RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books What Does Superman Mean To You?

MattInEngland, posted April 26, 2003 05:15 PM:
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The title says it all.
What impact has the character of Superman (or his supporting cast) had on your life?
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What does Superman mean to you? Do you have any Superman-related stories?
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Did Lois and Perry make you want to be a reporter?
Did you ever tie a sheet round your neck and try to fly?
Did reading/watching stories about Superman ever help prompt you to do something heroic?
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C'mon guys, spill!
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"And the epicentre [of the earthquake] was in Dudley! That is SO Doctor Who!"
Poster on a Doctor Who message board
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"I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me."
Superman, Five For Fighting
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"Grace finds beauty in ugly things."
U2

QKSMITH, posted April 27, 2003 12:56 PM:
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I know it will sound weird how I put this, so I am going to do a good job explaining it.
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Superman is kinda like a religious figure to me. Okay now let me explain this. He is the epitome of all that is good and right. He stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves and will fight against even the most overwhelming of odds.
He does what is right, even if it isn't what is most popular.
He sticks to his beliefs and will not go against who he is.
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That includes not killing, even when the people deserve it.
He is the icon. You see the S, and you know that justice is being done. It may not be the law because, as weird as this sounds, law and justice are not always the same thing.
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Superman is the protector and he does what no one else can do, or will do.
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He inspires hope in the hearts of all. He is what is best about humanity.
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Now that I have said all that, I will see what that means to me.
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I know that he is a fictional character and that there is no way that he will ever exist in my lifetime. But it gives me idealism to keep fighting for my beliefs, and doing what I believe to be right. To make stands that can be made. He is a hero that inspired all others. And he is a character trait that should inspire everyone.
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Just my thoughts.
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SMS
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"When my eyes opened again I saw the world in a whole new way."

The Giver
Member posted April 27, 2003 01:38 PM:
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Superman pretty much sums up most aspects of my life. While growing up and shifting through the phases in school, I was basically Clark Kent. I've always felt of place and different, because I could actually do stuff that no one else around me could.
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The artwork that you see in my sig below, I was the only person, other than my father, for miles around me that could do that. No one else could do that. And I mostly tried to keep it a secret that I could do this in school, because if I did let everyone know, and eventually everyone did, everyone would come looking for something for me to do.
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Much like when Clark met Lois for the first time Post-Crisis era. I always felt alone up until I met this girl that I think is worth 10 of everyone on the planet. And much like Clark did with Lois, she doesn't know that I think of her that way. At least not yet.
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Other aspects would be that like Clark, I was raised to think of others before thinking of myself. And always do what I can to help people. Our family doesn't have much, but we still have plenty to go around. Basically my parents are Jonathan and Martha. So I wouldn't say that Superman was an impact on me, I would pretty much say that it has been a way of life.
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Superman's abilities include flight, invulnerability, super-breath, super-speed, super-hearing, super-strength, heat vision, x-ray vision, infrared vision, telescopic vision, microscopic vision, , and olfactory amplification. He has always had these powers since the day John Byrne revamped him. He does not gain a power everyday as popularly believed by his detractors. He is also a genius in intellect. That is not a superpower. That is something he inherited.
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I wish, I wish I could fly. I wish, I wish I could lie. I will, I will try. I will, I will, goodbye.
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'They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all others, I have sent them you, my only son.' Jor-El to Superman.
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The Justice League of America.

Fragman, posted April 27, 2003 01:48 PM:
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I grew up being influenced by the Superman a lot. I always thought he isn't perfect, but he is trying really hard to be. And while I am aware I am far from perfect, I also keep trying really hard to get there.
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I also have this protect-the-weak-syndrome, I guess. Ever since grade-school I did my share to protect those who were in trouble. And as most of the bullies in school were scared of me, that usually worked out fine, without any fighting.

SIN, posted April 27, 2003 02:09 PM:
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Superman is the ultimate altruist.
I remember that Joe Casey interview, where he expressed how Superman doesn't just fight for the poor and the defenseless. He fights for absolutely everyone.
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in the context of the DCU, I think that makes him unique in how he compares to other heroes.
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To his comrades, he's the first to really encompass those notions of "truth" and "justice" for everyone, and really using that to strip from the "American way" all the nationalism that jumbles up our ambitions for peace, so that to keep oneself in tune to that ethic is also a fight in itself.
And to fight that "neverending battle" is to respect the value of life in the highest regard and to not kill.
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the never-[killing] battle for [selflessness], [everyone] and the [peaceful] way.
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looks corny, but it adds up.


