Superman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Superman
Superman in Superman: Secret Origin #6 (October 2010). Art by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Action Comics #1 (cover date June 1938 / published April 18, 1938)
Created by	Jerry Siegel (writer) Joe Shuster (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Kal-El (birth name) Clark Joseph Kent (adopted name)
Species	Kryptonian
Place of origin	Kryptonopolis (Krypton) Smallville / Metropolis (Earth)
Team affiliations	Justice League Legion of Super-Heroes Superman Family
Partnerships	Supergirl Superboy Superdog (Krypto) Batman Wonder Woman
Notable aliases	The Man of Steel The Last Son of Krypton The Man of Tomorrow
Abilities	See list Vast superhuman strength Superhuman hearing, durability, and longevity Superhuman vision Heat vision Electromagnetic spectrum vision Microscopic vision X-ray vision Telescopic vision Infrared vision Superhuman breath Freeze breath Wind breath Superhuman speed Superhuman agility Superhuman reflexes Invulnerability Healing Factor Flight Space survivability Superhuman intelligence

Library of Congress celebration of Action Comics and Superman

Superman is a very famous comic book character. He is often called the first modern superhero. Two friends, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, created him in 1932. They were still in high school at the time.

Superman first appeared in a comic book called Action Comics #1 in 1938. Since then, he has been in many movies, TV shows, cartoons, and even radio shows. Superman is one of the most popular superheroes from DC Comics.

Superman's Story

San Diego Comic-Con 2012 - Superman

Superman comes from a faraway planet called Krypton. His birth name was Kal-El. His father, Jor-El, discovered that Krypton was about to explode. To save his baby son, Jor-El sent Kal-El to Earth in a small spacecraft.

A kind couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent, found Kal-El. They adopted him and named him Clark Kent. The Kents raised him on their farm in Smallville, Kansas. There's even a TV show called Smallville about his teenage years.

His Amazing Powers

As Clark grew up, he learned he had incredible powers. He is invulnerable, meaning he cannot be hurt easily. He is super strong and can lift almost anything. Superman can also fly and move faster than a bullet.

He has special vision powers, like X-ray vision to see through walls. His heat vision lets him shoot heat beams from his eyes. He can also freeze things with his frost breath. His super-breath can create powerful winds.

Clark decided to use his powers to help people. He fights crime and saves those in danger. He wears a blue and red costume and a cape. This helps keep his true identity, his alter ego, a secret. Superman has saved the entire world many times!

Life in Metropolis

Later, Superman moved to a big city called Metropolis. He became a reporter for a newspaper called the Daily Planet. There, he met and fell in love with another reporter, Lois Lane.

Superman's Weaknesses

Even Superman has weaknesses. One major weakness is a special radioactive rock from his home planet. It is called "kryptonite". Kryptonite makes him very weak and he loses his powers. His enemies often use it against him.

There are different kinds of kryptonite:

• Green kryptonite slowly harms him.
• Blue kryptonite lets people control him with hypnosis.
• Black kryptonite can make him evil.
• Red kryptonite has many strange and different effects.
• There are also gold, white, and jewel kryptonite.

Another weakness for Superman is magic. Some of his enemies use magic to hurt him.

Friends and Foes

Superman's Enemies

Superman has many dangerous enemies. His main enemy is a very smart but evil man named Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor is bald and always tries to defeat Superman.

Other powerful enemies include:

• Bizarro: A strange, imperfect copy of Superman from another dimension.
• Darkseid: A very powerful ruler from the planet Apokolips.
• General Zod: A villain who also comes from Superman's home planet, Krypton.

Team-Ups

Superman is also a founding member of the Justice League. This team of superheroes works together to protect the Earth. Other members include Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, and Martian Manhunter.

Images for kids

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  Inked cover of The Superman, a rejected 1933 comic story idea by Siegel and Shuster

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  Various enemies of Superman, from a comic book cover (art by Dan Jurgens)

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  A building with a painted picture of Barack Obama dressed as Superman.

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  Superman shown affected by AIDS, in an awareness campaign.

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  Clark Kent, Superman's secret identity.

See also

In Spanish: Superman para niños