Superman - Crash landing in Smallville and on newsstands in 1938, Superman was designed to be the Man of Tomorrow, a man that was better than technology. After all, he was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and could leap tall buildings in a single bound. He pretty much puts to shame the latest technology of the 1930s, except for one. Superman is probably one of the most famous immigrants the world has ever known, rocketing to Earth when his planet went nuclear. Yet, a single technological advance on Earth made this possible: the jet engine, developed in 1930. The jet engine launched the world into a new age where people could reach the powers of Superman, thus giving readers reason to believe a man could fly. However, as technology continued to advance, and jet engines broke speed limits and sound barriers, Superman would be forced to keep up with technology. He would do this best and most famously in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, when he throws all of the world’s nuclear rockets into the sun and created one of the stupidest villains of all time, the solar-powered Superman doppleganger, Solar Man.