1931:
The mysterious element
"K-Metal" ("the metal that energizes") and the phrase "The Secret of theK-Metal " first appear in the novella, The Copper-Clad World, by Harl Vincent; published in the September, 1931 issue of Astounding Stories magazine:
Jerry Siegel is about to turn 17 years old when this issue hits the stands.
1933:
Jerry Siegel creates the villainous "Superman" for his pulp tale, The Reign of the Superman, illustrated by Joe Shuster and published in Science Fiction magazine #3:
1934:
Jerry and Joe create the heroic Superman comic strips.
1938:
Action Comics #1 is published and a legend is born.
1940:
Jerry Siegel writes the K-Metal script; the Joe Shuster Studio creates the complete 26 page comic book story. The story as it stands is turned down by DC Comics.
1988:
Buried deep within the secret archives, Professor Mark Waid unearths the lost script.
2003:
The restoration project begins.
2025—
After more than two decades of effort, using a combination of recovered original artwork alongside contemporary pages, the restoration project achieves a complete, full color comic book version of the story.
The Saga of the K-Metal trilogy, built around the original Secret of the K-Metal story, begins.
— Audrey Kinlok, 2025
