Superman - SCIFIPEDIA

Superman

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(Redirected from Man of Steel)

Superman

Gender	Male
Publisher	DC Comics
Origin	Krypton
First Appearance	Action Comics #1 (June 1938)
Creator(s)	Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster
Alter ego	Kal-El, Clark Kent
Aliases	Nova, Superboy, Superman Prime, The Man of Steel, The Man of Tomorrow, The Big Blue Boy Scout, Big Blue
Abilities	Superhuman strength, flight, invulnerability, heat vision, microscopic vision, telescopic vision, X-ray vision, super hearing, regeneration, freezing breath, super-speed
Affiliations	The Daily Planet Team Superman Justice League Legion of Super-Heroes Star Labs

Superman is a fictional comic book character from the planet Krypton endowed with superpowers that enable him to become the first superhero. The character is owned by DC Comics.

1 History
2 Character Origin
3 Abilities
4 Allies
5 Enemies
6 Weaknesses
7 Pop Culture
8 Books
- 8.1 Novels
9 Related Films
10 TV
11 Documentary
12 Video Games
13 Stage
14 Related Terms and Articles
15 External Links

History

Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster worked for years before they thought that their creation Superman was ready for the world, then found out that the world wasn’t ready for them. Their character was introduced as a bald villain in a 1933 fanzine, re-invented as a benevolent and muscular mortal, then transformed in 1934 to a visitor from outer space whose alien origin explained his incredible powers. This final version, intended as a newspaper comic strip, earned rejection slips for years from everyone who saw it.

While this triumph of modern American mythology languished, a new medium arose to make a place for it. Comic books began as giveaway reprints of newspaper strips, but those publishers who were practically penniless were obliged to print original material from aspiring amateurs. One such outfit, known as National Periodical Publications and later as DC Comics, purchased minor work from Siegel and Shuster while the collaborators waited for lightning to strike their magnum opus. Instead it was National who offered a contract, and at last a place for Superman to see print. Superman’s debut in the anthology Action Comics #1 (June 1938) was soon followed by the hero’s own comic book, Superman #1 (Summer 1939). An overnight sensation, Superman was soon seen everywhere: on the radio, in animated cartoons and motion pictures, on television, and even in newspapers. Hundreds of characters, soon to be known as “super heroes,” sprang up in Superman’s wake, and they came to define the American comic book.

Siegel and Shuster became wealthy young men, but they had ceded rights to their character to get him published, and when they sued to establish their ownership, they ended up winning a world of hurt. Superman would go on without them, with many hands helping but special credit due to editor Mort Weisinger, writer Otto Binder, and artist Wayne Boring. The character had become so omnipotent by 1971 that his powers were cut back to a more manageable size, by a team including editor Julius Schwartz, writer Denny O’Neil, and artist Curt Swan. The approach of the epic film Superman (1978) encouraged DC to provide pensions for Siegel and Shuster. In 1986, another update was introduced by writer-artist John Byrne, who emphasized the human rather than the extraterrestrial side of Superman’s personality.

Readers were aghast when the death of Superman was announced in 1992, and suddenly The Man of Steel was big news again. After a few issues of record-breaking sales he was revived, but went through another traumatic change in 1996 when his alter ego Clark Kent was married to reporter Lois Lane, whose love-hate relationship with him had fueled stories for more than half a century. Now a gigantic corporate property whose exploits are coordinated by executives in publishing, film, and video, Superman is still at his best when he expresses the youthful idealism of children everywhere.

A pictorial history of the life of Superman, as per the Silver Age of Comics. The picture on the middle right shows him mourning his adopted earth parents after their death, a part of the story which was changed in the Modern Age retelling of the story, where the Kents still live in Smallville.

Character Origin

Superman's origin has been changed and updated over the years, but the following elements remain consistent.

Jor-El, powerful scientist of the planet Krypton, becomes aware that the destruction his world is inevitable. He pleads with the Science Council to plan an escape for Krypton's people, but the skeptical council refuses to take his conclusions seriously. Though he cannot save the planet, Jor-El and his wife Lara choose to send their infant son, Kal-El, to a world circling a yellow sun (Krypton's sun is red), where he will have "powers and abilities far beyond those" of a normal man.

