See also: Superman (homonymy)

Character of Cartoon equipped with superhuman capacities and first with the the United States of a long descent of Superman, Superman was imagined by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and was published starting from the June first 1938 in the review Action Comics of the editor cd. Comics.

The history of Superman on paper knows several versions of 1938 with today, authors and draftsmen confused. Each new version takes again elements of its predecessors, but brings also his batch of innovations and originality: the meeting of the unit ensured the success of the legend of Superman. It is of course necessary to add to it films, the cartoons and the series: all bring their own vision.

History of the character

Superman is born in 1933 of the inspiration of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two friends who met with the college of Cleveland (Ohio). Impassioned science fictions, they publish a fanzine (a review of weak diffusion) entitled precisely Science Fiction . Siegel writes the scenarios and Shuster illustrates them. It is in this fanzine that for the first time the name of Superman appears, in a history of most astonishing: an insane scientist equips a man with superpouvoirs which becomes cheap and cruel Superman.

After this first completely unperceived version passed, Siegel decides to entirely re-examine its copy: it makes of sound Superman a hero defender of the weak and the oppressed. It adapts also its stories to make them hold in a format comics : indeed, the beginning of the year 1930 sees quickly developing this kind of cartoons in the United States. The editors do not hang however and Superman is found with the wall cupboard.

1934 mark second birth of Superman. Siegel and Shuster develop all the universe surrounding the superman: the origins kryptoniennes, Kal-L (today Kal-El), Clark Kent, Metropolis, Laws Lane, the yellow, red and blue costume with the S red on a yellow pentagon (the whole plated in a symbol on the medium of the chest)… Once again the editors balk to publish. Four years afterwards, Siegel and Shuster are located by the publisher cd. Comics to occupy the pages of the magazine Action Comics .

Before even appearing in Action Comics , the character of Superman underwent many modifications. One is the success which awaits the son of farmers.

Since 1938, Superman remained a character surpuissant defender of the right causes. However, several stages in its long career are to be distinguished.

Kal-L

See also: Ground-II

Ground-II was created at the end of the years 1960, and was supposed being the world in which the first stories of Superman are supposed to be unrolled. It is thus older Superman which saw there, whose name kryptonien is Kal-L (the first name employed to indicate Superman, the Kal-El orthography being adopted more tardily).

Kal-L was the son of Jor-L and Lora (called on the Earth I Jor-El and Lara-El). His/her father sent it on Earth to save it explosion which threatened Krypton, his native planet; the child was found by John (named on the Earth I Johnathan) and Martha Kent who renamed it “Clark”. Clark was put in an orphanage at Smallville, for one more or less long duration, until Kent decide to adopt. After their death, Clark was gone from there to live in Metropolis to seek an employment in the newspaper Daily Star , but its candidature was rejected. It decided to follow the history of Evelyn Curry, condemned to died for murder. Kal-L discovered that it was innocent, and under the identity of Superman, it stopped the true culprit, saving the life of Evelyn. That made of him a national celebrity as Superman and Clark was accepted as journalist with the Daily Star .

He is the only superman with face discovered and yet not recognized (by its close relations and its enemies) thanks to his banal appearance like one of the most appreciated reporters. Superman helped to found the Société of Justice and became an honorary member about it. He ends up marrying with the Lane Laws of Ground-II. During their honeymoon, it tried to cut the hair to him, and when the scissors broke, it became aware of the true identity of her husband but renewed his matrimonial wishes because it liked it. Her husband became also the editor association of the Daily Star .

Superboy (Kal-El)

See also: Superboy

Ground-I was created with the beginning of the year 1960, and was supposed being the world in which the stories of Superman of the Age of Money (and as Superboy) are supposed to be unrolled. It is thus younger Superman which saw there, whose name kryptonien is Kal-El.

Superboy was in the beginning simply Kal-El child and was primarily treated like a version junior of Superman. Indeed, Superboy carried the costume of Superman and its Alter ego Clark Kent carried glasses like disguise for its civil identity. The character was created without the permission of the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, which contributed to deepen a ditch already growing between them and the editor, cd. Comics.

Superboy, appeared for the first time in More Fun Comics #101 (1944), moved then in Adventure Comics. In 1949, Superboy was entitled to its clean comic-book. It is at this time that the supporting characters developed around the hero. The only major characters to appear during the first years were Jonathan and Martha (or " My and Pa") Kent. Starting from Superboy #2, the adventures of Superboy proceeded in Smallville, the USA. Some of the enemies of Superman, like the unpleasant ones of the Phantom Zone, made their first appearances in the stories of Superboy, and others (as Mr. Mxyzptlk) appeared in younger versions.

