Superman: Son of Krypton

Jan 8

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Real name: Kal-El (Kryptonian name)/ Clark Joseph Kent (Earth Name)
Occupation: Reporter and novelist
Base of Operations: Metropolis, USA
Marital Status: Married (Lois Lane)
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 225
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
First Appearance: ACTION COMICS #1 (June 1938)

Superman by Alex Ross
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Superman Rendition
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10 Things We Might Not Know About SUPERMAN

By Alan Kistler1. It’s not just about the glasses.Clark’s disguise isn’t as simple as slicked back hair and glasses. The lenses of his glasses are slightly tinted, changing the shade of his eyes. Thanks to incredible control over his muscles and vocal cords, Superman actually gives himself a different voice when he’s Clark Kent. Looser clothing and slouching over gives a different impression of his body. And thanks to studying some acting techniques, he completes the disguise by employing very different body language as Clark. There’s also the advantage of our next fact …2. Clark Kent and Superman HAVE been seen together.

The DC Universe has heroes with various abilities. On occasion, friends of Superman who have the ability to shape-shift have masqueraded as Clark Kent, allowing the famous reporter and the Man of Steel to be seen and photographed together. To the general public, they are friends who simply bear a great resemblance to each other.

3. The “S” isn’t just for Superman.

The famous S-shield is not just Superman’s family crest. First hinted at in the 1978 feature film, in the comic book story “Superman: Birthright” and the series “52,” we learned that it’s also a Kryptonian symbol that means “hope.” Interestingly, drawing the S-shield upside down changes the meaning to “resurrection.”

4. Even superheroes need safeguards.

Clark actually wasn’t thinking about secret identities when he started wearing glasses as a freshman in high school. Around this time, Clark’s full powers were finally emerging and he had a tough time learning how to control them. Martha Kent had noticed that his heat-vision didn’t burn through the rocket that had brought him to Earth, so she took glass pieces from its window and put them into frames. Now if Clark’s heat-vision ever sparked up accidentally when he got excited, the glasses would block it and no one else would be the wiser.

5. It wasn’t always the “American way.”

Originally, Superman’s catchphrases called him the “champion of the oppressed” and said he was dedicated to “truth and justice.” Folks didn’t say he also fought for “the American Way” until the 1940s during radio broadcasts of that era, and the phrase became an iconic part of Superman lore when the TV series starring George Reeves began airing in the 50s.

6. Superman’s a time traveler.

As a kid in high school, Clark was visited by the Legion of Super-Heroes, super-powered teens from the 30th century who had been inspired by his legend. Seeing he was desperate for a chance to hang out with kids who were more like him, the Legion regularly brought Clark into the far future to join them in adventures. Whenever Clark returned home, part of his memories were clouded so he couldn’t alter his own future. These trips with the LSH helped Superman learn to become a hero and are part of the reason he maintains an optimistic view of the human race. He believes we’re worth it because he’s seen what we achieve 1,000 years from now.

7. He wasn’t always able to fly.

When Superman first appeared in 1938, the comic said that he was incredibly strong, could withstand anything less than a bursting shell from a tank, and was able to leap 1/8th of a mile. And that was it! His ability to fly first showed up in the radio series and his original cartoons. In the comics, he officially gained the ability to fly in 1941, nearly two years after his first story. In the years since his creation, he’s been given new abilities and had some later taken away. Nowadays, his arsenal includes heat-vision, incredible strength/stamina, enhanced senses, X-Ray vision, arctic breath, super-speed, increased healing, near-complete body/muscle control, and a skin-tight force-field that makes him invulnerable to most forms of harm.

8. He didn’t always date Lois Lane.

Reporter Lois Lane is his wife, but she wasn’t the first one to capture Superman’ attention and heart. In high school, Clark had deep feelings for his best friend Lana Lang, who was also the first person outside of his foster parents to learn about his strange powers. As a teen, Clark also had a crush on Saturn Girl, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. In college, he seriously dated a girl named Lori Lemaris, who turned out to be a mermaid from Atlantis. During a time travel adventure to Krypton’s past, Superman became involved with Lyla Lerrol, a famous Kryptonian actress. And for a while, Superman had a crush on Wonder Woman (hey, who wouldn’t?).

