Superman, explained · Timeline
1938 to now.
Every moment that made Superman: the comics, the radio show, the cartoons, the films and the real world.
112 moments · 5 eras · each with its source
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Superman has been around for nearly 90 years, in comics, newspapers, radio, cartoons, films, TV and games. This timeline picks out the moments that shaped him. A surprising amount of the legend was invented outside the comics: Perry White and Jimmy Olsen on the radio in 1940, flight in the Fleischer cartoons from 1941, kryptonite on the radio in 1943 and the S as a family crest in the 1978 film.
Flight, kryptonite, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, “the American way” and the S as a family crest all started outside the comics: on the radio, in cartoons or in a film. The comics borrowed them later.
Up to 1955
The Golden Age.
Two teenagers from Cleveland, a radio show and a cartoon studio build the legend.
Jerry Siegel publishes "The Reign of the Superman" (a bald villain) in his fanzine as "Herbert S. Fine"
Wikipedia: Jerry Siegel · one source
"Man of Steel" nickname first used (Action Comics #6 or #7)
Wikipedia: Superman · one source
Siegel and Shuster sell Superman to Detective Comics, Inc. for $130
· cover date June 1938
Action Comics #1: Superman and Lois Lane debut; 10 cents
Unnamed office boy (later Jimmy Olsen) in Action Comics #6
Ultra-Humanite, his first recurring villain (Action Comics #13)
Wikipedia: Ultra-Humanite · one source · More on this
"Man of Tomorrow" first used (New York World's Fair Comics #1)
Wikipedia: Superman · one source
Daily newspaper strip begins (McClure); first appearance of his parents (Jor-L and Lora); Sunday strip from 5 November 1939
Kryptonian name "Kal-L"
Wikipedia: Superman (comic strip) · one source
Superman #1, the first solo title; Krypton named
Wikipedia: Krypton (comics) · one source
British reprint Triumph #772 shows him flying
Bleeding Cool: Triumph #772 · one source
Metropolis first named (Action Comics #16)
Wikipedia: Metropolis (comics) · one source
"The K-Metal from Krypton" is written but never printed
Telescopic vision (Action Comics #20)
Wikipedia: Action Comics · one source
The Adventures of Superman radio show begins on WOR (Bud Collyer); runs to 1 March 1951, 2,088 episodes. Opening: "It's a bird! It's a plane!"
Perry White debuts
Lex Luthor debuts, with red hair (Action Comics #23)
Jimmy Olsen named
Luthor drawn bald (Superman #10)
Flight comes from the cartoons; adopted by the comics in 1943
Wikipedia: Superman (1940s cartoons) · one source
First Fleischer cartoon, Superman; Oscar-nominated. 17 shorts to 30 July 1943
George Lowther's novel names his parents Jor-El and Lara
"…and the American way" added to the motto
Den of Geek: Superman and the American Way · one source
Kryptonite debuts ("The Meteor from Krypton")
Mr. Mxyztplk debuts (Superman #30)
Wikipedia: Mister Mxyzptlk · one source · More on this
Superboy and Smallville (unnamed) debut, More Fun Comics #101
Wikipedia: Superboy (Kal-El) · one source
Superman meets Batman and Robin on radio
"Clan of the Fiery Cross": 16 parts against the Ku Klux Klan, advised by Stetson Kennedy
Siegel and Shuster sue DC over the rights
Wikipedia: Jerry Siegel · one source
Superman serial (Kirk Alyn, Columbia, 15 chapters)
Kryptonite reaches the comics (Superman #61)
Atom Man vs. Superman (Alyn; Lyle Talbot as Luthor)
Superman and the Mole Men (George Reeves)
First real Superman–Batman team-up, Superman #76
Adventures of Superman (Reeves) begins: 104 episodes to 28 April 1958; colour from S3
Wikipedia: Adventures of Superman (TV series) · More on this
World's Finest Comics team-ups from #71; Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #1
Krypto debuts (Adventure Comics #210)
1956 to 1985
The Silver Age.
Krypto, the Fortress, Supergirl, Kandor, the Phantom Zone and a film that made us believe a man could fly.
"Kal-El" spelling (Superman #113)
Wikipedia: Superman · one source
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #1
Wikipedia: Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane · one source
Bizarro (Superboy #68); Legion of Super-Heroes (Adventure Comics #247)
Wikipedia: Bizarro · one source · More on this
Fortress of Solitude and its giant key (Action Comics #241)
Brainiac and Kandor (Action Comics #242)
Supergirl (Action Comics #252); Metallo in the same issue
Red sunlight removes his powers (Superman #141)
Justice League of America debuts (The Brave and the Bold #28)
Wikipedia: Justice League · one source
Phantom Zone and General Zod (Adventure Comics #283)
Heat vision named (Action Comics #275)
Kleefeld on Comics: Superman's developing power set · one source
Newspaper strip ends
Filmation's The New Adventures of Superman (Bud Collyer), 68 segments
Wikipedia: The New Adventures of Superman (TV series) · More on this
First Superman–Flash race (Superman #199): a tie
Jack Kirby's Fourth World begins in Jimmy Olsen (Darkseid cameo, #134)
Wikipedia: Fourth World (comics) · one source · More on this
Super Friends begins (ABC)
Wikipedia: Super Friends · one source · More on this
Warner agrees a lifetime stipend for Siegel and Shuster after a public campaign
Wikipedia: Jerry Siegel · one source
Power Girl debuts (All Star Comics #58)
Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, the first modern Marvel–DC crossover
Wikipedia: DC vs. Marvel · one source
Superman filming begins at Pinewood
Superman vs. Muhammad Ali
The S becomes the House of El crest (Brando's idea)
Wikipedia: Superman logo · one source
Royal Charity Premiere of Superman: The Movie, Empire Leicester Square; UK release 14 December 1978; US 15 December 1978
First Superman video game (Atari 2600)
Wikipedia: List of Superman video games · one source
Superman II (1980), III (1983), IV (1987)
Wikipedia: Christopher Reeve · one source
Brainiac's skull ship and Luthor's Warsuit (Action Comics #544)
Wikipedia: Brainiac (character) · one source · More on this
Crisis on Infinite Earths: Supergirl dies (#7); Superboy-Prime debuts (DC Comics Presents #87)
1986 to 2010
Reboot and rebirth.
