Superman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, high school students living in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933. They sold Superman to Detective Comics, the future DC Comics, in 1938. Superman debuted in Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, newspaper strips, television programs, films, and video games. With this success, Superman helped to create the superhero archetype and establish its primacy within the American comic book.[1]
The origin story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the alien planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent and imbued with a strong moral compass. Very early on he started to display various superhuman abilities, which, upon reaching maturity, he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity through a secret "Superman" identity.
Superman resides and operates in the fictional American city of Metropolis. As Clark Kent, he is a journalist for the Daily Planet, a Metropolis newspaper. Superman's love interest is generally Lois Lane, and his archenemy is supervillain Lex Luthor. He is typically a member of the Justice League and close ally of Batman and Wonder Woman. Like other characters in the DC Universe, several alternate versions of Superman have been depicted over the years.
Superman's appearance is distinctive and iconic; he usually wears a blue costume with a red-and-yellow emblem on the chest, consisting of the letter S in a shield shape, and a red cape.[2][3][4] This shield is used in many media to symbolize the character.[5] Superman is widely considered an American cultural icon.[1][6][7][8] He has fascinated scholars, with cultural theorists, commentators, and critics alike exploring the character's impact and role in the United States and worldwide. The character's ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of rights. The character has been adapted extensively and portrayed in other forms of media as well, including films, television series, and video games. Actors George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, and Henry Cavill have portrayed Superman in major motion pictures.
Superman debuted as the cover feature of the anthology Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938, published April 18, 1938).[34] The series was an immediate success,[35] and reader feedback showed that Superman was responsible.[36] In June 1939, Detective Comics began a sister series, Superman, dedicated exclusively to the character.[37] Action Comics eventually became dedicated to Superman stories, and both it and Superman have been published without interruption since 1938 (ignoring changes to the titles and numbering).[38][39] A large number of other series and miniseries have been published as well.[40] Sales of Action Comics and Superman declined steadily from the 1950s onward,[41][42] but rose again starting in 1987, peaking[citation needed] in 1992 with the storyline "The Death of Superman". Superman has also appeared as a regular or semi-regular character in a number of superhero team series, such as Justice League of America and World's Finest Comics, and in spin-off series such as Supergirl.
Beginning in January 1939, a Superman daily comic strip appeared in newspapers, syndicated through the McClure Syndicate. A color Sunday version was added that November. The Sunday strips had a narrative continuity separate from the daily strips, possibly because Siegel had to delegate the Sunday strips to ghostwriters.[43] Shuster drew the early strips, then passed the job to Wayne Boring.[44] From 1949 to 1956, the newspaper strips were drawn by Win Mortimer.[45] The strip ended in May 1966, but was revived from 1977 to 1983 to coincide with a series of movies released by Warner Bros.[46]
Siegel wrote most of the comic-book and daily newspaper stories until he was conscripted in 1943.[47] Shuster drew most of the art at first, but as his eyesight deteriorated, he outsourced the work to ghost-artists.[48] While Siegel was serving in Hawaii, Detective Comics introduced a child version of Superman called "Superboy", based on a concept Siegel had submitted several years before. Siegel was furious because Detective did this without having bought the character.[49] After Siegel's discharge from the Army, he and Shuster sued Detective (by then known as National Comics Publications)[50] for the rights to Superman and Superboy. After settling out-of-court for the rights to both characters, National fired the two creators.[51] Siegel was re-hired in 1957 but dismissed again in 1969 after he and Shuster filed a second lawsuit.[52] In 1975, following a public outcry against poor treatment of comic creators, Warner Communications, which had bought National, agreed to insert the byline "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster" into every Superman publication and production.[53] In 2001, National, now known as DC Comics, agreed to add the line "By Special Arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family" as part of a deal with the late Siegel's heirs to retain the rights to Superman.[54]
Superman debuted as the cover feature of the anthology Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938, published April 18, 1938).[34] The series was an immediate success,[35] and reader feedback showed that Superman was responsible.[36] In June 1939, Detective Comics began a sister series, Superman, dedicated exclusively to the character.[37] Action Comics eventually became dedicated to Superman stories, and both it and Superman have been published without interruption since 1938 (ignoring changes to the titles and numbering).[38][39] A large number of other series and miniseries have been published as well.[40] Sales of Action Comics and Superman declined steadily from the 1950s onward,[41][42] but rose again starting in 1987, peaking[citation needed] in 1992 with the storyline "The Death of Superman". Superman has also appeared as a regular or semi-regular character in a number of superhero team series, such as Justice League of America and World's Finest Comics, and in spin-off series such as Supergirl.
