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Of course you did. That's Superman's origin, and everybody knows it. Not just nerds; your mom could tell you Superman's origin without thinking too hard about it. Chances are your grandmother could, too. It's just one of those things that's become completely ingrained in the collective pop culture.
However, that doesn't stop people from explaining it to us... over and over again. When DC announced that Grant Morrison would tell Superman's origin again in Action Comics #5, Rob jokingly mentioned someone write a top 45 list of Superman Origins to highlight how overdone it is. Having a whole lot of time and nothing to do with it, I undertook that task but came up short of 45 entries... but not by much. A special thanks goes out to Tom Foss at "Fortress of Soliloquy" for compiling a list of Superman origins back in 2010. which was a great help in researching this article.
3o) Action Comics #5 (2012)
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29) Man of Steel Movie (2013)
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28) The Amazing World of Superman: Metropolis Edition (1973)
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27) Superboy TV Series, "Abandon Earth" and "Escape to Earth" (1990)
Although most people feel that having young Clark Kent flying around in costume would have made Smallville a better TV show, it didn't do the Superboy TV series any good, which somehow managed to stay on the air for four seasons. Superboy boy actually didn't know his origins until his parents Jor-El and Lara stopped by to finally clue him in. As it turns out, these two aren't his parents at all, but oddly well-informed aliens who want to put Superboy in their space zoo.
26) Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV Series, (1993-1997)
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25) Action Comics #500 (1979)
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24) Superman Returns Movie (2006)
People love to give Bryan Singer's film a lot of (mostly deserved) grief for not having enough action and being so much of a tribute to the Richard Donner's classic films as to not stand on its own merit. This makes his decision to re-tell Superman's origin in the movie's opening scenes -- which was already wonderfully covered in Donner's 1978 Superman movie -- even more annoying. Superman Returns assumed every viewer had seen Superman and Superman II... except the origin part? Guh.
23) Superman: Secret Origin (2009)
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22) Super Friends, "The Planet Splitter" (1973)
This beloved cartoon introduced a version of Superman, and the rest of the Justice League, which for several years would stand as one of the most recognizable versions of these characters. Unfortunately, Super Friends decided to tell Superman's origin through Marvin, instantly rendering it one of the worst retellings ever simply on principle.
21) The New Adventures of Superman TV Series (1966-1970)
A short-lived series on CBS which served as the first cartoon presence for Supes and his supporting cast since the '40s. The origin was summarized very briefly in the show's opening credits, so it was repeated every episode for all four seasons the show ran. This series is notable for including the first TV versions of Superboy and his dog Krypto, and also notable because it paved the way for our next entry.
20) More Fun Comics #101 (1945)
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19) Superman Movie Serial, "Superman Comes to Earth" (1948)
This movie serial was the first live-action version of Superman. It began with a rather basic origin with the standard details, except for both of Clark's foster parents (this time named Eben and Martha) dying before he moved to Metropolis. It also paved the way for...
18) The Adventures of Superman TV Series, "The Last Son of Krypton" (1952)
This TV series had pretty much the same premise as the movie serial from a few year prior, but being on TV gave it 1) more time to tell more stories and 2) a wider audience to tell those stories to. The first episode was devoted to Superman arriving on Earth and deciding to become a superhero. It also established Clark Kent as moving to Metropolis and becoming Superman after the death of his foster father, which would later be used in Superman: The Movie.
17) Superman for All Seasons (1998)
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16) Adventures of Superman Radio Serial, "The Baby from Krypton" (1940)
This long-running radio serial (it ran from 1940-51!) was the first appearance of Superman outside of the comics. His origin here includes odd bits like Krypton being a planet in Earth's solar system on the opposite side of the sun, and Supes maturing in space then emerging from his ship as a fully grown adult. Most importantly, the radio show is where his weakness kryptonite was introduced for the first time.
