Superman at 80: How Two High School Friends Concocted the Original Comic Book Hero

Superman, an icon around the world, turned 80 this year. New Data Services/Unsplash

Superman—the first, most famous American superhero—turned 80 this year.

The comics, toys, costumes, and billion-dollar Hollywood blockbusters can all trace their ancestry to the first issue of “Action Comics,” which hit newsstands in 1938.