Throughout its 75-year history, the Superman emblem has undergone many revisions. One of the most recognizable symbols in our world and the fictitious Earth-DC is perhaps Superman’s “S” emblem, which is the stylized red S on a yellow diamond-shaped shield with a red border. However, who made it? Who designed that striking pattern?
The main stylistic alterations don’t affect the primary visual metaphor. Therefore, despite all the changes, the emblem has always been the letter “S” enclosed in a shield.
1938 – 1939
There was no definite concept for Superman’s logo in the early years. Despite its appeal, the original logo’s design is significantly less sophisticated than it has become throughout time.
It might be fair to trace the origins of the S-Shield back to 1938 Action Comics #1, even though the first Superman serial was released in 1939. Here, a crimson “S” is positioned inside a yellow shield that Superman is wearing. The outline of the shield is boldly black.
“Jerry Siegel and I came up with the ‘S’ insignia – we discussed it in detail, ” Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman, said. “We said, ‘Let’s put something on the front of the costume.’ From the beginning, we wanted to somehow use the first letter of the character’s name. We thought S was perfect. After we came up with it, we kiddingly said, ‘Well, it’s the first letter of Siegel and Shuster.'”
They also decided on the shape and design of that insignia. “Initially, I made it like a shield, a fancy little triangle with curves at the top,” he recalled. “I had a heraldic crest in the back of my mind. Progressively, as the strip evolved, the emblem became larger and larger.”
The design of the comic books frequently changed, and some are unrecognizable as Superman. Then came the first live-action appearance.
1940: New York World’s Fair
The Man of Tomorrow was honored at “The World of Tomorrow” when DC Comics held “Superman Day” at the New York World’s Fair. This event included a live Superman radio broadcast from the fairgrounds and the first public appearance of Superman in full costume.
The name “SUPERMAN” was engraved on the top portion of his chest emblem in this inaugural Superman costume, which served to introduce the character to the general public. For many years, the actor was unknown, but we now know that it was Ray Middleton.
The man in the outfit, Ray Middleton, is frequently recognized as the first Superman actor.
Although something occurred in 1940 that began to develop the design into what it is today, the Superman logo did not become a registered trademark until 1941.
1941: Max Fleischer Superman Cartoons
The Fleischer Superman cartoons are a collection of seventeen animated superhero short films produced in Technicolor by Paramount Pictures and based on the comic book character Superman, marking his first animated appearance.
By this time, Superman was making a lot of money. By 1940, he had already moved from his comics, Superman and Action Comics, to radio and toy stores, and his next destination was Hollywood.
Paramount turned to Fleischer Studios, second only to the Walt Disney Company, which created the well-known cartoon characters Popeye the Sailor and Betty Boop. The Fleischer brothers, Max and Dave, developed rotoscoping. It involved animators tracking the movements of performers in live-action film and redrawing them by hand. Many of Superman’s abilities, including flying and carrying large items, were impossible to rotoscope.
The Superman symbol is simplified and given a black background.
1941: Superman #9
The cover was drawn by artist Fred Ray and the pencils in the comic were done by Paul Cassidy. Its wide, pointed top serif makes it stand out. The shield that debuted on Superman #9’s cover served as a compromise between the two earlier insignia.
1948: Columbia Serials
With a few notable exceptions, his outfit was likewise quite similar to the one shown in the comic books. In addition, his chest’s “S” shield differed greatly from the comic book version.
Given that Alyn’s outfit was produced by “Western Costume in Hollywood,” an anonymous designer there likely created the distinctive “S” pattern. Instead of the red and yellow of the comic books, the “S” shield was brown and white because these hues looked better on black and white film.
1952: The Adventures of Superman
In the 1952 feature picture, Superman and the Mole Men, George Reeves played The Last Son of Krypton in place of Kirk Alyn. After that, he played the part again in the beloved television series The Adventures of Superman. In both productions, Reeves wore the identical S-shield, which replicated Wayne Boring’s design just like Alyn’s did. This is particularly true for the latter seasons of The Adventures of Superman, as the S’s spine gets thicker due to less noticeable negative space. Reeves’ sewn-on S-Shield was marginally larger than Alyn’s, although it was a little more advanced in both versions.
1973: Super Friends
National Periodical Publications produced the animated series Super Friends in 1973. It is the original iteration of the Super Friends series and is based on the Justice League comic books. It has a more traditional appearance and emulates the trademark version of the shield.
