He was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction.
Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent and imbued with a strong moral compass.
Very early he started to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity.