Avon 216 (1949). Possible Inspiration for Superman
First published in 1930, “Gladiator” concerns a scientist who invents a serum to "improve" humankind by granting the proportionate strength of an ant and the leaping ability of the grasshopper. The scientist injects his pregnant wife with the serum and his son, Hugo, is born with superhuman strength, speed, and bulletproof skin. Hugo spends much of the novel hiding his powers, rarely getting a chance to openly use them. The novel is widely assumed to have been an inspiration for Superman, though no confirmation exists that Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were influenced by it. The novel was made into a comedy movie in 1938 starring Joe E. Brown and released only two months after Superman first appeared on newsstands. [Source: Wikipedia]
Avon reprinted the novel in 1957 with a new cover:
www.flickr.com/photos/57440551@N03/14451759584/in/set-721...
Avon 216 (1949). Possible Inspiration for Superman
First published in 1930, “Gladiator” concerns a scientist who invents a serum to "improve" humankind by granting the proportionate strength of an ant and the leaping ability of the grasshopper. The scientist injects his pregnant wife with the serum and his son, Hugo, is born with superhuman strength, speed, and bulletproof skin. Hugo spends much of the novel hiding his powers, rarely getting a chance to openly use them. The novel is widely assumed to have been an inspiration for Superman, though no confirmation exists that Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were influenced by it. The novel was made into a comedy movie in 1938 starring Joe E. Brown and released only two months after Superman first appeared on newsstands. [Source: Wikipedia]
Avon reprinted the novel in 1957 with a new cover:
www.flickr.com/photos/57440551@N03/14451759584/in/set-721...