Superman
Promotional art for Superman vol. Superman (sometimes called Superman (volume 1 and for a time published as Adventures of Superman) is a comic book published by DC Comics 2, #204 (April 2004) by Jim Lee and Scott Williams
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Action Comics #1 (June 1938)
Created by	Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
In story information
Alter ego	Kal-El, adopted as Clark Joseph Kent
Place of origin	Krypton
Team affiliations	The Daily Planet Justice League Legion of Super-Heroes Team Superman
Notable aliases	Gangbuster, Nightwing, Jordan Elliot, Supernova, Superboy, Superman Prime
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, senses, intelligence, regeneration, and longevity; super breath, heat vision, and flight

Superman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be one of the most famous and popular such characters^[1] and an American cultural icon. Jim Lee (born August 11, 1964) is a Korean-American Comic book Artist, Creator and Publisher. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company In Comic books and other stories with a long history first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a Fictional character. Action Comics 1 is a Comic book that was published in April 1938 (cover-dated June by National Allied Publications a corporate predecessor of DC Comics Jerome "Jerry" Siegel (October 17 1914 – January 28 1996 who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, Siegel was a fan of movies Joseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10 1914 - July 30 1992 was a Canadian -born American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. Krypton is a Fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. No longer in existence it is the native world of the super-heroes Superman and in The Daily Planet is a Fictional Broadsheet Newspaper that appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. The Justice League sometimes called the Justice League of America or JLA for short is a Fictional DC Comics superhero team. This is about the DC Comics superhero team For the animated television series based on this see Legion of Super Heroes (TV series. Superman, given the serial nature of comic publishing and the length of the character's existence has evolved as a character as his adventures have increased For the Marduk album see Nightwing (album. For the current and most prominent holder of the Nightwing title see Dick Grayson Nightwing Superman Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is a notable story from 1986 featuring the DC Comics character of Superman. Supernova is an identity used by three characters in the, all related to the Carter bloodline This article is about the original pre-Crisis Superboy For similarly-named DC Comics characters see Superboy. DC One Million was a crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1998. The powers of DC Comics Fictional character Superman have changed a great deal since his introduction in the 1930s A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A cultural icon can be an Image, a Symbol, a Logo, Picture, Name, Face, Person, or Building ^[2][3][4][5] Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc. in 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. Jerome "Jerry" Siegel (October 17 1914 – January 28 1996 who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, Siegel was a fan of movies Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Joseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10 1914 - July 30 1992 was a Canadian -born American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company Action Comics is an American Comic book series which introduced Superman, the first major Superhero character as the term Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U The daily Superman Newspaper comic strip began in January 6 1939 and a separate Sunday strip was added on November 5 1939 A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book. An American comic book is a small Magazine originating in the United States and containing a Narrative in the Comics form ^[2]

The origin story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father moments before the planet's destruction. The origin of Superman is the story that relates Superman's arrival on Earth and the beginnings of his career as a Superhero. A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is Krypton is a Fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. No longer in existence it is the native world of the super-heroes Superman and in EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 A scientist, in the broadest sense refers to any person that engages in a systematic activity to acquire Knowledge or an individual that engages in such practices Adopted and raised by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent, and imbued with a strong moral compass. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. Very early he started to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity. A superhuman is an entity with intelligence or abilities exceeding normal human standards

While referred to less flatteringly as "the big blue Boy Scout" by some of his fellow superheroes,^[6] Superman is hailed as "The Man of Steel," "The Man of Tomorrow," and "The Last Son of Krypton," by the general public within the comics. As Clark Kent, Superman lives among humans as a "mild-mannered reporter" for the Metropolis newspaper The Daily Planet (the Daily Star in original stories). A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends Metropolis is a Fictional city that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. The Daily Planet is a Fictional Broadsheet Newspaper that appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. There he works alongside reporter Lois Lane, with whom he is romantically linked. Lois Lane-Kent is the primary love interest in the DC Comics ’ Superman stories This relationship has been consummated by marriage on numerous occasions across varying media, and the union is now firmly established within the current mainstream comics continuity. In Fiction, continuity (also called time-scheme) is consistency of the characteristics of persons plot, objects places and events seen by the reader or

The character's supporting cast, powers, and trappings have slowly expanded throughout the years. Superman's backstory was altered to allow for adventures as Superboy, and other survivors of Krypton were created, including Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Superboy is the name of several Fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. Supergirl is a fictional Comic book superheroine that is depicted as a female counterpart to the DC Comics iconic Superhero Superman Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a Fictional character. In addition, Superman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film. The motion picture Superman Returns was released in 2006, with a performance at the international box office which exceeded expectations. Superman Returns is a 2006 Academy Award -nominated Superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character ^[7] In the seven decades since Superman's debut, the character has been revamped and updated several times.

A significant overhaul occurred in 1986, when John Byrne recreated the character, reducing Superman's powers and erasing several characters from the canon, in a move that attracted media attention. John Lindley Byrne (born July 6 1950) is a British -born Canadian - American author and artist of Comic books Since the Press coverage was again garnered in the 1990s with The Death of Superman, a storyline which saw the character killed and later restored to life. The Death of Superman is a Comic book Storyline (culminating in Superman #75 in 1992 that served as the catalyst for DC Comics '

Superman has also held fascination for scholars, with cultural theorists, commentators, and critics alike exploring the character's impact and role in the United States and the rest of the world. Cultural studies is an academic discipline which combines Political economy, Communication, Sociology, Social theory, Literary theory The word critic comes from the Greek el κριτικός ( el-Latn kritikós) "able to discern" which in turn derives from the word Umberto Eco discussed the mythic qualities of the character in the early 1960s, and Larry Niven has pondered the implications of a sexual relationship the character might enjoy with Lois Lane. Umberto Eco (born 5 January 1932 is an Italian Medievalist, semiotician, Philosopher, literary critic and Novelist, best Laurence van Cott Niven (born April 30, 1938 Los Angeles California) is a US Science fiction author. ^[8] The character's ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of legal ownership. Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over Property, which may be an object, land/real estate, Intellectual property The copyright is again currently in dispute, with changes in copyright law allowing Siegel's wife and daughter to claim a share of the copyright, a move DC parent company Warner Bros. disputes. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and

Publication history

Creation and conception

"The Reign of the Super-Man" in the fanzine Science Fiction vol. The subject of this article is not to be confused with the Reign of the Supermen storyline published by DC Comics A fanzine (see also Zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre for the pleasure 1, #3 (June 1933).

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first created a bald telepathic villain bent on dominating the entire world. Jerome "Jerry" Siegel (October 17 1914 – January 28 1996 who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, Siegel was a fan of movies Joseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10 1914 - July 30 1992 was a Canadian -born American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics Telepathy ( Greek τηλε tele meaning "distant" and πάθεια patheia meaning "to be affected by" describes the purported transfer He appeared in the short story "The Reign of the Super-Man" from Science Fiction #3, a science fiction fanzine that Siegel published in 1933. The subject of this article is not to be confused with the Reign of the Supermen storyline published by DC Comics A fanzine (see also Zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre for the pleasure ^[9] Siegel re-wrote the character in 1933 as a hero, bearing little or no resemblance to his villainous namesake, and began a six-year quest to find a publisher. Titling it The Superman, Siegel and Shuster offered it to Consolidated Book Publishing, who had published a 48-page black-and-white comic book entitled Detective Dan: Secret Operative No. 48. Dan Dunn was the first fictional character to make his debut in an American Comic magazine, making him the granddaddy of the comic book heroes Although the duo received an encouraging letter, Consolidated never again published comic books. Shuster took this to heart and burned all pages of the story, the cover surviving only because Siegel rescued it from the fire. Siegel and Shuster each compared this character to Slam Bradley, an adventurer the pair had created for Detective Comics #1 (May 1939). Samuel Emerson "Slam" Bradley is a Fictional character that has appeared in various Comic book series published by DC Comics. Detective Comics is an American comic book published monthly by DC Comics since 1937 best-known for introducing the iconic Superhero Batman ^[10]

By 1934, the pair had once more re-envisioned the character. He became more of a hero in the mythic tradition, inspired by such characters as Samson and Hercules,^[11] who would right the wrongs of Siegel and Shuster's times, fighting for social justice and against tyranny. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and Samson, Shimshon ( Hebrew: שמשון, Standard Šimšon Tiberian Šimšôn; meaning Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a Society in which Justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than In modern usage a tyrant is a single ruler holding absolute power over a State or within an Organization. It was at this stage the costume was introduced, Siegel later recalling that they created a "kind of costume and let's give him a big S on his chest, and a cape, make him as colorful as we can and as distinctive as we can. "^[12] The design was based in part on the costumes worn by characters in outer space settings published in pulp magazines, as well as comic strips such as Flash Gordon,^[13] and also partly suggested by the traditional circus strong-man outfit. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist Flash Gordon is the hero of a Science fiction adventure Comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond, which was first published on January 7, ^[12][14] However, the cape has been noted as being markedly different from the Victorian tradition. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Gary Engle described it as without "precedent in popular culture" in Superman at Fifty: The Persistence of a Legend. ^[15] The pants-over-tights outfit was soon established as the basis for many future superhero outfits. This third version of the character was given extraordinary abilities, although this time of a physical nature as opposed to the mental abilities of the villainous Superman. ^[12]

