Why do people like Superman?

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akbogert

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#1  Edited By akbogert

I know that sounds like a phenomenally loaded or trollish question, but I assure you it's genuine. As a person who has never been a comic reader until very recently, I've never taken an interest in the guy. He always seemed gratuitously overpowered with a weakness that seemed to call for a lot of déja vu if villains were ever going to stand a chance. I recognize, of course, that that's a very naive and ignorant understanding of him, but it's the one I spent most of my life having without thinking about it too much.

So what attracts you to Superman? What makes you care about Clark Kent? What would make someone like me "get it" the fastest?

...I really hope I don't regret starting this thread, haha.

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the_stegman

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#2  Edited By the_stegman  Moderator

This is gonna sound mean, but I say this honestly, I don't understand why you don't simply read a Superman comic instead of going your whole life believing him to be something due to ignorance.  
 
It comes down to personal taste obviously, I like him, his supporting cast, his stories (Red Son, Birthright, Vs the Elite, Earth One, are all great) his villains and just him as a person. Just look up some titles of his and see for yourself!

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Fuchsia_Nightingale

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Why not ? ^-^

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SC

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#4  Edited By SC  Moderator

I like him because he helped beat the real life KKK. Pretty impressive feat for a fictional character to take down real life villains. Also I like him because I think deep down he is a nice guy, and a humble guy, even though I think he is also a bit naive and should be written very differently by most of his writers to really follow through on my belief he is a nice guy. However I can't ignore the characters popularity and thus why writers have to water him down to appeal to as many people as they can.

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akbogert

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#5  Edited By akbogert

@The Stegman: Like I said, I didn't start reading comics until relatively recently. I've seen episodes of the old TV show, I've seen some movies, I even picked up Action Comics 1 in the New 52, and I've seen Superman appear in a couple other books. But just from a premise standpoint, I've never found him interesting. I obviously will have to look for myself, but given the wealth of stories with him I figured I should turn to fans for advice in that regard.

I'm also wondering why such a seemingly OP hero even has struggles, but I don't know for sure how many of his abilities -- such as flying around the world and reversing time -- are canon and how many are just in what I saw growing up.

I guess what I'm saying is I've never been drawn towards him like I have to other characters, and I just wonder what it is I'm missing.

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the_stegman

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#6  Edited By the_stegman  Moderator
@akbogert: Keep reading! Whatever draws you in, that's all I can really say. And reversing time is strictly in the movies, it's not canon in comics. Superman has struggles because often times, the villains he fights are equal to or greater than him in one aspect or another. For example, many of his villains are equal to him in strength, Darkseid, Mongul, Doomsday. Some like Brainiac or Luthor are just as smart as he is strong, which is quite dangerous. Some have potential to be as powerful as him by weakening him, such as Parasite or Metallo. And some are just plain old reality warping imps. 
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Thorcules

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#7  Edited By Thorcules

@SC said:

I like him because he helped beat the real life KKK. Pretty impressive feat for a fictional character to take down real life villains. Also I like him because I think deep down he is a nice guy, and a humble guy, even though I think he is also a bit naive and should be written very differently by most of his writers to really follow through on my belief he is a nice guy. However I can't ignore the characters popularity and thus why writers have to water him down to appeal to as many people as they can.

Same well for me to some extent.

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Gambit1024

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#8  Edited By Gambit1024

This question's been asked here a bazillion times, but I'll answer it again because I love him just so much, lol.

What attracts me to Superman?

Honestly? At first, it was the costume. It was so iconic and colorful, which you didn't get from Batman or Spawn (I grew up in the 90's.) Then I was introduced to Superman: TAS and JL and I was pretty much hooked from there on in. He was so powerful, and his extra powers (heat vision and arctic breath, specifically) were just so insanely cool to me as a kid. The fact that he could be defeated by something like Kryptonite was never a factor that I dwelled too much on, because come on, look at all the stuff he can do. The pros outweighed the cons, basically.

What makes me care about Clark Kent?

