If you think Superman has always been the boy scout in blue tights who stands for truth and justice, you're actually missing the weirdest part of the story. Most people assume he just popped out of the heads of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster as the hero we see on movie screens today. He didn't. Honestly, the first version of the character wasn't even a hero. He was a bald, telepathic villain who wanted to rule the world.
So, who was original superman? To get the real answer, we have to look back to a mimeographed fanzine from 1933 and a short story titled "The Reign of the Superman."
The Bald Villain Nobody Remembers
In January 1933, two high school kids from Cleveland, Ohio, published a short story that looked nothing like the Action Comics #1 we all know. Jerry Siegel wrote it, and Joe Shuster illustrated it. This "Superman" was Bill Dunn. He was a starving man who was basically tricked by a mad scientist into taking an experimental drug.
The drug didn't give him the ability to leap tall buildings. Instead, it gave him massive psionic powers. He could read minds. He could influence people. And because he was bitter about being poor and downtrodden, he used those powers for absolute evil. He killed the scientist and set out to dominate the planet.
It was a flop.
The story was dark. It was cynical. It reflected the Great Depression-era anxieties of two Jewish teens who were seeing the world fall apart around them. But it didn't sell. Siegel eventually realized that the "Superman" archetype worked much better as a force for good than a cautionary tale about absolute power. He threw away the villainous concept and spent the next few years trying to sell a hero.
The 1938 Transformation: From Villain to Social Crusader
By the time 1938 rolled around, the character had been completely redesigned. He wasn't a telepath anymore. He was an alien from Krypton. But even this version—the one that debuted in Action Comics #1—would probably shock modern fans.
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The original Superman was a bit of a jerk.
He didn't care about due process. He was a "Champion of the Oppressed" who spent his time beating up wife-beaters, intimidating corrupt politicians, and smashing the cars of reckless drivers. He couldn't fly yet. He just leaped. If he wanted to get information out of a criminal, he’d dangle them off a skyscraper or run across telephone wires while holding them. It was gritty. It was visceral. It was a direct response to the helplessness people felt during the Depression. Siegel and Shuster were writing a character who could actually punch the problems of the 1930s in the face.
The Real Faces Behind the Cape
Joe Shuster didn't just pull Superman’s look out of thin air. He was a bodybuilder and a fan of "strongman" circus acts. The costume—the trunks over the tights—was a direct lift from the outfits worn by weightlifters and wrestlers of that era. It signaled "strength" to the 1930s audience in a way we don't quite process now.
As for the personality? That came from Jerry Siegel's own life. Siegel was shy. He was a bit of a social outcast. He created Clark Kent as a way to express how he felt: a powerful, incredible person hidden behind a pair of glasses and a clumsy exterior.
There's a persistent rumor that Superman was inspired by the death of Siegel’s father, Mitchell Siegel, who died during a robbery at his clothing store. While Jerry didn't talk about it much during his life, it’s hard to ignore the timing. Creating an invulnerable man who can stop bullets feels like the ultimate wish-fulfillment for a boy who lost his father to a gunman.
A Hero of Modern Myths
We often forget that Superman was rejected by almost every publisher in the industry for years. They thought he was silly. They thought he was too "out there." It wasn't until DC (then National Allied Publications) needed a lead feature for a new anthology called Action Comics that he finally got his shot.
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They paid Siegel and Shuster $130 for the rights to the character.
That single check became one of the most controversial pieces of paper in legal history. It started a decades-long battle over who actually owned the Man of Steel. The creators lived in poverty for years while their "original Superman" became a multi-billion dollar icon. It wasn't until the 1970s, right before the Christopher Reeve movie came out, that they finally received a pension and credit for their work.
How the Powers Changed (Because of Cartoons)
If you look at the early comics, Superman is fast, sure. He's strong. But he's not a god. He gets tired. He can be hurt by "bursting shells." The reason he can fly today is actually thanks to the Fleischer Studios animated shorts from the 1940s.
The animators found that "leaping" looked really clunky on screen. It was hard to animate him constantly jumping up and down. They asked DC for permission to let him just glide through the air instead. It looked better. It was smoother. DC agreed, and suddenly, the "leaper" became a "flyer."
This is a classic example of how the original Superman was a collaborative effort between the writers, the artists, and even the animators who were trying to figure out what worked in different media.
The Myth of the "S"
Everyone thinks the "S" stands for Superman. In the original 1938 version, that’s exactly what it was. It was just an "S" for his name. It wasn't a family crest from Krypton. It wasn't the Kryptonian symbol for "hope." That whole idea—the "House of El" crest—didn't really become a thing until the 1978 movie starring Marlon Brando.
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In the beginning, it was just a logo Joe Shuster designed to look like a police badge or a heraldic shield. It was simple. It was meant to be easily recognizable by kids at a newsstand.
Why the Original Version Matters Now
In 2026, we’ve seen a hundred different versions of Superman. We've seen the "Evil Superman" trope in shows like The Boys or Invincible. We’ve seen the dark, brooding version in the movies. But the original Superman—the 1938 social crusader—is the one that feels most relevant today.
He was a hero who fought for the little guy. He didn't work for the government. He wasn't a cosmic god. He was a guy from the Midwest who thought people should be treated fairly.
If you want to understand the character, you have to look past the heat vision and the multiverse stuff. You have to go back to that 1933 fanzine and the 1938 newsstand. You have to see the anger, the hope, and the desperate creativity of two kids from Ohio who just wanted to change the world.
How to Explore the Real Origins Yourself
If you’re a fan or a researcher, don’t just take the movies' word for it. Here is how you can actually see the history for yourself:
- Read "The Reign of the Superman": You can find scans of the original 1933 fanzine online. It’s a short, weird read, but it’s essential to seeing where the name started.
- Pick up a Golden Age Archive: Specifically, look for Action Comics issues #1 through #10. You’ll see a Superman who is much more aggressive and politically active than the one in modern cartoons.
- Research the Siegel and Shuster Lawsuits: To understand the human cost of the character, read up on the 1947 and 1975 legal battles. It changes how you look at the "S" on his chest.
- Visit Cleveland: There’s a permanent exhibit at the Cleveland Public Library and a monument at the site of the original Siegel house. Seeing where these guys grew up makes the "alien" story feel a lot more grounded in reality.
The Man of Steel didn't start in a vacuum. He was born out of the Great Depression, the immigrant experience, and the wild imagination of two teenagers. That’s the version that actually changed the world.