Fictional Biography
For details on the Earth-One Superman's origin and childhood/teenage years, see Superboy (Kal-El).
The Earth-One Superman's origin story was retold in various stories; the most prominent retellings were in Superman (volume 1) #146 (July 1961), Limited Collectors' Edition #C-31 (November–December 1974), and Action Comics #500 (October 1979).
Superman was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton. Upon learning of Krypton's imminent destruction, his father Jor-El and mother Lara sent Kal-El in an experimental rocket to Earth moments before the planet exploded.
Landing outside of the town of Smallville, Kal-El was found and adopted by an elderly farm couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent. The couple soon learned that their foster son, now named Clark Kent, possessed a vast range of super-powers. Selling their farm, the Kents moved into Smallville, where they opened a general store shortly before Clark started school. After training in the mastery of his superpowers, Clark at age 8 began a superhero career as Superboy, Earth-One's first noteworthy superpowered superhero. During his childhood, Superboy first met Lana Lang and Pete Ross, his first love and his best friend respectively, and also his Kryptonian dog Krypto.
During the summer after Clark's high school graduation, both Jonathan and Martha Kent died. Clark subsequently decided to move to Metropolis to attend Metropolis University, from which he graduated with a degree in journalism. During his college career, Clark changed his superhero name from "Superboy" to "Superman." After graduating from college, Clark obtained employment as a reporter with The Daily Planet. His boss was editor-in-chief Perry White, and his co-workers included Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
During his adult superhero career, Clark found various new challenges, such as the first of many battles against the supervillain android Brainiac. Lex Luthor, who plagued Superboy as a youth in Smallville, would return repeatedly to face Superman as his primary adult foe.
With the appearance of other superheroes (such as Batman) after Superman reached adulthood, Superman also gained new allies as an adult. One such ally is his cousin Kara Zor-El, another survivor of Krypton's doom, who came to Earth and became Supergirl. Soon after Supergirl's arrival on Earth, Superman became a founding member of the Justice League of America, Earth-One's most prominent superhero team.
Starting in the early 1970s, Clark began working as the evening news anchor for WGBS-TV after his new boss Morgan Edge purchased the Daily Planet. Along with Edge, Clark gained as coworkers WGBS-TV sports anchor Steve Lombard and childhood friend Lana Lang, who became Clark's co-anchor.
Read more about this topic: Superman (Earth-One)
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