The locale and the hero's civilian names were inspired by the movies, Shuster said in 1983. "Jerry created all the names. We were great movie fans, and were inspired a lot by the actors and actresses we saw. As for Clark Kent, he combined the names of Clark Gable and Kent Taylor. Clark Gable (February 1 &ndashNovember 16) was an iconic American Actor nicknamed "The King of Hollywood" in his heyday Kent Taylor ( May 11, 1906 – April 11, 1987) was an American Actor. And Metropolis, the city in which Superman operated, came from the Fritz Lang movie [Metropolis, 1927], which we both loved". Metropolis is a Fictional city that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang ( December 5, 1890 &ndash August 2, 1976) was an Austrian German - American Metropolis is a silent Science fiction film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Lang and Thea von Harbou. ^[16]

Although they were by now selling material to comic book publishers, notably Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publishing, the pair decided to feature this character in a comic strip format, rather than in the longer comic book story format that was establishing itself at this time. Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (1890-1968 was an American Pulp magazine Writer and Entrepreneur who pioneered the American comic National Publications was one of the companies that would later become DC Comics. They offered it to both Max Gaines, who passed, and to United Feature Syndicate, who expressed interest initially but finally rejected the strip in a letter dated February 18, 1937. Maxwell Charles Gaines aka MC Gaines, aka Charles Gaines, aka Charlie Gaines (born Maxwell Ginsburg or Maxwell Ginzberg c United Media is a large editorial column and Comic strip Newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, in what historian Les Daniels describes as "an incredibly convoluted turn of events", Max Gaines ended up positioning the strip as the lead feature in Wheeler-Nicholson's new publication, Action Comics. Action Comics is an American Comic book series which introduced Superman, the first major Superhero character as the term Vin Sullivan, editor of the new book, wrote to the pair requesting that the comic strips be refashioned to suit the comic book format, requesting "eight panels a page". Vincent "Vin" Sullivan (born circa 1911 died February 3, 1999) was a pioneering American Comic book editor, Artist However Siegel and Shuster ignored this, utilizing their own experience and ideas to create page layouts, with Siegel also identifying the image used for the cover of Action Comics #1 (June 1938), Superman's first appearance. Comics vocabulary consists of many different techniques and images which a Comic book artist employs in order to convey a Narrative within the medium of Events and publications European publications April 21 first issue of Le Journal de Spirou, featuring debuts In Comic books and other stories with a long history first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a Fictional character. ^[17]

Publication

See also: List of Superman comics

Superman made his debut in Action Comics #1 (June 1938). This is a list of Comic books featuring Superman. Ongoing titles featuring Superman in a starring role Action Comics Action Action Comics is an American Comic book series which introduced Superman, the first major Superhero character as the term Cover art by Joe Shuster. Joseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10 1914 - July 30 1992 was a Canadian -born American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics

Superman's first appearance was in Action Comics #1, in 1938. In 1939, a self-titled series was launched. Superman (sometimes called Superman (volume 1 and for a time published as Adventures of Superman) is a comic book published by DC Comics The first issue mainly reprinted adventures published in Action Comics, but despite this the book achieved greater sales. ^[18] 1939 also saw the publication of New York World's Fair Comics, which by summer of 1942 became World's Finest Comics. World's Finest Comics was a Comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986 With issue #7 of All Star Comics, Superman made the first of a number of infrequent appearances, on this occasion appearing in cameo to establish his honorary membership of the Justice Society of America. The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics Superhero group the first team of superheroes in Comic book history ^[19]

Initially Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster would provide the story and art for all the strips published. Jerome "Jerry" Siegel (October 17 1914 – January 28 1996 who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, Siegel was a fan of movies Joseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10 1914 - July 30 1992 was a Canadian -born American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics However, Shuster's eyesight began to deteriorate, and the increasing appearances of the character saw an increase in the workload. This led Shuster to establish a studio to assist in the production of the art,^[18] although he insisted on drawing the face of every Superman the studio produced. A studio is a Artist 's or worker's workroom or an artist and his or her Employees who work within that studio Outside the studio, Jack Burnley began supplying covers and stories in 1940,^[20] and in 1941, artist Fred Ray began contributing a stream of Superman covers, some of which, such as that of Superman #14 (Feb. Jack Burnley ( January 11[[ 911]] - December 19 2006) was the pen name of Hardin Burnley, an American Comic book artist and Frederic E Ray Jr ( 04 February, 1920, Harrisburg Pennsylvania - 23 January 2001, Harrisburg Pennsylvania was an American 1942), became iconic and much-reproduced. Wayne Boring, initially employed in Shuster's studio, began working for DC Comics in his own right in 1942 providing pages for both Superman and Action Comics. Wayne Boring (born June 5 1905, Minnesota; died February 1987 Pompano Beach Florida) was an American Comic book DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company ^[21] Al Plastino was hired initially to copy Wayne Boring but was eventually allowed to create his own style and became one of the most prolific Superman artists during the Gold and Silver Ages of comics. Al Plastino (1921-) is an American Comic book Artist best known as one of the most prolific Superman artists of the 1950s along with his ^[22]

The scripting duties also became shared. In late 1939 a new editorial team assumed control of the character's adventures. An editorial, leader (UK or leading article (UK is an article in a Newspaper or Magazine that expresses the opinion of the Editor Whitney Ellsworth, Mort Weisinger and Jack Schiff were brought in following Vin Sullivan's departure. Fredric Whitney Ellsworth ( November 27 1908 &ndash September 7 1980) was an American Comic book Editor Mortimer Weisinger ( April 25, 1915 - May 7, 1978) was an American Jewish Magazine and Comic book This new editorial team brought in Edmond Hamilton, Manly Wade Wellman, and Alfred Bester, established writers of science fiction. Edmond Moore Hamilton ( October 21, 1904 - February 1 1977) was a popular author of Science fiction stories and novels during the mid-twentieth Manly Wade Wellman ( May 21, 1903 - April 5, 1986) was an American writer Alfred Bester ( December 18, 1913 - September 30, 1987) known to his friends as Alfie, was an American science fiction ^[23]

By 1943, Jerry Siegel was drafted into the army in a special celebration, and his duties there saw high contributions drop. Don Cameron and Alvin Schwartz joined the writing team, Schwartz teaming up with Wayne Boring to work on the Superman comic strip which had been launched by Siegel and Shuster in 1939. Donald Cameron may refer to Scottish Clan Cameron Donald Dubh Cameron 11th Chief Donald 'Taillear Dubh na Tuaighe' Cameron, There are two notable Alvin Schwartzes both of whom are authors Alvin Schwartz, the North American novelist poet and essayist Alvin Schwartz, The daily Superman Newspaper comic strip began in January 6 1939 and a separate Sunday strip was added on November 5 1939 ^[21]

Superman's origin is reimagined in The Man of Steel #1 (July 1986), written and drawn by John Byrne. John Lindley Byrne (born July 6 1950) is a British -born Canadian - American author and artist of Comic books Since the

In 1945, Superboy made his debut in More Fun Comics #101. This article is about the original pre-Crisis Superboy For similarly-named DC Comics characters see Superboy. More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun The Big Comic Magazine a The character moved to Adventure Comics in 1946, and his own title, Superboy, launched in 1949. Adventure Comics is a Comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 This article is about the original pre-Crisis Superboy For similarly-named DC Comics characters see Superboy. The 1950s saw the launching of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen (1954) and Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane (1958). Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from October 1954 until March 1974 spanning a total of 163 issues Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane was a Comic book series published monthly by DC Comics focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane. By 1974 these titles had merged into Superman Family, although the series was cancelled in 1982. Superman Family was a DC Comics Comic book series which ran from 1974 to 1982 featuring primarily stories starring supporting DC Comics Presents was a series published from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe. DC Comics Presents is a Comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 (97 issues plus 4 annuals) featuring team-ups The DC Universe ( DCU) is the fictional Shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place