1975: ‘It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman.’
The costume designer for the Broadway show It’s a Bird. It’s a Plane…It’s Superman was Florence Klotz. Although the production received positive reviews during its initial run on Broadway, audiences did not find it appealing. The production was Broadway’s biggest failure at the time, closing after three and a half months and costing an astonishing $600,000. The TV special, It’s a Bird. It’s a Plane… It’s Superman debuted on ABC on February 21, 1975, during a late-night time slot.
The S-shield is fairly modest as depicted. George Reeves’s S-shield, which was made to fit neatly on a tiny TV screen, is comparable in size to this one. Superman’s S, however, must be viewed from the topmost balcony seats during a Broadway production. Because of this, a huge S-shield—possibly the biggest live-action costume to date—had to be made. Bob Holiday’s S-shield was not just the biggest. The lowest portion of Bob Holiday’s S-shield seems to be the most curved of all the Superman live-action outfits. However, the original sketch depicts ram-rod straight lines on the S-shield’s five sides. One more distinction? There is a clear contrast between the top-heavy “S” in the initial concept and the bottom-heavy “S” in the real suit.
1978: Superman: The Movie
For the 1978 movie, Yvonne Blake designed a new costume. Overall, Reeve’s logo has a ” looseness,” especially its chunky, up-flicked tail, yet it nevertheless resembles the S-shield that DC artists (like Curt Swan) produced at the time.
1982: DC Comics Presents Annual #1
DC Comics Presents Annual #1 features cover art by Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano with pencils by Rich Buckler. The comic features the appearances of Superman from Earth 2 and Earth 3.
Earth 2 Superman has a hexagon instead of a diamond, and the s in the middle is slightly twisted.
1985: Crisis on Infinite Earths
The Crisis on Infinite Earths comic is penciled by George Pérez. The S shield is larger at the top than the bottom. The shape is similar to the traditional shield, but the bottom serif is rounded. This is the first time the serif is removed at the bottom of the logo.
1988: Superboy
The 1988 television series Superboy is the first live-action appearance of the younger superhero. One of the costumes for Superboy was designed by Kathy Byrd.
Compared to Christopher Reeve’s version, both wore S-shields that were somewhat more factory-finished. Notably, compared to Reeve’s, John Newton and Gerard Christopher’s crests had a neater, rounder tail that was more reminiscent of the style seen in vintage comics.
Nevertheless, their S-shields were similar in size and color to their big-screen version, while Christopher’s covered an even greater portion of his upper body.
1993: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Costume designer Judith Brewer Curtis designed one of the largest (and possibly the shiniest) S-shields on this list. The 90s show has a massive chest insignia to broaden his appearance.
It’s also a little off-kilter and has a darker shade of crimson than previous iterations. Other than that, it adheres to the classic style of comics from the middle of the 1950s onward
1993: Superman The Man of Steel #22
Superman: The Man of Steel introduced John Henry Irons as the new Man of Steel. Drawn by Jon Bogdanove, it looks like the traditional Superman symbol. But it’s made of metal with an equally sized top and bottom to the design.
1993: Superman #75
After Superman died, DC Comics released a cover for Superman #75 that looked like it was dripping blood. It was drawn by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding. The comic was delivered in a black polybag with a bloodied Superman insignia; the bag contained an obituary and a black armband.
1996: Kingdom Come
In 1996, DC’s Elseworlds imprint produced the four-issue limited series Kingdom Come. This series, like other Elseworlds, took place in a different reality from the DC Universe. Alex Ross created the covers and completely painted the drawings. In this world, Superman gets a new costume and an angular shield after retiring.
1996: Superman: The Animated Series
The 1990s animated series had character designs by Bruce Timm. Despite the limitations of animation, it’s very close to the trademark symbol. It’s extremely balanced from the top and bottom.
1997: Superman #123
DC needed something major to shake up the comics after killing Superman. They decided to alter Superman’s abilities and make him work hard to acquire them again. What might go wrong?
It’s regarded as the low point in Superman’s history and pretty much everything. Superman was granted electrical talents and a ” containment suit” to hold him together in place of his well-known skills. Artist Ron Krentz drew a new Superman shield as part of the new suit. The gold and red had vanished. Rather, he donned a lightning bolt that was stylized in white and blue and resembled an S. It was short-lived.