He's humble. Plain and simple. I admire a character that isn't a jackass, or makes a fool out of himself because it's a unique plot-device. He's genuinely a good person that tries to see the good in others, and I respect the hell out of him for it. Even if he's an alien from a distant land, the guy is more human than anyone, and that lives through Clark Kent. Anyone who's ever felt alone and lonely can absolutely relate to the character, and it's a big part of why I love him. He's not a broody mope, he's a beacon of hope who, even though he's lost everything (including the Kents in the New 52), he still does his job with a smile on his face because all the broodiness is useless. Looking forward is better than dwelling on the past, and that's why Clark Kent/Superman is my favorite character.

What would make someone like you "get it" the fastest?

Give his comics a chance, and read them with an open mind. My absolute favorite Superman story of all time is Superman: Birthright, an origin story written by Mark Waid. Waid is perhaps the best writer to have ever handled the character, and if you need confirmation on that, you gotta read Kingdom Come, another excellent DC Universe story. Oh, and he also wrote Superman: Peace on Earth, another excellent short read. Besides those three, I highly recommend What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way, Red Son, All-Star Superman, Superman: Brainiac, and Superman: Last Son.

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GunGunW

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#9  Edited By GunGunW

Cause he's both super and a man.

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akbogert

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#10  Edited By akbogert

@The Stegman: Does it ever seem a little ridiculous how frequently global-level threats seem to find there way here? Like, are they targeting him specifically? Or did they all decide to take out earth and he just happened to be around to stop it? And good to know the time thing isn't in the books, because that's a bit of a shark-jumper for me.

@Thorcules said:

@SC said:

I like him because he helped beat the real life KKK. Pretty impressive feat for a fictional character to take down real life villains. Also I like him because I think deep down he is a nice guy, and a humble guy, even though I think he is also a bit naive and should be written very differently by most of his writers to really follow through on my belief he is a nice guy. However I can't ignore the characters popularity and thus why writers have to water him down to appeal to as many people as they can.

Same well for me to some extent.

I will say most of what I've seen of him in New 52 has him looking a bit like a tool. Does this mean that fans are maybe not overly impressed with the new Superman? Or have I just been unlucky in the versions of him I've seen? (I really am loving the Injustice version, not that that counts for anything).

@Gambit1024: See, I guess my issue is that he can do so much cool stuff, and that barring kryptonite he doesn't really have any risk. There's no potential for him to lose. Whenever he does stand a chance of losing it seems to me that it would have to seem contrived, because it would always have to come back around to kryptonite. Alternatively, the only way to get at him is to threaten those he cares about. Again, that's all just conceptual, the things that seem true from the outside, not seeing how his stories actually play out.

It sounds to me like more people like Clark Kent than like Superman -- they like the nice guy, and the relationships, and the way he relates to people, and that's what makes them want to see his story. The powers, while cool, seem almost unimportant. Or maybe it's that he treats the like they're unimportant? I'm grasping at straws here.

Thanks for the list of suggested reading, though. I'm always looking to see what the most commonly suggested titles are.

Oh, and I apologize for those who feel this topic is redundant or overplayed. I really did just want some personal insight into it -- this certainly wasn't about saying he sucks or that people shouldn't like him. Just a legitimately curious person asking simple questions ^_^

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Fuchsia_Nightingale

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His cape

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saoakden

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#12  Edited By saoakden

Superman is one of my favorite characters in fiction of all time. When I was younger, I watched the Superman: The Animated Series and I saw all the powers he had and what he did them. I thought he was the coolest. As I got older, I started to notice somethings about the character I can relate to. I also admire how the dude has so much power but instead of making himself the ruler of Earth, he protects us. I think that's awesome.

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chocobojam

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#13  Edited By chocobojam

Maybe because Superman is the best representation of an ideal super hero in general.

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#14  Edited By SC  Moderator

@akbogert: I haven't read much of the New 52 version yet, but when I do I will be going in with an open mind, but traditionally I am not as fond of many of the characters actual stories compared to a lot of his fans. Its usually more to do how my definition of nice and humble differs to most fans and most writers even. As far as vulnerability? Most of its external vulnerability in the physical sense, so he has risk, its either of a moral/ethical type or someone he cares about, as you point out. I think thats a well that can be continually drawn from. To me Superman is Clark Kent and vive versa, and the powers are vital as far as how it could impact on how nice he is. There are obvious differences but naturally similarities as well. Sort of like comparing posters usernames to their actual names. These small things link to each other and affect each other in ways that help distinguish him. I like the whole package, and the elements of package make it whole.

