Superman: 20 Curiosities of the Man of Steel

I dare say he's the most beloved superhero. I'm talking about Superman, also known as the Man of Steel, who first appeared on April 18, 1938, in Action Comic #1, from the company Detective Comics (DC).

Although he was created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, it wasn't until 1938 that they sold the character to DC for the paltry sum of $130. It then went on to appear on radio shows, television series, films, and even video games, turning it into a cultural icon.

In this article below, we'll tell you some interesting facts about this iconic character.

20 curiosities about Superman

1. The Reign of the Superman

Its creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, They used the name Superman in a story called “The Reign of the Super-Man” and was introduced in the third volume of Science Fiction, a magazine for science fiction fans.

In that publication, he appears as a bald man with telepathic powers, and, believe it or not, he was a villain. Later, Siegel and Shuster redesigned the character. It was a complete change, and the superhero was modeled after Douglas Fairbanks, and for Clark Kent, his alter ego, they were inspired by Harold Lloyd.

1. What happened between 1933 and 1938, when DC bought the rights?

Several years and several unsuccessful attempts passed in the search for a publisher interested in the character. They contacted Consolidated Book Publishing, which had published a 48-page comic book. Although they responded with an encouraging letter, the publisher decided to discontinue publishing comics.

Shuster became upset and burned the comic book pages, but Siegel managed to save the comic book cover from the fire; it was the only thing that survived. Siegel then contacted Mel Graff, Tony Strobl, and Russell Keaton. With Keaton, the character evolved and took the form we know him as today.

The duo decided to publish Superman as a comic strip, so they pitched it to Max Gaines and United Feature Syndicate, who initially rejected it. In 1937, Max Gaines ended up making the strip the main attraction in Wheeler-Nicholson's new publication, Action Comics.

1. It was inspired by pulp novels

Yes, it was inspired by a pulp novel, Gladiator, by Philip Wylie, in which the protagonist had Superman-like powers. It's worth noting that Siegel always denied this connection. In case you didn't know, pulp novels were a type of low-cost, high-quality publication published in the United States between 1896 and 1950. Another inspiration was the character of Flash Gordon.

1. At first he couldn't fly and his powers were limited.

As we mentioned in the first numeral, he had telepathic powers, but It couldn't fly. It then evolved to possess superhuman strength, run at unimaginable speeds, leap as high as 400 meters, and possessed extremely tough, resilient skin.

Subsequently, In the Silver Age, between 1956 and 1970, it continued to evolve, so it began to fly, in addition to super breath, super hearing, and his vision acquired powers such as x-ray, heat, infrared, telescopic and microscopic vision.

1. Metropolis Why that name?

The city's name was taken from the film of the same name by Fritz Lang, because both creators loved cinema.

1. Einstein and Asimov argued over Superman

The Man of Steel has always been considered faster than light. Einstein and Asimov once discussed the subject, as the former scientist argued that nothing faster than light could exist.

1. Wonder Woman has been his partner

Yes, not only has Lois Lane been the superhero's partner, but Wonder Woman has too. If you want to know in which comics that adventure takes place, we tell you that you can look for the comics Kingdom Come and The Dark Knight Rises.

1. Kryptonite originated from a radio show

In 1940, there was talk of a K-metal that robbed Superman of his powers, but it was never published. Later, on the radio program "The Meteor from Krypton," kryptonian began to be mentioned as a substance. Later, in 1949, this stone, which weakened the Man of Steel, appeared in comics.

1. Did you know that there are several types of Kryptonite besides the green one? Yes, and we'll list them below.:

• Red: Makes Superman change his appearance, allowing him to age, and even change his moral behavior.
• Blue: This only affects Bizarro and other doubles of the superhero.
• White: affects only plants.
• Golden: Being in contact with it can cause permanent loss of powers.
• Black: Transforms the superhero into an evil person. There is a version that divides them into two entities, one good and one evil. One becomes blue, and the other red.
• Rosa: With her the superhero becomes homosexual.

1. From the beginning they wanted Lois Lane to know their identity

The publisher opposed this idea from the creators, as it could confuse comic book and superhero fans.

1. More than 12 actors have played him

In the films, Kirk Alyn (1948-1950), George Reeves (1951-1954), Christopher Reeve (1978-1987-2006), Brandon Routh (2006) and Henry Cavill (2013-2022). In the television series, George Reeves (1952-1958), John Haymes Newton (1988-1989), Gerard Christopher (1989-1992), Dean Cain (1993-1997), Tom Welling (2001-2011, 2019), Brandon Routh (2019-2020) and Tyler Hoechlin (2016-2019, 2021-present). This does not count the voice actors.

1. The crossover with Spider-Man was going to be a movie

The 1970s Superman vs The Amazing Spiderman crossover comic was a movie script. that both publishers decided to do together. But the production of the Superman movie and the Spider-Man television series led to the cancellation of the project, and they decided to launch the comic book.

1. I fight against Muhammad Ali

In 1978, they launched a daring idea that pitted the two titans against each other with the intention of conveying a message of freedom and equality. It was a story by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.

1. And with Marvel

He merged with Captain America to create Super Soldier in 1996, created by Mark Waid and Dave Gibbons, the brainchild of the character. He also wielded Mjollnir, Thor's hammer, in the JLA vs. Avengers crossover.

1. There have been several deaths

Not only when he faced Doomsday in the 7 supplements released in 1992, because the comics weren't selling well. After this death, fans demanded his return. He is also known to have died in the Rebirth event and later in Else Worlds.

1. It was censored during World War II and the Nazis hated it.

The Nazis hated him for being an American superhero, and the comics also contained a lot of American and anti-German propaganda. He was censored because Lex Luthor threatened him with an atomic bomb and because the American military was working on such weapons in the 1940s. That was the reason for that decision.

These curiosities that follow focus on the 1978 Superman film, starring Christopher Reeve and directed by Richard Donner, because this film revolutionized the industry and thus began this whole superhero movement in cinema.

1. The film was going to be directed by someone else

Initially, the Superman film was going to be directed by Guy Hamilton, but they decided to change the location, so instead of Italy, it would be filmed in the United Kingdom. Hamilton, to avoid tax issues, decided to abandon the project and was replaced by Richard Donner. Needless to say, it turned out wonderfully.

    18. Before Christopher Reeve they tried other actors

Other actors considered for the role of Man of Steel include Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, and James Caan, but all declined.

    19. Christopher Reeve achieved his physique after a lot of work.

To achieve the physique he needed for Superman, Christopher Reeve trained for weeks under the direction of David Prowse, the same man who played Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga.

    20. Scenes filmed for a sequel

Several scenes and sequences that were planned for use in the Superman sequel were filmed. But when it was announced that Superman II: The Adventure Continues would have another director, the vast majority of the scenes were shelved.

Finally, we leave you with a parody of Christopher Reeve's casting as Superman. Undoubtedly the best actor to ever portray the Man of Steel.

A beloved superhero turned 85 a few days ago, and we couldn't let it go by without writing a post about him. Tell us: Did you know these superhero facts? Do you know any others?

Image: Pxfuel