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| As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
Martha Kent is the adoptive mother of Superman.
History
Early Life
Martha spots a small rocket
Martha Clark Kent was a farmer in the small town of Smallville, Kansas. She and her husband, Jonathan, became the adoptive parents of the Kryptonian orphan Kal-El after finding the infant alien in a small rocket sent to Earth.[1] The Kents raised Kal-El as their own son under the name "Clark Kent".
During Clark's childhood, Martha was diagnosed with cancer, and underwent chemotherapy for the affliction; Clark was not told until well into her treatment, when a playground fight resulted in her wig being knocked off. Eventually, however, her cancer went into remission and she managed a full recovery.[2]
Doomsday Clock
In another version of history, Martha and Jonathan Kent died as the result of a car accident on the night of Clark's senior prom.[3]
Her death was revealed to have been caused by the actions of Doctor Manhattan, who in the past caused Alan Scott to be killed and thus prevented the Justice Society of America from existing. Clark thus never became a superhero as a kid. Inspired by Superman's words to be a hero however, Manhattan undid his alterations. This caused Alan Scott to survive and the JSA to exist, in-turn inspiring Clark to take up the mantle of Superboy as a kid and save his parents from being killed.[4]
In Hiding
It was later revealed that Batman had hidden them on a farm off the grid with the same technology he used to cloak the Batcave, before Clark revealed himself to the world to be Superman.[5][6]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Other Characteristics
- Cancer (Formerly)
Notes
- Ma Kent was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, first appearing in Superman #1. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Ma Kent first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Action Comics (Volume 2) #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales.
- The first appearance of Martha Kent in Prime Earth continuity was a photograph in Action Comics (Volume 2) #1. Her first full appearance was not until a flashback in Action Comics (Volume 2) #5.
Related
- 91 Appearances of Martha Clark (Prime Earth)
- 7 Images featuring Martha Clark (Prime Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Martha Clark (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Martha Clark (Prime Earth)
Footnotes