Oh and my personal recommendation would be All Star Superman. That to me was a nice and humble but also very intelligent and considerate Superman.

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Dark_Vengeance_

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#15  Edited By Dark_Vengeance_

The irony of seeing this thread and the why do so many people like to pick on Superman bumped at the same time.

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TheCowman

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#16  Edited By TheCowman

@akbogert said:

There's no potential for him to lose.

Sure there is.

There are plenty of people with the power to seriously damage Supes. Darkseid, Brainiac, Parasite, and others have already been mentioned. Also, Superman doesn't have to die in order to "lose". Even if he isn't in mortal danger, he can still be knocked out or restrained.

And with the threats Superman usually faces, failure would often mean the conquest or outright destruction of humanity or the very Earth itself.

The risk of the hero's death is good dramatic tension, but it's also the most common and uninspired form of tension you can have. It's why Superman stories are often so much harder to do than others, and why the ones that are good tend to stand out as much as they do.

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spinningbirdcake

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#17  Edited By spinningbirdcake

Uh...because everyone else likes Batman...?

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Blood1991

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#18  Edited By Blood1991

I like Superman, because he reminds me what people can be. No not superheros, but that we can find inner strength. Be merciful in the face of people who do not deserve mercy, find understanding in people who hate us, and the power of selflessness. He really inspires me to be a better person.

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V_Scarlotte_Rose

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#19  Edited By V_Scarlotte_Rose

@akbogert said:

I know that sounds like a phenomenally loaded or trollish question, but I assure you it's genuine. As a person who has never been a comic reader until very recently, I've never taken an interest in the guy. He always seemed gratuitously overpowered with a weakness that seemed to call for a lot of déja vu if villains were ever going to stand a chance. I recognize, of course, that that's a very naive and ignorant understanding of him, but it's the one I spent most of my life having without thinking about it too much.

So what attracts you to Superman? What makes you care about Clark Kent? What would make someone like me "get it" the fastest?

...I really hope I don't regret starting this thread, haha.

I can't help, I've never taken an interest either. Every time I've seen him in anything, there's just never been anything that's made me want to know more about him. I don't hate him or anything, but I'm not drawn to him at all.

I don't know if you wanted to hear from other non-fans, but I felt like commenting as we seem to have similar thoughts on him.

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akbogert

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#20  Edited By akbogert

@Fuchsia_Nightingale:did Edna Mode teach you nothing? :P

@SC: That's a fair point -- his niceness is interesting because he doesn't have to be nice but chooses to? (That seems to be what is saying as well). And yes, I also prefer knowing people holistically. I suppose that's an absurdly hypothetical thing to have said, suggesting Kent and Superman are separable.

@TheCowman: Well, I more meant from any earthly threat. The fact that there are enemies which have threatened him, but that they seem to be off-worlders, kind of gets to my point that danger for Superman seems necessarily contrived. As I asked earlier, "Does it ever seem a little ridiculous how frequently global-level threats seem to find there way here?" I mean, why didn't humanity-enslaving threats come to conquer earth before this Kryptonian arrived? Why are they suddenly showing up all the time now that earth conveniently has a savior? Obviously I may be asking unfair questions, but they are questions that have come to mind for me.

I definitely don't think death needs to be a major player to create interesting stories. But the fact that it's basically impossible for a human to gain the upper hand on him directly (without the old Kryptonite trick -- which seems to be remarkably easy to get one's hands on, considering), that almost precludes risk. But it all really comes back to my former questions about the frequency of would-be invaders. Maybe if Superman just sort of dealt with normal stuff and had one major thing every couple years? I don't know. What you say about the good stories standing out makes a lot of sense.

@DarkKnightDetective said:

The irony of seeing this thread and the why do so many people like to pick on Superman bumped at the same time.

Oh, I laughed when I saw that, as well. To be fair, I'm not picking on him -- this could have been rephrased in a more "what's your favorite thing about Superman?" way, but I think the topic was precisely what I'm actually asking. Still ironic though.

