- For other uses, see Superman (disambiguation).
Superman, often nicknamed The Man of Steel, is a fictional character and superhero that first appeared
in Action Comics #1 in 1938
and eventually became the most popular comic book hero of all time.
The character, who was created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, and films. Superman was born Kal-El on
the planet Krypton. He was sent to Earth in a rocket by his
scientist father Jor-El moments before Krypton exploded, and arrived in Kansas, where he was discovered and adopted by a human
couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent. As he grew, he discovered that he possessed superhuman powers. When not fighting the forces of
evil as Superman, he lives disguised as Clark Kent, a mild-mannered reporter
for the Daily Planet. Clark is married to fellow reporter, Lois Lane.
Superman is a loan translation from the German
Übermensch (literally "over-man" or "super-man"), which has a distinct
meaning and a more negative connotation.
Synopsis
Superman's origins, abilities and relationships have changed over time. Editors and writers used the process of retroactive
continuity, or retcon, to adjust to changes in popular culture, eliminate
restrictive segments of the mythos, and permit contemporary storylines. These changes, while significant, permit the retention of
the core elements that make Superman an iconic character.
The modern story of Superman's origin parallels that of other cultural heroes and
religious figures (e.g. Moses, Gilgamesh)
who were spirited away as infants from places where they were in danger.
In the legend extant in the early 1960s (and memorably summarized by the narrator at
the start of each episode of the 1950s Adventures of Superman television
series[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/pac/Superman#fn_narration)), Superman was born on Krypton as
Kal-El, the son of Jor-El, a scientist and leader. When
Kal-El was two or three years old, Jor-El learned that Krypton was doomed to explode and he brought this to the attention of
Krypton's ruling leaders, the Science Council. Disbelieving Jor-El's predictions of doom, they refused to warn their fellow
Kryptonians, and forbade Jor-El to do so. Jor-El promised that neither he nor his wife Lara would leave Krypton,
and decided to use the little time remaining to save his son, Kal-El. Moments before Krypton exploded, they launched Kal-El in a
rocket ship towards Earth, knowing that Earth's lower gravity and yellow sun (versus Krypton's red sun and heavier gravity) would give the boy extraordinary physical
powers.
Kal-El's ship landed in a field near the small town of Smallville, and was
discovered by Jonathan and
Martha Kent. (In the 1950s television
series The Adventures of Superman, the Kents were named Sarah and Eben.) They named him Clark, using Martha Kent's maiden name. After formally adopting him, the Kents raised him on their farm through
his pre-school years. By the time Clark started school, the Kents had sold their farm and moved into Smallville, where they
purchased a general store. During this time, both Clark and the Kents had
discovered Clark's amazing powers, and, with Clark realizing the good he could do with his powers, began training their adopted
son as best they could to use his powers wisely. At the age of eight, Clark adopted the superhero identity of Superboy, and began to fight crime. After he had graduated high school and the Kents had
died, Clark moved to Metropolis to attend Metropolis University. During his
junior year, Clark changed his superhero name from Superboy to Superman. After graduating with a degree in journalism, Clark was
hired by the Daily Planet.
In 1986, after the Crisis on Infinite
Earths miniseries, DC Comics hired writer/artist John Byrne to recreate
the Superman character and retell the Superman mythos, rendering void the previous 48 years' worth of stories and bringing in
various changes to the Superman mythos. In this "post-Crisis" version, starting with the miniseries The Man of Steel, we learn that Superman—like all "post-Crisis"
Kryptonians— was created through in-vitro
fertilization on Krypton. While a fetus, he escaped Krypton's destruction in a spacecraft (his "birthing matrix" with a rocket engine attached),
and landed months later outside of Smallville, by which time he had fully gestated into an infant. Effectively this Superman was
"born" on Earth, and was a "son" of Earth as much as Krypton. He was soon found and adopted by the Kents, and raised like a
normal human. Clark's powers in this retelling developed gradually, beginning with his near-invulnerability, and he didn't fly
until he was a teenager. After leaving Smallville, he traveled the world then settled in Metropolis, attended Metropolis
University, graduated with a degree in journalism, and went to work at the Daily Planet. In the post-Crisis version of his
origin, Clark doesn't become a superhero until after he saves an experimental spacecraft from crashing in Metropolis, just before
he was hired at the Daily Planet; also in this version, the Kents are still alive while Clark is an adult.
