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whereas they had earlier died when he was still young. Clark started a relationship
with Lois since he was no longer the one-dimensional weakling from previous
portrayals, and in 1996 Lois Lane and Clark Kent married after nearly 60 years of
courtship.
Lois Lane, introduced in Action Comics #1; Perry White, introduced in Superman #7
(1940); and Jimmy Olsen, introduced in Superman #13 (1941) comprise the core
supporting cast in most Superman stories, and Lex Luthor, Superman’s most recog-
nizable arch-nemesis has been a thorn in Superman’s side since Action Comics #23
(1940). Th e newspaper for which Superman works as Clark Kent, however, was fi rst
called Th e Daily Star in Action Comics #1 and only changed to Th e Daily Planet in
Superman #4 (1940). Likewise the names of Superman’s adoptive parents underwent
frequent changes from John and Mary, to Silas and Mary, to fi nally settle on Jonathan
and Martha in the early 1950s.
Predecessors to Superman can be found in the early science fi ction stories and pulp
comics Siegel and Shuster worked on before successfully pitching the Man of Steel
to M.C. Gaines in 1937. Th e name “Superman” was fi rst attributed to the villain of a
short story Siegel published in 1933 titled “Reign of the Superman” about an out of
work derelict who gains enormous mental powers after being subjected to a science
experiment and uses his newfound abilities to conquer the world. Superman’s appear-
ance and attitude were prefaced by Siegel and Shuster’s character “Slam Bradley” who
fi rst appeared in Detective Comics #1 (1937) as a hard-boiled pulp detective, but ulti-
mately Siegel cites the myths of such heroes as Samson and Hercules as a major source
for their own strong man with powers beyond those of a mere mortal, giving Th e Man
of Tomorrow roots that stretch far back into our cultural past.
Five major motion pictures have been made about Superman, starting with Richard
Donner’s 1979 Superman: Th e Movie and ending with Bryan Singer’s 2006 Super-
man Returns. Th e franchise enjoyed a movie serial in 1948 and 1950, a radio program
running from 1940 to 1951, several cartoon shows, a Broadway musical in 1966, and
four live-action television shows: Th e Adventures of Superman (1952–58), Superboy
(1988–92), Lois and Clark: Th e New Adventures of Superman (1993–97), and Small-
ville (2001–). Beyond these representations have been thousands of product endorse-
ments, toys, games, and merchandise saturating almost every aspect of American
culture. Superman is one of the most widely recognized icons in the world, inspiring
the entire superhero genre. Th e character’s mark can be felt on our very language when
someone refers to something that disturbs or frightens them as their “kryptonite.” With
any form he has taken, from parody to homage, Superman has become an indelible
part of the cultural landscape into the 21st century.
Selected Bibliography: Daniels, Les. Superman: Th e Complete History. San Francisco:
Chronicle Books, 1998; Daniels, Les. DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite
Comic Book Heroes. Boston: Bulfi nch, 1995; Fleisher, Michael L. Th e Original
Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes. Vol. 3. New York: DC Comics, 2007; Yeff eth,
