Superman is one of the most well-known superheroes of all time; there is probably no one who doesn’t know the man of steel. For over 88 years, he has appeared in comics, movies and series. But there is more to him than meets the eye.
Action Comics No. 1 was one of the most important comics of all time. The writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster created Superman in this comic in 1938. Both had already created comics before and according to Smithsonian magazine, also short comic strips featuring Superman.
In 1938, they sold Superman to DC Comics for only 130 US dollars, according to the source. Initially, they did not receive a share for merchandise and other appearances of the character, and only in 1975 did they file a lawsuit and receive compensation: 20,000 US dollars a year, and every Superman product must state: Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
.
This is still the case today. So when you grab a Superman comic, you’ll find this sentence in the comic, usually with the title.
Superman has always been a special comic character.
A Character for Everyone
What made Superman so special at the beginning? In his first issue, Superman was described with the following words: Superman! The champion of the oppressed. The physical miracle that vowed to dedicate his life to helping people in distress.
This was taken literally at the beginning because instead of fighting aliens and other superhuman beings, he dealt with issues that normal people could relate to.
The defense of the weak also took place in a social context. There was a clear stance against anti-Semitism and the threat posed by the Nazi regime in Germany, publishing stories against them. In the comic How Superman Stopped the War (1940), the hero simply grabbed Hitler and Stalin and dragged them to Geneva to be punished for their crimes.
While Superman was initially a very America-focused superhero, that changed over time. Today, if you look at comics or films about the hero, he is the protector of the whole world, even acting against the government or U.S. institutions (as seen in the film from 2025).
Cassandra Burris describes Superman in her article on Ohio History Connection as follows: Shuster and Siegel dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to telling stories full of hope that should inspire people when the situation seemed hopeless.
The character inspired many people, including other authors and artists. Even Stan Lee himself stated that superhero conventions were influenced by Superman.
Even 88 years after the release, he remains one of the most important heroes in the DC Universe.
Superman in the DC Universe
How important is Superman in the DC Universe? Superman has been a key member, often a leader of the Justice League of America since its founding in 1960 in the comic The Brave and the Bold No. 28. He has fought multiple times against world- and multiverse-threatening villains like Darkseid or the Anti-Monitor.
One of his best friends and colleagues is Batman. In 1941, they first appeared together in a comic in All-Star Comics No. 7. In many subsequent stories, their colleague relationship developed into a friendship that resulted in joint comic series. Currently, there is Batman/Superman: World’s Finest by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, which has been running since 2022, where the two legendary heroes experience adventures together.
At the same time, the two are often portrayed as rivals. They fought against each other multiple times, such as in the legendary comic The Dark Knight Returns (1986) or in the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
Another interesting concept is the evil Superman. Besides parodies and inspirations like Homelander from The Boys or Omni-Man from Invincible, DC itself had its own sinister versions of Superman. The most famous are probably Bizarro, Injustice Superman or Ultraman.
This concept intrigues many authors because it rethinks the symbolism of Superman, a symbolism that is still effective today.
The S stands for Hope
What does Superman symbolize? Superman has always been cheesy. He represents hope; that is what the S
(depending on the Superman version) on his chest is supposed to mean. And that describes it quite well. He is supposed to be the seemingly perfect hero who protects the Earth from all dangers.
He is a god who could easily conquer the entire world, but because he was raised to be kind and heroic, he positions himself for the people, for a world he was not even born into. That may seem simple and perhaps even boring, but that is what makes him such a powerful symbol.
In a world full of anti-heroes, bad news, and tragedies, there is a need for a boring
hero, a simple
solution that shows: Somehow, every problem can be tackled.
This was also shown in the film by James Gunn from 2025, which embodies quite well what the character actually stands for.
Superman is not only the blueprint for superheroes as we know them or the shining hero in the DC Universe; he is a symbol that one should do good when one is able to. As an uncle from Marvel used to say: With great power comes great responsibility.
What do you think of Superman? Do you like the DC hero, or do you prefer his darker colleagues? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. If you want to read a comic that shows why Superman is so good, we have a recommendation for you: A villain managed to take down Superman without even touching him – Yet that is one of his best stories

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