Superman created the superhero, and while Batman can be said to be the one to start the “family” of superheroes idea, the Man of Steel stepped up to that plate. The character always had one of the best supporting casts in comics and the popularity of the hero led to them becoming a major part of the DC Multiverse. The Superman family of heroes didn’t really coalesce into a traditional superhero family until fairly recently compared to other character familes, but it has since become a more important part of chronicles of DC Comics. These characters are the powerful blue line that protects the multiverse and they’ve helped spread the prestige of the big red S.
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The Superman family has consisted of many different amazing characters, each of them playing an integral role in the family’s history. While it’s not the largest family in comics, it has it where it counts. These are the best members of the Superman family, heroes who have become legends.
10) Kenan Kong
Kenana Kong was first introduced in New Super-Man, a character meant to be the greatest hero of China and the leader of the Justice League of China. However, he wore the S and decided that he needed to be more, and joined the rest of the Superman family. He’s been one of the lesser used Super-family members over the years (definitely read New Super-Man, but also the 2024 Action Comics story “Phantoms”, where he teams with Conner Kent), but he’s way cooler than he gets credit for.
9) Natasha Irons/Steel II
Natasha Irons is the niece of John Henry Irons, the man who would become Steel. She was a genius like her uncle, and eventually began working with him when he became a hero, acting as tech support for the hero. She soon created her own armor and has become Steel II, a powerful super-genius wearing a suit of armor that puts her on the power level of the Superman family. She’s one of the greatest minds in the DC Universe, and is one of those characters who has all of the potential to become a superstar. Much like Kenan, she doesn’t get the focus she deserves, but can be used in numerous stories and is one of the coolest members of the Super-family.
8) Steel
The “Death of Superman” changed the Superman family, leading to the introduction of several important members of the group. John Henry Irons was one of these. A gifted weapons designer saved by Superman, he created a suit of armor to take the hero’s place and protect his neighborhood. Since then, he’s fought alongside the Man of Steel, joined the Justice League, and is one of the best tech heroes in all of comics. Steel is one of those character who has been loved by generations of fans, and still plays an important role in the Super-family because of his place as head of Steelworks, creating technology to make the world better when he isn’t saving it with his hammer.
7) Conner Kent
Conner Kent is another child of “Death of Superman”, and the most popular of them. As Superboy, he helmed his own solo series, helped found Young Justice, and helped make the Teen Titans cool again. He’s died and come back, went through a terrible reboot in the New 52, and has returned to the Super-family to become a favorite of many fans again. His unique heritage as a clone of Superman and Lex Luthor makes him extremely interesting, he’s had some cool stories, and his powers are different than most Kryptonians. He’s always been the “cool kid” of the Super-family, a powerful hero with an edge that sets him apart from the rest.
6) Jon Kent
Jon Kent is one of the best thing to happen to the Superman family. Introduced in the legendarily terrible New 52 event Convergence, he opened a door for the Man of Steel that fans had wanted to see for decades: fatherhood. Watching Jon grow up as the son of Superman was fun, leading to the amazing SuperSons series with Damian Wayne, and when he was aged up fans were annoyed, to see the least. He’s since become Superman, came out as bisexual, and remains an important part of the Superman comics. He’s an icon in the making, and fans love him even if they’ve poo-poo’ed what DC has done to him more than once.
5) Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is an underappreciated icon, and he deserves his flowers. He was Superman’s first sidekick, and the first sidekick to get his own solo series. He’s had just about every superpower you can imagine and has been a part of adventures unlike anything he could have imagined when he became a member of The Daily Planet staff. He’s not always superhero, but he plays a very important role in protecting Metropolis. He’s had the coolest girlfriends ever (his current relationship with Silver Banshee is perfect), and is always an awesome part of any story he appears in. Fans loved him in 2025’s Superman, a movie that boiled him down to his perfect essence, showing that cool characters never go out of style.
4) Power Girl
Power Girl is the Supergirl of Earth-Two, surviving the tumults of Crisis on Infinite Earths to become a part of the new Earth. She spent years outside of the Superman family, working with the Justice League and Justice Society, trying to find her identity on her own. In a lot of ways, an argument can be made that she’s not actually a member of the Super-family, but a distant cousin. However, since the reveal of her multiversal origin, she’s become closer to than ever to them. She’s a powerful, hard-headed woman, always looking for a family that she already is a part of, which is what makes her so interesting.
3) Supergirl
Supergirl is the first superpowered sidekick to Superman and has become an icon in her own right. The Maid of Might was one of the exemplars of the Silver Age, thriving in the weirdness of that wild era, but would eventually die in a story that represented the end of Silver Age and its fruits, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Kara Zor-El would make her return in the mid ’00s, and since then has starred in her own books and a best of all time story that is about to be adapted to the big screen (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). She’s one of the most beloved characters in the Superman mythos and may be on her way back to the type of fame she had before her death in 1985.
2) Lois Lane
Lois Lane is the greatest love interests in comics, and has always been an integral part of Superman’s adventures. For years, she was just the overbearing-wannabe girlfriend, their will they-won’t they relationship lasting decades. Since then, she’s married the Man of Steel and has become a more and more important part of his adventures. Today, she’s Superman’s most important partner. Lois doesn’t always have powers, but she has made herself an important part of her husband’s life. She’s often the most entertaining part of any comic she’s a part of, and the fact that DC has made her so important and it’s so popular with the fans shows just how great a character she really is.
1) Superman
Superman is the original superhero icon. As the first superhero, technically every hero is a member of his family, but only the best of them have worn the big red S. The Man of Steel is a true icon, the perfect example for every hero. He’s one of the most powerful beings in the DC Multiverse; no one has saved the day as many times as he has. He’s powerful, but what makes him so great is what he represents. He’s all about hope, and will fight for anyone, even his enemies. He’s the best of humanity in one package, a man whose greatest power isn’t any of those things that come from being a Kryptonian in yellow sunlight, but the fact that he believes in us.
Who’s your favorite member of the Superman family? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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