Superman Research Paper

Superman is the ultimate superhero and is considered an American cultural icon. He first appeared in Action Comics in 1938. Created by two jewish high school students, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Superman helped to define the superhero genre. That same year he was sold and became an official member of DC Comics, where he continues to appear over the years in comic strips, television series, and feature films. Superman has it all. His strength is practically unlimited. He can fly through space at the speed of light, and when he surpasses that speed, he breaks through the time barrier and can transfer himself to other epochs. He can bore through mountains, lift ocean liners, destroy or construct dams. With only the pressure of his hands, he can turn coal to diamonds. his X-Ray vision allows him to see through any object and his impeccable super hearing allows him to eavesdrop from miles away. He is kind, handsome, modest and helpful; the whole package. Sounds to good to be true because …show more content…
Kryptonite, his only catastrophic weakness, does not offer a broad range of solutions. It must be used sparingly or the narrative becomes redundant as does the storyline of Superman using is abilities to save the world. Throughout both the 1948 and 1952 series, Superman easily concours any problems without breaking a sweat. He flies to save someone hanging out of a airplane, is able to stop a car dead in its tracks all while making it back to the Daily Planet to write the headline. According to Fredric Wertham “Superman, needs an endless stream of ever new submen criminals and "foreign-looking" people not only to justify his existence but even make it possible.” What keeps Superman famous is the human attributes portrayed through his duel personalities and both Superman and Clark Kent. There in lies where the magic happens for the man of