birth name. Kal-El
earth name. Clark Kent
alias. Superman

For almost nine decades, the imagery of the blue costume, the red cape, and the shield displayed proudly on the broad shoulders of a superman has stood as one of the greatest symbols of hope, justice, and humanity on earth. Superman was born during the time when a planet with extremely advanced technology was destroyed and grew up among the commoners of America, thus making him the embodiment of both godlike powers and strong moral fiber. What makes Superman a true superhero does not lie in his immunity to harm and his capacity for bending steel, but in the deliberate decision he made to take advantage of those powers to benefit the defenseless. His history from comic strips first published in 1938 to the present day mythological figure proves once again that even the strongest man in the universe could be a product of a gentle soul.

‣ The Last Son of Krypton: An Origin of Hope

A product of the ill-fated red sun of the planet Krypton, young Kal-El was meant for something greater, but he started his life amid the greatest calamity imaginable. The boy’s parents, Jor-El the scientist and Lara Lor-Van, found out that their technologically superior planet would soon suffer complete geological destruction. Despite attempts by the planet’s governing body to dismiss Jor-El, the scientist constructed a small-scale spacecraft to rescue his sole child. Right before the destruction of the planet, the ship left its home in outer space.

The spacecraft set its course to the planet Earth, which orbited around a yellow sun and was a relatively young planet. Crash landing into the countryside’s golden landscape of Smallville, Kansas, the starcraft was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent. The farming couple had high moral standards and raised their son with deep sense of humility, responsibility and love. The boy was given the name Clark Kent and he grew up on Earth’s golden-yellow sunlight. As he matured on Earth, Clark acquired god-like abilities that made him more powerful than any man on the Earth. It was only because of the upbringing of his adoptive parents that gave him the responsibility of saving humanity from itself.

‣ Superman's History: From Kansas to Metropolis

As Clark matured, the juxtaposition between his reserved upbringing in the countryside and his immense cosmic legacy acted as a trigger for transformation. In pursuit of a means through which he could harness his skills of investigation and still be connected to the lives of people, Clark relocated to the fast-paced and iconic city of Metropolis. It was here that Clark managed to get employment at a well-known metropolitan newspaper called The Daily Planet, where he posed as an unassuming journalist.

However, in times of crises, Clark would transform from a regular Joe into Superman. Making his grand entrance in the form of rescuing a crashing spacecraft, Superman became an icon of global protection. The history of Superman is marked by gigantic battles and victories. Superman has been there for Earth during its war against cosmic enemies like Brainiac and Darkseid. Moreover, he is one of the pioneers and pillars of the Justice League. Perhaps, his most famous achievement came when he sacrificed himself to save the planet from the alien menace named Doomsday.

‣ The Source of Might: Kryptonian Physiology & Powers

With the aid of the rays emitted by the yellow sun on Earth, the cellular make-up of Clark functions as a living solar battery that enables him to develop extraordinary superhuman powers. Clark is blessed with enormous physical prowess that makes him almost invincible as he has the ability to shift tectonic plates, planets, and celestial bodies and fight against other extraterrestrial beings. He is highly resistant to physical injury as he can survive any nuclear explosion, extreme cold temperatures of outer space, or even a solar blast.

Aside from superhuman strength, Superman has exceptional sensory perception:

• X-ray and telescopic vision: He can look through steel (save for lead) and observe objects across entire star systems.
  
  
• Heat vision: He can release stored solar power in his retina as extremely focused heat rays that can melt alien metals and perform intricate surgical procedures.
  
  
• Super hearing and freeze breath: He can detect a heart beat within a noisy continent and condense his breath into a freezing beam that can quickly freeze a target or douse raging wildfires.

Not withstanding this arsenal of god-like abilities, Superman has his limits. He is severely affected by radiation from his home planet, Krypton, particularly green Kryptonite, which weakens his superhuman abilities and causes his death if exposed for too long. Additionally, since his abilities are based on scientific phenomena, he lacks any form of resistance to magic attacks.

‣ Superman's Relationships: The Foundations of a Hero

Even though Superman is a foreigner from another world, his ties to earth are incredibly human. His life partner is none other than Lois Lane, the highly intelligent, independent and Pulitzer award-winning journalist at the Daily Planet. It was Lois who had coined the term “Superman” for the unknown hero, and eventually, she came to be known as Clark’s lifelong companion and mother of his son. Lois and Clark share a special bond based on mutual trust and equality, thereby establishing that even the mightiest man is held down by the power of an incredible woman.

In the course of Superman's heroism, Bruce Wayne (also known as Batman) is the person he trusts the most. Even though Superman is associated with optimism in daylight while Batman symbolizes retribution in the darkness, there exists an indissoluble bond between these two superheroes based on their strong mutual trust and respect, which they call the World's Finest. Additionally, he has a special sisterhood friendship with Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), with whom he is leading the Justice League. In Metropolis, where he lives his normal life, he enjoys the presence of Jimmy Olsen, an intrepid photographer and Superman's faithful best friend.

‣ The Arch-Nemesis: Lex Luthor and the Battle of Ideals

But every legendary hero needs an adversary, and Superman’s arch-nemesis is Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor is the richest and smartest guy in Metropolis; he is a genius level eight, a billionaire, and runs Lex Corp. He lacks any special powers himself but makes up for it with a genius mind, immense wealth, and high-tech warsuits fueled with Kryptonite.

The resentment Luthor holds towards Superman is of a philosophical nature. In his eyes, Superman poses an existential challenge to the accomplishments of humans since he believes that mankind will lose its drive and become frail from depending on a superhuman figure. Nevertheless, behind all the eloquent rhetoric of the superiority of man lies an unhealthy jealousy fueled by his own ego. Luthor is simply unable to cope with the idea that an alien being should be popular among people more than he ever could, despite his immense wealth and intelligence.

‣ The Fortress of Solitude: A Sanctuary of Memories

If things get too much for him, and he needs to reconnect with his lost culture, Superman makes his way to the Fortress of Solitude. The location of the Fortress of Solitude is in the cold and desolate environment of the Arctic region, and the impressive construction is made out of self-generating crystals called sunstones. In addition to being Clark's personal museum and laboratory, it contains the history and scientific discoveries of his home planet, Krypton, including a giant library filled with data crystals of Jor-El's consciousness.

In the Fortress' crystal structure, Superman stores alien technology, alien species of animals that have gone extinct and have been saved from across space into an exotic alien zoo, and the Phantom Zone Projector, which is an alien technology used for imprisoning alien enemies in an alternate pocket universe called Phantom Zone. In addition to all that, the Fortress also houses an alien robot called Kelex. The Fortress of Solitude serves as an important link between two sides of Clark Kent's life.

‣ The Symbolism of the 'S': A Universal Icon of Hope

To the people of Metropolis and the planet, the vibrant red and yellow symbol on Superman’s chest is simply a stylized S that stands for the heroic name of the man who dons it. But there is more to the symbol than meets the eye. In Kryptonian, the symbol is the family coat of arms of House of El. This hieroglyphic symbol translates to "Hope". When Superman wears the iconic suit, handmade by Martha Kent using the blanket that cradled him when he arrived on Earth in his spaceship, he wears the hopes and aspirations of humanity. He represents the belief that each person has the ability to be good and can overcome their surroundings to help others. It is the symbol of someone who is willing to stand for what is right even if it means being ridiculed for their efforts. It has gone from the fictional to the practical world to represent strength, integrity, and altruism. Superman fights not to dominate or be worshiped but to show that there is hope in a better world.