Clark Kent / Kal-El

Born Kal-El on the doomed planet Krypton, he was rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El. Raised in Smallville, Kansas, by Jonathan and Martha Kent, he grew up to become Superman — a solar-powered hero whose Kryptonian physiology grants him extraordinary abilities under Earth's yellow sun.

Few characters in comics history carry the weight of a double life quite like Clark Kent / Kal-El, the mild-mannered alter ego whose Golden Age roots stretch all the way back to 1940's Adventure Comics #47 — making him one of DC's most enduring presences across an astonishing 86-year publishing span. With 544 catalogued appearances and 24 key issues to his name, this is a figure whose footprint runs through the very spine of the DC universe, most at home in the pages of World's Finest Comics, Superman, and Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane. The company he keeps says it all: sharing pages with Batman, Bruce Wayne, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen, he's been woven into the grandest stories the publisher has ever told. Whether you're a seasoned collector chasing those key issues or a newcomer tracing comics history back to its golden roots, Clark Kent / Kal-El is essentially the heartbeat of DC itself.