Superman is all about family. Having been sent to Earth as a child by his parents before their home planet was destroyed, he is driven by a desire for connection, purpose and belonging. Though he is an alien on Earth, he is also “the most human of us all”, as Batman would say. He is also one of the most humble, compassionate and dedicated superheroes on Earth, always ready to help and protect life in all its forms.
While he is protecting Earth (and other planets) as a member of the Justice League, the superhero known as Clark Kent in his civilian life is surrounded by loved ones, members of his adopted and biological families, and other allies who help him make Metropolis one of the safest towns in the DC Universe. Together, they form the Superman Family.
For many years, Superman was a lone superhero, the Last Son of Krypton. This doesn’t mean he was completely alone, though, as Clark built many strong and lasting relationships with the staff of the Daily Planet, including his love interest and future wife Lois Lane and Superman’s best friend, Jimmy Olsen.
Things started to change in the Silver Age for the Superman Family with the introduction of Krypto the Superdog and his cousin Kara Zor-El (Supergirl). Since then, the family has continued to grow and evolve over decades, surviving crises, deaths, and changing histories.
Follow our guide to meet the core members of one of the most important families in the DC Universe!
The Kent Family
Clark Kent / Kal-El
a.k.a. Superman
Superman is the “father of superheroes,” widely credited with launching the superhero genre. Born Kal-El on Krypton and raised as Clark Kent on Earth, he is instantly recognizable in his red-and-blue suit, sometimes with trunks, always inspired by the original design sewn by Ma Kent. As Superman, he protects Metropolis and the world, while also working as an ethical, glasses-wearing journalist at the Daily Planet.<
Lois Lane
the investigative reporter
She is the living proof that good spelling and grammar aren’t required to become one of the greatest reporters of all time. Lois Lane is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and has been Clark’s colleague, rival, friend, love interest, fiancée, and wife over the years. She has built her own family with Clark and continues chasing the truth, which has put her in danger more than a few times. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet, having succeeded Perry White.
Jon Kent
Clark and Lois’s son
The cutest 10-year-old in the DC Universe. He inherited his name from his grandfather, his superpowers from his father, and his writing talent from his mother. He grew up on the farm, initially unaware of his father’s superhero identity. That didn’t last, and he soon had to learn to use his powers, with help from Superman or alongside his best friend Damian Wayne, aka Robin, in the Super Sons. Unfortunately, he has had to grow up faster than most kids and has since even taken on the Superman mantle in his father’s absence (and beyond).
Conner Kent / Kon-El
a.k.a. Superboy II
Clark Kent himself was the original Superboy. Who better than a young clone of Superman to be the second? Created by Project Cadmus, Kon-El is a human/Kryptonian hybrid clone made from the DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor, who really rose to fame as part of Young Justice. He made himself known to the world in the wake of Superman’s death at the hands of Doomsday. Once Superman returned, he brought Conner into his extended family, giving him a Kryptonian name, and he would go on to live with Martha and Jonathan Kent as their adoptive son, Conner Kent. Things are a bit different now, but for a long time Connor stood out as the only one wearing a jacket!
View Conner Kent Reading Order
Otho-Ra & Osul-Ra
a.k.a. the Super Twins
Otho-Ra (Starchild) and Osul-Ra (Red Son) are two young Phaelosians. Their people were exiled from Krypton thousands of years ago and have been enslaved by Warworld ever since. After being freed from their oppressor, the twins stayed on Earth, where they were adopted by Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
Jonathan Kent & Martha Kent
The adoptive parents of Clark
Jonathan and Martha Kent, also known as Pa and Ma Kent, are a farming couple living in Smallville, Kansas, when Kal-El crash-lands on Earth. They adopt him and raise him as their own son, Clark. T hey provided him with the values and life lessons that would make him Superman, playing a crucial role in shaping one of Earth’s most important superheroes!
Krypto
Superman’s dog and the goodest boy ever
Originally from Krypton, Krypto has powers similar to Superman’s, including flight, super strength, and heat vision. He has spent a lot of time adventuring through space, solo, as a member of the Space Canine Patrol Agents, or with the Legion of Super-Pets. On Earth, he is the pet of the Kent family and helps Kal-El and the other members of his family fight crime.
House of El
Kara Zor-El
a.k.a. Supergirl and Superman’s cousin
Kal-El was not the only child sent to Earth in a rocket. Thanks to her scientist father, Kara arrived on the planet after Superman had already begun his career. She was placed into an orphanage before being adopted by the Danvers and lived with them in the small town of Midvale as Linda Lee Danvers. Like her cousin, she would go on to live a superheroing life, even sacrificing her own life during Crisis on Infinite Earths. While others took the mantle of Supergirl in her absence, Kara would finally be reintroduced into DC’s main continuity years later, where she could continue to save the world and help people, alone or with the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Justice League, or the Teen Titans.
Jor-El & Lara Lor-Van
Kal-El’s parents
Kal-El’s parents were two brillian Kryptonian who foresaw the destruction of their world, but were unable to convince others of this doomed future. They worked to assure the survival of their son, placing baby Kal-El in a rocket in a direction to Earth during Krypton’s final hours. Though they perished with their planet, their legacy lived on through their son, whose values and sense of purpose were shaped by both his Kryptonian heritage and his life on Earth.
