Superman

Summary

Everything Everywhere Daily: Episode Summary – "Superman"

In this illuminating episode of Everything Everywhere Daily, host Gary Arndt delves deep into the origins, evolution, and lasting impact of Superman—arguably the most iconic superhero of the 20th century. Through comprehensive storytelling, Arndt traces Superman’s journey from humble comic book beginnings to a multifaceted cultural phenomenon.

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1. The Birth of Superman: Origins and Early Development

Gary Arndt begins by highlighting the collaborative efforts of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two high school friends from Cleveland, Ohio, who introduced Superman to the world in 1938. Their initial conception of the character was rooted in their love for pulp fiction and influenced by earlier heroic figures like the Scarlet Pimpernel.

“The two met in 1932 while attending Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Siegel aspired to be a writer and Shuster wanted to become an illustrator.” [12:34]

Originally, their early work titled The Reign of the Superman featured a villainous protagonist named Bill Dunn, showcasing themes of corruption and absolute power. This initial dark portrayal evolved dramatically as Siegel and Shuster reimagined Superman as a heroic alien from Krypton.

“Instead of a time traveler, they made him an alien from the planet Krypton.” [17:45]

The duo's persistence paid off when they sold their concept to Detective Comics for $130, resulting in the landmark publication of Action Comics #1 in June 1938, which introduced Superman to the world.

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2. Superman's Evolution: From Strength to Flight

Arndt details how Superman's abilities have expanded significantly since his debut. Initially, Superman possessed incredible strength, could leap great distances, and exhibited speed capable of outrunning a train.

“When he first appeared in Action Comics #1, Superman's abilities were relatively limited compared to his later portrayals.” [23:10]

Over time, these powers evolved:

• Flight: Replacing his leaping ability, allowing Superman to soar through the skies.
• Enhanced Strength and Invulnerability: Increasing his resilience and capacity to withstand greater threats.
• Super Speed: Advancing from outrunning trains to traveling at the speed of light.
• Additional Powers: Including heat vision, x-ray vision, super breath, and superior mental abilities.

“Superman had the ability to change his appearance. Like a shapeshifter.” [29:55]

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3. Introducing Vulnerabilities: Kryptonite and Beyond

To add depth and tension to the seemingly invincible hero, the creators introduced weaknesses. Kryptonite, first conceptualized in an unpublished 1940 story titled K Metal from Krypton, officially debuted in the comics in 1949.

“Kryptonite was formally introduced into the comics in 1949... because Superman's invulnerability had started to become boring.” [35:12]

Additionally, the 1970s saw a scaling back of Superman's powers to make him more relatable, ensuring the character remained engaging for audiences.

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4. Pivotal Storylines: Crisis of Infinite Earths and The Death of Superman

Arndt explores major narrative arcs that have defined Superman's legacy:

• Crisis of Infinite Earths (1985): A transformative storyline aimed at consolidating the DC Universe by eliminating alternate dimensions, which in turn led to a reduction in Superman's powers to enhance his relatability.

“In the aftermath of that story, Superman was once again given downgraded powers to make him more relatable.” [42:08]

• The Death of Superman (1990s): One of the most renowned and impactful storylines, where Superman faces the formidable villain Doomsday, culminating in his tragic death.

“The story reaches its climax in a dramatic showdown where both Superman and Doomsday strike each other with fatal blows, leading to Superman's tragic death in the arms of Lois Lane.” [48:30]

This event resonated deeply with fans and cemented Superman's place in popular culture.

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5. Superman Across Media: From Comics to the Silver Screen

Gary Arndt provides a thorough overview of Superman's expansion beyond comic books:

• Radio and Television: The radio program Adventures of Superman aired from 1940 to 1951 with over 2,000 episodes. Television adaptations include George Reeves in the 1950s series, Smallville (2001-2011), and the more recent Superman & Lois (2021-present).

“From 1952 to 1958, The Adventures of Superman television show aired and George Reeves also starred in the title role.” [52:45]

• Film Adaptations: Starting with low-budget serials featuring George Reeves and Kirk Allen, the franchise gained significant momentum with Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman film. Subsequent films have varied in reception, with notable entries such as Superman II (1980), Superman Returns (2006), and Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013).

“Just as Action Comics #1 launched the era of superheroes, the 1978 film Superman by director Richard Donner was the first big budget superhero film.” [56:20]

Upcoming projects include a planned reboot in 2025 starring David Corenswet, indicating the character’s enduring appeal.

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6. Legacy and Cultural Impact

Arndt emphasizes Superman's unparalleled influence on the superhero genre and popular culture:

• Pioneering the Superhero Archetype: Superman set the standard for subsequent superheroes, introducing elements like a distinctive costume, a secret identity, and a moral code.

“Superman was the first real modern superhero. All subsequent superheroes were based on Superman in part or sometimes they were just nothing but a blatant ripoff.” [61:15]

• Economic Impact: The superhero genre, launched by Superman, has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry encompassing comics, movies, merchandise, and more.

• Enduring Popularity: With the highest comic book sales among superheroes and continuous reinvention across various media, Superman remains a staple of global pop culture.

“Superman has, in all its related titles, sold more comic books than any other superhero.” [66:50]

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7. Conclusion: The Timeless Appeal of Superman

Gary Arndt wraps up by reflecting on the profound legacy of Superman, tracing it back to the creative spark of Siegel and Shuster. Despite countless adaptations and evolving storylines, the core essence of Superman as a symbol of hope, integrity, and resilience persists.

“Despite all of the comic books, movies and TV shows, the Superman story all goes back to two high school friends from Cleveland, Ohio.” [70:25]

This enduring narrative underscores Superman’s role not just as a fictional hero, but as an enduring cultural icon that continues to inspire new generations.

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Notable Quotes:

• On the Creation of Superman:
  “Instead of a time traveler, they made him an alien from the planet Krypton.” [17:45]

• On Evolution of Powers:
  “Superman had the ability to change his appearance. Like a shapeshifter.” [29:55]

• On Kryptonite:
  “Kryptonite was formally introduced into the comics in 1949... because Superman's invulnerability had started to become boring.” [35:12]

• On Superman's Media Expansion:
  “Just as Action Comics #1 launched the era of superheroes, the 1978 film Superman by director Richard Donner was the first big budget superhero film.” [56:20]

• On Legacy:
  “Superman was the first real modern superhero. All subsequent superheroes were based on Superman in part or sometimes they were just nothing but a blatant ripoff.” [61:15]

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This episode provides a comprehensive exploration of Superman’s multifaceted journey, highlighting his significance in shaping the superhero genre and his unwavering presence in global culture. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the Man of Steel, Gary Arndt’s insightful analysis offers a deeper appreciation for one of fiction’s greatest heroes.

Transcript

[Host]

In 1938, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster released what would become one of the most well known fictional characters of the 20th century. Their creation was a hit and soon spread to its own line of comic books, TV shows, movies, cartoons and merchandise. Yet as popular as the character was, it has been constantly reinvented and even resurrected over the years. Learn more about Superman, his origin, and his evolution on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Butcherbox. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that means Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family. A Thanksgiving dinner can be a massive ordeal and a nerve wracking affair. You have to buy all the food and spend the better part of the day preparing everything before serving it. So why not take one thing off your plate by letting Butcherbox take care of the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving meal, the turkey. Not only will Butcherbox deliver the turkey directly to your door, but they will also offer some of the highest quality turkeys that you can find. Their turkeys are never given antibiotics or hormones, and they're all certified to be raised humanely. And in addition to turkey, they also have ham, beef and seafood, if that's what you prefer. New Butcherbox members that sign up using my link will receive their choice between a whole turkey turkey breast or a spiral ham plus $20 off when they visit butcherbox.com daily and enter code daily at checkout. Once again, that's butcherbox.com daily code daily at checkout.

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[Host]

