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- For other uses, see Superman (disambiguation)
Superman, also known as Kal-El, is the Earth-1/Earth-85 version of Superman, not to be confused with Superman: Earth One an Elseworld version. His life is nearly identical, with several differences in his history and personality. Essentially starting in More Fun Comics #101 in first ever origin of Superboy with his parents being powerless back on their home planet Krypton and by names of Jor-El and Lara (instead of original Jor-L and Lora) just like his predecessor Kal-El's origin witnessed many more revisions culminating in Superman #146 and it's most recent and definitive Action Comics #500 version which added some more elements (such as mentioning Lex's origin as well as suns affecting Kryptonian materials as well as beings themeselves). This is the version that became a definitive and default template for most of future versions of the character ever since. From 1945-1948 and until 1985 this is the Mainstream version of Superman.
Biography[]
On the planet Krypton orbiting Red Sun, in the city Kryptonopolis lived scientist Jor-El with his wife Lara and their son, a 1-2 year old Kal-El (who already had some adventures back on their home planet, including meeting for the first time and even defeating his future enemy Brainiac). After unsuccessful attempt to warn science council Jor-El decided to send their son to the planet Earth in order for their son to escape impeding doom. At first mother was meant to be sent along with her child, but at the last moment Lara decided to remain to Krypton with her husband and meet fate of their planet together. Before sending his son Jor-El tried to send their dog (who will be named Krypto later on, on Earth) in an experimental model of the rocket, it got off the cource but eventually landed on Earth just a couple years after the arrival of Kal.
After Kal-El was sent in his rocket and landed on Earth he was found by a couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent, before marriage Martha had second name Clark (and per Siegel she was Hudson, so her full name would be Martha Clark Hudson Kent) and that's why they decided to name the boy Clark Kent and raise him as their own before and after taking him to orphanage in order to adopt him properly. After adoption it became clear that (due to lower gravity of Earth (in most cases difference too noticeble as humans like Lois Lane or Jimmy Olsen could travel on Krypton without any problem), as well as Yellow Sun orbiting this planet) boy has some special abilities (at first only as physical might and invincibility) which motivated Kents to use blankets in which they found the baby to make special play suit for him that he won't be able to destroy as easily as he destroys ordinary clothes. As Superbaby ("The Babe of Steel") grew into a teenager (obtaining sensory powers and flight after enough of dedicated training with Jonathan) clothes were rewired into a superhero costume (which by coincidence had similar design as average costume on Krypton) with Jonathan developing a stylized "S" insignia to would stand for Clark's "professional" name Superboy ("The Boy of Steel"), and in order to conceal his unique abilities from the society Kents helped in developing meek and physically weak persona of "Clark Kent" that would wear glasses (which were also made from the indestructible glass from Kal-El's rocket so that they won't melt from the passive heat of his eyes, later on it was revealed that glasses also dimmed Superman's passive hypnotic abilities which assisted in his double identity hoax), additionally Clark made several Superboy robots that had similar abilities to his own in order to be able to easily being able to solve problems (such as Kryptonite ordeals to which robots were immune) more effectively or to "be" at the two places at the same time and get out of potentially compromising situations. After some time Superboy will find cache of Kryptonian technology, along with Phantom Zone projector that his biological father also sent to Earth.
During his childhood in Smallville he met Lana Lang who was his first romantic interest (and who will be future rival of Lois Lane for the goal of marrying Superman) and Pete Ross, his best and oldest friend on Earth, who will be only person on Earth alive that constantly knew about Superboy's real secret idenity without even Clark knowing about it. At some point in his teenage life Clark finds test rocket that Jor-El sent with a dog aboard, he names dog Krypto which becomes on of his super partners ("The Dog of Steel") ever since. As Superboy he meets with very smart and selfless boy Lex Luthor (who even found an antidote to Kryptonite, a radioactive last remnants of planet Krypton which weaken any Kryptonian on Earth) with whom they became friends at first, but then one day,in a lab accident caused by Lex and which almost killed him Superboy rescued Luthor, but accidentally blew chemicals on him causing Lex to become bald forever, and with his hair gone and blaming solely Superboy, Lex Luthor swore to become the most fierce enemy of Kal-El. Also as Superboy he met and had adventures together , for the first time, with young orphaned boy Bruce Wayne who adopted superhero identity of Flying Fox (which by coincidence is also a name for subspecies of bat), Superboy's costume design seen by Wayne would later on inspire the design of Robin (in this universe Bruce Wayne was the first Robin) and Batman costumes. Also at some point in time Superboy met with his Earth-2 counterpart who was never a Superboy, but Clark Kent and then in the future Superman. Superboy also met with Post-Crisis versions of Superboy and Superman.