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that sounds right to me.

Hero4Hyrule, posted April 27, 2003 02:42 PM:
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Superman has only recently become a big influence on me. I have been a fan since Lois & Clark. But it wasn't until a few months ago that Superman became a big part of my life.
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Superman is the ultimate good. The apex of humanity. He is someone we should all strive to be like. My overall personality used to be closer to Batman's than Superman's. I was darker, more calculating, but still a good guy.
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Since reading Superman I have slowly been turning over a new leaf. I think more positively in all aspects, and I have realized that the only reward you need for doing the right thing is not from others, but from yourself. That inner satisfation of knowing that you are good, and nobody can take that away.

MattInEngland, posted April 27, 2003 06:30 PM:
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Thanks for the good responses, and its nice to hear how the character impacts people on a personal level. I've thought it for a while, but this thread's helping to prove it; this board has got a bunch of good guys posting on it. Sometimes, when everything's going right and the flame wars have died out, its an honour to be here.
I'll really have to get writing a response to my own question...

theJoker, posted April 28, 2003 01:21 AM:
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He inspires hope. Reading Superman comics , even when things look their worst, you have faith that Superman will save the day. He doesn't always, but he always tries. Clark's a nice guy that would prefer not to fight, but will if he has too. Been their plenty of times in my life, so that I can relate too.
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'In Zod We Trust'

Sean_Brady, posted April 28, 2003 09:18 AM:
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Yep, I agree.

The Superman I still love to this day is the pre-CRISIS Man Of Steel.
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Here was a character who never gave up no matter what the odds were. In those days, Superman smiled a lot and it made me feel good to see a hero who wasn't torn apart by angst and who got past his problems.
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The feeling I had reading those comics can be revisited every time I watch the first Superman film Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve captured the appeal of Superman better than most of the creative teams who have worked on the post-Crisis version of the character.
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I like Superman adventures that make me smile, have me on the edge of my seat and make me feel like a kid again...full of wonder and awe for this greatest of super-heroes.
That happens very occasionally for me these days, as Superman in the comics is pretty much just another costumed hero who doesn't stand out from the multitude of other super-powered characters anymore.
However, thanks to reprints and DVD I can still be reminded of how great Superman can make me feel.

