Superman: Birthright

Creation

The series was originally conceived as a non-canon update of Superman's origin for the 21st century, but was later adopted as canon, replacing John Byrne's The Man of Steel as the official origin. Mark Waid was given the project with the instruction to create an origin story accessible to new readers, something he had wanted to do since first seeing Superman: The Movie. Waid aimed to make Superman more relatable by showing him as fallible, struggling with everyday problems like a difficult boss and lost dry cleaning, and longing for connection. Another deliberate change was incorporating Africa into the origin, establishing Kal-El as a global citizen and illustrating his journalistic nature.

Plot

The story opens with Jor-El and Lara sending baby Kal-El from Krypton as the planet explodes, with a monitor showing broken images of the target world reached via a time-disrupting wormhole. In the present day, freelance journalist Clark Kent interviews African political leader Kobe Asuru and forms a friendship, impressed by Asuru's emphasis on family and tradition. During a political rally, Asuru is killed by an unidentified assassin; Clark saves many potential victims but is detected as superpowered only by Asuru's sister Abena, who becomes a key figure in the ensuing revolution.

Clark returns to Smallville, finds his spaceship, and uses it to learn Krypton's history. His mother Martha adapts Kryptonian clothing and a flag banner into an indestructible costume. Jonathan and Martha suggest Clark develop an unremarkable everyday persona to contrast with his powerful rescues, so he leaves Smallville for Metropolis. There he joins the Daily Planet, impressing Lois Lane with his African reports, while she is surprised by his midwestern shyness and social awkwardness.

Did You Know?

• In the story, Lex Luthor is a former Smallville friend of Clark who lost his father Lionel and his hair after a wormhole he built malfunctioned and exploded.
• The final scene shows Superman saying 'Mother, Father, I made it' to the shadowy figures of Jor-El and Lara on a monitor as Krypton explodes.
• Elements of Superman: Birthright were incorporated into the 2013 film Man of Steel and the 2025 film Superman.