Claim: Superman has been reimagined in alternative costumes.

Superman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster , high school students living in Cleveland , Ohio , in 1933 . They sold Superman to Detective Comics , the future DC Comics , in 1938 . Superman debuted in Action Comics # 1 -LRB- cover-dated June 1938 -RRB- and subsequently appeared in various radio serials , newspaper strips , television programs , films , and video games . With this success , Superman helped to create the superhero archetype and establish its primacy within the American comic book . The character is also referred to by such epithets as the Big Blue Boy Scout , the Man of Steel , the Man of Tomorrow , and the Last Son of Krypton .   The origin story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton , before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El , moments before Krypton 's destruction . Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farm couple , the child is raised as Clark Kent and imbued with a strong moral compass . Very early on he started to display various superhuman abilities , which , upon reaching maturity , he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity through a `` Superman '' identity .   Superman resides and operates in the fictional American city of Metropolis . As Clark Kent , he is a journalist for the Daily Planet , a Metropolis newspaper . Superman 's love interest is generally Lois Lane , and his archenemy is the supervillain Lex Luthor . A close ally of Batman and Wonder Woman , he is typically depicted as a member of the Justice League . Like other characters in the DC Universe , several alternate versions of Superman have been characterized over the years .   Superman 's appearance is distinctive and iconic ; he usually wears a blue costume with a red-and-yellow emblem on the chest , consisting of the letter S in a shield shape , and a red cape . This shield is used in many media to symbolize the character . Superman is widely considered an American cultural icon . He has fascinated scholars , with cultural theorists , commentators , and critics alike exploring the character 's role and impact in the United States and worldwide . The character 's ownership has often been the subject of dispute , with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of rights . The character has been adapted extensively and portrayed in other forms of media as well , including films , television series , and video games . Several actors have portrayed Superman in motion pictures and TV series including Kirk Alyn , George Reeves , Christopher Reeve , Dean Cain , Tom Welling , Brandon Routh , Henry Cavill , and Tyler Hoechlin .