He is arguably the first major superhero. Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton. As a baby, he was sent to Earth in a spaceship by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton was destroyed in a natural cataclysm.
His ship landed in the American countryside, where he was discovered and adopted by a farming couple. He discovered his various superhuman abilities at a young age, which he now uses for the benefit of humanity. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman in and made his debut in Action Comics 1 , since then he has appeared in many comics, TV shows, and movies and is widely recognized as one of the most iconic heroes of all time, and as the character who defined the superhero genre.
Superman is a Kryptonian, born on the planet Krypton. His parents, Jor-El and Lara were scientists and knew from extensive research that their planet was facing a very imminent destruction. Jor-El had tried many times to convince the bureaucratic Kryptonian Council that they needed to create an escape program, but was continually asked to establish solid proof of his claims before they approved any such expansive programs.
Jor-El's research progressed more and more, but action was put off so often that the planet was reaching its finals days before the Krytonians would do anything. Jor-El finally came to the conclusion that it was too late to do anything and told Lara they would need to resort to their own back-up plan, the safety of their son, Kal-El. Jor-El had prepared an escape rocket for his family, but was kept so busy with his attempts to prove Kyrpton's imminent destruction that he hadn't time to create anything more substantial than his test pod, which would only be big enough for a infant Kryptonian.
Both Jor-El and Lara were in agreement about their son being saved. Lara packed their son with a blanket embroidered with a Kryptonian symbol on it and Jor-El packed a small encyclopedic computer program that would explain to their son who he was and where he came from once he landed.
As Jor-El and Lara had come to expect the planet became unstable to the point that, there was no time left to form a proper escape program and once natural disasters started to plague the planet for its final hours, Jor-El and Lara kissed their son goodbye and launched him into space.
Just moments after Kal-El's rocket escaped Krypton's orbit, the planet blew up. The rocket flew through the universe until its navigation system discovered the nearest planet on its course with a sustainable environment, Earth. Once the base-navigation system locked onto the planet's coordinates and a land mass the rocket's course was left to sheer chance and touched down in a rural part of Kansas called Smallville.
Two farmers, Jonathan and Martha Kent, were driving along when they saw the explosion and immediately went to investigate. Jonathan approached the pod to see what it was and shortly it opened revealing of all things a small child inside.
Jonathan and Martha decided to take young Kal-El in as their own, naming him Clark. The two farmers raised the infant alien as their own son, and taught him strict morals. As he grew, he gradually discovered his powers. Clark was very confused about his budding powers and started to think he was a freak. Confronted with their son's identity issues, the Kents decided it was the right time to tell him about his origins.
The Kents had hidden away the Kryptonian pod that had carried him there, along with the blanket and clothing he had been wrapped in. Once Clark saw the pod, he found the device Jor-El and Lara had packed aboard, the device did a quick scan of him and it confirmed who he was and the program activated explaining the fate of Krypton.
Clark initially was put off by the discovery and ran off to find himself as he came to terms with not only being an alien but finding out he was adopted. Once Clark had come to terms with his origin, he decided to use his abilities for the good of others. Dressing in clothing made from his original Kryptonian clothing and calling himself "Superboy", Clark started fighting petty crime and averting natural disasters in Smallville as his parents did all they could to protect his true identity.
During his teen years, Clark was recruited by the Legion of Superheroes , a group of super-powerful teenagers from the future who had founded a super-team inspired by him, and met Krypto , his family's dog who had been first sent into space by his father in a prototype rocket.
When Clark reached adulthood, he left Smallville to move to the city of Metropolis and get a job as a reporter at the Daily Planet , run by Perry White. As working for White, Clark would befriend cub photographer Jimmy Olsen and started a relationship with fellow reporter Lois Lane.
A few years later, Superman would find out another member of his family, his cousin Kara Zor-El -who would later take up the Supergirl identity- had also survived the destruction of Krypton. Meanwhile, Clark rebranded himself as Superman. Soon enough Superman's exploits became legendary, he became regarded as the world's greatest hero, and eventually founder member of the Justice League. As not just a savior but a celebrity, Superman dedicated himself as a symbol of "Truth and Justice, and the American Way of Life".