I like Batman because I grew up reading mysteries and love noir and hardboiled crime stuff. I'm actually less interested in the more action-y parts.

that's sweet, man.

good to know I'm not the only one ^_^ Maybe you'll find this thread helpful as well?

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lightsout

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#21  Edited By lightsout

I don't know if it would help anyone "get it", but here's what I like about Big Blue:

1) I enjoy the fact that he's SO super-powered. I use comics to get away from my personal reality and if I were to imagine myself as a hero I wouldn't want to be some guy with gadgets, or some relatively low-level super power (where there's still a good chance they could be hurt if they're not on the top of their game) -- I'd want to be (relatively) worry free. (For the most part) Superman can lift anything, zip to anywhere in time, survive any assault. It's more of an escape for me. I don't really give much though to it's relation plot/fights. Even if Supes is only struggling versus a villain because of PIS, I just go with it (for the most part) -- the whole "he's used to holding back so much so he doesn't hurt/kill people, so sometimes he can't access all his might" excuse works nicely too.

2) About his character - I like that despite being a demi-god, in his own mind he's such a regular guy. To quote Batman from Superman/Batman

It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then... he shoots fire from the skies and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him.

It's true, Clark is the most human of everyone. He may not have the obvious tragedy of Batman, but he is not without his worries about those he loves. He is an inspiration. As a hero, he "saves people" (in simple terms) because he has the ability to & believes it's "the right thing to do". Not because he was victim to tragedy himself - not that that's bad, we can only expect people to take drastic actions under such circumstances, but because Superman goes BEYOND that expectation, that's what's inspirational. He could make tons of money with his abilities, yet he chooses a low-paying career that lets him give a voice to the un-heard while he's not in costume. Superman is what we're not- likely what we can never be (the level of selflessness, etc), but sometimes it's nice to have that ideal to inspire us & give us hope (for ourselves & our society). (Also, as someone who escapes to a fantasy world to enjoy himself, Clark's seemingly perfect personal life (friends (both super & non), family, romantic interest, etc) is also an inspiration/ideal).

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V_Scarlotte_Rose

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#22  Edited By V_Scarlotte_Rose

@akbogert said:

good to know I'm not the only one ^_^ Maybe you'll find this thread helpful as well?

I'll maybe learn why other people like him, but I'm not interested in actually learning to like him myself. I don't want to try and like a character. I'd rather just stick with ones that I naturally feel drawn to.

But if I ever do read something that gets me interested in him, I'll give him a go.

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TheCowman

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#23  Edited By TheCowman

@akbogert said:

The fact that there are enemies which have threatened him, but that they seem to be off-worlders, kind of gets to my point that danger for Superman seems necessarily contrived. As I asked earlier, "Does it ever seem a little ridiculous how frequently global-level threats seem to find there way here?" I mean, why didn't humanity-enslaving threats come to conquer earth before this Kryptonian arrived? Why are they suddenly showing up all the time now that earth conveniently has a savior? Obviously I may be asking unfair questions, but they are questions that have come to mind for me.

Eh, same reason no Joker-like psycho ever tried to poison Gotham's water-supply before Batman showed up. Really, Superman's wealth of villains is no more contrived than any other fictional characters'. Batman has his oddly numerous psycho villains; Superman has his oddly numerous world-destroying villains.

I suppose you might find Batman's villains easier to accept because they're closer to street-level characters than Superman's, but it doesn't make the number of them any less convenient for Batman's narrative consistency.

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#24  Edited By SC  Moderator

@akbogert: Sure, I mean if a person is put into a situation where they have to learn to be nice because its one way to get people to be nicer to you, a person who doesn't have to be nice to have people treat them well, to me I find it endearing when they display that characteristic. I once had a friend of sorts who insisted he was a nice guy before generalizing all woman as being mean face jerky shallow jerks who would only go out with jerk bad boys instead of having sex with him going out with him because he was such a nice guy. So I didn't actually think that guy was really a nice guy, it was just a tactic he was using to pick up girls. Being nice was something he had to be for environmental reasons, and behavioral reasons. It was a niceness that depended on other peoples gender and looks heh. Hmm not really a sincere type of niceness.

