Why do people like Superman?

Dammit, I wish I hadn't been away for so long. Everyone already posted the cool answers :P

He's the definition of good guy superhero.

You can claim mine as your own as long as you agree to owing me 1 favor that I can call in at any time.

Its a feeling for me, and its a feeling that some people just dont naturally get.

"You'll Believe a Man Can Fly." That was the tagline for Superman: The Movie. Its something that makes the back of my neck tingle. Its a phrase that captures a big part of Superman. His entire "thing" is inspiring people, creating hope. He is a symbol of truth and justice, and deeply instilled icon of Americana. He is the antithesis of Batman, he is what we should all aim to be, what we should all admire. If Batman represents humanity and society now (terrifying to say the least), Superman is what we could be, what we should be. He is entirely selfless and altruistic, and while a pragmatist may say his is superior to us, more valuable to us, it is a concept that never occurs to him.

He is also the humblest of heroes, paradoxically while being the greatest. He was raised in the parts of the country must of us simply note for how "quaint" the people are, and he behaves as such, all the while anybody who knows better is awed by him.

On Clark Kent, there is actually two versions of Superman I truly love, and they have more to do with Kent then Big Blue.
1) Is the Silver Age version, who is a strange Alien visitor, he is essentially a deity, and he doesnt quite grasp humanity, so his Clark Kent is something of a Nerd. Quentin Tarantino said in Kill Bill, that Clark Kent was Superman's critique of the human race, but that is far to harsh and misconstrues Supermans intentions. His problem is a matter of perception, if anything. He perceives humanity a certain way, and replicates it, all the while diminishing traits relateable to Superman. In this version, Superman is who he is, and Clark is a disguise.
2) Kingdom Come and the like. Superman is who his parents, Jonathon and Martha raised him to be. He truly is the nerdy, naive, farmboyish Clark Kent. He is inherently chivalrous, and virtuous, and a gentlemen. He is an interesting dichotomy, as when he dons his red cape, the farmboy is absorbed into the being of phenomenal power, so unlike the meek Clark Kent, other than the fact the share the humblest of midwestern values. Thats the kind of character anyone could love, Kingdom Come Superman, infinite power and all, wearing overalls, and farming Kansas.

Id also say he has the second best Rogues Gallery around. While it is my personal favorite, I confess that Batman's rogues gallery is more diverse and dynamic.

Here's where some people get really turned off: he is an allegory for Christ. Tell me if you heard this before: One and only son, sent to Earth to live as a man, exists to be a saviour and a teacher, resurrects himself. The best stories last forever, and this is no different. I can understand some people hating this point though.

I could go on forever, but I will finish with two things:
1) Superman is considered old fashioned, antiquated (something that Alex Ross confronts head on in Kingdom Come, my favorite Comic Book Story Ever), which is similar to saying we dont appreciate or relate to his values anymore. Isnt that a scary thought? Isnt it frightening that somebody like Batman's values is considered more valuable, or more in line with our modern values? It is not a perfect Rorschach test for anti-social tendencies, or nihilistic leanings, not at all, I just find it horribly depressing that this is one of the most common arguments against Superman. In real life, im a realistic and pragmatist, but I think it is good to dream, to still desire the best, even though it cannot exist in the real world.

2) "Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. 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, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son." - Jor-El

Kingdom Come is also my favourite story of all time. Kudos to you, sir.

@deaditegonzo: I would star/rec/up this post if I could. Excellent. I agree 1 million % with your final-thought #1

Superman is not only a very inspiring figure and a unique character (despite unfounded claims of his "generic-ness"), but also a character with a lot of potential. With Superman you can have cosmic, crime, magic, metaphysical or straight-up superheroic stories. There's not many characters you can get that from. Of course, there's other reasons Superman is my favorite but they have already been stated and me mentioning them would be quite redundant.

- I'd say that it's because they probably hate Batman.

100% not the case

Dude, I wish I could have a favorite to this post right here.

I like some Superman stories and versions of him. But then I read anything his rabid Fanbois write and I would like nothing better then to burn everything with Superman on it to the ground.

The character is interesting but I feel over extended anymore, I saw someone previously claim he can do Crime stories.. No he cannot. Because thats not a story. Superman instantly catching a few thieves or bank robbers does not make him a Crime style character.

He is good for Planet Wide or Topical stories like wars and provides a chance for an Outside looking In view of humanity and its flaws. He is also good for Cosmic stories though GL is better suited given his set up.

@Perpetr8rMike who ever told you supes is a crime story character is on so many levels wrong about that. Also your right about the cosmic story thing only problem is writers tend not to put him in that setting.

