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Superman
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Creation & Design

Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, representing the archetype of the superhero and embodying ideals of hope and justice.

Early Years

Superman debuted in Action Comics #1, quickly becoming a cultural icon and leading to the establishment of the superhero genre.

Character Development

Over the decades, Superman has evolved from a simple superhero into a complex character grappling with moral dilemmas, identity, and the responsibilities of power.

Cultural Reception

Superman has been received as a symbol of hope and justice, influencing countless other characters and stories in the comic book medium.

Character Details

Real Name:
Clark Kent
First Appearance:
Superman #300
Aliases:
Man of Steel, Kal-El, Last Son of Krypton
Species:
Kryptonian
Gender:
male
Affiliations:
Justice League, Teen Titans, The Daily Planet
Abilities:
Super strength, Flight, Heat vision, X-ray vision, Super speed
Equipment:
Fortress of Solitude, Superman suit
Weight:
225lbs
Height:
6' 3"
Eye Color:
blue
Hair Color:
black
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Superman #300
DC ⋅ 1976
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Superman #300
 
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Key Facts

Origin of Superman retold

Super Friends #1
DC ⋅ 1976
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Super Friends #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog

Adapted from the 1973 animated TV series

Justice League of America #137
DC ⋅ 1976
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Justice League of America #137
 
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Key Facts

Cover art implies Superman and Captain Marvel battle but they do not

All-New Collectors' Edition #54
DC ⋅ 1977
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All-New Collectors' Edition #54
 
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Key Facts

Classic battle of Superman vs Wonder Woman

All-New Collectors' Edition #56
DC ⋅ 1978
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All-New Collectors' Edition #56
 
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Key Facts

One-shot issue featuring a boxing match between Superman & Muhammad Ali

Classic wraparound cover art by Neal Adams

Action Comics #481
DC ⋅ 1978
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Action Comics #481
 
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1st appearance of Supermobile

All-New Collectors' Edition #56
Whitman ⋅ DC ⋅ 1978
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All-New Collectors' Edition #56
 
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Key Facts

Whitman edition, logo in upper left corner

All-New Collectors' Edition #58
DC ⋅ 1978
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All-New Collectors' Edition #58
 
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Key Facts

First battle of Superman vs Shazam

First meeting and battle of Superman vs Black Adam - Black Adam disguised as Shazam

Action Comics #500
DC ⋅ 1979
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Action Comics #500
 
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Key Facts

Anniversary of Action Comics issue #500

Marvel Treasury Edition #28
Marvel ⋅ 1981
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Marvel Treasury Edition #28
 
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62-page, oversized DC/Marvel crossover featuring Spider-Man and Superman

Battle of Superman vs the Hulk

First part of the crossover trilogy began in Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man #1 and continues in DC Special Series #27 with Hulk and Batman

DC Special Series #26
DC ⋅ 1981
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DC Special Series #26
 
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Key Facts

Solo story touring the Fortress of Solitude

DC Comics Presents #49
DC ⋅ 1982
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DC Comics Presents #49
 
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Key Facts

Team-up of Superman and Shazam vs Black Adam

Superman #409
Newsstand ⋅ DC ⋅ 1985
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Superman #409
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover with 'Superhombre' logo

Logo first used on a 1942 Ashcan of Superman #1

Trademark renewed and printed to show proof of usage on the covers of this issue and Adventure Comics #304

CGC 9.8 sold April 2019 for $1500

Superman: The Man of Steel #1
DC ⋅ 1986
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Superman: The Man of Steel #1
 
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Key Facts

Origin of Superman, reimagined

First post-Crisis on Infinite Earths appearance of Superman

Crisis on Infinite Earths was an publishing event that served to reboot the DC Universe

1st appearance of Kelex, the artificial intelligence of the Fortress of Solitude

Action Comics #600
DC ⋅ 1988
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Action Comics #600
 
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Anniversary issue celebrating Superman's 50th year

Cover art inspired by Superman Annual #7

Superman: This Island Bradman #1
DC ⋅ 1988
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Superman: This Island Bradman #1
 
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Key Facts

8-page comic book privately commissioned by an English real estate developer for reportedly $10,000

'This Island Bradman' was created to celebrate the birthday of Daniel Bradman and given out as party favors

Approximately 200 copies produced

Action Comics #662
DC ⋅ 1991
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Action Comics #662
 
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Key Facts

Clark Kent tells Lois Lane that he is Superman

Adventures of Superman #496
DC ⋅ 1992
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Adventures of Superman #496
 
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Key Facts

3rd cameo appearance of Doomsday, a panel shows the opposite site of the door as the bone-spiked fist pierces through the steel with a caption that reads '...Doomsday Is Coming!'

Action Comics #683
DC ⋅ 1992
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Action Comics #683
 
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4th cameo appearance of Doomsday, the mysterious fist succeeds in punching a hole through the steel door with a caption that reads '...Doomsday Is Here!'

