The S on Supes Costume

[gladiator1518]

Can someone please tell me what the S on Superman's costume actually stands for? Since we all know it obviously doesn't stand for Superman.I have often wondered this for a long time.I am a HUGE Supes fan,but I've no idea what that S means.

[superfreak]

I always thought it stood for "Superman",but I'm not a big DC Fan.Why do you assume it's not "Superman"?

[gladiator1518]

Well,in the movie Jor-El(Supe's Father,in case you didn't know) was wearing an outfit that had S printed on it.And he didn't have any super powers.

[skeevo666]

Well, I don't read the comics, but in the movie all Kryptonians (at least the ones on the Council) had an emblem on their chests and they showed Jor-El wearing it (although it looked black & white as I recall-it's been a few since I've seen it.)

So I would assume it's the -El family standard/symbol/coat-of-arms

[Briel]

The movie is the source of the confusion. They wanted it to seem like fate that a Kryptonion symbol also resembled the letter "S". In the comics, if I am not mistaken, in post Crisis continuity, Martha Kent comes up with his logo for the costume. So it is indeed "S" for Superman.

Of course, I hear the current creative teams are in the process of erasing all of John Byrne's work, so I could be wrong.

[gladiator1518]

My God! Why didn't I think of that! Awesome answer skeevo666! You're a genius!

[skeevo666]

Originally posted by gladiator1518
My God! Why didn't I think of that! Awesome answer skeevo666! You're a genius!

Thanks, i started composing it before I saw yr reply . . .

[gladiator1518]

Skeevo,I wasn't being sarcastic.I think your reply really was great.

[skeevo666]

Oh, o.k. cool :) Yr welcome!

Also, isn't there a "future" version of supes in the Legion with a different chest emblem?

[gladiator1518]

Originally posted by skeevo666
Oh, o.k. cool :) Yr welcome!

Also, isn't there a "future" version of supes in the Legion with a different chest emblem? I don't know about that.I don't read comics like that.

[Briel]

That's not Superman in The Legion, that is Mon El. He was an ancestor of Supes who was trapped in The Phantom Zone before Krypton exploded.

[zaurial]

well, assuming that the supes movie was pre-crisis (what year was it?), and i read in the superman ultimate guide that is was based on the KENT coat of arms, and the S was a snake. i dont exactly remember. and that's what i think. now i'm gonna think about pizza.

[gladiator1518]

Originally posted by zaurial
well, assuming that the supes movie was pre-crisis (what year was it?), and i read in the superman ultimate guide that is was based on the KENT coat of arms, and the S was a snake. i dont exactly remember. and that's what i think. now i'm gonna think about pizza. The original movie and the Crisis both happened in the year1985.Unfortunately,I don't know exact dates.

[Briel]

The original movie came out in 1978.

Superman II followed in 1980.

I'm a big Marvel fan, but Superman II is still the best superhero flick ever made. Although X2 just came very close.

[gladiator1518]

Originally posted by Briel
The original movie came out in 1978.

Superman II followed in 1980.

I'm a big Marvel fan, but Superman II is still the best superhero flick ever made. Although X2 just came very close. Your right about the year it came out.I was looking at the wrong copyright date on the movie case it came in.I'm sorry.I feel like an idiot.

[darius_dax1]

Originally posted by Briel
That's not Superman in The Legion, that is Mon El. He was an ancestor of Supes who was trapped in The Phantom Zone before Krypton exploded. Mon-el was not related to Superman. He is a Daxamite (from the planet Daxam). Superboy met Mon-El on a Monday and he gave Mon-El his last name (Kryptonoian) and sort of 'adopts' him as a brother(?) because superboy thought Mon-El was a kryptonian. Crisis threw this out the window and it is really different now. Daxamites are like Kryptonians, they gain super powers under a yellow sun but have an extreme weakness to lead.

[Fat Ninja]

Hi Galdiator. how's it going?

Post-crisis (i.e. John Byrne - Man of Steel) the s-shield was created by martha kent along with the rest of Clark's outfit.

I am still playing catch up with the very recent issues so if the current writers ARE messing with Byrne's stuff, I wouldn't know, so can't comment on that. But up until very recent at least, it's a creation of the humble family Kent. Personally, I prefer the pre-Crisis Kryptonian crest idea, but what can you do?

[gladiator1518]

Originally posted by Fat Ninja
Hi Galdiator. how's it going?

Post-crisis (i.e. John Byrne - Man of Steel) the s-shield was created by martha kent along with the rest of Clark's outfit.

I am still playing catch up with the very recent issues so if the current writers ARE messing with Byrne's stuff, I wouldn't know, so can't comment on that. But up until very recent at least, it's a creation of the humble family Kent. Personally, I prefer the pre-Crisis Kryptonian crest idea, but what can you do? Hello back,Ninja!It's been a long time.I'm glad the subject of this thread is not something that is related to just how intelligent you know who is.Or who would win in a fight between Supes and whoever.That's all you and I have talked about in the past! Of course,I know I don't have to point that out to you,cause I'm sure you remember.Anyway,back to the subject of this thread,is the s-shield the coat-of-arms/family symbol of the Kent's as zaurial said,with the "s" representing a snake!?!

[Paco]

Unless The Kryptonian (www.thekryptonian.com) is wrong, which I highly doubt:

A question that is always asked is "Where did the S come from?" There have been a number of explanations. "It was the symbol of the family of El" or "It was given to him by the public."

Those explanations, however, are false. The origin behind the symbol goes back into the family history of the Kent's. The emblem greatly, almost identically, echoes the design of the Iroquois blanket (above) that belonged to Clark's ancestors Nathaniel and Mary Glenowen-Kent. The S shape symbol represents a snake, which is known as a symbol of healing.

So, yeah.

[Briel]

Thanks for correcting my mistake Darius. I actually feel good about being incorrect. I've been able to answer way too many questions on this forum. I need to get out more. Oh well. I've alwys hated the Crisis and the damage it did to The Legion.

[Ramplate]

Actually it stands for SFRED.....the S is silent.:laugh:

[ONE-ARM]

So until Lois gave him the name superman he didn't have any emblem?

Cuz we all know that Lois was the first to call him superman.

[gnrlturner]

Here's a little something that explains the S:

"Jerry Siegel and I came up with the 'S' insignia - we discussed it in detail. We said, 'Let's put something on the front of the costume.' From the beginning we wanted to somehow use the first letter of the character's name. We thought S was perfect. After we came up with it, we kiddingly said, 'Well, it's the first letter of Siegel and Shuster.'

"Initially I made it like a shield, a fancy little triangle with curves at the top. I had a heraldic crest in the back of my mind.

"Progressively, as the strip evolved, the emblem became larger and larger."
- Joe Shuster

[ShepardsPi]

one-arm that is correct, until Lois gave him the name he just helped people in secret and by moving too fast to be seen. After landing the damaged shuttle that Lois was on though he was mobbed by the press so he flew back home to Smallville and sat in his old room. His father then helped him come up with a new look for Clark Kent (since he was all over the news looking like Superman in plain clothes) while his mother made the costume for him. We find out later in "The Kent's" series that Martha was influenced by the old snake indian symbol and those colors as well.

and Darius the Mon'el thing has been updated. Since after Crisis Superboy was not part of the Legion they changed Mon-El to Mon'el which is now a Martian word for wanderer.