Superman/Characters/Superman

Characters from Superman include:

Superman

Superman / Superboy I

AKA: Clark Kent / Kal-El

Adorkable: It's almost comical how someone as powerful as he is so earnest, sweet and sincere.
Appropriated Appellation: Got his superhero name from the press.
Badass: There's a reason he's considered by many to be the greatest superhero of all time.
Beware the Nice Ones: He's one of the nicest, most easy-going guys you could ever wish to meet... but on the rare occasions someone really sets him off, he's downright terrifying.
Big Good: Most people in and out of universe accept him as being the leader of the whole superhero community of the DC Universe.
Big Eater: In Action Comics #454, Toyman siphoned off his energy using a device, leaving him constantly hungry. He had to eat constantly, or else he'll "starve to death!"
Boring Invincible Hero: When written poorly
Bow Ties Are Cool: Played straight and averted, Clark likes bowties and will rock one on occasion, but everyone makes fun of them when he does.
Boxing Lessons for Superman: Trope Namer, where he took boxing lessons from Muhammad Ali. He has also had combat training courtesy of Batman and Wonder Woman.
Brains Evil, Brawn Good: Not that he is dumb, but he does tend to rely on his strength more so than villains like Lex Luthor do; they in comparison seem to rely more so on intellect.
Brainwashed and Crazy: Given how long-running the series has been this trope has cropped up a few times.
Cannot Talk to Women: As Clark, but not (usually) as Superman.
The Cape (trope): The Ur Example.
Catch Phrase: "Great Krypton!", "Up, up, and away!", "This looks like a job for Superman!"
- Those are some of the older ones, "Great Scott!" is one he uses these days.
Chick Magnet: His former wife Lois, his old girlfriend Lana, his other girlfriend Lori, Wonder Woman from time to time, the alien Maxima and many others all show interest in him.
- Oddly, he seems to attract more women as Clark than he does as Superman.
Cincinnatus: Practically everyone in-universe considers him the most powerful hero in the DC Universe, and is generally the one to lead the whole superhero community when a Crisis Crossover occurs, but he still prefers to be accepted as the mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent over Superman.
Clark Kenting: Duh.
Deadpan Snarker Especially in the Post-Crisis stories where "Clark Kent" was established as the "real" personality and Superman was a mask he wore to protect his normal life.
Determinator: He just doesn't stay down, not until he saves the day.
Farm Boy: Was raised as one. Depending on the continuity, he did superhero work during this point on his life (Pre-Crisis and Post-Infinite Crisis)
Gentle Giant
A God I Am Not: He has lots of followers that worship him as a god, much to his discomfort.
Good Is Not Soft: He tries to use as little force as possible, but he's still not soft on bad guys.
Guile Hero: When he can't solve his problems with his Super Strength, he will often have to resort to outsmarting the enemy.
Happily Married: To Lois pre-reboot of Flashpoint.
The Hero: Of the whole DC Universe.
- Ideal Hero: Supes is pretty much the platonic ideal of superheroism. No other hero radiates goodness and justice like he does.
Human Alien
I Am Not Left-Handed: He holds back against most opponents because of his strict Thou Shall Not Kill policy, but if he doesn't, curb stomping usually ensues.
Intrepid Reporter: Because it's a job that he cannot automatically do with his superpowers.
Last of His Kind: At first and from time to time, depending on the writer and/or the continuity.
The Messiah
Nature Versus Nurture: Brought up in most depictions of the character. Superman is Kryptonian, but was raised by kindly old adoptive parents. In older stories, it was usually implied that his superior Kryptonian heritage and abilities were the cause of his strict moral compass, but in latter stories (especially after other, villainous, Kryptonians were introduced), it's outright stated that Superman's upbringing is responsible for creating who he is.
Nice Guy: Devout Christian, Chivalrous Gentleman, Vegetarian.
Nice Hat: As Clark Kent, he occasionally wears a fedora.
Papa Wolf
The Paragon: Ask any hero in the The DCU who their greatest hero and example is, their answer will be Superman. Any superhero who tells you otherwise is either blatantly lying or operates out of Gotham.
- Heck, Batman may not say it, but he certainly thinks it.
Physical God: At his highest power levels.
- Really, at any point after the early Golden Age. Even after his Post-Crisis power down, he could move mountains and change the course of mighty rivers and wrestle Thor.
The Power of the Sun: Earth's yellow sun is what makes him and other Kryptonians Flying Bricks with Eye Beams. Inverted with red stars, which take away his powers.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Tends to use this more as an intimidation tactic... or if he's really mad.
Science Hero: Taking after his father, this is Superman's real aptitude.
Secret Identity: Don't tell anyone, but Superman is actually mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent.
Showy Invincible Hero: When written well.
Sobriquet/Superhero Sobriquets: The Man Of Steel, The Man Of Tomorrow, The Big Blue Boyscout, The Last Son Of Krypton.
- In some continuities, e.g. the Christopher Reeve film, "Superman" is a title bestowed by someone else, too.
Story-Breaker Power: Very much so during the Silver Age due to all the New Powers as the Plot Demands. Mostly averted post-Crisis.
Superhero: Practically named the trope, as he was the one who codified modern use of the "super" prefix.
Superpower Lottery: The undisputed champion of this trope. Only immensely powerful mystic entities or cosmic beings come close.
- Eye Beams: Burn.
- Flying Brick: The Ur Example.
- Hypnotic Eyes: Especially in the Golden Age and Silver Age.
- In a Single Bound: During the Golden Age, but this has mostly been made redundant by his Flight
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: Super-weaving, super-muscular control, broadcasting his voice through police radio, super-coffee making, you name it.
- Nigh Invulnerable: Artillery shells don't even scratch him. In fact, he's one of the very few number of beings in the DC Universe who can take a direct hit from Darkseid's otherwise all-disintegrating Omega Beams, survive it for more than an instant, and come out with only intense pain, exhaustion and a few "shallow injuries".
- Super Breath: Can be hurricane-force winds or arctic cold.
- Super Speed: An absurdly fast flier, and a fast runner, too.
- Super Strength: In the last episode of Justice League Unlimited, which DC comics consider canon, he explains that he never use all his strength. He is SO POWERFUL that he NEVER can give himself the opportunity to loose the control, because, if that happens, someone could die.
- Super Senses
- X-Ray Vision
Thou Shalt Not Kill: Though at times circumstances may force him to break this personal credo, such as what to do with three Kryptonians from an alternate universe who committed genocide on a global scale, or with dealing with a killing machine like Doomsday.
Underwear of Power: Certainly a Trope Codifier. This is averted after the post-Flashpoint New 52 reboot, where there's a red belt where it once was.
Upbringing Makes the Hero: No Death by Origin Story (for the Kents), no Freudian Excuse, he was just too well-raised to not be a hero.
Wonder Child: For Jonathan and Martha Kent.
World of Cardboard Speech: The Trope Namer.
Written-In Absence: Many stories feature his friends getting into trouble while he is away. A common excuse is that he is "on a space mission". And then, of course, there were those radio show episodes where he crosses paths with Kryptonite Factor...

Back to Superman