I like Superman because I think he represents what a real hero should be. He's not perfect, and he knows that. He has to suffer knowing that at the end of the day he can't save everyone, but he still goes on fighting for what's right. I understand what you're saying when you say he's too OP, but personally I never saw Superman as OP because his enemies are pretty strongO.o Watching and reading Superman always makes me want to be a better person; I realize that's a little weirdXD but I think Superman is a great role model for everyone because (like I said earlier) he knows he's not perfect, but he still tries. This might now make sense:P but that's just how I feel.

Truth. Justice and the American way. Superman does not kill and he is nice to kittens.

I'm like supergirl powergirl and superman

first i like a powerful girl.two i like superman charater

He deserves better writers

I still really don´t like Superman . I don´t hate , but dislike. Mostly because he is so popular i guess and I don´t see the appeal anymore. I liked him when i stated out reading as a kid, but it wore of more and more as i got into other heroes and stories. I guess it just comes down to him being really boring in my eyes. Not much else to say on the matter really.

Admittedly, the problem is getting the right writer. Grant Morrison, Joe Kelly, Mark Waid, Alan Moore and others have written successful Superman stories but there needs to be more consistent quality in the stories. Otherwise writers just utilise the same story tropes over and over again. Lobdell's run is a prime example of this error. If he has the right writers that understand him, truly memorable Superman stories can be told.

Same thing.

My brother says
.He is cool

.Has Super Stregnth.

I've also just recently got into the world of comics, and boy have I read many of them already! I like Superman because this time period is filled with predominately Batman fans, and many people hating on Superman.. I like to side with the underdog, I also love Superman because of his good morality!

Clark Kent never asked to be Superman. He just happened to be born an alien with powers radiating from the yellow Sun. If he wasn't Superman, he would still be a good guy, an award-winning reporter living a comfortable life. He would be totally fine without powers and without having to be Superman, Clark Kent is as a regular dude as you'll see in DC comics.

Now, when he's Superman, he has to put on this act. He has to change the way he acts, he even has to change his voice so that people wouldn't recognize him. I'm pretty certain he loves being Clark Kent waaaay more than he likes being Superman.

If he really loved being Superman, he would never sleep and he would try to stop crime 24/7. But he doesn't do that does he.

@endanger:

What?

Because superman could give us positive energy.

I think he likes being both.

Yeah that's what I said.

If you got a problem with what I wrote then say it.

Despite the fact I read a lot of Superman, I never really liked him that much. I always found his lack of flaws to be annoying and impossible to relate to rather than inspirational.

@endanger:

So because he doesn't fight crime 24/7(which no Superhero does) he likes being Clark more? He likes saving people more than he likes being a news reporter. That's all just a cover up. If he doesn't like it like that he wouldn't be putting his life on the line in the first place.

I use to not read his stories and was pretty ignorant but then I gave him a chance.

People say he's boring because he's not relate-able. I am perfectly fine with that. I don't want someone I can familiarize myself with, I want someone to look to in awe someone who is amazing but humble, Same reason why I like Thor or Hyperion as characters. I don't read Thor regularly, but when he shows up smiting what ever needs it I love it, he is there go to guy when sh*t hits the fan, and lately hyperion

Now while superman is this amazingly strong character, he is also a son, someones lover, a father figure or sibling to others, and I enjoy seeing his interactions with other characters

I like when there were stories of him and robin teaming up and how they interacted with each other. I enjoy seeing him get angry sometimes, and other times as harmless as a fly. I like how some of the other heroes look up to him and some don't. He can make any situation interesting depending on the story or who has control of him.

In most stories I've read...it involves him practicing being Clark Kent...not the other way around, which says something. When he was growing up on a farm just him and his parents, he could be himself, and he wasn't that much different than superman, (at school he was told to avoid most kids though).....when he decided to be Clark Kent from metropolis however, he had to practice this, sometimes even his mother and father would coach him

"remember to slouch" "NEVER wear tight fitting clothes"

in birth right he had to force himself to be a quiet clumsy guy. Perry asked him why he should hire him, and Clark gave this amazing speech on why he's good at what he does, there was a moment of silence and what does he do? Knocks the pencils off the desk because he was acting "out of character"

Whoever you are should come naturally, and I think if you have to "practice" slouching and knocking pencils off desks that's not really who you are.

That's just what I think anyway.

This to me doesn't seem like someone is "being themselves"

@w0nd said:

@comicstooge said:

@endanger said:

@akbogert said:

A couple people argued that Superman is who he is because of his powers; others argued it's not about his powers. I've come to find myself agreeing with the first camp: if he didn't have his powers, his being a nice guy would be less impressive. It's the restraint from using power that makes a respectable leader -- one who has the ability to act and willfully chooses the route of mercy and compassion. We'd respect that in any dictator or monarch. Why not in a superhero?