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163 comments
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The fact that Donners origin story is number 1 proves that you are not a true Superman fan. When the favorite telling of the story also involves flying against the rotation of the earth to reverse time, and when your favorite telling of the story isn't in comic book form you lose all credibility. Donners version shouldn't even make the top 15. Shame on you I was actually looking for an actual list, not a publicity stunt.
I don't understand the hate for the new 52. the new action comics is a very good read. if the writing/art is good i'm not going to bitch about some lost continuity
I don't go by the DC new 52, it's total white washing and it's crap. the original superman origin is much better.
why didn't you include any of the one-shot origin tales? such as "Superman: Red Son" (where he grows up in the soviet union) or "Superman: Kal" (superman, lex luthor and lois lane in medieval england). those were cooler than just hearing about the same tale being told slightly differently.
But what about stories about the origin of Earth 2 Superman?
Or Earth 16 Superman? I like Earth 16 Superman. He's kind of a dick about the whole Superboy thing.
I never knew they did the origin on the Adventures of Superman TV show. Love that this highly advanced society still uses an easel and hand-drawn blueprint at the presentation on Mount Wisdom or whatever.
exactly. more of the one-shot comics would have been nice. Like "Superman: Kal"--told in the setting of medieval england
I was so back and forth on "Smallville" throughout its run. Sometimes I didn't pay attention to it at all. Sometimes I loved it (mainly towards the end). Sometimes I just waited to see when another superhero was going to show up. But dammit if the final moments of that show, with him ripping his shirt open, revealing the insignia, set to the John Williams theme, didn't stick with me.
Donner's Superman is such a brilliant film. Even thinking about it makes me hum the John Williams theme.
the best retelling was when they called him kakarot and bardock saved enough time for him to escape to earth and save it.
Greggory, I really loved your snarkiness. Well except Lois and Clark, that show wasn't so bad for being a 90s non-sitcom tv series.. and it even had Tony Jay! Overall it still holds up pretty well. Anywho, great list, thanks for putting Timm's animated Supes so high up, lovelovelove DCAU Supes, esp. when Justice League rolls in.
Okay, and from the bag of Trivia No One asked For, I find it a criminal oversight that there has been no mention of the following fact: In the above mentioned episode of The Adventures of Superman TV show, Jor-El is wearing Flash Gordon's hand-me-downs. Specifically, the actor's costume
http://z2.ifrm.com/10701/5/0/p... a slightly modified version of the same outfit earlier worn by Buster Crabbe in the serial "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe"http://camelotbroadcasting.com... http://www.westernclippings.co... For that matter, ifn the same episode, if you look carefully you can see that one of the Kryptonian council is wearing Captain Marvel's uniform, also from an old serial. Why do I bring any of this up? Patially as a reminder that when it comes to recycling stuff, Hollywood will always be King. But mostly because---we're nerds, goddamnit, and no matter how inconsequential, We're Supposed To Know Stuff Like This!
This is a fantastic list -- and I appreciate the amount of detail you've gone into. I enjoyed both Birthright and Geoff John's most recent attempt at the story, although my the retcon that I've appreciated most recently was Damien Lindelof and Ryan Sook's Jor-El entry in Action Comics 900. (I guess that's not really an origin story.)
