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Fandom

The first Superman was a homeless man tricked into taking a drug, and Jerry Siegel wrote him as a villain in 1933. Fandom follows the characters and the people who love them. Fans saved Star Trek from cancellation in 1968, and Firefly fans later earned the movie Serenity. Doctor Who first aired 80 seconds late on November 23, 1963. In 1939, two fans wore costumes to a convention and found they were the only ones. Japan's otaku are here too. In a 2013 survey, 42.2% of teens called themselves some type of otaku.

  • BatmanIn September 2024, Batman became the first fictional superhero to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
  • Frodo BagginsFrodo Baggins reached Mount Doom and then claimed the Ring. Gollum bit off his finger and fell into the fire.
  • SupermanThe first Superman was a homeless man tricked into taking a drug. Jerry Siegel wrote him as a villain in 1933.
  • Darth VaderThe actor inside Darth Vader's suit never knew his voice would be replaced. James Earl Jones voiced him instead.
  • Princess LeiaPrincess Leia began as a spoiled teenage princess in George Lucas's early drafts.
  • Fan fictionFifty Shades of Grey began as Twilight fan fiction. E. L. James renamed the characters to publish it.
  • Wonder WomanWonder Woman's creator invented a device crucial to the lie detector.
  • Hayao MiyazakiHayao Miyazaki was told as a boy he would not live past 20. He went on to found Studio Ghibli in 1985.
  • Harry PotterThe Harry Potter series began on a delayed train from Manchester to London in 1990. It sat still for four hours.
  • Spider-ManMarvel's publisher told Stan Lee that Spider-Man would never work. The comic was being canceled anyway.
  • Star TrekStar Trek's creator privately modeled it on Gulliver's Travels. Publicly he pitched a Wagon Train to the stars.
  • Doctor WhoDoctor Who first aired 80 seconds late because Kennedy news ran long. The BBC show began on November 23, 1963.
  • FandomFans saved Star Trek from cancellation in 1968. Firefly fans then earned a movie, Serenity.
  • NarutoOn the night Naruto was born, his father sealed a nine-tailed fox inside him. He grew up scorned by the village.
  • One PieceOda sealed the truth about One Piece's treasure in a box and sent it to the ocean floor.
  • Dragon BallDragon Ball's seven orbs were shrunk down from eight Buddhist prayer beads in an old Japanese novel.
  • George R. R. MartinA chess craze helped save George R. R. Martin's writing career. Bobby Fischer's 1972 win got him a tournament job.
  • OtakuIn a 2013 survey of 137,734 Japanese teens, 42.2% called themselves some type of otaku.
  • Fan serviceFan service is anything added to a story because the audience will love it, not because the plot needs it.
  • CosplayIn 1939, two fans wore costumes to a convention because they thought everyone would. They were the only ones who did.

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