Just when you thought you were going to make it out of 2011 without being reminded that Tim Burton very, very nearly made a Superman movie starring Nicolas Cage as a glow-in-the-dark Kryptoborg, YOU WERE WRONG. Just under the wire, more shellshocked designers have released into (world) wild (web) a collection of tie-in action figure concept images that offer a traumatizing glimpse into what was unbelievably close to happening.The images come courtesy of a Facebook fan page dedicated to Man of Steel, the forthcoming Superman film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill. According to the accompanying text, designers at Hasbro Toys Group were tasked with creating all sorts of designs for use not just as action figures but in the film itself.

The designers on the development team at Hasbro Toy Group were responsible for creating designs that could be used in both the movies as well as toys. Working in conjunction with the studios, they developed concepts all the time; Ideas that could be used across both platforms. The team did hundreds of designs for Superman Lives. They also had the design team drawing Supes with cowls, masks, etc.

Among the tidbits leaked to the Facebook page were proposed story and casting points points, like "Woody Harrelson as Jor-El and Supes having a son."

While we know designs like these would have looked abominable on a real human being ("and a hero..."), they're not really so bad as far as funky Superman redesigns go. Indeed, some elements have reappeared in Jim Lee's redesign of Superman for DC Comics' New 52 initiative, particularly the repeated triangle motif and the armor look you can see in some of the designs below.

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