Hey. I always come late to these parties, so forgive me if the info I bear has already been covered. First, Mark Waid almost certainly didn't borrow the idea of Clark and Lex having been friends in their youth from the Smallville TV show. Waid was a Superman fan from Way Back When, and that particular concept had been part of DC canon for DECADES before being retconned out of existence by Byrne. So, I've always taken at read that Waid included that as a shout-out to the Superman he grew up with. The idea's then-recent resurrection as a part of the TV show may have made it easier for him to get DC editorial to go along with it, though. And speaking of such things, I'm going to bring up Elliot S. Maggin's terrific novel Superman: Last Son of Krypton as deserving a place on this list. Published to coincide with the release of the first Donner film, the story is rich with details that add new texture to the story without violating or contradicting any of the important stuff. Which, by my yardstick, is how this "re-telling" thing ought to work. Here's a couple of the minor adjustments Maggin made.:
Jor-El had (before the planet started blowing up) outfitted the rocket with a telepathic probe that would alert Earth's greatest thinker, explain the situation to him, and tell him where and when the rocket would land. Krypton being a technocracy, It makes sense--- Jor-El naturally assumed his son should be raised by a scientist. But---the Great Thinker that the probe found was ---Albert Einstein! This being 1955, Einstein had a pretty good idea of the havoc that could be wrought by immense power. In his estimation, a kid who would grow up to shrug off A-bombs like whiffle balls didn't need to instruction in science, so much as a foundation in duty, honor, compassion and basic human decency. So Einstein traveled to Kansas and manipulated events so that the rocket would be found by the Kents.
Maggin also gets some mileage out of the Kent-Luthor friendship. The teenage Lex is arrogant, obnoxious, caustically (and entertainigly) sarcastic but not yet evil.His lab partner and apparent only friend is Clark Kent. Lex is certain that Clark is putting on an act---basically playing straight-man for Lex's "I'm-Smarter-Than-Everybody" routines, But somehow, even though he's obviously superior to everyone (except, of course, Lex himself ) Clark manages to convince them all that he's a world-class weenie. Lex is both confused as to why on earth anybody would do such a thing, and amazed at Clark's ability to never break character. And while Lex is too self-centered to notice it, Clark quietly admires Lex's ability---and willingness--- to stand out in a crowd, to not hide what he can do from other people, to just plain be himself.
The novel is a hoot from beginning to end. I admit, I'm kinda shocked that Warner's has never re-released it. Both it and its sequel, Miracle Monday, ought to be read by Supe fans everywhere---especially fans of the Silver Age.
Grandpa out.
This reminds me of the Great Book, "The 30 Best ways to veiw DooDee in its natural form"
Though I have no real reason I can explain on why it reached best seller status.
So Action Comics didn't make it higher on the list because it was "only 7 panels"...but All Star Superman was near the top of the list because it was done in 4 panels, with 8 words and even less detail?
This was a fun list, but boy is someone inconsistent.
I wholeheartedly agree with this list, both in concept and order of importance.
Personally I think it's a shame that as most new writer (particularly since Man of Steel) has felt the need to put their personal stamp on the story or to remove parts that they personally felt were silly or unimportant. Subsequent writers keep putting these elements back in, so why not try to make them work?
Pulling from the newspaper strips, radio, Donner film, Smallville (yes, that one), Superboy, Supergirl and the Animated Series, I'd say a definitive Superman origin needs (at least) these elements:
* Kryptonians that are "peak human," meaning they can already leap an eighth of a mile and such (but not fly).* Jor-El arguing with Rozan.* Jor-El and Lora struggling with their son's future.* Krypto.* Kandor and Braniac.* Zor-El and Argo City.* Zod and the Phantom Zone.* A rocket that actually looks like a rocket.* Jor-El that actually has cool sci-fi clothing.* the "S" shield that represents the House of El.* Pa and Ma discovering the baby and dropping him off at an orphanage before they are quickly given custody of the child by CPS workers who don't want to deal with the trouble-maker (this long-forgotten element of the mythos maintains a believable adoption story while keeping the Kent's as law-abiding parents).* The meteor shower.* Young Lex affected by the meteor shower (at least psychologically).* Superboy.* Slightly older Lex Luthor befriending Superboy before ultimately turning against him.* Pa Kent dying.* Leaving Superboy behind to "find himself," while building the Fortress and traveling the world.* Debuting as Superman in Metropolis.* Supergirl expecting to be older than baby Kal-El, but arriving when he's already an adult.
While their at it... bring back Sonn.
omg. fleicshers cartoon. the bad guy is defiintely wearing dr. evils outfit from austin powers.
