What is Superman's secret identity?
Answer : Clark Kent
Behind glasses and a plain suit, this hero from another planet passes himself off as an ordinary reporter, and has done so since his earliest comics.
Questions and answers: Superheroes
Revise Superheroes: here is a selection of questions of every level, with the answer and an explanation. To test yourself without seeing the answers, play the quizzes.
Play the Superheroes quizzesVery easy
Which radioactive animal gives Peter Parker his powers?
Answer : A spider
During a science demonstration, Peter is bitten by a spider exposed to radiation; he gains strength, agility and a sixth sense for danger.
Which hero wields a hammer named Mjolnir?
Answer : Thor
Mjolnir comes from Norse mythology, where Thor is the god of thunder; Marvel adapted the character in its comics as early as 1962.
What color is Hulk's skin most of the time?
Answer : Green
In the very first issue in 1962, Hulk was gray; he turned green from the next issue on because of printing difficulties.
Which team includes Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America?
Answer : The Avengers
The Avengers first appeared in Marvel comics in 1963; the 2012 film brought them together on the big screen for the first time.
Which fictional city does Batman protect?
Answer : Gotham City
Gotham is an old nickname for New York City, which inspired the atmosphere of this big, dark city where Bruce Wayne lives.
Which hero carries a round shield in the colors of the American flag?
Answer : Captain America
Steve Rogers debuted in 1941; his first shield was triangular, replaced from the second issue by the round model we know today.
Which DC superheroine has the civilian name Diana Prince?
Answer : Wonder Woman
A princess of the Amazons, she debuted in December 1941 in All Star Comics #8, making her one of the oldest heroines in comics.
Easy
Which newspaper do Clark Kent and Lois Lane work for in the Superman comics?
Answer : The Daily Planet
The Daily Planet, the Metropolis paper run by editor Perry White, is Clark Kent's cover job. The Daily Bugle, by contrast, is Spider-Man's newspaper at Marvel.
Which extraterrestrial mineral weakens Superman and drains his powers?
Answer : Kryptonite
Fragments of his destroyed home planet, this mineral first appeared on the radio in 1943 before entering the comics in 1949.
Which enemy of Spider-Man is the scientist Otto Octavius?
Answer : Doctor Octopus
After a lab accident, four mechanical arms fuse to this scientist's body; he appears as early as 1963 in the Spider-Man comics.
What is the name of Bruce Wayne's butler?
Answer : Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth appears in 1943 and looks after Bruce Wayne and his Batcave; Jarvis, for his part, is the Avengers' butler at Marvel.
Which team of mutants was founded by Professor Charles Xavier?
Answer : The X-Men
Launched in 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the series follows young mutants trained by a telepath who uses a wheelchair.
Which writer, who died in 2018, co-created Spider-Man, Hulk and Iron Man?
Answer : Stan Lee
Long the public face of Marvel as its editor, Stan Lee co-created many heroes in the 1960s by working with several different artists.
Which DC hero wears a green power ring?
Answer : Green Lantern
The first Green Lantern, Alan Scott, dates from 1940; Hal Jordan took over the name in 1959 with a ring powered by willpower.
Which Marvel hero is the king of Wakanda?
Answer : Black Panther
T'Challa rules Wakanda, a fictional African nation; he debuted in 1966 and is often described as the first Black superhero of mainstream comics.
Medium
Which hero makes his first appearance in Action Comics #1, in 1938?
Answer : Superman
Published in June 1938 by DC, this issue launched the superhero genre; Superman appears on the cover lifting a car overhead.
Which artist co-created Batman, who debuted in 1939 in Detective Comics?
Answer : Bob Kane
Less than a year after Superman, DC launched Batman in May 1939 in Detective Comics #27, drawn by Bob Kane.
Which two creators came up with Superman?
Answer : Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Siegel wrote and Shuster drew: they sold their rights to Superman for about 130 dollars, which fueled legal disputes for decades.
Which team of Marvel heroes was launched in 1961 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby?
Answer : The Fantastic Four
Launched in 1961, this series opened Marvel's modern era with Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the Thing.
What is Superman's Kryptonian name at birth?
