What is considered the first "superhero"? According to the web, it's Superman, but pulp was not considered

Question

Well I mean like The Shadow, or Doc Savage, Spysmasher...How does one figure the real first?

Answer 1

the reason superman is the first "superhero" is because the term "superhero" was not coined until after superman was created/appeared. although many other fictional heroes may have existed previous, the term was non-existent. the term "superhero" was coined from superman.

Answer 2

Some contend that the character Mandrake the Magician is entitled this designation, as he appeared in 1934 in newspaper strips, a couple of years prior to Superman. Mandrake used magic tricks as well as hypnosis to foil his arch-enemies. Mandrake was created by Lee Falk, who also created The Phantom (the guy in the purple costume with a skull belt and black mask, rode a horse, used a pistol, and had a wolf) the same year Superman appeared. These characters didn't have any extraordinary super powers other than magic, and no super strength, etc. like Superman. If you consider Mandrake, however, using hypnosis to knock people out or make them do things is pretty impressive. You have to use the criteria of what is a superhero. Before all these characters, there was the Scarlet Pimpernil, who first appeared in a play around 1905. He was a leader of a revolutionary sect that was rescuing French activists from the guillotine, wore a cape, mask, etc., and left a Scarlet Pimpernel, a red flower, at his scenes. He wasn't "super", but he was a vigilante, hero, etc. I still go with Superman, though, because he truly is "super" in that he performs feats way out of the norm, while these other characters, despite their importance, are human and not really super in their efforts to thwart evil. They ARE heroes, just not "super". This probably doesn't help much, it depends on what you are classifying as a superhero.

Answer 3

Sure, others came first, but nobody combined all of the aspects of a super-hero like Superman did.

Mandrake and Samson had no secret identity to protect.

The Phantom, Flash Gordon, and others had no super-powers.

Superman took all of the above and came into being. :)

Answer 4

Its a matter of semantics and distinctions with out differences, But Superman gets credit with being the first "Comic Book Superhero.", and I notice that a lot of people are omitting Zorro, who I've seen cited in interviews as being an inspiration for Batman.

As to Samson, while he was a strong man and a hero of his people, he lacks the secret Identity that by all accounts defines the 'superhero',

Answer 5

I am thinking of a silent film serial from the 1910s, called Judex. He was the forerunner of Batman. An ordinary man, with no superpowers, but tons of cool gadets and a genius for fighting criminal masterminds.

Part of wikipedia's entry about him: "Judex anticipated later pulp heroes and superheroes in many respects. He was a masterful fighter, an expert at disguise, and boasted a secret headquarters. In the subterranean passages beneath a ruined castle Judex had a base outfitted with technological gadgets. He also had a secret identity, as Judex (the Latin word for judge) is a nom-de-guerre he has adopted in his quest for revenge."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judex

Answer 6

Superman is indeed the first "super" hero.Way back from the 30's.

Answer 7

Superman was indeed the first "super powered " character.
The Shadow and mentioned company had no super powers and weren't SUPER like Superman.

Answer 8

there was always Sherlock Holmes the first batman. from the 1890's

Answer 9

I think Sampson from the Bible fills all the criteria. He was supernatuarally strong, but his strength faded when Delilah cut his hair