We bet you love extreme science fiction movies involving otherworldly beings and characters with superhuman strengths, who doesn’t? However, have you ever been curious about how it all began?
Who was the first-ever superhero that triggered the era of superhero-based entertainment? Was it Batman? Was it Superman? Follow this article to the very end to find out just that.
Was Superman The First Superhero?
Superhero movies have been scoring astounding box office collections for quite some time. Although it’s a bit controversial to say that movies and TV shows are solely responsible for popularizing superheroes, they have played a considerable part.
However, to your surprise, superheroes have existed for a pretty long time now. For example, one of the most popular and the most powerful superheroes named Superman was introduced way back in the 30s (1938, to be precise). But was Superman the first superhero despite being this old?
Nope.
Superman’s real name is Kal-el, and he’s another worldly being (born on a fictional planet named Krypton).
He wears a red cape and is made of a body as strong as steel which justifies one of the most famous Superman titles produced by DC, Superman: Man of Steel (released in 2013). Superman can be considered to have started the age of superheroes, but he’s not the first superhero.
So, who was the first superhero? The answer may shock you, and you might have never even heard of him.
Who Was The First Superhero Ever?
To finally answer your question, the origin of the first-ever superhero dates back to the 30s. Phantom, created by a USA-based cartoonist named Lee Falk, was the first superhero that sparked the age of superheroes and gave rise to many superheroes, each with unique prowess and abilities.
Phantom first appeared in a newspaper comic strip on February 17, 1936, the character revolves around the life of Kit Walker, a costumed crime-fighter in Bangalla (a fictional city).
Physical Appearance
Lee Falk’s Phantom is credited as the first costumed superhero ever.
The character wears a black mask and a purple skin-tight costume that highlights the character’s muscles and other physical aesthetics.
Lee Falk earlier planned to name the character “The Grey Ghost” with a grey outfit instead of a purple one. There’s a fascinating story behind Phantom’s purple outfit.
The superhero got a purple outfit when the colourist decided to paint the character in purple on his own accord, thinking that the costumed superhero would look better in that colour.
Powers
Here comes the exciting part, what superpowers does Phantom have? Can he fly through the air at supersonic speeds? Can he stop bullets with his bare hands, or can he run faster than lightning?
To your disappointment, our first-ever almighty superhero has no superhuman strengths whatsoever.
The Phantom has to rely solely on his wits and fists to fight crime in Bangalla. However, the hero does carry a pair of M1911 0.45 caliber pistols to take care of criminals in the state.
Although the character initially doesn’t have any superpowers, the 1986 depiction of The Phantom on Defenders of the Earth TV show shows his ability to summon powers from jungle animals.
The ability, in that depiction, is activated when the character chants, “By jungle law, the ghost who walks calls forth the power of ten tigers.”
Upon chanting the above words, the hero is temporarily given superhuman strengths. However, that’s the only show where the Phantom is depicted with some superhuman powers. In general, he can’t be considered to have superpowers despite being a superhero.
Who Is The Oldest Superhero In Age?
Having the ability to live abnormally long lives than traditional humans is one of the major perks of being a superhero. However, how abnormal can the lifespan of a superhero possibly get?
You may already know about the thousand-year lifespan of Thor and Loki. That’s pretty high, right?
You’ll be surprised once we tell you the name of the oldest superhero in terms of age.
So, the oldest superhero in age is Dr. Fate, created by none other than DC comics in 1940. The age of Dr. Fate is considered to be over 10 billion years, the same as the age of the universe itself as per DC comics.
The superhero wears a blue costume, complemented by a golden cape and a Viking-style helmet. The helmet is the primary source of Dr. Fate’s power.
Nabu, an immortal being that was accidentally woken up by the archaeologist Sven Nelson and his son Kent Nelson, gave the helmet of Nabu to Ken, instantly turning him into a full-grown man and giving him the title of Dr. Fate.
Believe me, This superhero is unbelievably powerful. The list of abilities he has is neverending. Telekinesis, superhuman strength, energy control, elemental control, telepathy, teleport across different dimensions and quick healing are a few of the countless superpowers that the almighty Dr. Fate possesses.
If you are interested in knowing the most powerful DC characters of all time then here’s a detailed piece for you.
Who Was The Second Superhero?
After a severe disappointment knowing that your favourite superhero wasn’t the first to come, you might be wondering who came next?
Lee Falk’s Phantom was the first superhero to be created, but neither he’s the most powerful nor has the most significant fan base. The superhero that came after The Phantom is a perfect definition of a superhero considering the number of abilities and strengths he possesses.
Still can’t guess the name?
It’s none other than DC’s Superman.
Superman was created by the duo of Jerry Siegel (writer) and Joe Shuster (artist). Since the character’s debut in the Action Comics #1 on April 18, 1938, Superman has been adapted to multiple other media like movies, serials, radio, etc.
