How Many Children Does Superman Have? Is He A Good Dad?

Wait, Superman has sons and daughters? Yes, the issue of Superman as a father and fathering a child has been the subject of some debate. Is it possible? Well, yes and no. In the case of procreation with an Earth woman, it has been established in more recent comics that Kryptonian and Terran DNA are incompatible. But there have been many comics where that’s not the case. Superman has fathered the children of Lois Lane, Wonder Woman, and a few other women. He has also adopted children and helped raise his own cousin, Supergirl. So, how many children does Superman actually have? Plenty, it seems.

Superman As A Father Over The Years

Over the years, Superman has experienced some big changes at DC Comics. He has been married and even has a son. Of course, it’s not the first time we’ve seen Superman as a father in recent years.

In Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns (a film we believe deserved a sequel), The Man of Steel also has a son with Lois Lane named Jason White. The young boy also showed signs of strength and power when he caused a piano to crash into one of Lex’s goons. Of course, the boy also shared his father’s buffoonery as Clark Kent by constantly sneezing and huffing due to his allergies.

Of course, that’s not the only time we’ve seen a live-action Superman with kids, either. Superman & Lois sees Clark raising Jonathan and Jordan Kent alongside Lois Lane.

It seems that comic book readers and fans have always seen Superman as a father figure. The question is whether or not he is fit to be a father. With the responsibility of saving so many people’s lives, is Kal-El able to balance fathering a child (a son or a daughter) and being Superman?

Is Superman A Good Father?

Even the Man of Steel can be daunted by the woes of parenting. The Man of Tomorrow’s role as a parent has steadily become a more prominent part of his character as the years go on, with his relationship with Jon Kent being the centrepiece of most modern Superman stories.

Superman has always been a paragon of human virtues, including parenting. Granted, he’s had his ups and downs, but that’s just something we’ve come to expect from Supes as a character. He might be nearly perfect, but deep down, he’s just as flawed as anyone else.

The idealized version of Superman we all imagine resembles, in many ways, the ideal of a good parent. Jerry Siegel, one of the original creators of the Man of Steel, had close ties to the world of parenting when he created the iconic character. Only a year before he began working on the idea of Superman, Siegel’s father suffered a heart attack during an armed robbery. The loss of his father figure might have compelled Siegel to create the ultimate hero: a fighter, a paragon of justice, and a heck of a father figure.

Now, the DC Comics universe is no stranger to well-established characters suddenly becoming parents. From Aquaman to Wonder Woman, parenting storylines allow us to see a very different side of our favorite DC characters. However, one thing remains constant no matter the storyline – Batman and Superman’s rivalry. On the question of “Is Superman a good father?” We could answer that just by contrasting his and Batman’s approaches to parenting.

Batman’s – or rather, Bruce Wayne’s – relationship with his son, Damian, has been tumultuous at best. As a direct heir of the League of Shadows, Damian has the potential to tear Gotham to shreds, and Batman knows this. For this, Bruce raises his son as a distant father, making Damian resent the way of the Dark Knight even more.

On the other hand, Clark embraces his parenting role by teaching Jon about his powers. More important than that, however, Superman sees in Jon the embodiment of his legacy; more than just his son, Jon is the person who will one day become the new beacon of hope for the entire human race.

Bruce and Clark’s approach to parenting reflects how they see the very people they protect. Batman sees everyone as a potential crook, while Superman recognizes the potential for good in everyone. This might be the recipe for the Man of Steel’s outstanding parenting. Not only is he a good role model, but he knows how to support his son’s own pursuits and dreams.

Jon and Clark couldn’t be more different. That’s to be expected: both characters come from diametrically different times. However, Superman’s spirit lives on in his son’s own heroic deeds – and that’s all thanks to Clark’s remarkable role as the Dad of Steel.

At his core, Superman embodies the ideal virtues of fatherhood. Where Batman may view parenting through a lens of fear and control, the Man of Steel approaches it with warmth, compassion, and a steadfast belief in his son’s potential. His role as a parent is not one he takes lightly but one he approaches with the same steely determination and unwavering moral compass that makes him a beacon of hope to all of Metropolis.