Superman is a fictional superhero (Opens in a new window), who first appeared in American comic books (Opens in a new window) published by DC Comics (Opens in a new window). The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel (Opens in a new window) and artist Joe Shuster (Opens in a new window), and first appeared in the comic book Action Comics #1 (Opens in a new window) (cover-dated (Opens in a new window) June 1938 and published April 18, 1938).[1] (Opens in a new window) Superman has been adapted to a number of other media which includes radio serials, novels, movies, television shows and theatre.

Superman was born on the planet Krypton (Opens in a new window) and was given the name Kal-El at birth. As a baby, his parents sent him to Earth (Opens in a new window) in a small spaceship moments before Krypton was destroyed in a natural cataclysm. His ship landed in the American countryside, near the fictional town of Smallville (Opens in a new window). He was found and adopted by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent (Opens in a new window), who named him Clark Kent. Clark developed various superhuman abilities, such as incredible strength and impervious skin. His adoptive parents advised him to use his abilities for the benefit of humanity, and he decided to fight crime as a vigilante (Opens in a new window). To protect his privacy, he changes into a colorful costume and uses the alias "Superman" when fighting crime. Clark Kent resides in the fictional American city of Metropolis (Opens in a new window), where he works as a journalist for the Daily Planet (Opens in a new window). Superman's supporting characters (Opens in a new window) include his love interest (Opens in a new window) and fellow journalist Lois Lane (Opens in a new window), Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen (Opens in a new window) and editor-in-chief Perry White (Opens in a new window). His classic foe is Lex Luthor (Opens in a new window), who is either a mad scientist or a ruthless businessman, depending on the story.

Although Superman was not the first superhero character, he popularized the superhero archetype and established its conventions. Superheroes are usually judged by how closely they resemble the standard set by Superman. He was the best-selling superhero character in American comic books up until the 1980s.[2] (Opens in a new window)