Zor-El & Alura In-Ze
Kara’s parents
While most scientists on Krypton did not believe Jor-El’s predictions about the impending destruction of their planet, Zor-El listened to his older brother. He worked with his wife Alura to protect their family and their city, Argo City, which survived Krypton’s destruction due to a protective field. Many inhabitants died, but they succeeded in ensuring the safety and preserving the knowledge of their people for many years before Argo City was condemned by radiation. Following in Kal-El’s parents’ footsteps, they built a Kryptonian rocket to send their daughter to Earth, where she would be safe.
Karen Starr/Kara Zor-L
a.k.a. Power Girl and Superman’s cousin from Earth-Two
While no Wonder Girl, Power Girl has a complicated history due to her Multiversal origins. Born Kara Zor-L on the dying Krypton, her parents sent her on a ship to Earth so that she would be safe. Sound familiar? That’s because Power Girl is an alternate version of Supergirl! But the similarities end here. As a refugee from the Krypton of the destroyed Pre-Crisis Earth-Two universe, Kara Zor-L would become a computer programmer and businesswoman known as Karen Starr as well as the superheroine Power Girl. Well, at least this is the most famous of her origins, which has been rewritten more than once, even making her a descendant of Arion with ties to Atlantis at some point. In later years, she also took on a new identity, preferring to be called Paige Stetler, and worked as a journalist. It is also worth noting that Tanya Spears also used the alias Power Girl, as a member of Teen Titans.
Streaky the Supercat
Supergirl’s cat
What could be cooler than a dog with superpowers? A cat with superpowers! Enters Streaky, a stray cat adopted by Supergirl who gained incredible super-powers through exposure to X-Kryptonite. Following this improbable event, Streaky naturally became Supergirl’s pet sidekick and joined the Legion of Super-Pets, alongside Krypto, Beppo the Super-Monkey and Comet the Super-Horse. Recently, Streaky spent some time with Power Girl, but he’s back with Supergirl right now!
Extended Family: Allies & Close Circle
John Henry Irons II
a.k.a. Steel
John Henry Irons II may not have superpowers, but he carries a legacy name. He is the great-nephew of John Henry Irons, a short-lived hero from the 1950s who was inspired by his neighbour John Henry, an anti–white supremacy vigilante. In a sense, John was destined to become a superhero, rising as one of the four heroes ready to protect Metropolis after Superman’s death. A weapons engineer, he built an advanced exoskeleton and a large hammer to become Steel. He has fought against injustice and oppression as part of the Superman Family and the Justice League Unlimited, and was once a member of the Suicide Squad. John is also the proud uncle of Natasha, who has taken on the Steel mantle, and is now married to Lana Lang.
Natasha Irons
a.k.a. Steel II
Nat “Natasha” Irons followed in her uncle’s footsteps and became a talented engineer and a superhero in her own right. She built her own suit of armour and a kinetic hammer, becoming the second Steel. She later gained powers through Lex Luthor’s Everyman Project and joined his Infinity Inc. team before discovering Luthor’s evil intentions. Since then, Natasha has worked with the Titans and even joined Superman on his mission to Warworld.
Mon-El
Legionnaire
Don’t be fooled by his name: Mon-El is not a Kryptonian. He is a Daxamite (like Sodam Yat from the Green Lantern Corps), which means he has the same powers as Kryptonians under yellow suns but is vulnerable to lead rather than kryptonite. He spent most of his superhero career as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, but later took on the name Valor and starred in his own title during the ’90s, before joining Superman’s allies on Earth to protect people. Currently, Mon-El has found a new purpose as the “Warden” of the Phantom Zone.
Jimmy Olsen
Superman’s best pal
Jimmy Olsen started out as a copy boy at the Daily Planet and worked his way up to become a photojournalist. A close friend of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, he is widely known as Superman’s best friend. During the Silver Age, Jimmy Olsen took on the sidekick role for the Man of Steel, with the particularity of having no superpowers and being unaware of Superman’s real identity. Although Jimmy has no powers of his own, he has a knack for ending up in strange and improbable situations, which have led to weird transformations and temporary powers over the years.
Lana Lang
Clark Kent’s childhood friend
Growing up in Smallville, Lana Lang was Clark Kent’s childhood friend and the girl who had a long-standing crush on Superboy. Living in a quiet town watched over by a young Man of Steel still didn’t stop her from getting caught up in weird, Silver Age-level chaos (Smallville tends to do that to people). Like Jimmy Olsen, Lana has a talent for landing in impossible situations. Over the years, she’s worked as a journalist at the Daily Planet, been involved in LexCorp’s corporate world, and even taken on the Superwoman identity. More recently, she’s been working as an electrical engineer and is married to John Henry Irons, who supported her during the period when she had electric red superpowers!
Perry White and The Daily Planet Staff
including Cat Grant, Steve Lombard and Ron Troupe
Perry White, the managing editor and later editor-in-chief of The Daily Planet (now mayor of Metropolis), is the boss you want to have. A gruff editor, he pushes Clark, Lois, and all his reporters to be their best: tough when necessary, but always fair and respectful. He’s also an ethical man in an unethical world. Among the staff are gossip columnist Cat Grant (who later founds CatCo Worldwide Media), sports columnist Steve Lombard, political reporter Ron Troupe, and of course, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen. The Daily Planet and its staff are among the most important people and places in the life of Clark Kent and his alter ego, Superman.
Kenan Kong
a.k.a. Super-Man of China
A self-centred bully who only cared about himself, Kenan Kong has his life turned upside down after being chosen to become the Super-Man of China following a viral video of him standing up to the supervillain Blue Condor. Granted powers derived from Superman’s qi, he begins going on missions with the Justice League of China. While brash and arrogant at first, he soon learns more about his origins and grows into a better version of himself, one inspired by the original Superman.