Superman: Secret Origin

Superman: Secret Origin
Cover of Superman: Secret Origin Deluxe Edition Hardcover (December 2010).Art by Gary Frank.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Irregular
Format	Limited series
Genre	Superhero
Publication date	September 2009 – August 2010
Number of issues	6
Main character(s)	Clark Kent/Superman Jonathan and Martha Kent Legion of Super-Heroes Lois Lane Lex Luthor Lana Lang Jimmy Olsen Parasite Metallo
Creative team
Writer(s)	Geoff Johns
Artist(s)	Gary Frank

Superman: Secret Origin was a six-issue monthly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics. The series was written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank, featuring the superhero Superman. The story featured the "definitive" origin of Superman for the modern, post-Infinite Crisis DC Universe continuity, starting with Clark Kent in his pre-teens as Superboy. Within the series he goes on to meet a young Lex Luthor and the Legion of Super-Heroes in Smallville, Kansas, and soon heads to Metropolis where a young adult Clark debuts as Superman.

The series featured new elements for the origin tale, such as telling the story from the singular perspective of Clark, and not having at least one scene set on the planet Krypton. The story instead begins with one of Clark's "earliest memories," in a story of Clark's "self-discovery and the world's story of meeting Superman."

While playing football, a young Clark Kent accidentally breaks Pete Ross's arm. The next day, Clark panics when he discovers x-ray vision and nearly burns his school down with his heat vision upon kissing Lana Lang. Clark's parents Jonathan and Martha Kent realize it is time and they show him the rocket that brought him to Earth. The rocket reveals a holograph of Jor-El and Lara, who tell him about themselves and the planet Krypton, and that he is not one of "them." Elsewhere in Smallville, a young Lex Luthor discovers a chunk of Kryptonite and takes it to a street fair the next morning where he is selling his stuff. There he meets Clark, who is now wearing glasses. After Clark becomes weak and almost damages the Kryptonite, a tornado appears without warning and he rescues Lana, while learning he can fly.