1998: DC One Million 1
This design is associated with Superman Prime (also known as Superman One Million) from the DC One Million storyline, a crossover comic event published by DC Comics in 1998. In that future setting, Superman has evolved into a godlike being after spending millennia absorbing solar energy. The altered emblem signifies his futuristic and more powerful incarnation.
1998: DC One Million 2
Kal Kent is a descendant of Clark Kent in the 853rd Century and the leader of Justice Legion Alpha. His logo is stylized from multiple ovals on a red background. The ovals are split into gold and black. He was created by Grant Morrison and Val Semeiks.
2002: Smallville (Mark of El)
The American television show Smallville changed the character’s trajectory beginning in 2001. The show chronicled the life of Clark Kent before his transformation into Superman.
As a Kryptonian family crest known as the “Mark of El,” which represents Superman’s birth family, it provided an alternate background for the shield. It was surrounded by the well-known pentagon design, but the central symbol was unique. Initially, the symbol looked more like a figure “8” than an “S.”
2003: Superman \ Batman #1
The cover of the comic Superman \ Batman #1 has a stylized symbol combining Superman and Batman’s logos. Neither character wears the symbol on their costume.
2003: Superman: Red Son
This logo is from “Superman: Red Son”, a 2003 comic book published by DC Comics. In this alternate universe story, Superman’s spaceship crashes in the Soviet Union instead of Kansas, and he is raised under communist ideology, becoming a hero of the USSR.
The red color reinforces the communist theme, and blending the Superman symbol with Soviet iconography reflects the alternate reality explored in the story.
2004: Superman: True Brit
This version of Superman satirically explores what the Man of Steel might have become if raised with stereotypically British values, including a strong emphasis on conformity and not “making a fuss.” The comic was co-written by John Cleese of Monty Python fame, which adds a humorous and satirical twist to the Superman mythos. The classic Superman shield is integrated into a Union Jack (the British flag), combining national symbolism with superhero iconography.
2006: Superman Returns
The primary costume designer for the quasi-sequel Superman Returns was Louise Mingenbach. Unlike the original two Christopher Reeve films, the S-shield that Brandon Routh dons is distinct in a few aspects. For starters, the colors are a darker gold and maroon. Additionally, it’s significantly smaller than Reeve’s—in fact, it resembles George Reeves’ version more.
Most significantly, this S-shield is elevated off the wearer’s breast and textured (with tiny S-shields, no less), a trend that would be adopted by movies in the future. Although illustrators like Pete Woods and Renato Guedes quickly imitated it, this sets Routh’s emblem apart from that found in Superman’s comics of the day.
2006: Smallville
The House of El uses the Kryptonian symbol for “air” and the letter “S” in the English alphabet. The Mark of El appears on Clark’s chest, Crystal of El, Kara’s bracelet, escape portals, and his shirt, symbolizing his Kryptonian destiny.
2010: Blackest Night
Nekron, the personified force of death in Blackest Night, resurrects dead superheroes and aims to eradicate all emotion and life from the cosmos. Kal-L of Earth-2 is turned into a Black Lantern and rises from the grave. His shield is black and white with lines at the top
2011: Action Comics #1
The new 52 reboot of Superman changed his costume to a t-shirt and jeans, but has a very traditional logo. Rags Morales and Grant Morrison aimed to reunite him with his original mission statement: to stand up for the ordinary guy and fight against an unjust ruling class.
2011: Superman #1
After the early costume of Superman, the New 52 revealed an updated costume for the Kryptonian. The origin of the suit is changed to an alien battesuit that protects the far weaker version of Superman. The Jim Lee redesign of Superman’s costume for the contemporary era moved him onto a different path from Morales’ straightforward Superman design, which linked him to his history. Perhaps the most contentious Superman costume ever, it was the closest Superman has ever gotten to a total makeover, with futuristic armour plating, angular lines, a belt line in place of the iconic red shorts, collars, sleeves, and boots.
The logo changes significantly with the “S” integrated into the edge and removing the serif from the bottom.
2011: Flashpoint
In a new alternate timeline known as Flashpoint, the United States government captured Kal-El, a Kryptonian foundling, and used him as Subject One for a military project. He became a superhero named Super-Man.
The logo on Kal-El’s chest is greatly simplified to a single “S” and the number one. This signified his position as test subject number one of the project.
