Superman Makes DC History With A Major First

Published Jul 24, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows. Sign in to your ScreenRant account DC rewrites Superman's history by adding a new major villain to his early days, which may have major repercussions to the Man of Steel everyone knows and loves today. Superman's early years have accumulated decades of stories, but several milestones have remained central across most versions of DC continuity. Clark gradually discovers the full extent of his Kryptonian abilities and learns about his extraterrestrial heritage through remnants of Krypton's advanced technology while balancing his relationships with Lana Lang and Lex Luthor. After leaving Smallville, he adopts the identity of Superman and begins protecting Metropolis, soon meeting Lois Lane and the Daily Planet staff. John Byrne's 1986 relaunch eliminated Superboy from Clark's youth, greatly reduced his power level, transformed Lex Luthor into a corporate billionaire, and presented the Kents as surviving well into Clark's adulthood. Later stories restored many Silver Age elements, and the New 52 introduced an entirely different younger Superman with a revised costume and no marriage to Lois Lane before Rebirth restored the pre-Flashpoint Superman and merged the histories of both incarnations into a single continuity. Smaller revisions have repeatedly changed Clark's first public appearance, the order of his earliest villains, the timing of Supergirl's arrival, and even whether he was Superboy during his teenage years. Despite these adjustments, DC has consistently preserved the essential foundation of Superman's mythos: Krypton's destruction, the Kents' upbringing, Clark's decision to become Superman, and his unwavering commitment to using his extraordinary gifts in service of humanity. DC Reveals When Superman First Hit A Villain With His Full Strength Action Comics #1100; Written by Joshua Williamson; Art by Eddy Barrows & Yasmine Putri; Main Cover by Eddy Barrows; Variant covers by Mark Spears, Ariel Olivetti, Mario Foccillo, and Alex Eckman-Lawn In Action Comics #1099, Superboy finds himself completely overpowered by Epoch without the help of Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, and Booster Gold. Using the materials from the rocket ship that took him to Earth, Superboy builds a makeshift suit of armor to defend himself, and in Action Comics #1100, he gathers all the strength he has to land the final blow against Epoch. While winding up his punch, Superboy admits this is the first time he "could finally hit someone as hard" as he could. Before this fight, Clark Kent always had to restrain himself in order to avoid killing his enemies or endangering everyone around him. Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition SupermanTrivia Challenge 🌏OriginsLast son ☠VillainsKneel! ⚡PowersInvincible 🎥FilmsBelieve 💫LegacyHope UP, UP AND AWAY! → 01 Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet? AThanagar BKrypton CApokolips DOa ✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story. NEXT → 02 Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she? ADiana Prince BLana Lang CLois Lane DCat Grant ✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner. NEXT → 03 Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called? AKryptonite BVibranium CNth Metal DRed Sun Ore ✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness. NEXT → 04 In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor? AHenry Cavill BBrandon Routh CTom Welling DChristopher Reeve ✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman. NEXT → 05 Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he? ABrainiac BLex Luthor CDarkseid DDoomsday ✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror. NEXT → 06 After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up? AGotham City BMetropolis CSmallville, Kansas DCoast City ✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm. NEXT → 07 As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper? ADaily Planet BDaily Bugle CMetropolis Star DGotham Gazette ✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home. NEXT → 08 This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain? ABizarro BParasite CMetallo DGeneral Zod ✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013). ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record / 8 Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth? ↻ FLY AGAIN Before this time-traveling chapter of Superman's life, it would take a long time for Superman to fight a villain as powerful as Epoch. But in his attempt to catch a much weaker version of the Man of Steel, Epoch ends up preparing Clark Kent to fight top-tier enemies much earlier in his superhero career. What's more, Epoch's Paradox Engine ends up protecting Superman from rewriting his own history in unexpected ways, allowing this battle to be incorporated into present-day Superman's history without changing other major events in his life. Superman's Paradoxical Self-Crossover Is Now An Official Part Of His Story Superboy's First Real Battle Is Integrated Into Superman's Origins In the DC Universe, just like in most fictional universes, time travel is a delicate matter given how dangerous it is for paradoxes to materialize. Normally, if the teenage Superboy were to learn about his future, then the Superman of the present day would disappear and be replaced by a completely new version of himself. However, Action Comics #1100 seems to avoid this problem thanks to Epoch's Paradox Engine, which prevents certain aspects of history to be rewritten entirely. Hence, Superboy's fight against Epoch does become Superman's first official battle, but adult Calrk continues to be the same Superman last seen in DC K.O. That said, Martian Manhunter still seems concerned about Superboy's knowledge of his own future and his interactions with his adult self. Right after defeating Epoch and recovering Superman from the void at the end of time, Booster Gold shows Superboy much more about his future than he should have, and Superman takes his younger self to the present day at the end. Although Action Comics #1100 ends on a high note for the heroes, Superboy's time-travel adventure doesn't end here, and both versions of Clark Kent may soon find themselves trying to avoid another temporal tragedy from changing their history. Which version of Clark Kent's teenage years do you prefer? Action Comics #1100 is now available from DC Comics Created By Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel First Appearance Action Comics Alias Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent Alliance Justice League, Superman Family Race Kryptonian Franchise D.C.