Superboy once ventured into the past and tried to make some changes to history, but found that compensating effects seemed to be at play and history was put back on track.
Have Superman or Supergirl ever tried to change history?
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3@armadillo - Oh, jeepers yes. Bloody loads of times.– ValorumCommented May 31, 2016 at 18:08
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3Are you looking for any particular version (comics/movies/tv shows)? What counts as far as "history"? Superman rewound time a bit in the first Superman movie, but only a short while.– phantom42Commented May 31, 2016 at 18:34
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2I don't think anyone is going to be willing to answer this question, given the complete ease by which image searching will reveal DOZENS of time travel episodes during the Silver Age, where Superman time traveled as easily as he crossed the street.– Thaddeus HowzeCommented May 31, 2016 at 22:41
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2Superman may have been a frequent time traveller, but he doesn't seem to have gone back to change time many times (either he learned his lesson while as Superboy or there are other stories where he's tried to change time) Of the stories that Valorum pointed out, Superman seemed to go back in time to ensure Atlantis is saved but don't recall the Supergirl story (however think I've come across the name Luthor being changed to Thorul in other stories). It isn't too obvious if she's gone back in time to change history somehow (cousin warned her?).– user66716Commented Jun 1, 2016 at 16:20
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2One example I remember was Superboy going back to try to prevent Lincoln's assassination. Who should he encounter but grown-up Lex Luthor, hiding out in the past. Luthor exposes Superboy to a chunk of Red Kryptonite which renders him incapable of motion. Then when Lincoln dies right on schedule, Luthor realizes why Superboy was there and, despite being a villain, feels really bad about it. (Superboy #85. 12-60.)– Emsley WyattCommented Aug 19, 2017 at 4:28
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2 Answers
Certainly Supergirl tried to change history in the Action Comics #289 story "Superman's Super Courtship" by trying to get Superman to marry Helen of Troy. In the same story she contemplates that Cleopatra would be a good match for Superman but decides against interfering.
In Action Comics #274, "Supergirl's Three Time Trips" she appears to become part of history. For example the flag made by Betsy Ross is destroyed before George Washington can receive it and she creates a new flag.
In Superhoy 85 (1960), Superboy decided to go back to 1865 and save Abraham Lincoln, "changing history for the better."
Superboy tracked down a mysterious Mr. L who he figured must be Lincoln (just go with it). Mr. L turned out to be time-traveling Lex Luthor who just chanced to go back to that time and place. Luthor froze Superboy with Kryptonite and monologued so long that the assassination went on as usual.
To his credit, when he realized that Superboy came back to save Lincoln, Luthor burst into tears, proclaiming he was evil but not that evil.
Superboy may not have changed history but he had every intention of doing so.