No tights, no flights - just a schoolboy Superman

Superman is to be stripped of his blue tights and red cape and banned from flying in a new television series, it was revealed today.

And the comicbook hero will not even have the chance to save the world - instead he will struggle with being a teenager.

The American television series, called Smallville, will chronicle Clark Kent’s life after an alien spaceship brought him to earth from the planet Krypton and left him in a small American town where he is now a high school pupil, but before he becomes a superhero.

There will be no battles against evil madmen as Kent deals with unrequited love, guilt, teenage angst and alienation, but he will have the chance to tackle strange phenomena in the town.

The new version of the hero was created by scriptwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who said they had two pre-conditions before producing the script: ‘‘Our main caveat: no tights, no flights.’’

Mr Millar told the a LA newspaper: ‘‘The kids now can’t get past that cape. It is the most recognisable element, yes, but it is also the thing that makes it cheesy.

‘‘I’m sure there are going to be a core group of Superman fans out there that have certain expectations that won’t be met.

‘‘But so far they seem to be embracing it. The mythology has changed through the years, it wasn’t set in stone in the 1930s.

‘‘It hasn’t been set in stone. It’s OK see if new things can fly.’’

Removing his costume is the latest indignity to hit Superman, who in recent years has been killed off, brought back to life, forced to battle with Batman and married to Lois Lane in the comicbook version of his adventures.

The move has already left fans puzzled. American basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, who has a Superman logo tattoo, said: ‘‘My question is: How can people determine who Superman is? That’s crazy.’’

And comic historian Bradford Wright said: ‘‘’’Nothing really compares to that costume. Not Santa Claus’ red suit or the Elvis jumpsuit - nothing is as recognisable.’’

But the radical makeover was backed by the executive producer of the Batman series of films, Michael Uslan, who said teenagers were not longer interested in capes.

‘‘There is something going on here,’’ he said.

‘‘For today’s generation, unlike the baby boomers, the most important thing about the hero is what’s going on inside them, their motivations and characterisation.

‘‘It's not as simple as capes and being faster than a speeding bullet.’’

And it is not the first time the costume, said to be able to ward off bullets, has come under fire.

Actor Kirky Alyn, who played him in films from 1948 to 1950, hated being typecast as the square-jawed hero in tights and said: ‘‘It ruined my acting career and I’ve been bitter for many years about the whole thing.’’