Why The World Needs Superman


Why The World Needs Superman

By Reaganfan78

A few weeks ago I was reading a post where someone ask this person, if he could get rid of 1 DC hero, who would it be? His answer was Superman.
While I respect this person opinion on because he has so much power for one man.
I probably was bother by this because it seem Superman is getting less popular then ever in the last 84 years.
Why does the world need a Superman? Why should we care about him?
Superman has been around since June 1938, making his first appearance in action comic.
He is a first superhero who we can look up too, having so many superpowers that we wish we could have.
Heā€™s also a hero of hope, the ā€˜Sā€™ on his chest is a Kryptonian symbol means hope.
He also has a great supporting cast and alot of good Villains to battle.
With all those powers he has, I think itā€™s fair that he has weekness as well, Kryptonite and magic.
I am forever thankful for Superman, heā€™s always been a great role model with positive message. A guy who fight for Truth, Justice & The American Way.
He also had so many great stories from comics, TV Shows & movies.
For anyone who doesnā€™t like the Man Of Steel, please give him a chance. Thankyou.

:superman:

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The world definitely needs Superman!

Superman represents what we can be at our best. The embodiment of hope and looking for the best in others, the best for tommorow!

In our world so full of greed and corruption and darkness, we need a light like Superman to show us the way, to inspire us and show us we can be good, selfless, that empathy is a strength, not a weakness. And that standing up for what you believe in is worth it in the end.

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I could not agree more. I have previously stated this,

ā€œByrne was weirdly the first writer, I feel, recognized that since Superman was raised in Kansas, taken care of by kind people from Kansas, and only discovered he was Kryptonian after he had matured, he is a human foremost even if he can hold a black hole in his hands.ā€,

And this,

ā€œSuperman is a symbol, an echo of human potential, whether that be strength or kindness. The character has touched so many people but there is one common criticism Iā€™ve heard, that itā€™s tough to relate to a guy that moves mountains, who seemingly should have no struggles and who is a lifeless Boy Scout. But there is an answer to these criticisms and for many it is called Superman and Lois. Time and time and time again Iā€™ve heard critics sing their praises for the show and more specifically itā€™s understanding of the character of Superman.

Personally, I feel the best Superman stories are the ones that focus on his humanity. Most commonly received as the best Superman comic, All-Star Supermanā€™s basic plot is Superman checking off items on his bucket list. My personal favorite, Superman Smashes the Klan tackles the struggle of fitting in. Superman For All Seasons consists of four issues indicating the four seasons, each being told by four characters who have made a large impact on Clarkā€™s life. All three of these comics have different styles of writing and communicate separate ideas but they also serve the same purpose of a character study on Superman.

Superman and Lois takes the bar and raises it 50 feet up. Itā€™s not even the best Superman story to focus on his humanity, not even close, but it just rolls with the concept seamlessly. And when Superman is human, heā€™s relatable, and that relatability opens the doors to likability and conflicts that feel real. I love that Clark is just as likably dorky as Clark as he is Superman. There is no change in personality when he switches between personas. He is always familiar to the audience and because of that he always feels genuine.ā€,

In other threads. Batman is my favorite superhero, but I believe that Superman is by far the best. Thank you for making this thread @Lincolnfan78.

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One of the many reasons Superman is my favorite hero is because he has all these mind blowing powers, but he never uses them to oppress or subject anyone. He never shows off just because he can. These powers are not party tricks. Theyā€™re not for elementry school show and tell. They can save lives. But at the same time, they can take lives, and HE KNOW THIS. HE RECOGNIZES THIS. HE ACKNOWLEDGES THIS. Yes, he can fly and shoot lasers out of his eyes and blow freezing air and can see through matter and is indestructible and so so so many more, but he doesnā€™t do those things if he doesnā€™t have to. He has the power of a GOD, and he still treats humans with dignity and respect. Heā€™s the dictionary definition of a good person.

This clip from Ultimate Edition of BVS (Batman v Superman - Clark Kent in Gotham Full scenes [Ultimate edition] - YouTube) shows just how HUMAN, not Kryptonian, Clark Kent is. Sure, he can fly to his destinations for his journalist duties, but he takes the ferry and the bus instead. Small details like these endear audiences to him and take him off the DC icons pedestal.

I just love the dichotomy between Clark Kent and Superman. Clark is an absolute dork: awkward, clumsy, slightly idiotic at times, but entirely lovable, as people are. Superman is the epitome of heroism: strong, confident, regal, and timeless. It drives home the reason why the world needs Superman. We may be Clark Kent but we can also be Superman!

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Allow me to link to a couple of previous posts:

Superman is and always will be, my favorite character. Why does the world need him? Iā€™ll keep it simple. Because the world needs hope and humility as much as it needs excitement and wonder. No other hero brings those in equal doses as much as Superman does.

