Superman is a fictional characterA fictional character is any person, persona, identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work or performance. Such existence is presumed by those participating in the performance as audience, readers, or otherwise. In addition to people, characters can be aliens, animals, (see anthropomorphism) gods, an artificial intelligence ...fictional character and comic bookA comic book is a magazine or book containing sequential art in the form of a narrative. Comic books are often called comics for short. Although the term implies otherwise, the subject matter in comic books is not necessarily humorous, and in fact its dramatic seriousness varies widely. The term "comics" in this context does not refer to comic strips (such as Peanuts or Dilbert). In the last quarter of the twentieth century, greater acceptance of the comics form among the general reading populace coincided ...comic book superheroA superhero is fictional character "of unprecedented, physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest.” National Periodical Publications v. Empire Comics, New York Court of Appeals, April 21, 1954. Since the debut of the archetypal superhero, Superman, in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas — have dominated American comic books and crossed over into other media. The term "superhero" usually but not exclusively applies to those ...superhero, originally created by AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states, one federal district, and fourteen territories. The country is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere: its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie in central North America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico ...American writer Jerry SiegelJerome "Jerry" Siegel a.k.a. Joe Carter (October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) was the co-creator of Superman (along with Joe Shuster), the first of the great comic book superheroes and one of the most recognizable fictional characters of the 20th century.Jerry Siegel and CanadianCanada (IPA: /kæn.ə.də/) is the second largest country in the world by total area. Occupying most of northern North America, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Canada shares land borders with the United States to the south and northwest. The lands have been inhabited for millennia by aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored and later ...Canadian-born artist Joe ShusterJoseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10, 1914 - July 30, 1992) was a Canadian-born comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1 (March 1938).Joe Shuster and published by DC ComicsCategory:Comic book publishing companies of the United States Category:Media franchises Category:Time Warner subsidiaries bg:Категория:ДиСи Комикс es:Categoría:DC Comics fr:Catégorie:Univers DC is:Flokkur:DC teiknimyndasögur he:קטגוריה:DC קומיקס hu:Kategória:DC Comics nl:Categorie:DC ...DC Comics. Created in 1932, and rejected by a number of publishers, the character first appearedIn comic books, first appearance refers to the first comic book to feature a fictional character.first appeared in Action Comics #1Action Comics #1 is a DC Comic that was published in April 1938 (cover-dated June). It featured the debut of the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster creation Superman. It is considered the first true Superhero comic, and though today Action Comics is a ...Action Comics #1 (June 1938). With a premise that taps into adolescent fantasy, Superman is born Kal-El on the alienExtraterrestrial life is life originating outside of the Earth. Its existence remains theoretical; there is no evidence of extraterrestrial life that has been widely accepted by the scientific community. Many scientists believe that if extraterrestrial ...alien planet Krypton:Planet Krypton redirects here. For the fictional restaurant, see Booster Gold Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. No longer in existence, it is the native world of the superheroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl. Kryptonians are ...Krypton, before being rocketed to EarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun and is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System, in both diameter and mass. Home to myriad species including humans, it is also referred to as "the Earth", "Planet Earth", "Gaia", "Terra",Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the ...Earth as an infant by his scientist:This article is about the profession. For other uses, see Scientist (other uses) A scientist is an expert in at least one area of science who uses the scientific method to do research. William Whewell coined the word in 1833. Before that scientists were termed "natural philosophers" or "men of science". Scientists are generally motivated, often from childhood, by a desire to understand why the world is as we see it and how it came to be. They exhibit ...scientist father moments before the planet's destruction. Adopted and raised by a KansasThe State of Kansas (IPA: /IPA chart for English|/) is a Midwestern statehttp://www.census.gov/geo/www/ us_regdiv.pdf in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American "Heartland". It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, from the French "Cansez", by explorer Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, and after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited ...Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark KentClark Joseph/Jerome Kent,Note that while Joseph is more commonly used, some sources claim that Kent's middle name is in fact "Jerome"—in honor of creator Jerry Siegel. The name "Jerome" was used in the "Season's Greedings" episode of the television series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures ...Clark Kent, and imbued with a strong moral compass. Upon reaching maturity the character develops superhumanA superhuman is an entity with intelligence or abilities exceeding normal human standards. Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the distant future. Occasionally, it could mean an otherwise "normal" human with unusual abilities, such as psychic abilities or exceptional proficiency at something, ...superhuman abilities, resolving to use these for the benefit of humanity. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic bookAn American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States containing a narrative in the comics form. The standard dimensions are 6 ⅝" × 10 ¼". Since the invention of the comic book format in the 1930s, the United States has been the leading producer with only the British comic books (during the inter-war period and up until the 1970s) and the Japanese manga as close competitors in terms of quantity. ...American comic book. Superman is widely considered to be both one of the most famous and popular comic book superheroes of all time, and an American cultural icon.
