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 Superman once more sheds the identity of Clark Kent, a mild mannered reporter on the Daily Planet, in order to save Metropolis from the powers of evil.
Superman is Kal-El, son of Jor-El and Lara of the planet Krypton. He was rocketed to Earth as a baby when Krypton was obliterated in a cataclysmic explosion that Jor-El had predicted. Kal-El landed on Earth to be found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who named him Clark and, fortunately for us, raised him to be a good citizen and a heck of a nice guy.
Still, he is an alien, and a god-like one at that. Even though his friends are mortal, his family is mortal, he was raised as a mortal and spends most of his time living a mortal's life, Superman has been and always will be an outsider.
Superman has chosen to be Earth's gentle guardian, pledging never to kill anyone, or interfere in the free will of nations. Sometimes it's difficult for him to remain detached, especially when he sees the effects that bad policies have on the planet. Even as Superman there's not much he can do about that, though as reporter Clark Kent he can champion the fight of the little guy through his writing for the Daily Planet. In some ways the good Clark does in print is just as meaningful as any of Superman's heroic feats. Superman's not out to make a name for himself, he's there to help people. He rarely stays around for a "thank you", he simply does his job and splits. Naturally, some people treat Superman with suspicion, as if believing that a man this selfless and good must have an awful lot to hide. Some people even fear him, dreading the day that Superman will decide that humans are not fit to govern themselves, but he is. Of course, it would never be in Superman's nature to do that, but, being a rathrelusive hero, some paranoid souls are inclined to think the worst.
Superman can fly, has super strength, x-ray, telescopic and heat vision, acute hearing, a computer-like mind (he can speak all Earth languages and most alien ones) and near invulnerability. The power of flight is the 'most visually dynamic of Superman's abilities. When he takes off, he usually gives himself a boost with a running leap. There are two things that can give Superman a really bad time. One of course is Kryptonite, a radioactive substance cast off by the exploding planet Krypton. Usually seen in the form of a glowing green crystalline rock, Kryptonite has a lethal effect on anyone from Krypton. If exposed to it, Superman will instantly weaken, and prolonged exposure to it will kill him. Needless to say, every hood on earth would like to get their hands on a chunk of this stuff. Lead can shield Superman from Kryptonite's effects, though this is somewhat of a mixed blessing as lead is the one element that can also impair Superman's x-ray vision.
The other big thing Superman has no power over is magic. In the Superman universe magic is a real force and the Man of Steel is just as susceptible to mystic spells and curses as a normal human. This makes a magic-working adversary like Mr Mxyzptlk a potentially deadly threat to our hero.
For jobs too dangerous for Superman to handle, he's constructed a series of special exoskeleton supersuits which allow him to operate in otherwise hazardous situations. Among them are a Spacesuit, which allows him to breathe in space and fly at faster than light speed and an Underwater Suit for prolonged periods on the ocean floor.
Clark is a gutsy, hard-boiled crime reporter who openly competes with Lois Lane for the Daily Planet's plum assignments. Clark's tough -- he has to be to survive in the cutthroat world of print journalism. When pursuing a lead, he's relentless, never taking no for an answer and digging far beneath the surface in his quest for the truth. When it comes to getting a jump on a story, nothing stands in his way, especially Lois. Clark Kent and Lois Lane are not always friendly rivals whose intense professional relationship sends sparks flying around the Planet offices.
Lois looks upon reporting as a thrilling career whereas Clark looks on it as another extension of his duties as Superman. As a reporter, Clark specialises in stories that expose the sins of society and champion the cause of the common man. By contrast, Lois Lane specialises in more sensational stories. Whereas Clark would check the record of a political candidate, Lois would open his closet for skeletons. Clark's stories get people thinking. Naturally that infuriates Lex who feels if anyone will tell the people of his city how to think it will be him.
Despite being one of the Planet's best-known reporters, Clark takes pains to stay out of the spotlight. As Superman and as Clark, he is modest by nature, plus he doesn't want anyone making any sort of connection between Clark and Superman. He can't help it if Superman is publicly known to millions, but he does what he can to give Clark a low profile.