Answer : Kal-El
Kal-El is sent to Earth as a baby by his father Jor-El, just before the planet Krypton is destroyed.
Which mythical island is Wonder Woman from?
Answer : Themyscira
Themyscira, also called Paradise Island, is hidden from the world and home to the Amazons; Diana was raised there by her mother Hippolyta.
What type of radiation turns Dr. Bruce Banner into Hulk?
Answer : Gamma rays
Banner is irradiated while saving a teenager during the test of a gamma bomb he designed; since then, anger unleashes the green giant.
Which 2008 film is the first of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Answer : Iron Man
Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr., it launched a run of interconnected films, an approach that has since caught on across Hollywood.
Hard
In which magazine does Spider-Man make his very first appearance, in 1962?
Answer : Amazing Fantasy
This anthology ended with its fifteenth issue; Peter Parker's success led to his own series, The Amazing Spider-Man, launched in 1963.
Which duo created Captain America in 1940-1941?
Answer : Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created Captain America before the United States entered the war, with a cover showing the hero punching Hitler.
What first name do both Bruce Wayne's mother and Clark Kent's adoptive mother share?
Answer : Martha
Martha Wayne and Martha Kent share the same first name, a link highlighted in the film Batman v Superman, released in 2016.
Which artist co-created Spider-Man and then Doctor Strange with Stan Lee?
Answer : Steve Ditko
Steve Ditko drew Spider-Man from 1962 and designed his full-face-mask costume; he left the series in 1966 after creative disagreements.
Which DC hero, introduced in Showcase #4 in 1956, opened the Silver Age of comics?
Answer : The Flash (Barry Allen)
Published in 1956, this issue introduced Barry Allen under a brand-new identity and is considered the starting point of the Silver Age of superheroes.
What is the name of the man who becomes the Joker in Todd Phillips's 2019 film?
Answer : Arthur Fleck
Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian in Gotham; in the 1989 Batman, the Joker had a different birth name, Jack Napier.
In which American city did the creators of Superman grow up?
Answer : Cleveland
The two teenagers met at Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where they dreamed up the character in the 1930s.
What is the civilian name of the very first Robin, who debuted in 1940?
Answer : Richard Grayson
A circus acrobat turned orphan, Richard Grayson appeared in April 1940 in Detective Comics #38; Jason Todd and Tim Drake succeeded him later.
Expert
Which American psychologist, whose work led to the lie detector, created Wonder Woman in 1941?
Answer : William Moulton Marston
William Moulton Marston first signed his scripts with the pen name Charles Moulton; the heroine's lasso of truth reflects his research on detecting lies.
Which writer, long left in the shadows, suggested the name Gotham City and was recognized by DC as a Batman co-creator in 2015?
Answer : Bill Finger
Long overshadowed by Bob Kane, he helped shape Batman's costume; DC made his co-creator credit official starting in 2015.
Which DC villain did Jack Kirby create in 1970 for his New Gods saga?
Answer : Darkseid
Darkseid first appeared in December 1970 in an issue of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, and he rules the planet Apokolips.
In which Marvel series does Wolverine first appear, in 1974?
Answer : The Incredible Hulk
Conceived by Roy Thomas, Len Wein and John Romita Sr., Wolverine fights Hulk in 1974 before joining the X-Men in 1975.
What is the name of the very first Flash, who debuted in 1940?
Answer : Jay Garrick
The Golden Age Flash, who debuted in Flash Comics #1 in January 1940, came sixteen years before Barry Allen.
Which artist illustrated Watchmen, published in 1986-1987, from a script by Alan Moore?
Answer : Dave Gibbons
This twelve-issue series, published by DC, became a landmark of the genre; Alan Moore wrote it and Dave Gibbons drew it.
Who is the very first Ant-Man in the Marvel comics?
Answer : Hank Pym
The scientist Hank Pym appeared in 1962, also became Giant-Man, and was one of the founding members of the Avengers in 1963.
Which DC limited series, published in 1985-1986, merged the parallel Earths of the multiverse into one?
Answer : Crisis on Infinite Earths
Written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by George Perez, this twelve-issue maxi-series streamlined DC's continuity.