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From incredible strength to bizarre abilities, the Man of Steel has a rich history worth exploring! Join us as we count down the most fascinating facts about DC's iconic superhero. From his humble beginnings to his evolution across comics, TV, and film, we're uncovering secrets even the most devoted fans might not know about Metropolis' favorite son!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best and most surprising
00:08facts about DC's Man of Steel through his various media appearances in history.
00:21Best known for being foes, Lex and Superman in some iterations have also been BFFs.
00:30But what's less known is that Clark Kent played a role in turning the billionaire
00:39into his big bad. In 1960's Adventure Comics number 271, Lex is a big fan of Superboy as he saves the
00:46hero from a kryptonite meteorite. Clark returns the favor by helping the human with his experiments.
00:51However, when Lex gets careless and ignites a chemical fire, Superboy arrives to blow out the
00:56blaze. However, some of the fire ends up on Lex's noggin, turning it into the shiny dome we know
01:08today. He immediately blames Superboy, ignoring the fact that he saved his life and begins his
01:14lifelong hatred of him. Now you'll never have this kryptonite antidote I invented for you.
01:19And I will use all of my scientific genius to one day destroy you.
01:24Number 19. The Expensive First Issue
01:27Famously, Superman made his comic debut in 1938's Action Comics number 1. Due to the importance and
01:34longevity of the character, that issue is one of the most expensive in existence.
01:38In 2010, a copy sold at auction allowed a family to save their home after it was foreclosed.
01:45In 2012, a copy believed to have belonged to Nicolas Cage sold for $2.16 million.
01:52Then in 2021, another one was bought for a stunning $3.25 million. Yet 2024 saw the record sale for the
02:00most expensive comic book issue get smashed once again, when Action Comics number 1 went for an
02:05incredible $6 million. Time to start going through your back issues in case this is hiding away.
02:10In order to make money in that game, you have to buy for a little and sell for a lot, right?
02:15Right!
02:16Number 18. Mermaid Dating
02:18Fun fact, Superman is a bit of a collector. He likes to accumulate love interests with the
02:24initials LL. More on that later.
02:26Okay, let me get this straight. You walked in to get a cappuccino and walked out with a date with
02:31Lana Lang.
02:32Well, it's not actually a date.
02:33Even with a Justice Friends writer, I'm impressed.
02:36Yet one that's often overlooked took place in 1959's Superman number 129. In this comic,
02:43Clark meets Lori Lemares, a woman in a wheelchair, as they both attend Metropolis University.
02:48Their romance gets passionate super quickly, leading to Clark declaring his love and proposing
02:53marriage. However, Lori, after making the realization with her telepathy, mentions she knows he's
02:59Superman. Later, he finds out her secret, that she's actually a mermaid. However, Lori had to return to
03:05the sea, ending their relationship and making her the one that got away.
03:09General Lori Lemares of Tritonus in the Indian Ocean.
03:13Number 17. Making an Adult Film
03:16With such a long history, there are bound to be some Superman stories that are baffling.
03:21Case in point, facing off with the villainous Sleaze in a couple of issues of 1987's Action Comics.
03:27The baddie had taken former New Gods member Big Barda hostage, and mind-controlled her to do gross
03:32stuff for him. A misunderstanding leads to her and Superman being controlled by Sleaze.
03:38So, the creature influences both to threaten an adult film creator so he can record the duo making a
03:44mucky movie that he can sell. Thankfully, before it goes too far, Scott Free, aka Mr. Miracle, managed to
03:50save his wife, Barda, and Superman from this fate. But still, it's uncomfortable how close this came to
03:56happening. Number 16. Fighting Muhammad Ali
03:59Considered one of the best boxers to ever enter a ring, Ali had done it all and battled most of the elite.
04:06And, uh, all I'm doing is fighting this thing, and I am predicting that I'm gonna beat him.
04:12However, he had not taken on Superman yet. Well, that changed in 1978's All-New Collector's Edition
04:18number C-56. The invading scrub emperor issued a challenge that Earth's champion would face his,
04:25Hun-Yah, with the fate of the planet on the line. Superman and Ali argued with each other over who
04:30would fight. This led to the duo training near a red sun, which depowers Superman, allowing Ali to beat
04:36him in training. During the actual bout between the two, a powerless Clark is annihilated by Ali,
04:42who held nothing back. He then went on to beat Hun-Yah with another knockout.
