The Bombshell Secret Behind Superman's Origin

CBR

By Brian Cronin

Published Sep 19, 2023

In the latest Comic Book Legends Revealed, we explore the major revelation of the connection between Superman and Philip Wylie's Gladiator

Jerry Siegel, the creator of Superman, was influenced by Philip Wylie's Gladiator when developing his iconic superhero.
Gladiator, a 1930 novel by Wylie, tells the story of a man named Hugo Danner who is born with extraordinary superhuman abilities.
Siegel was coy about acknowledging the influence of Wylie's influence while Wylie was still alive, but in an unpublished autobiography written after Wylie passed away, he confirmed the influence of Gladiator.