In 1986, a decision was taken to restructure the universe the Superman character inhabited with other DC characters. A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with unique background elements such as an imaginary history or geography and possibly fantasy or science This saw the publication of "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow", a two part story written by Alan Moore, with art by Curt Swan, George Pérez and Kurt Schaffenberger. Superman Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is a notable story from 1986 featuring the DC Comics character of Superman. Alan Moore (born November 18 1953 in Northampton) is an English Writer most famous for his influential work in Comics, including the acclaimed Curtis Douglas Swan ( February 17, 1920 in Willmar Minnesota - June 16, 1996) was an American Comic book George Pérez (born June 9, 1954) is an illustrator and writer of Comic books born of Latin-American (Puerto-Rican descent Kurt Schaffenberger ( December 15 1920 - January 24 2002) was an American Comic book Artist. ^[24] The story was published in Superman #423 and Action Comics #583, and presented what Les Daniels notes as "the sense of loss the fans might have experienced if this had really been the last Superman tale. "^[25]

Superman was relaunched by writer & artist John Byrne, initially in the limited series The Man of Steel (1986). John Lindley Byrne (born July 6 1950) is a British -born Canadian - American author and artist of Comic books Since the A limited series is a term originated by Marvel Comics referring to a Comic book series with a set number of issues 1986 also saw the cancellation of World's Finest Comics, and the Superman title renamed Adventures of Superman. Superman (sometimes called Superman (volume 1 and for a time published as Adventures of Superman) is a comic book published by DC Comics A second volume of Superman was launched in 1987, running until cancellation in 2006. This cancellation saw Adventures of Superman revert to the Superman title. Superman (sometimes called Superman (volume 1 and for a time published as Adventures of Superman) is a comic book published by DC Comics Superman: The Man of Steel was launched in 1991, running until 2003, whilst the quarterly book Superman: The Man of Tomorrow ran from 1995 to 1999. Superman The Man of Steel is the title of a monthly American comic book series that ran 136 issues (ending with issue # 134 from 1991 to 2003 Superman The Man of Tomorrow is the title of a comic book series published by DC Comics which ran for 16 issues from 1996 to 1999 featuring the adventures of Superman In 2003 Superman/Batman launched, as well as the Superman: Birthright limited series, with All Star Superman launched in 2005 and Superman Confidential in 2006. Superman/Batman is a monthly Comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters Superman Birthright is a twelve-issue Comic book Limited series published by DC Comics in 2003 and 2004, written by All Star Superman is a Comic book series featuring Superman that premiered in November 2005. Superman Confidential was a monthly Comic book series from DC Comics.

Current ongoing publications that feature Superman on a regular basis are Superman, Action Comics, Superman Confidential, All-Star Superman, Superman/Batman, Justice League of America, Justice League Unlimited and The Legion of Super-Heroes In The 31st Century. The Justice League sometimes called the Justice League of America or JLA for short is a Fictional DC Comics superhero team. While Batman and Superman had their own cartoon series and comic book follow up the rest of characters in DC Comics would appear in the following comics often Legion of Super Heroes is an American Animated television series produced by Warner Bros The character often appears as a guest star in other series and is usually a pivotal figure in DC Comics crossover events. A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete Fictional characters, settings or universes into the context of a single

Influences

See also: Cultural influences on Superman

An influence on early Superman stories is the context of the Great Depression. The left-leaning perspective of creators Shuster and Siegel is reflected in early storylines. Superman took on the role of social activist, fighting crooked businessmen and politicians and demolishing run-down tenements. ^[26] This is seen by comics scholar Roger Sabin as a reflection of "the liberal idealism of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal", with Shuster and Siegel initially portraying Superman as champion to a variety of social causes. Roger Sabin is a comics writer and lecturer at Central St Martins in London, England. The New Deal was the name that United States President Franklin D ^[27] In later Superman radio programs the character continued to take on such issues, tackling a version of the KKK in a 1946 broadcast. Ku Klux Klan ( KKK) is the name of several past and present secret domestic terrorist organizations in the United States, generally in the southern states that are The Adventures of Superman, adapted from the DC Comics character created in 1938 (see Superman) came to Radio as a syndicated ^[28][29]

Siegel himself noted that the many mythic heroes which exist in the traditions of many cultures bore an influence on the character, including Hercules and Samson. Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. Samson, Shimshon ( Hebrew: שמשון, Standard Šimšon Tiberian Šimšôn; meaning ^[12] The character has also been seen by Scott Bukatman to be "a worthy successor to Lindberg . Scott Bukatman is a Cultural theorist and Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at Stanford University. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout . . (and) also . . . like Babe Ruth", and is also representative of the United States dedication to "progress and the 'new'" through his "invulnerable body . George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of . . on which history cannot be inscribed. "^[30] Further, given that Siegel and Shuster were noted fans of pulp science fiction,^[9] it has been suggested that another influence may have been Hugo Danner. Hugo Danner is a Fictional character, the Protagonist of the 1930 American novel Gladiator, by Philip Gordon Wylie (1902-1971 Danner was the main character of the 1930 novel Gladiator by Philip Wylie, and is possessed of same powers of the early Superman. Gladiator is an American Science fiction Novel first published in 1930 and written by Philip Wylie. ^[31]

Because Siegel and Shuster were both Jewish, some religious commentators and pop-culture scholars such as Rabbi Simcha Weinstein and British novelist Howard Jacobson suggest that Superman's creation was partly influenced by Moses,^[32][33] and other Jewish elements. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Howard Jacobson (born 24 August, 1942) is a British Author. He is best known for writing comic novels which tend to revolve around the dilemmas Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Superman's Kryptonian name, "Kal-El," resembles the Hebrew words קל-אל, which can be taken to mean "voice of God". ^{[34] [35]}. The suffix "el", meaning "(of) God"^[36] is also found in the name of angels (e. Eli (Hebrew אל is the Northwest Semitic word and name either translated into English as "god" or "God" or left untranslated as Eli, depending g. Gabriel, Ariel), who are flying humanoid agents of good with superhuman powers. Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل Ariel ( Hebrew: אריאל Ari'el, Arael or Ariael) is an Archangel found primarily in Judeo-Christian mysticism and Apocrypha Jewish legends of the Golem have been cited as worthy of comparison,^[37] a Golem being a mythical being created to protect and serve the persecuted Jews of 16th century Prague and later revived in popular culture in reference to their suffering at the hands of the Nazis in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ In Jewish folklore, a golem (גולם sometimes as in Yiddish, pronounced goilem) is an animated being created entirely from inanimate matter Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Superman is often seen as being an analogy for Jesus, being a saviour of humanity. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) ^{[33][37][27][38]}

Whilst the term Superman was initially coined by Nietzsche, it is unclear how influential Nietzsche and his ideals were to Siegel and Shuster. ^[33] Les Daniels has speculated that "Siegel picked up the term from other science fiction writers who had casually employed it", further noting that "his concept is remembered by hundreds of millions who may barely know who Nietzsche is. "^[12] Others argue that Siegel and Shuster "could not have been unaware of an idea that would dominate Hitler's National Socialism. The concept was certainly well discussed. "^[39] Yet Jacobson and others point out that in many ways Superman and the Übermensch are polar opposites. The Übermensch ( German; English: Overman, Superman) is a Concept in the Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. ^[32] Nietzsche envisioned the Übermensch as a man who had transcended the limitations of society, religion, and conventional morality while still being fundamentally human. Superman, although an alien gifted with incredible powers, chooses to honor human moral codes and social mores. Nietzsche envisioned the perfect man as being beyond moral codes; Siegel and Shuster envisioned the perfect man as holding himself to a higher standard of adherence to them. ^[40]

Siegel and Shuster have themselves discussed a number of influences that impacted upon the character. Both were avid readers, and their mutual love of science fiction helped to drive their friendship. Siegel cited John Carter stories as an influence: "Carter was able to leap great distances because the planet Mars was smaller that the planet Earth; and he had great strength. I visualized the planet Krypton as a huge planet, much larger than Earth". ^[16] The pair were also avid collectors of comic strips in their youth, cutting them from the newspaper, with Winsor McKay's Little Nemo firing their imagination with its sense of fantasy. Winsor McCay ( September 26 1867 (? – July 26 1934) was an American Cartoonist and Animator. Little Nemo is the main Fictional character in a series of weekly Comic strips by Winsor McCay (1871-1934 that appeared in the New York Herald ^[41] Shuster has remarked on the artists which played an important part in the development of his own style, whilst also noting a larger influence: "Alex Raymond and Burne Hogarth were my idols — also Milt Caniff, Hal Foster, and Roy Crane. Alexander Gillespie Raymond ( October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American Comic strip artist best known for creating the Burne Hogarth ( December 25, 1911 - January 28, 1996) was an American Cartoonist illustrator educator author and theoretician Milton Arthur Paul Caniff ( February 28, 1907 - April 3, 1988) was an American Cartoonist famous for the Terry Harold ("Hal" Rudolf Foster ( August 18, 1892 in Halifax, Nova Scotia &ndash July 25, 1982) was a Canadian Royston Campbell Crane ( November 22, 1901 - July 7, 1977) who signed his work Roy Crane, was an American cartoonist and But the movies were the greatest influence on our imagination: especially the films of Douglas Fairbanks Senior. Douglas Fairbanks ( May 23 1883 – December 12 1939) was an American Actor, Screenwriter, director "^[42] Fairbanks' role as Robin Hood was certainly an inspiration, as Shuster admitted to basing Superman's stance upon scenes from the movie. Robin Hood ( 1922) was the first Motion picture ever to make a Hollywood premiere held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October ^[43] The movies also influenced the storytelling and page layouts,^[44] whilst the city of Metropolis was named in honor of the Fritz Lang motion picture of the same title. Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang ( December 5, 1890 &ndash August 2, 1976) was an Austrian German - American Metropolis is a silent Science fiction film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Lang and Thea von Harbou. ^[16]

