How old is Superman?

[KingDragonlord]

I know how old the character is if you're speaking in terms of he was created in 1938.

What I mean is, how old is he in comic books currently, what age is he supposed to be? I know they're kind of coy about that.

I fear I've reached that dreaded age where I'm older than Superman and that leads to some complicated feelings. I could handle being older than other heroes, Wally West for example, wasn't that weird. But its going to be weird being older than Superman. He's such an adult. At least with Wally it was like "I'm older than Wally, but I'm also more mature than Wally." But nobody is more mature than Superman. How can you compete with that?

I figure I was older than New 52 Superman, he struck me as being in his late 20's. But Rebirth Superman is clearly older.

[superduperman]

I estimate around 40ish. Since comics readers keep aging up, it wouldn't surprise me if they keep aging the characters up as well.

[KingDragonlord]

I estimate around 40ish. Since comics readers keep aging up, it wouldn't surprise me if they keep aging the characters up as well.

In that case, yay I'm not older than Superman just yet. I've got another year or two depending on what "ish" means and whether or not they keep aging him.

[Nelliebly]

According to Dan Jurgens, he is 38 years old. That was before Bendis took over but someone asked Jurgens and Tomasi on twitter and that was the answer.

On Supergirl, he’s about 37/38 years old somewhere in there. They aged him down a year or two when they launched the Reign story and said that Krypton had exploded “35 years ago” and that was a few seasons ago. He will have spent about 9 months-to a year on Argo by the time he likely reappears for the crisis this coming year.

He was 33 years old in Man of Steel and 34/35 years old in Batman vs. Superman and Justice League.

He is 30 years old when he debuts as Superman in Superman: The Movie. Well into his 30’s by Superman 4 as his mother has passed away by the final movie.

Clark was 30 years old in the final season of “Lois and Clark” as Lois attempts to throw him a surprise 30th birthday party.

Clark was 25 years old in the final season of Smallville and about 32 years old in the final moments of the series.

So, all told, Clark Kent is on average in his 30’s just depending on when you catch him in the story. His current age of 38 (both in comics and on television) makes complete sense.

[qwertyuiop1998]

IMO, Around 40, Considering he had a son and married.

[Tzigone]

According to Dan Jurgens, he is 38 years old. That was before Bendis took over but someone asked Jurgens and Tomasi on twitter and that was the answer.

Awesome to know.

Clark was 30 years old in the final season of “Lois and Clark” as Lois attempts to throw him a surprise 30th birthday party.

I'd thought he was 28 in the first season, for some reason. Clark was a baby in 1966, from one of the HG Wells episodes (season 2, 1995 air date). Had to look up the years; haven't watched that show in a long time. Of course, it's not really relevant to his age in current comics, anyway. And if it's bad continuity in the show...well, nothing new for comics.

So, all told, Clark Kent is on average in his 30’s just depending on when you catch him in the story. His current age of 38 (both in comics and on television) makes complete sense.

Ah, I thought we were going to go back to pre-COIE there for a bit. There was that one issue where his classmate was having her 21st birthday, and I was thinking that was just too young for him to be. Though starting in his 20s makes sense.

[stargazer01]

late 30s I guess

[Jim Kelly]

How do they explain the time that has elapsed between when he had a son and whatever time is now? Did that time pass on this Earth or did they simply go from day 1 Lois is pregnant to day 2 they have a kid around ten years old?

[Jon Clark]

How do they explain the time that has elapsed between when he had a son and whatever time is now? Did that time pass on this Earth or did they simply go from day 1 Lois is pregnant to day 2 they have a kid around ten years old?

Rebirth sort of just went from the mid-20's New-52 versions to the parents of a 10-yr old version without really fleshing out how this worked. Best guess is that some of the Pre-Flashpoint tales now happened with a young Jon in the background now. Maybe he was conceived during Final Night or took his first steps in Superman #200 or had his first day in kindergarten while Clark was battling the Elite.

[Jim Kelly]

I've picked up the Superman comics several times since Rebirth and I get too confounded by the continuity and give up. Each time, I think well maybe now it will make sense, but it doesn't. I don't want to waste time and money on getting a hundred different comics to try and figure it out and I'm not sure I could. It seems like the new approach is to confuse readers so they'll keep buying the comics to get answers, but never giving the answers.

[Jon Clark]

I've picked up the Superman comics several times since Rebirth and I get too confounded by the continuity and give up. Each time, I think well maybe now it will make sense, but it doesn't. I don't want to waste time and money on getting a hundred different comics to try and figure it out and I'm not sure I could. It seems like the new approach is to confuse readers so they'll keep buying the comics to get answers, but never giving the answers.

Well, that philosophy worked so well for Wolverine. And TV has been milking it every year since at least Lost .

DC is just doing it on a universal scale.

[bat39]

38 sounds about right. Personally, I think he should be around 40, since he's typically shown to start at age 25 in most modern continuities. But I think 38 could work if you assume he started at 22-23 and its been over 15 years since then.

Jon is the real continuity nightmare, because it means that Clark has spent the bulk of his career as Superman married and with a kid in the background. And they've yet to explain how it fits into wider DC continuity. For instance, if Jon was born after the Death and Return of Superman, then does this mean its been over a decade since Kyle first became Green Lantern?

[seismic-2]

Rebirth sort of just went from the mid-20's New-52 versions to the parents of a 10-yr old version without really fleshing out how this worked. Best guess is that some of the Pre-Flashpoint tales now happened with a young Jon in the background now. Maybe he was conceived during Final Night or took his first steps in Superman #200 or had his first day in kindergarten while Clark was battling the Elite.

Since everyone's memory has been reset to not remember that Nuperman existed, how much of the pre-Flashpoint world does everyone remember, and how much of that has been erased, too? Wouldn't the final years of that era now have taken place when the Kents were raising Jonathan in Hamilton, meaning that no one (including Clark and Lois) remembers that they happened? Or do C&L now "remember" that those events did in fact take place, but (as they recall it) while they were Hamiltonians?

[Vordan]

Usually he and Bats are in their 30s.

38 sounds about right. Personally, I think he should be around 40, since he's typically shown to start at age 25 in most modern continuities. But I think 38 could work if you assume he started at 22-23 and its been over 15 years since then.

Jon is the real continuity nightmare, because it means that Clark has spent the bulk of his career as Superman married and with a kid in the background. And they've yet to explain how it fits into wider DC continuity. For instance, if Jon was born after the Death and Return of Superman, then does this mean its been over a decade since Kyle first became Green Lantern?

The events of Lois & Clark are still canon, the two just went into hiding with Jon after Intergang bombed their apartment in retaliation for Lois investigating them. Johns New 52 run is still canon too.

[Ascended]

Somewhere around 40 makes sense to me.

Figure Clark graduated high school at 18, went to college and/or traveled the world (the lost years) until around 22-23, and became Superman around 23-24. You gotta have a couple years for the early career, before Lois learns Clark's identity, so say they start dating somewhere around 26-27, date for a few years and get married around 29-30. They have Jon shortly after getting hitched, which would put Clark anywhere from 39-41 or so.

I think it's a solid age for the father of a ten year old who was well into his professional career before having a child. It puts Clark and Lois firmly at the peek of their careers, where they have tons of experience but are still young enough to not really be slowing down yet. Tom Brady is over 40 now, and still kicking all your NFL teams' asses, so I see no reason to think that 40-ish is too old for Lois or Clark (especially since Clark's powers negate most effects of aging, even in continuities where he ages normally).