Superman

The Swedish parliament was considering at the time whether to intervene and overrule the initial judgement.[3] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3701802.stm). Jesus has been featured in many films and media forms, sometimes seriously, and other times satirically. In 2004, local authorities in Sweden refused to allow a child to be named Stĺlmannen, which means Superman (literally: The Man of Steel). According to historians, forensic scientists, and genetics experts, he was most likely a bronze-skinned man—resembling a modern-day man of Middle Eastern descent. Hyperion has been revamped in a new Marvel series, Supreme Power, giving a new take on the Superman mythology. Often he is portrayed as looking like a male from the region of the artist creating the portrait. DC in turn introduced the "Assemblers of Angar", a thinly-veiled Avengers pastiche. Jesus has been portrayed in countless paintings and sculptures throughout the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and modern times.

Hyperion stood in for Superman, the Whizzer for The Flash, etc. Indeed, this skepticism has been around for centuries, with Erasmus joking that so much wood formed parts of the True Cross, that Jesus must have been crucified on a whole forest. The Squadron Supreme was created to do unofficial JLA/Avengers crossovers; the "new" characters were thinly veiled versions of their DC JLA counterparts. Many modern Christians, however, do not accept any of these as true relics. One of the few Superman-like characters that DC Comics allowed to stand without litigation is Hyperion, from Marvel Comics's superhero team, Squadron Supreme. The most famous alleged relics of Jesus are the Shroud of Turin, which is claimed to be the burial shroud used to wrap his body, the Sudarium of Oviedo, which is claimed to be the cloth which was used to cover his face, and the Holy Grail which is said to have been used to collect his blood during his crucifixion and possibly used at the Last Supper. In 1998, an American Express commercial featured real-life Jerry Seinfeld and an animated Superman as buddies holding a running conversation around New York City. There are many items that are purported to be authentic relics of the Gospel account.

Seinfeld is also famous for having a Superman reference in every episode. He may also have spoken other languages of the time, such as the Jewish liturgical language Hebrew, and the administrative language, Greek. Jerry affectionately addressed some of his girlfriends as "Lois Lane". Jesus' language was most probably Aramaic; see Aramaic of Jesus. On the Seinfeld TV show, a Superman statue sat on the stereo in Jerry's livingroom, and a Superman refrigerator magnet was always visible in his kitchen. ^[13] See also Pharisees and Christianity. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld expressed his fandom of Superman in several ways. Some scholars have asserted that, despite the depictions of him as antagonistic towards the Pharisees, Jesus was a member of that group.

Moore produced 22 issues of Supreme that paid homage to the classic "Silver Age" Superman. Roman reaction to the Zealots eventually led to the destruction of Herod's Temple by Vespasian in August of 70 CE, and the subsequent decline of the Zealots, Sadducees and Essenes. In the 1990s, comic book artist and writer Rob Liefeld created a Superman pastiche and starred him in his own comic book series, Supreme. The series, published by Liefeld's Awesome Comics, sold moderately well at first, but sales dwindled until the series was taken over with issue #41 by writer Alan Moore. They were founded by Judas of Galilee and Zadok the Pharisee in the year 6 against Quirinius' tax reform and "agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord." (18.1.6) They believed that the kingdom should be restored immediately, even through violent human action, and advocated direct action against the Romans. Well-known spoofs of Superman include Mighty Mouse, Underdog, Super Grover, and Super Goof. Josephus' Jewish Antiquities book 18 states there was a "fourth sect", in addition to Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes, which scholars associate with those he called Zealots. One of the first Superman-like characters to emerge, Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel, sparked legal action because of its similarities to Superman. Some, like John the Baptist in the first half of the century, and Yehoshua ben Ananias in the second half, claimed that a messianic age was at hand.

Nevertheless, a great many imitations and parodies of Superman have appeared over the years. Therefore the Romans would be replaced by a Jewish king only through divine intervention. DC Comics has trademarked variations on the "super" theme, such as "superdog" and "supergal", to circumvent parody or product confusion. Most people at that time believed that their history was governed by God, meaning that even the conquest of Judea by the Romans was a divine act. Superman is a staple of American pop culture. Many Jews hoped that the Romans would be replaced by a Jewish king (or Messiah) of the line of King David — in their view the last legitimate Jewish regime. Other sources cited as inspirations include Doc Savage and The Shadow. In addition, isolated in small communities from these main groups, by choice, some even taking to remote desert caves in anticipation of the end times, lived the Essenes, whose theology and philosophy are thought, by some scholars, to have influenced Jesus and/or John the Baptist.

Additionally, Superman is believed to have been inspired in part by Philip Wylie's 1930 science fiction novel Gladiator, about a man whose superhuman strength inspires him to help the human race, but who is instead spurned by humanity precisely because of his power. They resented Roman occupation, but, according to historian Shaye Cohen (1988), were in Jesus' time relatively apolitical. Both Superman's name and the premise of his character owe a debt to the concept of the Übermensch, developed by the 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and elaborated upon by George Bernard Shaw. According to Josephus, within 1st century Judaism there were several sects, primarily the Sadducees, closely connected with the priesthood and the Temple, and the Pharisees, who were teachers and leaders of the synagogues.
. No gold, silver or imported goods have been found in it by archaeological excavation. The last two are in continuity with Batman: The Animated Series and its spinoffs, forming what some fans call the "Diniverse", named after Paul Dini, who writes and produces the shows. It had no synagogue, nor any public buildings.

There have also been numerous animated cartoon series starring the Man of Steel:. At this time Jesus' childhood hometown of Nazareth (Hebrew, Natserath) was, as revealed by archaeology, a tiny hamlet of a few hundred inhabitants. Among the actors who have played the role are George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, and Dean Cain. Galilee, where Jesus grew up according to the Gospels, remained under the jurisdiction of another of Herod's sons, Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, from 4 BC/BCE to AD 39/39 CE. The Superman character has made the transition to radio, television, and movies, each on multiple occasions. This situation existed, more or less, till 64 and the start of the Great Jewish Revolt. Current comics in which Superman does not star, but appears regularly:. He combined Judea, Samaria, and Idumea into Iudaea Province which was placed under direct Roman administration and supervision by a Roman prefect who appointed a Jewish High Priest for Herod's Temple in Jerusalem.

Current comics starring Superman:. In AD 6/6CE, Octavian, recently designated Roman Emperor and renamed as Augustus, deposed Herod's son Herod Archelaus. Pre-Crisis, Superman's foster parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, died in the summer after his high school graduation; post-Crisis, the Kents are alive and well and are regularly visited by Clark, who relies on them for advice in difficult times. It was directly ruled by the Idumaean Herod the Great who was appointed King of the Jews in Rome in 39 BC/BCE by Mark Antony and Octavian. The Superboy name has also been the name of denizens of other dimensions, such as one from a "pocket universe" parallel dimension in the late 1980s post-Crisis Superman comics, and several individuals the current Superboy encountered during his trip through Hypertime (one of those essentially being an exact double of the pre-Crisis Superboy). All of the land of Israel belonged to the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus' birth. A new Superboy character who is a clone of Superman was created in the early 1990s; adventures featuring this character continue to be published. This situation led to new interpretations of the Torah, influenced by Hellenic thought and in response to Gentile interest in Judaism.

The original Superboy, introduced in 1944's More Fun Comics #101, represented "the adventures of Superman when he was a boy." This Superboy is no longer in publication, as post-Crisis continuity deemed that Clark Kent did not become a superhero until he reached adulthood. Culturally, Jews had to grapple with the values and philosophy of Hellenism, and the imperialism of Rome, together with the paradox that their Torah applied only to them, but revealed universal truths. There have been a number of characters called Superboy. The world in which Jesus lived was volatile, marked by cultural and political dilemmas. This especially applies to the Special Crimes Unit (SCU), a police unit that deals with superpowered threats, led by Captain Margaret Sawyer, one of the few openly gay characters in mainstream superhero comics today. Main article: Cultural and historical background of Jesus. In Metropolis, Superman enjoys a close relationship with the police department. It is often translated Jesus of Nazareth to support the former hypothesis.

Superman also has a rogues gallery of supervillain enemies, including:. The title Jesus the Nazarene may be a reference to a place of origin called Nazareth, or to a Jewish sect called the Nazarenes. Familiar supporting characters in the Superman mythos include:. Some historians argue that when used in other Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the time, these titles have other meanings, and therefore may have other meanings when used in the Gospels as well. In 2003, DC Comics released a 12-issue maxiseries titled Superman: Birthright, written by Mark Waid and penciled by Lenil Francis Yu; this was made into a retcon of Superman's post-crisis origin, replacing Byrne's version, but yet using many elements from that version, along with elements that subtly tie into the Smallville television show. Together, the majority of Christians understand these titles as attesting to Jesus' divinity. so far. Future editorial changes to the series may reverse some or all of these changes. In the Gospels, Jesus has many other titles, including Prophet (a title that he applied to himself, unlike others), Lord, and King of the Jews.

In 1995, Superman (or rather, Clark Kent) finally married Lois Lane, and the two have had a happy marriage.. Evidence for these positions is provided by similar use by other persons than Jesus at a similar time to the writing of the Gospels, such as Jewish priests and judges. He returned from the dead, though his "death" gave rise to a number of new characters and storylines. However, some scholars have argued that Son of Man was an expression that functioned as an indirect first person pronoun, and that Son of God was an expression that signified "a righteous person". In the epic The Death of Superman storyline, the hero apparently died at the hands of supervillain Doomsday. The Gospels record Jesus referring to himself both as Son of Man and as Son of God, but not as God the Son. Two alterations have had long-term effects. The title Christ is also sometimes identified with the Greek chrestos, meaning "good", although the words are unrelated in terms of etymology, and Chrestus was often used as a pet name for slaves.