Copyright issues

As part of the deal which saw Superman published in Action Comics, Siegel and Shuster sold the rights to the company in return for $130 and a contract to supply the publisher with material. In Anglo-Saxon law, an exclusive right is a de facto non-tangible Prerogative existing in law (that is the power or in a wider sense Right ^[45][46] The Saturday Evening Post reported in 1940 that the pair was each being paid $75,000 a year, a fraction of National Comics Publications' millions in Superman profits. The Saturday Evening Post was a weekly Magazine published in the United States from August 4, 1821 to February 8, DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company ^[47] Siegel and Shuster renegotiated their deal, but bad blood lingered and in 1947 Siegel and Shuster sued for their 1938 contract to be made void and the re-establishment of their ownership of the intellectual property rights to Superman. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law In Law, void means of no legal effect The Latin phrase void ab initio means "to be treated as invalid from the outset" Intellectual property ( IP) is a legal field that refers to creations of the mind such as musical literary and artistic works inventions and symbols names A right is a legal or moral Entitlement or Permission. Rights are of vital importance in theories of Justice and deontological ethics The pair also sued National in the same year over the rights to Superboy, which they claimed was a separate creation that National had published without authorization. Superboy is the name of several Fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. National immediately fired them and took their byline off the stories, prompting a legal battle that ended in 1948, when a New York court ruled that the 1938 contract should be upheld. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous However, a ruling from Justice J. Addison Young awarded them the rights to Superboy. A month after the Superboy judgment the two sides agreed on a settlement. For other uses of settlement including legal uses see Settlement. National paid Siegel and Shuster $94,000 for the rights to Superboy. Superboy is the name of several Fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. The pair also acknowledged in writing the company's ownership of Superman, attesting that they held rights for "all other forms of reproduction and presentation, whether now in existence or that may hereafter be created",^[48] but DC refused to re-hire them. ^[49]

Jerry Siegel, with wife Joanne and daughter Laura in 1976. Joanne and Laura Siegel filed a termination notice on Jerry Siegel's share of the copyright of Superman in 1999.

In 1973 Siegel and Shuster again launched a suit claiming ownership of Superman, this time basing the claim on the Copyright Act of 1909 which saw copyright granted for 28 years but allowed for a renewal of an extra 28 years. The Copyright Act of 1909 was a landmark statute in United States statutory Copyright law Their argument was that they had granted DC the copyright for only 28 years. The pair again lost this battle, both in a district court ruling of October 18, 1973 and an appeal court ruling of December 5, 1974. District courts are a category of Courts which exists in several nations Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ^[50]

In 1975 after news reports of their pauper-like existences, Warner Communications gave Siegel and Shuster lifetime pensions of $20,000 per year and health care benefits. Time Warner Inc ( is the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerate, headquartered in New York City. A pension is a steady income given to a person upon Retirement, typically in the form of a guaranteed annuity. Health care in the United States is provided by many separate legal entities Jay Emmett, then executive vice president of Warner, was quoted in the New York Times as stating "There is no legal obligation, but I sure feel there is a moral obligation on our part. __FORCETOC__ For the Vice President of the United States, their roles and other information see Vice President of the United States. "^[47] In addition, any media production which includes the Superman character were to include the credit "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster". ^[46]

The year after this settlement, 1976, saw the copyright term extended again, this time for another 19 years to a total of 75 years. However, this time a clause was inserted into the extension to allow a creator to reclaim their work, reflecting the arguments Siegel and Shuster had made in 1973. The new act came into power in 1978 and allowed a reclamation window in a period based on the previous copyright term of 56 years. History and purpose Before the 1976 Act the last major revision to statutory copyright law in the United States occurred in 1909 This meant the copyright on Superman could be reclaimed between 1994 to 1999, based on the initial publication date of 1938. Jerry Siegel having died in January 1996, his wife and daughter filed a copyright termination notice in 1999. Although Joe Shuster died in July 1992, no termination was filed at this time by his estate. An estate is the Net worth of a person at any point in time It is the sum of a person's Assets - legal rights interests and entitlements to Property of ^[51]

1998 saw copyright extended again, with the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA of 1998 &ndash alternatively known as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, Sonny Bono Act, or Pejoratively This time the copyright term was extended to 95 years, with a further window for reclamation introduced. In January of 2004 Mark Peary, nephew and legal heir to Joe Shuster's estate, filed notice of his intent to reclaim Shuster's half of the copyright, the termination effective in 2013. "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. ^[51] The status of Siegel's share of the copyright is now the subject of a legal battle. Warner Bros. and the Siegels entered into discussions on how to resolve the issues raised by the termination notice, but these discussions were set aside by the Siegels and in October 2004 they filed suit alleging copyright infringement on the part of Warner Bros. Warner Bros. counter sued, alleging the termination notice contains defects amongst other arguments. ^[52][53] On the 26th March, 2008, Judge Larson of the Californian federal court ruled that Siegel's estate was entitled to claim a share in the United States copyright. The United States federal courts are the system of Courts organized under the Constitution and laws of the Federal government of the United States The ruling does not affect the International rights which Time Warner holds in the character through its subsidiary DC Comics. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company Issues regarding the amount of monies owed Siegel's estate and whether the claim the estate has extends to derivative works such as move versions will be settled at trial, although any compensation would only be owed from works published since 1999. Time Warner offered no statement on the ruling, but do have the right to challenge it. ^[54][55]The case is currently scheduled to be heard in a Californian federal court in May, 2008. PortalCurrent events International holidays February 2 - Candlemas February 5 - Shrove The United States federal courts are the system of Courts organized under the Constitution and laws of the Federal government of the United States ^[56]

A similar termination of copyright notice filed in 2002 by Siegel's wife and daughter concerning the Superboy character was ruled in their favor on March 23, 2006. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[57] However, on July 27, 2007, the same court issued a ruling ^[58] reversing the March 23, 2006 ruling. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This ruling is currently subject to a legal challenge from Time Warner, with the case as yet unresolved. International holidays March 2 - Mothering Sunday (Britain March 7 - Nyepi (Indonesia ^[54]

Comic book character

Main article: History of Superman

See also: Superman (Earth-Two)

Superman, given the serial nature of comic publishing and the length of the character's existence, has evolved as a character as his adventures have increased. Superman, a fictional Comic book character has spanned several decades and become a defining character of the Superhero genre The Superman of Earth-Two is a Fictional character, a Comic book Superhero published by DC Comics. ^[59] The details of Superman's origin, relationships and abilities changed significantly during the course of the character's publication, from what is considered the Golden Age of comic books through the Modern Age. The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books generally thought as lasting from the 1930s until late 1940s during which Comic books The Modern Age of Comic Books is an informal name for the period in the history of mainstream American comic books generally considered to last from the mid-1980s until The powers and villains were developed through the 1940s, with Superman developing the ability to fly, and costumed villains introduced from 1941. ^[60] The character was shown as learning of the existence of Krypton in 1949. Krypton is a Fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. No longer in existence it is the native world of the super-heroes Superman and in The concept itself had originally been established to the reader in 1939, in the Superman comic strip. The daily Superman Newspaper comic strip began in January 6 1939 and a separate Sunday strip was added on November 5 1939 ^[61]

The 1960s saw the introduction of a second Superman, Kal-L. The Superman of Earth-Two is a Fictional character, a Comic book Superhero published by DC Comics. DC had established a multiverse within the fictional universe its characters shared. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company The DC Multiverse is a Fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by Comic book company DC Comics. This allowed characters published in the 1940s to exist alongside updated counterparts published in the 1960s. This was explained to the reader through the notion that the two groups of characters inhabited parallel Earths. Parallel universe or alternative reality is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own The second Superman was introduced to explain to the reader Superman's membership of both the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America and the 1960s superhero team the Justice League of America. The Superman of Earth-Two is a Fictional character, a Comic book Superhero published by DC Comics. The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics Superhero group the first team of superheroes in Comic book history The Justice League sometimes called the Justice League of America or JLA for short is a Fictional DC Comics superhero team. ^[62]

Art from Superman vol. 2, #75 (January 1993), where Superman dies in Lois Lane's arms. Lois Lane-Kent is the primary love interest in the DC Comics ’ Superman stories Pencils by Dan Jurgens. Dan Jurgens (born June 27, 1959) is an American Comic book Writer and Artist.

