Martha Kent
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Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent (often referred to as "Pa" and "Ma" Kent, respectively) are fictional characters in
American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
published by
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. They are the adoptive parents of
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
, and live in the rural town of Smallville, Kansas. In most versions of Superman's origin story, Jonathan and Martha find
Kal-El Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
as an infant after he crash-lands on Earth following the destruction of his home planet,
Krypton Krypton (from 'the hidden one') is a chemical element; it has symbol (chemistry), symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless noble gas that occurs in trace element, trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere, atmosphere and is of ...
. They adopt him shortly thereafter, renaming him Clark Kent, "Clark" being Martha's
maiden name When a person (traditionally the wife in many cultures) assumes the family name of their spouse, in some countries and cultures that name replaces the person's previous surname, which in the case of the wife is called the maiden name ("birth name" ...
. The Kents are usually portrayed as loving parents who instill within Clark a strong moral compass, and they encourage Clark to use his powers for the betterment of humanity. In some continuities, Martha is also the one who creates Clark's superhero costume, often from the baby blankets Clark's biological parents had swaddled him in before enclosing him in the capsule, which are found to withstand virtually all hazards. In pre-
Crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...
continuity, the Kents die shortly after Clark's
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
graduation.''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' #161 (May 1963)
In post-Crisis continuity, they both remain alive even after Clark becomes an adult, being supporting characters until Jonathan's death during an attack by the supervillain Brainiac.''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as Detective Comics Inc., which later merged into National ...
'' #870 (December 2008)
Martha remains a supporting character in ''Superman'' comics until 2011's "
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
" continuity reboot, in which both she and her husband are deceased, having been killed by a drunk driver, although this accident was later revealed to be the work of
Doctor Manhattan Doctor Manhattan (Dr. Jonathan "Jon" Osterman) is a fictional DC Comics character created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons. He debuted in the graphic novel, limited Limited series (comics), series graphic novel, ''Watchmen.'' Follo ...
of the ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'' universe, specifically to see how Clark would fare in becoming Superman without their guidance. They are brought back to life in 2019, in the aftermath of the "
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 (2011–2016) initiative in May 2016 as its launching point ...
" relaunch.
Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006), known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-born American actor. He was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of th ...
and
Phyllis Thaxter Phyllis St. Felix Thaxter (November 20, 1919 – August 14, 2012) was an American actress. She is best known for portraying Ellen Lawson in '' Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' (1944) and Martha "Ma" Kent in ''Superman'' (1978). She also appeared in ' ...
portrayed Jonathan and Martha in the 1978 film '' Superman: The Movie''.
Annette O'Toole Annette O'Toole (born Annette Toole; April 1, 1952) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She is known for portraying Lisa Bridges in t ...
and John Schneider portrayed the couple in the 2001 series ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
''.
Eva Marie Saint Eva Marie Saint (born July 4, 1924) is an American retired actress. In a career that spanned nearly 80 years, she won an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for a Golden Globe Award and two British Academy Film Awa ...
portrayed Martha in the 2006 film ''
Superman Returns ''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer, and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris, based on the DC Comics character Superman. It serves as a homage ...
''.
Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Costner, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primeti ...
and
Diane Lane Diane Lane (born January 22, 1965) is an American actress. Her accolades include nominations for an Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Lane made her film debut in George Roy Hill's 1979 film '' A Littl ...
portray Jonathan and Martha Kent in the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...
.
Michele Scarabelli Michele Scarabelli (born April 11, 1955) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Tenctonese Newcomer Susan Francisco on the Fox sci-fi TV series '' Alien Nation'' and the five television movies that followed. Career Scarabelli ...
and Fred Henderson portray the couple in the 2021 series ''
Superman & Lois ''Superman & Lois'' is an American superhero drama television series developed for The CW by Todd Helbing and Greg Berlanti, based on the DC Comics characters Superman and Lois Lane, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Tyler Hoechlin and ...
''.
Pruitt Taylor Vince Pruitt Taylor Vince (born July 5, 1960) is an American actor. Often classified as a character actor, he made his film debut with a supporting role in '' Angel Heart'' (1987). After supporting roles in the films ''Mississippi Burning'' (1988), ' ...
and Neva Howell will portray Jonathan and Martha in the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
film ''Superman'' (2025).


