When does Superman celebrate his birthday? It is a more complicated question than one might think. There are factors to consider beyond what months are on a Kryptonian calendar and how they correspond with time on Earth. Chief among these is whether or not Kal-El was physically born on Krypton, or on Earth through a Kryptonian birthing matrix, as in his 1986 origin. In any case, a new origin story in Action Comics has retconned the day Clark Kent celebrates his birthday.
Action Comics #1087 by Mark Waid and Skylar Patridge establishes a new history for the origins of Superman. The action centers around a young Clark Kent, as he celebrates his 15th birthday. This occasion is marked with a family vacation to Metropolis, so the Kents can enjoy the Expo of Tomorrow.
(Image Source: DC / Skylar Patridge)
This story confirms that Clark celebrates his birthday on the day his parents discovered the rocket that carried him to Earth. This date is said to be June 18th. Historically, however, this is not the day most often cited as the birthday of Superman.
The first confirmation of Superman’s birthday came in a Letters to the Editor column in 1966’s World’s Finest Comics #164. It was here that E. Nelson Bridwell confirmed that the date of Kal-El’s birth on Krypton just happened to correspond with Earth’s February 29th, aka Leap Day. It’s possible this was a play on Superman’s ability to “leap tall buildings in a single bound.” It may have also been a joke regarding how he never seemed to age; presumably because he only had a birthday every four years.
(Image Source: DC / Dave Gibbons)
The February 29th birthday has been referenced several times since. This was the date given in the 1976 Super DC Calendar, alongside other superhero and supervillain birthdays. February 29th also the date given in the classic 1985 Superman story “For the Man Who Has Everything.”
(Image Source: DC / Curt Swan)
However, Clark Kent celebrating his birthday on June 18th is also canonically correct. This date was first given in 1973’s Superman #263. Here, after getting a surprise birthday party at The Daily Planet, he recalled it as the anniversary of his arrival on Earth.
(Image Source: Warner Bros. Discovery)
However, later stories and adaptations offered different dates for the birthdays of both Clark Kent and Superman. Smallville, for instance, showed Clark Kent celebrating his birthday in both May and October. A full breakdown of every instance may be found on The DC Multiverse Historian blog.
This distinction between Clark and Superman may seem unimportant. However, it would explain some of the incongruities. It’s possible that Kal-El was born on February 29th, but Clark Kent celebrates his birthday on June 18th. In any case, these are the most common dates given for the birthday of Superman.
Action Comics #1087 is now available at comic shops everywhere.