Crisis one Infinity Earths

See also: Crisis one Infinity Earths

During Crisis one Infinity Earths , all parallel realities of the Univers cd. amalgamated in only one. Certain heroes found themselves from now on without past, while that of some their colleagues was modified. Ground-II thus disappeared, and with it all it to what Kal-L was due.

After the final battle against the Anti-Monitor, Alexander Luthor Jr, the only survivor of Ground-III, revealed in Kal-L that his wife was alive, and transported them with Superboy of Ground-Premium in a paradisiac dimension in which Kal-L was supposed to remain for eternity. However it was revealed in 1999 in the minisery The Kingdom that Superman did not see any more its dimension like a paradise but like a prison. It ends up finding an exit which would not cause the destruction of the Univers cd.. But it decided to still remain in paradisiac dimension for a certain time.

In Infinity Secret Crisis Files 2006 , one shows Kal-L was initially content in the " paradis" right before the depression of Laws by the absence of Power Girl. Seeing that, Kal-L builds a counterpart of the Daily Star believer that would give him more energy. Believer that the " paradis" devoured their consciences, Alex Luthor (colder and distant than ever because it had never had a childhood and by the fact that it was condemned to an exile eternal after having saved the Universe) benefitted from the attention of Superman for Lois to convince with a Superboy-Premium frustrated to leave dimension by breaking the barrier reality, beginning the chain of the events which will culminate with Infinite Crisis . The deterioration of reality by Superboy-Premium very seriously affected the health of Laws.

Man off Steel

In 1986, after the publication of the minisery Crisis one Infinity Earths , on Marv Wolfman (scenario writer) and George Pérez (draftsman), editor cd. decides to give Superman to the last style. With this intention, they engage John Byrne, complete author famous for his services on X-Men and Fantastic Four. In the minisery Man off Steel , Byrne redefines Superman (which forever be Superboy and whose capacities are less powerful), but also its enemies (Lex Luthor, who is not any more one insane scientist but a tycoon of finance, Bizarro…) and his/her friends (Lane Laws, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen…). Then, Byrne draws jointly the new series Superman , like Action Comics , series which will present, every month, Superman associated with another character with universe cd.

This new departure made it possible to give the genesis of the character flat and to reverse the couple Superman-Clark Kent: starting from this series, it is well Superman which is the secret identity of Clark Kent, which made it possible to develop many aspects of the “humanity” of Superman, its sentimental relationships to Lois Lane (see televised series below).

Kal-El (current version)

In the current version of its history, Superman was born on the Krypton planet under the name of “Kal-El”. Still baby, it was placed in a spaceship by his father, the scientist Jor-El, and his/her mother, Lara, because the planet was under the threat of a total destruction.

The vessel left Krypton right before the fateful explosion… At the end of very a long voyage, it lands on the planet Ground. Kal-El is found by a couple of farmers of Smallville, (Kansas). Jonathan and Martha Kent, which do not have a child, then decide to adopt it and maintain the secrecy on its origin.

Kal-El is renamed “Clark Joseph Kent” and grows surrounded by his/her friends Lana Lang (its first love) and Pete Ross until its capacities appear with him at the time of its adolescence.

Young adult, Clark decides to settle in Metropolis to become journalist. He is engaged there by Perry White, the editor association of the Daily Planet . He works there with the photographer Jimmy Olsen and with the principal one to defer newspaper, Lois Lane. This one éprend of Superman but scorns Clark. This one hides its identity of superman behind a naive pace, a broad pair of glasses and clothes.

The day of its arrival with Metropolis, Clark uses its capacities to avoid a catastrophe. Consequently, in the form of Superman, it saves lives, fights the malicious S… to change costume, the comics shows Clark entering a phone box; later, it makes use of a small room of storage of the newspaper. Kal-El is one of the pillars of the Justice League off America like one of the most appreciated supermen.

The death of Superman

See also: the death of Superman

Superman died in Superman (vol. 2) #75, in 1993; this was certainly the leading event more mediatized of the history of the comics. The adversary of Superman was there Doomsday, a creature of ultra-powerful destruction which had begun in a confusion apparently without end through the United States.

It is then ressuscity, at the time of large a saga which saw appearing the current version of Superboy.

Superman knew various appearances, adopting a time the long hair, then a blue costume, corresponding to a modification of its capacities, before returning to a more traditional version and ends up marrying with Lois (the latter having learned its secrecy).