In the post-Crisis comics, Clark Kent is considered the real person, and Superman the secret identity that he presents to the world. He adopts the secret identity to prevent his enemies
from harming his family or 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, with greater emphasis on his Earthly upbringing as Clark Kent than his alien heritage as
Kal-El, is a deliberate reversal of the earlier pre-Crisis version. As in the original version, Lois Lane is Clark
Kent/Superman's love interest. In the early 1990s, Lois and Clark fell in love. Clark
soon told her he was Superman, which caused a brief strain in their relationship, but they eventually married, in the
mid-1990s Superman: The Wedding Album.
A 2004 miniseries, Birthright, has introduced further changes to Superman's
origin story, bringing back some of the pre-Crisis elements eliminated by John Byrne and introducing elements of the Smallville television series.
In Metropolis, Superman (as Clark Kent) works as a reporter at the Daily Planet, often called "a great metropolitan
newspaper." Access to the Daily Planet's resources easily allows him to learn of ongoing events where he can be of help. Largely
working on his own, his true identity was easily kept secret. Fellow reporter Lois
Lane became the object of Clark's/Superman's romantic affections, and traditionally, Lois's affection for Superman and her
rejection of Clark's clumsy advances became a recurring theme in Superman comics, television, and movies.
When crises arise, Clark quickly changes into Superman. In the Fleischer-animated series of theatrical cartoons, he often
ducked into a telephone booth to make the transformation. In the comic books he rarely does so, usually favoring the Daily
Planet's storeroom. Clark sometimes has to quickly improvise in order to find a way to change unnoticed. In the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie, Kent, comically unable to use a newer,
open-kiosk pay phone, entered a revolving door and changed clothes while spinning within it at superspeed. Thus made invisible,
he appeared to enter the building as Kent and exit seconds later as Superman.
Superman's abilities
Superman possesses extraordinary powers which render him, in the lead-in to the 1950s
television series, "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". His powers were
relatively limited in the 1940s and '50s stories, but grew to god-like powers by the 1980s. With the 1986 re-creation, his powers
were again somewhat diminished.
His powers include:
- Near-invulnerability. In the 1940s, "nothing less than a bursting artillery shell could break his skin"; by the 1970s he
could fly through a star and shrug off a nuclear blast. In 1986, Superman was somewhat depowered. Still able to withstand
artillery shells, lasers, and even nuclear explosions, he would be killed if he flew into a star. His powers have since
increased, allowing him to fly into the sun unharmed. In addition, his immune system protects him from toxins and diseases.
- Vision-related powers (appeared in the 1950s and 1960s):
- X-ray vision: The ability to see through anything except lead. He can see things behind a wall as if the wall were not there, or can "peel back" layer after layer of matter in
his mind. Opponents sometimes use lead lined constructs in an attempt to hide things from Superman. In one "post-Crisis" story
this trick backfired when Superman simply scanned the field for lead, which instantly stands out as the only opaque substance to
his vision, and found the hidden item easily.
- Telescopic vision: The ability to see very distant objects, without violating
the laws of physics.
- Superman can also see the entire electromagnetic
spectrum, including infrared and ultraviolet, allowing him to see in the dark.
- Microscopic vision: The ability to see extremely small objects and images.
- Heat vision: The ability to apply heat to a target by staring intensely at it with the conscious act of activating his power.
Visually, the power is typically depicted as twin laser beams firing from the eyes. These
beams can be made invisible, allowing Superman to work undetected.
- Voice: Superman is a master ventriloquist; he used this once to
rescue Lois from criminals. He is also a brilliant mimic, able to impersonate human voices or animal sounds.
- Superhearing: The ability to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. The only Earth creature who can detect sounds at the
frequency he can is a dog (70-100,000 kHz).
- The power of flight, by force of will, which also allows him to maneuver precisely
in any direction, as well as hover. Originally, Superman could jump 1/8 mile, and only acquired the ability to fly in the later
1940s, when the first Superman serials were being
filmed and super-jumping proved to not look very impressive on film.
