It comes as no surprise that a hero as big asSupermanhas one of the biggest family trees in the DC Universe. He may be the Last Son of Krypton, but Clark is by no means alone in this world.
Over the years, the Man of Steel has built one of the largest superhero families around,even rivaling the Bat-Family. While not every member of the Kent clan is as strong as the hero himself, there’s still a surprising number of people making up this family. Read on to see who are all a part of Superman’s enormous family tree.
13Krypto is the Super-Family Dog
Created By: Otto Binder and Curt Swan
Who doesn’t consider their pet a part of the family? Before Superman’s parents sent him away from Krypton in a rocket, Jor-El tested a prototype using Krypto as a test subject. This experiment succeeded and ultimately resulted in Krypto arriving on Earth, where he was found by a young Clark in Smallville.Krypto has all the powersof a standard Kryptonian (with even better hearing and smelling thanks to his canine physiology). It goes without saying thatKrypto is a very good boy who loves all the members of Superman’s familyand would give his life to defend them.
12Zor-El and Alura are Superman’s Paternal Aunt and Uncle
Created By: Otto Binder and Al Plastino
Jor-El wasn’t the only Kryptonian worried about his planet’s impending doom. Superman’s father shared his worries with his brother, Zor-El. Zor-El and his wife, Alura, lived in Argo City and made preparations for their daughter, Kara, to go to Earth along with her infant cousin to keep an eye out for him. Supergirl’s parents were captured by Brainiac, where they were imprisoned in one of his bottled cities for decades and played a key role in the “New Krypton” story arc.Zor-El later returned as the New 52 incarnation of Cyborg Supermanand actually fought Supergirl on several occasions.
11Power Girl is Superman’s Cousin From Another World
Created By: Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada, and Wally Wood
Power Girl has a complicated historyin the DC Universe, but the simplest summary is that she’s Superman’s cousin, albeit from Earth-2. She was separated from her home after Crisis On Infinite Earths and ended up adopting a new identity to differentiate herself from the Prime Supergirl. Power Girl’s origin has been updated numerous times (including one that gave her Atlantean ancestry). But none of these retcons stuck, and Power Girl still remains a ‘distant’ cousin of sorts to the Man of Steel.Power Girl might not be Superman’s cousin in the Prime Universe, but she’s family all the same.
10Supergirl is Superman’s Blood Cousin
Like Superman, Supergirl was born on Krypton. But unlike her cousin, Kara lived on the planet until she was a teenager, making her escape from the dying Krypton all the more painful. Supergirl came to Earth where she was found by Superman, who helped her adjust to the planet. It wasn’t easy as Kara carried survivor’s guilt and anger at Krypton’s destruction. But with the support of Superman and several other allies, Kara took to Earth and became a pillar of the Super-Family. Despite everything she’s been through, Supergirl is a powerful hero who embodies strength and determination.
9Lucy Lane is Superman’s Sister-In-Law
When Superman married Lois Lane, he happened to gain a sister-in-law who didn’t always see eye-to-eye with the Man of Steel or his family. Lucy is Lois’ younger sister who joined the military to follow in the steps of their father, General Sam Lane. During the “New Krypton” arc, Lucy was involved in a secret project to spy on the revived Kryptonians by disguising herself as ‘Superwoman’, using a magic suit to give her powers. However, this backfired and accidentally transformed Lucy into an actual Kryptonian. Lucy has periodically returned,though she still remains distant from the Superman family.
8Mon-El is Superman’s Adoptive Brother
Created By: Robert Bernstein and George Papp
A young Superman got a gift from the heavens when a boy crash-landed in Smallville who possessed the same powers as Clark. Mon-El, aka Lar Gand, is a Daxamite, a race who are quite similar to Kryptonians. He was taken in by the Kents and Superman helped his newfound ‘brother’ adjust to Earth and the life of a hero. However, as a Daxamite, Mon-El was allergic to lead and had to retreat into the Phantom Zone to survive. Despite their brief time together,Superman and Mon-El are still as close as brothersand still help each other when they can.
7Superboy is Superman’s Half-Clone
Created By: Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett
When Superman died at Doomsday’s hands, the world met a younger Man of Steel, Superboy. Conner was created by Project Cadmus in an experiment secretly masterminded by Lex Luthor. Half of Conner’s DNA comes from Superman, while the other comes from Lex. This caused a bit of an identity crisis in Superboy, but he managed to overcome it. Conner is also one of the few Kryptonians to have a unique power, namely his tactile telekinesis, which has only gotten more powerful with age. Superboy might have a bit of Lex Luthor in him,but he’s all Superman where it counts.
6General Sam Lane is Superman’s Father-in-Law
Created By: Robert Bernstein and Kurt Schaffenberger
In-laws can always be tough, but for Superman, he’s got the father-in-law from hell. General Sam Lane is a xenophobic military man who deeply hates aliens, including Superman and his allies. Lane has coordinated several attacks against the Kryptonians and masterminded Project 7734, a clandestine operation meant to eradicate Kryptonians once and for all. Thankfully,he’s unaware that his son-in-law is actually the Man of Steel, though he’s never been particularly happy that Lois married Clark Kent. Sam was last seen during “Event Leviathan”, where he was killed as part of Leviathan’s attempts to destroy other secret organizations.
5Martha and Jonathan Kent are Superman’s Adoptive Parents
Created By: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Truth be told, there wouldn’t be a Superman if it weren’t for the kindly couple that took a wayward baby home. Jonathan and Martha Kent are Clark’s adoptive parents who found his rocket and raised him as one of their own. They taught Clark everything he needed to fit in and are ultimately responsible for helping Superman develop all the love and empathy he has for humanity. It wasn’t always easy being Superman’s parents, but no matter the challenge,they did what they could to stay in Superman’s life and counsel him as best as they could.
4Jor-El and Lara are Superman’s Kryptonian Parents
Superman never really had a chance to get to know Jor-El and Lara, but it was their love that gave him a chance to live. Jor-El was a scientist who saw Krypton’s impending doom who, unfortunately, couldn’t get others to listen to him. With time running out, the husband and wife made a choice no parents should have to make and sent their infant in a rocket destined for Earth. Thanks to tech loaded in his rocket,Superman eventually discovered the sacrifice his parents madeand to this day, he honors them with statues placed in his Fortress of Solitude.