Superman is commonly thought of as the purest of all heroes due to his upstanding, highly ethical nature. Righteous, brave, and kind to a fault, he makes a point not to kill, will not resort to violence unless it is truly necessary, and there are only a handful of villains that he actually hates: Lex Luthor, Joker, Mongul, Darkseid, and Brainiac. Not only believing in his ideals, but he also embodies them, and devotes himself to spreading peace and happiness wherever he goes, he is almost universally loved and recognized as the symbol of hope.
As well as charm the heart of his love interest, the cynical city-girl Lois Lane. Furthermore, seeing how lionized his image has become, Superman sometimes worries that he might not be able to fulfill the image the world has of him.
Furthermore, Superman dreads the temptation that his sheer power offers to do whatever he wants, regardless what anyone else things, which drives Superman to defer to local authorities as much as he can. Regardless, Superman is still seen as the pinnacle of heroism and an example for everyone to follow. Kryptonian Physiology : Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Superman possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. Video Games Superman Video Games. Thunderbolt Tomcat Superman Wonder Woman.
Heroes Wiki. Heroes Wiki Explore. Top Content. Bureaucrats Jester of Chaos. Pure Good Terms. Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? Superman DC. View source. According to Jules Feiffer, Shuster "could not draw well, but he drew single-mindedly -- no one could ghost that style.
It was the man. When assistants began 'improving' the appearance of the strip it went downhill. It looked as though it was being drawn in a bank" Feiffer, above. One story in which Superman encountered a fictional cartoonist provided a tongue-in-cheek look at how such work was delegated.
The story, which purported on the title page to tell "how comic strips are written and drawn", showed a studio filled with "artists -- stacks of them -- figure men, background specialists, inkers, letterers" as well as script-writers, all devoted to the production of stories about a Superman-like character, while the original creator of the strip was to Superman's consternation kept busy answering his fan mail "King of the Comic Books", Superman no.
In the early stories, Superman is the only science-fiction element. He is described as the champion of the helpless and the oppressed, and he combats real-world social evils: munitions manufacturers, dangerous conditions in mines and a hit-and-run drunk driver in Superman 1 , rigged prize fights and corrupt businessmen in Superman 2 , child abusers and wife beaters in Superman 3 and crooked cops and politicians in Superman 7. By , more extraordinary antagonists began to appear in the stories, including giants, mad scientists and dinosaurs.
Superman's powers also developed during the s, including vast increases in strength and acquiring the ability to fly — the earliest comics depict Superman able to leap only an eighth of a mile at a time. In Superman Vol. Superman becomes an honorary member of the Justice Society of America, though he only participates in two capers in the original Golden Age stories All-Star Comics 8 and Beginning in the s, Superman's life as a boy is gradually fleshed out.
The first Superboy story appears in More Fun Comics February but the locale is still not clearly specified though it appears to be a Metropolis neighbourhood, and the Kents still do not have names. Superboy is not established as a Smallville resident until Superboy Vol. Other developments in the Superman mythos appear as a result of appearances in other media, including radio and newspaper strips. The Daily Star becomes the Daily Planet — possibly because newspapers called The Daily Star already existed — and Perry White replaces original editor George Taylor in the first episode of the radio serial; an office boy named Jimmy Olsen joins the cast soon afterward.
Silver Age During the s and s, the Superman mythos gradually added familiar elements firmly established by the late s, such as greater emphasis on the science fiction elements of Superman's world, including his Kryptonian origins as well as an updated version of his origins. In the version that became extant by the early s and memorably summarized at the start of each episode of the s Adventures of Superman television series , Superman is born on Krypton as Kal-El, the son of Jor-El a leader-scientist and Lara.
