Siegel and Shuster have themselves discussed a number

On the other hand, Superman has been seen by others as being an analogy for Jesus, being a savior of humanity.[37][46][47][49][50] Furthermore, the surname Kent, in early 20th century real life, was a common Americanization of "Cohen," and Clark Kent's wimpy, bumbling persona strongly resembled the classic Yiddish schlemiel.

Whilst the term Übermensch, was initially coined by Friedrich Nietzsche and translated by Shaw as Superman, it is unclear how influential Nietzsche and his ideals were to Siegel and Shuster.[46] Les Daniels has speculated that "Siegel picked up the term from other science fiction writers who had casually employed it", further noting that "his concept is remembered by hundreds of millions who may barely know who Nietzsche is."[7] Others argue that Siegel and Shuster "could not have been unaware of an idea that would dominate Hitler's National Socialism. The concept was certainly well discussed."[51] Yet Jacobson and others point out that in many ways Superman and the Übermensch are polar opposites.[45] Nietzsche envisioned the Übermensch as a man who had transcended the limitations of society, religion, and conventional morality while still being fundamentally human. Superman, although an alien gifted with incredible powers, chooses to honor human moral codes and social mores. Nietzsche envisioned the perfect man as being beyond moral codes; Siegel and Shuster envisioned the perfect man as holding himself to a higher standard of adherence to them.[52]

Siegel and Shuster have themselves discussed a number of influences that impacted upon the character. Both were avid readers, and their mutual love of science fiction helped to drive their friendship. Siegel cited John Carter stories as an influence: "Carter was able to leap great distances because the planet Mars was smaller that the planet Earth; and he had great strength. I visualized the planet Krypton as a huge planet, much larger than Earth".[23] The pair were also avid collectors of comic strips in their youth, cutting them from the newspaper, with Winsor McCay's Little Nemo firing their imagination with its sense of fantasy.[53] Shuster has remarked on the artists which played an important part in the development of his own style, whilst also noting a larger influence: "Alex Raymond and Burne Hogarth were my idols – also Milt Caniff, Hal Foster, and Roy Crane. But the movies were the greatest influence on our imagination: especially the films of Douglas Fairbanks."[54] Fairbanks' role as Robin Hood in 1922 was certainly an inspiration since Shuster admitted to basing Superman's stance upon scenes from the movie.[55] The movies also influenced the storytelling and page layouts,[56] while the city of Metropolis was named in honor of the Fritz Lang motion picture of the same title