Action Comics

Author: Grant Morrison

Superman. He's easily the most recogniseable hero in the history of comics. You know when you see the symbol on his chest, or even just his perfect hairstyle, that you are looking at a superhero, and more over, that you're looking at Superman. From his beginning in Action Comics #1, through the Silver Age re-inventions, to radio, television, movies, and all the way up to today, he has stood as the single best example of what a superhero can be. And he is also a completely science fictional concept. The main idea for Superman is he's an alien who has been sent to Earth, and by traveling to Earth, he has gained super powers. That idea is utterly science fictional. Aliens, powers, a distant and destroyed planet, all of it could have happened in the pages of Amazing Stories or Astounding. The design of everything from his costume to his lair, the Fortress of Solitude, shows the influence of years of science fiction pulp covers and concepts. Action Comics, along with a half-dozen other long-running, full-time titles, has cemented Superman, and science fiction concepts, as the backbone of the comics industry. Why it tops that list: There is no other hero more iconic than Superman, and no other comic that better defined the perfect science fiction hero.