Superman

[Supervisor 194]

"Superman-as-Santa"

What you write with derision, I embrace. Superman, during the most successful years of his publication, was wish fulfillment for children (and children of all ages). And that version popularized by Weisinger (and more importantly Curt Swan) remains potent and powerful to this day. And THAT version of Superman was the cultural context for the Donner films, period.

I've been involved in fandom my whole life, and I never heard anyone put forth the idea that Superman killed Zod in the second movie until years later, usually in the context of supporting John Byrne's ill-conceived execution storyline or supporting Zack Snyder's mediocre Man of Steel execution of Zod. Or those who are embarrassed that they still read comics and need to prove they AREN'T JUST FOR KIDS!!!

I don't begrudge anyone their favorite version of Superman. I've written previously in this thread of why he is meaningful to me. But to simply handwave away everything except for the earliest stories and the more relatively recent stories is a bit disingenuous.

So here's to Superman, in whatever version you prefer. But for me, the aspirational one, the wish fulfillment ideal, the one who always finds a way, the one who shares a wink with his readers at the end of the story---that's my Superman.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Oh hell even in Doctor Who people get shot and die but zero blood, but then it's a kids show

Reminds me of those two Super Friends episodes about vampires...in neither one was there ever any blood, or references to people getting bit. You know how vampirism was spread? By frickin' LASER BEAMS.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

"Superman-as-Santa"

What you write with derision, I embrace. Superman, during the most successful years of his publication, was wish fulfillment for children (and children of all ages). And that version popularized by Weisinger (and more importantly Curt Swan) remains potent and powerful to this day. And THAT version of Superman was the cultural context for the Donner films, period.

But Superman II wasn't a Donner film.

 

[fireproof78]

Was it a Blitzin' film?

 

[Skipper]

But for me, the aspirational one, the wish fulfillment ideal, the one who always finds a way, the one who shares a wink with his readers at the end of the story---that's my Superman.

You mean the one who abandoned his traumatized and just orphaned cousin in an orphanage because he could not be bothered and then he exiled her because she committed the orribile sin of playing with his dog, because, you know, she was just a kid and she wanted just to have fun?

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

What a prick?

 

[fireproof78]

Solitary confinement is considered cruel and unusual punishment.

 

[Skipper]

Solitary confinement is considered cruel and unusual punishment.

He's Superman. He's always right, you know.

 

[Guy Gardener]

He's Superman. He's always right, you know.

We know that she's eventually much stronger than he is.

I can only assume that he was pulling shit like this only when he was still stronger, because she was little, and not fully grown up yet.

It would have got to the point, where he tried to pull some of this Southern Baptist bullshit, when she slapped him and he cried.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

What a prick?

Super Dickery is a meme. Haha. Do a quick google search of “super dickery” and relive Superman’s greatest jerk moments. Superman III has its famous Superdickery montage. I couldn’t find a video of it.

Batman The Brave and the Bold made a collection of Superman’s biggest dick moments inspired from Silver Age Superman comics.

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[Unicron]

You mean the one who abandoned his traumatized and just orphaned cousin in an orphanage because he could not be bothered and then he exiled her because she committed the orribile sin of playing with his dog, because, you know, she was just a kid and she wanted just to have fun?

I admit, I consider the Popemobile go-cart to be one of the most hilarious things ever. At least Lois put it to use with time travel.

This silly emotion detector is pretty amusing too. Ah, the Silver Age.

 

[fireproof78]

He's Superman. He's always right, you know.

Clearly. I shouldn't question it...

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Oh gods those covers are a riot

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I admit, I consider the Popemobile go-cart to be one of the most hilarious things ever. At least Lois put it to use with time travel.

Now we know why secret identities are so important.

That cover is an old favorite, whoever drew her expression and hunched over that steering wheel is great.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Solitary confinement is considered cruel and unusual punishment.

More or less cruel than the Phantom Zone?

And I'm note sure if the original Movie Zone actually much of a zone at all.

It's just the three of them pressed under glass floating through space for what seems forever.

It's somewhat of a miracle that none of them got preggers.

Now we know why secret identities are so important.

That cover is an old favorite, whoever drew her expression and hunched over that steering wheel is great.

A young Italian engineer saw that comic book cover, picked up a pencil, and started on the blue prints for the fist pope-mobile.

 

[publiusr]

Oh gods those covers are a riot

When you can blow out a star…your drama has to come from somewhere else. That era Superman could hang with Goku and Saitama.

 

[Skipper]

Joking aside, I have recently read some of his last stories before of the Post-Crisis reboot and there he was an insufferable jerk. And considering that in Golden Age he was just a superpowered vigilante and in Silver Age he was a plain dick, I suspect that people who had this idea of superman as a some kind of super-boy scout/Space Jesus just had viewed the movies and they never had read the comics...

 

[Skipper]

I mean,

Golden Age Superman



Silver Age Superman



Bronze Age Superman

Post-Crisis Superman.



Find the inspirational one.

 

[Tosk]

I suspect that people who had this idea of superman as a some kind of super-boy scout/Space Jesus just had viewed the movies and they never had read the comics...

Or maybe they've just read comics from the last three decades.

 

[Skipper]

Or maybe they've just read comics from the last three decades.

In another forum dedicated specifically to comics, it was discussed how Superman was perceived right before the Post-Crisis reboot and they all agreed that readers saw him as some kind of boring super-boy scout. We wondered how many had actually read his comics or had this perception only from films, series and cartoons. Because, IMHO, Post-Crisis Superman is a much more upright person, morally and ethically, than his Pre-Crisis counterparts.