The fan-favourite mighty superhero was born on a planet named Krypton. He was sent to Earth in a small spaceship by his parents just before the total cataclysmic destruction of Krypton.
Ever since his debut in 1938, Superman has remained the most powerful Superhero DC has to offer.
As mentioned above, Superman is the true definition of a mighty superhero. He has a muscular body, wears a red cape, and has a plethora of special superhuman abilities you can ever ask from a superhero.
Laser beams, supersonic speeds, steel body, and what not?
Superman is truly a force to be reckoned with. In a recent DC movie named Justice League, Superman was able to go toe-to-toe with Flash in terms of speed.
Flash is the superhero known to be the fastest in the DC universe, and considering Superman was able to keep up with him, you can guess how powerful Superman is.
Well, Here’s a list of all Superman powers and I bet you’ll be surprised.
All of Superman’s Powers Revealed
You Might Be Interested InWho Came First, Marvel or DC?
DC and Marvel are currently two of the biggest names for providing the best superhero comics, movies, and serials. However, while Marvel comics were launched in 1939, DC comics have produced world-class content since 1934, with Action Comics #1 being the first proper superhero comics.
DC fans argue that DC triggered the era of this so-called superhero genre. And they’re not wrong. DC is indeed responsible for laying the foundations of the superhero era.
The History Of Marvel Logo (Explained)
You Might Be Interested InWho Was The First Villain Ever?
Enough talk about the first superhero ever considered. Who was the first supervillain?
Created by none other than DC comics, Ultra-humanite was the first supervillain to have come into existence. He first appeared in Action Comics #13, published in June 1939. Yes, that’s the same comic in which Superman was introduced. Ultra-humanite served as Superman’s arch enemy until Lex Luthor took all the glory later in the comics.
The origins of DC’s criminal mastermind are unknown. Even the character himself claims not to know his actual name.
When it comes to physical appearance, Ultra-humanite looks like a disabled bald mad scientist who can’t walk on his own.
Despite having a disabled body, the character had an abnormally high intellect used to orchestrate atrocities without getting caught, with global domination being his primary goal.
Who Was The First Superhero In Marvel?
Most people consider Captain America the first Marvel superhero, but that’s not true. The first Superhero from Marvel was introduced way back in 1939, compared to the introduction of Captain America in 1941.
Marvel introduced two characters in the Marvel Comics #1 (1939) simultaneously. Namor the Submariner and The Human Torch. However, Namor the Submariner, while having the characteristics of a superhero, was more of an anti-hero in the comics.
So, considering him the first Marvel superhero would be a bit controversial. However, despite being an android character, the Human Torch can be considered the first superhero created by Marvel.
20 Most Powerful Marvel Characters Of All Time (Ranked)
You Might Be Interested InWho Was The First Superhero In DC?
Yes, you guessed it right! The first superhero created by DC comics was none other than the legendary Superman. The Man of Steel first appeared in Action Comics #1, published by DC in June 1938.
20 Most Powerful DC Characters Of All Time (Ranked)
You Might Be Interested InWho Was The First Female Superhero?
It’s the year 1941, and the newly-created superhero genre has been attracting tons of eyes from all across the globe ever since DC comics came up with Superman, and the industry was about to experience another significant break by introducing the first female superhero.
However, contrary to popular belief, Wonder Woman wasn’t the first female superhero. The first female superhero was Miss Fury who was created, written, and drawn by an American cartoonist named Tarpé Mills.
Wonder woman came 8 months after Miss Fury was introduced and took the world by storm, just like Superman.
So it wasn’t Superman, after all! Yes, most people still believe that it was Superman who came first and created a new genre all on its own.
While some part of it is genuine, Superman was the first character to have attracted millions of readers globally and sparked the superhero era. Still, Lee Falk’s Phantom should be considered the first superhero ever, though he isn’t nearly as famous as Superman.
FAQs
Who Is The First Avenger?
The first avenger, who also leads the Avengers, a group of Earth’s mightiest heroes is Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America.
Who Was Stan Lee’s First Superhero?
Debuted in 1941’s Mystic Comics #6, The Destroyer is Stan Lee’s first hero.
Who Is The Strongest Superhero?
With the insane set of abilities and morale, DC’s Superman in general is considered to be the most powerful superhero but there are a lot more comic book characters who surpass him.
Well, If you want to know the most powerful fictional characters of all time then check out the below link.
11 Most Powerful Fictional Characters Of All Time (Ranked)
You Might Be Interested InThat’s all for today folks. I hope you got the answer you were looking for. Who is your favourite superhero?
Let us know it all on our Instagram handle here and in the meanwhile, Keep visiting averagebeing.com for more awesome superhero content.
ncG1vNJzZmiZppq%2ForPEm5yippdjsLC5jrCfqGWZqHq1tMRmnaKqo6l6tMHPnqmhnaKkeqbCxKtm