- For the hero of the DC Universe, see Clark Kent.
Clark Joseph Kent (born Kal-El), known to the public as Superman, is a fictional superhero created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
History[]
Superman made his debut in Action Comics in 1938.
Superman is cited by Hollis Mason as his chief inspiration for becoming a costumed adventurer, having read the first issue of Action Comics. Mason is particularly fascinated by Superman, whose story presents the same basic morality as pulp fiction without its inherent darkness, ambiguity, and repressed sexual urges.
Although Superman comics saw enormous success in the beginning, the character eventually faded into obscurity along with other comic book superheroes due to the emergence of real-world costumed heroes. Superman is only remembered by comic readers growing up in the 1930s and 1940s.
Trivia[]
- Superman is regarded as the greatest superhero in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman is often considered the archetypal comic book superhero, with his debut often seen as the start of the Golden Age of Comic Books.
- In the Watchmen universe (with the exception of the DC Timeline) Superman and his cohorts in the DC Universe are fictional characters.
- Although early superhero comic characters such as Superman first saw enormous success, they faded into obscurity due to the emergence of real-world costumed heroes. According to the following comment made by Hollis Mason in Under the Hood: "Of course all these old characters are gone and forgotten now, but I'm willing to bet there are at least a few older readers out there who will remember enough to know what I am talking about." In the real world, the superhero genre has been anything but brief. In the 21st century, it is arguably experiencing its greatest success.