The 1980s saw radical revisions of the character. DC Comics decided to remove the multiverse in a bid to simplify its comics line. This led to the rewriting of the back story of the characters DC published, Superman included. In Narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story John Byrne rewrote Superman, removing many established conventions and characters from continuity, including Superboy and Supergirl. John Lindley Byrne (born July 6 1950) is a British -born Canadian - American author and artist of Comic books Since the This article is about the original pre-Crisis Superboy For similarly-named DC Comics characters see Superboy. Kara Zor-El is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics and related media created by writer Otto Binder Byrne also re-established Superman's adoptive parents, The Kents, as characters. Martha Clark Kent and Jonathan Kent, also known as Ma and Pa Kent, are Fictional characters published by DC Comics. ^[63] In the previous continuity the characters had been written as having died early in Superman's life (about the time of Clark Kent's graduation from high school).

The 1990s saw Superman killed by the villain Doomsday,^[64] although the character was soon resurrected. Doomsday is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics. ^[65] Superman also marries Lois Lane in 1996. His origin is again revisited in 2004. ^[66] In 2006 Superman is stripped of his powers,^[67] although these are restored within a fictional year. ^[68]

Personality

In the original Siegel and Shuster stories, Superman's personality is rough and aggressive. The character was seen stepping in to stop wife beaters, profiteers, a lynch mob and gangsters, with rather rough edges and a looser moral code than audiences may be used to today. Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate Lynching is an Extrajudicial punishment meted out by a mob Lynching an enumerated Felony in some states in the United States, is defined by some ^[26] Later writers have softened the character, and instilled a sense of idealism and moral code of conduct. Although not as cold-blooded as the early Batman, the Superman featured in the comics of the 1930s is unconcerned about the harm his strength may cause, tossing villainous characters in such a manner that fatalities would presumably occur, although these were seldom shown explicitly on the page. Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created This came to an end late in 1940, when new editor Whitney Ellsworth instituted a code of conduct for his characters to follow, banning Superman from ever killing. Fredric Whitney Ellsworth ( November 27 1908 &ndash September 7 1980) was an American Comic book Editor ^[61]

Today, Superman adheres to a strict moral code, often attributed to the Midwestern values with which he was raised. His commitment to operating within the law has been an example to many other heroes but has stirred resentment among others, who refer to him as the "big blue boy scout. Some troops are co-educational for those troops this article is relevant to them " Superman can be rather rigid in this trait, causing tensions in super hero community, notably with Wonder Woman (one of his closest friends) after she killed Maxwell Lord. Maxwell Lord is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ^[69]

Having lost his homeworld of Krypton, Superman is very protective of Earth, and especially of Clark Kent’s family and friends. This same loss, combined with the pressure of using his powers responsibly, has caused Superman to feel lonely on Earth, despite his many friends, his wife and his parents. Previous encounters with people he thought to be fellow Kryptonians, Power Girl^[70] (who is, in fact from the Krypton of the Earth-Two universe) and Mon-El^[71], have led to disappointment. Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American Comic book stories published by DC Comics. Lar Gand, known variously as Mon-El, Valor and M'Onel, is a Fictional character in DC Comics ' universe who is affiliated The arrival of Supergirl, who has been confirmed to be not only from Krypton, but also is his cousin, has relieved this loneliness somewhat. Kara Zor-El is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics and related media created by writer Otto Binder ^[72]

In Superman/Batman #3, Batman thinks, "It is a remarkable dichotomy. Superman/Batman is a monthly Comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then. . . he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him. "^[73] Later, as Infinite Crisis began, Batman admonished him for identifying with humanity too much and failing to provide the strong leadership that superhumans need. Infinite Crisis is a seven-issue Limited series of Comic books written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George ^[74]

Powers and abilities

Main article: Powers and abilities of Superman

As an influential archetype of the superhero genre, Superman possesses extraordinary powers, with the character traditionally described as "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound", a phrase coined by Jay Morton and first used in the Superman radio serials and Max Fleischer animated shorts of the 1940s^[75] as well as the TV series of the 1950s. The powers of DC Comics Fictional character Superman have changed a great deal since his introduction in the 1930s Max Fleischer ( July 19, 1883 – September 11, 1972) was an important Austrian American pioneer in the development of the For most of his existence, Superman's famous arsenal of powers has included flight, super-strength, invulnerability to non-magical attacks, super-speed, vision powers (including x-ray, heat, telescopic, infra-red, and microscopic vision), super-hearing, and super-breath, which enables him to freeze objects by blowing on them, as well as exert the propulsive force of high-speed winds. Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the Air (or movement beyond Earth's atmosphere, in the case of Superhuman strength, also called super strength, super-strength or enhanced strength, is an ability commonly utilized in Fiction. In generalDO NOT ADD INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT CONCERN COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS In Science fiction stories X-ray vision has generally been portrayed as the ability to see through layers of objects at the discretion of the holder of this superpower prod concern = Heat vision does not meet wikipedia notability standards for a work of fiction ^[76]

As originally conceived and presented in his early stories, Superman's powers were relatively limited, consisting of superhuman strength that allowed him to lift a car over his head, run at amazing speeds and leap one-eighth of a mile, as well as incredibly tough skin that could be pierced by nothing less than an exploding artillery shell. ^[76] Siegel and Shuster compared his strength and leaping abilities to an ant and a grasshopper. Ants are social Insects of the family Formicidae and along with the related families of Wasps and Bees belong to the order Grasshoppers are Insects of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. ^[77] When making the cartoons, the Fleischer Brothers found it difficult to keep animating him leaping and requested to DC to change his ability to flying. Fleischer Studios Inc is an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City New York. ^[78] Writers gradually increased his powers to larger extents during the Silver Age, in which Superman could fly to other worlds and galaxies and even across universes with relative ease. The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books predominantly those featuring the Superhero ^[76] He would often fly across the solar system to stop meteors from hitting the Earth, or sometimes just to clear his head. Writers found it increasingly difficult to write Superman stories in which the character was believably challenged,^[79] so DC Comics made a series of attempts to rein the character in. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company The most significant attempt, John Byrne's 1986 rewrite, established several hard limits on his abilities: He barely survives a nuclear blast, and his space flights are limited by how long he can hold his breath. John Lindley Byrne (born July 6 1950) is a British -born Canadian - American author and artist of Comic books Since the ^[80] Superman's power levels have again increased since then, with Superman currently possessing enough strength to hurl mountains, withstand nuclear blasts with ease, fly into the sun unharmed, and survive in the vacuum of outer space without oxygen. Outer space, often simply called space, comprises the relatively empty regions of the Universe outside the escape velocities of Celestial bodies.

The source of Superman's powers has changed subtly over the course of his history. It was originally stated that Superman's abilities derived from his Kryptonian heritage, which made him eons more evolved than humans. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus ^[61] This was soon amended, with the source for the powers now based upon the establishment of Krypton's gravity as having been stronger than that of the Earth. Krypton is a Fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. No longer in existence it is the native world of the super-heroes Superman and in Gravitation is a natural Phenomenon by which objects with Mass attract one another EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 This situation mirrors that of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter. Edgar Rice Burroughs ( September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author best known for his creation of the jungle hero As Superman's powers increased, the implication that all Kryptonians had possessed the same abilities became problematic for writers, making it doubtful that a race of such beings could have been wiped out by something as trifling as an exploding planet. In part to counter this, the Superman writers established that Kryptonians, whose native star Rao had been red, only possessed superpowers under the light of a yellow sun. Rao is a Fictional Sun in the DC Comics Universe. It is the Red dwarf that the planet Krypton orbited The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. ^[81] More recent stories have attempted to find a balance between the two explanations.

Superman is most vulnerable to Kryptonite, mineral debris from Krypton transformed into radioactive material by the forces that destroyed the planet. Kryptonite is a mineral from the Superman mythos originating in the Superman Radio show series Krypton is a Fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. No longer in existence it is the native world of the super-heroes Superman and in Exposure to Kryptonite radiation nullifies Superman's powers and immobilizes him with pain; prolonged exposure will eventually kill him. Kryptonite is a mineral from the Superman mythos originating in the Superman Radio show series The only mineral on Earth that can protect him from Kryptonite is lead, which blocks the radiation. Lead is also the only known substance that Superman cannot see through with his x-ray vision. Kryptonite was first introduced to the public in 1943 as a plot device to allow the radio serial voice actor, Bud Collyer, to take some time off. A plot device is an element introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters (including those in feature films television series animated shorts and Video games) and Bud Collyer (born Clayton Johnson Heermance Jr, June 18, 1908 &ndash September 8 1969) was an American Radio actor/announcer ^[59] Green Kryptonite is the most commonly seen form but writers introduced other forms over the years, such as red, gold, blue and black, each with its own effect. ^[82] Superman has also been regularly portrayed as being vulnerable to attacks of a magical or mystical nature.

