Justice League Action Figures – Superman
The most famous member of the Justice League is undoubtedly Superman, affectionately known as the Man of Steel. What is less well known is that Superman was probably the first of the modern superheroes. Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster originally created the character in 1932. The character became famous after appearing in #1 Action Comics (June 1938).
Superman was one of the founding members of the Justice League and has always been one of the foundations of the organization. In fact, in the latest incarnation, Superman once again plays a major role (along with Batman and Wonder Woman) in reforming the group.
Superman’s powers have been well documented on many occasions, so we won’t review them here. I’d rather take a different angle and see why Superman is so popular. In fact, he’s so popular that Superman comic book sales have consistently dwarfed every other franchise since the day it was originally published and have never experienced a significant lull in 75 years of publication. I think the movie Unbreakable sums it up best. Superman is different because Superman is Superman when he wakes up. Other popular heroes like Batman and Spiderman dress up to become heroes. When Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne wake up, they wake up as Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne. It’s an interesting and subtle difference, but I think it’s crucial to understanding Superman’s enduring popularity. We have a character who is being himself when he is being a hero, which is something we all aspire to.