Superman, The Man of Steel!

Superman, since his debut in 1938, has become world renown. Just about everyone on the planet (no pun intended) has gained familiarity with the man of steel and his home planet Krypton.

Did Max Gaines, the man most instrumental in bring Super-man to the comics, really know what a worldwide splash he was going to make with his suggestions? It was Max C. Gaines, who brought the character to Dell's publisher, Harry Donenfield. Donenfield scored the comic coup of the century when he published a story written by two teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster- and so "Superman of Metropolis" (the title of their short story they wrote in their own fanzine) was born and the rest is history.

As we all know, Super Man came to earth from the planet Krypton with the name of Kal-el. Being put into a spaceship by his parents, Jor-el and Lara, moments before the destruction of Krypton, he rocketed his way to Earth. Landing in a field in Smallville, Kansas, he was found and adopted by a farming couple, Martha and Jonathan Kent. The Kents raised Clark Kent, as he became known, until he became an adult and moved to Metropolis. It has been said that Metropolis was patterned after New York City, but there is a real Metropolis in Illinois, which claims to be the “Home of Super- man”.

When arriving in Metropolis, Clark Kent became a newspaper reporter at the Daily Planet (was there a pun intended here?). As a reporter, Clark had his finger on the pulse of the city and was therefore, better able to foresee when and where help was needed. It was at the Planet where Clark befriends both Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, whom have figured prominently in most of his adventures over the years.

Superman’s Boy Scout persona, despite his powers and abilities "far beyond those of mortal men," has been a branding characteristic over the years. “Superman's lily-white persona has often been mocked, ridiculed, and spoofed, especially during the past twenty to thirty years of comic book history, when "grim and gritty" comics dominated the market. Superman may seem old-fashioned, quaint, and "whitebread" when compared to the various obsessed "dark avengers" who command the lion's share of the comic book market; but his appeal has lived on, and he continues to be a driving force in the comic book medium after more than sixty years.”

"The man of steel" possesses a number of extraordinary powers, rendering him "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". These powers were limited in 1940s and 50s stories, but grew to god-like powers in 1960s, 70s and early 80s. With his recreation in 1986 however, his powers were reduced to a medium level.

Superman’s powers include: