"One of the little known stories about Superman is that he owes a lot of his existence to this typewriter ... I liked this typewriter so much that it was the only portable I ever had or used." - Jerry Siegel, 1995

The Superman franchise is today in the hands of director Zack Snyder and The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan, as fans await the pair's eagerly anticipated movie Man of Steel.

Given the calibre of the filmmakers involved, the film will undoubtedly win Clark Kent's alter ego a new generation of superfans. So what better time to remember the man who created the world's #1 superhero, Jerry Siegel (pictured top right)?

It was on the keys of the Royal typewriter pictured below that the Adventures of Superman came to life, as writer Siegel hammered out the very foundation of the Superman mythos, creating one of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century.

Don't let it near Kryptonite... The typewriter used by creator Jerry Siegel

Superman's previous cinema outings starred the late actor Christopher Reeve, whose own collectibles - like this signed cardstock photo of the actor as Superman which we currently have in our stock - are becoming increasingly coveted and valued on the collectors' markets.

But, years before Reeve was even born, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, x-ray vision and heat vision were just a few of the characters and powers that came out of this typewriter.

The typewriter will be sold by ComicConnect, which enthusiastically likens the typewriter to "the equivalent of having Da Vinci's paint brushes, Edison's wrench or Steve Jobs' first motherboard."

The late Christopher Reeve starred as Superman in the '70s-'80s film series. His autograph - like this pictured example for sale - will surely grow in value as a new generation of collectors discover Superman's adventures

According to ComicConnect's lot notes, the typewriter was used by Jerry Siegel on his numerous trips from his Cleveland hometown to meet with the publishers at DC in New York City.

Siegel spent his time on the train crafting Superman stories with the Royal Portable Quiet DeLuxe typewriter he purchased in 1938 - which, incidentally, is the same model used by Hemingway and James Bond 007's creator Ian Fleming.

Comic books, newspaper dailies and Sunday strips all jumped from these keys and into the imaginations of Superman's worldwide fans.