Superman came to earth as a baby, still in a birthing matrix. (Meaning he actually wasn't "born" yet.) His parents sent him to earth as the only survivor of their planet, Krypton, which exploded. (Due to disturbances within the palnet's core.) Upon crashing to the earth, in Smallville, Kansas, his birthing matrix opened and he was found by Martha and Jonathan Kent, a couple who was unable to have children of their, naturally. They raised him as if he were their real son. They didn't know he was from another world, they thought he was part of a space experiment. As he grew, he started to develop strange abilities (due to exposure to the earth's yellow sun, and his Kryptonian body). At 18, he found out he could fly, and also realized that he had been given his powers for a reason, and that he should help people. (Instilled in him because of his parent's, the Kents, teachings and guidance.) He left Smallville after high school and traveled abroad. He used his powers in secret for many years, until one day he had to save a space-plane that was crashing right after take-off, in front of a crowd of spectators watching the launch. On board was investigative reporter, Lois Lane. She was mesmerized by him from this moment on. After he landed the plane, he was mobbed by people who wanted him to perform miracles for them. This experience really changed his life, so he decided that he needed some way to be able to live a normal life and use his powers to help others. So he, with the help of his mother and father, came up with the costume, Lois Lane supplied the name: Superman. Lois got the interview of the century, but so did budding reporter, Clark Kent. Clark got to the Daily Planet with the interview before Lois, and got hired. Lois, who was already working for the planet, was furious. Especially when editor Perry White made them partners. Because of being "out-scooped", Lois had a lot of hostility towards Clark. But eventually love took ahold, and the rest is (recent) history. Superman has had a lot of problems since his first start in Metropolis. He's been in numerous alien invasions, both on and off earth. He's gone crazy, assuming the role of the vigilante Gangbuster. Clark and Lois got engaged, and he revealed to Lois that he was also Superman. But at this time he had his powers taken away by some red kryptonite, made by Mr.MXYZPTLK, an imp from the 5th dimension, and was, consequently, beaten up by Lex Luthor. He got his powers back but that wasn't the end of it. He was killed while fighting a monster known as Doomsday. But due to the right circumstances (and his Kryptonian body, noticing a pattern here?) he was able to cheat death and come back. (With long hair, though.) There were four imposter Supermen: The Man of Steel (literally), the Cyborg, Superboy (a clone), and the Last Son of Krypton (known as the Eradicator), that filled in while he was "dead". This helped Brainiac to be able to make him believe he was an imposter too. This was shortly after saving earth, with the combined might of other heroes, from a time-matter-space consuming entropy and remade earth during a time called Zero Hour. Brainiac created a facsimily body of Superman that was dead which made him believe he was an imposter too. This combined with the people around him starting to doubt that he was the real Superman, he began to feel a sense of confusion and despair in the Man of Steel. But once he figured out the rouse and got Brainiac, all was well. For then. Then Lex Luthor blew up most of Metropolis. It was rebuilt and then former schoolmate Kenny Braverman found out Clark's alter ego. It resulted in the apprent death of Clark Kent, and a battle to the death with Conduit, a.k.a. Kenny. Once this was over, you would think he might have a rest, but noooo. Now he gets put on trial for the apparent "genocide" of Krypton. An intergalactic tribunal charges him, with the deaths of everyone on Krypton, because of his bloodline. (His ancestor Kem-L was part of the reason for the extinction of the Kryptonian race. He created a genetic disease in all Kryptonians so that they could never leave the planet. For if they did, they would die. Jor-El, Superman's real father, created a cure for it and gave it to baby Kal-El, that is why he is with us today.) Well Superman escaped from the tribunal, with others, during which he met up with a sorcerer named Tolos who attempted to put him in his shrunken, bottled city, and possess his body. They had several scuffles, Superman won. So he went back to the Tribunal, since he is a good guy, and got a suspended sentence after the head of the tribunal was incriminated on crimes. Superman got back to earth. Next, Lois left him because of the "Superman-belongs-to-the-world" thing, and shortly after, the Earth was being destroyed because an entity known as the sun-eater was consuming the sun. He lost his powers, but got Lois back. They got married even though he was still without his powers and the sun had been re-kindled. He and Lois went on their honeymoon but got kidnapped by some terrorists, and Clark was shot (due to lack of powers). He finally got his powers back by being teleported directly to the center of the sun. But shortly after, they began to change. He now is a Man of Energy. WHEW!!