Superman

This week, I'm going to talk about Superman. Superman is the classic American comic book hero. He was born on a planet called Krypton and sent to Earth when Krypton was destroyed. Raised by two Kansas farmers, he grew up as Clark Kent. He realizes he has powers as he gets older, and decides to use his powers for good. Superman's birth name is Kal-El. The Man of Steel is a hero with a strict moral code; he is called a "Boy Scout" by other heroes. His main weakness is Kryptonite, which is usually shown as a green rock.

Superman is not only a comic book hero, but a pop culture symbol representing the United States of America. Superman's role in pop culture has been huge ever since he was first shown in his red-and-blue costume. Shirts, hats, mugs, watches and even shoes have featured the iconic "S" symbol Superman wears on his chest. Children wear Superman costumes on Halloween, when they go trick-or-treating. Multiple feature films about Superman have been made, as well as a number of television shows. Videogames and action figures have been made using Superman; the most recent game to feature Superman as a playable character is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Superman movies generally do well in the box office and recieve positive reviews from critics and fans alike. The television shows also generally do well; Smallville is currently in it's eighth season. One of the most popular television series featuring Superman, however, is the cartoon Superman: The Animated Series. Superman: The Animated Series was produced by Bruce Timm, the same producer of Batman: The Animated Series.

Superman is a character with a very complex storyline and background. His main weakness is radioactive Kryptonite, and the most commonly shown Kryptonite is green Kryptonite. Green Kryptonite will take away his powers and cause physical pain and nausea. After an extended period of exposure to green Kryptonite, Superman will die. Gold Kryptonite is one of the most dangerous kinds of Kryptonite, as it permanently removes Superman's powers. There are many other kinds of Kryptonite, but most of them are unimportant and uncommon. One major plot twist in Superman's story is presented in Infinite Crisis, a graphic novel in which the universe once existed as a multiverse with many variations on the same character. The main Earths are Earth-One and Earth-Two. The Superman of Earth-One is Kal-El, the most common Superman and Clark Kent. The Superman of Earth-Two is Kal-L, who appears as an aged Superman. In Infinite Crisis, the multiverse is restored so one of Lex Luthor's alternate-reality sons can find the "perfect Earth". Lex Luthor is Superman's main enemy, shown as the classic evil businessman. Luthor is a rich man who is constantly trying to kill Superman.