Biography


Golden and Silver Age versions

Although a "passing motorist" is described as having found the infant
Kal-El Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
in the character's first appearance in 1938's ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as Detective Comics Inc., which later merged into National ...
'' #1, 1939's ''Superman'' #1 introduces Superman's adoptive parents to the mythos, with "Mary Kent" being the only parent given a name. The Kents' first names vary in stories from the 1940s. A 1942 Superman novel, ''The Adventures of Superman'' by George Lowther, gave the names "Eben and Sarah Kent"; Eben and Martha Kent were used in the 1948 ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' film serial; while Eben and Sarah Kent were used in the 1952 première of ''
Adventures of Superman Adventures of Superman or The Adventures of Superman may refer to: * ''The Adventures of Superman'' (radio series), program of the 1940s * ''The Adventures of Superman'' (novel), written in 1942 by George Lowther * ''Adventures of Superman'' (TV s ...
'' television series, but the first extensive retelling of Superman's origin in ''Superman'' #53 (July–August 1948, billed as the "10th Anniversary Issue!") names them "John and Mary Kent". This issue firmly establishes that it is the Kents who discover the infant Kal-El. The Kents take him to a "home for foundlings" and express an interest in adopting him, to which the home readily agrees after suffering the disruption of the infant's growing abilities. This story also establishes that "Clark" is Mary Kent's maiden name. Mary and John Kent die of natural causes as "Clark grew to manhood", with John on his deathbed imploring Clark to become "a powerful force for good" and suggesting that Clark is a "Superman", a name adopted by Clark in the story's final panel. Oddly, no mention of "Superboy" is included, though that feature had already been established. Pa Kent is first named Jonathan in ''Adventure Comics'' v1 #149 (Feb 1950). Ma Kent is first named Marthe in ''Superboy'' v1 #12 (Jan-Feb 1951) and Martha in subsequent appearances. Her full name is given as Martha Hudson Clark Kent in answer to a letter writer's query in ''Superman'' v1 #148 (Oct 1961). Later stories, after the early 1960s introduction of DC's
Multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describ ...
system, declare that the early version of the Kents are named "John and Mary Kent" and live on the world of "
Earth-Two Earth-Two (also Earth 2) is a setting for stories (a "fictional universe") appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''The Flash'' #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between the original ...
", home of the
Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...
DC superheroes, while the more modern Jonathan and Martha Kent live on the world of "
Earth-One Earth-One (also Earth-1) is a name given to two fictional universes (the Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis versions of the same universe) that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. The first Earth-One was given its name i ...
", home of the
Silver Age The Ages of Man are the historical stages of human existence according to Greek mythology and its subsequent interpretatio romana, Roman interpretation. Both Hesiod and Ovid offered accounts of the successive ages of humanity, which tend to pr ...
DC superheroes. The Kents made few appearances in ''Superman'' stories until the introduction of the ''
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
'' comic book series in 1949. In this series, they are regular supporting characters of the teenage superhero. The ''Superboy'' stories establish the Kents' backstory. Jonathan, a former
race car Race, RACE or The Race may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
driver,''
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
'' #196 (September 1973)
is a
farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer ...
on a
farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
just outside
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
. After he and Martha find the toddler
Kal-El Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
in his rocket, they take him to the Smallville
Orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...
and later formally adopt him, naming him "Clark". They soon discover that Clark possesses a fantastic array of superpowers. Around the time Clark starts school, the Kents sell their farm, and the family moves into Smallville, where they open a
general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...
.''Superboy'' #78 (January 1960) During Clark's early grade school years, Jonathan trains young Clark in the use of his superpowers to the best of his knowledge while urging him to keep the use of his powers a secret. At the age of eight,''New Adventures of Superboy'' #1 (January 1980) Clark begins a superhero career as Superboy. Martha creates Superboy's costume out of the blankets inside the rocket that brought him to
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
, and Jonathan helps him to create a means of making Superboy and Clark appear to be different people by developing Clark's
secret identity A secret identity is a person's code name, cryptonym, disguise, incognito, Cover (intelligence gathering), cover and/or alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pi ...
as a mild-mannered, reserved individual. The Kents assist their adopted son on many adventures as Superboy. In Superman #161 (May 1963), the story "The Last Days of Ma and Pa Kent" was released explaining how they died after exposure to the "Plague Disease" after Jonathan found a buried pirate chest on a Caribbean island while he and Martha were on vacation there. The original owner of the chest, Peg-leg Morgan, had buried the items before he died of the same disease. The Kents were exposed to the disease at that time. At this time, the Kents were still shown as elderly. This conflicts with their rejuvenation to a younger age in Superboy #145 (March 1968). In ''Superboy'' vol. 1 #145 (March 1968), Jonathan and Martha are rejuvenated physically and appear younger due to the influence of an alien serum. After this, Jonathan and Martha were drawn by artists as late
middle-aged Middle age (or middle adulthood) is the age range of the years halfway between childhood and old age. The exact range is subject to public debate, but the term is commonly used to denote the age range from 45 to 65 years. Overall This time span ...
— as opposed to
elderly Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...
— in appearance until Superman's 1986 reboot. (''Action Comics'' #500 recounts that the serum eventually wore off just before Clark's high school graduation, and the Kents gradually reverted to their true ages and elderly appearances.) After Clark graduates from high school, Jonathan and Martha take a vacation to the
Caribbean Islands Most of the Caribbean countries are islands in the Caribbean Sea, with only a few in inland lakes. The largest islands include Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Some of the smaller islands are referred to as a ''rock'' or ''reef.'' ''I ...
, where they contract a fatal tropical disease after handling materials from a
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
's treasure chest they had exhumed; despite Superboy's best efforts, Martha dies, with Jonathan dying soon thereafter. Before dying, Jonathan reminds Clark that he must always use his powers for the benefit of humanity. Clark mourns his parents and moves to
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
to attend college. In ''Superman'' and ''Superboy'' stories prior to 1986, both the Kents die before the beginning of Clark's adult career as Superman. However, Jonathan did receive one opportunity to see his adopted son as the Man of Steel. After Superboy assists a group of interplanetary farmers from an alien world, they repay him by granting Jonathan's subconscious desire to see Clark in the future as Superman. Using their advanced technology, they place an artificially aged Jonathan years into the future, warping reality to make it appear that he had never died, and had maintained contact with his son all along. After spending 30 hours in the future with his adult son, Jonathan is returned by the aliens to his proper time period. The incident is removed from everyone's conscious memory, and the timeline is restored to normal.


