For over 80 years, the adventures of Superman have been told across thousands of comics. It is impossible to list all the amazing tales about the Man of Steel told by some of the greatest writers and artists of the medium. Some tales are heartbreaking, while others filled readers with joy.
But not every classic story left a lasting mark on the mythology of Superman. And while it's next to impossible to remember every story that changed the course of history for the Man of Steel, there are ones that are so important they are on the minds of every reader today, even if it is subconsciously. These are not the only exciting stories that have left a mark on the Man of Tomorrow and his supporting cast, but they are some of the most important.
10 Introduction of Kryptonite Came From Outside Of The Comics
Superman started off as a weaker version of himself than we know today. The man who is known for flying didn't actually get that ability until Action Comics #65, some five years after his debut. Superman's strength and invulnerability also increased over time, reaching a point where nothing seemed to be a serious threat to him. But the Man of Steel's co-creator saw that coming.
Jerry Siegel first came up with Kryptonite in a 1940 story titled "The K-Metal from Krypton" that was never actually published because, in the story, Superman revealed his identity to Lois Lane, which DC did not want to do. Three years later, the world would finally learn about the deadly mineral thanks to the popular radio show The Adventures of Superman, in the story "The Meteor from Krypton".
9 The First Superboy Story Changed How Superman Was Seen
From the first time readers were introduced to Superman, it was known that his powers manifested when he was a baby, but it wouldn't be until 1945's More Fun Comics #101 that fans would learn about the early adventures of Superman as a boy.
The introduction of Superboy led to the creation of Smallville, Lana Lang, and so much more of Superman's mythology while also fleshing out details only mentioned in the past, like Ma and Pa Kent. And while the days of Clark Kent as Superboy continue to change with DC's continuity, the concept has always lived on, even leading to the popular TV series Smallville.
8 The Debut of the Legion of Super-Heroes Showed Readers How Important Superman Would Be
One long-running and beloved concept that came out of the creation of Superboy was the Legion of Super-Heroes, first introduced in Adventure Comics #247. A team of teen heroes a thousand years in the future showed readers just how important the Man of Steel would be; his stories still inspire people in the 30th - now 31st - century.
As it was revealed over time, Superman's existence would lead to many of the planets in the universe coming together in unity, creating the United Planets and bringing about an age of peace. DC recently showed the birth of the UP and Unity Day for the first time in The Unity Saga by Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis.
7 The Debut of Supergirl Told Readers Superman Wasn't The Last Kryptonian
For a long time, there was something of a sadness to Superman. While the Man of Steel never showed it, readers knew that it must have been hard for him to be the last of his race of people. Then in 1958's Action Comics #242, Superman learned that some Kryptonians still lived, although they were trapped in the Bottle City of Kandor.
The biggest moment that revealed to the world that Superman wasn't actually alone came in Action Comics #252, when a Kryptonian rocket landed on Earth, and out came Superman's cousin, Supergirl. With the debut of the Girl of Steel, the Superman Family was born.
6 Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow Ended The Story
When DC Comics decided to reboot their continuity with 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths, they chose to send off Superman with a story like no other. Written by Alan Moore with art by the iconic Superman artist Curt Swan, Superman #423 and Action Comics #583 told the two-part story known as Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
In the story, readers are taken on Superman's final adventure as his greatest villains work together to destroy him. It is a tale filled with heartbreak as many of Superman's friends and family face their final moments, but it gave the world something it never thought it would see, the last day of the Man of Tomorrow.
5 John Byrne's Man of Steel Updated The Man Of Steel
After Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow and Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC reintroduced Superman in a six-issue limited series, titled Man of Steel, by John Byrne. This "new" Superman was weaker than the previous version, but still quite powerful. The adventures of his time as Superboy was also erased with the revelation that Clark Kent didn't put on a costume until he was in his 20s. Along with the new version of Superman, DC chose to keep their iconic hero as the Last Son of Krypton for quite a while, erasing Supergirl and not bringing her back as an actual Kryptonian for nearly 20 years.
4 The Death of Superman Made Us Believe A Hero Could Die
The creators behind Superman's four monthly books had planned to have the hero finally marry Lois Lane in 1993, but word from on high came down that the Man of Steel could not get married in the comics until he was married on the new hit TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
In need of a big storyline, Jerry Ordway made a joke he had made many times in his years working on the Superman book; they should just kill him. This time, the other Superman writers and artists didn't laugh, and from that last-minute pitch-meeting, Doomsday and The Death of Superman were born.
3 The Wedding Was Decades In The Making
After 60 years of "will they/won't they", Superman and Lois Lane finally tied the knot in 1996's Superman: The Wedding Album. A special issue that brought together Superman writers and artists from the Man of Steel's long history, the world finally got to see the Man of Steel and the Daily Planet's best reporter exchange vows.
This was no "imaginary story" like so many past Superman weddings had been. This moment would forever change the life of Superman, setting the path for a very different future than what may have been if DC chose to keep the character single.
2 The Birth of Jon Kent Created A New Legacy
Without the wedding of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, there's no chance that DC would have let them have a child. Introduced in Convergence: Superman #2, Jon Kent was the son of Superman and Lois from the Post-Crisis/Pre-Flashpoint universe.
Readers got to watch Jon grow up, first in Superman: Lois and Clark, then in the Rebirth Era Superman and Action Comics before the young Superboy started to have his own adventures with Robin in Super Sons and in the far future with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Now, as Superman prepares to head off to Warworld, Jon Kent is set to take up the mantle and become the Superman of Earth.
1 We're Still Seeing The Ramifications From Superman Revealing His Identity
While there had been many stories where Superman revealed his true identity to the world, DC let Brian Michael Bendis take it to a new level in Superman #18 where he and artist Ivan Reis had the Man of Steel tell the world who he truly was, and they didn't undo it shortly after.
Now, two years later and with Bendis leaving the Superman titles behind for Justice League, DC has continued to let the Man of Tomorrow exist in a reality where everyone knows he is Clark Kent, and there do not seem to be any plans to reinstate Superman's secret identity any time soon. What this means for the future of the character and his family remains to be seen.