2012: Superman Beyond
J.T. Krul’s digital-first series, Superman Beyond, is set in the futuristic Batman Beyond Universe. The Man of Steel has a simplified black and white costume and shield centered around a slash in the middle.
2012: Superman Family Adventures
Based on Art Baltazar’s earlier DC artwork, such as Tiny Titans and DC Super-Pets!, the Superman Family Adventures animated series is geared toward young children. The shield is greatly simplified and very heavy, with a vertical serif at the top and missing a serif at the bottom.
2013: Man of Steel
Zack Snyder, the director of the Superman film Man of Steel, aimed for a contemporary and modern aesthetic. Although he made significant alterations to the costume, he believed that some elements had to remain true to the original design. Snyder stated: “So obviously the things that make him visually distinctly Superman are his cape and obviously the ‘S’ symbol on his chest and the color scheme.”
The new symbol resembled the well-known pentagon in shape, but its edges were more rounded. The “S” is still present, but its ends were narrow and its middle line was wider.
2016: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The promotional material for the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice used a stylized version of Batman and Superman merged. Batman’s symbol on the outside and Superman in the middle. Neither character wore the symbol on their costume in the movie.
2016: Justice League Action
Justice League Action is an animated show based on the DC superhero team Justice League. The lead character designs for the series are done by Shane Glines. He uses big, simple shapes that he describes as “big graphic shapes that pop and read immediately.”
His Superman symbol has the traditional shape, with the “S” being very pronounced at the top and very small at the bottom.
2019: Crisis on Infinite Earth
Featuring episodes of Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow on The CW, “Crisis on Infinite Earths” is the sixth Arrowverse crossover event.
Brandon Routh reprises his role as Superman with a black and red chest symbol similar to the design in Kingdom Come. The shield is smaller than most designs to match the size in Superman Returns.
2021: Zack Snyder Justice League
When the Justice League movie was released in theaters, some ideas were cut from the film. Years later, the original director, Zack Snyder, was given a chance to bring them back.
Superman makes a comeback in the 2017 Justice League theatrical cut, donning his recognizable red and blue outfit. But in Snyder’s version, the superhero team uses the Mother Box to bring back the life of Henry Cavill’s character, Clark Kent. Superman retrieves a new all-black outfit and heads back to the Kryptonian ship that crashed in Metropolis after regaining his memory. Since everyone from Superman’s home planet, Krypton, wore black clothes, Snyder claims the choice depicts Superman’s journey and his relationship with his family, even though the color black typically connotes evil in fiction.
The shield is the same as in previous films, except that the red and gold colors are removed. They’re replaced with grays and blacks.
2021: Superman & Lois
Soon after the Kara Zor-El-focused series had left CBS, Tyler Hoechlin made his debut in Supergirl season 2 of The CW’s DC TV property. The suit, which was designed by Laura Jean Shannon, has a very traditional-looking shield.
But the logo is smaller in the pentagon than in previous versions. It has the familiar serif on top and a rounded edge on the bottom.
2023: My Adventures with Superman
My Adventures with Superman is an American animated superhero series with anime influences developed by Jake Wyatt. Christie Tseng’s design for Superman emphasizes a drawing inspiration from K-pop aesthetics. The S completely dominates the shield and has straight lines instead of the normal curves.
2023: The Flash
A different Superman is portrayed by Nicolas Cage, who was chosen to play the character in Tim Burton’s unfinished 1997 film Superman Lives. To honor a sequence that producer Jon Peters wanted to have in Burton’s movie, Cage used volumetric capture to film his parts and digitally de-aged them for the part. The emblem in the middle is red and black rather than the traditional red and yellow.
2025: Superman
Finally, we come to the latest version. This insignia is essentially a fusion of its forerunners. First and foremost, it adopts the slash design of “Kingdom Come.” However, it uses red and yellow instead of red and black, as the Arrowverse did. Additionally, it incorporates Tyler Hoechlin’s vintage suit’s yellow edge. Although the texture of Corenswet’s symbol is similar to that of Superman Returns and DCEU S-shields, the effect is far less complicated.
Lastly, like other live-action symbols, Corenswet’s S-shield is elevated off his chest and has some dimensionality—the red and yellow parts are separate pieces—but again, in a subtle way.
Which is your favorite Superman logo? Which do you dislike? Let us know in the comments below!
