Though they loved their son very much, Jor-El and Lara-El were forced to jettison him to the distant planet Earth to save him from their doomed homeworld of Krypton.
When his birthing matrix crashlanded outside a town called Smallville the baby was discovered by a loving married couple who had not been able to have children. Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Kal-El as their own, naming him Clark after Martha's maiden name. They kept his secret from him at first, hoping that he would be able to fit in with the other children. To cover the Kent's explained that they had adopted the boy. And for a long time nothing seemed odd at all. Clark grew to value hard work, truth, honesty, and putting others before himself.
As Clark began to attend Smallville High School he slowly began to manifest strange powers and abilities. Eventually, his parents gave in and explained how he came to them. Jonathan showed Kent the spaceship he arrived in, which he kept hidden in the barn. It was then that Clark found a green crystal that he used to meet his birth parents; an interactive video recording of them at least.
As Clark metriculated, he began to ponder what his future would, and more importantly should, hold. During high school he dabbled in using his powers for good, but always was careful to obscure his identity. He was lucky that he was never caught.
After graduation, Clark decided to put off college for a year while traveling the world. Transportation was not an issue due to his superspeed, so he had more than enough money saved from his meager allowance from farm chores over the years. The traveling shocked him. He was overcome by the poverty, the sickness, and the injustice that he saw, especially in third world countries. Clark decided he would go back to the United States and study to become a journalist to help expose injustices throughout the world and build empathy among the public.
His grades were good enough to get into Metropolis University. Because of his family's economic situation, he was able to finance his education through financial aid, loans, and a part-time paid internship he was recommended for by an impressed professor who liked his work ethic.
Clark enjoyed great success at his internship, so much so that upon graduation he was offered an entry level job in the office as a staff reporter. Sure, he had to work some of the worst jobs: city council meetings, puff pieces, and the hometown section. But it was work and there was pay and he had enough to pay his loans and afford his own small apartment. And" he was in Metropolis, a city so different than his upbringing that he couldn't help but be amazed at it's grandeur. He loved it there.
But he still struggled with just how to use his powers. After consulation from Jonathan and Jor El, Clark decided to just make it happen. To just go out and help people. Donning his family's formal wear from Krypton, he took to the sky and for the first time tried to help people out in the open.
Not a second too soon! Air Force One, carrying President Wash Abbott, was flying overhead but experiencing engine trouble. Clark helped the President's plane land without trouble and Lois Lane, an associate of his at the Daily Planet (if by associate you mean someone who never really noticed him) happened to be aboard the plane and dubbed the mystery hero as Superman, most likely because of his abilities and the crest on his chest that resembled an S.
Superman gained instant credibility and adoration from the public. He continued to do great feats of heroism for the people of Metropolis, the United States, and the world. Whereas some of the heroes clung to the shadows, Superman was out front and entirely accessible. He even collaborated with the government and would help out with national disasters, building projects, or other occasions when his help was needed. Finally, Clark Kent, Kal-El of Krypton, and Superman was happy. Whether with his words or his actions, his mind is always on helping others. Though he has consistently felt alone in his life due to being the 'lone' survivor of the planet Krypton, Earth has unknowingly adopted him as their own.
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