Modern Age versions


''The Man of Steel''

After comics writer John Byrne rewrote Superman's origin in the 1986 '' The Man of Steel''
limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
, one of the changes he made was keeping Jonathan and Martha Kent alive into Clark's adulthood. The Kents have the same role as in the earlier stories, instilling within Clark the morals needed to become a strong and heroic figure. A
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
/Superman team-up that was written to explain why the Legion still exists even without Superboy confirms that post-''
Crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...
'' Jonathan and Martha Kent are younger than their pre-''Crisis'' counterparts, explaining in part why they live on in Clark's adult life. In this version of events, after a
Kryptonian Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race within the DC Comics universe that originated on the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman. The stories also use "Kryptonian" as an adjective to ref ...
"birthing matrix" lands on
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
, Jonathan and Martha find a newborn infant inside. Taking the infant in just before a major
snowstorm A winter storm (also known as snow storm) is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, Rain and snow mixed, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In Continental cl ...
strikes, the couple decides to pass the infant off as their biological child, naming him "Clark", exploiting Martha's past miscarriages to justify their decision to keep their 'latest pregnancy' a secret. Clark's powers slowly develop, with his powers fully emerging once he reaches his late teens. After Clark's high school graduation, the Kents tell Clark about his true origins, and Clark leaves Smallville to explore the outside world. After Clark moves to
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
, Jonathan and Martha help Clark to create a superhero identity. They are later present when Clark finally discovers a holographic message in his ship from his biological father,
Jor-El Jor-El is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in the Superman (comic strip), ''Superman'' newspaper comic strip in 1939. Jor-El is Supe ...
; prior to this the Kents had assumed that the ship was from another country's space program. In the ''Man of Steel'' mini-series and afterwards, the Kents remain farmers through Clark's adult years, although a storyline features them having opened a general store in Smallville. Although Jonathan is still alive in the comics, he suffers a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
after ''
The Death of Superman "The Death of Superman" is a crossover story event mostly featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and ...
'' storyline, and he meets Clark in the afterlife and encourages him to return to life with him, suggested to be one of several factors that allowed Superman to return to life. The Kents' post-''Crisis'' history is more fully fleshed out in the late 1980s limited series ''The World of Smallville'', with Jonathan's ancestors' history more fully explored in the 1990s limited series ''
The Kents ''The Kents'' is the title of a 12-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics, from August 1997 to July 1998. The story concerns a troubled generation of ancestors to Jonathan "Pa" Kent (Superman's adoptive father). Set in the mid t ...
'', which reveals that the Kent family were resolute
abolitionists Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. T ...
who moved to Kansas to participate in the fight to establish it as a Free State during that region's violent pre-
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
period known as
Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...
. Following Clark reaching adulthood and moving to Metropolis, the Kents continue to play a prominent role in Clark's life, and also in the lives of his extended alien family. When the Matrix Supergirl arrives on earth, she moves in for a time with the Kents, who treat her a like a daughter despite such issues as her relationship with Lex Luthor and her own guilt about 'subverting' the life of
Linda Danvers Linda Danvers, also known as Supergirl, is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Peter David and artist Gary Frank, she debuted in ''Supergirl'' (vol. 4) #1 (September 1996). She is not to ...
when Matrix unwittingly merged with the dying Linda. After Supergirl revealed that part of her life to the Kents, Jonathan visited the Danvers to help Linda's father Fred adapt to their mutual daughter's unconventional status. The Kents later take in Clark's half-clone,
Kon-El Conner Kent is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared as a modern variation of Superboy in ''The Adventures of Superman (comic book), The Adventures of Superman'' #500 (June 1993), and ...
, also known as Superboy. They give him the name Conner Kent and care for him in much the same was as they did Clark. However, Conner is not Clark, and while he appreciates everything the Kents did, he does not much like living on a farm. The couple find themselves childless again when Conner dies during ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
''. Afterwards, Clark's cousin
Kara Zor-El Supergirl (real name Kara Zor-El) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Otto Binder and designed by Al Plastino. Danvers first appeared in the story "The Supergirl from Krypton" in ''Ac ...
visits, questioning the Kents as to why Clark never asked that she live with them. The Kents also help
Lois Lois is a common English name from the New Testament. Paul the Apostle mentions Lois, the pious grandmother of Saint Timothy in the Second Epistle to Timothy (commending her for her faith in 2 Timothy 1:5). The name was first used by English C ...
and Clark in dealing with their adopted son, Chris Kent.


''Birthright''

The Kents were again altered in 2003's '' Superman: Birthright''
limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
by
Mark Waid Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Da ...
, which again revised Superman's origins. Jonathan is portrayed as having a more strained relationship with his son, mainly due to Jonathan's childhood experiences with his overbearing father, and he and Martha are depicted as far younger at the time of Clark adopting his Superman identity than in past portrayals, appearing here to be scarcely middle-aged. The Kents' appearances were altered to resemble the younger versions of John Schneider and
Annette O'Toole Annette O'Toole (born Annette Toole; April 1, 1952) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She is known for portraying Lisa Bridges in t ...
, who portray the Kents in the ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
'' television series. Although now shown wearing glasses, Jonathan has a full head of blond hair, and Martha has long red tresses. This younger portrayal of the Kents has persisted in the regular
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
since ''Birthright'' was published.


