How the Great Depression Created Superman

The Birth of History’s Greatest Superhero in the Great Depression and the Creation of a Trillion-Dollar Empire

The name Superman immediately brings to mind an image of a superhero wearing a blue suit and a red cape. But do you know that this superhero was not born in a lab or out of a hobby? Superman was born in the 1930s, when the world was going through a terrible ‘Great Depression’ or a long-term economic recession. At a time when people didn’t have much money in their pockets, no food in their stomachs, or any hope for the future—right then, history’s greatest fictional comic superhero was born.

Today, I will tell you how the journey of the superhero started from that critical situation in 1938 and how it is ruling today’s global economy and pop culture.

1. 1938: When the World Stood Still

The America of the 1930s is known to us as the ‘Great Depression.’ After the stock market crash of 1929, the entire American economy collapsed completely. At that time, the unemployment rate crossed 25%, and thousands of people spent their nights on the streets, homeless.

Exactly at this time, in June 1938, ‘Action Comics #1’ hit the market, showing a powerful man easily smashing a car on its cover. And that man’s real identity is Clark Kent or Superman. Two young immigrants, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, created this legendary character. In fact, they themselves were struggling with poverty at the time.

2. Economic Crisis and Superhero Fantasy

Why did people embrace Superman so much and make him so popular? In the words of Sigmund Freud, this is called ‘Projection.‘ When people break down completely in reality, they take shelter in a fictional power to cover their helplessness. People naturally like to stay in the world of imagination. Suppose you are going through a lot of want; then you will imagine in your mind that a lot of money has come to you, and you are buying luxury houses and cars to live a luxury life.

• Reflection of Helplessness: Ordinary people who were victims of injustice, who didn’t get justice from the police, or who lost their jobs, sought their liberation in Superman.

• Symbol of Hope: The popular French philosopher René Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” But in the case of superheroes, the matter can be changed slightly to say, “I believe, therefore I can fight.” Exactly in this way, since the release of Superman, people started believing that someone miraculous would come and fix everything.

3. Superman as a Social Reformer

Though we know Superman as an alien today, in 1938, he was primarily a representative of the common man. In the early comics, he was often seen:

• Punishing bad and corrupt politicians.

• Saving the poor from the hands of extra-greedy profiteering businessmen.

• Saving the houses of widows who couldn’t pay their fines.

In other words, Superman’s main job was to solve the two biggest problems of that time: money and rights. And this was the key to the success of this character.

4. Why Do We Hear the Same Hero’s Journey Story Again and Again?

Famous mythology researcher Joseph Campbell, in his book ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’, spoke about a secret formula called the ‘Hero’s Journey.’

Through this, he showed that from Hercules, born thousands of years ago, to today’s Spider-Man, the structure of everyone’s story is the same. An ordinary person falls into some danger (Call to Adventure), then gets help from some known or unknown mentor, and finally returns after conquering their fear. Similarly, the story of Superman tells our mind that maybe one day such a call will come into our lives too, and our lives will change.

5. World War II and the Superhero Influence

When World War II started in 1939, superheroes were no longer limited to the pages of comics. They became symbols of American nationalism.

• Comics on the Battlefield: After the war started, American soldiers went to war with Superman or Captain America comic books in their pockets. It increased their morale manifold. This era is called the Golden Age in comic terms. Because at that time, to remove despair, to fight against evil forces, or to face the enemy, several superheroes became very popular as symbols of justice. Among them, Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Namor, and Human Torch are notable.

• Captain America: While the name Steve Rogers (Captain America) comes to mind when talking about the battlefield, this character was not born before the war. He was created during World War II. The character was built for the battlefield, and from there, by boosting the morale of the soldiers, this character became sky-high popular.

• Real-Life Struggle: In 1946, a radio show called ‘Adventures of Superman’ was started due to Superman’s popularity. One day, a special episode was broadcast where Superman fights against the famous American racist group ‘Ku Klux Klan’ (KKK). Surprisingly, by telling this fictional story, the real secret codes of that racist group were leaked, and because of that, their power and violence decreased significantly.

6. Business and Finance: From Comics to a Trillion-Dollar Industry

The comics that sold for only 10 cents in 1938 are a successful business model today.

• Price of Action Comics #1: In 2021, a copy of the first Superman comic sold for about $3.25 million, which is about 38 crore taka in Bangladeshi currency. So imagine the popularity of this character today! You can call it one of the most valuable investments in history.

• Industry Growth: Currently, billions of dollars are earned every year from Marvel and DC movies, franchises, comics, and animation. In 2025, Marvel released three movies from their cinematic universe and earned $1.316 billion, and DC earned $615.6 million from just one movie. In 2026, even if no movie has been released yet, both sides have two big movies coming this year.

7. Why So Much Craze for Superheroes Even in the Modern Era?

Today we have money in our pockets and technology, but why do we still crowd cinema halls to see Iron Man, Batman, or Black Panther? The answer is, people need entertainment, and people still miss something inside themselves; they think of themselves as helpless in some things. Even in the modern era of 2026, crises like environmental pollution, global pandemics, or loneliness have not left people. Though we are modern today, and even if the dangers are different, the mental state is the same as in 1938. People still imagine today and still want someone to come and tell them, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am here.’

8. The Superman Within Us

Superman didn’t come from the sky; rather, he came from our imagination. Imagination is a place where there is no room for pain, only hope. Superman teaches us that no matter how big the adversity is, if there is a mindset to fight, victory will come. Humans forget themselves, but superheroes remind us of that forgotten power. You might also become the Superman of your own life one day; all you need is a call and the courage to respond to that call.

Sources & Research Notes:

• Action Comics #1 (1938): The debut of Superman and the background of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

• Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”: The theory of the “Hero’s Journey.“

• The Great Depression History: Economic data and unemployment records from the 1930s.

• “Superman Smashes the Klan” (Radio Broadcast 1946): Documentation of Superman’s historical role against racism.

• CGC Comics: Current market valuations and investment data for vintage comic books.