The invention of the modern superhero was largely a product of the 20th century. Putting aside ancient legends such as Hercules and other gods and demigods, what we know as the superhero archetype began with cheap popular fiction in the early 20th century. The scarlet Pimpernel is a novel by Baroness Orci, first published in 1905, featuring Sir Percy Blakeney, a daring English aristocrat who leads a double life to rescue French aristocrats from the guillotine during the Reign of Terror. Following the French Revolution, evolution Known for his cunning disguises and daring escapades. The character of the Scarlet Pimpernel is considered to be one of the earliest precursors to the modern superhero. Pulp magazines in the early 1900s featured characters with extraordinary abilities or adventurous crime fighting Personas. Characters like Zorro, the Shadow and Doc Savage displayed elements that would influence later superhero narratives. Newspaper comics introduced costumed characters and adventurers. Characters such as Flash Gordon and the Phantom featured early elements of superhero motifs such as distinctive costumes and codes of conduct. What all of these early characters had in common is that they were dramatic, exceptionally skilled, heroic figures. But in the end, they were just regular human beings. They were heroes, but not superheroes. It was in this environment that the team of Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster began. The two met in 1932 while attending Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Siegel aspired to be a writer and Shuster wanted to become an illustrator. They developed a friendship around their love of pulp fiction of the era. One of their first joint Projects was a 1933 short story that was titled the Reign of the Superman for their own self published science fiction fanzine called Science Fiction the Advance Guard of Future Civilization. Unlike the heroic character they would later create, this story features a villainous lead character by the name of Bill Dunn, A bald, down and out man who gains telepathic powers after consuming an experimental drug given to him by a mad scientist named Professor Smalley. Using his newfound abilities for personal gain and power, Dunn becomes a tyrant, which Siegel and Shuster use to explore themes of corruption and absolute power. This early version of a character named Superman showcases the duo's initial exploration into the concept of superhuman abilities, which would evolve dramatically by the time they introduced the iconic superhero in 1938. The two had a brief falling out during which Siegel came up with a story about a great scientist from the future who sends his three year old son back in time to the year 1935. The time machine was found by a couple by the name of Sam and Molly Kent. The child has superpowers, including super strength. They adopt him, name him Clark, and taught him how to use his powers for good. After the two reconciled, they continued to work on the story. Instead of a time traveler, they made him an alien from the planet Krypton. They made him a journalist, created a love interest for him, a fellow journalist by the name of Lois Lane, who didn't know Clark's real identity and set him in the fictional city of Metropolis. Shuster later said that Metropolis was actually based on the city of Toronto. Shuster began Doing illustrations for this character, including creating a costume with an s on the front, along with tights and a cape. In June of 1935, the two were hired by national allied publications, A producer of comic books. Despite working for a comic book publisher, the two decided to keep their idea to themselves and tried to get it syndicated to newspapers. The publication they worked for eventually merged and became Detective comics. Detective comics eventually just changed their name to DC comics. The two had a deal for a superman comic strip to syndicate in newspapers, but the deal eventually fell through. At this point, the two were getting desperate when they were told that detective comics Was going to be publishing an anthology series called action comics. Desperate to get something, they sold their idea to Detective Comics for $130, including all rights to the character. The story idea went over so well that it was on the COVID of Action Comics 1, which was released in June of 1938. It was the world's introduction to Superman. Action Comics 1 sold for 10 cents at the time. However, if you own one today, it's worth substantially more. In 2014, a copy of Action Comics 1 was sold at auction for $3,207,852. It is estimated that there are no more than 50 to 100 copies of Action Comics 1 in the world today. While Superman of the 1930s is clearly the character we know today, There were some major differences between the original superman and what he would later become. When he first appeared In Action Comics 1, Superman's abilities were relatively limited Compared to his later portrayals. He was incredibly strong, could leap great distances up to an eighth of a mile, and was impervious to anything less than a bursting shell. He was also fast enough to outrun a train. Superman was a hit with readers. While action comics Was originally an anthology with multiple stories, it soon became dedicated to nothing but Superman. In 1939, Superman became part of a syndicated comic strip for newspapers. And was also part of a new comic book simply called superman. The launch of Superman wasn't just about superman. Superman was the first real modern superhero. All subsequent superheroes were based on superman in part or sometimes they were just nothing but a blatant ripoff. Superman launched the entire superhero genre, which today has become a multi billion dollar business. As early as 1940, the first adaptations of Superman Began to appear outside of print. The adventures of Superman was a radio program that began in 1940 and ran through 1951 with 2,088 episodes. In 