Family
tree.

Superman (Kal-El) is the last son of Krypton, but he’s far from alone. His family spans two planets: the House of El on Krypton and the Kents on Earth, plus a wife, a son, a cousin, a clone and a very good dog.

The Superman family tree at a glance

Read this list as a family tree, from Krypton down to today. Each entry gives the first appearance where our sources confirm it.

• The House of El (Krypton)
  • Jor-El (father) + Lara (mother). First named Jor-L and Lora in the 1939 newspaper strips; the modern names come from George Lowther’s 1942 novel.
    • Kal-El / Clark Kent (Superman) + Lois Lane (married December 1996)
      • Jon Kent (son). First appeared in Convergence: Superman #2 (July 2015).
  • Zor-El (Jor-El’s brother) + Alura, from Argo City
    • Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) (cousin). First appeared in Action Comics #252 (May 1959).
• The Kents (Earth): Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark’s adoptive parents in Smallville, Kansas.
• Branches
  • Conner Kent / Kon-El (Superboy): a clone made from Superman’s and Lex Luthor’s DNA. First appeared in The Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993).
  • Krypto: the Super-dog. First appeared in Adventure Comics #210 (March 1955).

Who are Superman’s Kryptonian parents?

Jor-El is Superman’s father, a Kryptonian scientist who foresaw the planet’s destruction and sent his baby son to Earth in a rocket. Lara is his mother. On screen, Jor-El has been played by Marlon Brando (1978), Russell Crowe (Man of Steel, 2013) and Bradley Cooper (Superman, 2025), with Angela Sarafyan as Lara in 2025. The 2025 film gave Jor-El a twist: his restored message urges Kal-El to rule Earth. For the planet itself, see Krypton explained.

Who are Jonathan and Martha Kent?

Jonathan and Martha Kent are the Kansas farmers who found the rocket and raised Clark. They’re the moral centre of most modern versions: in Superman (2025), Jonathan tells Clark that his choices make him who he is, not his birth parents’ message.

Their names changed five times before they settled. Only “Mary Kent” is named in Superman #1 (June 1939). They became Eben and Sarah in the 1942 novel, Eben and Martha in the 1948 film serial, and John and Mary in Superman #53 (1948). Jonathan arrived in Adventure Comics #149 (February 1950) and “Marthe”, soon Martha, in Superboy #12 (1951).

Are the Kents alive? It depends on the era

On screen they’ve also been played by Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter (1978), John Schneider and Annette O’Toole (Smallville), Kevin Costner and Diane Lane (Man of Steel), and Fred Henderson and Michele Scarabelli (Superman & Lois).

Lois Lane: Superman’s wife

Lois Lane is as old as Superman: both debuted in Action Comics #1 (June 1938). In the main comics they married in Superman: The Wedding Album #1 (December 1996). The Golden Age, Earth-Two Superman had married his Lois much earlier, in Action Comics #484 (June 1978). The New 52 erased the marriage for a time, and Rebirth restored it. For every actress who has played her, see our guide to Lois Lane.

Supergirl: Superman’s cousin

Kara Zor-El is Superman’s cousin, the daughter of Jor-El’s brother Zor-El and his wife Alura. She first appeared in “The Supergirl from Krypton” in Action Comics #252 (May 1959), by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, having survived on Argo City, a surviving piece of Krypton. She was killed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (1985) and returned in Superman/Batman #8 (2004). Milly Alcock plays her in the DC Studios films: see our Supergirl (2026) guide.

Superboy: Conner Kent

Conner Kent (Kon-El) is a clone created by Cadmus, introduced during “Reign of the Supermen” in The Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993). Since Teen Titans (vol. 3) #1 (September 2003) he has been made from both Superman’s and Lex Luthor’s DNA. Superman gave him the Kryptonian name Kon-El in Superboy (vol. 4) #59 (February 1999). He is one of several Superboys.

Other members of the Super-family

And a few more first appearances fans ask about:

Superman’s personality owes a lot to this family: see Superman’s personality.