Friday marks 79 years since Superman first appeared in DC Comics’ Action Comics Series issue #1.
Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1933, when they were high school students in Cleveland, Ohio. They sold Superman to Detective Comics, the future DC Comics, in 1938.
As all comic-book aficionados know, Superman’s origin story said he was Kal-El on the planet Krypton, then sent to Earth in a rocket by his father, Jor-El, moments before Krypton exploded. He was discovered and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Kansas; he decided to use his superhuman powers to help humanity, later moving to Metropolis, where he disguised himself as Clark Kent, a reporter for The Daily Planet. The persona of Clark Kent, a gentle man who wore glasses, was inspired by famous comedian and film star Harold Lloyd.
Other famous characters in the Superman saga include his girlfriend, Lois Lane, and his arch-enemy Lex Luthor; Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman have long been the central heroes of the Justice League of America.
In November 1992, Superman #75 sold over 6 million copies, making it the best-selling issue of a comic book in history; there was tons of publicity over the possibility that Superman might die permanently.
A key figure in Superman’s history was Mort Weisinger, the editor of Superman comics from 1941 to 1970. He made sure that the story was coherent, assigning story ideas, and supervising the introduction of elements such as Bizarro, Supergirl, The Phantom Zone, and different kinds of kryptonite. Weisinger himself was right-wing, and thus avoided current hot political topics because he worried his views would alienate readers. He also introduced letters columns in 1958 so readers felt more connected.
In 2011, DC Comics launched The New 52, in which Clark’s parents were killed by a drunk driver when he was a teenager, and he was not married to Lois Lane; in 2016, DC Comics relaunched its comic book titles with DC Rebirth, in which he was married to Lois. They conceived a son, Jonathan, who would become Superboy.
Superman’s status as a cultural icon is secure; he is often seen as the archetypal American, fighting for truth and justice, protecting the innocent, and trying to behave as self-effacing as he can, especially given his superhuman powers.
There is reams of information about the legendary character, far too much for one article, but suffice it to say that Superman is the font from which all comic book superheroes are drawn.