Supporting cast

Main article: Superman character and cast

Clark Kent, Superman's secret identity, was based partly on Harold Lloyd and named after Clark Gable and Kent Taylor. Superman, given the serial nature of comic publishing and the length of the character's existence has evolved as a character as his adventures have increased Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate Persona (usually adopting a Pseudonym) while keeping their true identity Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr ( April 20, 1893 &ndash March 8, 1971) was an American Film actor and producer Clark Gable (February 1 &ndashNovember 16) was an iconic American Actor nicknamed "The King of Hollywood" in his heyday Kent Taylor ( May 11, 1906 – April 11, 1987) was an American Actor. ^[83] Creators have discussed the idea of whether Superman pretends to be Clark Kent or vice versa, and at differing times in the publication either approach has been adopted. S T U V Tragedy of the commons --> ^[84][85] Although typically a newspaper reporter, during the 1970s the character left the Daily Planet for a time to work for television,^[85] whilst the 1980s revamp by John Byrne saw the character become somewhat more aggressive. A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends The Daily Planet is a Fictional Broadsheet Newspaper that appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. John Lindley Byrne (born July 6 1950) is a British -born Canadian - American author and artist of Comic books Since the ^[80] This aggressiveness has since faded with subsequent creators restoring the mild mannerisms traditional to the character.

Superman's large cast of supporting characters includes Lois Lane, perhaps the character most commonly associated with Superman, being portrayed at different times as his colleague, competitor, love interest and/or wife. Lois Lane-Kent is the primary love interest in the DC Comics ’ Superman stories Other main supporting characters include Daily Planet coworkers such as photographer Jimmy Olsen and editor Perry White, Clark Kent's adopted parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, childhood sweetheart Lana Lang and best friend Pete Ross, and former college love interest Lori Lemaris (a mermaid). The Daily Planet is a Fictional Broadsheet Newspaper that appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. James Bartholomew "Jimmy" Olsen is a Fictional character, a Photojournalist who appears mainly in DC Comics ’ Superman stories Perry White is a Fictional character who appears in the Superman comics. Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. Martha Clark Kent and Jonathan Kent, also known as Ma and Pa Kent, are Fictional characters published by DC Comics. Martha Clark Kent and Jonathan Kent, also known as Ma and Pa Kent, are Fictional characters published by DC Comics. Lana Elizabeth Lang is a Fictional, Supporting character in DC Comics ' Superman series Pete Ross is a Fictional character who appears in the Superman Comic books published by DC Comics. Lori Lemaris is a Fictional character in DC Comics ' Superman Comic books. A mermaid is a Mythological aquatic creature that is half human half aquatic creature (e Stories making reference to the possibility of Superman siring children have been featured both in and out of mainstream continuity.

Incarnations of Supergirl, Krypto the Superdog, and Superboy have also been major characters in the mythos, as well as the Justice League of America (of which Superman is usually a member). Supergirl is a fictional Comic book superheroine that is depicted as a female counterpart to the DC Comics iconic Superhero Superman Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a Fictional character. Superboy is the name of several Fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. The Justice League sometimes called the Justice League of America or JLA for short is a Fictional DC Comics superhero team. A feature shared by several supporting characters is alliterative names, especially with the initials "LL", including Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Linda Lee, Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris and Lucy Lane,^[86] alliteration being common in early comics. Alliteration is the repetition of the first Consonant sound in a phrase Lex Luthor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Lois Lane-Kent is the primary love interest in the DC Comics ’ Superman stories Kara Zor-El is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics and related media created by writer Otto Binder Lana Elizabeth Lang is a Fictional, Supporting character in DC Comics ' Superman series Lori Lemaris is a Fictional character in DC Comics ' Superman Comic books. Lucy Lane is a Fictional character in the DC universe. She is the younger sister of Lois Lane.

Team-ups with fellow comics icon Batman are common, inspiring many stories over the years. Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created When paired, they are often referred to as the "World's Finest" in a nod to the name of the comic book series that features many team-up stories. In 2003, DC Comics began to publish a new series featuring the two characters titled Superman/Batman. Superman/Batman is a monthly Comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters

Superman also has a rogues gallery of enemies, including his most well-known nemesis, Lex Luthor, who has been envisioned over the years in various forms as either a rogue scientific genius with a personal vendetta against Superman, or a powerful but corrupt CEO of a conglomerate called LexCorp. Not to be confused with Peanut gallery. For other uses see Rogues gallery (disambiguation. Lex Luthor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator LexCorp (originally styled Lexcorp) is the Fictional company founded by billionaire Lex Luthor in the popular DC Comics Superman ^[87] In the 2000s, he even becomes President of the United States,^[88] and has been depicted occasionally as a former childhood friend of Clark Kent. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The alien android (in most incarnations) known as Brainiac is considered by Richard George to be the second most effective enemy of Superman. An android is a Robot designed to resemble a human usually both in appearance and behavior Brainiac is a DC Comics Supervillain that appears in the Comic books published by DC Comics. ^[89] The enemy that accomplished the most, by actually killing Superman, is the raging monster Doomsday. Doomsday is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics. Darkseid, one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe, is also a formidable nemesis in most post-Crisis comics. Darkseid is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics. The DC Universe ( DCU) is the fictional Shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place Crisis on Infinite Earths is a twelve-issue American comic book Limited series (identified as a "12-part maxi-series" and crossover Other enemies who have featured in various incarnations of the character, from comic books to film and television include the fifth-dimensional imp Mr. Mxyzptlk, the reverse Superman known as Bizarro and the Kryptonian criminal General Zod. An imp is a mythological being similar to a Fairy or Demon, frequently described in Folklore and Superstition. Mr Mxyzptlk ( pronounced mɪksˈjɛzpɪtˌlɪk or mɪksˈjɛzˌpɪtɫɪk) sometimes called Mxy, is a Fictional Supervillain who appears in Bizarro is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics. General Zod is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics.

Cultural impact

Superman has come to be seen as both an American cultural icon^[90][91] and the first comic book superhero. His adventures and popularity have established the character as an inspiring force within the public eye, with the character serving as inspiration for musicians, comedians and writers alike.

Inspiring a market

The character's initial success led to similar characters being created. ^[92][93] Batman was the first to follow, Bob Kane commenting to Vin Sullivan that given the "kind of money (Siegel and Shuster were earning) you'll have one on Monday". Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created Bob Kane (born Robert Kahn, October 24, 1915 &ndash November 3, 1998) was an American Comic book artist Vincent "Vin" Sullivan (born circa 1911 died February 3, 1999) was a pioneering American Comic book editor, Artist ^[94] Victor Fox, an accountant for DC, also noticed the revenue such comics generated, and commissioned Will Eisner to create a deliberately similar character to Superman. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company William Erwin Eisner ( March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an acclaimed American Comics Writer, Artist and Wonder Man was published in May 1939, and although DC successfully sued, claiming plagiarism,^[95] Fox had decided to cease publishing the character. Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work Fox later had more success with the Blue Beetle. Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional, American Comic book Superheroes published by a variety of companies since 1940 Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel, launched in 1940, was Superman's main rival for popularity throughout the 1940s, and was again the subject of a lawsuit, which Fawcett eventually settled in 1953, a settlement which involved the cessation of the publication of the character's adventures. Fawcett Comics, a subsidiary of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful Comics publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s Captain Marvel is a fictional Comic book Superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. ^[96] Superhero comics are now established as the dominant genre in American comic book publishing,^[97] with many thousands of characters in the tradition having been created in the years since Superman's creation. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do An American comic book is a small Magazine originating in the United States and containing a Narrative in the Comics form ^[98]

