Superman: 13 Alternate Versions
Few have reached the same heights as the Man of Steel.
For Superman Day 2026, we look at various media where you can find stories about the Last Son of Krypton.
Created in 1938 by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, the superhero Superman AKA Clark Kent was introduced Action Comics #1. Since his debut, the Man of Steel has become one of the main characters for DC Comics—and, frankly, all of superhero fiction. In the decades since his debut, Superman has regularly appeared in comic books as well as other media, including books, TV, radio, movies, stage productions, and games.
Here at Monster Complex®, we’ve looked at alternate versions of King Kong, Frankenstein, and Dracula. For Superman Day 2026, we now look at a variety of interpretations of the Man of Tomorrow…
#1 Superman in comic books
For decades, Superman has appeared in like dozens of different regular comics—plus all those guest appearances here and there. A list of titles for his regular appearances include:
Superman
Of course, once you add all the mini-series, one-shots, and reboots—there are lots more titles we could have included on the list.
#2 Superman in newspaper comics
Starting 1939, Superman appeared on newspaper comic strip pages for nearly 30 years. This format allowed the creators to expand on some details that had been cut for the comic book.
Around 1941, that newspaper comics series was reportedly being read by 20 million people! The original comic strip continued running all the way to 1966.
When the movies started coming out in the 1970s, a new Superman comic strip ran 1977-1983.
#3 Superman on the radio
Within just a couple of years, Superman broke out of comics for other media. Radio drama series The Adventures of Superman (1940-1951) ran for more than two thousand episodes! They say that most of the episodes were actually performed live. For most of the series, the character of Superman was voiced by Bud Collyer.
#4 Superman cartoons in 1940s
In the 1940s, theatrical cartoons were made by Fleischer Studios (1941-1942) and then Famous Studios (1942-1943). They’re considered some of the best examples from the early years of animation. Part of the animation magic was created by rotoscoping—where the animators actually traced over live-action footage. This process added a level of realism to how the characters moved on screen.
The voices for Superman and Lois Lane were played by the same actors from the radio dramas—Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander.
These cartoons are where Superman became a man who could fly. In the comics, up to this point, he was just jumping around. But when the animators started making the cartoons for the screen, all that jumping around just looked weird. So they asked the owners for permission to let Superman fly instead. They were given permission—and not long after, the idea of Superman flying got officially added to the character in comics and everywhere else.
Also introduced in these cartoons was the idea that Clark Kent jumped into a phone booth to change his Superman costume. (You younger folks may not know what a phone booth was. But they used to be a big deal. In town, they were everywhere.)
#5 Superman in movie serials
The first live-action appearance of Superman on screens was a movie serial. Before there was television, movie serials featured these short movies that served as separate chapters for a complete movie. Each segment, which ran weekly at local theaters, ended with a cliffhanger to make you desperately want to see what happened next, Overall, these projects represented all kinds of stories—sci-fi, westerns, crime stories, spy stories, whatever.
In 1948, the 15-part movie serial Superman starred Kirk Alyn (as Superman and Clark Kent) and Noel Neill (Lois Lane). While it was a live action serial, every time Superman flew through the air, the special effects (well, “special effects”) used animation to show Superman flying.
A second serial—Atom Man vs. Superman—was made in 1950.
The serial’s director, Thomas Carr, later directed several episodes of the TV show Adventures of Superman.
BTW, years later Alyn and Neill had a cute cameo appearance in 1978’s Superman: The Movie.
#6 Superman on stage
In 1966, there was the stage musical It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Superman. The songs were written by Charles Strouse (music) and Lee Adams (lyrics), with the script written by David Newman and Robert Benton. The cast included Bob Holiday (as Superman and Clark Kent) and Patricia Marand (as Lois Lane). Although the stage production got good reviews, the musical closed after only after like three-and-a-half months.
But in 1975, ta new production of It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Superman was a TV special. The cast included David Wilson (as Superman and Clark Kent), Lesley Ann Warren (Lois Lane), and Allen Ludden (Perry White). Reportedly, this version saw script changes—and was shorter. A few songs were dropped. And it’s said that the songs that remained were updated, plus a new song was added.
#7 Superman on 1950s TV
The 1950s TV show Adventures of Superman starred George Reeves as Superman. The character of Lois Lane was played by Phyllis Coates in the first season, and Noel Neill for the rest of the series. Also on the show was Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen), John Hamilton (Perry White), and Robert Shayne (Inspector Henderson).
This version of Superman made his debut in the theatrical movie Superman and the Mole Men, which was a pilot for the TV series. The show itself—which featured lots of crime stories where Superman faced gun-toting crooks—lasted six seasons.
Adventures of Superman ended with the death of star Reeves. The 2006 movie Hollywoodland speculated the circumstances surrounding the death of the actor.
Watch a special episode (shown in schools) of Adventures of Superman on Tubi TV
#8 Superman on TV cartoons
A list of TV cartoon shows with Superman includes:
The New Adventures of Superman (1966-1970)
Superboy (1966)
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967-1968)
Justice League of America (1967)
The Batman/Superman Hour (1968)
Super Friends (1973-1985)
Challenge of the Superfriends (1978)
The World’s Greatest SuperFriends (1979-1980)
The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985)
Superman (1988)
The Superman/Batman Adventures (1995)
Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)
The New Batman/Superman Adventures (1997)
Krypto the Superdog (2005)
Legion of Super Heroes (2006-2008)
Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-2011)
Superman guest-starred on episodes 3.1 and 3.8
Young Justice (2010-2022)
Superman guest-starred on occasion
Justice League Action (2016-2018)
My Adventures With Superman (2023)
Krypto Saves the Day! (2025)
Related: All 10 Animated Superman TV Shows, Ranked Worst To Best (Screen Rant)
#9 Superman (again) at the movies
Superman has showed up on screen in several live-action movies. As we discussed, he started with the two movie serials (1948 and 1950). Then there was the 1951 theatrical movie Superman and the Mole Men which, technically, was the pilot for the 1950s TV show.