Most notably, his alterations to Lex Luthor, altering him from a scientific oriented villain to a businessman remain to this day. In fact, it would seem prima facie that an inherently divine being would not be in need of being anointed. But Byrne's changes became the template for Superman's origin and characterization for almost two decades. The title does not imply, either in Greek or in Hebrew, a divine nature for the possessor of it. Byrne himself quit the books after a few years because he felt DC was not supporting the changes he made. The word mashiach in Hebrew means anointed (a cognate in English is "massage," from the Arabic for "vigorous rubbing with aromatic oils") , because the Israelite kings were anointed with oil. Some fans debated whether the more drastic changes were necessary, and some of the more traditional historical elements Byrne removed from the backstory were later restored. The Greek form is a liberal translation of Messiah from Hebrew mashiach (משיח) or Aramaic m'shikha (משיח�), a word which occurs often in the Hebrew Bible and typically refers to the "high priest" or "king".

The re-launch of Superman comic books returned the character to the mainstream, again in the forefront of DC's titles. Christ is not a name but a title, which comes from the Greek Χ�ι�τός (Christos) via Latin, meaning anointed with chrism. This 1986 reboot brought substantial changes to the character and met huge success at the time, being one of the top-selling books. Muslims, following Qur'anic usage, refer to him by the name `Isa (possibly cognate with the Hebrew name Esau). Writer-artist John Byrne joined Superman and re-started with his The Man of Steel retelling of his origin. The Arabic form of the name used by Christians, following Syriac, is Yasu`. By the early 1980s, DC Comics had decided that a major change was needed to make Superman more appealing to current audiences. Such speculations are largely in connection with further theories concerning Barabbas.

Facing myriad perils, his powers have increased to the point that he is nearly omnipotent. This poses a challenge for writers: "How does one write about a character who is nearly as powerful as God?" (Superman's Kryptonian name, Kal-El, resembles the Hebrew words for "all that God is") This problem contributed to a decline in Superman's popularity, especially during the 1960s and 1970s, when Marvel Comics brought a new level of character development to mainstream comic books. The Aramaic word for "father" (Abba) survives still untranslated in Mark 14:36. During a multimedia career spanning over sixty years, Superman has starred in every imaginable situation, throughout the universe, and in many eras of history. Some scholars speculate that Jesus was also known as "Bar Abba" ("Son of the Father") because many times in the Gospels he addressed God as "Father". DC soon took Siegel's and Shuster's names off the byline. His patronymic would have been, bar Yosef, for "son of Joseph". In 1946, when Siegel and Shuster sued for more money, DC fired them, prompting a legal battle that ended in 1948, when they accepted $200,000 and signed away any further claim to Superman or any character created from him. Other Aramaic forms of the name include Yeshu`, Ishu`, and Eshu`.

The Saturday Evening Post reported in 1941 that the pair was being paid $75,000 each per year, still a fraction of DC's Superman profits. Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, mentions no fewer than nineteen different people with this name, about half of them contemporaries of Jesus of Nazareth. DC copied the character without remuneration to the creators, while suing other companies for copying it. Jesus' original name is not reported by contemporary or near-contemporary sources, but modern scholars have suggested that Jesus' name was the Aramaic ישׁוע / Yēšûaʿ (as in the Syriac New Testament) a shortened form of Yehoshua used in Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles), which was a fairly common name at the time. Siegel and Shuster sold the rights to the company for $130. The earliest uses of Iēsoûs are found in the writings of Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, and the Septuagint, as a transliteration of the Hebrew name Yehoshua (יהושע — known in English as Joshua when transliterated directly from Hebrew), and also Yeshua (ישוע). The revised Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1, June 1938. Jesus is derived from the Koine Greek Ιη�ους (Iēsoûs) via Latin.

Occult, who made his first appearance in New Fun Comics #6, October 1935. Main article: Names and titles of Jesus. In 1935, their Superman story was again rejected, but DC Comics printed another of their creations, Dr. ^[12]. The story did not sell, forcing the two to reposition their character on the right side of the law. Most Christians who hold that Jesus' miracles were literally true, not allegory, think that the Apostles gained the power to perform healing for both Jews and Gentiles alike after they had been empowered by the Holy Spirit of Truth (to pneuma tēs alētheias, John 14:17, 26; Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8, 2:4) that he had promised the Father would send them after his departure – a promise that according to Acts 2:4 was fulfilled at Pentecost, poignantly the Jewish feast that, in addition to other Scriptural events, commemorates also the giving of the Law to Moses. Their short story "The Reign Of The Superman" concerned a bald-headed villain bent on dominating the world. During his public ministry Jesus extensively trained twelve Apostles to continue after his departure his leadership of the many who had begun to follow him mainly in the towns and villages throughout Galilee, Samaria, and the Decapolis.

Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster not as a hero, but as a villain. According to most Christian interpretations of the Bible, the theme of Jesus' preaching was that of apocalyptic repentance. However, Superman continues to be a driving force in the medium after more than sixty years. John Shelby Spong). Indeed, Batman has undergone an increasingly dark makeover. However, some liberal Christians do not accept that Jesus was raised bodily from the dead, or that he still lives bodily (e.g. On several recent occasions, Batman has faced Superman, and Batman has served as a foil to Superman's goodness; Batman, in his more recent incarnations, won't hesitate to use guile or underhanded tactics to gain an advantage, while Superman will be overly hesitant to use his natural gifts as an unfair edge. Therefore, belief in the resurrection is one of the most distinctive elements of Christian faith; and defending the historicity of the resurrection is usually a central issue of Christian apologetics.

Superman fights fair long after both sides have begun swinging below the belt, knowing that his vast powers require him to act with equal restraint. Most Christians — even those who do not hold to the literal truth of everything in the canonical Gospel accounts — accept the New Testament presentation of the Resurrection as a historical account of an actual event central to their faith. Superman may seem old-fashioned and even quaint compared to the "dark avengers" who currently command the lion's share of the market, and this is intentional. The resurrection of Jesus is almost universally denied by those who do not follow the Christian religion. Superman's "lily white" persona has been mocked, ridiculed, and spoofed, especially in recent comic book history, when "grim and gritty" comics dominated the market. Thereafter he went to Galilee and showed himself to several of his disciples by the lake and on the mountain; and they were present when he returned to Bethany and was lifted up and a cloud concealed him from their sight. Superman's daily martyrdom is reflected tellingly in print during his reappearance in the mid-1990s miniseries Kingdom Come, where he is pictured as a bearded carpenter with a long beam of wood across his back, mirroring a Christ-like image of a man who gave himself for a world that, in that storyline, did not love him. To his assembled disciples he showed himself on the evening after his resurrection, when Thomas was however absent, though he was present when Jesus repeated his visit to them a week later.

In many ways, Superman is truly one of the most "human" heroes conceived, since he responds to emotional grief in stark contrast to the way he shrugs off bullets, bombs, and death-rays. Just hours after his resurrection he appeared to two travellers on the road to Emmaus. Far from a perfect individual, Superman is often pictured with a sense of childish innocence mixed with patriarchal restraint. He is also a man with an incredible depth of feeling, since he lives within his own mind as much as he does in the reality of society, often struggling with the differences between the right answer and the practical one. The Gospel accounts and the Acts of the Apostles tell of several appearances of Jesus to various people in various places over a period of forty days before he "ascended into heaven". He writes fiction in his spare time, publishing two books, "The Janus Contract" and "Under a Yellow Sun". John 20:11-18 states that when Mary looked into the tomb, two angels asked her why she was crying; and as she turned round she initially failed to recognise Jesus – even by his voice – until he called her by her name. This was a further motivation for Superman becoming a reporter, for it is then possible that his physical abilities give him no unfair advantage in a field where the critical skills are intellectual (although his editor, Perry White, praised him in Superman: The Movie as "the fastest typist I have ever seen"). Mark 16:9 says that Mary Magdalene was the first to whom Jesus appeared very early that morning.

In this manner, Superman's excessive arsenal of powers is rendered secondary to his ability to convince others to act. Matthew 28:2-4) that according to Matthew 27:62-66 the high priests and Pharisees, with Pilate's permission, had posted in front of the tomb to prevent the body from being stolen by Jesus' disciples. Through these conflicts, discussions of good and evil are formed, as Superman struggles with restraint in the face of bigotry, avarice, and cruelty. The sight of the same angel had apparently left the guards unconscious (cf. It is also important that Superman often struggles with vast social issues in his fiction, including tackling world hunger, unsuccessfully, in a short wide-panel 1990s graphic novel called Peace on Earth. (with artwork by Alex Ross). The Synoptic Gospel accounts further state that an angel was waiting at the tomb to explain to them that Jesus had been resurrected, though the Gospel according to John makes no mention of this encounter. This line of thinking, that Superman is a hero as deeply conflicted with his gifts as Batman is with his past, is key to the modern interpretation of Superman not as a better man, but what is best in man. However, the women who had witnessed the entombment and the closure of the tomb with a great stone, found it empty when they arrived on the third day to anoint the body.

In an extraordinary show of mutual respect, Superman has given Batman a ring of green kryptonite, so that if he ever lost his reason, posing a danger to himself or to humans, Batman could use the ring to defeat him. No one was a witness to the event of the resurrection. He therefore makes it a point of submitting to authority, helping him to feel a restraint on his actions. This article of faith is referred to in Christian terminology as the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; and each year at Easter (on a Sunday) it is commemorated and celebrated by most groups who consider themselves Christians. They reveal his self-doubts, and his fear that he might abuse his powers and become a monster, subject to no one. In accordance with the four canonical Gospel accounts Christians believe that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Recent writers have attempted to deepen Superman's persona and provide a rationale for his goodness. This was observed by Mary and other women, notably Mary Magdalene.

His modesty and humility catches his foes and critics off-guard, as they do not understand why he spends his life helping others and doing good. Following the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea obtained Pilate's permission to take down Jesus' body and lay it into his own new tomb. He often acts behind the scenes and lets others receive the credit. In art it is often written as INRI, the Latin acronym for "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.". He rescues cats from trees and participates in community fund-raisers. (See Barabbas.) All four Gospel accounts mention that the charge noted on the tablet called the titulus crucis, attached by orders of Pilate atop the cross, included the term "King of the Jews". Superman has been willing to lay down his life or sacrifice his powers for good. Some scholars argue that it was an ordinary Roman trial of a rebel, whose Messianic claims made him especially dangerous.

