Superhero Day

About the event

April 28 is National Superhero Day, a day created by employees of Marvel Comics in 1995. The story behind it is worthy of a comic book in its own right: Marvel marketers in Pennsylvania put on capes, sent interns into the streets, and asked passersby what superpower they would most like to have. The answers split in two: some dreamed of flying like Superman, while others wanted the patience and courage of real people they admired. That is how a holiday was born that celebrates heroes on both sides of the page — the fictional ones and the real ones.

Superheroes on screen: what to expect in 2026

The year promises to be epic for both universes:

DC is betting on “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” (June 26) — the first solo Supergirl movie in more than 40 years. Milly Alcock stars in the lead role, Jason Momoa plays Lobo, and the story is inspired by Tom King’s darker comic run. In the fall comes “Clayface” — an unexpected body horror entry in the DC universe, written by Mike Flanagan, the creator of The Haunting of Hill House. There is also “Lanterns” on HBO, a series styled like True Detective, only with cosmic police officers.

Marvel answers with “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31) — the fourth Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland — and the year’s biggest event: “Avengers: Doomsday” (December 18). Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU, but now as a villain — Doctor Doom. The Russo brothers are back in the director’s chair. And on Disney+, there is season two of “Daredevil: Born Again” and the mini-series “Spider-Noir” with Nicolas Cage.

A brief timeline

• 1936 — the first superhero in history: The Phantom, created by Lee Falk for a newspaper strip. He introduced the now-iconic tight costume and mask.
• 1938 — Superman debuts in Action Comics #1. The beginning of an era.
• 1939 — Batman. The first hero without superpowers, but with a budget.
• 1941 — Captain America. He was originally almost named “Super-American.”
• 1962 — Spider-Man. A teenager with problems who became Marvel’s most human hero.
• 1978 — Superman with Christopher Reeve launches the era of superhero cinema.
• 2008 — Iron Man opens the MCU. You know the rest.

Five facts that will surprise even geeks

• The Hulk was supposed to be gray. He became green because of printing problems — gray reproduced unevenly, so Marvel switched to green, which turned out to be cheaper and brighter.
• The white eyes came from The Phantom. The first superhero was the one who introduced the iconic “white eyes” under the mask — a visual trick later adopted by Batman, Deadpool, and dozens of others.
• Gal Gadot filmed while pregnant. During battle scenes in Wonder Woman, she was five months pregnant. Her belly was covered with a green screen and removed in post-production.
• Amalgam Comics. In 1996–97, Marvel and DC released crossover comics where heroes were fused together: Dark Claw (Wolverine + Batman), Super Soldier (Captain America + Superman), and other impossible hybrids.
• Real heroes by the numbers. The AMBER Alert system, made possible in part by ordinary citizens, has helped rescue more than 1,100 children since its launch.

What to gift a superhero fan?

• A collectible comic book — a key issue from a favorite series in good condition. For serious fans, a graded slabbed copy.
• A figure or statue — Hot Toys, Funko Pop, or a LEGO set based on a favorite universe.
• A graphic novel — Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Marvels, or Tom King’s recent Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow before the movie premiere.
• A subscription to Marvel Unlimited or DC Universe Infinite — thousands of comics in one app.
• A cape + mask — sometimes the best gift is permission to be a kid again. Works at any age.
• Movie tickets — for Supergirl, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, or Avengers: Doomsday. Better early, before they sell out.