What age do you guys prefer Superman start his career?

[Vordan]

Motivated mostly by me having gotten into an argument with someone else who was adamant that Superman should begin his career in his mid 30s which felt way too old for me personally. I prefer him to be about 23-25 when he begins his career as Superman. How about the rest of you?

Edit: Last one should be 32 or older, my bad.

[daBronzeBomma]

Fresh out of college.

23 years old rookie on Earth, but with 10 years experience as Superboy in the Legion Of Superheroes (part-time from 13 to 17, full-time from 18 to 22), so he's already a veteran.

[Jon Clark]

I follow daBronzeBomma's logic, but for me I prefer him to be a public presence from about age 13 rather than only active with the Legion in the future. So his career is started before he turns 18. I voted 18-21 based solely on that being the age range he'd be called Superman rather than Superboy.

[The Kid]

Young age. Early 20s, mid 20s at the latest if you want to have him gain some journalism experience before he goes to the Bugle but not later than that. Not a fan of him becoming Superman at 33 for the sake of some Christ analogy

[bat39]

22 to 31 is a pretty broad range.

Ideally, I think it should be 25. Even the 22 that Morrison went with for his New 52 run works if we're talking about an explicitly younger T-shirt and jeans Superman. But I'd prefer the 25 that Byrne established. By that age, Clark is old enough to have graduated journalism school and traveled the world for a bit.

Doomsday Clock seems to bear that out as well, seemingly retconning all the past Superman debuts to be at age 25. The Silver Age Superman, for instance, is said to debut in 1956, with his arrival on earth being '25 years earlier'.

[Jim Kelly]

At zero. His whole life is an action adventure. That's the difference between him and a lot of other super-heroes. Like Tarzan, from the moment he's born there's stuff happening to him and challenging his existence. That's what people don't get. It's not just a back story--it's not pearls and a bat--it's a whole life and that's the story that needs to be told.

[sifighter]

I'm actually a fan of the idea that he was Superboy as a kid, so I guess my range would be 15-16?

What can I say I like the idea of a kid Clark, who meets the Legion, and goes on weird early adventures.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I like him having adventures as a kid but he'd become a public superhero in his 20s.

[Johnny Thunders!]

At zero. His whole life is an action adventure. That's the difference between him and a lot of other super-heroes. Like Tarzan, from the moment he's born there's stuff happening to him and challenging his existence. That's what people don't get. It's not just a back story--it's not pearls and a bat--it's a whole life and that's the story that needs to be told.

Yeah, I think that’s why out of continuity, Simpsons like storytelling works so well with Superman.
Jason Aaron told this massive Thor story that takes place in the Viking past, the Avenger present, and the last god of Earth at the end of time. It reminded me so much of Morrison’s All Star Superman and DC 1,000,000.

[Jim Kelly]

The question is: What is Kal-El's career? Is it just fighting crime and saving the world from super-villains?

I always remember something I read in the paper back in 1978, when the movie came out. The writer said that if all Superman is here for is to catch bank-robbers, that seems like a come down, given his mythic origins. As Jonathan Kent says, "You're here for a reason . . ." And I don't think it's to fight Luthor or to reverse time to save Lois. Those are important deeds, but they're side-quests from his main purpose in life.

With all his powers, a Superman would not settle for the unexamined life. He would need to search for answers to the big questions. What is the meaning of life? What is truth? What is the Good? On Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Superman is at the very top--transcendence.

[The World]

At zero. His whole life is an action adventure. That's the difference between him and a lot of other super-heroes. Like Tarzan, from the moment he's born there's stuff happening to him and challenging his existence. That's what people don't get. It's not just a back story--it's not pearls and a bat--it's a whole life and that's the story that needs to be told.

Yep .

[witchboy]

15. It doesn't feel right for him to have those powers and wait so long to use them to help people. Him starting out as a teenage Superboy opens up more story possibilities, it's a wasted opportunity that it hasn't been in canon for so long.

[Tzigone]

For me, 22-31. More accurately, probably 22-25. After college, but not too long after (very close to when he starts at the DP). I like him starting as Superman, not boy. I'm old school that way. It may be meta, but I really like the idea of him as the first superhero (DC won't do it, but you did ask about preferences). I'm cool with that he's done discreet work (in the course of daily life, not traveling the world under fake identities like MoS), but not for him to wear the cape earlier. I like the idea that he becomes aware of something bad that is going to happen, and he knows he can stop it, but can't do it without being noticed, and thus dons a costume so it won't be tied to Clark Kent.

[Superfly Frankenstein]

I like 23.

Reason being, I like the idea of him traveling the world, learn for a few years. After words (at around 20), he enrolls at University of Metropolis and graduates early by doubling up on courses. From there, I like the “space plane” origin from Byrne.

[Sacred Knight]

30s is way too old, imo. I'd say anywhere between 20-23 would be fine by me. Not immediately after high school as I like the idea he goes to college, does some traveling first. So that early 20s stage. But, also should be known I also subscribe to a Superboy career in some form, so it's not really him first starting out. It's him first going public, out in the full open, by himself.