Beginning in January 1939, a Superman daily comic strip appeared in newspapers, syndicated through the McClure Syndicate. A color Sunday version was added that November. The Sunday strips had a narrative continuity separate from the daily strips, possibly because Siegel had to delegate the Sunday strips to ghostwriters.[43] Shuster drew the early strips, then passed the job to Wayne Boring.[44] From 1949 to 1956, the newspaper strips were drawn by Win Mortimer.[45] The strip ended in May 1966, but was revived from 1977 to 1983 to coincide with a series of movies released by Warner Bros.[46]
Siegel wrote most of the comic-book and daily newspaper stories until he was conscripted in 1943.[47] Shuster drew most of the art at first, but as his eyesight deteriorated, he outsourced the work to ghost-artists.[48] While Siegel was serving in Hawaii, Detective Comics introduced a child version of Superman called "Superboy", based on a concept Siegel had submitted several years before. Siegel was furious because Detective did this without having bought the character.[49] After Siegel's discharge from the Army, he and Shuster sued Detective (by then known as National Comics Publications)[50] for the rights to Superman and Superboy. After settling out-of-court for the rights to both characters, National fired the two creators.[51] Siegel was re-hired in 1957 but dismissed again in 1969 after he and Shuster filed a second lawsuit.[52] In 1975, following a public outcry against poor treatment of comic creators, Warner Communications, which had bought National, agreed to insert the byline "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster" into every Superman publication and production.[53] In 2001, National, now known as DC Comics, agreed to add the line "By Special Arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family" as part of a deal with the late Siegel's heirs to retain the rights to Superman.[54]
Superman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, high school students living in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933. They sold Superman to Detective Comics, the future DC Comics, in 1938. Superman debuted in Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, newspaper strips, television programs, films, and video games. With this success, Superman helped to create the superhero archetype and establish its primacy within the American comic book.[1]
The origin story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the alien planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent and imbued with a strong moral compass. Very early on he started to display various superhuman abilities, which, upon reaching maturity, he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity through a secret "Superman" identity.
Superman resides and operates in the fictional American city of Metropolis. As Clark Kent, he is a journalist for the Daily Planet, a Metropolis newspaper. Superman's love interest is generally Lois Lane, and his archenemy is supervillain Lex Luthor. He is typically a member of the Justice League and close ally of Batman and Wonder Woman. Like other characters in the DC Universe, several alternate versions of Superman have been depicted over the years.
Superman's appearance is distinctive and iconic; he usually wears a blue costume with a red-and-yellow emblem on the chest, consisting of the letter S in a shield shape, and a red cape.[2][3][4] This shield is used in many media to symbolize the character.[5] Superman is widely considered an American cultural icon.[1][6][7][8] He has fascinated scholars, with cultural theorists, commentators, and critics alike exploring the character's impact and role in the United States and worldwide. The character's ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of rights. The character has been adapted extensively and portrayed in other forms of media as well, including films, television series, and video games. Actors George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, and Henry Cavill have portrayed Superman in major motion pictures.
Superman debuted as the cover feature of the anthology Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938, published April 18, 1938).[34] The series was an immediate success,[35] and reader feedback showed that Superman was responsible.[36] In June 1939, Detective Comics began a sister series, Superman, dedicated exclusively to the character.[37] Action Comics eventually became dedicated to Superman stories, and both it and Superman have been published without interruption since 1938 (ignoring changes to the titles and numbering).[38][39] A large number of other series and miniseries have been published as well.[40] Sales of Action Comics and Superman declined steadily from the 1950s onward,[41][42] but rose again starting in 1987, peaking[citation needed] in 1992 with the storyline "The Death of Superman". Superman has also appeared as a regular or semi-regular character in a number of superhero team series, such as Justice League of America and World's Finest Comics, and in spin-off series such as Supergirl.
