- "I learned at a very early age, no one was gonna come here to save us. So I became the person they looked to. I transformed this community. I gave my people hope. I made real change. I didn't just put out fires."
- —Bruno Manheim to Superman[src]
Bruno Mannheim is the leader of Intergang, the widower of the late Peia Mannheim and the father of Matteo Mannheim.
Quick Answers
What is Bruno Mannheim's role in the 'Superman and Lois' series?
How did Bruno Mannheim transform his community in Hobbs Bay?
Who are the members of Bruno Mannheim's family?
Biography[]
Early life[]
Bruno Mannheim grew up in Hobbs Bay, a poor Metropolis neighborhood known as "Suicide Slum" which was predominantly inhabited by black people. When he was 14, his mother got sick for seemingly unknown reasons. It was eventually revealed that the neighborhood in which they lived was next to a chemical waste dump. He tried to make the company help her, but they refused. Her death made Bruno realize that nobody was going to save his town, so he decided to be its savior.[1] Mannheim grew up watching men like Lex Luthor and Morgan Edge become billionaires while his community was marginalized, so; when Mannheim got rich, he used his influence to rejuvenate and improve Hobbs Bay, earning the loyalty and respect of it's residents.[2]
Leading Intergang[]
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Bruno with the Intergang.
After Boss Moxie, the original leader of Intergang ordered Peia to kill Bruno for disobeying him, she killed him instead. This would lead to Mannheim taking over from him as leader of Intergang and his death would later be placed on Lex Luthor. Later, Mannheim and Peia married and had a son named Matteo.[3][4]
For unknown reasons, Mannheim sent his wife to kill John Henry Irons on July 7, 2015, and that information would reach the hands of A.R.G.U.S.[5]
At some point, Lois Lane went undercover at a restaurant to; prove that; a connection between a local politician and Bruno Mannheim.[6]
After Peia took Henry Miller's body to Mannheim, he was able to restore the late man's life; with a piece of unidentified equipment.[7]
Confronting Superman[]
Mannheim is visited by Superman in his house.
When Lois Lane and Clark Kent went to Metropolis to interrogate Tara Reagan, the judge who freed Henry Miller, Mannheim sent Elias Orr and his henchmen to intimidate the judge into silence. Superman followed Orr to Mannheim's house and confronted him, but Mannheim denied threatening Reagan or being the leader of Intergang, and claimed that he did more good for his community than the Kryptonian, as Superman only saved people from harm without trying to solve systemic problems. When Superman heard that the judge was about to commit suicide, Mannheim told him not to come back. In the night, Henry Miller died again due to the equipment. Then Peia, who had been sent to Smallville to kill George Dean, showed up and told Manhheim that John Henry Irons was alive.[2]
Meeting John Irons' doppelgänger[]
Mannheim meets the doppelgänger of John Henry Irons.
Two weeks later, Bruno instructs Elias Orr and several unnamed members to intercept the doppelgänger of John Henry Irons after he visits Metropolis to meet with his sister, Darlene Irons, to discuss what happened to his counterpart. Once John was brought back to Mannheim's house, he would try to force him to stop digging into his illegal activities by threatening to kill Darlene using an explosive device that his doppelganger designed.
This attempt would ultimately fail as John would successfully save Darlene and then would fly back to his mansion to kill him; however, Bruno would then reveal that he had several members of Intergang in New Orleans with orders to kill the rest of his counterpart's family members should anything happen to him. Bruno would later be seen looking over Lois Lane's patient registration form to start taking chemotherapy at his medical clinic. Elias would ask whether he wanted Lane to be taken out, with Bruno declining, stating that they need to know what she wants, so he decides to take the matter into his own hands.[4]
Confronted by the Kents[]
Mannheim later sent Peia and the Intergang kill Superman in Metropolis.[8]
Family Dinner[]
John Irons is seized by Intergang.
When Bruno's son, Matteo started dating John Henry Irons' daughter Natalie, Bruno didn't think much of it until he learned who Natalie's father was. After that, Bruno forbid Matteo from seeing Natalie and also convinced his son to help him in his experiments to save his wife's life.
After the cure Bruno made failed to heal Peia, Bruno and Matteo were forced to watch as Superman flew Peia up into the sky right as her powers erupted and she died as a result. Peia's death made Bruno realize what his son needed, and he made John Henry promise to keep Matteo safe, to which John accepted. Bruno also confessed to Peia killing his old boss Moxie which exonerated Lex Luthor.[9]
Peia's demise[]
Stryker's Island[]
Personality[]
Publicly, Bruno is a no-nonsense individual; who maintains a clean and professional image as a wealthy philanthropist, though despite this, he is unable to dispel credible claims from Lois Lane and A.R.G.U.S. about him running Intergang. But he is able to deceive most other individuals including his son, Matteo Mannheim, into believing that. he is not involved in.
Despite Intergang mainly being an illegal weapons distributor, Bruno's main goal has at heart been to improve his community which has suffered for so long, and even more help his family, loving them dearly. To which, he is willing to go any extremes, adapting an "ends justify the means" mentality to succeed in his goals. Bruno harbors a grudge against Superman for failing to save and inspiring "real" change in Hobbs Bay, which was infamously nicknamed Suicide Slums, when he grew up. He views Superman's efforts to save other individuals as "putting out fires". But when Peia overexerted herself and inadvertently placed herself in critical condition, Bruno was willing to put this grudge aside so Superman could take her to a hospital.
Bruno also harbors a much stronger grudge against John Henry Irons. He praised his Earth's John Henry as a genius, but someone who also harbored a clean streak, which led to his death by Peia. Bruno considers Irons as a critical threat to the extent that he claims Irons will bring him down, while he regards Lois and Superman as minor annoyances. But Bruno's fear and hatred of John is primarily something he brought upon himself, by making it personal and threatening John's family. His behavior towards John is irrational, paranoid and hypocritical. When John had arrived unarmed, at the restaurant to make sure his daughter was safe after learning Bruno was Matteo's father, Bruno immediately had his men restrain him and prepared to kill him, despite Peia and John at this point pleading to spare him for Natalie's sake.
When Peia collapsed after assaulting John and Superman, Bruno primarily blamed John for his grief, despite John and Superman not attacking them. He also likely now views Natalie as a threat as she is equally as capable as her father.
Appearances[]
Superman & Lois[]
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
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Comics[]
EARTH-PRIME[]
Behind the scenes[]
- In the main DC comics continuity, Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim is indeed a notorious crime boss and the leader of Intergang, an organization often affiliated with Religion of Crime which worships the teachings of Darkseid. He is also the son of Moxie "Boss" Mannheim, the original leader of Intergang.
- In his first appearance in EARTH-PRIME comics "The Anniversary", Mannheim is depicted as white, like his DC comics counterpart. However, he is African-American in the series.
- Bruno Mannheim served as the main antagonist of Season 3 of Superman & Lois, though Lex Luthor usurped him as the main threat in the season finale.
References[]
- ↑ "Head On"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Uncontrollable Forces"
- ↑ "Forever and Always"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Too Close to Home"
- ↑ "Waiting for Superman"
- ↑ "The Anniversary"
- ↑ "Closer"
- ↑ "Of Sound Mind"
- ↑ "Complications"
| Other versions of Bruno Mannheim (Earth-TUD25) | ||||
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| Earth: Prime • TUD25 | ||||
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| Earth: 1 • 38 | ||||
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