Martha Clark

*"Be their hero, Clark. Be their angel, their monument, be anything they need you to be. Or be none of it. You don't owe this world a thing... you never did."*
―Martha Kent[src]
**Martha Kent** (née Clark; born November 7, 1952) is the wife of Jonathan Kent and the adoptive mother of Superman, also known as Clark Kent. Since they could not conceive a child of their own, when they found him as a baby inside a strange rocket that crashed to Earth, they raised him as their son.

## Biography

### Early Life

#### Beginnings

*"We didn't find him. He found us."*
―Martha Kent[src]
On October 21, 1973, Martha married local Kansas farmer Jonathan Kent, and the pair managed the Kent farm together, growing organic produce.

Suffering from a fertility problem, Martha could not have children, and she prayed every day for a child. Then, in 1980, Martha and Johnathan discovered a small spacecraft that crashed on their farm. Opening it, they found a small child inside, whom they took upon themselves to adopt, naming the boy Clark and later hid the ship beneath their barn.

#### Raising a Kryptonian

Martha loved Clark as her own and raised him with a deep sense of morality and American values. Clark had what could be described as an idealistic childhood. While Jonathan dealt with the problem of Clark's developing powers, she gave him the love and support to keep him grounded. However, Clark still struggled to control and accept his powers, which troubled him for most of his adolescence.

### Supporting Superman

#### Designing Clark's first suit

*"You'll never go wrong doing the right thing."*
―Martha and Clark Kent[src]
Martha and Jonathan later learned Clark was the last surviving member of an alien race; when the planet Krypton imploded, the boy's parents, Jor-El and Lara, chose to save him at the cost of their lives by sending him into space.

Returning to the rocket, Martha saw some of the disasters that befell Krypton before its destruction. She also caught a glimpse of day-to-day Kryptonian wear. After saving Lana, Clark is happy that he found a positive use for his abilities, and decides to help people. However, Martha insists that he should wear something else if he uses his powers, or he will swiftly be without clothes. Using sketches based on the Kryptonian clothing in the hologram and the blanket he came wrapped in, Martha modeled an indestructible costume after traditional Kryptonian garb.

She also helped Clark develop what eventually became his "mild-mannered" performance as an adult with her small background in drama.

#### Words of Advice

Later, after Clark had grown up and started his career (as a reporter and a superhero) in Metropolis, she suggested that he share some of his story with the public to assuage their fears (in her words, she said he should avoid being compared to "that nut in Gotham City.")

Martha, who demands anyone she offers an open invitation to her house to call her Ma, has cared for many heroes and their secrets. Martha also welcomed J'onn J'onzz into her home when Clark brought him along for his annual Christmas visit.

### Death of Jonathan Kent

#### Jonathan's funeral

After reading Superman's mind while he is kidnapped, Brainiac knows where Superman's parents live, and he promptly fires a missile that explodes on the Kent farm. Although no one is hurt in the explosion, Jonathan suffers a heart attack and dies in Martha's arms just as Clark arrives.

His funeral was attended by all his family and friends from Smallville. Martha, refusing to be a hindrance to their son, asks Clark to leave her alone at the farm. Instead, she urged him to attend to the more pressing matter of Kandor's restoration.

Despite her reassurances to Clark that she will be okay, Martha begins to feel lonely at being alone on the Kent farm. Finally, sensing that Martha needed a friend and was lonely without Clark, Krypto arrives on the front porch, offering Martha much-needed companionship.

## External Links

* Martha Clark on DC Database
* Martha Kent on Wikipedia