Superman (1939) 1

A day to honor super heroes, real and fictional, National Super Hero Day was created in 1995 by Marvel Comics employees.

While it may seem odd to honor DC’s flagship character in light of who originally sponsored the day, Superman is the logical choice considering he was the OG Super Hero.

Without going into too much detail, the Man of Tomorrow was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster originally intended to be a newspaper strip character. Syndicated bosses thought differently. National Allied Publications accepted the submission and comic books were never the same.

Superman first appeared in Action Comics issue one. He received a self-titled book the following year. Both continue publication to this day.

Superman (1939) 1

The success of Superman in comic books allowed him to finally appear as a newspaper strip. Later he became a radio and television star. The silver screen has beckoned several times. Initially Superman appeared as an animated hero courtesy of Fleischer Studios. A movie serial appeared in matinees in 1948. It wasn’t until 1978 that Superman was really super. At least on the big screen.

Touted that audiences would believe a man could-fly, Superman earned three sequels with Christopher Reeve in the cape. Superman Returns, starring Brandon Routh entered theaters 2006. Henry Cavill is the latest to don the tights, appearing in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

In addition to all the media outlets Superman has conquered, he continues to see print on a monthly basis as new fans discover what so many have known for over 80 years.