04:47Number 15. Natural Disaster Man
04:50Quite often in various media, Superman tends to hold back or avoid intimate acts in case he hurts
04:55the person he's with.
04:56You know, on second thought, maybe we should go.
04:59Well, that was not the case in the miniseries The Dark Knight Strikes Again,
05:03a sequel to 1986's pivotal Batman story The Dark Knight Returns.
05:07At one point, the heroes, including the caped crusader, beat up Superman really badly.
05:12Breathe it in.
05:16That's fear.
05:18Wonder Woman finds him, leading to the duo getting hot and heavy.
05:22Real emphasis on that phrase as they slam into the Earth during the act,
05:26causing many natural disasters around the world.
05:29This included creating a 7.8 earthquake, a volcanic eruption, and hurricanes,
05:34taking the lives of untold numbers of people.
05:37Not exactly family-friendly.
05:39Number 14. The Many Kryptonites
05:41Everyone knows about green kryptonite and its damage to soups.
05:45Mind over muscle?
05:50But there is a whole rainbow of other colors out there that can cause all sorts of effects
05:54on kryptonians.
05:55One example is Black Kryptonite.
05:58The Batman Who Laughs used a variant of this to drive Supergirl,
06:01Superman, and Superboy into a killing frenzy,
06:04resulting in their deaths and their family's deaths.
06:07The Gold Kryptonite can strip kryptonians of their powers,
06:10which Superman famously did to himself in the epic story
06:13Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow.
06:15There's even a red one that had unpredictable effects,
06:18such as excessive hair growth or new powers.
06:20There are many other versions, including silver,
06:23platinum, white, purple, and even pink.
06:26More on that last one later.
06:28Red and green.
06:29Colors of Christmas.
06:31Number 13. Beating the KKK
06:33Superman has always been a pillar of social justice
06:36as he tackles hate groups and exposes corruption.
06:38To best be in a position to use his amazing powers
06:41in a never-ending battle for truth and justice,
06:44Superman has assumed the disguise of Clark Kent,
06:47mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper.
06:50That reputation even goes back to his early days.
06:52Inspired by Stetson Kennedy's real-life story
06:55of infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan
06:56and publicizing its inner workings,
06:58the radio show The Adventures of Superman
07:00developed the 1946 story
07:02Klan of the Fiery Cross,
07:04in which Supes battled the hate group.
07:05We just need a quick look at your green card.
07:07Green card.
07:08You are an alien, are you not?
07:10In 2019, inspired by the radio tale,
07:14DC released the story Superman Smashes the Klan.
07:17Taking place in 1946,
07:19Superman helps the Chinese-American family the Lees
07:21when they and his other friends
07:23are targeted by the KKK.
07:25Number 12. Superman was originally a baddie.
07:28Within DC's multiverse,
07:30there are several Earths where Superman is a villain.
07:33Looking at you, Injustice.
07:34You've had an unfathomable loss.
07:36You need time to process it.
07:41However, most of the time, he's a good egg.
07:43Yet before he made his debut in the comics,
07:46Superman was originally thought of as a baddie by his creators,
07:49Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
07:51In issue 3 of their own fanzine,
07:53Science Fiction, The Advanced Guard of Future Civilization from 1933,
07:57one of the stories was titled The Reign of the Superman.
08:00Destitute Bill Dunn is experimented on,
08:03granting him telepathy powers as he plans to take over the world as Superman.
08:07However, the potion he consumed was temporary.
08:10Unfortunately for Dunn,
08:12he killed the scientist before getting the formula.
08:15Whoops.
08:15Kal-El, no!
08:22Number 11.
08:23The many, many powers.
08:25Flight, heat vision, invulnerability, and so many more.
08:29Superman has loads of incredible powers,
08:32many of which are a blueprint for superheroes.
08:34You have great powers,
08:37only some of which you have as yet discovered.
08:41However, in his long history,
08:43he's also had several strange powers,
08:46one of which involved him being able to use telepathy
08:48to control people's minds to get out of binds.
08:51Another had him being able to manipulate his plastic features
08:54to create a super disguise.
08:56This metamorphosis ability allowed Supes to pretend to be other people.
09:00Yet, perhaps his weirdest was in 1958's Superman No. 125.
