Kal-El

**Kal-El** (カル＝エル, *Karu-Eru*), also known by his superhero moniker as **Superman** (スーパーマン, *Sūpāman*), is both a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the *DC* series. He was the Kryptonian last born on the planet Krypton, but raised on Earth, under the adopted human name **Clark Joseph Kent** (クラーク・ジョセフ・ケント, *Kurāku Josefu Kento*), would became one of the Earth's greatest champions and the main premiere superhero of Metropolis. Superman have often considered the first among equals of the founding members of the Justice League. Willing to always offer a helping hand and to ensure that truth and justice was upheld against selfishness, his shining example of heroic effort is one that many other heroes aspire towards and one that many villains loath with disdain.

While he is almost invulnerable and gifted with a veritable arsenal of super powers; including super strength, super speed, endurance, flight, heat vision, X-ray vision, telescopic vision, freeze breath, and ultra-acute hearing, Superman's greatest wish is to be able to walk amongst the people of Earth as equals. Only kryptonite and magic can weaken the Man of Steel so long as he is under Earth's yellow sun.

"*I feel like I live in a world made out of cardboard. Always taking constant care not to break something. To break someone. Never allowing myself to lose control, even for a moment, or someone could die. But you can take it, can't you, big man? What we have here is a rare oppurtunity for me to cut loose, and show you just how powerful I really am!*"

—Superman.

## Appearance

*Voice Actor*: Tim Daly (English), Hikaru Hanada (Japanese), (Japanese), Not Known (Arabic), Not Known (Brazilian), Not Known (Chinese), Not Known (Dutch), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (French), Not Known (German), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Hebrew), Not Known (Hungarian), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (Norwegian), Not Known (Poland), Not Known (Polish), Not Known (Portuguese), Not Known (Romanian), Not Known (Russian), Not Known (Serbian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (Swedish), Not Known (Thai), Not Known (Brazilian Portuguese), Not Known (Canadian French), Not Known (European Spanish), Not Known (European Portuguese), Not Known (Latin American Spanish), Not Known (Latin Spanish), Not Known (Spain-Spanish)

### Appearance

#### As Superman

* Hair Color: Black
* Skin Color: Not Known
* Eye Color: Blue
* Age: Not Known
* Birthday: Not Known
* Height: 6' 3"
* Weight: 225 lbs.

## Relationships

### Friends/Allies

* Team Superman
* Dan Turpin
* Lois Lane (love interest)
* Justice League

### Family

* Jor-El (father, deceased)
* Lara Sul-Van (mother, deceased)
* Sul-Van (grandfather, deceased)
* Supergirl (cousin)
* Doomsday (genetic clone)
* Bizarro (genetic clone)
* Superboy (clone)
* Supergirl 2 (future daughter)
* Jonathan Kent (foster father)
* Martha Kent (foster mother)

### Neutral

* Lobo
* Maxima
* Mxyzptlk

### Enemies

* LexCorp
	+ Lex Luthor
* Darkseid
* Brainiac
* Winslow Schott, Jr./Toyman
* Rudolph Jones/Parasite
* Leslie Willis/Livewire
* John Corben/Metallo
* Bizarro
* Claire Selton/Volcana
* Edward Lytener/Luminus

## Abilities and Powers

### Powers

* **Kryptonian Physiology**: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Superman possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
	+ **Solar Energy Absorption**: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Superman's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
	+ **Heat Vision**: Superman can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
	+ **Super-Hearing**: Superman' hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
	+ **Enhanced Vision**: Superman's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus. This umbrella ability includes the following:
		- **Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision**: Superman can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
		- **Telescopic Vision**: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
		- **X-Ray Vision**: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Superman's can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived - such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans - is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
		- **Microscopic Vision**: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
		- **Infrared Vision**: Superman's can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
	+ **Flight**: Superman is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
	+ **Invulnerability**: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Superman is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
	+ **Superhuman Stamina**: Superman is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy, but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
	+ **Superhuman Strength**: Superman's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
	+ **Superhuman Speed**: Superman is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time. This also confers:
		- **Superhuman Agility**:
		- **Superhuman Reflexes**:
* **Super-Breath**: Superman is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.
* **Mimicry**: Through a combination of super hearing and precise muscle control, Superman can imitate another person's voice.

### Abilities

* **Expert Combatant**: During combat situations, Superman makes use of an improvised fighting style that relies on overwhelming force and speed.
* **Genius Level Intellect**: Superman possesses incredible intelligence and computational abilities. During Clark's youth, Lana Lang referred to him as a "boy genius.
* **Indomitable Will**: Superman has shown to have a powerful spirit, free of corruption and temptation. Having been raised by a kindly Kansas farmer and his wife, he was taught to protect life and help others. He is very optimistic and never gives up, even when things look bad.
* **Journalism**: Clark is one of the top reporters on the *Daily Planet*, rivaled only by Lois Lane.
* **Leadership**: Superman has proven many times over his ability to command respect and inspire others with his charisma, ardor, and idealism. He often serves as the *primus inter pares* of the Justice League.

## External links

* Superman *Wikipedia*
* Superman *DC Database*
* Superman *DC Animated Universe Wiki*

## Notes & Trivia

* Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938)
* Clark Kent's middle name is either *Joseph or Jerome*; in homage to both of the character's creators, Joseph "Joe" Shuster and Jerome "Jerry" Siegel.
* Superman is happily married to Lois Lane.
* The lenses of Clark's glasses are made out of the Sunstone Crystals from his space ship. They were initially given to Clark by his mother to keep his heat vision in check during high school.
* 1938 Sullivan Lane is the home address of Clark Kent and Lois Lane after they married; the apartment was a wedding gift to the couple by Bruce Wayne, who owned the building. The address is actually a tribute to the year Superman first appeared in comics on June, 1938.
* 344 Clinton Street was the Metropolis address of Clark Kent before he was married.
* Superman's "S" symbol is actually his Kryptonian family crest.
* As part of the heroic "Trinity", Superman is considered to represent the heroic facade of protection, light, metahuman science and super heroism; he works to act as a guiding light for a better tomorrow.
* Initially, Superman was the only hero mentor with a different fighting style: he uses Brawling, while Batman and Wonder Woman used Martial Arts. But that changed when, after an update, Wonder Woman began to use Shield.
* After the Daily Planet was bought out by Lex Luthor, Clark Kent wrote an action-adventure novel titled "Under a Yellow Sun" during his brief unemployment.