In 2003, the scenario writer Jeph Loeb joins together " the Man of Acier" with his/her colleague of Gotham City in Superman/Batman , series which starts when the two heroes are confronted with Lex Luthor, elected president of the United States, which decided once and for all to eliminate them by throwing discredit upon them, and by sending to their cases other supermen. The series continues since with a new draftsman by arc, exploring solidarity between the two heroes, but also their differences, in particular at the time of the arrival of a news Supergirl.

In 2004, Clark Kent is retrogressed within the Daily Planet and is from now on in charge with the criminal cases and the connection with S.C.U

Currently, several series of comics coexist simultaneously: Action Comics , Superman , Adventures off Superman . Each one has its own intrigues and its own leading line, exploring a particular facet of the hero. Those can cross at the same time in the form of continuation (example: the electoral campaign of Lex Luthor in the numbers of the year 2000), but they tends to function independently, although they belong to the same continuity.

John Byrne returned in 2005 on Superman, fascinating charges the drawings with them with Action Comics .

AlStar

In 2005, within the framework of the label AlStar of cd., Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely launch All-star Superman , a supposed series to tell adventures " iconiques" of Superman, based on the elements of the character that everyone knows and released from any continuity.

Principal stories within the framework of the regular series

• the death of Superman , followed a world without Superman and the return of Superman (1992-1993). ('' " The death of Superman" '')

derived Mini-series and series

• Kingdom Like , mini-series of Mark Waid and Alex Ross, being held in the future where Superman which was withdrawn must return to face a new generation of quarrelsome hero.
• Superman - Red Its (2003): if the capsule of Kal-El of before Crisis had fallen in the USSR. This Uchronie inside the Superman universe makes it possible to conclude in an ironic way on the bonds between Lex Luthor and Superman.
• Superman: Birthright (2003-2004): tell the first years to defer of Clark Kent, then its arrival with Metropolis vis-a-vis his/her former friend Lex Luthor who wants to benefit from the Krypton technology. This series was launched thanks to the success of Smallville , and constitutes the fourth origin of the character of Superman (after those of 1938,1944 and 1986). Published in France by Semic in the homonymous review, then in the monthly review Superman of Panini.
• Superman: Secrecy Identity (" Identity secrète" in VF), mini-series which tells under the feather of Kurt Busiek and the brush of Stuart Immonen history of an young man baptized Clark Kent which is discovered the capacities of Superman. Published in France by Semic in bookstores, then continued by Panini.
• Superman: End off Century (" End of siècle" in VF) one-shot scenarized and painted by Stuart Immonen, an adventure of Superman confronted with the stories of family and magic of Lex Luthor and its ex-wife, whereas the festivities of the new millenium approach. Published in France by Semic in bookstores.

Characteristics

Superman is also called " The Man of Acier" ( The Man off Steel ) and " The Man of Demain" ( The Man off Tomorow ).

The symbol on the chest of Superman forms an S, but in the history, it is supposed being a symbol kryptonien meaning " Hope ". This symbol has usually a yellow bottom, but it has some times replaced by a black bottom when Superman carried mourning.

The capacities of Superman are conferred to him by the yellow sun of the Earth of which it absorbs radiations and thanks to the terrestrial attraction for some. All kryptonien exposed to the sun in the same way can acquire the same capacities (Superman fought some).

Superman is equipped:

• of a super-force allowing him to raise very heavy objects or to even move small stars.
• of a super-speed which enables him to move practically as quickly as the light.
• of a invulnerability thanks to which it can resist fire, the balls, the high pressures, with heat, cold, with nuclear explosions etc…
• of the possibility of stealing more quickly than the sound.
• of supervision giving him possibility to see with thousands of kilometers or to observe things microscopic, as through objects (except those which are out of lead) and to see in the total black.
• of a thermo-vision allowing him to heat a target with its eyes.
• of a super-hearing thanks to which he hears conversations in a ray of several hundred kilometers of distance, and can locate the most negligible noises.
• of a super-breath thanks to which it can freeze of the objects.
• of a super-memory which enables him to remember all that arrived to him during its life, of speaking all the languages, and very quickly assimilating those which it learned forever

Weak points

The principal weak point of Superman is the Kryptonite , fragment of the Krypton planet unfortunately arrived with him on Earth. It exists various colors of which some have an effect specific, often harmful, on the superman or other Kryptoniens. Lead protects Superman from the effects of the Kryptonite.

Superman is also vulnerable to the magic .

It loses its super-capacities when it is under radiations of a red sun , such that which lit Krypton.

Its super-capacities are decreased under a orange sun .

Superman is also disturbed and vulnerable the day of sound birthday kryptonien

Celebrates celebrated in the beginning every six years kryptoniennes, the birthday kryptonien is translated in the superman by depressions and a loss of contôle of its capacities.

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