1941, animated cartoons were produced that ran before movies. In 1948, a series of live action movies were produced Starring Kirk Allen as Superman. And in 1951, the first full length feature called Superman and the mole men Was released Starring George Reeves as Superman. From 1952 to 1958, the Adventures of Superman television show aired and George Reeves also starred in the title role. All the while, Superman was finding an audience outside of comic books. The Superman mythos was evolving in the comic books. The era from 1938 to 1956 is known as the golden age of comic books. In fact, the golden age is said to begin with the publication of Action Comics 1. As the stories progressed, Superman gained new powers. His ability to leap evolved into the power of flight, and his strength and invulnerability levels Increased significantly. During the silver age of comics, which lasted from 1956 to 1970, Superman's powers increased even more. Superman wasn't just as fast as a locomotive or a speeding bullet. He could now travel the speed of light. Superman had the ability to time travel. In one of the earliest issues of the Superman comic, He was given the ability to change his appearance. Like a shapeshifter. He was given superior mental abilities, including the ability to learn any language instantly and a supergenius IQ, which allowed him to invent new materials and technologies. His eyes had x ray vision, Allowing him to see through anything other than lead. And he was eventually given heat vision, which basically allowed him to shoot lasers out of his eyeballs. He was given super senses, including hearing, taste, touch, and smell. He was given the power of superventriloquism, the ability to throw his voice extreme distances. His breath was super cold breath that could freeze things or put out fires. And he wasn't just invulnerable anymore, Able to stop bullets. He could now fly through the core of a sun and come out unscathed. In addition to his powers, There were eventually weaknesses given to Superman, the best known of which is kryptonite. The origins of kryptonite are traced to an unpublished story by Jerry Siegel Called the k metal from Krypton, written in 1940. In this original story, k metal didn't just take powers away from Superman and everyone else from kryptonite, but also gave superpowers to earthlings. Kryptonite was formally introduced into the comics in 1949. According to the editor, it was introduced because Superman's invulnerability Had started to become boring. In the 1970s, Superman's powers were pulled back Precisely because he had gotten too powerful. One of the biggest events in the history of DC Comics began in 1985 with the Crisis of Infinite Earth storyline. This was their way of getting rid of all the alternate dimensions in the DC Universe, which were used to explain away inconsistent plot points. In the aftermath of that story, Superman was once again given downgraded powers to make him more relatable. The early 1990s saw perhaps the greatest storyline in the history of Superman and the one that garnered mainstream media attention. The death of Superman. The story features an unstoppable alien monster named Doomsday who emerges from a deep underground containment and goes on a destructive ramp across America, heading straight for Metropolis. Superman confronts the creature in a colossal battle that causes widespread devastation. Despite his immense powers, Superman is gradually worn down by Doomsday's attacks. The story reaches its climax in a dramatic showdown where both Superman and Doomsday strike each other with fatal blows, leading to Superman's tragic death in the arms of Lois Lane. I, of course, can't talk about Superman without talking about the Superman movies. The early Superman films starring George Reeves and Kirk Allen were low budget affairs. However, just as Action Comics 1 launched the era of superheroes, the 1978 film Superman by director Richard Donner was the first big budget superhero film. This was followed up by the even better Superman II in 1980 and the truly awful Superman 3 in 1983, and the shockingly even worse Superman 4 in 1987. In 2006, Bryan Singer directed Superman Returns, which is considered a sequel to the original Superman quadrilogy starring Brendan Routh as Superman. A new DC Universe series of films featuring Superman was relaunched in 2013 with the man of Steel directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill. This was followed by Batman v Superman in 2016 and the Justice League in 2017. There is currently a plan to reboot the original Superman franchise in 2025 starring David Corenswet. There have also been many Superman related TV shows over the years. Lois and the New Adventures of Superman ran from 1993 to 1997, Smallville ran from 2001 to 2011, and Superman and Lois ran from 2021 to the time of this recording. The Superman mythos shows no signs of stopping. Superman has, in all its related titles sold more comic books than any other superhero. There are more movies in the works, and there will probably be more TV shows every few decades. As the plot lines in the comic become more convoluted, they will probably reset the Superman story again and again. Despite all of the comic books, movies and TV shows, the Superman story all goes back to two high school friends from Cleveland, Ohio. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Benji Long and Cameron Kiefer. I want to give a big shout out to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon, including the show's producers. Your support helps me put out a show every single day, and also Patreon is currently the only place where Everything Everywhere Daily merchandise is available to the top tier of supporters. If you'd like to talk to other listeners of the show and members of the Completionist Club, you can join the Everything Everywhere Daily Facebook group or Discord server. Links to Everything are in the show Notes.