- Superbreath: The ability to create hurricane force winds by blowing, and to
chill his breath to freeze a target.
- Superspeed: The ability to move at an incredible speed, like The Flash. This
includes running, but flying is less strenuous and more versatile. The original Superman ran a mere 30 miles per hour, but became
much faster in the 1950s.
- Superstrength: The exact magnitude of Superman's strength is unknown, it is generally accepted that his strength easily
surpasses the capacity to lift 100 tons, but how much more is not known exactly. This is because Superman's strength, like his
other powers, has fluctuated over time, with the Man of Steel being at times able to shift a planet from its orbit. As noted
below, one figure for Superman's strength is 250,000 tons.
From the 1940s through the early 1980s,
Superman's powers were unlimited: he could travel millions of light-years in brief periods of time; he could dive into stars
unharmed; he could travel through time by moving at speeds faster than light;
and he could move planets and lift any weight. He could even vibrate his body so fast, the vibrations rendered him "invisible" to
the human eye.
When Superman was revamped in 1986, he became more vulnerable and was no longer omnipotent. As in the original series, writers again gradually increased his powers.
Since "coming back to life" during The Death of
Superman story arc, Superman can once again survive nuclear blasts, though they leave him wounded and weakened, and he
can no longer fly faster than the speed of light. His strength too has
increased. He can move mountains again, but can no longer travel through time under his own power.
Vital statistics
- Maximum Bench Press: 250,000 tons
- Maximum Speed: 60,000 mph (flight – atmosphere), 300,000,000 mph (flight – space, about half the speed of light),
30,000 mph (running)
How it works
Superman's powers derive from his Kryptonian biology and Earth's sun (a yellow
star), and are likely increased by Earth's lesser gravity.
Kryptonian mitochondria absorb certain wavelengths of the radiation emitted by solar fusion. Under a red sun, this
yields increased abilities, which are multiplied a thousand-fold by a yellow sun. The solar energy supplements respiration, such that when cellular materials (perhaps Kryptonian
ATP) combine with glucose, they produce abilities beyond those of humans under a yellow sun.
"K-ATP" is produced rapidly, enabling a Kryptonian to build up reserves that permit days of super-powered activity in the
absence of sunlight. In addition, Krypton's gravity is 50-100 times stronger than Earth's, so Kryptonian cells are also much
stronger and denser than a human's.
Under a yellow sun, other factors contribute to invulnerability. First, cell membranes and organelles become more resistant to harm;
secondly, a bioelectric field surrounds the cells, making them thousands of times tougher. This "aura" surrounds Superman's
epidermis and teeth, and possibly his nails as well. His hair
is invulnerable, too. Superman has been shown shaving and presumably cutting his hair using a piece of curved, reflective metal
from the rocket in which he landed and his heat vision. When his cells become "supercharged" under a yellow sun, a Kryptonian
becomes super-powered. He is invulnerable to forces under 1 kt., and is harmed only by repeated blows of over 1 mt. His brain and
nervous system keep up with his enhanced speed, as they too are
amplified by K-ATP.
Superman's other senses are less linked to solar energy than his strength and speed. Due to Krypton's thinner air, he can hear
things no human can. Solar energy magnifies its accuracy, allowing him to fine-tune it. His taste, smell, and touch are equally
acute. He sees all wavelengths, from radio to X-rays, allowing him to detect thermal trails and other "invisible" things.
Superman's cells store vast amounts of yellow solar energy. He replenishes his supply even on cloudy days, and weakens only
after a week without sunlight. Near a red sun, his powers would fail faster. Red solar radiation creates a chemical which does
not lead to the super energy produced by K-ATP. Kryptonite exposure also stops the process that converts yellow sunlight into
superpowers, leaving Superman immediately weakened. His powers return quickly once the kryptonite is removed. He seems to be
building up immunity to kryptonite, and it is possible that its effect is in part psychological.
Earlier in his life, as in his battle with Doomsday,
Superman's solar energy supply was depleted by exertion. More recent exertions caused less of a power drain, suggesting that he
is now either storing more energy, or growing stronger under the yellow sun. It is unknown whether higher energy stars might
increase his powers even more.