After ''Birthright''

After the "
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
" storyline, Superman's continuity was revised yet again from the ''Birthright'' origin, as briefly summarized in ''Action Comics'' #850. Although various aspects of his past are
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
ned from the ''Birthright'' version, there is little to indicate that the Kents themselves have been changed. They are initially still depicted with younger appearances and the Schneider and O'Toole likenesses; however, this eventually gives way to older, more traditionally generic, gray-haired representations. A new origin story for Superman was revealed in
Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash (comics), Flash, and Superman has drawn critical accl ...
and Gary Frank (artist), Gary Frank's ''Superman: Secret Origin''. This origin for the most part follows closely with the Silver Age history. For example, Clark's Superboy storyline is re-introduced, as is his history with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Also, unlike ''Birthright'', Jonathan is shown to have an equal standing as Martha in helping Clark create his heroic identity. Martha and Jonathan are the ones who suggest Clark dons a superhero costume, which initially Clark is not fond of. When Clark feels different from native Earth children, Martha relates with a story of her own family coming to terms in America, having emigrated from Germany long ago. In this version, the Kents are both shown to already have graying hair when they find the baby Kal-El, but are still drawn to be considerably younger, more in-tune to their ''Birthright'' counterparts; as the miniseries progresses into Clark's adulthood and debut as Superman, they visibly age and their appearances come to match those in ''The Man of Steel''. This version also had Kal-El's spaceship not sensitive to Kryptonian DNA; anyone who got within proximity of the ship was shown a prerecorded message left by Jor-El and Lara, as well as scenes of Kryptonian life. At the conclusion of the "Brainiac (story arc), Brainiac" story arc, Jonathan suffers a fatal heart attack during Brainiac's attack on Earth's sun. His funeral, attended by all his family and friends from Smallville, is shown in the ''Superman: New Krypton, Superman: New Krypton Special'' in which Martha, refusing to be a hindrance for their son, asks Clark to leave her alone at the farm and go attend the more pressing matter of Kandor (comics), Kandor's restoration and transformation in New Krypton. Despite her reassurances to Clark that she will be okay, Martha begins to suffer from loneliness at being alone on the Kent farm. Sensing that Martha needed a friend, and also feeling lonely without Clark, Krypto arrives on the front porch, offering Martha much needed companionship. Following the "Final Crisis" storyline, Clark returns from the 31st century along with a newly resurrected Conner Kent. Conner moves back in with Martha, finding a new appreciation for Smallville and the farm, following his death. This further helps to assuage Martha's loneliness, as she states that she disliked living in a "quiet" house. During the 2009 "Blackest Night" storyline, the Superman (Earth-Two), Earth-Two Superman is resurrected as a Black Lantern and goes on a killing spree through Smallville, culminating with the abduction of Jonathan's coffin from his grave, and the kidnapping of Martha by the Black Lantern Lois Lane#Earth-Two version, Lois Lane of Earth-Two. While Conner and Clark deal with Earth-Two Superman, Martha is left to deal with the Black Lantern Lois, who chases Martha into the cornfield. However, Martha fights back against Black Lantern Lois, with the help of Krypto. Together, the two of them light the cornfield on fire, and Krypto temporarily severs Lois' connection to the Black Lantern Ring, allowing for Martha to survive. Following ''Blackest Night'' and the destruction of New Krypton, Superman set out to walk across America to re-establish a personal connection with the human race, feeling that he needed to remember what it was to be human after his time on New Krypton and the loss of his father. When talking about Superman's recent emotional upheaval during his walk, Batman speculates that part of the problem is that Clark never experienced personal loss prior to Jonathan's death (Krypton's destruction having occurred when he was too young to remember or have emotional investment), although he is confident that his friend will come through recent events. Later on, Lex Luthor briefly acquires near-omnipotent power and attempts to drive Superman mad by forcing him to experience the human emotions he believed the alien merely faked to blend in with humanity, only to become outraged when his probing of his enemy's mind revealed that Superman's defining moment of tragedy was Jonathan's death, as he could not accept that his enemy was raised by humans or had such a good upbringing compared to his own anguished relationship with his father.


The New 52

In ''
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
'' (a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe), both Jonathan and Martha Kent have died following an incident with a drunk driver and Clark Kent has to grow into his role as
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
without them.