In the 1970s came the big-deal Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve (Superman and Clark Kent) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane). It was directed by Richard Donner. The movie brought a level of serious drama to a genre that outsiders had often dismissed. The success of the movie led to a series of follow-ups. (With mixed results.)
In 2006 came Superman Returns, directed by Bryan Singer and starring Brandon Routh (Superman/Kent) and Kate Bosworth (Lane).
In 2013 came Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder with Henry Cavill (Superman/Kent) and Amy Adams (Lane). As part of the short-lived DC Extended Universe (DCEU)—where DC movies were part of a share world—this version of Superman showed up again in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). Cavill’s Superman also had brief appearances in Black Adam (2022) and The Flash (2023).
The most recent Superman onscreen movie is, well, Superman (2025). Made by James Gunn, this movie starrs David Corenswet (as Superman and Kent) and Rachel Brosnahan, (Lane). Part of the newly launched DC movie universe, this version of Superman will cameo in the 2026 Supergirl movie and in his own 2027 sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
#10 Superman (again) on TV
Earlier, we talked about the iconic 1950s TV show Adventures of Superman (1952-1958) with George Reeves. In the years since then, other television shows with Superman include:
Superboy (1988-1992) with John Newton (season 1) and Gerard Christopher (season 2-4)
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997) with Dean Cain
Smallville (2001-2011) with Tom Welling
Arrowverse crossovers (2018 and 2019) with Tyler Hoechlin (including guest appearances on Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, Batwoman, and Legends of Tomorrow)
Superman & Lois (2021-2024) with Tyler Hoechlin (now presumably an alternate reality version of his previous Superman)
Peacemaker guest shots on episodes “It’s Cow or Never” (1.8) and “The Ties That Grind” (2.1) with silhouettes that actually change from one season to the next which DC movieverse that Superman came from
#11 Superman team-up comics I really recommend
Over the years, there have been many fun team-up stories with Superman and other heroes. But I want to call attention to four issues involving Mongul and Warworld. These include a three-part story in the team-up book DC Comics Presents and then a Superman Annual.
DC Comics Presents #27-29 featured team-ups with J’onn J’onnz the Manhunter from Mars, Supergirl, and The Spectre. Written by Len Wein, with art by penciler Jim Starlin and inker Romeo Tanghal, these issues were originally published in 1980.
This three-part story involves Superman being too proud—too confident—and learning that even he is just a part of a bigger reality.
“It’s the entire universe that will have to pay the price of your failure,” the Martian Manhunter tells Superman. “I warned you that you were dealing with forces beyond your comprehension... but you were too overconfident... too egotistical... to listen!”
I don’t want to give too much away. But the story is also worth reading because it introduces Mongul, the extraterrestrial villain, as well as the planet-sized battleship Warworld.
This three-part team-up story was reprinted in the collection DC Universe by Len Wein.
While we’re talking abouyt Mongul, a great follow-up story is “For the Man Who Has Everything,” told by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons in Superman Annual #11 (1985).
When Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman come to the Fortress of Solitude to help celebrate Superman’s birthday, they find him standing there in a coma, an alien plant wrapped around him. Turns out that Mongul has trapped Superman in a plant that makes the person dream his heart’s deepest desire.
From that point, the story keeps switching back and forth: While Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman try to rescue Superman, we keep glimpsing scenes from Superman’s dream--where he’s living on a planet krypton that never blew up.
Many consider this one of the best Superman stories ever. It’s actually been adapted more than once.
You can find “For the Man Who Has Everything” in the collection Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
#12 Superman with Marvel Comics
There have also been a few team-ups where Superman met up with Marvel Comics. (In case you don’t already know this, while Superman is a key character at DC Comics, this is him meeting up characters at the competing comics company.) These include Superman crossing paths with the likes of Spider-Man, the Hulk, and the Fantastic Four.
#13 Superman in Metropolis… Illinois
In the Superman stories, he lives in the city of Metropolis. And in real life, there’s an actual Metropolis in southern Illinois.
In town, there’s a 15-foot-tall painted bronze statue of Superman in front of the county courthouse. Just a few blocks away, there’s also a statue of Noel Neill’s Lois Lane from The Adventures of Superman.
Every year—the second weekend of June--Superman fans from all over the world gather in Metropolis, Illinois, for the annual Superman Celebration. The event features celebrity guests from comic books, movies, and TV. The four-day celebration also includes food, comics, homemade crafts, and other merchandise, plus auctions, panel discussions, auctions, a costume contest, and other activities over the weekend.
There’s the Super Museum, boasting the “World’s Largest Collection of Superman.” It’s open every day.
The local newspaper is The Metropolis Planet, its name inspired by The Daily Planet.
Oh—and remember how I mentioned there’s a statue of Superman in town? That happens to be where I proposed to my girlfriend. (We’ve now been married almost 25 years.)
Few have reached the same heights as the Man of Steel. For Superman Day 2026, we look at various media where you can find stories about the Last Son of Krypton.