Weaknesses
There are some things Superman cannot do. Since he is not human, he cannot donate blood, tissue, or organs. Procedures like surgery are impossible without
special equipment. He does not sweat under earthly conditions, as no temperatures are high enough to make him secrete liquid to
cool himself down. Like humans, he needs food and water to survive. While writers have finally allowed Clark to marry Lois, they
have generally steered clear of addressing the issue of whether Superman can father a child. On the TV series Lois and
Clark, the pair adopted a child who like Clark came from mysterious origins. This issue is further explored in the movie
Mallrats.
As a Kryptonian, he has one specific area of vulnerability. Since Krypton was destroyed, its remains (rendered radioactive by
the explosion) have been spreading throughout the universe as kryptonite, a
crystalline substance which has several variants:
- Green kryptonite is fatal to Kryptonians exposed to it for a sufficient period of time.
- Red kryptonite has unpredictable effects on Kryptonians' physical or mental states, such as splitting Superman in two,
inducing amnesia, etc. The effects wear off in 24-48 hours, after which a Kryptonian becomes immune to that particular piece. On
the TV show Smallville, red kryptonite causes the repressed, more violent and less conscientious part of his personality
to gain control; on Lois and Clark, red kryptonite induced a sense of apathy.
- Gold kryptonite permanently removes a Kryptonian's superpowers.
- Blue kryptonite affects only Bizarros, in the same way that green kryptonite affects Kryptonians.
- White kryptonite affects (and kills) only plant life.
Other variants were introduced sporadically, but after the 1986 Byrne reboot, all versions except for green were retconned out of
existence. Since that time, an updated version of red kryptonite was reintroduced into the comics.
Kryptonite was invented specifically for the Superman radio serial in order to permit Bud Collyer, the actor who played Superman, to take a vacation, thus allowing another actor to portray a
raspy-voiced Superman under the effects of kryptonite poisoning.
Kryptonians are also vulnerable to magic, including wizards, magic-based monsters, or an ordinary person with a magic object.
(In DC Comics, "magic" is a type of energy that can be harnessed and controlled, as
opposed to the more familiar meaning.)
Equipment
Given his abilities, personal equipment plays less of a role for Superman than for other superheroes.
The Fortress of Solitude, in the Arctic in the Pre-Crisis version and in Antarctica
Post-Crisis, acts as Superman's getaway, although it has communications equipment for urgent messages. Originally the Fortress
included laboratories, a private zoo of alien animals, a room for communication with the Phantom Zone with a projector to place or remove people from it, a Krypton Memorial, a trophy room, and a gym
with custom exercise equipment. It also had tribute rooms to personal friends like Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Batman, and Clark Kent (to throw off suspicion) where Superman prepared special gifts in the event of his death.
Most importantly, the Fortress was where Superman stored the bottle city of Kandor,
a Kryptonian city shrunken and stolen by Brainiac prior to
the planet's destruction. For years, he worked to reverse the city's condition, while also enjoying the opportunity to visit a
native community where he was an honoured guest. The Post-Crisis version was created by the Kryptonian artifact, the Eradicator,
when Superman tried to dispose of it in Antarctica. The device created the Fortress which contains much of Krypton's technology,
including artificially intelligent robots. Superman and fellow superhero Steel encased the Fortress in a tesseract, permitting the Man of Steel to carry the Fortress wherever he travels.
The early Superman had androids that could impersonate himself and his companions.
He largely abandoned them when pollution began to interfere with their functions.
For situations involving kryptonite, Superman had a collection of lead lined suits for protection. If his powers were disabled
or he needed stronger protection, he had his Supermobile, which could fly anywhere and use its powerful waldo arms to handle outside objects. The Post-Crisis Superman has access to various equipment, weapons, and
vehicles of Kryptonian design, including a large fighting mecha called a battlesuit.
Superman's costume was made from blankets from his rocketship, and shared his resistance to damage in a yellow sun
environment. His armour-like costume could also protect others. While carrying passengers in flight, he wrapped them in his cape
to protect them from air friction. In the original version, Clark's spectacle lenses were made from two small pieces from his
spaceship. Since they were of Kryptonian origin, Clark could fire his heat vision through them without melting them. The
post-Crisis Clark has to lift his glasses off his eyes when he uses his heat vision. Superman sometimes carries spare change in
his belt buckle. When he had Kandor in his possession, these improvisations were supplemented by the products of the professional
tailors and lenscrafters available in the bottle city.
