Superman – One Of The Most Iconic Superheroes In American Culture

Superman, the world’s first comic book superhero, has been a staple of American media culture since his debut in 1938. Similarly to the epic hero Beowulf, Superman fights against the evils of the world to establish peace and protect others. Superman, named Kal-El, was born on the planet Krypton. His parents, Jor-El and Lara, constructed a spacecraft to send Kal-El to Earth and save him from the imminent explosion of Krypton. As the planet explodes, Kal-El is launched into space, and the debris of the explosion releases kryptonite (a radioactive material that weakens Superman). Kal-El soon landed on Earth in the rural town of Smallville, Kansas, where he was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent. They adopted Kal-El and named him Clark Kent. Jonathan and Martha learned about Clark’s superhuman abilities and encouraged him to use his powers to protect humanity. Clark takes on the alter ego of Superman, while keeping his true identity a secret to protect his loved ones.

Clark Kent lives a double life, working at the Daily Planet as a reporter while also protecting the world from crime and infamous supervillains. At the Daily Planet, Clark Kent meets reporter Lois Lane, who often wrote articles about Superman’s great acts. Clark Kent and Lois Lane fall in love with each other, although he never reveals Superman to her. In comic The Brave and the Bold #28, Superman joins the Justice League along with several other superheroes such as Batman, Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman. Together, the Justice League protects the Earth and the universe from all incoming threats. Jimmy Olsen is another one of Superman’s trusted aides. He works alongside Lois Lane in the Daily Planet and has a strong friendship with Superman. He was gifted a special watch that creates a frequency only Superman can hear and summons Superman to his location. Jimmy Olson has had many adventures with Superman and has been a sidekick for him. <br> Superman has fought several loathsome, violent supervillains throughout his lifetime. One of Superman’s most powerful villains is General Zod, another Kryptonian with similar abilities to Superman. At the end of the movie Man of Steel, Superman comes face to face with General Zod and the two proceed throw punches at each other mercilessly. Superman is faced with a dilemma of choosing between killing Zod or letting innocent people die. To many, Superman is conceived to be a symbol of peace and justice. His biggest struggle against the evil villains is sticking to his morals and values. Superman does not kill anyone because it is not his job to be an executioner. Having the self-control to not kill those he hates, even if they kill innocent people, is Superman’s greatest struggle against evil. Additionally, Superman struggles to protect the ones he loves and trusts from the violence of supervillains. If Clark Kent were to reveal to others that he is Superman, then supervillains would go after his family and friends. Superman struggles to keep loved ones like Lois Lane out of the hands of evil in several comics, proving to be a considerable conflict in his life.

While Superman is a part of the Justice League, he often considers himself to be an outsider. Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton, using his glasses and business clothes to hide himself as Clark Kent. One of his biggest conflicts is learning to live on Earth with other humans and adapting to what they do. Superman wants to be a human, but he knows that he has a duty to protect others. Despite acting and looking human, he struggles to relate to mankind because of his super powers. After Superman saves humanity from different situations, humans view him as a god and savior of mankind. They are assured that he can save them from any danger. In Superman Returns, Superman is met with a large crowd of people applauding him for saving an airplane from crashing down on top of a baseball field. For his actions, he receives several titles such as “The Man of Steel” and “The Man of Tomorrow. ” While Superman does not seem naturally bonded to humans, it does not stop them from praising him for his hard work.

Superman has become one of the most iconic and greatest superheroes in American culture. Over 1000 issues of Superman comics have been released and new stories continue to be published. Although he is not from Earth, Superman has learned the best of what it means to be human and the morals and values one must abide to. To this day, Superman continues to be an inspirational figure for children and superhero fanatics alike.