Superman

Introduction & Top Questions
The Man of Steel in the Golden Age
Superman in the Silver Age
The modern era

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Christopher Reeve as Superman in a blue suit with red cape and yellow belt, flying with one arm forward against a dark background in a publicity still from Superman: The Movie.

Movie poster for Superman and the Mole Men featuring George Reeves as Superman and Phyllis Coates, with Superman in costume, Coates beside him, and three Mole Men in the background.

Noel Neill as Lois Lane stands smiling beside George Reeves dressed as Superman, with his arm around her, from The Adventures of Superman TV series.

Christopher Reeve as Superman flies over a city at night, wearing a blue suit with a red cape and yellow belt, from the 1978 film Superman.

Christopher Reeve as Superman in costume, flying while holding an American flag and flagpole against a black background in the film Superman.

The Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, Lex Luthor, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.

David Corenswet as Superman stands in costume with a red cape inside the icy, geometric Fortress of Solitude in the 2025 DC Universe film Superman.

A collage of colorful superhero comic book covers featuring Spider-Man, the Silver Surfer, Iron Man, and other characters.

Learn about the evolution of the definition of a hero from ancient Greeks to modern times

Quizzes

Publicity still of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and one of the Flying Monkeys (Winged Monkeys) from the motion picture film "The Wizard of Oz" (1939); directed by Victor Fleming (there were a number of uncredited directors). (cinema, movies)

Iconic Pop Culture Villains Quiz

(Left) Ball of predictions with answers to questions based on the Magic 8 Ball; (right): Rubik's Cube. (toys)

The Dating Game: Which Came First?

USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood

Pop Culture Quiz

The Gold Rush (1925) Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp eating his meal made from his boot in a scene from the silent film. Silent movie comedy written, directed and produced by Charlie Chaplin

Character Analysis

Illustration of Vulcan salute hand gesture popularized by the character Mr. Spock on the original Star Trek television series often accompanied by the words live long and prosper.

Character Profile

Related Questions

How are Supergirl and Superman related?
How did Christopher Reeve’s Superman influence popular ideas about the character?
How did George Reeves become associated with Superman?
How did James Gunn’s Superman aim to change the tone of recent Superman movies?
How did John Byrne reinvent Superman in The Man of Steel miniseries?
How did Julius Schwartz and Carmine Infantino revise Superman in the early 1970s?
How did Lex Luthor’s portrayal change from a mad scientist to a business mogul?
How did Martha and Jonathan Kent become Clark Kent’s adoptive parents?
How did Superman and Supergirl both escape from Krypton?
How did Superman expand from comic books into toys and other licensed products?
How did Superman stories portray the character during World War II?
How did Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent create tension in the stories?
How did Superman’s increasingly powerful abilities make his stories less dramatic in the 1960s?
How did Superman’s success help create the superhero comic-book industry?
How did kryptonite become associated with a person’s weakness in popular culture?
How did the 1976 Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man crossover bring DC and Marvel together?
How did the New 52 reboot change Action Comics and Superman in 2011?
How much did Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster receive for the rights to Superman?
What childhood event was said to have caused Lex Luthor’s hatred of Superman in 1960s comics?
What phrase did Perry White often say in Superman stories?
When did Superman first appear in Action Comics?
When did The Adventures of Superman radio program begin?
When did kryptonite first appear in Superman stories?
Where did Clark Kent grow up before moving to Metropolis?
Where did Clark Kent work in Metropolis?
Which actors played Superman in the 1948 and 1950 movie serials?
Which villains belonged to Superman’s early rogues’ gallery?
Who created Superman for DC Comics?
Who played Superman, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jor-El in the 1978 Superman film?
Who played Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s 2025 Superman film?
Who played Superman in Man of Steel and how did the film reboot the character?
Who provided Superman’s voice in the early Adventures of Superman radio program?
Who were Kal-El’s biological parents on Krypton?
Who were Superman’s main coworkers at the Daily Planet?
Why did Clark Kent move from Smallville to Metropolis?
Why did DC Comics sue Fawcett Comics over Captain Marvel?
Why did Jor-El and Lara send Kal-El away from Krypton?
Why did Superman Returns not receive a sequel?
Why did Superman comics become more family-friendly during the 1950s?
Why did critics and fans object to the darker Superman films of the 2010s?
Why did the tone of Superman II shift between serious and slapstick scenes?
Why is All Star Superman considered an important modern Superman story?
Why is Jimmy Olsen called Superman’s pal?
Why was kryptonite removed from Superman stories in the 1971 overhaul?
Why was the 1978 Superman film a major success?
What is Superman’s real name?
How is Superman able to fly?
How tall is Superman?
When did Wonder Woman first appear in DC Comics?
Who is Black Panther?
Who created Black Panther’s character?
What is Black Panther’s origin story?
Is Black Panther associated with the Black Panthers?
How has Black Panther been portrayed outside of print media?
Who will be the new Black Panther?

Entertainment & Pop Culture Comic Strips & Superheroes

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External Websites

Live About - The Evolution of the Superman Symbol
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction - Superman [character]
CBR.com - Livewire: How the Superman: The Animated Series Villain Shocked the DC Universe

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Superman - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Superman

fictional character

Also known as: Clark Kent

Written by

Michael Eury

Editor of BACK ISSUE magazine and an advisor to The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. Versions of his contributions to The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book...

Michael EuryAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 9, 2026 •History

Who is Superman?

Superman is an American superhero created for DC Comics by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. Superman first appeared in 1938, in Action Comics no. 1.

What is Superman’s real name?

The name given to Superman at birth by his biological parents, Jor-El and Lara, on the planet Krypton is Kal-El. The name given to Superman by his adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, when he arrives in Smallville on Earth is Clark Kent, which continues to be the name of his alter ego.

Where was Superman born?

Superman was born on the doomed planet Krypton to scientists Jor-El and Lara. He was given the Kryptonian name Kal-El at birth.

Who does Superman love?

Superman’s canonical love interest in DC Comics is Lois Lane, who is a coworker of his alter ego, Clark Kent, at the Daily Planet.

How is Superman able to fly?

According to the comics, Superman can fly because of a combination of powers he derives from Earth’s “yellow” Sun and from his extraterrestrial biology. On his birth planet, Krypton, gravity was much stronger than it is on Earth, so Kryptonians developed a physique that could resist its pull. When he’s on Earth, Superman’s physique can defy the planet’s weaker pull easily, and that ability, enhanced by solar energy, allows him to fly.

Why can’t Superman touch kryptonite?

Superman can touch kryptonite, but it emits radiation that severely weakens him and others who, like him, were born on the planet Krypton. Superman’s enemies use his susceptibility to kryptonite against him, and the term entered popular culture as an equivalent to Achilles’ heel.

How tall is Superman?

Superman is generally depicted as being above average height, perhaps 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters) tall. Most of the actors who have portrayed the character onscreen are about this height. The tallest actors to play Superman were Christopher Reeve and David Corenswet, both of whom were 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall.

News •

In another shake-up at DC Studios, Gunn and Safran are out as Skydance appoints Marvel vet Latcham • Nov. 9, 2026, 3:23 PM ET (AP)

Superman, American comic strip superhero created for DC Comics by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. Superman first appeared in Action Comics, no. 1 (June 1938).