He seems out of place and out of touch with his world because he is, in fact, the product of 'better times' more than the real world. According to the canonical gospel accounts (Matthew 27:24-26, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:24-25, John 19:16a), Pontius Pilate, bowing to the Jewish religious leaders' pressure, handed Jesus over (paredĹŤken) (to his Roman soldiers) to be crucified. The education he received on the family farm is the most potent symbol for 'old fashioned values' one can conjure, and this helps ground the character. He was condemned for blasphemy by the Sanhedrin and turned over to the Romans for execution - not for blasphemy, but for sedition against the Empire. While Jor-El sent Kal-El to Earth because he felt the human race had the capacity to be great and good if they wished to be, it is clear that Kal-El chose to become Superman and a force for good. He was identified to the guards by one of his apostles, Judas Iscariot, who is portrayed as having betrayed Jesus by a kiss. This is why, despite the emphasis on Superman having powers "far beyond those of mortal men," his name referred also to his goodness. He was subsequently arrested on the orders of the Sanhedrin and the High Priest, Joseph Caiaphas.

As superhero stories became more oriented toward young readers, the writers moved toward his better known "boy scout" persona. Even so, Superman's capacity for a violent anger is a key element to many of the most 'dramatic' moments in his appearances, since it is this sort of telling snapshot into his psyche that allows readers and watchers to see that Superman's goodness is not inherent to his being, but learned, like it is with us. Jesus came with his followers to Jerusalem during the Passover festival, and created a disturbance at the Temple by overturning the tables of the moneychangers there. Superman is also nearly always portrayed as having had some hand in WWII, when the timeline permits.
. In one really early story in which the government would not help maintain low income areas unless a disaster occurred, Superman went on a rampage and created one. (This section of Josephus contains obvious Christian interpolations in most texts, but the Arabic version seems to be free of these.) There seems to be a very high probability that the organizer of the Caesarea resistance was Jesus himself - it is very hard to come up with an alternative candidate - and this was at least one major reason why Pilate ordered his Crucifixion. Originally, Superman's personality could be rough and destructive. Josephus does not say who inspired and organized this major act of Nonviolent Resistance, but in the third paragraph, just two paragraphs later, he tells of the Crucifixion of Jesus by Pilate - though he does not say for what crime was he executed, if any.

When he had Kandor in his possession in the pre-Crisis comics, all of these improvisations were supplemented by the products of the professional tailors and lenscrafters available in the bottle city. Pilate gave in and ordered the standards removed. Superman also sometimes carries spare change in his hollowed-out belt buckle, which also doubles as a Justice League communication device. They replied they would rather die than see the Torah violated. Since they were of Kryptonian origin, Clark could fire his heat vision through them without melting them (in contrast, the post-Crisis Clark has to lift his glasses [made of ordinary materials] off his eyes when he uses his heat vision). Pilate threatened them with death. In the original comics, Clark's eyeglass lenses were made from two small rounded pieces of glass from his spaceship. Thousands of Jewish people descended on Caesarea to ask the standards' removal.

In the post-Crisis comics, his costume is invulnerable because of the bioelectric field that his cells produce (see how it works). In Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, chapter 3, paragraph 1, we learn that Pontius Pilate began his administration of Judea by ordering Eagle Standards set up in Jerusalem. While carrying passengers in flight, Superman would wrap them in his cape to protect them from air friction. Some interpretations of the text, particularly amongst Protestants, suggest that Jesus opposed stringent interpretations of Jewish law, supporting the spirit more than the letter. His armor-like costume could also protect others that wore it. Jesus also preached the imminent end of the current era (αίών) of history, or even the literal end of the world; in this sense he was an apocalyptic preacher. Said blankets, like everything else from Krypton under a yellow sun environment such as Earth's, shared Clark's invulnerability. Jesus preachings included the forgiveness of sin, life after death, and resurrection of the body.

Superman's costume was created by Ma Kent; pre-Crisis, she created it out of the blankets from the rocket that brought him to Earth. In his role as a social reformer, and with his followers holding the inflammatory view that he was the Jewish Messiah, Jesus threatened the status quo. If his powers were disabled or he needed stronger protection, Superman also had his "Supermobile," a small flying car-like vehicle which could fly anywhere and use its powerful waldo arms to handle outside objects. His teaching castigated the Pharisees primarily for their legalism and hypocrisy, although he also had followers among the religious leaders (see Nicodemus). For situations involving kryptonite, Superman in the original comics had a collection of lead-lined suits for protection. Jesus frequently put himself in opposition to the Jewish religious leaders including the opposing forces of Sadducees and Pharisees. This one remaining robot was destroyed by superheroine Donna Troy, at the expense of her own life, though she was soon resurrected. According to the New Testament, Jesus also performed various miracles in the course of his ministry, including healings, exorcisms, and raising Lazarus from the dead.

Post-Crisis, Superman at one time had built various Superman robots; however, all but one were destroyed, with the sole remaining robot currently being kept on duty at the Fortress of Solitude. His closest followers were twelve apostles, headed by Peter. He largely abandoned them when Earth's pollution began to interfere with their functions. Jesus had a number of disciples. Superman, in the pre-Crisis comics, also had androids that could impersonate himself (as both Superman and as Clark Kent). His parables (or stories with a hidden meaning) include the parable of the Good Samaritan, and the Prodigal Son. A trademark of the Fortress in all of its incarnations is a memorial statue of his Kryptonian parents, Jor-El and Lara, holding up a globe of the planet Krypton. Some of his most famous teachings are in the Sermon on the Mount, which also contains the Beatitudes.

Superman also stores in the Fortress various equipment, weapons, and vehicles of Kryptonian design, including a large fighting mecha called a battlesuit and a means of accessing the Phantom Zone. His teaching frequently centered on the Kingdom of God, or Kingdom of Heaven. Superman and fellow superhero Steel encased the Fortress in a tesseract, permitting the Man of Steel to carry the Fortress wherever he travels. Jesus used a variety of methods in his teaching, such as paradox, metaphor and parable. The device created the Fortress which contains much of Krypton's technology, including artificially intelligent robots. Just after he was baptized by John the Baptist he began his public teaching; he is generally considered to have been about thirty years old at that time. Post-Crisis, the Fortress was originally created by the Kryptonian artifact, the Eradicator, when Superman tried to dispose of it in Antarctica. On being missed, he was found 'instructing the scholars in the temple'.

For years, Superman worked to reverse the city's condition, while also enjoying the opportunity to visit a native community where he was an honored guest. At the age of twelve, Jesus was left behind by his parents after a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Most importantly, the Fortress was where Superman stored the bottle city of Kandor, which pre-Crisis, was a Kryptonian city shrunken and stolen by Brainiac prior to the planet's destruction. Only one incident between his infancy and his adult life is mentioned in the canonical Gospels (although New Testament apocrypha go into these details, some quite extensively). It also had tribute rooms to personal friends like Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Batman, and Clark Kent (to throw off suspicion about his secret identity by visitors unfamiliar with it), where Superman prepared special gifts for each in the event of his death. Nazareth in Galilee is represented as his childhood home. Pre-Crisis, the Fortress included laboratories, a private zoo of alien animals, a room for communication with the Phantom Zone with a projector to place or remove people from it, a Krypton memorial, a trophy room, and a gym with custom exercise equipment. The Bible, however, does not exactly reveal how Mary and Elizabeth were related.

While various 1940s comics made mention of Superman having a "mountain retreat," the Fortress in its familiar sense was first introduced in the comics in 1958. Luke's Gospel records that Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:36). The Fortress acts as Superman's getaway, although it has communications equipment for urgent messages. This was based on the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition that Mary remained a perpetual virgin, thus having no biological children before or after Jesus. The Fortress of Solitude, located in the Arctic in the pre-Crisis version of the mythos and (until recently) in Antarctica in the post-Crisis version, in recent issues of the comic book, however, the Fortress has been destroyed and Superman rebuilds it deep in the Amazon. However, Jerome argued that they were Jesus's cousins, which the Greek word for "brother" used in the Gospels would allow. Given his abilities, personal equipment plays less of a role for Superman than for other superheroes. The 1st century Jewish historian Josephus and the Christian historian Eusebius (who wrote in the 4th century but quoted much earlier sources now unavailable to us) refer to James the Just as Jesus' brother (See Desposyni).

Kryptonians are also vulnerable to magical and psychic effects, although they are no more detrimentally affected by such effects than a normal human would be. Mark 6:3 (and analogous passages in Matthew and Luke) reports that Jesus was "Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon," and also states that Jesus had sisters. The effects of the new blue kryptonite are unknown at this time. Magi ("Wise Men") from the East were guided by a star to his location some months later. Recently, with the destruction of the Kryptonite meteor in Superman/Batman, large quantites of kryptonite have fallen to earth; new forms beyond the red and green are believed to be amongst them, however, only blue kryptonite has been seen in addition to the previously known types so far. In the Gospels, Jesus' birth is attended by visits from shepherds who were told of the birth by angels. Since that time, an updated version of red kryptonite was reintroduced into the comics. Joseph, Mary's betrothed husband, appears only in stories of Jesus' childhood; this is generally taken to mean that he was dead by the time of Jesus' ministry.

Other variants were introduced sporadically, but after the 1986 John Byrne reboot, all versions except for green were retconned out of existence. According to the texts of Christianity, Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary, a virgin, via the Holy Spirit. Since Krypton was destroyed, its remains (rendered radioactive by the explosion) have been spreading throughout the universe as kryptonite, a crystalline substance which has several major variants:. There could have been confusion due to a misunderstanding, or a deliberate change due to doctrinal points. As a Kryptonian, he has one specific area of vulnerability. It is possible that the Entry (and subsequent events, including the Crucifixion and Resurrection)in historical reality took place at this time - the month of Tishri in the Autumn, not Nisan in the Spring. But historically, many stories have established that Superman can in some manner have progeny. Hyam Maccoby and other scholars have pointed out that several details of the Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem - the waving of palm fronds, the Hosanna cry, the proclamation of a king - are connected with the Festival of Sukkot or Tabernacles, not with Passover.