Superman on the other hand, when he is written well to me, is as nice to people who dislike him, like him, hate him, love him, good guys and bad guys. I mean he won't treat all those people the same way (certain actions having certain consequences) but generally he is kind and polite and nice and humble - the sincere kind.

Not so absurd to suggest Clark and Superman are separate, many writers have questioned and addressed that as far as "disguises" go, but yes I fall in line with your thinking and seeing all parts as whole. I mean to me, you can break down Clark a lot as well and break down Superman a lot as well, and you could arguably add say "Kal El" to the mix. People, real people have a lot more to them. The symbolism of these dual sides is interesting to explore but only one way to look at a person with many other interesting ways as well. So I always look at "both" as the same thing.

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ladymastermind

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#25  Edited By ladymastermind

I'm with you, i think Superman is way over-rated. i just don't think he's really, well, super.

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zeejaybay

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#26  Edited By zeejaybay

Someone posted this somewhere. I have my own reasons but this merits posting:

"First: Superman and his cast and his world represent an incredibly unique pastiche of golden age sci-fi and American fantasy elements. Flying men in beautiful capes and colors! Rockets carrying babies from doomed planets landing in small town farms! The dynamic buzz of the big city! Deadly poisonous, glowing green rocks! Vindictive Fifth-Dimensional Imps! Creepy, backwards-talking zombie versions of virtuous heroes! It's a shame that modern takes on the character tend to bog this world down in common sci-fi tropes and aesthetics; it really is a strange, cartoon fantasy land that he inhabits.

Second: Superman is fucking rich as a vehicle for telling stories about the nobility of humanity. Here is a man with extraordinary powers. He could, in the span of a day or so, easily take the world by storm and bend it to his will. But he chooses not to. Instead, he decides to help people at every chance he can get. Not because he wants to live up to some kind of archetype or because he intends to profit off of it or because he's seeking validation or vengeance, but because he believes that it's the right thing to do.

Third: In All Star Superman, a book that effortlessly succeeds in creating the surreal beauty of Superman's universe, Morrison includes a panel of Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola delivering a verse from his "Oration on the Dignity of Humanity." Said oration is a core text in humanist philosophy and said panel can be seen attached to the left of this post. I think Morrison succeeds in his literary allusion magnificently. Superman is an ideal. He's humanity at its best. Should we wish to be as strong and as fast and as smart and as kind and as super as Superman, we only need to imitate Superman's methodology. Okay, we probably won't be flying around or shooting lasers out of our eyes anytime soon, but by doing simple acts of kindness, by living through good deeds, by thinking selflessly, we can be Superman. And that's fucking beautiful."

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ghostsuck

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#27  Edited By ghostsuck

superman is awesome

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Decoy Elite

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#28  Edited By Decoy Elite

He's just a nice character to read, just check a comic with him and see if ya like 'em. Although I'd suggest one like Kingdom Come where he's written relativity well.

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Thorcules

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#29  Edited By Thorcules

@akbogert: I like the New 52 series as a whole. So i might be a little biased but yeah I do like New 52 Superman.However I do know some things he come off as a jerk.

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modunhanul

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#30  Edited By modunhanul

I don't know. I like him with no reason. I like him because I like him.

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Gambit1024

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#31  Edited By Gambit1024

@akbogert said:

@Gambit1024: See, I guess my issue is that he can do so much cool stuff, and that barring kryptonite he doesn't really have any risk. There's no potential for him to lose. Whenever he does stand a chance of losing it seems to me that it would have to seem contrived, because it would always have to come back around to kryptonite. Alternatively, the only way to get at him is to threaten those he cares about. Again, that's all just conceptual, the things that seem true from the outside, not seeing how his stories actually play out.

It sounds to me like more people like Clark Kent than like Superman -- they like the nice guy, and the relationships, and the way he relates to people, and that's what makes them want to see his story. The powers, while cool, seem almost unimportant. Or maybe it's that he treats the like they're unimportant? I'm grasping at straws here.

Thanks for the list of suggested reading, though. I'm always looking to see what the most commonly suggested titles are.

Superman has been knocked around in several stories that didn't use kryptonite. Magic affects him, Doomsday killed him, Parasite absorbs him, red solar radiation renders him mortal, etc. Bottom line, Superman has been put into a corner before.

I'm not sure what you mean about liking Clark Kent more than Superman. The powers don't make the character what he is, his morals are. Anyone who concentrates on how "over-powered" he is (which is certainly not the case, as Flash and Martian Manhunter are much more powerful than he is), completely misses the point. It's about who he is, not what he can do. He's godlike, yet he chose to protect the innocence with that power. That's all there is to it.

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spidermanandsuperman

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@saoakden: but if he tried to be ruler of earth wpuldnt martian manhunter or someone stop him

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saoakden

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#33  Edited By saoakden

@spidermanandsuperman: Batman, Lex Luthor and his stash of green k, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Captain Marvel, etc. My money would be on Batman or Captain Marvel, oh wait I forgot his name is Shazam now, could stop him.

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spidermanandsuperman

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@saoakden: i dunno about wonder woman and shazam by themselves but all of them put together yeah

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Fuchsia_Nightingale

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To be cereal and not to be mean, I don't feel anyone should have to explain why they like anything, not just the Big blue, anything (as long as it's legal) yeah it's fun to discuss and educate, but ultimately you don't have to. People like different things, things I don't like, I leave at that. I live online by this "Like it or leave it" Don't like, that's the end of that :D

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danhimself

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#36  Edited By danhimself

for me it's hard to describe....I think the thing that's always drawn me to Superman is the feeling of regalness that I get from him...that's the best way that I can put it into words...it isn't his powers or his weaknesses...he's the epitome of what the perfect superhero should be...he's what every human should aspire to be like...he'll do the right thing to a fault and he believes that everyone has that in them as well

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saoakden

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#37  Edited By saoakden

@spidermanandsuperman: I think in Kingdom Come Shazam gave Superman a run for his money. I thought of Wonder Woman cause she strong and I think she has some magic or use her demigod powers. That or use the Lasso of Truth.

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danhimself

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#38  Edited By danhimself

@akbogert said:

I will say most of what I've seen of him in New 52 has him looking a bit like a tool. Does this mean that fans are maybe not overly impressed with the new Superman? Or have I just been unlucky in the versions of him I've seen? (I really am loving the Injustice version, not that that counts for anything).

I'm a huge fan of Superman since way back in the 90's and I do not like the New 52 version of him....if you read my post above then that's why I liked preFlashpoint Superman and the New 52 Superman for me doesn't have any of those qualities....I also highly dislike the new suit but that really doesn't have anything to do with the character himself...if they would have kept his personality in check and just redesign his suit (something other than the hideous suit he's in now) then I would have been fine but to me he's the most radically changed character in the New 52

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akbogert

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#39  Edited By akbogert

@Fuchsia_Nightingale said:

To be cereal and not to be mean, I don't feel anyone should have to explain why they like anything, not just the Big blue, anything (as long as it's legal) yeah it's fun to discuss and educate, but ultimately you don't have to. People like different things, things I don't like, I leave at that. I live online by this "Like it or leave it" Don't like, that's the end of that :D

For sure. Like I said, I really am just wondering why people like him, if there are specific traits that they enjoy. It's not meant to be taken as a "What's wrong with you people? What could you possibly see in this guy?" Just, plainly, why do you like him. Not everyone can articulate that, but folks who can, I stand a better chance of empathizing with and maybe becoming a person who ends up liking him as well.

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Mega_spidey01

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#40  Edited By Mega_spidey01
@Blood1991 said:

I like Superman, because he reminds me what people can be. No not superheros, but that we can find inner strength. Be merciful in the face of people who do not deserve mercy, find understanding in people who hate us, and the power of selflessness. He really inspires me to be a better person.

 
this right here, and  the all star-superman movie made me appreciate the character much more.
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SoA

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#41  Edited By SoA

a God among men who denies every temptation to abuse his power , a person with so much power yet his biggest challenge is to fit in with humans , im not a big fan but i can respect the character and see the appeal . true it may appear boring for a guy who can do anything and still give him a challenge but i stick with my previous answer.

