Simon explains that he cannot talk about it. Eventually, however, Maddie cooks up a meal for him, during which Simon tells her his story. In the bathroom, Simon weighs his options about whether he should take Ormon's offer or just go back to his old life. As he rants to her about his life and situation, Maddie realizes her place.
Maddie takes Simon to a hospice where she once lived when she had leukemia. She explains that the place is where she found her passion for reading and creative writing. After hearing her story, Simon snaps out of his funk and goes back to his mother. Meanwhile, Maddie makes up a false story about Superior having left Earth to save other worlds.
Simon, his parents, and Chris are watching the news when Sharpie (who has turned into Superior's nemesis, Abraxas) wrecks havoc. Superior sends Simon a message threatening to level the city unless Simon comes to fight him.
Against the request of his father and Chris, Simon goes to the city and turns himself into Superior, much to Ormon's delight. He arrives just in time to save Tad Scott, who has been trying to bluff Sharpie who had been trying to smash him with a bus. He then grabs the bus and slams Sharpie with it, sending him flying into the road. After that, he punches Sharpie and sends him flying into a building. During the distraction, however, Ormon turns himself into the Annihilator.
Ormon precedes to deliver a beating to Simon, but Simon does not want to hurt the innocent civilians, so he dares not fight back. Unphased, Ormon continues his assault and reveals that he and Sharpie are planning to turn the world into a graveyard. He then slams Simon eighty feet below the ground, where Sharpie proceeds to mock Simon about his disease and starts attacking him.
When Simon is still not fighting back, Sharpie threatens to kill Simon's mother right in front of him. This greatly enrages Simon, who proceeds to destroy Sharpie's helmet. Unfortunately, Ormon uses this distraction as an opportunity to kill more civilians. After that, he goes to the power station to trigger a meltdown, but not before he tells Sharpie to level the East Village, to which Sharpie happily agrees.
Sharpie is threatening a lady and her baby when Simon grabs him, flies him to the sky, and punches him, killing him. Afterwards, Simon flies back to Ormon and flies right through his skull, returning him to his monkey form. Ormo still feels triumphant, thinking that he has Simon's soul, but his joy quickly fades when Maddie points out that Superior is immortal and therefore will never lose his soul. After Ormon's fellow demons drag him back to hell, Simon thanks Maddie, turning back to normal after she hugs him.
The epilogue shows Simon to be getting along quite well, even being invited by Maddie to a Pulitzer.
Powers and Abilities[]
As Superior, Simon has access to all of Superior's powers, like heat vision, freeze-breath, and super strength.