Personality and character
Originally, Superman's personality could be rough and destructive. In one early story in which the government would not help
maintain low income areas unless a disaster occurred, Superman went on a rampage and created one. As superhero stories became
more oriented toward young readers, the writers moved toward his better known "boy
scout" persona.
Despite the emphasis on Superman having powers "far beyond those of mortal men," his name referred also to his goodness. While
Jor-El sent Kal-El to Earth because he was convinced the human race had the capacity to be great and good if they wished to be,
it is clear that Kal-El chose to become Superman and a force for good.
Superman has been willing to lay down his life or sacrifice his powers for good. He rescues cats from trees and participates
in community fund-raisers. He often acts behind the scenes and lets others receive the credit. His modesty and humility catches his foes and critics off-guard, as they
do not understand why he spends his life helping others and doing good.
Recent writers have attempted to deepen Superman's persona and provide a rationale
for his goodness. They reveal his self-doubts, and his fear that he might abuse his powers and become a monster, subject to no
one. He therefore makes it a point of submitting to authority, helping him to feel a restraint on his actions. In an
extraordinary show of trust and mutual respect, Superman has given Batman a ring of green kryptonite, so that if he ever lost his
reason, posing a danger to himself or to humans, Batman could use the ring to defeat him.
In addition to getting rapid access to breaking news, a further motivation for Superman's becoming a reporter is that his
physical abilities give him no unfair advantage in a field where the critical skills are intellectual in nature (although he is
known for being a fast typist). He has also written fiction in his spare time, including two published books, "The Janus
Contract" and "Under a Yellow Sun".
Superman's lily-white persona has been mocked, ridiculed, and spoofed, especially in recent comic book history, when "grim and
gritty" comics dominated the market. Superman may seem old-fashioned and even quaint compared to the "dark avengers" who command
the lion's share of the market, but his appeal lives on, and he continues to be a driving force in the medium after more than
sixty years.
History
Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster not as a hero, but as a villain. Their short story "The Reign Of The Superman" concerned a
bald-headed villain bent on dominating the world. The story did not sell, forcing the two to reposition their character on the
right side of the law. In 1935, their Superman story was again rejected, but DC
Comics printed another of their creations, Dr. Occult, who made his
first appearance in New Fun Comics #6, October 1935.
The revised Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1,
June 1938. Siegel and Shuster sold the rights to the
company for $130. DC copied the character without remuneration to the creators, while suing other companies for copying it. The
Saturday Evening Post reported in 1941 that the
pair was being paid $75,000 each per year, still a fraction of DC's Superman profits. In 1946, when Siegel and Shuster sued for
more money, DC fired them, prompting a legal battle that ended in 1948, when they accepted $200,000 and signed away any further
claim to Superman or any character created from him. DC soon took Siegel's and Shuster's names off the byline.
During a multimedia career spanning over sixty years, Superman has starred in every imaginable situation, throughout the
universe, and in many eras of history. Facing a myriad of perils, his powers have increased to the point that he is nearly
omnipotent. This poses a challenge for writers: "How does one write about a character who is nearly as powerful as God?" (Superman's Kryptonian name, Kal-El, resembles the Hebrew words for "all that God is") This
problem contributed to a decline in Superman's popularity, especially during the 1960s
and 1970s, when Marvel Comics
brought a new level of character development to mainstream comic books. By the early 1980s, DC Comics had decided that a major change was needed to make Superman more appealing to current audiences.
Writer-artist John Byrne joined Superman and re-started with his The_Man_of_Steel retelling of his origin. This 1986 reboot brought substantial changes to the character and met huge
success at the time, being one of the top-selling books. The re-launch of Superman comic books returned the character to
the mainstream, again in the forefront of DC's titles.
Some fans debated whether the more drastic changes were necessary, and some of the more traditional historical elements Byrne
removed from the backstory were later restored. Byrne himself quit the books after a few years because he felt DC was not
supporting the changes he made. But Byrne's changes became the template for Superman's origin and characterization for almost two
decades. Most notably, his alterations to Lex Luthor, altering him from a scientific oriented villain to a businessman remain to
this day.