DC Rebirth

In ''Doomsday Clock (comics), Doomsday Clock'', it is revealed that
Doctor Manhattan Doctor Manhattan (Dr. Jonathan "Jon" Osterman) is a fictional DC Comics character created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons. He debuted in the graphic novel, limited Limited series (comics), series graphic novel, ''Watchmen.'' Follo ...
caused ''The New 52'' reboot and facilitated the Kents' deaths. They are resurrected when Superman convinces Manhattan to undo his changes to the timeline.


Other versions

The Kent's Earth-Three counterparts appear briefly in the 2013–2014 "Forever Evil" storyline as part of Ultraman (DC Comics), Ultraman's origin. Young Jonathan and Martha Kent of Earth-Three are drug addicts in an abusive relationship. One day, while Jonathan is threatening Martha with a knife, Ultraman's space pod crash lands on their farm. Young Ultraman decides to blend into society until he is ready to conquer the planet, and forces Jonathan and Martha to act as his parents. It is revealed that sometime around the age of seven, Ultraman murders the Kents and burns down their farm, but keeps the name Clark Kent. In ''Superman: Earth One'' universe, Jonathan and Martha find the Kryptonian pod while hiking. In the prequel to the video game ''Injustice: Gods Among Us'', the President of the United States hires Mirror Master and a team of commandos to kidnap Jonathan and Martha to use them as bargaining chips in an attempt to end Superman's enforced peacekeeping. Superman and the Justice League successfully rescue them and Clark places them in the Fortress of Solitude to protect them after the government burned down Kent farm. When the Insurgency breaks into the Fortress to retrieve the super pill, Green Arrow accidentally hits Jonathan in the shoulder with one of his arrows when trying to combat Superman. Clark brutally beats Oliver to death, and Martha takes one of the pills to end his assault. The two confront their son over his unapologetic and dictatorial methods with Jor-El's hologram appearing and agreeing with the Kents that Clark has gone too far. As Superman ignores their pleads and flies out of the Fortress, the two apologize to Jor-El for failing to raise him properly while Jor-El apologizes to them for unleashing Kal-El onto this world. In the prequel to the Injustice 2, game's sequel, the Kents still live in the Fortress of Solitude knowing they would be persecuted for their son's actions if they returned to Smallville. When the heroes arrive to free the Teen Titans from the Phantom Zone, they allow all of them in except for Harley Quinn.


In other media


Television


Animation

* Jonathan Kent appears in the Superboy segments of ''The New Adventures of Superman (TV series), The New Adventures of Superman''. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''Superman (TV series), Superman'' (1988), voiced by Alan Oppenheimer and Tress MacNeille respectively. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced by Shelley Fabares and Mike Farrell respectively. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. ** The Kents first appear in ''Superman: The Animated Series''. These versions, in addition to raising Superman, also adopted Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Supergirl after she was rescued from Argo. ** The Kents also appear in ''Justice League (TV series), Justice League'', first in "Hereafter" attending Superman's funeral, and later in "Comfort and Joy", where Superman and Martian Manhunter, J'onn J'onzz visit them during Christmas. * Martha Kent appears in ''Legion of Super Heroes (TV series), Legion of Super Heroes'', voiced by Jennifer Hale. Additionally, Jonathan appears in a photograph depicted in the episode "Fear Factory". * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''Young Justice (TV series), Young Justice'', voiced by Mark Rolston and Zehra Fazal respectively. * Martha Kent appears in the ''Super Best Friends Forever'' episode "Grounded" (as part of ''DC Nation Shorts''). * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''DC Super Hero Girls'', voiced by Dean Cain and Helen Slater respectively. * Jonathan Kent makes a cameo appearance in the ''Justice League Action'' episode "Harley Goes Ape!", voiced by an uncredited actor. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in the ''Teen Titans Go!'' episode "Orangins". * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''My Adventures with Superman'', voiced by Reid Scott (actor), Reid Scott and Kari Wahlgren respectively.