On the television series Lois and Clark, the pair adopted a child who, like Clark, came from mysterious origins. Meier's A Marginal Jew, allowing for the time of the procuratorship of Pontius Pilate and the dates of the Passover in those years, his death can be placed most probably on April 7, 30 or April 3, 33 or March 30, 36. The issue of whether Superman can father children is humorously explored in the movie Mallrats, as well as in the essay Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex by sci-fi author Larry Niven (originally published in his 1971 collection All the Myriad Ways.). According to John P. Like humans, he needs food and water to survive. Further, the Jews followed a lunisolar calendar with phases of the moon as dates, complicating calculations of any exact date in a solar calendar. He does not sweat under earthly conditions, as no temperatures are high enough to make him secrete liquid to cool himself down. The Gospel of John depicts the crucifixion just before the Passover festival on Friday 14 Nisan, called the Quartodeciman, whereas the synoptic gospels describe the Last Supper, immediately before Jesus' arrest, as the Passover meal on Friday 15 Nisan.

Procedures like surgery are impossible without special equipment. As for Jesus' death, the exact date is also unclear. Since he is not human, he cannot donate blood, tissue, or organs. Having fewer sources and being even further removed in time from the authors of the New Testament, details surrounding Jesus' birth are regarded, even by many believers, as less likely to be historical fact, and therefore establishing a reliable birth date is particularly difficult. There are some things Superman cannot do. This estimate itself relies on the historicity of the New Testament story involving Herod around the time of Jesus' birth. It is unknown whether higher energy stars might increase his powers even more. However, based on a lunar eclipse that Josephus reports shortly before the death of Herod the Great, the birth of Christ would have been some time before the year 4 BC/BCE, probably 5 or 6 BC/BCE.

More recent exertions caused less of a power drain, suggesting that he is now either storing more energy, or growing stronger under the yellow sun. This system made the then current year 532, and almost two centuries later it won acceptance and became the established calendar in Western civilization due to its championing by the Venerable Bede. Earlier in his life, as in his battle with Doomsday, Superman's solar energy supply was depleted by exertion. Dionysius then set Jesus' birth as being December 25 1 ACN (for "Ante Christum Natum", or "before the birth of Christ"), and assigned AD 1 to the following year — thereby establishing the system of numbering years from the birth of Jesus: Anno Domini (which translates as "in the year of the Lord"). In recent comics, Superman seems to be slowly building up immunity to kryptonite, and it is possible that its effect is in part psychological. In the 248th year of the Diocletian Era (based on Diocletian's acsension to the Roman throne), Dionysius Exiguus attempted to pinpoint the number of years since Jesus' birth, arriving at a figure of 753 years after the founding of Rome. His powers return quickly once the kryptonite is removed. Before then, Jesus' birth was generally celebrated on January 6 as part of the feast of Theophany, also known as Epiphany, which commemorated not only Jesus' birth but also his baptism by John in the Jordan and possibly additional events in Jesus' life.

Kryptonite exposure also stops the process that converts yellow sunlight into superpowers, leaving Superman immediately weakened. However, as early as 354, Roman Christians celebrated it following the December solstice in an attempt to replace the Roman pagan festival of Saturnalia. Red solar radiation creates a chemical which does not lead to the super energy produced by K-ATP. Based on the accounts in the Gospels of the shepherds' activities, the time of year depicted for Jesus' birth could be spring or summer. Near a red sun, his powers would fail faster. Few, if any, scholars claim to know either the year or the date of his birth or of his death. He replenishes his supply even on cloudy days, and weakens only after a week without sunlight. There is considerable debate about the details of Jesus' birth even among Christian scholars.

Superman's cells store vast amounts of yellow solar energy. The most detailed information about Jesus' birth and death is contained in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. He sees all wavelengths, from radio to X-rays, allowing him to detect thermal trails and other "invisible" things. Brief timeline of Jesus
of important years from
empirical sources. His taste, smell, and touch are equally acute. As a consequence, some secular scholars believe he was simply a Jewish apocalyptic teacher and faith healer who was crucified, and was subsequently the inspiration for Christianity. Solar energy magnifies its accuracy, allowing him to fine-tune it. As such, scholars are interested in providing an historical context to the beliefs and tenets of Jesus' apparent Kingdom of God movement.

Due to Earth's thinner air, he can hear things no human can. It is not the case that all scholars reject Jesus' divinity, yet some may choose to describe the social and cultural implications of claiming divinity in the 1st century. Superman's other senses are less linked to solar energy than his strength and speed. The question of the divinity of Jesus was discussed and decided on by Ecumenical Councils, starting with the First Council of Nicaea and others of Constantine I's attempts at producing unity, enforcement of the resulting decision thus suggesting an air of politicisation to the religious issue. He is invulnerable to forces under 1 kt., and is harmed only by repeated blows of over 1 mt. His brain and nervous system keep up with his enhanced speed, as they too are amplified by K-ATP. The Christological argument attempts to prove the existence of God based on the existence of Jesus and his claims about himself as presented in the Gospels. When his cells become "supercharged" under a yellow sun, a Kryptonian becomes super-powered. The discipline of Christology discusses who Jesus was or was not from a philosophical and theological perspective.

Superman has been shown shaving and presumably cutting his hair by reflecting his heat vision off of a piece of curved, reflective metal from the rocket in which he landed. The Multidinarian Doctrine teaches that Jesus is not one of three Persons in God (as taught by Trinitarian Doctrine), but one of a hundred trillion Persons in God. His hair is invulnerable, too. A Zen Buddhist interpretation of Jesus, based on the Gospel of Thomas, is also possible. This "aura" surrounds Superman's epidermis and teeth, and possibly his nails as well. He has also been claimed as an Ascended Master by Theosophy and some of its offshoots; related speculations have him studying mysticism in the Himalaya or hermeticism in Egypt in the period between his childhood and his public career. First, cell membranes and organelles become more resistant to harm; secondly, a bioelectric field surrounds the cells, making them thousands of times tougher. The New Age movement has reinterpreted the life and teaching of Jesus in a large variety of ways (e.g, see A Course in Miracles).

Under a yellow sun, other factors contribute to invulnerability. Mandaeanism regards Jesus as a deceiving prophet of the false Jewish god Adunay, and an opponent of the good prophet John the Baptist (whom they nonetheless believe to have baptised him). In addition, Krypton's gravity was 50-100 times stronger than Earth's, so Kryptonian cells are also much stronger and denser than a human's. Many in the Surat Shabda Yoga tradition regard Jesus as a Sat Guru. "K-ATP" is produced rapidly, enabling a Kryptonian to build up reserves that permit days of super-powered activity in the absence of sunlight. Some Buddhists believe Jesus may have been a Bodhisattva, one who gives up his own Nirvana to help others reach theirs. The solar energy supplements respiration, such that when cellular materials (perhaps Kryptonian ATP) combine with glucose, they produce abilities beyond those of humans under a yellow sun. The Bahá'í Faith considers Jesus to be a manifestation (prophet) of God, while not being God incarnate.

Under a red sun, this yields increased abilities, which are multiplied a thousand-fold by a yellow sun. Some doubt he lived, some regard him as an important moral teacher, and some as a historical preacher like many others. Kryptonian mitochondria absorb certain wavelengths of the radiation emitted by solar fusion. Atheists, by definition, have no belief in a divinity—and thus not in any divinity of Jesus. One such "scientific" explanation used in various recent analyses of how Superman's powers might work is as follows:. The primary reasons why Jesus is not accepted as the Jewish Messiah are as follows:. John Byrne in his 1986 reboot suggested that Superman's powers were telekinetic in their functioning (in addition to the traditional yellow sun explanation). Joseph Klausner, a prominent Israeli scholar, was vigorous in asserting the Judaism of Jesus.

Krypton's red sun), as well as to a much lesser degree Earth's lower gravity; when under a red sun, a Kryptonian would be completely powerless, even if it was a low-gravity environment. Some Jewish scholars believe that Jesus is mentioned as Yeshu in the Jewish Talmud, although other scholars dispute this. In the early 1960s, after the introduction of Supergirl, this was amended to Kryptonians deriving their powers from mainly exposure to a yellow sun (vs. As for the historical personality of Jesus, Judaism has fewer objections to quotes attributed to him than they do with subsequent confessions by early Christian adherents, Paul in particular. By the late 1940s, this was changed to Kryptonians only gaining superpowers when under a lower gravity environment such as Earth's. Religious Jews are still awaiting the coming of the Messiah (a notable exception concerns many members of the Chabad Lubavitch sect, who view their last Rebbe as being the Messiah). In the earliest comics, all Kryptonians were said to possess superpowers while on Krypton. Judaism does not see Jesus as a messiah and also rejects the Muslim belief that Jesus was a prophet.

