Squid Superman

"The Squid Superman"

- bragging about his great strength.

About
The Squid Superman is a mutant Squidman that has appeared as an optional super boss in multiple Alicesoft games.

A squidman blessed with tremendous strength and fighting ability, the Squid Superman has devoted his life to traveling the world to defeat those that carelessly slaughter his brethren. In both of his appearances, he stands out as the single strongest enemy that the player is capable of fighting, with power greater than even other super bosses. No reward is ever given for defeating the Squid Superman, suggesting that the task of facing him is meant to be taken as a final challenge for players who have experienced all that there is to be seen in the game.

The Squid Superman first appeared in Rance VI as the final enemy encountered in the optional "vs. Dark Lord Squad" gauntlet available as part of the game's Madness Mode. Despite appearing identical to an ordinary squidman in both looks and abilities, the Squid Superman is statistically the strongest enemy in the entire game, surpassing the likes of Gunagan, the Hanny King, and the Demon King Gele in raw strength and durability. As the gauntlet is explicitly referred to as being fictional in its title, it is unclear whether the Squid Superman canonically exists within the setting of the Rance Series or if he was merely created for the bonus challenge to serve as a hidden final opponent.

The Squid Superman's most recent appearance to date was in Galzoo Island, where he is found in a back room in the leftmost pathway of Squid Palace, the final area of the game. Compared to his previous appearance, he is given a radically altered design, unique in-battle dialogue, and the ability to use Magical attacks, overall making him completely distinct from other squidmen. While the Squid Superman has the highest attack power of any enemy that can be encountered outside of the game's challenge dungeon, a counterpart of sorts to him known as Tentacles can also be found in the same area boasting the highest defense and magic resistance.

Personality and Appearance
During his appearance in Rance VI, the Squid Superman is physically indistinguishable from an ordinary squidman, and resembles a light purple-colored squid with an elongated set of arms at his sides that function similarly to arms and a pair of human-like legs sprouting from beneath his body.

During his appearance in Galzoo Island, the Squid Superman is portrayed as having large aquamarine-colored hair swept backward into several spikes, along with a more humanoid body shape that visibly separates his head from the rest of his body. He is also given clothes, including a tattered brown mantle, leg wraps, and a golden armlet on worn around his right arm.

Compared to other members of his species, who are generally rather mild-mannered and bumbling, the Squid Superman is a bold and assertive monster that speaks with a youthful, heroic-sounding voice. He has taken it upon himself to act as a symbol of justice for squidmen everywhere, using his superior fighting ability to take revenge against those that wantonly murder his people for the sake of paltry sums of experience points. While his motives are pure, he himself is rather conceited, and never misses an opportunity to brag about his power, particularly in comparison to other squidmen. His luxurious hair in particular is his pride and joy, and he spends two and a half hours of every morning styling it to look just right.

Abilities
Born with a one-of-a-kind mutation that bestows him with incredible power, the Squid Superman is a ludicrously strong monster with physical abilities that far exceed those of nearly all other lifeforms. In both of his appearances, he is depicted as possessing strength that transcends logic and enters into the realm of absurdity, surpassing godlike beings such as Gunagan and the Red Fate for no clear reason other than to provide a grueling challenge for the player.

During his appearance in Galzoo Island, the Squid Superman is shown to be a powerful spellcaster. His most notable ability is a seemingly unique spell that allows him to create a bright yellow blade from pure magical energy, which he is able to rapidly swing at his enemies to devastating effect. Outside of this, he is also able to cast the spell White Destruction Beam, a top-level magical attack that can only be performed by highly skilled mages, further showcasing his talent.

Trivia

 * The Squid Superman's redesign in Galzoo Island is a parody of the titular character of the manga series Locke the Superman.