I do think some people are a little harsh on other heroes here. @Wardemon32 said "most supherhero's [sic] don't even care about what they do," and I think that's indefensible. Others used this as a platform to attack other characters more directly.

In a way, I find it a little sad that a major reason for liking a character is that he is nice and doesn't abuse his power. One would hope those were baseline requirements for a hero, but evidently they are more noticeable in Superman than almost anyone else. Granted, the ramifications of his abuse are much greater than most heroes. But still. It's odd that we view being a paragon of virtue as a rarity even within the comic industry.

Clark Kent never asked to be Superman. He just happened to be born an alien with powers radiating from the yellow Sun. If he wasn't Superman, he would still be a good guy, an award-winning reporter living a comfortable life. He would be totally fine without powers and without having to be Superman, Clark Kent is as a regular dude as you'll see in DC comics.

Now, when he's Superman, he has to put on this act. He has to change the way he acts, he even has to change his voice so that people wouldn't recognize him. I'm pretty certain he loves being Clark Kent waaaay more than he likes being Superman.

If he really loved being Superman, he would never sleep and he would try to stop crime 24/7. But he doesn't do that does he.

I think he likes being both.

In most stories I've read...it involves him practicing being Clark Kent...not the other way around, which says something. When he was growing up on a farm just him and his parents, he could be himself, and he wasn't that much different than superman, (at school he was told to avoid most kids though).....when he decided to be Clark Kent from metropolis however, he had to practice this, sometimes even his mother and father would coach him

"remember to slouch" "NEVER wear tight fitting clothes"

in birth right he had to force himself to be a quiet clumsy guy. Perry asked him why he should hire him, and Clark gave this amazing speech on why he's good at what he does, there was a moment of silence and what does he do? Knocks the pencils off the desk because he was acting "out of character"

Whoever you are should come naturally, and I think if you have to "practice" slouching and knocking pencils off desks that's not really who you are.

That's just what I think anyway.

This to me doesn't seem like someone is "being themselves"

Yeah I know, but he'd never give up on being Clark Kent, is what I'm saying. He likes his job and the people he's met.

@comicstooge: then I misunderstood sorry!

That's OK, I wasn't very clear anyway.

Because people have different opinions. What you like, another person might hate. What you hate, another person might like.

Hopefully you read it all the way down to hear, but here's really all you need to know about what makes superman great:

http://www.comicvine.com/profile/mbecks14/blog/why-superman-is-the-best-superhero/84311/

Cus he's cute.... no homo..... not that there's anything wrong with that,

It's threads like this that keep making me want to write blog entries about Superman, instead of writing about some of the other things I think of...

If you don't like him don't read his books, like I do with Teen Titans, GL corps and Wonder Woman. But the overpowered thing is a little silly. "Over" power means that it overwhlems all others, while his opponents are more than a match for him.

@akbogert: he may be op when next to bats but he fights doomsday a being stronger than him with no morals and once killed can't die that way also there is darksied the most powerful dc villian and then Mongul who goes to any lengths to kill him. And he has brainiac who is more powerful and smarter and then lex who represents conflicting ideals with a good person and evidently making a possible alli a villian. And we love supes because he has such power and could do more good ruling us but instead makes the choice of morals of the next generation than lives that could be saved by eliminating killing and death and crime. That us why his lesser know but more important name is not the superman or the man of steel or the guy who can end crime but instead the man of tomorrow. Watch or read all star superman to understand more in that

Yoooooooo I'm all for grave-digging of threads but a couple folks could really stand to have read over the previous comments before responding. I did start this thread over eight months ago, after all ^_^

Thanks for the link, @echoes185 :)

This.

I get the same feeling bro every time I see a Wolverine hate thread. The same feeling. *Gives a pat on the back*. Be strong for Superman :D

He's overrated by a long shot

He was created as a ripoff of Phil Wylie's Gladiator

Stay mad Superman fans

@arranvidreturns: Kind of reminds me of when Cracked claimed the same thing while remaining completely oblivious from the fact that their similarities only rose many years after his inception, demonstrating key critical research failure as a result.

Is this the same thing, or is there a new similarity you'd like to bring into the table?

@jogga: I lol at the days when Supes used to leap in the Golden Age...it was the Golden Age...right? Namor was soaring the skies back in those days

He's a rugged kind hearted badass, what's not to love.

i don't like Superman, the Flash is a better Superhero.

He's a really nice guy