@malevolent1 cause you asked for it! Does Superman really have to win every time to make him relevant?
Does Superman really have to win every time
- Forum Posts: 264
- Wiki Points: 0
- Followed by: 10
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 0
- Forum Posts: 1072
- Wiki Points: 157
- Followed by: 35
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 0
LOL!!
Had to laugh as soon as I saw it.
Obviously, I don't think he does. And that was the approach John Byrne took when he took over the reigns for Superman for DC in...'85, '86 (???). He immediately brought Superman down from his godlike, "Silver Age" status and made him someone that could actually be defeated. And honestly, I don't know that you have to necessarily "weaken" a character to make him more relevant; just make sure his villains are ones that really make the fan go, "Oh crap, it's -- fill in the blank --! How is Superman going to beat this guy?"...which was the premis behind the creation of Doomsday (my favorite DC villain).
Granted, Superman was a little ridiculous in terms of power back then:
I mean, seriously?
On the other hand, people who read characters like Superman, Thor and the Silver Surfer love really powerful characters. So, yes there is a balance, definitely (as the scan above indicates) in terms of how powerful a supehero gets before he is no longer relevant (or the villains he fights become absolutely irrelevant...) and simply providing writers for stories with the imagination to create villains that are just as astronomically powerful.
Having said all that, I have heard tale...I cannot validate...that DC has said, they will NEVER feature a crossover with Superman losing.
Really? I mean, even if his opponent is demonstrably more powerful than him? After all, Superman is NOT even DC's most powerful superhero. Guys like Dr Fate, Martian Manhunter and Alan Scott come to mind. Ironically, Thor should have lost that fight to Superman in the JLA/Avengers crossover. Superman is faster, and Thor wouldn't even be able to react before Superman had him knocked out. On the other hand, that has never stopped Marvel, for example, from milking the Hulk/Thor fight for decades now. Even though Thor has demonstrated a plethora of powers beyond just brute strength, he has only used a lightning strike against Hulk once. The same principle could have been applied in that crossover...milking a fight between each comic company's respective heavy weight...presumably, until the end of time. But instead, Busiek may well have destroyed the possibility that Marvel and DC will ever collaborate again.
I digress.
The answer? Nope. I don't think Superman has to win every time to be relevant in comics. It might be a good business move on DC's part to feature a crossover where Superman actually loses one.
Perish the thought!
- Forum Posts: 13875
- Wiki Points: 22263
- Followed by: 404
- Reviews: 11 Lists: 12
- Forum Posts: 3710
- Wiki Points: 0
- Followed by: 145
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 0
- Forum Posts: 14688
- Wiki Points: 861
- Followed by: 182
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 0
- Forum Posts: 1384
- Wiki Points: 0
- Followed by: 157
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 4
- Forum Posts: 3710
- Wiki Points: 0
- Followed by: 145
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 0
- Forum Posts: 1384
- Wiki Points: 0
- Followed by: 157
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 4
- Forum Posts: 15821
- Wiki Points: 694
- Followed by: 318
- Reviews: 2 Lists: 11
- Forum Posts: 3710
- Wiki Points: 0
- Followed by: 145
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 0
- Forum Posts: 15821
- Wiki Points: 694
- Followed by: 318
- Reviews: 2 Lists: 11
- Forum Posts: 3710
- Wiki Points: 0
- Followed by: 145
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 0
- Forum Posts: 166
- Wiki Points: 0
- Followed by: 8
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 0
- Forum Posts: 11409
- Wiki Points: 6981
- Followed by: 157
- Reviews: 0 Lists: 7
Log in to comment