Superman’s Greatest Human Connection Was Never Lois Lane

Some fans attribute Superman‘s good morals and humanity to his better half, Lois Lane, but his strong connection to Earth never came from his wife. As an alien from a dead planet, Kal-El was thrown into an unfamiliar world at a very young age. Thankfully taken in by the Kents, Kal-El got to grow up to be the man readers know as Clark Kent.

His upbringing was one created out of kindness and compassion, in a small town literally called Smallville. The Kents raised him to be the best version of himself and taught him all he needed to know to survive in the world. It was there that Clark gained his humanity and established a deep, loving connection with the people of the Earth. It is the home he grew up in, after all, the type of town where everyone knows everyone. He grew close with a lot of the townsfolk, known all across town as a kind boy, truly the Kents’ son. It was all thanks to the way his parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, raised him.

One of the best retellings of his path to heroism is the limited series Superman For All Seasons by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale, Richard Starkings, Bjarne Hansen, and Joey Cavalieri. It tells the story of Superman through the eyes of the people around him and shines a light on all that the boy learns during his time in Smallville. His own father describes Clark as having a lot of Martha in him, a kind and caring boy who’s also woefully stubborn and set in his ways. In issue #1, Jonathan Kent recounts a time when Smallville was struck at the knees by a tornado, a moment that truly defined Clark’s love and humanity. He had hit the point in his life where his powers started to come in, which scared him more than anything else. But despite his fear, his desire to help others overtook him and instead of saving himself he swooped out to protect a man in the streets. He could’ve flown away and gone back to the farm to protect himself first, but his parents taught him the importance of taking care of others and established his love for the people of Earth. That was the moment Clark truly became a hero.

This moment defines his future, and soon Clark Kent decides the best way to become a hero is to expand his horizons and move on to Metropolis to protect the people there. In issue #2 he meets the love of his life Lois Lane, a rival reporter with enough vigor to follow a story right to its source. She starts to write about Superman after witnessing his heroic feats and even starts calling him “Prince Charming.” From there she decides to show the world the humanity and goodness within the heart of this man, something she believes he’s always had. Lois Lane sees the boy from Smallville, a man just trying to do good for the world, and shows everyone the side of Superman many will never see. In her own words, he sells newspapers because he provides “the human element” that the citizens love to read.

Every place — no matter how big or small — is lucky to have Superman watching over them. His morality and humanity make him a better person, and it’s all thanks to his parents and the town of Smallville. Martha and Jonathan Kent taught their son what it means to be a hero and created this human connection in Superman that Lois Lane eventually fell in love with.