Various explanations have been offered over the years explaining how Superman's powers work. The Hare Krishna sect of Hinduism believes that Jesus is the son of Krishna (who they believe is God the Father that Jesus spoke of), and they accept many of his teachings. Superman's powers are derived from his Kryptonian biology and Earth's sun (a yellow star), and are likely increased by Earth's lesser gravity (versus Krypton's higher gravity). A great deal of earlier inclusion of Jesus within the Hindu pantheon is connected to the emergence of the Saint Thomas Christians. His strength too has increased, to the point of allowing him to move mountains again. Hinduism is divided on the issue of Jesus—some hold that it is unlikely he existed, or that he was just a man, others say he was a great guru or yogi, still others equate Jesus with an avatar. As in the original series, writers again gradually increased his powers. Since "coming back to life" during The Death of Superman story arc, Superman can once again survive nuclear blasts, though they leave him wounded and weakened, and he can no longer fly faster than the speed of light or travel through time under his own power. Ahmadiyya Muslims also believe that references to the Second Coming of Jesus in religious scriptures are allegorical and refer to the arrival of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

When Superman was revamped in 1986, he became more vulnerable and was no longer omnipotent. The book uses historical documents to evidence Jesus' travel to Nasibain (Nisbis), Afghanistan and then to Kashmir, India in search of some of the lost tribes of Israel, who had settled in the east some 700 years prior. He could even vibrate his body so fast, the vibrations rendered him "invisible" to the human eye. Drawing from Biblical, Quranic and Buddhist scriptures, Ahmad wrote that Jesus appeared to Mary, his apostles and others with the same (not resurrected) human body, evidenced by his human wounds and his subsequent clandestine rendezvous over about forty days in the Jerusalem surroundings. From the 1940s through the early 1980s, Superman's powers were nearly unlimited: he could travel millions of light-years in brief periods of time; he could dive into stars unharmed; he could travel through time by moving at speeds faster than light; and he could move planets and lift any weight. A medicine known as Marham-e-Issa (Ointment of Jesus) was applied to his wounds and he revived. His powers include:. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Movement, wrote in his book Jesus in India (April 1896) that Jesus survived the crucifixion and later travelled to India, where he lived as a prophet (and died) under the name of Yuz Asaf.Ahmad argued that when Jesus was taken down from the cross, he had lapsed into a state similar to Jonah's state of 'swoon' in the belly of a fish [Matthew 12:40] (see swoon hypothesis).

After Byrne's 1986 rewrite, Superman's powers were diminished, though have grown again since then. Mainstream Muslims believe that:. His powers were relatively limited in the early stories, but grew to become near-godlike by the 1980s. Unitarian Universalists who consider themselves Christian can be found throughout the denomination and in such groups as the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship, certain congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the American Unitarian Conference. Superman possesses extraordinary powers which render him, as stated in the lead-in to the 1950s television series, "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". Some Unitarians consider themselves Christian because they are followers of the teachings of Jesus, while others do not self-identify as Christian. Thus made invisible, he appeared to enter the building as Kent and exit seconds later as Superman. Most Universalists believe in universal reconciliation — that eventually everyone will be saved.

In the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie, Kent, comically unable to use a newer, open-kiosk pay phone, entered a revolving door and changed clothes while spinning within it at superspeed. Today few Unitarian Universalists define their religion solely based on this theological characterization. Clark sometimes has to quickly improvise in order to find a way to change unnoticed. This historical argument gave birth to the Unitarian denomination and later the Unitarian Universalist Association. In the comic books he rarely does so, favoring the Daily Planet's storeroom. Trinitarians coined the term 'unitarian' to describe the arguments of those who believed God, as one being, is a single person and not three. In the Fleischer animated series of theatrical cartoons, he often ducked into a telephone booth to make the transformation. Unitarianism developed out of theological arguments about whether or not Jesus is God.

When crises arise, Clark quickly changes into Superman. The Arians believed that the Father was the only true God based on John 17:3. Fellow reporter Lois Lane became the object of Clark's/Superman's romantic affection. Lois's affection for Superman and her rejection of Clark's clumsy advances have been a recurring theme in Superman comics, television, and movies. They followed Jacob ("James" in the English New Testament), the brother of Jesus, and insisted that Paul's teachings were without authority and totally alien to what Jesus taught. Largely working on his own, his identity is easily kept secret. Other than that, they were observant Jews and did not believe in Jesus as God. In Metropolis, Superman (as Clark Kent) works as a reporter at the Planet, "a great metropolitan newspaper" which allows him to keep track of ongoing events where he might be of help. The Ebionites believed in Jesus as a great prophet who had commanded the end of animal sacrifices and the end of the eating of animal flesh.

A 2004 miniseries, Birthright, introduced further changes to Superman's origin story, bringing back some of the pre-Crisis elements eliminated by John Byrne and introducing elements of the Smallville television series. The Montanists believed in the Paraclete promised in John 14:16. Clark soon told her he was Superman, which caused a brief strain in their relationship, but they eventually married, in the mid-1990s special Superman: The Wedding Album. The Marcionites believed Paul and Jesus rejected the Law of Moses and revealed a greater Supreme God than the creator god of the Old Testament. In the early 1990s, Lois and Clark fell in love. The Gnostics believed in the secret wisdom that they say Paul received during his road to Damascus experience (Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; Acts 9). As in the original version, Lois Lane is Clark Kent/Superman's love interest. The Docetics, an early Christian sect, believed (as Muslims do today) that Jesus never died and the Crucifixion was a type of illusion done by God.

The concept that Clark is the real man, and the greater emphasis on his earthly upbringing, is a deliberate reversal of the earlier, pre-Crisis version. The majority of lay Christians, theologians and clergy hold that the Bible shows Jesus both as divine, and claiming divinity. Also post-Crisis, people do not suspect that Superman is hiding his real identity because he wears no mask. There are differing views within Christian groups as to whether or not Jesus ever claimed divinity. In the post-Crisis comics, Clark Kent is presented more as the "real" person, with Superman the secret identity that he presents to the world to prevent his enemies from harming his family or friends. Some groups identifying themselves as Christian, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Scientists, believe Jesus was divinely inspired but not God incarnate. The Kents were kept alive during Clark's transition to Superman. The vast majority of Christians believe that Jesus is God according to the nature, as the only begotten Son of God the Second Person of the Divine Trinity, who was Incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, that is to say, who took on a human body and became also man according to the nature, and who came to earth to save mankind from sin and death through the shedding of his own blood in sacrifice and his rising from the dead on the third day and who later ascended into Heaven.

The remodeled Clark did not become a superhero until just before starting work at the Daily Planet, when he prevented an experimental spacecraft from crashing in Metropolis. As reflected in the different Christian denominations, Christianity has undergone several schisms in its understanding of Jesus. After leaving Smallville, he traveled the world before settling in Metropolis, completing his education, and going to work at the Daily Planet. ^{[10] [11]}. In the retelling, Clark's powers developed gradually, beginning with his nigh-invulnerability, and he didn't fly until he was a teenager. In contrast, Roman Catholics believe that even non-Christians can receive the grace needed for salvation if they live a just life. As in the original version he was found and adopted by the Kents, and raised like a normal human. The Lutheran position on justification is nearly identical.

Effectively this Superman was "born" on Earth, and was a "son" of Earth as much as Krypton. Jesus says (John 13:15) that his life was given as an example or role model for followers. While a fetus, he escaped Krypton's destruction in a spacecraft (his "birthing matrix" with a rocket engine attached), and landed months later outside of Smallville, by which time he had fully gestated into an infant. Although most members of the various Christian denominations believe that faith in Jesus is necessary (based upon John 3:16), good works are certainly expected. In this "post-Crisis" version, starting with the miniseries The Man of Steel, Superman—like all "post-Crisis" Kryptonians— was created through in-vitro fertilization on Krypton. Protestant Christians generally believe that faith in Jesus is the only way to receive salvation and to enter into heaven, and that salvation is a gift given by the grace of God. In 1986, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries, DC Comics hired writer/artist John Byrne to recreate the Superman character and retell the Superman mythos, reshaping the previous forty-eight years of stories by putting several new twists on the established mythos. Stevenson, Creeds, Councils and Controversies, (London 1989); note that the above quotation follows Stevenson in italicising those phrases that do not occur in the Creed of Nicaea).

After graduating with a degree in journalism, Clark was hired by the Daily Planet. J. During his junior year, Clark changed his superhero name to Superman. In addition to the belief in "one God, the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth ..." and in "the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver, Who proceeds from the Father ...", this Creed confesses the belief in "one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, through Whom all things came into existence, Who because of us men and because of our salvation came down from the heavens, and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures (see: Bible prophecy) and ascended to heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father, and will come again with glory to judge living and dead, of Whose kingdom there will be no end" (for both the Greek text and the above quoted English translation, cf. After he graduated from high school and the Kents died, Clark moved to Metropolis to attend Metropolis University. The vast majority of Christian denominations (generally including Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, and most forms of Protestantism, but not Restorationism) derive their beliefs from the agreement reached at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, known as the Nicene Creed, in the form of the Creed of Constantinople (381). At the age of eight, Clark adopted the superhero identity Superboy, and began to fight crime, both in the present and in a far future time as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
.

During this time, both Clark and the Kents had discovered Clark's amazing powers, and, with Clark realizing the good he could do with his powers, began training their adopted son to use his powers wisely. However, many interpretations of the Synoptic Gospels suggest only one year; and to achieve consistency with the Gospel of John, one theory suggests that the last Gospel describes a timeline which depicts a ministry time period of approximately one year. By the time Clark started school, the Kents had sold their farm and moved into Smallville, where they purchased a general store. It is commonly thought that Jesus preached for a period of three years, yet this is never mentioned explicitly in any of the Gospels. After formally adopting him, the Kents raised him on their farm through his pre-school years. For example, the contributors to the Proceedings of the First International Congress of Mithraic Studies maintained that the only area which has any historical detail with regard to the influence of Mithraism on Christianity was in the area of art. (In the earliest comics, the Kents were named "John" and "Mary"; in a 1942 text novel and the 1950s television series The Adventures of Superman, the Kents were named "Sarah" and "Eben.") They named him Clark, after Martha's maiden name. However, not all agree.

Kal-El's ship landed in a field near the town of Smallville, and was discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent. Tolkien, believed that such myths were created by ancient pagans with vague and imprecise knowledge of Gospel truth. Moments before Krypton exploded, they launched Kal-El in a rocket ship towards Earth, knowing that Earth's lower gravity and yellow sun would give the boy extraordinary powers. R. Disbelieving Jor-El's prediction, they refused to warn their fellow Kryptonians, and forbade Jor-El to do so. Jor-El promised that neither he nor his wife Lara would leave Krypton, and decided to use the little time remaining to save his son. R. When Kal-El was two or three years old, Jor-El learned that Krypton was doomed to explode, and he brought this to the attention of Krypton's ruling leaders, the Science Council. Lewis and J.