He brings this warning to the Science Council, Krypton's rulers. Jor-El immediately begins work on a rocket that will allow the whole family to escape the coming disaster; however, events move too quickly, and only a small model is completed by the time of the final quakes. Lara stays by her husband's side rather than accompany Kal-El to Earth so that his ship will have a better chance of surviving the trip.
Knowing that Earth 's lower gravity and yellow sun will give the boy extraordinary powers, Jor-El launches Kal-El's rocketship toward Earth moments before Krypton explodes. Kal-El's ship lands in a field near the town of Smallville and is discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent. They name the child Clark after Martha's maiden name. After formally adopting him, the Kents raise him. The Kents discover his amazing powers and train their adopted son to use his powers constructively.
At the age of eight, Clark adopts the superhero identity " Superboy" and fights crime, both in the present and in the far future as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. After his graduation from high school and the death of his adoptive parents, Clark moves to Metropolis to attend Metropolis University.
During his junior year, Clark changes his superhero name to "Superman". After graduating with a degree in journalism, Clark is hired by the Daily Planet. Later in the s, childhood friend Lana Lang joins Clark in his newscasts as co-anchor.
There had been no break in Superman stories between the Golden and Silver Ages; the character had been published in one ongoing story since his debut. A series of stories in the s establish that the Earth-Two Superman had married his version of Lois Lane in the s Action Comics and had become the editor-in-chief of The Daily Star. After acclimating to Earth , Kara becomes the superheroine Power Girl. Kal-L also continues to serve with the revived Justice Society; he is revealed as a founding member of the group in the team's origin story in DC Special During the limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths , the various parallel Earths are combined into one, retroactively eliminating some of Earth-Two's heroes from existence.
Kal-L isn't seen again until the limited series The Kingdom , in which it is revealed that he has found a means of exiting his dimension, but chooses not to do so yet. Just before the character's revamp, the Silver Age Superman was given a sendoff in the two-part story Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Although the new Modern Age version of Superman is said to have already been active for many years, most previous Superman appearances and elements were rendered out of continuity by John Byrne's Man of Steel.
Later stories such as Superman: Birthright bring many of the Silver Age elements back into continuity. In Byrne's re-introductory six issue limited series, Superman, like all post- Crisis Kryptonians, is conceived through in-vitro fertilization on Krypton. While still a fetus, he escapes Krypton's destruction in a spacecraft his "birthing matrix" with a warp engine attached to it , and lands more than 50 years later on Earth , just outside of Smallville, Kansas.
Superman is effectively born on Earth and is as much a son of Earth as of Krypton. As in the original version, the Kents find and adopt him and raise him like a normal human being.
In Byrne's retelling, Clark's powers develop gradually, beginning with his invulnerability, and he doesn't fly until he is a teenager. After leaving Smallville, he travels the world before settling in Metropolis, completing his education, and going to work at the Daily Planet.
Although he spends years helping people and averting disasters in secret during his travels, Clark does not become Superman until just before starting work at the Daily Planet when he prevents an experimental spacecraft from crashing in Metropolis.
The Kents remain alive and continue to be important supporting characters in the franchise to this day. In this version, the Superman costume is designed by the Kents and made by Clark's adoptive mother.
The post- Crisis comics present Clark Kent as the "real" person, with Superman as the secret identity that he uses to prevent his enemies from harming family and friends. People do not suspect that Superman is hiding his real identity because he wears no mask. The concept that Clark is the real man, as well as greater emphasis on his earthly upbringing, is a deliberate reversal of the pre- Crisis version.
Another significant aspect of Superman's reinvention is a reduced level of abilities, with powers such as time travel removed completely and other powers — notably his invulnerability and super-strength — vastly reduced. The series also introduces the idea that Superman's invulnerability stems from his body's creating an "energy field" when exposed to solar radiation from Earth 's yellow sun.
Man of Steel 3 depicts the first meeting between Superman and Batman. Superman attempts to take Batman into custody but realizes that Batman must operate outside the law. Other post- Crisis comics show that the relationship between the two is a trusting one, despite the unease each feels due to the differences in their methods: Superman relies on trust and strength to achieve his goals in cooperation with the law, while Batman operates outside the law, relying on fear and his intellect.
