Superman made his first appearance in Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's in Action Comics #1, which was published on April 18, 1938 (with a June cover date). Superman wasn't the only superhero in the comic, but he became the most famous and enduring of DC's early characters.

Every kid in our neighborhood loved Superman. It didn't matter if you were a boy or a girl, you'd put on a cape fashioned out of a tablecloth or old bedsheet and pretend to run "faster than a speeding bullet" and "leap tall buildings in a single bound". We'd courageously take on the evil villain and we always won the day - just like the Man of Steel. The only thing that could stop us? Green agates we'd picked up at the beach and dubbed our Kryptonite!

Mom would have to chase us out of the house to keep us from knocking all the furniture over, but I think she was secretly glad of our superhero games. There were no arguments when it was time to crawl into bed - we didn't have it in us after a full day of crimefighting!

You can still pick up a copy of the original comic, if you've got a superhero bank account. It's considered the most valuable comic book in the world. The last time a copy sold (grade 9.0), it went for just over $3 million! That's a bit outside my budget, but I don't mind: I have the memories of being Superman when I was a kid and I've got a nice comfy Man of Steel robe for those mornings when I'm feeling "stronger than a locomotive".