While referred to less flatteringly as "the big blue Boy Scout" by some of his fellow superheroes, 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 reporterA journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues and people. Reporters are one type of journalist. They create reports as a profession for broadcast or publication in mass media such ...reporter" for the MetropolisMetropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16, in 1939. Metropolis is depicted as a major american city on the country's East Coast. The co-creator and original artist of Superman, ...Metropolis newspaperA newspaper is a publication containing news, information and advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called newsprint. It may be general or special interest, most often published daily or weekly. The first printed newspaper was published in 1605, and the form has thrived even in the face of competition from technologies such as radio, television, and the Internet. Recent developments on the Internet are, however, posing major challenges to the business model of many newspapers. Paid circulation ...newspaper The Daily PlanetThe Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper that appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. The Daily Planet is based in Metropolis and employs Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen; its chief editor is Perry White. Within the Superman comics, the Daily Planet is depicted as a famous nationally published newspaper of the same ...Daily Planet (the Daily Star in original stories). Here he works alongside reporter Lois LaneLois Joanne Lane-Kent is a fictional character in the DC Comics’ Superman stories. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appears in Action Comics #1 (1938). Lois' physical appearance was originally based on a model hired by Siegel and Shuster named Joanne Carter. Siegel ...Lois Lane, with whom he is romantically linked. 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 continuityIn fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer. It is of relevance to several media. Continuity is particularly a concern in the production of film and television due to the difficulty of rectifying an error in continuity after shooting has completed, although it also applies to other art ...continuity.
The character's cast, powers, and trappings have slowly expanded throughout the years. Superman's backstory was altered to allow for adventures as SuperboySuperboy is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Universe, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. The first, and arguably best-known, Superboy was simply Superman as an adolescent, acting as a superhero in his hometown of Smallville. The character was featured in several series from the 1940s until the 1980s and developed a mythos and supporting cast of his own, including parents Ma and Pa Kent, love interest Lana Lang and the time traveling allies the Legion of Super-Heroes. When DC rewrote ...Superboy, and other survivors of Krypton were discovered, including SupergirlSupergirl is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino as part of Superman mythos in the late 1950s. Several versions of Supergirl appear in comic books, but the best-known incarnation is Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. Like her cousin, Kara is a Kryptonian who possesses ...Supergirl and Krypto the SuperdogKrypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional character; he is Superman's pet dog in the various Superman comic books published by DC Comics. Krypto's first appearance was in a Superboy story in Adventure Comics #210 in March 1955.Krypto the Superdog. In addition, Superman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film. The motion picture Superman ReturnsSuperman Returns is a 2006 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Superman. It was directed by Bryan Singer and stars Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey. The screenplay was written by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris, based on a story by Bryan Singer, Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty. A relaunch of the Superman ...Superman Returns was released in 2006, with a performance at the international box office which exceeded expectations. The character has been revamped and updated, most recently in 1986. John ByrneJohn Lindley Byrne (born July 6 1950) is a British-born naturalised American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero. His best-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic ...John Byrne recreated the character, reducing Superman's powers and erasing several characters from the canon in a move which attracted media attention. Press coverage was again garnered in the 1990s with the Death of Superman"The Death of Superman" is a comic book storyline (culminating in Superman #75 in 1993) that served as the catalyst for DC Comics' crossover event of 1993. The completed multi-issue story arc was given the title The Death and Return of Superman. The storyline's premise is as simple as its ...Death of Superman, a storyline which saw the character briefly killed.
Superman has also held fascination for scholars, with cultural theoristsCultural studies is an academic discipline popular among a diverse group of scholars. It combines political economy, communication, sociology, social theory, literary theory, media theory, film/video studies, cultural anthropology, philosophy, museum studies and art ...cultural theorists, , and critics:See also review. The word critic comes from the Greek κριτικός, kritikós - one who discerns, which itself arises from the Ancient Greek word κριτής, krités, meaning a person who offers reasoned judgement or analysis, value judgement, interpretation, or observation. The term can be used to describe an adherent of a position disagreeing ...critics alike exploring the character's impact and role in America and the wider world. Umberto EcoUmberto Eco (born January 5, 1932) is an Italian medievalist, semiotician, philosopher and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose (Il nome della rosa) and his many essays.Umberto Eco discussed the mythic qualities of the character in the early 1960s, and Larry NivenLaurence van Cott Niven (born April 30, 1938 Los Angeles, California) is a US science fiction author. Perhaps his best-known work is Ringworld (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, utilizing big science concepts and theoretical physics. It also often includes elements of detective fiction and adventure stories. His fantasy includes The Magic Goes Away series, rational fantasy dealing with magic as a non-renewable resource. ...Larry Niven has pondered the implications of a sexual relationship the character might enjoy with Lois Lane. The character's ownershipOwnership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate, intellectual property or some other kind of property. It is embodied in an ownership right also referred to as title. Ownership is the key building block in the development of the capitalist socio-economic system. The concept of ownership has existed for thousands ...ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of legal ownership. The copyrightCopyright is a set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. At its most general, it is literally "the right to copy" an original creation. In most cases, these rights are of limited duration. The symbol for copyright is ©, and in some jurisdictions may alternatively be written as either (c) or (C). Copyright may subsist in a wide range of creative, intellectual, or artistic forms or "works". These include poems, theses, plays, and other literary works, movies, choreographic works (dances, ...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.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (or simply Warner Bros.) is one of the world's largest producers of film and television entertainment. It is currently a subsidiary of the Time Warner conglomerate, with headquarters in Burbank, California, USA. Warner Bros. includes several subsidiary companies, including: *Warner Bros. ...Warner Bros. disputes.