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AllStarSuperman

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#42  Edited By AllStarSuperman

@akbogert: i like superman because I grew up watching the old Christopher Reeve's movies and TAS. But I really like him is because he is the best. He's not overpowered and he's not underpowered. He could pretty much solo the entire JL, but he was raised by great parents. Lex Luther is the most interesting villan to me. He's not just a bad business man he's also a crazy person. He also has a part of him that thanks he's doing right. Also he has the best villains. Brainiac, Lex, Zod, and Darkseid. His supporting cast is great, jimmy is his best friend and can be awesome and funny to. lois lane is the best girlfriend in comics she's strong and independent but also loving and understanding. And the whole daily planet staff is awesome.

If you want to read some superman stories read:

Action comics 1-8 at least, I'd say read 1-17. AllstarSuperman 1-12.Superman Brainiac, and Kingdom Come. But there's also a list of the greatest 100 supes stories on here so I'd say look into them.

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sethysquare

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#43  Edited By sethysquare

@akbogert: Read and watch All Star Superman

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TeamUnitedNerds

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#44  Edited By TeamUnitedNerds

@akbogert said:

I know that sounds like a phenomenally loaded or trollish question, but I assure you it's genuine. As a person who has never been a comic reader until very recently, I've never taken an interest in the guy. He always seemed gratuitously overpowered with a weakness that seemed to call for a lot of déja vu if villains were ever going to stand a chance. I recognize, of course, that that's a very naive and ignorant understanding of him, but it's the one I spent most of my life having without thinking about it too much.

So what attracts you to Superman? What makes you care about Clark Kent? What would make someone like me "get it" the fastest?

...I really hope I don't regret starting this thread, haha.

I'm personally not interested in him a whole lot myself, but many people are attracted to his likability. We live in a world of evil, selfish people, so we are generally drawn to highly moral role models. Also, All Star Superman.

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ThanosIsMad

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#45  Edited By ThanosIsMad

Because the only thing not down to Earth about Superman are the origins of his birth and his powerset. He's completely relatable otherwise, and he has badass super powers.

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Smart_Dork_Dude

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#46  Edited By Smart_Dork_Dude

@akbogert: Superman is as much an ideal as he is a character. He represents everything good about humanity even though he's not human himself. He's the kind of guy who would help everyone if he could. Superman is also a tragic character in many ways, being alone on Earth, knowing his entire species is all but extinct, having to deal with the fact that he CAN'T help everyone and sometimes people die even if he's around to help. These are powerful issues and ones that make Superman even more endearing to me and many others.

He is the FIRST superhero and he truly represents everything that being a superhero entails. He is what other heroes strive to be.

Now some people say

"Oh, he's got way to many powers and that makes him boring!"

That is just wrong. How many powers Superman has doesn't make him Superman. He could still have the powers he originally had in 1938, bullet proof skin vulnerable to explosions, able to leap miles into the air, super speed and strength, and he would still be the same character. Superman has many powers yes, but at his core it's not about the powers because it's about what he DOES with them.

Superman is the one superhero you would always want. When he's on the scene you know you're going to be safe, whereas with other heroes there may be doubt(Sometimes well founded doubt).

Superman may be the first superhero, but he was also MY first superhero. Superman the Movie was the first movie I ever saw and it set the standard for how I judge superheroes. Sure I like some heroes that are about as far from Superman as you could get, but no matter how blurred the connection or distant it is, the fact remains that Superman really is the father of the modern superhero.

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SandMan_

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#47  Edited By SandMan_

Superman is THE Superhero.
 
:D

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Wardemon32

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#48  Edited By Wardemon32

He's like the guy that picks up JLA's peices and usually does what right. Most Superhero's don't even care about what they do.

For example: Superman usually doesn't try as hard as he could because, there is civilians around and he's always aware of teh damages than can be done. Sometimes he does screw up but he's always thinks about the civilians before himself. He would stand there and get beat up instead of unleashing his true power and destryoing the city.

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TrueMarvel

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#49  Edited By TrueMarvel

Cause hes a saint

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#50  Edited By marvel123

i'm a fan of the kryptonians in general. i like their powers; super speed, flight, strength to move dwarf planets, heat vision, super breath ect.

they are not as overpowered as characters such as galactus. if we're going to create a world where superheroes exist, why not go big. the better the super hero, the bigger/ more powerfull the villians