Why are Kryptonians and humans so similar in appearance?

Kryptonians and humans are pretty much indistinguishable from each other (as far as appearance goes anyways), and why is that? Has it ever been explained by DC? I'm the kind of douchebag who demands explanations for everything and won't settle with the answer "because it's comics" so I want to know. Could it be that humans and Kryptonians descend from a common ancestor? If I recall correctly, Kryptonians are a far older species than humans, which would in that case mean that humans descend from Kryptonians and not the other way around (take that, creationists?). Did some Kryptonian explorers visit Earth and ejaculated into the primordial ooze? Or would it be more plausible if they retconned Kryptonians so that they don't look that much like humans and Kal-El went through a similar "humanisation" that Klaatu went through in the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still to be able to blend in with the human civilisation?

Why does it need an explanation? They just do. If they didn't, then Superman would have trouble keeping his identity a secret.

Sometimes species can develop the same way in different places. Or so I've heard.

Maybe Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster wanted the kryptonians to be similar to humans in his appearence.

There is an explanation at the end of Superman: Red Son but that story isn't cannon.

Come on, Superman was created in the 30's. They had no idea he would be relevant and loved 75 years later, so they naturally didn't put THAT much thought into Kryptonians.

And sure, DC could've changed it later on, but considering the hate they got from removing his red underwear, it's probably wise not to give Kryptonians horns or tails or something. Ignore it and move on.

@mrshway88: Wasn't that where they sad Krypton was just Earth in the far distant future?

Otherwise no one could have related to Superman. Just look at Martian Manhunter.

Same reason why most fictional aliens have human or vaguely human appearances: it's easier to make emotional connection to the character.

Because they are master race

sieg heil

My thoughts are that Krypton and Earth are very similar to each other, therefore the predominant species on both planets would be very similar as well.

@joshmightbe: yep, thought it was a great twist

When I read that, I was like ":O!?"

Awesome twist, never would have expected it.

Since Superman gets his powers from our sun, would humans get powers if they were exposed to the Red Sun?

probably the same reason Hawkgirl looks like a human even though she's Thanagarian or some such

i kind of like the superman red son theory, that superman is actually a human from the far distant future where lex luthor and his descendants have advanced medical science to the point where humans are kryptonians, but its been so many years that the sun went supernova and kal-L is sent to space and is time displaced and you know the rest

Ha!

In mainstream continuity, that theory has about as much weight as the Atom's nads when he's shrunken (or when he's normal sized, not that I think about it. OH!).

this.

Humans come in a variety of shades Kryptonians all look europeanish.

Isn't there a Superman arc where his infant-self's ship crashes on Earth and then prompts his growth? Or something thereabouts.

I always thought it would be cool if Kryptonians looked alien, maybe even bipedal (so they weren't like 8' locusts), but Kal-El's ship, say, surveilled enough data about human physiology during its descent and altered his appearance to mimic humans (while retaining his Kryptonian nature). This would even further emphasize his alienation. (Ignore pun.)

Because the plot demands it.

nope. it is clearly shown in several origin sources that Kal-El's parents also looked human

Because Kryptonians and Humans are both descended from the Humans of a galaxy far far away that existed a long long time ago. Same goes with Asgard....

The same reason so many races in the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma quadrants look Humanoid in startrek!!!

The same reason there are so many humanoid races in Stargate!

considering how big the universe is, its not surprising that 2 or 3 races in a couple of thrillion look the same.

@cannotspellmyname: Well, pre-52 it was explained that much of the universe shared a common ancestry some how (which is why humanoid form's are so common). Specifically, the planets Krypton, Daxam, and Earth all share a very very close ancestry although whether this was from some form of ancient colonization or what not, I don't think is ever specifically explained.

Not true, in 1971, early on in the bronze age of comic books, Vathlo Island was introduced into comic book continuity. Vathlo was pretty much an analogue to Earth's Africa and home to a "highly developed Black Race." That description always makes me lol.

@onemoreposter:

My goodness...LOL! It is funny how we look back at things, I'm sure it was not considered insulting back then, nor meant to be. It shows how far we have come! ;)

Same reason they have dogs cats and possibly horses as well on krypton

I'm pretty sure theres a reason for all the human looking aliens in DC, isn't that they descended from the same race that was spread throughout the universe?

Maybe some kryptonian came to earth, and then they gave birth to the first cavemen, and then, as centuries passed, they adapted to the yellow sun, and therefor are no more powered by yellow sun energy.

@onemoreposter said:

@cannotspellmyname: Well, pre-52 it was explained that much of the universe shared a common ancestry some how (which is why humanoid form's are so common). Specifically, the planets Krypton, Daxam, and Earth all share a very very close ancestry although whether this was from some form of ancient colonization or what not, I don't think is ever specifically explained.

@turoksonofstone said:

Humans come in a variety of shades Kryptonians all look europeanish.

Not true, in 1971, early on in the bronze age of comic books, Vathlo Island was introduced into comic book continuity. Vathlo was pretty much an analogue to Earth's Africa and home to a "highly developed Black Race." That description always makes me lol.

I doubt this is cannon anymore but cool.

Roughly similar environments, perhaps?

Always thought that if Kal-El was sent to Earth, it was because he looked like a normal human so he could live among us without suspecting he is not from this world.

In the comics do they speak english as well? It really bugged me that they spoke english in the Man of Steel. They were go for a real take on the story but they made this alien race speak english.

I always liked the idea that they aren't and instead the rocket/sleep pod thing reworked Kal El's appearance to be more human by the time he arrived, and that all the recordings of Krypton were similarly reworked so he would understand them. But of course that theory goes to hell once Zod and other Kryptonians show up.

Because the writers want them to be similar in appearance.

Back in the 30s there was a pretty big expectation for any form of intelligent life out there in the universe to be either human or so close to human that you could cosplay as them with little effort. This current revived in the silver age, although this time more out of laziness from design departments.

there were actually a few black Kryptonians apparently

Possibly:

• Limited imagination on his creator's part, which may have been a sign of the times, Marston had Wonder Woman visit several planets and they were all populated by white humanoids with bondage kinks :)
• Understanding that people would have difficulty relating to something that didn't look human, just look at the Martian Manhunter, and he's just green.

This is being over-thought. Jor-EL picked Earth specifically for this reason (as someone mentioned before). If you want DC to try and explain the evolution of species to you - just pick up a book by Darwin and save everyone from some really boring comic book being made.

@toplel: For the purpose of a comic book - I'm gonna say yes..... can you imagine how big it would have to be to show Darwin's full evolution of the species? THen extend that out to the universe and vast alien races and potential evolutions..... I don't want to read that comic.

Similar evolutionary path?

@toplel: next to nothing as far as I know....

They do have Kryptionian apes, beppo the super monkey

eh....why GODS speak enligh?

Got it in one....