09:05After finding rays coming from his hands,
09:07it soon evolves into Supes being able to send out tiny Superman,
09:11which also have his powers to do his bidding.
09:14Thankfully, it didn't last long.
09:16I have the power to do as I please!
09:20And the responsibility to do what is right.
09:22Number 10.
09:23He couldn't always fly.
09:25When Superman burst on the scene in 1938's Action Comics No. 1,
09:29he could do a lot of things no one else could.
09:31And although he could leap one-eighth of a mile
09:33and jump over a 20-story building,
09:36he couldn't fly.
09:37How many people know you're from another planet?
09:39What?
09:40That you can bend steel in your bare hands,
09:41leap tall buildings in a single bound?
09:43Hey, hey! Keep your voice down!
09:45He first started flying in the animated cartoons of the 1940s,
09:49because that was a lot easier to animate.
09:51The powers that be at DC Comics saw the result,
09:53and soon, the Man of Steel was regularly soaring in the clouds
09:57and beyond to save the world.
09:59Number 9.
10:03Darth Vader Trained Superman
10:05Okay, so not literally,
10:07although we would love to see that crossover on the big screen.
10:10David Prowse, the actor who physically portrayed the Sith Lord,
10:13helped the actor who played Superman on the big screen,
10:16Christopher Reeve, get in shape.
10:17Okay, kids, it's all right now.
10:20Hey, it's Superman!
10:22When Reeve was hired for the 1978 movie,
10:25the actor had a great look and the right attitude,
10:27but his body didn't have the mass that the character needed.
10:30Enter Prowse, who had just been the physical vessel
10:33for James Earl Jones' voice in Star Wars.
10:35The bodybuilder and trainer helped Reeve pack on 30 pounds of muscle
10:45so he could appropriately fill out Supes' costume.
10:47Well, they say confession's good for the soul?
10:52I'd listen to this man.
10:54Take him away.
10:58Number 8.
10:59Some people believe in a Superman curse.
11:02Is being in a Superman movie or TV project a curse?
11:05Probably not, but it does feel like it.
11:08It begins with George Reeves,
11:10star of the 1950s Superman TV series,
11:12who was ruled to have taken his own life.
11:15But many believe it was murder.
11:17You saying George Reeves was murdered?
11:19That's a heck of a question.
11:20Subsequently, Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando,
11:23and Richard Pryor experienced various traumas,
11:25as did Lane Smith,
11:27the actor who played Perry White on the Lois and Clark TV show.
11:30Jimmy, I did not become editor of a major newspaper
11:33because I can use it.
11:36Even Lee Quigley,
11:37the infant who played baby Christopher Reeve,
11:39died while just a teenager.
11:41Eerie.
11:42This is all I...
11:43All I can send you.
11:50Kal-El.
11:52Number 7.
11:53He's vulnerable to more than just kryptonite.
11:55Everyone knows that the glowing green rock from his home planet
11:58can weaken or even kill Superman,
12:00but the Man of Might also has other weaknesses.
12:02Didn't your dad ever teach you to...
12:05Before you leave!
12:07Put him under a red sun, for example,
12:09and he pretty much loses all his powers.
12:11What's wrong?
12:13The red sun, it...
12:14weakens me.
12:16Also, magic has been shown over and over to really do him in.
12:21That weakness to magic extends to creatures like werewolves and vampires as well.
12:25So, what are Superman's weaknesses?
12:29I don't know.
12:30I'm not sure if I ever had...
12:31I wasn't talking to you.
12:32Number 6.
12:33One type of kryptonite alters the sexual preferences of straight kryptonians.
12:38This is one of those facts that we bet Superman fans would rather we forget.
12:42No way it's this easy.
12:44In a very memorable story from 2003 set in an alternate timeline,
12:48Superman gets exposed to a new form of kryptonite,
12:51pink kryptonite.
12:52As a result, he is temporarily transformed into a super gay stereotype.
12:57It's essentially confined to one panel, but it made a huge impression,
13:01and not necessarily a positive one.
13:04Intended to be played for laughs,
13:06the swish factor involved makes it positively embarrassing.
13:09I believe in second chances.
13:11I believe in redemption.
13:13But mostly, I believe in my friends.
13:17Number 5.
13:17A bizarre number of people in Superman's life have the initials LL.