🥈 Runner-Up: New High [Previous High]

2ND PRINT 9.8 sold for $800 [No Previous Data]

Superman: The Man of Steel #18
DC ⋅ 1992
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Superman: The Man of Steel #18
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Doomsday, mostly obscured by a containment suit with one arm bound behind his back as he wreaks havoc across the countryside

Justice League America #69
DC ⋅ 1992
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Justice League America #69
 
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Key Facts

Battle of Doomsday vs the Justice League: Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner, Maxima, Fire, Ice, Bloodwynd

Doomsday vs the Justice League

Superman #74
DC ⋅ 1992
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Superman #74
 
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First battle of Superman versus Doomsday

A short scuffle gives the first partial view of what Doomsday looks like beneath the damaged suit

Adventures of Superman #497
DC ⋅ 1992
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Adventures of Superman #497
 
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Second battle of Doomsday versus Superman

If this issue were being scored the same as a boxing match, Superman would have won the round

Throughout this issue, the action occurs in four panels on every page

Action Comics #684
DC ⋅ 1992
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Action Comics #684
 
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Doomsday reaches the city limits of Metropolis

Every page of this issue has exactly three panels except the first page

Superman: The Man of Steel #19
DC ⋅ 1993
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Superman: The Man of Steel #19
 
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Key Facts

Doomsday is fully revealed in this issue after most of the suit has been destroyed

Throughout this issue, the action occurs in two panels on every page

The lone 9.9 sold for $1,600 in February 2024.

Superman #75
DC ⋅ 1993
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Superman #75
 
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Death of Superman

Death of Doomsday

Every page of this issue is a full or double-splash page

Six-million issues sold

Action Comics #689
DC ⋅ 1993
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Action Comics #689
 
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Resurrection of Superman

Debut of Superman's black suit, intended to aid in his regeneration

Kingdom Come #2
DC ⋅ 1996
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Kingdom Come #2
 
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Superman forms the new Justice League

1st appearance of Red Arrow, alternate reality identity of Roy Harper

1st appearance of Red Tornado, Maxine Hunkel, the granddaughter of Red Tornado, in an alternate reality

1st appearance of Atom Smasher, in an alternate reality, death in Kingdom Come #4

Superman: The Wedding Album #1
DC ⋅ 1996
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Superman: The Wedding Album #1
 
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Marriage of Superman and Lois Lane

Interior art depicts a number of past Superman creators attending the wedding which is officiated by Jerry Siegel

Superman Forever #1
DC ⋅ 1998
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Superman Forever #1
 
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Superman returns to his original form after having been split into two independent beings of energy, one red and one blue

Action Comics #747
DC ⋅ 1998
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Action Comics #747
 
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1st appearance of Dominus, a Lord of Order

Dominus to reappear after two decades

Action Comics #1
Reprint ⋅ DC ⋅ 1998
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Action Comics #1
 
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Key Facts

Reprint of Action Comics #1 distributed in 1998 by the US Post Office commemorating 50 years of Superman

Scarce issue, sealed with a book of Superman stamps

Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1
DC ⋅ 1999
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Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1
 
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1st appearance of the Justice Alliance, an alternate reality version of the Justice League from an Earth where most of the super-heroes are black

1st appearance of a black Superman, Supergirl and Wonder Woman

Incredible Hulk vs Superman #1
DC/Marvel ⋅ 1999
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Incredible Hulk vs Superman #1
 
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Battle of the Hulk versus Superman in a hypothetical one-shot

Action Comics #767
Non-Key
DC ⋅ 2000
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Action Comics #767
 
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Key Facts

Non-Key Issue. No additional information is available.

Action Comics #773
Non-Key
DC ⋅ 2001
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Action Comics #773
 
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Non-Key Issue. No additional information is available.

Action Comics #784
Non-Key
DC ⋅ 2001
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Action Comics #784
 
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Non-Key Issue. No additional information is available.

Batman #612
DC ⋅ 2003
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Batman #612
 
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Battle of Batman vs Superman

Debut of Batman's Kryptonite Ring used to level the playing field when fighting Superman

Superman: Red Son #1
DC ⋅ 2003
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Superman: Red Son #1
 
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Premiere issue of a three-part series that envisions Superman's story if he landed and was raised in the Soviet Union

Superman #204
Variant ⋅ DC ⋅ 2004
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Superman #204
 
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Variant sketch cover art by Jim Lee

Justice #4
2nd Print ⋅ DC ⋅ 2006
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Justice #4
 
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Variant second printing cover art by Alex Ross

Action Comics #869
Recalled ⋅ DC ⋅ 2008
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Action Comics #869
 
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Key Facts

Recalled cover depicts Clark Kent drinking a beer

Re-released with Clark Kent drinking a soda pop

Action Comics #892
Variant ⋅ DC ⋅ 2010
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Action Comics #892
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Ivan Reis, celebrating DC's 75th anniversary

Cover inspired by Superman #199 (1967)

Action Comics #1
DC ⋅ 2011
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Action Comics #1
 
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Relaunch of Action Comics

1st appearance of Nyxly, the New 52 version of Mister Mxyzptlk‘s partner who first debuted as Miss Gzptlsnz in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #52 (1961)

Action Comics #1
1:200 ⋅ DC ⋅ 2011
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Action Comics #1
 
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Variant cover art by Rags Morales

Action Comics #9
Variant ⋅ DC ⋅ 2012
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Action Comics #9
 
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Variant cover art by Rags Morales

Superman #38
DC ⋅ 2015
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Superman #38
 
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Debut of new power, Superman can unleash energy stored in his cells to produce a solar flare

Superman #38
1:50 ⋅ DC ⋅ 2015
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Superman #38
 
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Variant cover art by Lee Moder

Superman #38
1:100 ⋅ DC ⋅ 2015
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Superman #38
 
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Variant cover art by John Romita Jr.

Convergence: Superman #2
DC ⋅ 2015
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Convergence: Superman #2
 
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1st appearance of Jonathan Kent, the infant son of Superman and Lois Lane, later becomes Superboy

Preview appearance of Doomed

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