Superman, posted May 02, 2003 09:44 PM:
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Matt and company, this is REALLY long. But please read it. I accidentally posted it in the \S/ story thread, but it really belongs here. It's what Superman means to me. Thanks.
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Matt,
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I've been avoiding telling my Superman story because I didn't have the time to tell it. I do now, and I'm hoping all of you will read it, as it does include some personal anecdotes about me.
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Just like most kids I know my age, I grew up in the early eighties (I was born in '76) inundated with science fiction and comics. My brother, seven years my senior, was heavily into Star Wars and Star Trek, but he had a seemingly greater interest in comic books.
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I knew from Super Friends who Superman and the rest of DC's finest were. I also knew about Marvel's finest (especially Spiderman, my other favorite comic book character) from the old sixties cartoon.
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I started off just looking at my brother's extensive collection of comics, but I eventually came to read some of them as time went on. I didn't know much about the who's and what's of Superman, but I can remember having the underoos and jumping off the roof of our tool shed pretending to be Supes. I knew he was cool, and that was all I needed to know.
I also remember having this awesome giant Superman action figure, which was articulated at the neck, shoulders, and legs. He had a giant Kryptonite rock that he could hold with his open hand, and he was just plain AWESOME.
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Anyway, my brother and I watched the original Superman movie and the first sequel endless times. We just couldn't get enough of Superman. Time marched on, however, and other franchises grabbed my interest (Masters of the Universe, Transformers, GI Joe.)
By this time, Superman was a character that I was only exposed to in comics, which I was reading with growing infrequence.
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In my home life, I was becoming more and more aware of my father's alcoholism, and began to retreat from him and my family as I gained weight as a result of his verbal abuse and emotional absence. Perhaps THE greatest escape for me became a literal passion for comics.
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I started reading the original X-Factor, written and drawn by the Simonsons. From there, I branched out into the other X-Titles, and then became very interested in the exploits of a certain dark vigilante called the Batman.
My first real experience with the Bat would be with the "grim renaissance" that came about prior to the first Burton Batman film.
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Because of the darkness of my own personal life, Batman was extremely appealing to me. I became a voracious Batman collector while also continuing to collect X-Factor and at this point, Uncanny X-Men.
The passion I had for Batman led me to another DC mainstay, the Flash, who I primarily knew as Wally West (he remains "my" Flash, which is why I hope DC doesn't off him).
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While reading all of these titles, as well as the Spider-Man titles, I learned of another Marvel character: the Punisher. His new title, drawn by the remarkable Jim Lee, quickly became a must read. Before I knew it, I was heavily into the "grim n' gritty" genre: Batman, the Punisher, Spawn, Ghost Rider, etc.
As my outer world grew darker and more painful, my interest in dark and vicious characters of retribution also grew.
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This trend continued to worsen, and I began to get heavily into vampire and occult novels, even going so far as to dress in black primarily and wear a black trench coat.
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During this time, I read an issue of the Flash in which Wally teamed up with Superman, but had already formed an opinion of him: he was an outdated, useless, boring and ultimately stupid character. He didn't kill his enemies and he wore a silly costume. He was nothing more than a super-powered obsolete Boy Scout, and I wished that Spawn or maybe even Batman would kill him.
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Imagine my surprise when I learned that DC Comics was going to grant my wish for me instead. My uncle, who was very supportive of my hobby, gave me a clipping from a newspaper about the impending demise of Superman. I was excited, because I couldn't believe this was going to happen and couldn't wait to see it happen.
Even more importantly to me at the time, I knew this would be a lucrative event for me, were I to collect the issues and try to sell them later. I was beyond excited when my mother gave me the first printings of "The Death of Superman" for Christmas in December 1992. I read them with great anticipation.
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And then a strange thing happened. I found that this Superman, who I knew would be a confusing character because of some kind of "Crisis" my brother had issues of, was very different than what I expected.
He was powerful, yes, but he was also...a hero. A hero at the cost of no one's life but his own. I thrilled to his battle with Doomsday as it raged across a good part of the U.S. I sat in shock and disbelief as I read Superman #75, seeing this character who I'd always known in some way my whole life perish in one last-ditch effort to save lives.
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Everything I'd heard at my comic shop and from other sources indicated that this was truly the end of Superman. The comics were going to be cancelled. The character was gone. I couldn't believe it. I was stupefied at the notion. Because by this point, the character, the power, of Superman had already "converted" me. I knew now that there was a better way than that of the dark avengers and anti-heroes in my swollen comic collection. But now that better way was gone. Dead. Past his time.
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I was later even more surprised to learn that there were going to be some more Superman comics. I didn't know how or why, but I knew I had to be there. And I was. I added all of the Superman titles to my folder, which meant that I was now collecting over a dozen titles and spending almost fifty dollars a month on comics. But it didn't matter. I had to know what would happen, what would become of the Better Way.
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I was there to thrill to the mystery of the four Supermen. I hoped that one of them was HIM. That he wasn't gone.
In fact, until the very end of "The Reign of the Supermen", I knew that John Henry had the spirit of Clark and the Last Son had the body. I just knew. I was glad to see that I was wrong.
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I still remember the excitement I felt as I drove to the neighboring city where my comic shop was the day that Superman #82 was to come out. I had ordered four copies, two newsstand, two collector's. I couldn't get home fast enough to read the tale. And once I did, the rest of the day was golden, knowing that Superman was back. The Best Way had defeated the mentality that drove my former "heroes".
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Not long after this, I had a "real life" conversion as well, coming to see that there was a God who loved me and that I had value. I gave up Punisher, Spawn, and all the others, even Batman. I just didn't have the tolerance for it any longer.
I found a new peace and a new light in my life. And I found it in my comic book hobby as well.
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Eleven years later, I am still reading comics, though with a great deal more balance. I like Wolverine, I like the X-Men, even enjoy some of the old Punisher and Ghost Riders stories from back in the day. But there is only one character who brings a smile to my face when I see his symbol or hear a reference to him. One character who still, to this day, reminds me of the Better Way. The Better Way to live, to hope, to dream, to believe. And that character is the one we're all here to talk about.
Superman.
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Gotta fly,
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Chris

Superman
Member posted May 03, 2003 05:26 PM:
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Wonderful. Glad to see I killed the thread. Great. I knew I shouldn't have shared.
Oh well...

wing_man1969, posted May 03, 2003 06:45 PM:
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Truth, Justice, and the American Way
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Ducklord, posted May 03, 2003 09:18 PM:
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Superman means never having to say you're sorry.
Oh wait, that's love.
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What was the question again?
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--Mike.