The infant child's rocket lands in the town of Smallville , Kansas, where he is found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. They name their foundling "Clark" (Martha's maiden name) and manage to keep his developing powers secret. Aware that he is destined for great things, Clark as a young man travels the world, gaining experience and wisdom about how to contribute to his adopted planet. Just before leaving Smallville for good, the young Superman is visited by the Legion of Super-Heroes, a superhero team from the future who invite him to join them for a while. Since Kal-El is returned to the exact moment that he left, no one misses him while he is gone.

Eventually, Clark ends up as a newspaper reporter for the Daily Planet, a "great metropolitan newspaper" in the big east coast city of Metropolis. Deciding to use his powers to help, though maintain his life as ordinary Clark Kent, Clark appears in public in a costume made by his mother, Martha, in the style of the clothing that they used to wear on Krypton. The symbol on his chest is said to be an ancient symbol of the Kryptonian "El" family that curiously resembles the letter "S". When he appears on the scene, reporter Lois Lane calls him "Superman" when writing about him in the Daily Planet, a name he modestly adopts and continues to use to this day.

Abilities

Superman is blessed with extraordinary abilities derived from Earth's yellow star and his Kryptonian heritage and biology. He has been referred to as "the man of steel" referring to his impervious nature. He can fly. has "super-strength", and is generally considered invulnerable to harm. He also has "heat vision", "X-ray vision", "microscopic vision", "telescopic vision", powerful (sometimes freezing) breath and "super hearing", as well as "super-speed".

Allies

Lois Lane, Jonathan and Martha Kent, Supergirl Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Lana Lang, Pete Ross, Emil Hamilton, Steel, and the entire pantheon of DC Comics superheroes. Batman is Superman's best superhero friend, despite their differences.

Enemies

Lex Luthor is considered Superman's arch nemesis. Other recurring enemies are Brainiac, The Toyman, The Prankster, General Zod, The Parasite, Metallo, The Eradicator, Cyborg Superman, Brainiac 13, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Mongul, Cerebrus, Bizarro, Doomsday, Silver Banshee, Dominus, Blaze, Lord Satanus, and Darkseid.

Weaknesses

His "official" weakness is a vulnerability to Kryptonite, an element created from destroyed pieces of his home planet that were made radioactive during the destruction of Krypton. It is also said that he is vulnerable to magic, and can lose his powers if deprived from contact with yellow sun radiation for an extended period of time, or when under a red sun (like the one that Krypton had). Superman has a code against killing, and has vowed never to take a human life.

Pop Culture

George Reeves and Noel Neill as Superman and Lois Lane from the 1952 TV Series "The Adventures of Superman".

Superman's effect on popular culture has been profound. When his 10 Cent comics (“Action” and “Superman”) came out in 1938 and 1939 respectively, he was an instant success. Soon, other “Mystery Men” in began to appear, all in fancy costumes and with abilities ranging from amazing to the macabre. These new heroes included such comic book greats as Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Captain America, the Human Torch, and Captain Marvel. Superman is credited with starting the entire superhero comic book phenomenon, which signaled the beginning of what is now called the Golden Age of Comics. Still, Superman would soon transcend the comic book genre.

The "Superman" radio series was also an instant smash. The radio series added elements to the legend that would soon be adapted into the comic books, such as kryptonite and the Perry White character. Soon, Superman cartoons and live action serials would appear in the theatre, a success that would culminate in 1952 with the Adventures of Superman live action TV series starring George Reeves.

Today, Superman is perhaps the most recognized fictional character worldwide, equal to such icons as Mickey Mouse, Tarzan, and Sherlock Holmes. In addition to his appearances in the Superman franchise, he has also appeared in American Express commercials alongside Jerry Seinfeld. His symbol regularly finds itself on T-shirts and a wide assortment of other merchandizing material as well as human skin. He has been sung about with regularity in songs by popular artists like Five for Fighting, 3 Doors Down, 50 Cent, Eminem, and Our Lady Peace.