“ | I'm a Kansas farmer's wife -- take more than you to scare me. You hurt my dog. Dug up my dear Jon. Wrecked my home. Afraid? No. How would Conner put it? Oh yeah... It's on! | „ |
~ Martha Kent. |
“ | The world needs a Superboy. | „ |
~ Martha Kent. |
Martha Kent (née Clark), also known as Ma Kent, is a fictional character in the DC comics and universe, and a supporting character in the Superman comics. The wife of Kansas farmer Jonathan Kent, Martha would help him raise their adoptive son Clark, who would become the legendary superhero, Superman.
She was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, first appearing in Superman #1 in June of 1939.
Background[]
She is the wife of Jonathan Kent and adoptive mother of Superman, also known as Clark Kent. Since they were unable to conceive a child of their own, when they found him as a baby inside of a strange rocket crashed to Earth they raised him as their son. Much later they learned he was the last surviving member of an alien race; when the planet Krypton was exploding, the boy's parents Jor-El and Lara chose to save him at the cost of their lives by sending him into space.
Ma and Pa Kent raised Clark on their farm in Smallville, Kansas. They were caring parents who instilled him with a deep sense of morality and American values. Eventually he began developing powers and they helped him create the alias Superboy. Although their boy has grown up and moved to the bustling city of Metropolis, he still frequently visits them.
Portrayals[]
Films[]
- In the 1948 serial Superman, she was played by the late Virginia Carroll.
- In Superman: The Movie, she was played by the late Phyllis Thaxter.
- In Superman Returns, she was played by Eva Marie Saint.
- In Superman: Doomsday, she was voiced by Swoosie Kurtz.
- In All-Star Superman, she was voiced by Frances Conroy, who also played Myrtle Snow and Shachath in American Horror Story.
- Conroy reprised her voice for the character in Superman: Unbound.
- In the DC Extended Universe, she was played by Diane Lane.
- In JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time, she was voiced by Erica Luttrell.
- In the upcoming movie Superman (2025), she will be portrayed by Neva Howell. The film will be set in the new DCU (DC Universe) multimedia franchise produced by James Gunn.
Television[]
- In the 1950s Adventures of Superman series, the late Frances Morris played "Sarah Kent".
- In It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman!, she was played by the late Irene Tedrow.
- In the 1980s Superman animated series, she was voiced by Tress MacNeille, who also voiced Gadget Hackwrench in Chip'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Anastasia Tremaine in the straight-to-DVD films of Cinderella, Chip Potts in House of Mouse, Miranda in Wizard of Oz, Maya and Lindsey Naegle in The Simpsons.
- In Superboy, she was played by Salome Jens.
- In Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, she was played by K Callan.
- In the DC Animated Universe, she was voiced by Shelley Fabares.
- Fabares reprised her voice for the character in Superman: Brainiac Attacks.
- In Smallville, she was played by Annette O'Toole.
- In Legion of Super Heroes, she was voiced by Jennifer Hale, who also voiced Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series, Bastila Shan in Star Wars: The Old Republic, Satele Shan in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Sam in Totally Spies! and Flora in Tak.
- Hale reprised her voice for the character in The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen.
- In DC Super Hero Girls, she was voiced by Helen Slater, who also played Supergirl in the titular 1984 film, and Billie Jean Davy in The Legend of Billie Jean.
- In Titans, she was played by Sarah Deakins.
Video Games[]
- In DC Universe Online, she was voiced by Diane Perella.
Gallery[]
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Heroes Kent Family Kryptonians Supporting Characters Super-Pets Theatrical Movies Direct-to-video Movies Television |