10 Things About Superman That Make No Sense

Like Kryptonite, the “S” sigil is yet another element piece of the Superman mythos that has taken on a life of its own in the minds of the millions who’ve worn this symbol. Ironically, it’s been this very quality of Superman’s symbol that has accurately represented the convoluted history it has previously had in maintaining a singular meaning.

The first meaning that the symbol ever took was pretty basic - the symbol simply stood for “Superman.” Years later, however, this would be ret-conned to become the house crest for the House of El family.

This was changed once again when the symbol was introduced not through Superman’s biological parents, but through his adoptive ones. Here, the “S” would come to represent the image of a snake - an animal that represents healing for a Native American tribe that had previously known a Kent family ancestor.

This idea didn’t last either, though, and it became the family crest for the House of El once more - this time being translated as the Kryptonian sign for hope.

Looking back, it's partially hilarious to see such twists and turns in the history of this icon piece of pop-culture, but it's also further proof that sometimes it’s just best to take a page out of Batman’s book and let the symbol speak for itself.