Superman Becomes a Superstar

    It was 1938, and Americans were in trouble. Millions of people had lost their jobs. Hundreds of thousands were homeless. It had been like this for nearly 10 years, and there was no end in sight.

    But wait! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s—the world’s first superhero.

    That’s right. Superman first appeared in comic books in April 1938. The country was in the middle of a long economic crisis called the Great Depression. Americans needed an escape from their problems. They needed a hero who fought for the poor and the powerless. 

    Superman was their champion. And this is his real origin story.

    The year was 1938. Americans were in trouble. Millions had lost their jobs. Hundreds of thousands were homeless. It had been like this for nearly 10 years. Things seemed hopeless.

    But wait! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s . . . the world’s first superhero.

    That’s right. The first Superman comic book came out in April 1938. The U.S. was in the middle of the Great Depression. That was an economic crisis. People needed something to make them feel better. They needed someone who fought for the poor and the powerless. 

    Superman was their hero. This is his real origin story.

    It was 1938, and Americans were dealing with many hardships. Millions of people had lost their jobs, and hundreds of thousands were homeless. Times had been tough for nearly a decade, and there was still no end in sight.

    But wait! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s . . . the world’s first superhero!

    That’s right. Superman first appeared in comic books in April 1938, in the midst of the Great Depression. Americans needed an escape from the problems caused by the long economic crisis. They needed a hero who stood up for the poor and the powerless. 

    Their champion was Superman—and this is his real origin story.

    In the 1930s, that’s exactly how a lot of people felt. During the Great Depression, one in four Americans lost their jobs. Millions left their homes looking for work. They stood in long lines to get free food at soup kitchens.

    These hard times left many Americans feeling angry. They blamed the rich and powerful for ruining their lives. Bankers, factory owners, and dishonest politicians were their villains. They became Superman’s enemies too.

    In the early comics, Superman’s favorite targets were evil businessmen. He went after a mine owner who put his workers in danger. He battled a carmaker who made unsafe cars. 

    Years later, Superman would take on mad scientists who wanted to destroy Earth. But for now, his job was to protect ordinary people from real-world villains.

    In the 1930s, many people felt powerless. During the Great Depression, one in four Americans lost their jobs. Millions left their homes to find work. They stood in long lines to get free food.

    Many Americans felt angry about the problems they faced. They blamed the rich and powerful. They blamed bankers, factory owners, and dishonest politicians. These were Superman’s enemies too.

    In the early comic books, Superman fought evil businessmen. He went after a mine owner who had put his workers in danger. Superman also battled a carmaker who made unsafe cars. 

    Years later, Superman would fight mad scientists who wanted to destroy Earth. But at first, he saved people from real-world villains.

    That’s exactly how a lot of people felt in the 1930s. During the Great Depression, one in four Americans lost their jobs, and millions left their homes in search of work. People stood in seemingly endless lines, waiting to get free food from soup kitchens.

    Many Americans were left feeling angry. They blamed the rich and powerful for ruining their lives. Their villains—bankers, factory owners, and dishonest politicians—became Superman’s enemies too.

    In the early comics, Superman’s favorite targets were crooked businessmen, such as a mine owner who put his employees in danger and a carmaker who made unsafe vehicles. 

    Years later, Superman would defeat mad scientists who wanted to destroy Earth. But for now, his job was protecting ordinary people from real-world villains.

    That should have made Siegel and Shuster happy. The two men had made themselves famous. They had invented the superhero and changed the way people read. They also made a fortune for DC Comics. 

    But Siegel and Shuster never got rich. They had sold their famous character to DC. So no matter how many comic books were sold, all they made was $5 a page. 

    A big, powerful company took advantage of two ordinary guys. 

    Now that sounds like a job for Superman.

    Siegel and Shuster invented the superhero. They also made a fortune for DC Comics. 

    But Siegel and Shuster never got rich. They had sold Superman to DC. They got paid just $5 a page. 

    A big company took advantage of two ordinary guys. 

    Now that sounds like a job for Superman.

    Superman’s creators should have been thrilled. Siegel and Shuster had made themselves famous, invented the superhero, and changed the way people read. They also made a fortune for DC Comics. 

    But Siegel and Shuster never got rich. They had sold their famous character to DC, so no matter how many comic books were sold, all they made was $5 a page. 

    A big, powerful company took advantage of two ordinary guys. 

    Now that sounds like a job for Superman.