In the legend extant in the early 1960s (and memorably summarized at the start of each episode of the 1950s Adventures of Superman television series^{[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman#fn_narration)}), Superman was born on Krypton as Kal-El, the son of Jor-El, a scientist and leader. S. The modern story of Superman's origin parallels that of other cultural heroes and religious figures ^{[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman#fn_narration)} who were spirited away as infants from places where they were in danger. Devout Christian thinkers, such as C. These changes, while significant, permit the retention of the core elements that make Superman an iconic character. There are many similarities between stories about Jesus and myths of Pagan Godmen such as Mithras, Apollo, Attis and Osiris Dionysus, leading to conjectures that the pagan myths were adopted by some authors of early accounts of Jesus. Editors and writers used the process of retroactive continuity, or retcon, to adjust to changes in popular culture, eliminate restrictive segments of the mythos, and permit contemporary storylines. Those who have a naturalistic view of history do not believe in divine intervention or miracles without any evidence for them, such as the resurrection of Jesus mentioned by the Gospels.

Superman's abilities and relationships have changed over time. Some say that the Gospel accounts are neither objective nor accurate, since they were written or compiled by his followers. Superman is a loan translation from the German Übermensch (literally "over-man" or "super-man"). Even among those who do believe in his existence there are divisions over the extent of historicity of the canonical Gospel accounts. Clark's love interest is fellow reporter, Lois Lane. Nevertheless, these scholars reject supernatural elements in the Gospels and other early texts about Jesus. When not fighting the forces of evil as Superman, he lives disguised as Clark Kent, a "mild-mannered reporter" for the Daily Planet. They draw on the canonical Gospel accounts, but also on other historical sources and archaeological evidence to reconstruct as best as possible the life of Jesus in his historical and cultural context.

As he grew, he discovered that he possessed superhuman powers. Consequently, scholars like Sanders, Geza Vermes, Paula Fredriksen, John Dominic Crossan and John Meier, argue that although many readers are accustomed to thinking of Jesus solely as a theological figure, whose existence is a matter of theological debate, the source documents (see Two-Source Hypothesis, and Gospel of Mark), on which several modern source hypotheses argue the four canonical Gospel accounts are based, were written within living memory of Jesus's lifetime and therefore provide a basis for the study of the "historical" Jesus. He was sent to Earth in a rocket by his scientist father Jor-El moments before Krypton exploded, landing on Earth outside the town of Smallville, where he was discovered and adopted by the amiable Jonathan and Martha Kent. ^[9]. Superman was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton. He notes that modern history and ancient history are two separate disciplines, with differing methods of analysis and interpretation. The character, who was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, and films. Paul Barnett has also pointed out that "scholars of ancient history have always recognised the 'subjectivity' factor in their available sources" and that "they have so few sources available compared to their modern counterparts that they will gladly seize whatever scraps of information that are at hand".

Superman, nicknamed The Man of Steel, is a fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938 and eventually became one of the most popular and well-known comic book icons of all time. Nevertheless, he concludes, "the sources for Jesus are better, however, than those that deal with Alexander" and "the superiority of evidence for Jesus is seen when we ask what he thought" (1993:3). In an episode of the television series The Monkees, the Monkees audition over the telephone in a phone booth, delaying Clark Kent from using the booth to change into Superman. Sanders considers the quest for the "historical Jesus" to be much closer to that of Alexander than to Jefferson or Churchill. Superman, who appears in the film wearing only polka-dot boxer shorts, is shown begging the astronauts for the return of his costume. In some cases, and Sanders presents Alexander the Great as paradigmatic, the available sources tell us much about his deeds, but nothing about his thoughts. In the Philippines-produced movie Fly Me To The Moon (produced around 1988), starring Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey De Leon (the hosts of Eat Bulaga!), Superman's costume got sucked into their spaceship's rocket booster while the three were on their way to the moon. In many cases (Sanders provides the examples of Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill) historians are fortunate to have access to a good deal of documentation, although much of it has to be interpreted critically.

Unlike Superman, Suppaman can't fly, and instead pretends to fly by lying belly down on a skateboard and scooting through the streets. Sanders explains that historians often have to contend with documentation of differing quantity and quality. Slump, in the form of "Suppaman" (the way that Superman is written in Japanese katakana), a short, fat, pompous buffoon who transforms into a Superman-like costume by eating a sour (or "suppa" in Japanese) pickle. The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar." In The Historical Figure of Jesus, E.P. Japanese manga artist Akira Toriyama parodied Superman in his first series Dr. Bruce, Rylands professor of biblical criticism and exegesis at the University of Manchester, has said: "Some writers may toy with the fancy of a 'Christ-myth,' but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The story can be found in the collection "Superheroes", edited by John Varley and Ricia Mainhardt. For example, F.F.

In this story, "Kyril Kentarovsky" took on the identity of "Bolshoiman", who attempted to represent Russia but only managed to get thrown into a gulag (with Leon Trotsky as his cellmate). Thus, many have suggested that one treat the existence of Jesus and the accuracy of the New Testament as distinct questions. Author John Varley wrote the short story "Truth, Justice and the Politically Correct Socialist Path", a parody where Superman does not land in the United States but in Soviet Russia. Several historians have observed that historical documentation is often partial and second hand, and must be interpreted with care. Various gag strips, including one by Sergio Aragones in which a hobo finds Clark Kent's abandoned suit inside a phone booth and steals it, and another by Don Martin in which a series of massive lifts induce a "super-hernia.". In addition, Bible scholar Bruce Metzger wrote regarding the Canon formation, "Although the fringes of the emerging canon remained unsettled for generations, a high degree of unanimity concerning the greater part of the New Testament was attained among the very diverse and scattered congregations of believers not only throughout the Mediterranean world, but also over an area extending from Britain to Mesopotamia.". However, Incredi-Man did so by faking homosexuality;. It may be surmised that the early church leaders took for granted that historicity was not an issue to be debated, any more than debating the historicity of the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution would be major issues today.[6][7] [8] (Last footnote uses a PDF file).

The character boasted such powers as incredi-hearing and incredi-viola playing, and like Superman, avoided World War 2 service. However, noted scholars FF Bruce, Bruce Metzger and others argue that many considerations (including historical considerations) were taken into consideration regarding New Testament cannon. "The Incredi-Man Archives," an alleged reprint collection of a 1940s infringement of Superman (like Captain Marvel). The debates that went on in the 4th century regarding which works should and should not be included in the canon were not known to include modern techniques of historical analysis, and generally tended to center more upon theology than upon historicity. "What If Truth in Advertising Laws Applied to Comic Book Previews," which made sport of DC Comics' killing and reviving the character;. [5]. "What If Superman Were Raised by Jewish Parents?" (in which the rabbi is unable to circumcise his super-foreskin, but he makes his mother proud by using his vision to become a radiologist);. [2][3][4] In addition, some scholars see the Gospel of Thomas as being very unlike the others Gospels and cite its lack of a resurrection of Jesus, despite the fact that the gospel of Mark originally may have ended without a resurrection as well.

Other related pieces include:. However, other scholars date the Gospel of Thomas as late as 150, see gnostic influences in it, cite the lack of any definitive support that any church fathers quoted it, and believe it suffers from a paucity of manuscripts. Since then, numerous MAD articles about or including Superman have appeared, including parodies of the various TV and movie projects. The Gospel of Thomas is included with the canonicals in the Five Gospels of the Jesus Seminar. From its earliest days, MAD Magazine has frequently spoofed the Man of Steel; some consider the parody "Superduperman!" (from issue #4) to be the magazine's first true example of what would come to be the MAD vein. The dating of the Gospel of Thomas is believed by some scholars to possibly predate the canonical Gospels, and therefore this non-canonical Gospel may not rightly be called apocryphal, or be said to have any greater or lesser level of scholarly certainty existing about its authenticity, than any of the four canonical Gospels. The Saint from the independent comic The Pro was an obvious parody of Superman; he wore a blue spandex uniform with a red cape, had a day job as a reporter, and had an unrequited crush on his pushy co-worker. Also, considered as important by a handful of scholars, though arguably not as authoritative sources for the Christian faith, are several apocryphal writings such as the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Gospel of Mary, the Infancy Gospels, the Gospel of Peter, the Unknown Berlin Gospel, the Naassene Fragment, the Secret Gospel of Mark, the Egerton Gospel, the Oxyrhynchus Gospels, the Fayyum Fragment and some others compiled in The Complete Gospels.

In the darker Supreme Power reboot, Hyperion is taken from his foster family by the government and raised as a super-soldier to be acutely aware of his biological superiority, and believes himself to be better than all humans. However, noted scholars reject the arguments of critics based on various historical and textual issues (see: Augustinian hypothesis). Hyperion, originally of Marvel Comics' Squadron Supreme, was originally a tribute to Superman; like Superman, he was a solar-powered alien who fell to Earth in a spaceship and tried to live as a human. Some critics speculate that the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) used as sources a Q document, Logia, M-Source, and Oral tradition, and that the Gospel of John used a Signs Gospel though none of these are currently extant. As a differentiating twist, Apollo is the gay lover of Midnighter, the corresponding Batman-pastiche. The four canonical Gospel accounts are the primary sources about Jesus received by the Church and the Christian faith. He also gets his powers from the sun, wears a spandex outfit with a triangular logo on the front, and possesses the powers of flight, heat vision and super-strength. [1].

Apollo of the superhero teams Stormwatch and the Authority is often seen as a Superman-pastiche. Although the exact level of the historical accuracy contained in these texts is debated, the vast majority of scholars agree that the actual existence of a historical Jesus is likely. 2000s: Justice League: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited by Warner Bros. However, some scholars argue for a high degree of historical reliability of the key New Testament events, and some also for early dates of the entire New Testament. Late 2000: Batman Beyond episodes "The Call Parts 1 & 2" by Warner Bros. Some believe that these texts may not have retained the same level of historical accuracy as direct first-hand accounts written during or soon after the life of Jesus. 1990s: Superman: The Animated Series by Warner Bros. Many modern scholars hold that the works describing Jesus (primarily the Gospel accounts) were initially communicated by oral tradition and were committed to writing as soon as several decades after the Crucifixion.