Two alterations have had long-term effects. In the epic The Death of Superman storyline, the hero apparently died at the hands of supervillain Doomsday. He returned from the dead to defeat Doomsday, though his
"death" gave rise to a number of new characters and storylines. In 1995, Superman (or
rather, Clark Kent) finally married Lois Lane, and the two have had a happy
marriage... so far. Future editorial changes to the series may reverse some or all of these changes.
In 2003, DC Comics released a 12-issue maxiseries titled Superman: Birthright, written by Mark Waid and penciled by Lenil Francis Yu; this was made into a retcon of Superman's post-crisis origin, replacing Byrne's version, but yet using many elements from that version,
along with elements that subtly tie into the Smallville television show.
Other characters
Familiar supporting characters in the Superman mythos include:
- Lois Lane: Superman's love interest, who is often portrayed as
indifferent to Clark, but in love with Superman. Actresses portraying Lois have included Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Margot Kidder, Teri
Hatcher, and Erica Durance.
- Jimmy Olsen: Daily Planet photographer who often works with Lois
and Clark, and has become a good friend to both. Jimmy is also known to have associated with Superman, earning him the nickname
"Superman's Pal."
- Perry White: Editor of the Daily Planet.
- Lana Lang: Pre-Crisis, a television reporter who grew up in Smallville
and shared Lois Lane's sometime obsession with trying to expose Clark Kent as Superman. Post-Crisis, Lana is aware of Clark's
identity as Superman and has protected his secret.
- Pete Ross: Clark Kent's childhood friend from Smallville; pre-Crisis,
Pete secretly discovered Clark was Superboy, but kept the knowledge to himself. Post-Crisis, this didn't occur; instead, he
married Lana Lang, with whom he had a son named Clark. Lana and Pete later divorced.
- Jonathan and
Martha Kent: Superman's foster parents who adopted and raised him
after he landed on Earth. Often referred to as Ma and Pa Kent. In the current version, they still live in
Smallville and Clark visits them regularly and turns to them regularly in times he needs emotional support or advice.
- Supergirl: Pre-Crisis, Superman's cousin from Krypton. Post-Crisis,
several newer unrelated versions of Supergirl have been introduced. In recent issues of Superman/Batman, a new "Supergirl
from Krypton" (looking very much like the original) arrived on Earth.
- Krypto: In the pre-Crisis mythos, Krypto was the El family pet dog, who was
sent into space in a malfunctioning test rocket of Jor-El's, and eventually drifted to Earth, where he was found by Superboy and
gained superpowers. Post-Crisis, a newer version of Krypto was recently reintroduced.
Superman also has a rogues gallery of supervillain enemies, including:
- Lex Luthor: Superman's most well-known enemy. Pre-Crisis,
arch-villain Lex Luthor was a friend of Clark from Smallville who became a criminal scientist with an all-consuming vendetta against Superman. Post-Crisis, the two first met as adults
(though this has apparently reverted back to the pre-Crisis version with Birthright), with Luthor the corrupt head of a
mega corporation. He was later elected President of the United States; he was removed from this position when his evil nature
became exposed to the American public.
- Darkseid: A cruel and merciless alien who rules the planet Apokolips and only deals with Superman when it benefits his own agenda.
- Bizarro: A grotesquely flawed duplicate of Superman who clumsily tries to
emulate the original and causes a great deal of damage in the process.
- Metallo: A criminal cyborg who
prefers using kryptonite as a power source, which makes him a deadly threat to Superman.
- Mr. Mxyzptlk: A being from the fifth dimension with magical
powers who delights in tormenting Superman and traditionally could only be made to return to his native dimension by being made
to say or spell his own name backwards.
- Brainiac: The pre-Crisis version is an alien
android bent on conquest and Superman's death. The post-Crisis version is an alien
entity who is an organic being, later converted into a robotic one, with similar ambitions.
- Phantom Zone Prisoners: Pre-Crisis, these prisoners are
Kryptonian criminals who hate Superman, as the son of their prison's creator, and become extremely destructive when they escape
into Earth's yellow sun environment. Their leader is General Zod.