A fresh start, a death, a wedding and ten years in Smallville.
John Byrne's The Man of Steel: the reboot; Smallville fixed in Kansas; first PC meeting with Batman (#3)
The Dark Knight Returns: Batman fights Superman
Wikipedia: The Dark Knight Returns · one source
Alan Moore's Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? closes the pre-Crisis era
Wikipedia: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? · one source
Post-Crisis Wonder Woman meets Superman (Legends #6)
Superboy (to 1992, 100 episodes)
Superman arcade game (Taito)
Wikipedia: List of Superman video games · one source
The Eradicator builds the Antarctic Fortress; the robot Kelex (Action Comics Annual #2)
Wikipedia: Fortress of Solitude · one source · More on this
Gotham by Gaslight, later called the first Elseworlds
Wikipedia: Batman: Gotham by Gaslight · one source
· cover date January 1993
The Death of Superman (Superman vol. 2 #75); more than six million copies
Black suit (Action Comics #689); return in The Adventures of Superman #505 (October 1993)
Lois & Clark (Dean Cain, Teri Hatcher); in the UK it was The New Adventures of Superman
Wikipedia: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman · More on this
DC vs. Marvel: Superman beats the Hulk by reader vote
Kingdom Come
Wikipedia: Kingdom Come (comics) · one source
Jerry Siegel dies
Wikipedia: Jerry Siegel · one source
Superman: The Animated Series (Tim Daly), 54 episodes
Clark and Lois marry (Superman: The Wedding Album, cover December 1996), the same week as the Lois & Clark TV wedding
Electric Blue Superman (Superman #123)
DC One Million: Superman-Prime of the 853rd century
Wikipedia: DC One Million · one source
Superman 64 (N64)
Wikipedia: List of Superman video games · one source
Smallville (Tom Welling), 217 episodes to 13 May 2011
Superman: Red Son
Wikipedia: Superman: Red Son · one source
Superman: Birthright (Waid and Yu): the S means "hope"
All-Star Superman (Morrison and Quitely); Eisner winner
Wikipedia: All-Star Superman · one source
Superman Returns (Brandon Routh)
Natural History Museum identifies jadarite, "real kryptonite"
Superman: Earth One vol. 1
Wikipedia: Superman: Earth One · one source
2011 to 2024
A new century.
No trunks, then trunks again, a son who becomes Superman and a record sale.
New 52: armour suit, no trunks (Jim Lee); Action Comics #1 (Morrison)
· cover date October 2012
Superman and Wonder Woman kiss (Justice League #12)
Injustice: Gods Among Us
Wikipedia: List of Superman video games · one source
Man of Steel (Henry Cavill): the S means "hope"; Kryptonian by Christine Schreyer
A copy of Action Comics #1 sells for about $3.2m (eBay)
"Truth" (identity revealed; T-shirt and jeans), Action Comics #41
Jon Kent debuts (Convergence: Superman #2)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Tyler Hoechlin's Superman debuts in Supergirl
Krypton (Syfy)
Action Comics #1000: the red trunks return
Crisis on Infinite Earths: Routh, Welling and Hoechlin as Supermen
Wikipedia: Crisis on Infinite Earths (Arrowverse) · More on this
Jon Kent becomes Superman; comes out as bisexual (Son of Kal-El #5)
Superman & Lois (to 2 December 2024; BBC One from 4 December 2021)
Motto becomes "Truth, justice and a better tomorrow"
Cavill's return called off as DC Studios plans a reboot
My Adventures with Superman (Adult Swim)
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Wikipedia: List of Superman video games · one source
A CGC 8.5 copy of Action Comics #1 sells for $6m (Heritage)
2025 onwards
The DCU.
David Corenswet takes flight, and Man of Tomorrow is on the way.
Superman (David Corenswet), dir. James Gunn
Man of Tomorrow filming, including the UK
Supergirl (Milly Alcock); Corenswet appears
Man of Tomorrow (US release)
Nothing matches those filters.
Questions people ask.
- When did Superman first appear?
- In Action Comics #1, on sale 18 April 1938 (cover-dated June 1938). Siegel and Shuster sold him in March 1938 for $130, and a copy sold for a record $6 million on 4 April 2024.
- Which parts of Superman were invented outside the comics?
- Perry White and Jimmy Olsen came from the 1940 radio serial, kryptonite from radio on 3 June 1943, flight from the 1941 Fleischer cartoons, the S as a crest from the 1978 film, and S = hope from Superman: Birthright (2003–04).
- When did Superman die?
- In Superman (vol. 2) #75, cover-dated January 1993 and on sale 18 November 1992. It sold more than six million copies, and his return began in The Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993).
How we built this.
Each moment links to its source. Comic dates are cover dates unless we say when it went on sale, since covers ran about two months ahead. "One source" means we have one good source so far and are looking for a second.