Late 1980s: Short-lived Superman series based on the "new" DC Comics Superman produced by Ruby-Spears. The only recorded times when Paul saw Jesus were in visions, but he claimed they were divine revelations and hence authoritative. Early 1980s: Super Powers: Galactic Guardians. The earliest New Testament texts which refer to him are Paul's letters, which are usually dated from the mid-first century. 1970s: Hanna-Barbera Productions produces several Super Friends series. The historicity, teachings and nature of Jesus are subject to debate. 1966: New Adventures of Superman. A faulty 6th century attempt to calculate the year of his birth (which according to recent estimates could have been from 8 BC/BCE to 4 BC/BCE) became the basis for the Anno Domini system of reckoning years (and also the chronologically-equivalent Common Era system).

1960s: Filmation's Batman-Superman Adventure Hour. The canonical Gospel accounts focus primarily on Jesus' last one to three years, especially the last week before his crucifixion, which, based on some historical data mentioned, would have been anywhere from the years 27 to 36 in the current era. 1940s: Fleischer Studios' Superman theatrical cartoons (17 in all, with Bud Collyer providing the voice of Superman). Muslims believe that he was one of God's most important prophets and also the Messiah, though they attach a different meaning to this than Christians, as they do not share the Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus. Starring Brandon Routh as Superman/Clark Kent & Kevin Spacey as his archenemy, Lex Luthor. Most Christians also believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, and that through him they can be saved. 2006: Superman Returns, to be directed by Bryan Singer. Most Christians believe in one God that is a trinity composed of three persons, that Jesus is the second person of that trinity, and also that he is the Messiah (Greek: Christos) prophesied in the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible).

2000s: Smallville television series, starring Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, and Kristin Kreuk, which places Smallville in Kansas. In addition to the four Gospels, a dozen or so non-canonical texts also exist, among which the Gospel of Thomas is believed by some textual critics to predate the Gospels of the traditional canon. Mid-1990s: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman television series, starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. The primary sources about Jesus are the four canonical Gospel accounts, which depict him as a Jewish preacher, healer and God himself; often at odds with Jewish authorities — who was crucified in Jerusalem during the rule of the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. Early 1990s: Superboy television series, starring John Haymes Newton (1988-1989) and Gerard Christopher (1989-1992). In Islam and the Bahá'í Faith, he is regarded as a major prophet. 1988: Superman's 50th Birthday, TV Special. Jesus, or Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ, is Christianity's central figure, both as Messiah and, for most Christians, as God incarnate.

1985: Supergirl spin-off movie, starring Helen Slater. . 1980s: Superman films: Superman II, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, starring Christopher Reeve. (Available online in PDF format - http://www.quicknet.ch/urech/online.htm). 1978 Superman: The Movie, starring Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Christopher Reeve. and Panakal L.: "The Ancient Mother – I : The Key to the bible" and "The Ancient Mother – II : The Key to the bible", Identity Publishers, Switzerland, 1997. 1975: "It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman", TV special. Kumar V.

WTOP-TV (now W*USA) used a news theme music based on the play. Kierkegaard, Soren: "Training in Christianity", Vintage Spiritual Classics. 1966: "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman", a Broadway musical; lyrics by Lee Adams, music by Charles Strouse. Hart, The 100, Carol Publishing Group, July 1992, paperback, 576 pages, ISBN 0806513500. 1951: "Superman And The Mole Men", feature film, and The Adventures of Superman TV series, both starring George Reeves. Michael H. 1940s: Two Superman serials starring Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill: Superman and Atom Man vs. Superman. The author is now Bishop of Durham (Church of England).

1940s: Superman radio series, starring Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander. Second in a projected massive five or six volume series on Christian origins, dealing with the life and death of Christ from a very open Evangelical perspective. Yu: A "re-imagining" of Superman which brings back some old, pre-Crisis concepts and adds new modern ones. Jesus and the Victory of God N.T.Wright, SPCK (London), 1996 ISBN 0281047170. Superman: Birthright - a twelve issue maxi-series written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Leinil F. The Arabic version of Josephus is free of these apparent Christian interpolations, but still makes it clear that Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus. Superman: Red Son - written by Mark Millar, illustrated by Dave Johnson: Elseworlds story asks "What if Superman had been raised in the Soviet Union?" Superman now stands for workers' rights and the struggle for global equality, and sets out to promote world communism. Most scholars believe that these passages were added to Josephus's text by later Christians.

Superman For All Seasons - written by Jeph Loeb, illustrated by Tim Sale: Superman as a young man in a timeless, Rockwellian America, from confused lad to superpowered metropolite. In some editions of Jewish Antiquities by the Jewish historian Josephus Book 18, chapter 3, paragraph 3 www.josephus-1.com refer to Jesus. Kingdom Come - written by Mark Waid, illustrated by Alex Ross: A painted epic, in which Superman has temporarily retired, giving way to a new breed of reckless, morally ambiguous superheroes. The story was novelized by Elliot S! Maggin. The Superhuman life of Gesar of Ling — Alexandra David-Neel (A divine hero still in oral tradition). A novelization of the trilogy, entitled The Death and Life of Superman, was written by Roger Stern. On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History. The Death of Superman, World Without a Superman, and The Return of Superman - written by various artists, notably Dan Jurgens: the story of Superman's death, the world's (and his loved ones') reaction, and his eventual return. Carlyle, Thomas.

The Man of Steel - written and illustrated by John Byrne: The revamp of Superman's origins following the Crisis on Infinite Earths. In Quest of the Hero:(Mythos Series) — Otto Rank, Lord Fitzroy Richard Somerset Raglan and Alan Dundes, Princeton University Press, 1990, ISBN 0691020620. Originally published in Superman #423 and Action Comics #583. Yogananda, Paramahansa: The Second Coming of Christ, ISBN 0876125550. Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? - written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Curt Swan and George Pérez: The final chapter on the pre-Crisis Silver/Bronze Age Superman. The Politics of Jesus ISBN 0-8028-0734-8. Reprinted in Across the Universe: The DC Universe Stories of Alan Moore (ISBN 1401200877). Yoder, John H.

DeMatteis. Wilson, Ian Jesus: The evidence ISBN 0297835297. This story was originally published in Superman Annual #11 and recently adapted for the animated series Justice League Unlimited by J.M. ISBN 0802443265. "For the Man Who Has Everything" - written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave Gibbons: Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman journey to Superman's Fortress of Solitude to celebrate his birthday only to find their friend rendered comatose by the evil alien Mongul by an alien parasite that grants its host the illusion of their heart's desire. Jesus Christ Our Lord. Moody Press, 1969. Miracle Monday - a novel by Elliot S! Maggin: tells the story of Superman trying to stop an entity of pure evil from causing universal chaos. Walvoord, John F.

Last Son of Krypton - a novel by Elliot S! Maggin: Superman's "life story" is told and he faces a mysterious alien ruler. Jesus the Jew: A Historian's Reading of the Gospels ISBN 0800614437. Justice League Unlimited. Vermes, Geza. JLA Classified. Mere Christianity ISBN 0060652926. JLA. Lewis, C.S.

Superman/Batman. Tolstoy, Leo The Kingdom of God is Within You ISBN 0803294042. Adventures of Superman. Fortress Press. Action Comics. The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest of the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form. Superman. Theissen, Gerd.

Gog: A human from the future who masters time travel, and hates Superman for allowing his parents to die. An amazing book, tough but rewarding, exceptionally detailed. The Cyborg Superman: A reanimated astronaut cyborg who briefly impersonated Superman after his death, and also destroyed Green Lantern Hal Jordan's home of Coast City. The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide, Fortress Press, 2003, ISBN 0800631226. The Toyman: An insane criminal who uses special equipment and weapons based on toys. Theissen, Gerd, and Annette Merz. Eventually, Superman, the superhero Steel, and Darkseid stopped Imperiex by using Doomsday as an ally, along with a powerful weapon called the Entropy Aegis. Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives.

Imperiex: An all-powerful force of nature whose purpose is destroying galaxies. Schaberg, Jane. Doomsday: A mindless, impossibly powerful, raging monster that "killed" Superman during the Death of Superman storyline. More specialistic than the previous book, though not inaccessible. Intergang: A nationwide organized crime syndicate armed with weapons supplied in part by Darkseid. Jesus and Judaism, Fortress Press, 1987, ISBN 0800620615. Parasite: A superpowered man who can absorb the powers, strength, and memories of any organic being, and wants Superman's power for himself. Sanders, E.P.

Their leader is General Zod. An up-to-date, popular, but thoroughly scholarly book. Phantom Zone Prisoners: Pre-Crisis, these prisoners are Kryptonian criminals who hate Superman, as the son of their prison's creator, and become extremely destructive when they escape into Earth's yellow sun environment. The historical figure of Jesus, Penguin, 1996, ISBN 0140144994. The post-Crisis version is an alien entity who is an organic being, later converted into a robotic one, with similar ambitions. Sanders, E.P. Brainiac: The pre-Crisis version is an alien android bent on conquest and Superman's death. Incredible Shrinking Son of Man: How Reliable Is the Gospel Tradition? ISBN 1591021219.

The character is now often associated with Superman. Manchester U. Not originally created as a Superman villain, but by Jack Kirby for his New Gods series. Mithraic Studies: Proceedings of the First International Congress of Mithraic Studies. Darkseid: A cruel and merciless alien who rules the planet Apokolips and only deals with Superman when it benefits his own agenda. Miller, Robert, The Complete Gospels, the Scholars Version translation of gospels from the first three centuries, includes canonical gospels, thomas, james, mary, infancy gospels, fragments, ISBN 0944344305. He was later elected President of the United States; he was removed from this position when his evil nature became exposed to the American public. Metzger, Bruce, The New Testament Canon, page 254.