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...and if you watch the video at 4:10 after the bad guy gets out of the chair, that's totally SpongeBob's "pineapple under the sea" house... LoL
digging the 1940-51 radio show. binary system? other side of our sun. origin of kryptonite. awesomeness.
La version de mignola era la historia de superman regresaba a kripton con la ayuda de hombre halcon y mujer halcon.
Can we just we just flip Birthright and Smallville? There's no way Smallville should rank higher.
I only have this to say about the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, even the "good" ones: bleh.
I think you missed out on another great origin story of sorts. The novel, "The Last Days of Krypton" by Kevin J. Anderson is a really great new take on the destruction of Krypton and gives a great deal of depth to the world, civilization and downfall of Krypton as well as giving unique insights into the lives of many characters from Jor-El and Lara to Zod and Brainiac. The story is unique in that it is not about Superman/Kal-El, per se, but about Jor-El and Krypton as a whole. Still, it is an origin story and a damn good one. Read it if you haven't.
World of Krypton: "How strange... to be present at my parent's wedding!"
Superman...you might be a redneck!
Actually, isn't the fact that Clark and Lex knew each other as kids an old part of DC canon that got lost in the (first) Crisis reboot or something like that?
I seem to remember a story where Superboy saved teen Lex from a lab fire. When he blew out the flames he blew off all of Lex's hair--thus explaining his baldness and irrational hatred of Supes.
Yah, Superfriends origin of Lex Luthor.
I used to think the idea of someone losing their hair and becoming evil was ridiculous...then I started going bald...and am far more bitter than I was.
I agree with this list for the most part, but I would have loved a mention of the novel The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J Anderson. It is the first work I have seen that allows you to get a feel for the personalities of Jor-El, Lara, Zor-El, and Zod. It isn't so much a Superman origin as it is a Superman pre-history.
I remember Byrne saying he regretted doing the Krypton stuff in the first issue, he should have waited until the final one with Clark finding the hologram from Jor-El to fill that in. "I made the mistake of remembering the story before putting my spin on it."
Smallville taking ten damn years on his origin isn't necessarily a good thing. How the hell is that shit not further back? It was a goddamn mess. Aside from Lionel and Lex being a foil for Johnathan and Clark; and maybe Chloe (who was a better Lana than Lana), what exactly did Smallville do right overall?
Waid's birthright is amazing as Waid is maybe one of the biggest Superman nerds around.
Plus, it's not played out yet, but I'd give Morrison's Action Comics the benefit of a doubt and place it higher. Even if it is the third origin reboot in ten years. Geez. Was Johns's Secret Origins even out in softcover by the time they announced the reboot?
Oh and Krypto didn't die in Morrison's Action Comics. He went into the Phantom Zone.
30... Blah! Not even going to bother to read this list. I think # 30 really says it all with that cover caption anyways, "It Begins... ...AGAIN!" It's like I can hear the lameness of everyone involved working on it and how they wish they were doing something else. 30 times!
"Superman: Birthright" is by far one of the more superior retellings on this list (save for the crap about Lex and Clark knowing one another in the younger years). The plot of the "Kryptonian Invasion Force" was extremely well done, and I loved all the stuff about Clark in Africa. I'd have to say though that my second favorite "Origin" of superman isn't on this list as it's an ELSEWORLDS title: "SUPEЯMAИ: ЯED SOИ". Wonderful setup, original questions, and the fact that Luthor is responsible for EVERYTHING (those of you that have read it know what I'm talking about) is just icing on the cake of cleverness...
Maybe it's just because I've been a juror on a child molestation case, and one bit of circumstantial evidence was a tape of Richard Donner's movie with the origin story rewind-pause-played to the point that the tape was wearing, so I can't see the origin story without a Toht. He also had every film version of Lord of the Flies ever made, and Christopher Lambert's Tarzan.
I love how Superman Returns apparently doesn't know what "alienation" means. Clue: It has nothing to do with your adopted kid from Krypton.