Merchandising

Superman became popular very quickly, with an additional title, Superman Quarterly quickly added. In 1940 the character was represented in the annual Macy's parade for the first time. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual Parade presented by Macy's Department store. ^[99] In fact Superman had become popular to the extent that in 1942, with sales of the character's three titles standing at a combined total of over 1. 5 million, Time was reporting that "the Navy Department (had) ruled that Superman comic books should be included among essential supplies destined for the Marine garrison at Midway Islands. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and "^[100] The character was soon licensed by companies keen to cash in on this success through merchandising. The verb license or grant license means to give permission The noun license is the document demonstrating that permission Merchandising refers to the methods practices and operations conducted to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity The earliest paraphernalia appeared in 1939, a button proclaiming membership in the Supermen of America club. Campaign Button is a 4-track CD EP of songs by the Irish singer/songwriter Fionn Regan. By 1940 the amount of merchandise available increased dramatically, with jigsaw puzzles, paper dolls, bubble gum and trading cards available, as well as wooden or metal figures. For The Rolling Stones song see " Jigsaw Puzzle " A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling Puzzle that requires the A doll is an object that represents a baby or other human being but includes likenesses of animals and imaginary creatures Bubblegum (or Bubble Gum) is a type of Chewing gum especially designed for blowing bubbles. A trading card (or collectible card) is a small Card, usually made out of Cardboard or thick Paper, which usually contains an image of a An action figure is a posable character Figurine, made of Plastic or other materials and often based upon a movie, Comic book, Video game The popularity of such merchandise increased when Superman was licensed to appear in other media, and Les Daniels has written that this represents "the start of the process that media moguls of later decades would describe as 'synergy. Synergy (from the Greek el-Latn syn-ergo, el συνεργός meaning working together is the term used to describe a situation where the final outcome '"^[101] By the release of Superman Returns, Warner Bros. had arranged a cross promotion with Burger King,^[102] and licensed many other products for sale. Superman Returns is a 2006 Academy Award -nominated Superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Burger King ( often abbreviated to Superman's appeal to licensees rests upon the character's continuing popularity, cross market appeal and the status of the S-Shield, the magenta and gold S emblem Superman wears on his chest, as a fashion symbol. ^[103][104]

In other media

Main article: Superman in popular culture

The 1941 theatrical cartoon Superman, produced by the Fleischer Studios. The Superman Animated cartoons, commonly but somewhat erroneously known as the " Fleischer Superman cartoons " were a series of seventeen animated Fleischer Studios Inc is an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City New York.

The character of Superman has appeared in various media aside from comic books. This is in some part seen to be owing to the character's cited standing as an American cultural icon,^[105] with the concept's continued popularity also being taken into consideration,^[106] but is also seen in part as due to good marketing initially. ^[101] The character has been developed as a vehicle for serials on radio, television and film, as well as feature length motion pictures, and computer and video games have also been developed featuring the character on multiple occasions. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The Superman Film series consists of five Superhero films based on the DC Comics character of the same name A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device.

The first adaptation of Superman was as a daily newspaper comic strip, launching on January 16, 1939. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist The strip ran until May 1966, and significantly, Siegel and Shuster used the first strips to establish Superman's backstory, adding details such as the planet Krypton and Superman's father, Jor-El, concepts not yet established in the comic books. Jor-El is a Fictional character from the Superman Comic books, published by DC Comics. ^[61] Following on from the success of this was the first radio series, The Adventures of Superman, which premiered on February 12, 1940 and featured the voice of Bud Collyer as Superman. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. The Adventures of Superman, adapted from the DC Comics character created in 1938 (see Superman) came to Radio as a syndicated Bud Collyer (born Clayton Johnson Heermance Jr, June 18, 1908 &ndash September 8 1969) was an American Radio actor/announcer The series ran until March, 1951. Collyer was also cast as the voice of Superman in a series of Superman animated cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios for theatrical release. The Superman Animated cartoons, commonly but somewhat erroneously known as the " Fleischer Superman cartoons " were a series of seventeen animated Fleischer Studios Inc is an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City New York. Famous Studios, renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios in 1956 was the Animation division of the Hollywood film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 Seventeen shorts were produced between 1941 and 1943. By 1948 Superman was back in the movie theatres, this time in a filmed serial, Superman, with Kirk Alyn becoming the first actor to portray Superman on screen. Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials or Film serials, were Short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a Feature The Superman serial was a 1948 15-part Black-and-white Movie serial starring an uncredited Kirk Alyn (but billed only by his Kirk Alyn ( October 8, 1910 - March 14, 1999) was an American actor best known for being the first actor to play Superman A second serial, Atom Man vs. Superman, followed in 1950. Atom Man vs Superman ( 1950) Columbia 's 43rd serial, finds Lex Luthor ( Lyle Talbot) secretly the Atom Man ^[107]

In 1951 a television series was commissioned, Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, with the pilot episode of the series gaining a theatrical release as Superman and the Mole Men. Adventures of Superman is an American Television series based on Comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel George Reeves ( January 5, 1914 &ndash June 16, 1959) was an American Actor, best known for his role as Superman in the Superman and the Mole Men is a 1951 Black and white film starring George Reeves as Superman and Phyllis Coates as The series ran for a 104 episodes, from 1952–1958. The next adaptation of Superman occurred in 1966, when Superman was adapted for the stage in the Broadway musical It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. It's A Bird It's A Plane It's Superman is a musical with music by Charles Strouse and Lyrics by Lee Adams, with a book by The play wasn't successful, closing after 128 performances,^[108] although a cast album recording was released. A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience ^[109] However, in 1975 the play was remade for television. Superman was again animated, this time for television, in the series "The New Adventures of Superman". This article is about the animated series For the live-action TV series known in the United Kingdom as "The New Adventures of Superman" see Lois & Clark The New 68 shorts were made and broadcast between 1966 and 1969. Bud Collyer again provided the voice for Superman. Then from 1973 until 1984 ABC broadcast the "Super Friends" series, this time animated by Hanna-Barbera. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Super Friends is an American Animated television series about a team of Superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part ^[110]

Superman returned to movie theatres in 1978, with director Richard Donner's Superman starring Christopher Reeve. Superman (also known as Superman The Movie) is a 1978 Superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the Christopher D'Olier Reeve ( September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American Actor, director, The film spawned three sequels, Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987). Superman II is the 1980 Sequel to the 1978 Superhero film Superman. Superman III is a 1983 Superhero film that was the third of five movies in the Superman film series based upon the long-running DC Superman IV The Quest for Peace is a 1987 Superhero film, the last of the Superman theatrical movies starring Christopher Reeve as the ^[111] In 1988 Superman returned to television in the Ruby Spears animated series Superman,^[112] and also in Superboy, a live action series which ran from 1988 until 1992. Ruby-Spears Productions (also known as Ruby-Spears Enterprises) is a Burbank, California -based Entertainment Production company that Superman was a 1988 animated Saturday morning Television series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions and Warner Bros Superboy is a half-hour live-action television series based on the fictional DC Comics Comic book character Kal-El 's early years as Superboy ^[113] In 1993 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman premiered on television, starring Dean Cain as Superman and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane. Lois & Clark The New Adventures of Superman (often called Lois & Clark or The New Adventures Of Superman) is a Live-action American Dean George Cain (born July 31 1966) is an American actor most notable for his role as Clark Kent / Superman in the American Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8 1964) is an American Actress. Lois Lane-Kent is the primary love interest in the DC Comics ’ Superman stories The series ran until 1997. Superman: The Animated Series was produced by Warner Bros. and ran from 1996 until 2000 on The WB Television Network. Superman The Animated Series is the unofficial title of a Warner Bros Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and ^[114] In 2001, the Smallville television series launched, focussing on the adventures of Clark Kent as a teenager before he dons the mantle of Superman. Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. ^[115] In 2006, Bryan Singer directed Superman Returns, starring Brandon Routh as Superman. Bryan Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American Film director and Film producer. Superman Returns is a 2006 Academy Award -nominated Superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Brandon James Routh ( rhyming with mouth; born October 9, 1979) is an American actor and former Fashion model. ^[116]

Musical references, parodies, and homages

See also: Superman in popular music

Superman has also featured as an inspiration for musicians, with songs by numerous artists from several generations celebrating the character. Donovan's Billboard Hot 100 topping single "Sunshine Superman" utilised the character in both the title and the lyric, declaring "Superman and Green Lantern ain't got nothing on me". Donovan ( Donovan Phillips Leitch, born 10 May 1946 in Glasgow) is a Scottish Singer-songwriter and guitarist " Sunshine Superman " is a song written and recorded by Scottish Singer-songwriter Donovan. ^[117] Other tracks to reference the character include Genesis' "Land of Confusion",^[118] the video to which featured a Spitting Image puppet of Ronald Reagan dressed as Superman,^[119] "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" by The Kinks on their 1979 album Low Budget and "Superman" by The Clique, a track later covered by R.E.M. on their 1986 album Lifes Rich Pageant. " Land of Confusion " is a rock song written by the band Genesis for their 1986 album Invisible Touch. Spitting Image was a British satirical Puppet show that ran on the ITV television network from 1984 to 1996 A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a Puppeteer. The Kinks were an English pop and rock group formed in 1963 and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band Low Budget is a 1979 album by the English rock group The Kinks. for other bands of that name see The Clique (band The Clique are a late 1960s U REM is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe ( lead vocals) Peter Buck ( Guitar Lifes Rich Pageant is the fourth album by the American band R This cover is referenced by Grant Morrison in Animal Man, in which Superman meets the character, and the track comes on Animal Man's walkman immediately after. Grant Morrison (born January 31 1960 is a Scottish Comic book writer and artist Animal Man ( Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a fictional DC Comics Superhero. Walkman is a popular Sony Brand used to market its portable audio and Video players ^[120]

