Superman

Siegel aspired to become a writer and Shuster aspired to become an illustrator.

In January 1933, Siegel published a short story in his magazine titled "The Reign of the Super-Man".

The titular character is a homeless man named Bill Dunn who is tricked by an evil scientist into consuming an experimental drug.

This prompted Siegel to revisit Superman as a comic strip character."...one of the things which spurred me into creating a "Superman" strip was something a syndicate editor said to me after I had been submitting various proposed comic strips to him.

Like Bill Dunn, the second prototype of Superman is given powers against his will by an unscrupulous scientist, but instead of psychic abilities, he acquires superhuman strength and bullet-proof skin.p. 30: "The hero of 'THE SUPERMAN' comic book strip was also given super-powers against his will by a scientist.

He fought crime with the fury of an outraged avenger." 50: "What, I thought, could be more sensational than a Superman who could fly through the air, who was impervious to flames, bullets, and a mob of enraged amok adversaries?" Additionally, this new Superman was a crime-fighting hero instead of a villain, because Siegel noted that comic strips with heroic protagonists tended to be more successful.