Man of Steel also reduces the emphasis on Superman's Kryptonian heritage. Previous comic books depicted a Superman not only aware of his heritage but also as versed in its language, culture, and other elements.
In Man of Steel 6, Superman first learns of his Kryptonian heritage as an adult when his birthing matrix generates a memory implant. While such Kryptonian technology is able to help bolster his knowledge, the revamped Superman is no longer a completely Kryptonian-educated man.
Both Superman and Doomsday are killed, taking each other down with their final blows. Funeral for a Friend follows The Death of Superman , chronicling Superman's funeral and examines other characters' reactions to the death of the hero. Next, DC published the Reign of the Supermen storyline, during which four different characters — a new Superboy, the cyborg Man of Tomorrow, the brutal Last Son of Krypton and Steel — are introduced as Superman, although none of them actually are.
A de-powered Kal-El later surfaces in a Kryptonian battle-suit near the end of Reign of the Supermen. After Steel and Linda Danvers destroy the battle-suit, Kal-El is revealed as the pilot, wearing a black costume with a silver 'S' shield and long hair.
The cyborg allies with Mongul and destroys Coast City. After the Reign of the Supermen storyline, Lois and Clark are reunited. When they eventually marry in the mids special Superman: The Wedding Album , it coincided with the marriage of the two characters in the television show.
Birthright In , DC published an updated version of Superman's origin in the issue limited series Birthright. Written by Mark Waid, Birthright restores some of the pre- Crisis elements eliminated by John Byrne, including an emphasis on alien heritage. The series was planned as an origin story meant to reconcile material published between Man of Steel and Birthright. It introduces elements from Superman adaptations such as Superman: The Animated Series and the Smallville television series and brings several Silver Age and some Golden Age concepts back into continuity.
Unlike the previous Man of Steel origin, Birthright doesn't eliminate most of the previous Superman stories told, even making references to Man of Steel itself. In Birthright , the "birthing matrix" is replaced by the more well-known rocketship, with Kal-El leaving Krypton as an infant rather than a fetus.
Clark now possesses the ability to see a living being's " aura", Superman's identity has more facets than just Clark vs. Superman, instead his identities represent different aspects of his personality. He often finds himself being the odd man out. Superman is also quiet, but rather than being seemingly harmless like Clark, he is a formidable force, tearing robot assault helicopters from the sky and dropping a drug lord's private yacht into his pool.
Kal-L wants to recreate the universe, which he believes is corrupt, making aspects of Earth-Two predominant, rather than those of Earth-One. He's also giving moviegoers a little history lesson on the fact that he's been arguably this country's most iconic superhero for the past 75 years. Searching for identity is a very human concept, for sure. But what makes Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent the ultimate American hero is that he has reflected our culture and society, ever since his first appearance in DC Comics' Action Comics No.
And his crash-landing in a cornfield as a baby and being raised by two Kansas farmers is, in a way, the story of the American immigrant. Not surprisingly, it was hatched by a pair of men from Cleveland, Joe Schuster and Jerry Siegel, whose parents themselves were immigrants from Europe looking for a new start in North America.
Since they created the Man of Steel in the s, "the core narrative in Superman has been and continues to be the values and belief about the U. When World War II encroached on our shores, though, "America starts getting scared and here comes this giant, almost straight-from-the-flag character who's come to save us.
In the s, Superman went from anti-authority to a sort of "uber-cop," since the postwar era is "where we saw ourselves as the world's peacekeepers," says Waid.
And then the Man of Steel of the '60s and '70s had stories that touched on the counterculture and "young people not really having a good sense of who they were or where they came from or where they were going. When Christopher Reeve flew onto the big screen in 's Superman , he had to save the world and Lois Lane, of course, but Waid also found that he exuded a relaxed attitude.
What threatens him? We're in a post-Watergate, post-Vietnam era, in that brief period in American history where we felt confident and almost complacent in our place in the world.
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