9. Batman owns Superman.

Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but you’d be surprised how much Bruce Wayne is a part of Clark’s life. Bruce owns the building that Clark and Lois live in and, in fact, gave them their apartment as a wedding gift. And some years ago when it needed a new financial backer, Wayne Enterprises bought the Daily Planet newspaper, where Lois and Clark both work.

10. Kryptonite isn’t his only weakness.

Superman has faced many alien and superhuman enemies whose strength rival his own and whom have been able to injure him. Since he draws his power from our yellow sun, standing in the light of a red sun (such as the one Krypton orbited) immediately robs Superman of his powers, leaving him vulnerable to fists and bullets like anyone else. Clark also lives in a world where magic is real and simply being an alien offers no special protection against most sorcery. In fact, the chaotic energies of magic disrupt his force-field, meaning demons, vampires and werewolves can draw blood if Superman lets them get close enough.

11. Superman was originally conceived as a bald villain with the power to control people’s minds.

12. Many people believe the role of Superman is cursed, and bad luck will befall any actor who plays the character.

13. Famous Superman fans, Jon Bon Jovi and Shaquille O’ Neal, both have tattoos of Superman’s famous ‘S’ symbol.

14. Superman’s dog is called Krypto. When he’s not fighting crime, Krypto has his own secret identity. He goes by the name of Skip.

15. Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent hasn’t always worked for the Daily Planet newpaper. He orginally worked for the Daily Star.

16. Superman can be seen somewhere in every episode of the television show, Seinfeld.

17. A street in Fullerton, California, shares its name with Superman’s girlfriend – Lois Lane.

18. Superman once travelled back in time and met the famous English playwright, William Shakespeare.

19. The Metropolis skyline was orignally based on the Canadian city of Toronto.

20. The actor, Nicolas Cage, named his son Kal-el, which is Superman’s birth name.

21. Superman is a fan of ’80s pop sensations ‘Was Not Was’.

22. Superman is legally ordained to perform wedding ceremonies ‘twixt man and ape.

23. Superman enjoys being sarcastic to world leaders.

24. Despite having once saved the universe by singing (this is true), Superman is not a gifted performer.

25. Superman is a tool of the cereal industry.

26. Never mind Batman, Spider-Man or Muhammad Ali. Superman has fought He-Man! (This is so cool!!!)

27. Superman hates going to the dentist.

28. Despite owning several super powered robots, Superman does his own hoovering.

29. Middle aged Superman looks a bit like middle aged Morrissey.

30. And finally, Superman has done porn! (It’s true! Action Comics 593 if you don’t believe me!)

10 Facts About Superman’s Bottle City of Kandor

1.  Kandor was the capital city of Krypton (yes, the whole planet).

What to get the Superman who has everything?

2.  Kandor did not perish when Krypton went Ka-Blooey!  It wasn’t even there when the planet exploded, having already been shrunken by the villainous Brainiac and put in a nifty glass jug, and then spirited away on Brainiac’s spaceship.

3.  How many miniaturized people can you fit in a bottle?  Apparently, at least 6 million, as that was Kandor’s population when stolen.  (It presumably grew during the years it was en-bottle-ated.)

4.  The years it was en-bottle-ated?  Hey, that implies it escaped its bottle, which is precisely what it did in 1979, when Superman finally found a way to restore it to its proper size.

5.  Because he was souvenir-mad, Superman kept a replica of the shrunken city in a bottle after the citizens were restored to normal size.  Eventually, teeny tiny aliens from another planet moved in to populate it.

6.  Sometimes when Superman and Jimmy Olsen visited Kandor, they assumed the costumed secret identities of Nightwing and Flamebird (respectively), in order to fight crime in the city.

7.  Kandor is mentioned in the song “Brainiac’s Daughter,” by the Dukes of Stratosphear (which was the name under which the group XTC occasionally recorded.)

8.  On The Big Bang Theory, Leonard has  a model of Kandor.  (At least, I assume it’s a model…)

9.  Van-Zee, a cousin of Superman’s, lived in Kandor and occasionally would be enlarged and brought to Earth in order to help Superman (often posing as Superman to help him out of a jam.)  (Van also had a twin, Dik-Zee.)

10.  Ever want to see a mole that eats metal (and therefore must be kept in a glass cage)?

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Posted on January 8, 2013, in Popcorns!. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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