Superman, Man of Steel: a superhero's life in pictures

The first sighting of the Man of Steel in June 1938 on the cover of Action Comics. The issue originally cost 10 cents but now sells for seven figures at auction
Photograph: HO/Getty Images

In 1939 he appeared in his own comic. Here is the first issue Photograph: AP

Superman quickly captured the public's imagination. Here a helium inflated model rises over the Times Square crowd to lead the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in 1940. His effigy has continued to pop up at parades to this day Photograph: AP

The first cartoon incarnation of Superman was produced by the Fleischer & Famous Studios in 1941 and ran until 1942. The Fleischer cartoons were responsible for Superman being able to fly. When they started work on the series, Superman could only leap from place to place (hence "able to leap tall buildings in a single bound" in the opening). But they deemed it as "silly looking" after seeing it animated and decided, with Detective Comics's permission, to have him fly instead
Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features

Kirk Alyn was the first actor to play Superman on screen in cinemas in the 1948 Columbia serial Superman which was comprised of 15 episodes. Here he arrives in the nick of time to save housewife (Jean West), from a fire in an apartment building Photograph: Underwood & Underwood/Corbis

Spoiler Alert! This photo may shatter the illusions of some viewers as it shows the special-effects Kirk Alyn employed in the 1948 Columbia Superman serial Photograph: Underwood & Underwood/Corbis

A poster advertises the 15 episode 1950 serial Atom Man vs Superman starring Kirk Alyn as the Man of Steel battling Lex Luthor, secretly the Atom Man who is blackmailing the city of Metropolis by threatening to destroy the entire community
Photograph: SNAP/Rex Features

Superman (Kirk Alyn) saves Lois Lane (Noel Neil), girl reporter on the Daily Planet, from certain death as he stops her car just before it is about to topple over a cliff in the 1950 serial
Photograph: Underwood & Underwood/Corbis

In 1951, George Reeves took over the role as Superman in the first feature length movie, Superman and the Mole Men Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features

Shot in 12 days on a studio backlot, here George Reeves helps out the little guys in 1951's Superman And The Mole Men Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features

The success of the movie lead to the television series Adventures of Superman which ran from 1952 to 1958. George Reeves as Superman, stands behind a group of armed men in a still from the series. The death of George Reeves in 1959 of a gunshot wound, aged 45, under disputed circumstances (officially ruled as a suicide) is said by some to have been the start of the 'Superman Curse' which is alleged to have claimed many victims Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Fans had to wait until Christmas of 1978 for the next movie. Directed by Richard Donner, Superman was a huge critical and commercial success. Christopher Reeve took the starring role. Major stars Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman signed on to play Jor-El and Lex Luthor with Brando famously trousering $3.7 million up front, plus 11.75% of the gross profits from the film despite only being on set for two weeks
Photograph: Warner Bros/Allstar

1980s Superman II was another success despite stiff competition from Raiders of the Lost Ark. However 1983's Superman III didn't fare so well with fans feeling that Christopher Reeve's co-star, comedian Richard Pryor, played the whole film for laughs. Reeve appeared in a fourth film in 1987 but it was a flop
Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Alamy

Helen Slater hit the big screen as Supergirl in 1984 in a (not very well received) spinoff
Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex Features

Lois and Clark : The New Adventures of Superman was a television series that ran from 1993 to 1997. Superman's role was secondary to Clark Kent, played by Dean Cain, and the show centred around his relationship with Teri Hatcher's Lois Lane
Photograph: Warner Bros/Rex Features

Another television adaptation, Smallville, premiered in 2001 and ran for 10 years. The series follows the adventures of Clark Kent (Tom Welling), who resides in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. Here he abuses his powers to check out Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), the girl next door Photograph: THE RONALD GRANT ARCHIVE

Bryan Singer directed the 2006 movie Superman Returns with Brandan Routh playing the superhero. The film received positive reviews and many award nominations. A sequel was planned for a summer 2009 release, but the project was later cancelled
Photograph: Warner Bros/Rex Features

Anybody who is anybody has worn one of these T-shirts. Homer sported a snug version in 2007's The Simpsons Movie
Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Allstar

Coming to screens in the UK in June, director Zack Snyder reboots the franchise with Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel
Photograph: Warner Bros/Allstar