| Character Name: | Kelex |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Debut: | The Man of Steel #1 |
| Creators: | John Byrne |
| Species: | Robot |
| Supports: | Superman |
| Powers: | Enhanced vision Flight |
Kelex is a fictional robot appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Superman.
Kelex first appeared in The Man of Steel #1 and was created by John Byrne.
Kelex was previously one of Jor-El's robotic servants on the planet Krypton, alongside Kelor. Presumed destroyed along with Jor-El and the rest of Krypton, Kelex later appears alive and becomes the Fortress of Solitude's caretaker.[1] [2] Later, when Superman obtains the Eradicator device, it tries to recreate Krypton on Earth, creating a clone of Kelex in the process.[3]
Kelex is used as a framing device for a tour of a redesigned Fortress of Solitude.[4]
At one point, Lex Luthor destroys Kelex before Superman rebuilds him to battle Brainiac 13, who is vulnerable to Kryptonian technology.[5]
Kelex operates in disguise as the hero 'Steel' for a while.[6] Kelex is featured in an issue of 'Superboy'; he transcribes his impressions of Krypto, who is helping people endangered by an alien invasion.[7]
The fortress was later restored within a Tesseract (an infinite space within a finite containment), and Kelex is once again its caretaker. Natasha Irons reprograms Kelex so that he would speak more in slang, such as calling Superman 'Big Blue'.[8]
That incarnation of the Fortress is destroyed during the "For Tomorrow" storyline. Superman relocates his new portable fortress to South America, but Kelex's fate in the storyline was left unknown at the time.
In Justice League of America (vol. 2), Kelex attempts to destroy humanity by controlling a robot army before being destroyed by Supergirl and Jesse Quick.[9]
Kelex is seen again in "DC Rebirth", once again a loyal assistant in Superman's Fortress of Solitude.[10]
Kelex has enhanced vision and can fly.
Kelex appears in the limited graphic novel series Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator.[11]