[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elliot_maggin_4.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Maggin with the Inkpot Award he won at the 2013 Comic Con.]]

Elliot S! Maggin (born 1950) was the lead writer of the ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' comics during MediaNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks. He also wrote two original Superman novels, ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton'' and ''Literature/MiracleMonday'', as well as the {{novelisation}} of ''ComicBook/KingdomCome''.

One of his earliest and best-known comic book stories is "Must There Be A Superman?", in which the [[Franchise/GreenLantern Guardians of the Universe]] take Superman aside and suggest to him that his readiness to help everybody may be doing harm as well as good, by letting people get into a habit of relying on him to do things they could and should do themselves.

The idiosyncratic punctuation of his middle initial has its origins in the days when [[EmphasizeEverything comic books habitually used exclamation marks at the end of every sentence]]. After typing out an entire script full of exclamation points replacing periods, he did the same to his own name out of force of habit, and (with a bit of prodding from editor Julius Schwartz) it stuck.
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!!Works that Elliot S! Maggin wrote or contributed to with their own trope pages include:
[[index]]
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Comic Books (Magazines, characters and story arcs) ]]

* ''ComicBook/StarRaiders''
* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}''
** ''ComicBook/ActionComics''
** ''ComicBook/Superman1939''
*** ''ComicBook/TheDayTheCheeringStopped''
*** ''ComicBook/TheLivingLegendsOfSuperman''
*** ''ComicBook/MustThereBeASuperman''
*** ''ComicBook/WhoTookTheSuperOutOfSuperman''
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton''
* ''Literature/MiracleMonday''
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries''
* ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries''
[[/index]]

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!!Other works by Elliot S! Maggin provide examples of:
* AllThereInTheManual: In the interests of richer characterization, Maggin invented a lot of background details that never made it into the stories -- including some that he'd never have been ''allowed'' to mention explicitly, like what religion each of the main characters was.[[note]]Which included such details as Clark Kent and Superman following different religions -- according to Maggin, each followed the religion of his parents.[[/note]]
* AmbiguouslyJewish: Maggin's backstory for ComicBook/LexLuthor had him as a non-observant Jew, but he wasn't allowed to be unambiguous about it.
* AuthorAvatar: In the below-mentioned ''Justice League of America'' #123, Maggin claims he based Green Arrow's dialogue on his own mannerisms.
* CreatorCameo: In ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' #123-124, he and co-writer Cary Bates get transported into the middle of the annual Justice League-[[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica Justice Society]] {{Crossover}} as a reality changing hero and villain, respectively.
* DidTheyOrDidntThey: ComicBook/LoisLane and Clark Kent, in "Who Took the Super Out of Superman?"
* DistantFinale: The prose story "Luthor's Gift," and the comics story, "The Ghost Of Superman Future."
* {{Expy}}: Captain Strong, [[ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} a sailor who got incredibly strong after eating a green plant and had a skinny girlfriend]].
* HoldingOutForAHero: "Must There Be A Superman?"
* IJustWantToBeNormal: In his Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} stories appeared in ''ComicBook/SupermanFamily'', often Linda Danvers states that she wants to lead a 'normal life'.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: In spite of being one of the best writers Creator/DCComics has ever had, the company's been unusually reticent to collect his ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' run, or reprint any of his books. Fortunately, [[http://superman.nu/theages/Maggin/maggin.php Superman Through The Ages]] has quite a few issues (including ''Superman'' #400), as well as most of his books, including [[WhatCouldHaveBeen an unpublished chapter]] from his ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' book.
* NobleDemon: ComicBook/LexLuthor. Maggin clearly had a soft spot for Lex and viewed him as a TragicVillain who might actually see redemption some day.
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