- Parasite: A superpowered man who can absorb the
powers, strength, and memories of any organic being, and wants Superman's power for himself.
- Intergang: A nationwide organized crime syndicate armed with weapons supplied in part by Darkseid.
- Doomsday: A mindless, impossibly powerful, raging
monster that "killed" Superman during the Death of Superman storyline.
- Imperiex: An all-powerful force of nature whose purpose is destroying
galaxies. Eventually, Superman, the superhero Steel, and Darkseid stopped Imperiex by using Doomsday as an ally, along with a
powerful weapon called the Entropy Aegis.
In Metropolis, Superman enjoys a close relationship with the police department. This especially applies to the Special Crimes
Unit (SCU), a police unit that deals with superpowered threats, led by Captain Margaret Sawyer, one of the few openly gay characters in superhero comics today.
There have been a number of characters called Superboy. The original Superboy,
introduced in 1944's More Fun Comics #101, represented "the adventures of Superman
when he was a boy." This Superboy is no longer in publication, as post-Crisis continuity deemed that Clark Kent did not become a
superhero until he reached adulthood. A new Superboy character who is a clone of Superman
was created in the early 1990s; adventures featuring this character continue to be
published.
Pre-Crisis, Superman's foster parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, died in the summer after his high school graduation;
post-Crisis, the Kents are alive and well and are regularly visited by Clark, who relies on them for advice in difficult
times.
Comics that regularly feature Superman
Current comics starring Superman:
Current comics in which Superman does not star, but appears regularly:
Additional reading
- Last Son of Krypton - a novel by Elliot S! Maggin: Superman's "life story" is told and he faces a
mysterious alien ruler.
- Miracle Monday - a novel by Elliot S! Maggin: tells the
story of Superman trying to stop an entity of pure evil from causing universal chaos.
- "For the Man Who Has Everything" - written by Alan Moore, illustrated by
Dave Gibbons: Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman journey to
Superman's Fortress of Solitude to celebrate his birthday
only to find their friend rendered comatose by the evil alien Mongul by an alien parasite that grants its host the illusion of
their heart's desire. This story was originally published in Superman Annual #11 and recently adapted for the animated
series Justice League Unlimited by J.M. DeMatteis. Reprinted in Across the Universe: The DC Universe Stories of
Alan Moore (ISBN 1401200877)
- The Dark Knight Returns - written and
illustrated by Frank Miller: Futuristic Batman story that features Superman
in a very important role and highlights the ideological differences between the two superheroes.
- Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? - written by Alan Moore,
illustrated by Curt Swan and George Pérez: The final chapter on the pre-Crisis Silver/Bronze Age Superman. Originally published in
Superman #423 and Action Comics #583.
- The Man of Steel - written and illustrated by John Byrne: The revamp of Superman's origins following the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- The Death of Superman, World Without a
Superman, and The Return of Superman - written by various artists, notably Dan Jurgens: the story of Superman's death, the world's (and his loved ones') reaction, and his eventual
return. A novelization of the trilogy, entitled The Death and Life of Superman, was written by Roger Stern.
- Kingdom Come - written by Mark Waid, illustrated by Alex Ross: A
painted epic, in which Superman has temporarily retired, giving way to a new breed of reckless, morally ambiguous superheroes.
The story was novelized by Elliot S! Maggin.
- Superman For All Seasons - written by
Jeph Loeb, illustrated by Tim Sale,
lettered by Bjarne Hansen: Superman as a young man in a timeless, Rockwellian America, from confused lad to superpowered
metropolite.
- Superman: Red Son - written by Mark Millar, illustrated by Dave Johnson: Elseworlds story asks "What if Superman had been raised in the Soviet Union?" Superman now stands for workers' rights and the struggle for global equality, and sets out to
promote world communism.
- Superman:
Birthright - a twelve issue maxi-series written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Leinil F. Yu: A "re-imagining" of
Superman which brings back some old, pre-Crisis concepts and adds new modern ones.
Adaptations in other media
The Superman character has made the transition to radio, television, and movies, each on multiple occasions. Among the actors
who have played the role are George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, and Dean
Cain.
- 1940s: Superman
radio series, starring Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander
- 1940s: Two Superman serials starring Kirk Alyn and Noel
Neill: Superman and Atom Man vs. Superman
- 1951: "Superman And The Mole Men", feature film, and The Adventures of Superman TV series, both starring George Reeves
- 1966: "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman", a Broadway musical; lyrics by Lee Adams, music by Charles Strouse
- 1975: "It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman", TV special
- 1978 Superman: The
Movie, starring Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Christopher Reeve
- 1980s: Superman films: Superman II, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace,
starring Christopher Reeve
- 1985: Supergirl spin-off movie,
starring Helen Slater
- 1988: Superman's 50th Birthday, TV Special
- Early 1990s: Superboy television
series, starring John
Haymes Newton (1988-1989) and Gerard Christopher
(1989-1992)
- Mid-1990s: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman television series,
starring Dean Cain and Teri
Hatcher
- 2000s: Smallville television series, starring Tom
Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, and Kristin Kreuk, which places Smallville in Kansas
- 2006: Superman
Returns, to be directed by Bryan Singer
There have also been numerous animated cartoon series starring the Man of
Steel:
Cultural influences
Both Superman's name and the premise of his character owe a debt to the concept of the Übermensch, developed by the 19th century philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche, and elaborated upon by George Bernard Shaw. Additionally, Superman is believed to have been
inspired in part by Philip Wylie's 1930 science fiction novel Gladiator, about a man whose superhuman strength inspires him to help
the human race, but who is instead spurned by humanity precisely because of his power. Other sources cited as inspirations
include Doc Savage and The
Shadow. Superman is a staple of American pop culture.
DC Comics has copyrighted variations on the "super" theme, such as "superdog"
and "supergal", to circumvent parody or product confusion. Nevertheless, a great many imitations and parodies of Superman have
appeared over the years. One of the first Superman imitations, Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel, sparked legal action because of its similarities to Superman. Well-known
spoofs of Superman include Mighty Mouse, Underdog, and Super Goof.
In the 1990s, comic book artist and writer Rob Liefeld created a Superman pastiche and starred him in his
own comic book series, Supreme. The
series, published by Liefeld's Awesome Comics, sold moderately well at first, but sales dwindled until the series was taken over with issue
#41 by writer Alan Moore. Moore produced 22 issues of Supreme that paid
homage to the classic "Silver Age" Superman.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld expressed his fandom of Superman in several
ways. On the Seinfeld TV show, a Superman statue sat on the stereo in Jerry's
livingroom, and a Superman refrigerator magnet was always visible in his kitchen. Jerry affectionately addressed some of his
girlfriends as "Lois Lane". In 1998, an American Express commercial featured real-life Jerry Seinfeld and an animated Superman as buddies holding
a running conversation around New York City.
One of the few Superman-like characters that DC comics allowed to stand without litigation is Hyperion, from Marvel Comics's superhero team, Squadron
Supreme. The Squadron Supreme was created to do unofficial JLA/Avengers crossovers; the "new" characters were thinly veiled
versions of their DC JLA counterparts. Hyperion stood in for Superman, the Whizzer for The Flash, etc. DC in turn introduced the
"Assemblers of Angar", a thinly-veiled Avengers pastiche. Hyperion has been revamped in a new Marvel series, Supreme Power, giving a new take on the Superman mythology.
In 2004, local authorities in Sweden refused to allow a child to be named
Stålmannen, which means Superman (literally: The Man of Steel). The Swedish parliament was considering at the time whether
to intervene and overrule the initial judgement.[2] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3701802.stm)
Superman in popular music
Superman has long been a popular subject for music, inspiring songs by artists ranging from The Kinks and Barbra Streisand of one generation
through The Sugarhill Gang, Genesis, R.E.M., Crash Test Dummies, and Spin Doctors to current performers like Eminem, Dream Theatre , Three
Doors Down, and Five For Fighting. See: Superman in popular music
Superman parodies
See: Superdupont, Superlópez
Notes
- Note: "Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful
than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look! Up in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman!
Yes, it's Superman - strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal
men. Superman - who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel with his bare hands, and who disguised as Clark Kent,
mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a neverending battle for Truth, Justice, and the American
Way."
External links
Comics
Animated Cartoons
Essays
Fan Pages
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