Jerry Siegel's 'Reign Of Superman'

THE TRUE STORY OF SUPERMAN
Sometimes, things just don’t work out right. (2) That's how the creators of Superman felt for a long time. (3) Superman’s first home wasn’t the planet Krypton, but Cleveland. (4) There, in 1933. Superman was born. (5) Jerry Siegel’s story, "Reign of Superman, accompanied by Joe Shuster's illustrations, appeared in the boy’s own magazine, Science Fiction. (6) Later, the teenagers continued to develop their idea. (7) Superman would come to Earth from a distant planet to defend freedom and justice for ordinary people. (8) He would conceal his identity by living as an ordinary person himself. (9) Siegel and Shuster hoped their character’s strength and morality would boost people’s spirits during the Great Depression.

(10) At first, the creators weren’t able to sell their concept; then, Action Comics’ Henry Donn Enfield bought it. (1) In June of 1938, the first Superman comic hit the stands. (12) Superman's success was immediate and overwhelming. (13) Finally, Americans had a hero who wouldn’t let them down! (14) Radio and TV shows, movie serials, feature films, and generations of superheroes followed. (15) While others made millions from their idea, Siegel and Shuster didn’t profit from its success. (16) They produced Superman for Action Comics for a mere 15 dollars a page until they were fired a few years later when Joe Shuster’s eyes began to fail. (17) They sued, but they lost the case. (18) For a long time, both lived in poverty, but they continued to fight. (19) In 1975, Siegel and Shuster finally took their story to the press; the publicity won them lifelong pensions. (20) The two men’s long struggle had ended with success.