Parodies of Superman did not take long to appear, with Mighty Mouse introduced in "The Mouse of Tomorrow" animated short in 1942. Mighty Mouse is an animated Superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. ^[121] Whilst the character swiftly took on a life of its own, moving beyond parody, other animated characters soon took their turn to parody the character. In 1943 Bugs Bunny was featured in a short, Super-Rabbit, which sees the character gaining powers through eating fortified carrots. Clyde Rabbit (uncleMrs Bugs Bunny (wifePapa Bunny (fatherMama Bunny (motherRugs Bunny Super-Rabbit is a Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Bugs Bunny who is Parodying the popular character Superman. This short ends with Bugs stepping into a phone booth to change into a real "Superman", and emerging as a U.S. Marine. ^[122] In 1956 Daffy Duck assumes the mantle of "Cluck Trent" in the short "Stupor Duck", a role later reprised in various issues of the Looney Tunes comic book. Daffy Duck is an Animated cartoon character in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of ^[123][124] In the United Kingdom Monty Python created the character Bicycle Repairman, who fixes bicycles on a world full of Supermen, for a sketch in series of their BBC show. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British Television ^[125] Also on the BBC was the sit-com "My Hero", which presented Thermoman as a slightly dense Superman pastiche, attempting to save the world and pursue romantic aspirations. My Hero is a British BBC Sitcom created by Paul Mendelson and directed by John Stroud. ^[126] In the United States, Saturday Night Live has often parodied the figure, with Margot Kidder reprising her role as Lois Lane in a 1979 episode. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Margot Kidder (born October 17, 1948) is a Canadian-American Film and Television actress best known for playing Lois ^[127] Jerry Seinfeld, a noted Superman fan, filled his series Seinfeld with references to the character, and in 1997 asked for Superman to co-star with him in a commercial for American Express. Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld (born on April 29 1954 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American comedian actor and writer Seinfeld is an American Situation comedy, or sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5 1989 to May 14 1998 lasting nine seasons American Express ( sometimes known as " AmEx " or " Amex " is a diversified global Financial services company headquartered in The commercial aired during the 1998 NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl, Superman animated in the style of artist Curt Swan, again at the request of Seinfeld. The NFL playoffs following the 1997 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXII. professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL Curtis Douglas Swan ( February 17, 1920 in Willmar Minnesota - June 16, 1996) was an American Comic book ^[128]

Superman has also been used as reference point for writers, with Steven T. Seagle's graphic novel Superman: It's a Bird exploring Seagle's feelings on his own mortality as he struggles to develop a story for a Superman tale. ^[129] Brad Fraser used the character as a reference point for his play Poor Super Man, with The Independent noting the central character, a gay man who has lost many friends to AIDS as someone who "identifies all the more keenly with Superman's alien-amid-deceptive-lookalikes status. Brad Fraser (born June 28, 1959 in Edmonton Alberta) is a Canadian Playwright, Screenwriter and cultural commentator The Independent is a British compact Newspaper published by Tony O'Reilly 's Independent News & Media. "^[130]

Literary analysis

Superman has been interpreted and discussed in many forms in the years since his debut. The character's status as the first costumed superhero has allowed him to be used in many studies discussing the genre, Umberto Eco noting that "he can be seen as the representative of all his similars". Umberto Eco (born 5 January 1932 is an Italian Medievalist, semiotician, Philosopher, literary critic and Novelist, best ^[131] Writing in Time Magazine in 1971, Gerald Clarke stated: "Superman's enormous popularity might be looked upon as signalling the beginning of the end for the Horatio Alger myth of the self-made man. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Gerald Clarke is an American biographer His best known works are Capote, about the life of author Truman Capote, and Get Happy The Life of Judy Horatio Alger Jr ( January 13, 1832 &ndash July 18, 1899) was a 19th-century American Author who wrote approximately " Clarke viewed the comics characters as having to continuously update in order to maintain relevance, and thus representing the mood of the nation. He regarded Superman's character in the early seventies as a comment on the modern world, which he saw as a place in which "only the man with superpowers can survive and prosper. "^[132] Andrew Arnold, writing in the early 21st century, has noted Superman's partial role in exploring assimilation, the character's alien status allowing the reader to explore attempts to fit in on a somewhat superficial level. ^[133]

A. C. Grayling, writing in The Spectator, traces Superman's stances through the decades, from his 1930s campaign against crime being relevant to a nation under the influence of Al Capone, through the 1940s and World War II, a period in which Superman helped sell war bonds,^[134] and into the 1950s, where Superman explored the new technological threats. For other uses see Spectator. The Spectator is a weekly British Magazine first published on 6 July Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17 1899 &ndash January 25 1947 commonly nicknamed Scarface, was an Italian American Gangster who World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including War bonds are a type of Savings bond used by combatant nations to help fund a war effort and as a Monetary policy for controlling Inflation from an Grayling notes the period after the Cold War as being one where "matters become merely personal: the task of pitting his brawn against the brains of Lex Luthor and Brainiac appeared to be independent of bigger questions", and discusses events post 9/11, stating that as a nation "caught between the terrifying George W. Bush and the terrorist Osama bin Laden, America is in earnest need of a Saviour for everything from the minor inconveniences to the major horrors of world catastrophe. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Osama bin Laden, with some spelling variations is the name used in English to refer to (أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن born 10 March And here he is, the down-home clean-cut boy in the blue tights and red cape". ^[135]

Clark Kent, argued by Jules Feiffer to be the most innovative feature of Superman

Scott Bukatman has discussed Superman, and the superhero in general, noting the ways in which they humanize large urban areas through their use of the space, especially in Superman's ability to soar over the large skyscrapers of Metropolis. Jules Ralph Feiffer (born) is an American syndicated comic-strip Cartoonist and Author. Scott Bukatman is a Cultural theorist and Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at Stanford University. A metropolis (from the Greek μήτηρ mētēr meaning 'mother' and πόλις pólis meaning 'city/town' is a big City, in most cases with He writes that the character "represented, in 1938, a kind of Corbusierian ideal. Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier ( October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965) was a Swiss Superman has X-ray vision: walls become permeable, transparent. Through his benign, controlled authority, Superman renders the city open, modernist and democratic; he furthers a sense that Le Corbusier described in 1925, namely, that 'Everything is known to us'. "^[30]

Jules Feiffer has argued that Superman's real innovation lay in the creation of the Clark Kent persona, noting that what "made Superman extraordinary was his point of origin: Clark Kent. Jules Ralph Feiffer (born) is an American syndicated comic-strip Cartoonist and Author. " Feiffer develops the theme to establish Superman's popularity in simple wish fulfilment,^[136] a point Siegel and Shuster themselves supported, Siegel commenting that "If you're interested in what made Superman what it is, here's one of the keys to what made it universally acceptable. Joe and I had certain inhibitions. . . which led to wish-fulfillment which we expressed through our interest in science fiction and our comic strip. That's where the dual-identity concept came from" and Shuster supporting that as being "why so many people could relate to it". ^[137]

Critical reception and popularity

The character Superman and his various comic series have received various awards over the years. The Reign of the Supermen is one of many storylines or works to have received a Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award, winning the Favorite Comic Book Story category in 1993. The Death of Superman is a Comic book Storyline (culminating in Superman #75 in 1992 that served as the catalyst for DC Comics ' Comics Buyer's Guide ( (CBG is the second longest-running Periodical reporting on the Comic book industry ^[138] Superman came at number 2 in VH1's Top Pop Culture Icons 2004. ^[139] In the same year British cinemagoers voted Superman as the greatest superhero of all time. ^[140] Works featuring the character have also garnered six Eisner Awards^[141][142] and three Harvey Awards,^[143] either for the works themselves or the creators of the works. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Award is a prize given for creative achievement in American Comic books It is named in honor of the pioneering writer and artist Will Eisner The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman (1924-1993 and coordinated by the publisher Fantagraphics are given for achievement in Comic books The Superman films have, as of 2007, received a number of nominations and awards, with Christopher Reeve winning a BAFTA for his performance in Superman. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Christopher D'Olier Reeve ( September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American Actor, director, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA is a British charity that hosts annual awards shows for film television television craft video games and forms of animation Superman (also known as Superman The Movie) is a 1978 Superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the ^[144] The Smallville television series has garnered Emmys for crew members and various other awards. A crew comprises a body or a class of people who work at a common activity generally in a structured or hierarchical organization ^[145] Superman as a character is still seen as being as relevant now as he has been in the seventy years of his existence. ^[146]

Notes

References

External links

• Official Superman website
• Golden Age, Silver Age and Modern Age Superman at the Comic book database
• Superman Homepage
• Superman Database
• Superman at the Open Directory Project