character creation
Superman is the brainchild of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. They created it in the 30s, and despite what it may seem, born a villain. However, 17 publishers rejected the project until finally, Siegel and Shuster decided to transform it into a superhero, and that is when they managed to sell the idea to DC Comics.
The character of Superman is highly influenced by the jewish roots of its creators. Kryptonian names themselves are based on Judaism, with “Kal-El” sounding very similar to “The voice of God” in Hebrew The fact that he escaped his planet in a ship is based on the Old Testament, specifically the Moses story, which is placed by his mother in a basket on the Nile River so that he will not be killed by the Egyptians. In addition, the hero is born at a very delicate moment in history for the Jews. Siegel and Shuster pinned their hopes on Superman to end Hitler’s tyranny. The fact that Clark Kent has to hide their true identity It was a phenomenon that many Jews also had to do during the Nazi Germany so as not to end up stepping on a concentration camp. However, in more recent versions of the character, such as the version of Zack Snyder on Man of Steel (2013), the character is approached from a more christian perspectivesymbolizing Jesus Christ on numerous occasions, something also seen in Smallville (2001).
The character of Superman has suffered numerous transformations over the decades, so the story will have variations depending on the comic series we read, or the movie we put on television. However, we will make a portrait as homogeneous as possible of the character in this article.
Biography
Origin and birth
Superman’s given name is Kal-El, and his origin is the planet kryptonfirst mentioned in Action Comics #1in 1938. Kal-El’s biological father was Jor-El and he was a scientist. His son was begotten by his wife, Lara Lor-Vanonly, unlike humans, Kryptonians were incubated.
During one of his investigations, Jor-El discovers that the planet Krypton is going to explode. As a desperate move, Jor-El places his son on a ship and directs it to planet earth, in the hope that he has any chance of surviving. Krypton finally implodes, and all of its life forms perish instantly.
Little Kal-El is actually born on our planet, when his ship crash lands on Smallville, a small rural town in Kansas, in the United States. The baby is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a young married couple. The two decide to adopt the little boy and call him Clark. However, they instantly realize that he is not a normal boy, as they believe that he has ended up there after some kind of military experiment.
Adolescence
As Clark Kent grows older, the boy begins to develop superhuman abilitiesyes At about age 18, Clark discovers his true identity when he visits the probe he landed on Earth. There, a holographic projection of his biological father explained his origin and his role in life.
From there, and gradually discovering his powers, Clark begins to use his abilities to help others. However, his adoptive parents quickly realize that it is a risk for them that Clark exposes himself in such a transparent way. It is then that they decide that he uses his powers only under a secret identity. In this way, Superman can protect his loved ones, since it eliminates the possibility that his relatives will be used as blackmail.
adult life
Finally, Clark Kent studies and starts a new life in metropolisa large city, where he gets a job as a journalist in the DailyPlanet. There he meets Perry White, director of the newspaper, Jimmy Olsen, the photographer and also Lois Lane, his co-worker, who falls in love with him and Superman at the same time, creating a somewhat strange love triangle.
Work like reporter It allows Clark to be totally up to date with what is going on in the world, always being alert to be able to intervene quickly. However, it won’t be easy keep your identity secret at your job. Lois will be the first to know the truth, while characters like Jimmy will never get to connect the dots.
In Metropolis, Superman will face all kinds of villains, especially lex luthor, a scientist with a brilliant mind, with megalomaniacal plans to take over the universe and who will not hesitate in the slightest to end the life of our superhero. luthor arrives at discover all of Superman’s weak points —both kryptonite and his weakness for Lois Lane— and is considered one of the most fearsome villains in the entire DC Universe.
Superman Powers and Weaknesses
Superman’s powers are given by the radiation from our sunwhich radiates a different energy than that received by the ancient inhabitants of Krypton.
What powers does the Man of Steel have?
Throughout his entire history, Superman has come to have superpowers of all kinds, some even very absurd. However, in general terms, these are the most common powers of Superman:
- Super strength: although some comics even dared to quantify the strength of the kryptonian, what we get clear is that the man of steel has superhuman strength,
- Super velocity: Superman is capable of transporting himself from one end of the planet to the other in a matter of seconds. He is so fast that he is even able to break the time barrier, which means that our hero is even faster than light.
- Flight: The Man of Steel is propelled by the fact that the Sun and the Earth have less gravitational force than that of his home planet.
- Laser rays: he can control at will laser beams that come out of his eyes that can burn.
- X-rays: He can also see through things (although when he goes as Clark Kent, he has to surreptitiously lower his glasses). The radiation from Superman’s eyes does not seem to affect humans in a negative way, and he cannot pass through lead.
- Invulnerability: Superman resists heat, cold, bullets and any type of attack. His clothes are also protected by an aura that protects his body even a few millimeters beyond his skin.
- super hearing: He is able to hear by expanding his range of hearing. Also, you can select what you want to hear while completely ignoring the noise.
- Immortality– Apparently, Superman can’t die naturally. However, we have seen numerous times how various villains have ended the life of the superhero.
weaknesses
superman is only weak to kryptonite, an original mineral from his home planet. The best known and most used kryptonite is green, which is discovered by Lex Luthor. However, in the comics and some television series, other kryptonites have also been used to have other effects on the superhero. There are tens, many used only in a single number. The three most important are the following:
- Green Kryptonite– Completely removes Superman’s superpowers, turning him into what a standard human would be. With the influence of this mineral, Superman can die if he is injured.
- Red Kryptonite: Since its appearance in 1959, the writers have given it multiple qualities. Turning him evil is the most classic, but it has also been used to override his will.
- Black Kryptonite: Created in the laboratory, the idea was to unfold the personality of the hero. In the Smallville series, Lex Luthor uses it and ends up having an effect on humans as well.
