Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. The two young creators from Cleveland developed the character during the 1930s, combining science-fiction ideas, adventure storytelling, and the image of a powerful hero who used his abilities to protect others.
Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1, published with a June 1938 cover date. His origin story introduced him as Kal-El, a child from the doomed planet Krypton who was sent to Earth and raised as Clark Kent by the Kents in Smallville. His familiar powers include super-strength, flight, speed, and heat vision.
Readers sometimes confuse Superman’s creators with the publisher who popularized him. Siegel and Shuster invented and designed the character, while Detective Comics, Inc.—later known as DC Comics—published his early adventures. Superman’s success helped establish the superhero comic-book genre and influenced generations of characters that followed.