S U P E R M A N, Continued.

Left: Superman and his arch nemesis, Lex Luthor; Superman #10, 1941. Right: 1950 movie starring Kirk Alyn.

Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the Man of Steel first appeared in the first issue of Action Comics in 1938. Siegel and Shuster were both Jewish, and Judaism seems to have influenced the creation of Superman. His Kryptonian name, Kal-El, is similar to the Hebrew words that mean "vessel of God." The "El" appears in names of angels with super powers, such as: Elohim, Gabriel, Erelim and Ariel. Siegel commented that mythic heroes from different cultures inspired the character, and it is not hard to imagine Superman as a Zeus-like being.

Previous Page Next Page

Home Museum About Us Events Contact Us Introduction Contents Community Arts Corner Links