13:22A little alliteration is nice,
13:23but the cast of characters around Superman takes it to an extreme.
13:27Who is she?
13:28The trendy fashion designer LL.
13:31LL?
13:32Lana Lang?
13:33The list of people with the initials LL starts, of course,
13:37with perennial love interest Lois Lane.
13:39But there have been other girlfriends that fit this category.
13:42Teen sweetheart Lana Lang,
13:44college crush Lori Lamares,
13:46and Kryptonian lover Lila Leryl.
13:48Of course, arch-enemy Lex Luthor also sports those initials.
13:51And Supergirl's original identity was Linda Lee.
13:54Lois' sister Lucy also hung out in Metropolis on occasion.
13:58Makes you wonder what the LL is going on with Superman's writers.
14:01Don't sound so shocked, Clark.
14:03Guys, do you find me attractive even though I don't have raven hair and the initials LL?
14:07That's not what I meant.
14:08Number 4.
14:09Superman and Batman's artists went on double dates.
14:12You're late.
14:13What took you?
14:14I honestly don't think you'd understand.
14:16Joe Schuster was the guy who drew Superman originally,
14:19and Jerry Robinson was one of the early artists who gave Batman his classic look.
14:23In many ways, these two are the fathers of Superman and Batman,
14:27so it's interesting to note that they often took out girls together.
14:30Robinson referred to these as his Superman-Batman double dates.
14:34Schuster is reputed to have been a bit of a bodybuilder,
14:37and Robinson was the more contemplative type.
14:39So the comparison is especially apt.
14:42Want to stick around for a while?
14:44Lois and I would... I can't.
14:46It's late.
14:47Late?
14:47What kind of reporter can Lois Lane be if she can't figure out that Clark Kent is just Superman wearing glasses?
14:58Lois?
14:59For goodness sake, didn't you hear me knocking?
15:01Uh-huh.
15:02In fact, Superman's efforts go beyond just putting on the specs.
15:06First, those lenses are tinted to make Clark's eyes appear a different shade.
15:10And though they share the same hair color, they part on different sides.
15:13Loose, roomy clothing disguises Clark's impressive physique, as does a tendency toward poor posture.
15:19Hmm. That's, um, very amusing.
15:22Also, Clark's voice is higher and softer, lacking Superman's virile tones.
15:27Finally, Clark's meek personality is a disguise in itself.
15:31So cut Lois a little slack, but only a little, considering how much time she spends with both of them.
15:35It is you.
15:37I guess I've known this for the longest time.
15:47Number two.
15:47Kryptonite, Perry White, and Jimmy Olsen first appeared on the Superman radio show.
15:52Superman may have debuted in the comic books, but he quickly became a multimedia sensation.
15:57Behind you, Mr. Kent.
15:59I made it myself.
16:01It's a cake.
16:02Comic strips, movie serials, and radio programs quickly followed his funny book debut.
16:07All of these fed on ideas and characters created in the comic book.
16:10But the radio show made its own contributions to the Superman mythos.
16:14Kryptonite itself only exists as an excuse to put Superman out of commission for a few days
16:19to give the voice actor, Bud Collier, a vacation from time to time.
16:22The books were quick to latch on to the radio's Kryptonite as a challenge for the increasingly powerful Man of Tomorrow.
16:28You're wrong!
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16:51Number one.
16:52The guys who created Superman sold all their rights for a measly $130.
16:57Superman may be able to do just about anything, but not even he could keep his creators from making the biggest mistake of their lives.
17:05I thought it was a terrific idea and we went right to work right then and there.
17:10Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Schuster were quite happy when they sold their creation for a mere $130.
17:16Granted, $130 went a lot farther in 1938 than it does today.
17:20But it still does not compare to the billions that the character has generated over the years.
17:25The creators did sue and eventually received a better deal.
17:29It may be a victory for truth and justice, but it certainly is the American way.
17:34That's a wonderful story, Lois.
17:36Thanks, Clark.
17:37But I owe it all to Superman.
17:38If you could only have one of Superman's powers, any from his vast history, what would you select and why?
17:45Let us know below.
17:46All those things I can do.
17:48All those powers.
17:49And I couldn't even save him.
17:52All this.
17:53All this.
17:53All this.
17:53All this.
17:53All this.
17:53All this.
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