Beginning in January 1939, a Superman daily comic strip appeared in newspapers, syndicated through the McClure Syndicate. A color Sunday version was added that November. The Sunday strips had a narrative continuity separate from the daily strips, possibly because Siegel had to delegate the Sunday strips to ghostwriters.[43] Shuster drew the early strips, then passed the job to Wayne Boring.[44] From 1949 to 1956, the newspaper strips were drawn by Win Mortimer.[45] The strip ended in May 1966, but was revived from 1977 to 1983 to coincide with a series of movies released by Warner Bros.[46]
Siegel wrote most of the comic-book and daily newspaper stories until he was conscripted in 1943.[47] Shuster drew most of the art at first, but as his eyesight deteriorated, he outsourced the work to ghost-artists.[48] While Siegel was serving in Hawaii, Detective Comics introduced a child version of Superman called "Superboy", based on a concept Siegel had submitted several years before. Siegel was furious because Detective did this without having bought the character.[49] After Siegel's discharge from the Army, he and Shuster sued Detective (by then known as National Comics Publications)[50] for the rights to Superman and Superboy. After settling out-of-court for the rights to both characters, National fired the two creators.[51] Siegel was re-hired in 1957 but dismissed again in 1969 after he and Shuster filed a second lawsuit.[52] In 1975, following a public outcry against poor treatment of comic creators, Warner Communications, which had bought National, agreed to insert the byline "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster" into every Superman publication and production.[53] In 2001, National, now known as DC Comics, agreed to add the line "By Special Arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family" as part of a deal with the late Siegel's heirs to retain the rights to Superman.[54]
Superman debuted as the cover feature of the anthology Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938, published April 18, 1938).[34] The series was an immediate success,[35] and reader feedback showed that Superman was responsible.[36] In June 1939, Detective Comics began a sister series, Superman, dedicated exclusively to the character.[37] Action Comics eventually became dedicated to Superman stories, and both it and Superman have been published without interruption since 1938 (ignoring changes to the titles and numbering).[38][39] A large number of other series and miniseries have been published as well.[40] Sales of Action Comics and Superman declined steadily from the 1950s onward,[41][42] but rose again starting in 1987, peaking[citation needed] in 1992 with the storyline "The Death of Superman". Superman has also appeared as a regular or semi-regular character in a number of superhero team series, such as Justice League of America and World's Finest Comics, and in spin-off series such as Supergirl.
Beginning in January 1939, a Superman daily comic strip appeared in newspapers, syndicated through the McClure Syndicate. A color Sunday version was added that November. The Sunday strips had a narrative continuity separate from the daily strips, possibly because Siegel had to delegate the Sunday strips to ghostwriters.[43] Shuster drew the early strips, then passed the job to Wayne Boring.[44] From 1949 to 1956, the newspaper strips were drawn by Win Mortimer.[45] The strip ended in May 1966, but was revived from 1977 to 1983 to coincide with a series of movies released by Warner Bros.[46]
Siegel wrote most of the comic-book and daily newspaper stories until he was conscripted in 1943.[47] Shuster drew most of the art at first, but as his eyesight deteriorated, he outsourced the work to ghost-artists.[48] While Siegel was serving in Hawaii, Detective Comics introduced a child version of Superman called "Superboy", based on a concept Siegel had submitted several years before. Siegel was furious because Detective did this without having bought the character.[49] After Siegel's discharge from the Army, he and Shuster sued Detective (by then known as National Comics Publications)[50] for the rights to Superman and Superboy. After settling out-of-court for the rights to both characters, National fired the two creators.[51] Siegel was re-hired in 1957 but dismissed again in 1969 after he and Shuster filed a second lawsuit.[52] In 1975, following a public outcry against poor treatment of comic creators, Warner Communications, which had bought National, agreed to insert the byline "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster" into every Superman publication and production.[53] In 2001, National, now known as DC Comics, agreed to add the line "By Special Arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family" as part of a deal with the late Siegel's heirs to retain the rights to Superman.[54]