Post-Crisis, the two first met as adults (though this has apparently reverted back to the pre-Crisis version with Birthright), with Luthor the corrupt head of a mega corporation. The author is also famous as one of the rare who did an interview with Pope John Paul II. Pre-Crisis, arch-villain Lex Luthor was a friend of Clark from Smallville who became a criminal scientist with an all-consuming vendetta against Superman. An amazing and very readable book that shows how Vittorio Messori, a recognized Italian historian who didn't care about faith, explores the question of Jesus, starting from two points of view, mythical (Jesus never lived) and critical (Jesus was not God) and finally comes to the third hypothesis, the one of the faith. Lex Luthor: Superman's most well-known enemy. Jesus hypotheses, St Paul Publications, 1977, ISBN 0854391541; The translation from Italian Ipotesi su GesĂą. Other notable JLA members include Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and the Green Lantern. Messori, Vittorio.

The Justice League of America: a team of superheroes of which Superman is a member and often the leader (pre-Crisis, Superman was also a founding member of the group). Another, less technical, study of the earliest traditions of Israel from linguistic and archaeological evidence which also treats the teachings and followers of Jesus in that context. Post-Crisis, a newer version of Krypto was recently reintroduced. ISBN 0-664-22313-3. Krypto: In the pre-Crisis mythos, Krypto was the El family pet dog, who was sent into space in a malfunctioning test rocket of Jor-El's, and eventually drifted to Earth, where he was found by Superboy and gained superpowers. Ancient Israel's Faith and History: An Introduction to the Bible in Context, Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. Post-Crisis, the name belongs to a clone, originally thought to have been of Superman, that was created after Superman died during the Death of Superman storyline. Mendenhall, George E.

Superboy: In pre-Crisis continuity, Superboy was the name of Superman as a boy. A study of the earliest traditions of Israel from linguistic and archaeological evidence which also treats the teachings and followers of Jesus in that context. Steel: An engineer genius named John Henry Irons who created a high-tech, mechanized suit of armor to fight crime in, after Superman's death in the Death of Superman storyline, and still serves as a superhero today. ISBN 0-8018-1654-8. In recent issues of Superman/Batman, a new "Supergirl from Krypton" (looking very much like the original) arrived on Earth. The Tenth Generation: The Origins of the Biblical Tradition, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1973. Post-Crisis, several newer unrelated versions of Supergirl have been introduced. Mendenhall, George E.

Supergirl: Pre-Crisis, Superman's cousin from Krypton. A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus ISBN 0385264259. In the current version, they still live in Smallville and Clark visits them regularly and turns to them regularly in times he needs emotional support or advice. Meier, John P. Often referred to as Ma and Pa Kent. II: ISBN 0918956730. Jonathan and Martha Kent: Superman's foster parents who adopted and raised him after he landed on Earth. Vol I: ISBN 0918956463 , Vol.

Lana and Pete later divorced. Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Two volumes looking at Jesus from the point of view of evidence. Post-Crisis, this didn't occur; instead, he married Lana Lang, with whom he had a son named Clark. McDowell, Josh. Pete Ross: Clark Kent's childhood friend from Smallville; pre-Crisis, Pete secretly discovered Clark was Superboy, but kept the knowledge to himself. ISBN 0060652926. Lori Lemaris: A mermaid who Clark Kent dated while attending Metropolis University, and was the first person he proposed marriage to (though Lori turned him down). "Mere Christianity" A book on Christianity and logical support for Jesus as God.

Post-Crisis, Lana is aware of Clark's identity as Superman and has protected his secret. Lewis, C.S. Lana Lang: Pre-Crisis, a television reporter who grew up in Smallville and shared Lois Lane's sometime obsession with trying to expose Clark Kent as Superman. The Unvarnished New Testament, A new translation from the original Greek free of doctrines and dogmas, ISBN 0933999992. Perry White: Editor of the Daily Planet. Gaus, Andy. Jimmy is also known to have associated with Superman, earning him the nickname "Superman's Pal.". The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say? The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus.

Jimmy Olsen: Daily Planet photographer who often works with Lois and Clark, and has become a good friend to both. Funk, Robert W. Actresses portraying Lois have included Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Margot Kidder, Teri Hatcher, and Erica Durance. From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of the New Testament Images of Christ ISBN 0300084579, ISBN 0300040180. Lois Lane: Superman's love interest, who is often portrayed as indifferent to Clark, but in love with Superman. Fredriksen, Paula. Jewel kryptonite gave Phantom Zone prisoners amplified mental powers. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity ISBN 0679767460.

White kryptonite affects (and kills) only plant life. Fredriksen, Paula. In some story arcs, it can also counteract the effects of red kryptonite. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, ISBN 0195154622. Blue kryptonite affects only Bizarros, in the same way that green kryptonite affects only Kryptonians. Ehrman, Bart. Gold kryptonite permanently removes a Kryptonian's superpowers. Jesus: apocalyptic prophet of the new millennium, ISBN 019512474X.

He had a computer-like brain, which gave him total recall and the ability to speak all earthly languages and even most alien ones. Who Killed Jesus?: Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus. In the Silver Age comics, Superman possessed the intelligence of a collection of the world's greatest minds. Crossan, John Dominic. Super intellect: In the earliest comics, Kryptonians were endowed with genius-level intellects even on their native planet. Eventually, this superior mental talent was altered to being another superpower gained only under the influence of a yellow sun (though Krypton still possessed an advanced educational and intellectual state). 1988 From the Maccabees to the Mishnah ISBN 0-664-25017-3. One figure for Superman's strength is 250,000 tons. Cohen, Shaye J.D.

This is because Superman's strength, like his other powers, has fluctuated over time, with the Man of Steel being at times able to shift a planet from its orbit. Pseudodoxia Epidemica, 6th edition, 1672, V:vi. Super strength: The exact magnitude of Superman's strength is unknown, it is generally accepted that his strength easily surpasses the capacity to lift 100 tons, but how much more is not known exactly. Browne, Sir Thomas. Post-Crisis, his top speed seems to be at or near the speed of light, and he can no longer travel through time under his own power. Does the NT call Jesus God?, Theological Studies #26, 1965. The earliest Superman ran at a mere 30 miles per hour, but quickly became much faster; by the 1950s, Superman became capable of flying through space at faster-than-light speeds, as well as travel through time. Brown, Raymond.

This includes running, but flying is less strenuous and more versatile. Christ the End of the Law, Romans 10.4 in Pauline Perspective, ISBN 0905774930. Super speed: The ability to move at an incredible speed, like the Flash. Badenas, Robert. Super breath: The ability to create hurricane force winds by blowing, and to chill his breath to freeze a target (this latter ability has also been called "freeze breath"). Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan: An Historical Analysis of Two Contrasting Faiths, ISBN 0931464013. Originally, Superman could jump 1/8 mile, and only acquired the ability to fly in the early 1940s, when the first Superman animated films were being produced and super-jumping proved to not look very impressive on theatre screens. Albright, William F.

The power of flight, by force of will, which also allows him to maneuver precisely in any direction, as well as hover. Akers, Keith, "The Lost Religion of Jesus," ISBN 1930051263. Pre-Crisis, Superman also possessed the power of "super-ventriloquism," or the ability to pitch his voice across vast distances, which he would use in combination with his super-hearing as a means of communication. The Apostolic Fathers, Lightfoot, Harmer, Holmes. He is also a brilliant mimic, able to impersonate human voices or animal sounds. Teach Yourself NT Greek, Hudson, ISBN 0844237892. Super voice: Superman is a master ventriloquist; he used this once to rescue Lois from criminals. A Textual Commentary on the Greek NT, Metzger.

The only Earth creature who can detect sounds at the frequency he can is a dog (70-100,000 Hz). The Greek New Testament, Aland, United Bible Societies. Super-hearing: The ability to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. The New Testament of the Bible, especially the Gospels. For these reasons, this explanation for his disguise's effectiveness was dropped, in favor of the traditional "suspension of disbelief" status quo. We find no criticism of the law which would allow us to speak of his opposing or rejecting it.". However, this theory presented numerous flaws, such as various stories where Batman would disguise himself as Clark Kent; it also failed to account for anyone studying Kent's build from behind, let alone how the illusion could work on a video camera or whenever Kent was performing his job as a TV news anchorman. Sanders in Jesus and Judaism, pp.264-269, states: "I am one of a growing number of scholars who doubt that there were any substantial points of opposition between Jesus and the Pharisees ..

One late 1970s story, attempting to explain the effectiveness of Superman's disguise as Clark Kent, suggested that his super-hypnotism, aided by his Clark Kent glasses, worked continually to make others see him as a thin, mild mannered man, not an athlete in a suit, and even included photographs of himself. P. This ability was dropped in the modern comics. ^ E. Super hypnotism: Pre-Crisis, Superman had the ability to hypnotize others at will. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia on Pentecost. These beams can be made invisible, allowing Superman to work undetected. ^ Joint declaration ELCA Vatican.

Visually, the power is typically depicted as twin laser beams firing from the eyes. Nostra Aetate, declaration of Vatican II. Heat vision: The ability to apply heat to a target by staring intensely at it with the conscious act of activating his power. ^ catechism entry on grace and justification catechism. Microscopic vision: The ability to see extremely small objects and images. ^ Paul Barnett, "Is the New Testament History?", p.1. Superman can also see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including infrared and ultraviolet, allowing him to see in the dark. The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov.

Telescopic vision: The ability to see very distant objects, without violating the laws of physics. Left Behind popular End Times books on Apocalyptic Jesus: "It was as if the very words of the Lord had superheated their blood, causing it to burst through their veins and skin.". In one "post-Crisis" story this trick backfired when Superman simply scanned the field for lead, which instantly stands out as the only opaque substance to his vision, and found the hidden item easily. Lewis: Jesus is either "Liar, Lunatic, or Lord". Opponents sometimes use lead lined constructs in an attempt to hide things from Superman. S. He can see things behind a wall as if the wall were not there, or can "peel back" layer after layer of matter in his mind. Josh McDowell proponent of Trilemma of C.

X-ray vision: The ability to see through anything except lead. Jesus Seminar modern scholars attempt to find Historical Jesus, solely using first stratum sources (those dateable to 30-70 CE) and only considering events and sayings with multiple independent attestations. Vision-related powers: