Superman

Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, who first appeared in issue #1 of Action Comics on April 18, 1938. Since then, Superman has been a major character in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is known for wearing a bright costume, using the name "Superman," and using amazing powers to fight evil and help people.

Superman was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton. Before his home planet was destroyed, his parents sent him to Earth in a spaceship. He landed near the town of Smallville, Kansas, where a kind couple named Jonathan and Martha Kent adopted him and named him Clark Kent. Because of Earth's yellow sun, he gained incredible strength, speed, and other powers. He decided to use these powers to protect people, wearing his superhero costume and fighting crime in the city of Metropolis. There, he works as a journalist at the Daily Planet with friends like Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White.

Superman has appeared in many different stories, shows, and movies. He is part of a group of heroes called the Justice League, along with characters like Wonder Woman and Batman. There have been many versions of Superman over the years, and he has been played by many actors in films, including Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill. Superman remains one of the most famous and loved superheroes around the world.

Development

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster met in 1932 at Glenville High School in Cleveland. They loved reading stories with amazing powers and decided to create their own. Siegel wrote stories, and Shuster drew pictures for them.

They tried to make Superman into a comic strip but had trouble getting people to like it. They changed Superman's story many times. Finally, they decided Superman was from the planet Krypton, wearing a special suit with an “S” on it. Clark Kent, a shy journalist, hid his true powerful self. Their hard work paid off when Superman was published in Action Comics #1 in 1938, and it became very popular.

Influences

Siegel and Shuster loved reading adventure stories with heroes who had amazing powers. They were inspired by many things, like movies starring Douglas Fairbanks and characters from books and comics. The name “Metropolis” came from an old movie. They also liked strongmen and wrestlers, which helped shape Superman's look. Superman’s secret identity as Clark Kent was inspired by clever characters from movies and comics.

Comics

See also: Publication history of Superman and Superman (franchise)

Comic books

See also: List of Superman comics

Action Comics #1, the comic that first featured Superman, is very valuable today.

Since 1938, Superman has been a big part of comic books from DC Comics. The first comic with Superman was Action Comics, which started in April 1938. Another comic called Superman began in June 1939. These comics have kept going ever since. Superman is part of the DC Universe, where he meets other heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman.

Superman comics have sold more copies than any other American superhero. In 1992, Superman #75 sold over 23 million copies because of a big story about Superman. Today, fewer people read these comics, but they still help make movies and TV shows.

Newspaper strips

See also: Superman (comic strip)

In 1939, Superman started appearing in newspapers. Jerry Siegel wrote many of these strips until he joined the United States Army in 1943. The strips were very popular, with millions of readers.

Editors

At first, Jerry Siegel could write Superman however he liked. But as Superman became more popular, editors helped make sure the stories were okay for kids. They made sure Superman didn’t kill anyone and avoided certain topics.

Aesthetic style

In the early years, artists followed a certain style for Superman. Different artists changed how Superman looked over time. Today, there are many different styles in Superman comics.

Copyright issues

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Main article: Copyright lawsuits by Superman's creators

In 1938, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster made a contract giving away the rights to Superman to DC Comics before Superman's first appearance. They were paid $130 for their first Superman story, but they gave away the rights for free, which was normal at the time. Later, Superman became very popular, and Siegel and Shuster regretted giving away the rights. DC Comics kept them on as writers and paid them well.

In 1947, Siegel and Shuster sued DC Comics for the rights to Superman and Superboy. The court decided that Superman belonged to DC Comics, but Superboy belonged to Siegel. They settled and got money from DC Comics. Later, they tried again to get the rights back, but the court still said DC Comics owned Superman.

In 1975, Siegel and Shuster got better pay and credit from Warner Brothers in exchange for not fighting for the rights anymore. Shuster passed away in 1992, and Siegel in 1996. Their families tried to take the rights back, but DC Comics made agreements to keep the rights. In 2004, the families sued again, but the courts still ruled that DC Comics owned Superman.

Captain Marvel

See also: National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications

After Superman's success, many similar characters were created. The most famous was Captain Marvel, who first appeared in 1939. He had many of the same powers and looks as Superman. DC Comics sued because they thought Captain Marvel copied Superman.

The court decided that Fawcett Comics had copied Superman, but also said that some of DC Comics' copyright notices were not done right. This meant DC Comics might have lost some rights. However, the appeals court said the mistakes did not matter and that Fawcett Comics knew they were copying Superman. Fawcett Comics decided to stop publishing Captain Marvel and paid DC Comics money.

Later, DC Comics bought the rights to Captain Marvel and changed the character's name to "Shazam" to avoid confusion with another character from Marvel Comics.

Character overview

Superman, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938. He is one of the earliest and most famous superheroes. Born on the planet Krypton, which later destroys, Superman is sent to Earth in a spaceship by his parents. Found by a farming couple named the Kents, he is raised as Clark Kent.

The Kents teach Clark to use his amazing powers to help others. To keep his identity safe, Clark creates the persona of Superman, wearing glasses and a costume. He works as a journalist at the Daily Planet, fighting evil and helping people with his super strength, speed, flight, and more.

Superman has many friends, like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, and faces many villains, including Lex Luthor and General Zod. His story has been told in many ways across different books, shows, and movies, but the core of his character remains the same: a hero dedicated to using his powers for good.

Impact and legacy

The superhero archetype

Superman is often called the first superhero. Some argue that other characters like Ogon Bat, the Phantom, Zorro, and Mandrake the Magician were superheroes too, but Superman became the most popular. He set the rules for superheroes: a special costume, a secret name, amazing powers, and a goal to help people. Superman's big success in 1938 led to many new heroes like Batman, Captain America, and Captain Marvel. This time is known as America's Golden Age of Comic Books, from 1938 to about 1950. Even when sales dropped and many heroes disappeared, Superman stayed popular. His continuing success helped start the Silver Age of Comic Books in the late 1950s, which brought us heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The X-Men.

After World War II, superhero stories from America influenced Japan. Astro Boy, who first appeared in 1952, was inspired by Mighty Mouse, which itself was inspired by Superman. The Superman animated shorts from the 1940s were shown on Japanese TV in 1955, followed in 1956 by the TV show Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. These shows were very popular in Japan and led to Japan's own many superhero stories. The first Japanese superhero movie, Super Giant, came out in 1957, and the first TV show, Moonlight Mask, began in 1958. Famous Japanese superheroes include Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Sailor Moon.

Fine art

Since the 1960s and the Pop Art movement, Superman has appeared in artwork by many famous artists, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Mel Ramos, Dulce Pinzon, Mr. Brainwash, Raymond Pettibon, Peter Saul, Giuseppe Veneziano, and F. Lennox Campello.

Vernacular

Words from Superman's stories are now used in everyday English. "Kryptonite" means a special weakness, "brainiac" describes someone very smart, and "bizarro" means something very strange or unusual.

Auctions

In November 2025, a nearly perfect copy of Superman No. 1, the 1939 comic that first introduced Superman, sold for a record $9.12 million at Heritage Auctions.

Literary analysis

Superman has been studied and talked about in many ways. Some thinkers believe he represents the idea of the "self-made man," showing how people can rise to greatness through hard work. Others see him as a reflection of the times in which he was created, from the days of gangsters like Al Capone to the worries after big world events.

Superman's story has also been linked to big social issues. During tough economic times, he stood up for the common person against unfair business practices and corrupt leaders. Some even see him as a symbol of the immigrant experience, showing how someone from another place can find a home and make a difference in a new country.

There are also ideas that Superman's story has roots in religious stories, though this is debated among historians. Some compare his journey to famous tales from different cultures, but the creators themselves never said this was their intent.

An allegory for immigrants

Superman’s story as an outsider who finds belonging in a new world has resonated deeply with many. Some see him as a symbol of the immigrant experience, challenging old ideas about who holds power. Others view him as a reminder of the struggles and strengths of those who come to a new country with dreams and secrets.

Religious themes

Some people believe Superman's story has connections to religious tales, like the journey of Moses. For example, Superman's journey as a baby sent away and raised by others mirrors parts of Moses' story. Others see hints of Christian ideas, especially in movies where Superman's role is compared to guiding people toward a better future. However, the creators of Superman never said these connections were planned, and historians debate how strong these links really are.

In other media

Radio

The first time Superman appeared outside of comic books was on a radio show called The Adventures of Superman. It ran from 1940 to 1951 with 2,088 episodes, most of which were for kids. The episodes were 15 minutes long at first but later became 30 minutes. Most were performed live. Bud Collyer was the voice of Superman for most of the show. It was produced by Robert Maxwell and Allen Ducovny.

Stage

In 1966, Superman had a musical play on Broadway called It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman. The music was by Charles Strouse, the words by Lee Adams, and the story by David Newman and Robert Benton. Bob Holiday played Superman, and Patricia Marand played Lois Lane.

Film

Paramount Pictures made a series of animated Superman shorts between 1941 and 1943. Seventeen episodes were made, each 8–10 minutes long. Bud Collyer voiced Superman. The first movie with Superman was Superman and the Mole Men, released in 1951 and starring George Reeves. The first big-budget Superman movie was Superman in 1978, starring Christopher Reeve. It was very successful and helped start many big superhero movies. The movie had three sequels. In 2006, Superman Returns came out, with Brandon Routh as Superman.

In 2013, Man of Steel was released, starring Henry Cavill as Superman. A sequel called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice came out in 2016, with Superman and Batman together. Cavill also played Superman in Justice League_ in 2017. A new version of Superman will appear in future movies.

Television

The first Superman TV show was Adventures of Superman, which aired from 1952 to 1958 and starred George Reeves. There were many animated series with Superman, such as The New Adventures of Superman and Super Friends. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman focused on Superman's relationship with Lois Lane. Smallville showed Superman's life before he became a hero. Superman: The Animated Series was very popular and led to more shows. In recent years, Superman has appeared in shows like Superman & Lois and My Adventures with Superman.

Video games

Main article: List of video games featuring Superman

The first Superman video game came out in 1979 for the Atari 2600. The last game focused only on Superman was Superman Returns in 2006. Since then, Superman has been in games like the Injustice series.

Merchandising

DC Comics protected the Superman logo in 1938. A company called Superman, Inc. was created in 1939 to grow Superman's presence beyond comic books. This company later joined with DC Comics.

In 2018, products with the Superman name earned over $634 million worldwide. Many of these products, like toys and buttons, were made for children, but adults also buy them now.

During World War II, Superman helped encourage people to support the war by buying bonds and saving scrap material. Other heroes like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America also joined in.