As Clark grew older his parents aged more and more and started dying (at first it was simply due to an old age, but in Action Comics #500 it was established as a result of some alien plant infection), first died Martha, then Jonathan on his deathbed (an iconic template since Superman #53) was talking with Clark for the last time (in Superman #146 it was Jonathan telling Clark to use his powers for good, in Action Comics #500 it was about Jonathan telling Clark to move on from it, while the scene itself was also establishing some residual immaturity and lack of self-control for young Clark as he got too emotional). After his parents died Clark decided to move to Metropolis where will resume his superhero activities that which he started in Smallville as Superman ("The Man of Steel)! At Metropolis, still under his civilian persona of a meek (although he will have few "out-of-character" moments in the future) Clark Kent he decides to enroll into Daily Planet, after talking with Perry White and providing "scoop" from himself as Superman in order to get the job. On Daily Planet Kent meets with Lois Lane his sometimes rival as a journalist, who often times dissmissed Clark's attempts to build romantic relationships in favor of Superman (at some point she even met Jor-El and Lara, as well as baby Kal-El during her time traveling adventures), as well as meets Jimmy Olsen a teenager who also works in Daily Planet, who will later become one of the friends for his Superman persona with many bizzare adventures together. At some point Superman finds rocket with his teenage cousin Kara who lived along with her parents on a chunk of planet Krypton that miraculously retained air bubble, on that chunk Zor-El brother of Jor-El with his wife Kara's mother (unnamed at that time in Binder's version, but later on Allura) watched the Earth and Superboy/Superman exploits, which led them to make suit for Kara patterned after Superman. Kal-El put her into orphanage system from which she got her own adoptive family later on, in order for her to properly assimilate with Earthlings.
Some time later a billionaire Morgan Edge(in actuality an Intergang leader and a clone of real Morgan Edge ,created by Darkseid) purchased Daily Planet which became part of Galaxy Broadcasting System. From this point on Clark Kent now became a TV anchor for WGBS-TV with his face now be seen by millions of people, "Clark Kents persona also became much less meek. During this period due to experimental power generation exepriment involved Kryptonite malfunctioned Superman lost 50% of his base powers potency and could travel through time on his own super-speed anymore , while at the same time turning all Kryptonite on Earth into metal similar to iron, after some time more Kryptonite shards landed on Earth or were synthesized, but Superman remained to be less powerful than before, especially during his Superboy period in his superhero carrer, until the very Crisis event, though at some point Clark Kent returned to work as journalist of Daily Planet like before.
Trivia[]
- This Superman was sometimes presented as the same one as in Post-Crisis version since The Man of Steel (1986 mini-series) reboot, despite vast difference, including difference in terms of powers (John Byrne version from mini-series had special bio-electric aura for example, that protected skintight part of the costume making it mostly invulnerable as long as Superman himself has enought yellow sun energy in his body, while Pre-Crisis Superman easily teared any costume that wasn't made from invincible under yellow sunlight kryptonian material).
- This is first Superman who's adoptive parents names were Jonathan and Martha Kent , as well as who's biological parents names were Jor-El and Lara who were powerless back on their home planet. Also first time when Kryptonians were wearing something similar in design to the Superman costume, which later on (through retcon stories) will inspire design of Batman and other superheroes.
- Earth-1 Kryptonians and Humans/Earthlings of Earth were still treated as same exact biological species just one being much more developed than the other. As such even Jimmy Olsen (and other humans) could gain super abilities simliar to ones of this version of Superman, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #64 story written by Leo Dorfman being one of such examples where due to alien planet with unique double suns Jimmy could easily fly and travel at such speeds that it burned his clothing.