The Evolution of Superman
Tracing 75 years of the Man of Steel from his origins to Zack Snyder’s reboot

Clay Enos
If Henry Cavill's Superman in the new Man of Steel looks unfamiliar to you – both in his new suit (in muted colors, without the traditional red outer briefs) and his brooding, humorless attitude – well, you're not alone. The Kryptonian refugee who became the world's first major comic-book superhero has undergone a lot of changes in his 75 years on this planet. For a pop culture fixture, a character we think we know, he's evolved through several wildly different incarnations. Cavill's Superman, a man with two identities who feels alienated from both of them, is just the latest version, and he won't be the last. Here's a look at how much Superman has changed and grown over the past three quarters of a century.
By Gary Susman