In fact, apart from Perry, Lois and Jimmy, many of the other Planet staffers only know Clark Kent as a byline on an article. Asked to pick him out of a crowd, a number of them couldn't, which is just what Clark wants. in order to function as Superman, our hero needs Clark to be his invisible eyes and ears.
Unfortunately the aggressive but elusive Clark doesn't rate very highly with Lois Lane. Before Clark showed up, Lois was the Planet's undisputed ace reporter. Now Lois finds herself frequently butting heads with Kent for the prize stories. It's not that Lois minds a little competition now and then. In fact, most times she finds men who can keep up with her to be intriguing. That's not the case with Kent, though. In Lois' mind, she's seen his type a hundred times before. Talented, yes. A go-getter, absolutely, A decent guy and respectable co-worker, sure. Exciting, no. No way.
Lois has always been attracted to dangerous, mysterious men, and while she thinks Clark will make a great catch for some lucky girl, he's not for her, The irony of this is not lost on Clark. He's the most powerful, mysterious man on the face of the planet and yet because of his responsibility as Superman to the people of Earth, he's not ready to share that secret with anyone, although with Lois it's awfully tempting. The fact is he's crazy about her. Beyond the physical attraction, she's quick-witted, imaginative and courageous, one of the few people who can always surprise him. In short, Lois makes Superman feel human. And he likes it.
Clark lives in a modest one bedroom bachelor's apartment a few minutes walk from the Planet. To all appearances it's nothing fancy, but inside his closet is a hidden room which contains his Superman uniforms. His special Supersuits and various Superman-related mementoes are kept at his Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic.
Lois Lane is the Daily Planet's star reporter. She's a savvy, stubborn, sly newswoman who doesn't suffer fools gladly. She's also a knockout, but you'd do well to resist telling her that. Lois wants to be appreciated solely for her brains and hard work. She has a love/hate relationship with Clark, always referring to him as "Kent", unless she wants something out of him and only then does she call him "Clark". There's only one man who leaves her at a loss for words: Superman and she could kick herself for it.
When Krypton exploded, its smaller neighbour planet, Argos, was thrown out of its rotation and sent flying into space. Kara, however, was the only one to survive. Clark was delighted to know there had been another survivor of the Krypton system. Inspired by her "cousin" Clark, Kara has made a costume similar to Superman's and occasionally joins on missions as Supergirl.
Kyle Rayner is a young artist for the Daily Planet. When he is enlisted by the intergalactic traveler Abin Sur to join the elite guardians of the universe, The Green Lantern Corp., his world forever changes. Kyle works with Superman to defend Earth against the Green Lantern's greatest enemy, Sinestro.
John Henry Irons the Man of Steel is Superman’s friend and comrade in the fight against evil in Metropolis. An ex LexCorp employee. He developed the ultra modern police suit, code named the "Prototype which allows members of the Metropolis PD to have the same abilities and power as Superman.
Jonathon and Martha Kent are Superman's loving and supportive adopted parents. The childless couple found the infant Kal-El when his space ship crash-landed on their farm many years ago. Believing the baby to be part of some cruel Russian space experiment, they named the boy Clark and raised him as if he were their natural son.
He is the undisputed master of Metropolis and lord of all he surveys. Yes, there is a mayor, a governor and a President of the United States, but Luthor is a law unto himself. And yet, there's one thing he craves above all else: the death of Superman. Because he cannot control or own Superman, Luthor is obsessed with destroying him. To Lex, Superman represents free will.
Along with Lex are a whole host of fiendish adversaries;
Also Superman has to contend with a whole host of other fiends;
Metallo, Toyman, Jax-Ur/Mala, Lobo, Livewire, Luminus, Darkseid, Desaad, Kalibak, Steppenwolf, Kanto, Granny, Stompa, Mad HarrietLashima, Sinestro, Volcana, Mannheim, Weather Wizard
When Krypton exploded, its smaller neighbour planet, Argos, was thrown out of its rotation and sent flying into space. Kara, however, was the only one to survive. Clark was delighted to know there had been another survivor of the Krypton system. Inspired by her "cousin" Clark, Kara has made a costume similar to Superman's and occasionally joins on missions as Supergirl.
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