MattInEngland
Member posted May 04, 2003 03:34 PM:
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No, I'm glad you shared. I Should have replied last night, but I wanted to write my story out first, hoping the thread would stay alive long enough!
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But thanks for sharing the story. It was very cool, and its nice to see how Supes can be reflective of good stuff or a change in attitude in real life as well as in comic books. So Chris, thanks for sharing it with the thread.

Superman, posted May 05, 2003 09:34 AM:
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Whew! Thanks, Matt. I know I have a tendency for long threads. Thanks for taking the time to read it and appreciate it.
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As for your explanation of what Superman means to you, I forgot to mention it earlier, but I was touched by it. You hit a lot of truths about our society that sadly, FEW people ever have the insight or the experience(or in some cases, the willingness)to see. If only more people saw those things, maybe we'd all agree we need to try and make it better.
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Thanks for this thread, Matt!
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Gotta fly,
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Chris

The Laughing Vulcan, posted May 05, 2003 03:04 PM:
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Beyond the physical powers, what gets me is his compassion, his humor, and the fact that he is a dreamer (as I am.)
In this world, where power seems at times to be the be all and end all, used by immature people who delight in destroying things, it's heartening to see tales of this person. He has the power to destroy things on a grand scale, if he wished. He has the power to rule over others, if he wished.
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He can't.
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He WON'T.
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The man who can make diamonds in his fists, uses that power to gently pluck an orphan child from a raging river.
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Why? Because he knows that each person he inspires could be the one to turn the tide in his 'Neverending Battle' for the better.
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I think Robert F. Kennedy was quoted once as saying:
"Some people see things as they are and ask, 'Why?'
I dream of things that never were, and ask, 'Why Not?' "
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This, to me, is his mantra, his guiding light...his dream of the better tomorrow.
"Why CAN'T we do better than this?!"
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He KNOWS he can inspire others, and that if he wakes the right dreamer at the right time, mankind will be able to take another step up, away from the talk shows, reality shows, and the other 'evils' that bedevil us.
The world will heal that much more.
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The earth people, unlike those on his homeworld, will reach out to each other...and help him save their world.
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That's all that I can think of for now...
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MattInEngland, posted May 05, 2003 03:43 PM:
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Chris, thanks for the nice words.
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And Laughing Vulcan, You've totally nailed an aspect of Superman's character that's sometimes overlooked or passed over with some throwaway line about inspiration; he's not here to change the world, he's here to change individuals, who, in turn save the world. Deep down, he doesn't want Earth to go the same way as Krypton...

Legion of Doom, posted May 05, 2003 04:14 PM:
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Quite Simply:
Truth,Justice,and the American Way
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Nuff Said
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Banded together from remote galaxies, come 13 of the most sinister villains of all time - The Legion of Doom! Dedicated to a single object, the conquest of the universe! Only one group dares to challenge this inter-galactic threat - The SuperFriends!

Readster, posted May 05, 2003 06:37 PM:
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Superman has always been the last survivor of Krypton who came to Earth and became one of us. He learned the had great powers that were to protect the innocent and handle no one else could.
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--Readster

AbuKayLee, posted May 05, 2003 06:50 PM:
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I was born in Iraq, where Superman was forbidden to read, just because he was American.
Still, his books were --and still are-- close to me as best friends.
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I am not reading his books right now because I disagree with the "talent" that is handling him, but that would never be an end to me being attached to the character. I pray everytime I am at a comic book store that his books would take the "realistic" turn again so I can collect his titles again.

Dave the Wonder Boy, posted May 06, 2003 04:55 PM:
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Many of you have made excellent points in this topic, and I think these above comments cut to the bone of Superman's appeal.
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As has been said here, Superman is the hero with absolute power who cannot be corrupted.
And in this, he is a beacon of hope to anyone living anywhere in the world who sees corruption and abuse of power occurring around them daily in their lives.
Superman is an example of tenacity to his ideals, for the rest of us to be inspired by.
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Whether as the unconquerable Superman, or as the more vulnerable and unglamorous Clark Kent, he is a character who is always true to his ideals, despite whatever obstacles, and despite his absolute power to do whatever he wants, if he chose to.
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And in his absolute power as well as his vulnerabilities, he remains the ultimate hero in comics, the pure fountain of heroism from which all others spring.
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And in an age of moral ambiguity and cynicism, we need Superman more than ever.