Superman made his first appearance in Action Comics #1 in June 1938, but his origins trace back to 1933, when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, then in high school, created the character as a villian who wanted to conquer the world. Superman was soon converted into a hero, with popular movies, actors, and comic strips of the era exerting an influence on the comic book adventures to come. What's significant about this cultural history for horror movie fans is that classic monsters debuted on the big screen shortly before superheroes. Dracula caused a sensation when it was released theatrically in February 1931, to the extent that some members of the audience fainted in shock at what they saw. Frankenstein, released in December of that year, was no less successful, followed soon thereafter by The Mummy (1932) and The Invisible Man (1933), and later by The Wolf Man (1941).
Nowadays, Universal Pictures is planning a whole new set of monster movies that will update the classic characters for the modern age. Will they have superpowers, like their comic-book brethren? Let's look at the past to get some tips for the future.
Dracula
In the mid-1960s, several comic book issues were pubished by Dell (above, left), in which a modern-day descendant of the original Count Dracula becomes a well-trained, very buff superhero with his own costume. Universal's 2014 version, Dracula Untold, also features a well-trained, very buff prince named Vlad (Luke Evans) who gains superpowers not normally associated with vampires.
Frankenstein
Mary B. Shelley's monster was portrayed as quite a fierce, frightening creature in the 1931 movie (although not as tall as in the poster above). After starring in multiple sequels and spinoffs, the monster's immortal heart travels to Japan in 1965's Frankenstein Conquers the World, where it is implanted into a boy who becomes a heroic character, if not quite a superhero. In 2014's I, Frankenstein, the monster is immortal and fights demons to protect mankind, employing superpowers to do so.
The titular creature in the 1932 film is rather a stiff monster, with limited flexibility and mobility. When Universal remade it in 1999, the mummy comes back to life as a deadly killing machine, intent only on bringing his lost love back to life. He's very close to being a superpowered villain, able to summon forth dark spirits to vanquish his foes.
The Invisible Man
Based on a novel by H.G. Wells, the 1933 original may be best remembered for its "state of the art" visual effects -- for the time! -- yet it's a terrifically nervy thriller. Going invisible brought out Kevin Bacon's worst inclinations in Hollow Man (above), which plays very much like a dark comic-book tale, while Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) used her invisiblity as a force for good in 2005's The Fantastic Four. We'll get another taste of invisibility when Kate Mara plays the character in this summer's superheroic Fantastic Four.
The Wolf Man
Although Werewolf of London preceded it by six years, the 1941 production was far more succesful and memorable, cementing a popular take on a tortured character. Forty years later, John Landis' An American Werewolf in London added humor and more extreme gore to the formula, but it wasn't until Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman's comic book series The Astounding Wolf-Man that the hairy hero gained superpowers.
