Superman | The Hero

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"I knew I had the power to help out the world, and the responsibility to do so, but never in my imagination did I think my life would be this exciting." - Superman, Up In The Sky

Superman is in his fifth year as a hero, gaining the trust of the authorities, the superhuman community, and the world at large. Clark Kent has dual personas: Metropolis Clark is quiet yet assertive world-savvy reporter (and a vegetarian at that; yes, little known but true fact: Clark Kent/Superman doesn't eat meat) while Smallville Clark is an all-American boy and geek who loves his mother and willing to help out anybody at any time.

He is shy about women. He dated Lana Lang back in Smallville (she has since gone on to marry their mutual friend Pete Ross) as well as gossip columnist Cat Grant for a while. Cat was the first to actually see Clark beyond the geeky, kind of clumsy reporter, but she wouldn't dare get closer to know the real Clark Kent. Lois Lane, on the other hand, is a complicated relationship.

Lois and Clark. Clark and Lois. They have been nearly inseparable in all the histories of the character. In this series, they have dated off and on, but right now, they're largely off. Lois felt like she was getting soft in her reporting and Clark, well, he has other duties that get in the way. Lois is the only lady in his life that he actually brought home to his mother since he moved to Metropolis. Martha has taken a liking to Lois, and Lois loves Martha's kindness and good spirit too. Lois has begun to connect the dots between Clark and Superman, but she largely writes them off for some reason or another, mostly because Clark and Superman are different heights and builds (a practice he has mastered over the years). But in the end, their story will end happily. It will take a while to get there, but it will be a happy ending for the two.

Two women that has grown to become a bit of a distraction for Superman are a pair of Team Infinity's heroines, Jade and Matrix. Jade is second-in-command of the young team but definitely the one that acknowledges and understands the heroic legacy she, her teammates, and Superman are following. Jade admits she finds herself a little attracted to Superman, but her heart belongs to a New York-based graphic designer named Kyle (Kyle Rayner, another bearer of the title Green Lantern in the comics). Matrix and Superman have nearly identical abilities. The redhead beauty has supermodel looks and a killer left hook. While there's no immediate fireworks, there is a mutual respect amongst the duo. However, Luthor has been romantically linked to Matrix, but her heart will eventually belong to another teammate, Nuklon. The feeling is more than mutual but will take a while to mature.

Detective Maggie Sawyer is Superman's go-to informant on the goings on of Metropolis and has proven herself to be his never-ending battle. In a way, she's the Comissioner Gordon to Superman's Batman. Her partner, Dan Turpin, isn't as cordial towards the Man of Steel, at least on the surface. He's not sure why Superman is in Metropolis, but he's not anti-Superman like many of his peers. In fact, Turpin is one of the few people to put Superman in his place, or as he states it, "with his feet in concrete." He respects that and admires both detectives immensely.

John Irons is probably the bravest man Superman ever met. Not many people can say they left LexCorp with their dignity intact, respect among their peers, and a higher profile than when they left. Irons is the chief designer and technician of many of the Special Crime Units' armory, weapons, and vehicles. His colleagues at S.T.A.R. Labs are intrigued by his skills. His armors have been used largely on the ground, but his prototypical full body armor, the IKIPU "Man of Steel," is an homage to the city's skyward hero. Donning the armor, the former Marine calls himself Steel, and after Superman's death, he became the avenger the city needed in their time of mourning.

The rest of S.T.A.R. Labs and Cadmus don't do much communications with Superman, although a member of Cadmus, Dr. Thirteen, a cynical physicist who believes magic is a hoax despite the fact that his daughter Traci is a self-aware, dimension-hopping sorceress, is still trying to "figure out" how and why the Man of Steel does what he does. He's a strange man, a cross between Stephen Colbert's self-named character on The Colbert Report and Dr. Thaddeus Venture on The Venture Brothers but his teenage daughter has been a guiding light about the magical realm, even explaining why magic affects Superman when other Earthly weapons barely make a scratch.

Perry White is a man after Clark's heart. He doesn't call him chief, but Clark knows that Perry is the boss, and he doesn't mince words when dealing with him. Superman respects the veteran writer and editor as well, and the feeling is more than mutual. Perry knows that Superman is helping Metropolis maintain that "city of tomorrow" sheen as crime is at record-low levels. Deep inside, Perry knows that Clark and Superman are the same individual, but he never admits it out loud. After Superman's death, he mourns for both, and when the Man of Steel returns, he's just as glad to see Clark return from his "special assignment" too.

Jimmy Olsen is the kid-brother Clark never had. Jimmy's been at the Planet for about a couple of years, and he sees Clark as a guy that's got it all figured out and Superman as the greatest hero of all time.

Next: The Villain