10 Iconic Superman Nicknames You Need to Know About

In the entirety of his almost 80-year comic book history, Superman has become one of the world’s most beloved superheroes. We’ve seen him perform some of the greatest feats imaginable on both the pages of comic books and the big screen, cementing him as one of the most iconic heroes. Therefore, it only makes sense that an iconic superhero such as Superman must have iconic nicknames.

This article will discuss 10 of Superman’s most notable nicknames which avid fans of the character should be aware of. So stay tuned for all this.

1. The Man of Steel

Superman has long held the title of Man of Steel ever since his debut in Action Comics #1 back in 1938. However, it wasn’t until a few issues later in Action Comics #6 that he was officially referred to as such. The name was created to exemplify the wide range of Superman’s powers including unfathomable strength and virtual invulnerability.

Given these powers, comparing him to the powerful metal steel was only fitting. It is now one of Superman’s most iconic nicknames. A testament to this assertion is the 2013 DCEU movie, Man of Steel which served to show just how strong Superman is.

2. The Man of Tomorrow

In classic comics, it was quite common to use descriptive captions rather than always repeating the name of a hero, which was boring for most people. For this reason, one name that cropped up in Superman’s history is The Man of Tomorrow. The nickname debuted in New York World’s Fair Comics #1.

Metropolis is called the City of Tomorrow so it only makes sense for the city’s prime hero to share in the name. One could also argue that Superman got this nickname because he embodies the best of people and represents what humanity can one day become.

3. Supes/Supe

As per the Urban Dictionary, Supes or Supe is short for Super which means really awesome or cool. Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising that Superman goes by this nickname as well. It’s a shortened version of his name and serves to highlight the otherworldly capabilities he possesses. Supes/Supe is a popular informal nickname for the character so much so that you’ll occasionally see people refer to Superman as such.

4. Boy Scout

Most of his fellow superheroes famously refer to Superman as a boy scout. This was made popular in the 1950s when DC was actively supportive of the Boy Scouts. For example, in 1951, they had a Superboy issue where Superboy worked with the Boy Scouts as a literal Superboy Scout.

The reason this nickname stuck is that Superman embodies his moral code to the equal of the Scout’s Law which states “A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, thrifty, brave, and reverent.” Superman exemplifies all of these qualities and then some. So it only makes sense that he would be referred to as a boy scout.

5. The Last Survivor of Krypton

While this nickname isn’t as dynamic as others on this list, it is one that Superman has gone by and which has gone on to become quite famous. One thing most Superman fans are aware of is the fact that his home planet was destroyed and all its inhabitants along with it. Superman was able to escape thanks to his father’s and mother’s efforts.

He arrived on Earth where he was raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent and purposed to live as a human. However, he always felt out of place, a factor that was only exacerbated by the realization of his superhuman powers. The glaring fact that he was the only Kryptonian that survived the planet’s decimation has always been his heaviest burden to bear.

This nickname was quite popular in the past. This was before we came to realize that there actually were other survivors of Krypton’s destruction. While still iconic, the nickname makes less sense nowadays.

6. Smallville

In case you didn’t know or just forgot, Superman came to Earth in a rocket ship from his home planet Krypton. The most widely acknowledged depiction of his origin story has it that his spaceship landed in a fictional Kansas town by the name of Smallville where he was raised by the Kents.

The first time Smallville was named was in Superboy #2. This is technically more of a Clark Kent nickname, but it deserves a spot on this list because Lois Lane uses it to refer to Clark when he’s Superman in the aptly named TV show Smallville.

7. The Metropolis Marvel

It’s been a long time since anyone actually called Superman the Metropolis Marvel, but still, we couldn’t leave the nickname out because, for a long time in the past, it was a major nickname of his. Until now, the name still holds a unique meaning to avid fans of the character.

As the primary crime fighter of the city of Metropolis, Superman’s superhuman abilities were always on display. These caused the residents of the city to be filled with astonishment. Case in point: in the comics in the 1950s, sightings of him usually carried the tagline “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman!” That’s really how the nickname caught on and became popular then.

8. The Red-Blue Blur

This is one of Superman’s more memorable nicknames. In the comic Superman/Batman #73, a closeup shot of Lois Lane researching on her computer shows a newspaper headline in the background reading: “RED-BLUE BLUR” GETS A NAME.

This nickname was also made popular by the TV series Smallville before Clark Kent’s heroics earned him the name Superman. This was a time when Clark would regularly wear a blue shirt with a red jacket. This, combined with his incredible speed earned him the moniker Red-Blue Blur.

9. The Last Son of Krypton

At the time Superman received this nickname, he was the last person to be born on Krypton as far as anyone knew. This is the premise of the nickname because he was born and shortly after his parents had to save him by sending him on a spaceship to Earth so he could survive Krypton’s imminent destruction.

The nickname was first made popular by Elliot S. Maggin in his novel The Last Son of Krypton released in 1978. The writer claimed that even before then, he’d been trying to get editor Julius Schwartz to let him use the term in the comics but the latter kept saying no. Eventually, when Elliot got the chance to do his novel, Schwartz couldn’t say no so he ran with the idea, and a famous nickname was born.

10. The Crusader from Krypton

When editor Julius Schwartz wouldn’t let Elliot S. Maggin use the moniker “The Last Son of Krypton”, the latter resorted to trying out various names for Superman one of which was The Crusader from Krypton.

While not as flashy or lively as other names on this list, it’s one that really caught on at the time. The nickname was warranted because Superman is from Krypton and campaigned vigorously for change on Earth in his own way.

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