Live-action

* Eben and Sarah Kent appear in ''
Adventures of Superman Adventures of Superman or The Adventures of Superman may refer to: * ''The Adventures of Superman'' (radio series), program of the 1940s * ''The Adventures of Superman'' (novel), written in 1942 by George Lowther * ''Adventures of Superman'' (TV s ...
'' (1952), portrayed by Tom Fadden and Frances Morris (actress), Frances Morris. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman, It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman!'', portrayed by George Chandler and Irene Tedrow. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''Superboy (TV series), Superboy'', portrayed by Stuart Whitman and Salome Jens. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', portrayed by Eddie Jones (actor), Eddie Jones and K Callan respectively. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
'', portrayed by John Schneider and
Annette O'Toole Annette O'Toole (born Annette Toole; April 1, 1952) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She is known for portraying Lisa Bridges in t ...
respectively. This version of the Kents are in their early 40s at the start of the series. Jonathan runs for and wins as Senator against Lex Luthor (Smallville), Lex Luthor. At the night of the election, he dies of a heart attack. Martha becomes a Senator herself afterwards, working to protect Clark Kent (Smallville), Clark against Amanda Waller under the alias of Red Queen. She eventually marries Perry White. * Martha Kent appears in a flashback in the ''Titans (2018 TV series), Titans'' episode "Conner", portrayed by Sarah Deakins. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''
Superman & Lois ''Superman & Lois'' is an American superhero drama television series developed for The CW by Todd Helbing and Greg Berlanti, based on the DC Comics characters Superman and Lois Lane, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Tyler Hoechlin and ...
'', portrayed by Fred Henderson and
Michele Scarabelli Michele Scarabelli (born April 11, 1955) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Tenctonese Newcomer Susan Francisco on the Fox sci-fi TV series '' Alien Nation'' and the five television movies that followed. Career Scarabelli ...
respectively. Jonathan died of a heart attack while Clark was still a teenager, which Clark mentions influenced his decision to leave Smallville after he graduated. Martha continued to provide guidance to Clark as he became Superman and eventually a father to his own twin sons with Lois, Jonathan and Jordan. In the pilot episode, after Martha dies of a stroke, Clark and Lois learn from Lana Lang that Martha had a reverse mortgage on the farm to help with her neighbors' financial troubles, and to raise college funding for the twins, leading the couple to decide to purchase and move their family to the Kent farm.


Film


Animation

* Martha Kent appears in ''Superman: Doomsday'', voiced by Swoosie Kurtz. In this film, Jonathan has been dead for many years. * Jonathan and Martha Kent make a non-speaking appearance in ''Superman/Batman: Apocalypse''. * Martha Kent appears in ''All-Star Superman (film), All-Star Superman'', voiced by Frances Conroy. * Martha Kent appears in ''Superman: Unbound'', voiced again by Frances Conroy. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''Superman: Brainiac Attacks,'' voiced again by Mike Farrell and Shelley Fabares respectively. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''Superman vs. The Elite'', with Jonathan voiced by Paul Eiding while Martha appears briefly with no dialogue. * Jonathan and Martha Kent make non-speaking cameo appearances in ''Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox''. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time'', voiced by Tom Gibis and Erica Luttrell respectively. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year'', voiced by Dean Cain and Helen Slater respectively. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in the DC Animated Movie Universe films ''The Death of Superman (film), The Death of Superman'' (2018) and ''Reign of the Supermen (film), Reign of the Supermen'', voiced again by Paul Eiding and Jennifer Hale respectively. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''Superman: Man of Tomorrow'' (2020), voiced by Neil Flynn and Bellamy Young respectively. * Jonathan Kent appears in ''Injustice (2021 film), Injustice'', voiced by Kevin Pollak. When Superman starts to take extreme actions to ensure that peace is made throughout the world, the U.S. government hires Mirror Master to lead some soldiers into abducting Jonathan Kent. Superman was able to use Mirror Master's belt to rescue him offscreen. During the Insurgency's raid on the Fortress of Solitude, they run into Jonathan Kent. When Superman attacks the Insurgency with help from the League of Assassins, Green Arrow fires an arrow at Superman only for Superman to accidentally deflect it into Jonathan Kent causing Superman to kill Green Arrow. In his final moments, Jonathan tells Superman not to blame the Insurgency for his accidental death.


Live-action

* Eben and Martha Kent appear in the ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' serial, portrayed by Edward Cassidy and Virginia Carroll. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''Superman (1978 film), Superman'' (1978), portrayed by
Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006), known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-born American actor. He was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of th ...
and
Phyllis Thaxter Phyllis St. Felix Thaxter (November 20, 1919 – August 14, 2012) was an American actress. She is best known for portraying Ellen Lawson in '' Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' (1944) and Martha "Ma" Kent in ''Superman'' (1978). She also appeared in ' ...
. This version of Jonathan dies of a heart attack shortly after giving Clark guidance of his purpose on Earth, which inspires him to create the Fortress of Solitude, and later defying Jor-El's warnings by reversing time to prevent Lois's death. Martha is indicated by Lana Lang to have died in ''Superman III'' (1983), and Clark sells the farm in the beginning of ''Superman IV: The Quest for Peace''. * Martha Kent appears in ''
Superman Returns ''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer, and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris, based on the DC Comics character Superman. It serves as a homage ...
'' (2006), portrayed by
Eva Marie Saint Eva Marie Saint (born July 4, 1924) is an American retired actress. In a career that spanned nearly 80 years, she won an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for a Golden Globe Award and two British Academy Film Awa ...
. Jonathan Kent also appears in photographs. * Jonathan and Martha Kent will appear in ''Superman (2025 film), Superman'' (2025), respectively portrayed by
Pruitt Taylor Vince Pruitt Taylor Vince (born July 5, 1960) is an American actor. Often classified as a character actor, he made his film debut with a supporting role in '' Angel Heart'' (1987). After supporting roles in the films ''Mississippi Burning'' (1988), ' ...
and Neva Howell.


DC Extended Universe

* Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...
, portrayed by
Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Costner, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primeti ...
and
Diane Lane Diane Lane (born January 22, 1965) is an American actress. Her accolades include nominations for an Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Lane made her film debut in George Roy Hill's 1979 film '' A Littl ...
and first appearing in the 2013 film ''Man of Steel (film), Man of Steel''. As a boy, Martha consoles Clark when his powers threaten to overwhelm him. Conflict exists between Clark's desire to use his powers to help others and Jonathan's desire to keep them secret. When Clark grows into adulthood, the two are further at odds over Clark's desire to go out into the world, while Jonathan prefers that he continue the family farm. Ultimately, Jonathan is killed in a tornado, refusing to let Clark save him. Years later, when General Zod and other Phantom Zone criminals arrive on Earth and demand from Martha the location of the spacecraft that brought Clark to Earth, Martha refuses to cooperate, and is saved only by the timely intervention of her son. * In ''Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'', Lex Luthor has Martha kidnapped and held hostage by KGBeast, Anatoli Knyazev to forces Superman to fight Batman. Superman convinces Batman to join forces against Luthor, and Batman rescues Martha. After Doomsday (DC Comics), Doomsday kills Superman, he is buried next to Jonathan. * In ''Justice League (film), Justice League'', Martha sells the Kent farm, as she cannot afford bank fees and no longer has an attachment to Smallville following her son's death. When Superman is resurrected, she joyously reunites with him, and Bruce Wayne (DC Extended Universe), Bruce Wayne buys the bank Martha owed money to, allowing her to keep the farm. In ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'', Martian Manhunter (DC Extended Universe), Martian Manhunter disguises himself as Martha to convince Lois Lane (DC Extended Universe), Lois Lane to re-enter society.


Video games

* Jonathan and Martha Kent appear in ''DC Universe Online'', voiced by Brandon Young and Diane Perella respectively. * Jonathan and Martha Kent appear as character summons in ''Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.


Notes


References


External links


Supermanica: Jonathan and Martha Kent
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, Jonathan and Martha Characters created by Jerry Siegel Characters created by Joe Shuster Comics characters introduced in 1939 DC Comics female characters DC Comics film characters DC Comics male characters Fictional characters from Kansas Fictional farmers Fictional married couples Fictional mayors Fictional shopkeepers Fictional United States senators Superman characters