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Supermanā€™s the best there is. I tend to favor less popular heroes when it comes to the DC Universe, but when youā€™re talking about the A-List Justice Leaguers, Supermanā€™s my favorite headliner.

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Truth, justice, doing whatā€™s right and helping others will always be relevant and of imperatively brobdingnagian importance.

Those factors alone are why Superman is, in fact, the most relevant character in DC history (if not the most relevant character in the entirety of comic book super heroes), and because we need hope, truth, justice and optimism more than ever, Superman is more relevant and timely than ever before.

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Thankyou so much for your comments everybody and your support for Superman. Recently I have been reading alot of old Superman comics on DC Universe Infinite.:grinning:

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But is it? Granted, I do not disagree with you on those grounds or say you are wrong. But since the post Silver-Age of comics we have seen how corrupt and petty people have become. Superman and the ideas of Superman are now seen as dated. To quote Perry Whiteā€¦

Clark Kent: If the police wonā€™t help, the press has to do the right thing.

Perry White: You donā€™t get to decide what the right thing is.

Clark Kent: When the Planet was founded, it stood for something, Perry.

Perry White: And so could you if it was 1938, but itā€™s not 1938. WPA ainā€™t hiring no more. Apples donā€™t cost a nickel. Not in here, not out there.

Not to derail the conversation onto the film, but I think it gets at the point as into what I am trying to say into how a strong base of general people do not find Superman relevant.

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Quoting BVS arguably isnā€™t really the best example.

And yes people can be petty and down right evil, thatā€™s been true since the dawn of man. Superman is just as if not more relevant today then he was when he was created!

If people canā€™t see that, then thatā€™s on them!

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Again, the whole point of that quote is that those Smallville values of truth, justice are seen as outdated by some today. Hence, Superman is outdated. Iā€™m just trying to put it into context.

Come to the 90s when everything has to be XTREME and we get the anti-hero. Nowadays it seems the trend is think John Cenaā€™s Peacemaker or Deadpool. Anti-hero, with the maturity of an 11-year old.

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I think most people focus on his powers and not the character. He is more than one super slugfest after another. Now I like a good super slugfest as much as the next guy. And given my nature, I would more likely refer to Superman as ā€œLaser Eyesā€, especially if I were teasing a super Superman fan.

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@SkylerSneathen

I agree with you and I agree with that quote from BvS, a movie I love dearly. It isnā€™t 1938 anymore. The world has changed and definitely feels more cynical than the one I grew up in, and Iā€™m a child of the 80s, not the 40s. I think the Superman ā€œrelevancyā€ issue lies more within how the character is handled, not the character himself. The problem is not with concepts like truth, justice, and hope. Itā€™s with how they are presented. BvS made that statement about 1938, but instead of countering it with showing how people can galvanize behind a person or concept, it attempted to deconstruct Superman. Again, it may just be my favorite movie, but I realize itā€™s not without its flaws.

I think DC and WBD currently have two winning formulas to bring Superman back to the forefront right now, Phillip Kennedy Johnsonā€™s Action Comics and Superman & Lois on the CW. PKJ is about to conclude what I think will be a timeless Superman story, especially when collected. It touches on modern issues such as human trafficking and political propaganda, without Clark bending for a second to change into something less than the hero we knowā€¦ and heā€™s without his powers. Alas, only so many people read comics nowadays. Superman & Lois has all the action beats most of us are looking for in a Superman movie or show, but it also takes our heroā€™s mythos and turns them into a personal story about family. The show is successful on the CW, and I imagine it would be more so if it was marketed as a big streaming event like Sandman, or turned into a feature film.

Superman is relevant more than ever. WB just havenā€™t figured out how to show that on a large scale. I think heā€™s one or two big movies away from making a big comeback in pop culture, and WBD have some great ideas staring them in the face.

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This. :point_up:t2: I agree with every word.

zips over to Burbank, pulls some stuff out of a filing cabinet and then goes in Zaslavā€™s office and hands him three scripts

Here you go. When do we start casting? I know who can play the roles, do the music, production design, costume design and all of that.

Direct. And to the point. This is The Way. :slight_smile:

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Donā€™t get your franchises mixed now. Last thing we want to see is Clark wielding a lightsaberā€¦ or is it :thinking:?

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He could wield a lightsaber-esque weapon of some kindā€¦:wink:

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If youā€™re referring to the current comic run, I got youā€¦ if not, well then I need to think about it :joy:

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As Batman said 30 years ago in Batman Returns, ā€œWrong on both accounts.ā€ :wink:

Referring to something else. :shushing_face:

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Laser/heat visionā€¦

Well ā– ā– ā– ā– ā€¦

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