Honestly I believe it all comes down to Goku's nature. He was bred to kill. Pure and simple. A bonk to the head and nurture overrules nature. had Goku remained the ruthless Kakkarot, he eould not (speculation of course) have reached super saiyan status. Goku is inherently good and tha is what speaks to people the most. Goku spares life because he values it, not because he values the law. Characters like spiderman and batman don't kill criminals because they believe thye must separate themselves from what they fight. In the DBZ manga, Radditz states that if he should be able to jumpstart gokus programming, shocked he witnesses goku proclaim "I'm goku, get the heck off my planet!" Can Goku beat some of the most timeless characters created? I can't really answer that. There are too many factors you see. Superman and the yellow sun or rather the lack there of, Wolverine's healing and skeleton (I'm a supporter of adamantium by the way, although even wolverine is capable of being destroyed... perhaps lol). The Hulk gets stronger the angrier he gets; So does Goku. Colossus: VERY POWERFUL. Goku's true power is that he loves life enough to selflessly sacrifice himself to save it. He knows no limits; most others characters do i believe. I think the reason it always comes down to Superman and Goku is that both are righteous in their values. Both are incorruptible because they are ambassadors of their people, both actual and adoptive.
I wrote a research paper abouts heroes and villians. The last section titled: The Hero From Space.
The Hero from Space
Ranging from the despicable tyranny of the villain to the ultimate good of the hero, the spectrum is in fact far, and wide. However some heroes such as Batman and Spiderman, are not capable of striking the sense of pure good into people. Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker are, in essence, only human. Because of this they are identifiable in nearly every aspect, including their inability to be perfect. Humans, after all are subject to fits of personal fault. To be perfectly true to justice requires more; often otherworldly beings. Because humans are so faulty, extra-terrestrials become the ultimate source of salvation. This other life form is apparent in the Kryptonian Superman, and the Saiyan sent Goku.
Superman was sent to Earth as a baby, the lone survivor of a planetary explosion. Found by a small town couple that could not have children, he was raised as their own. This small town upbringing reinforces the morals associated with the small town stereotype. Because Superman possesses such great power, this morality is a crucial part of his seemingly flawless sense of right and wrong. Being from another planet allows Superman to be much more than normal heroes by freeing him from the identifiable faults of humans. Through this, fans are freed. “For others, he offers an escape, not just in his adventures, but in his origins. He may have been raised on a farm with boring parents, but secretly he is much more; he just has to discover it for himself.” (Miller).
Goku, like Superman, is an alien orphan sent to Earth as a baby. The difference between the two is greatly contrasted between the natures of their race. Saiyans are ruthless powerful beings that find hospitable planets and extinguish all life there, before selling the planet to the highest bidder. Goku, when just a baby, was sent to Earth to do just that, but a powerful blow to the head scrambled his programming and he became a docile, pure hearted boy. Raised by a martial arts master named Gohan, Goku becomes the perfect person, inherently good, even saving the world many times. Eventually a Saiyan warrior named Radditz arrives and reveals to Goku the true nature of his past. Goku, originally named Kakkarot, is one of the only four Saiyans left in the universe, and Radditz’s younger brother. Ignoring Radditz’s offer to join him, an epic series of battles ensues and Goku eventually discovers the true depths of his Saiyan heritage and power: the ability to go beyond all set limits and become a Super Saiyan. This transformation is symbolic of the hero from space. They live their lives oblivious to their true nature, discover it, reject it, realize that who they are is far more important than what they are, embrace their heritage as a welcome piece of themselves they can use for good, and finally shed the bondage of their chains to humanity.
People are in a constant struggle with the emotions, and feelings that churn within their inner cauldrons. They seek to exceed all personal boundaries and desire to defy all opposition. Heroes and villains allow people to see in themselves the very things that make great and terrible people. These power symbols allow people to deal with the despair and tragedies, as well as frustrations of life, and overcome them. Whether choosing the path of righteousness, or succumbing to personal gain, people strive to be better, and heroes, as well as villains, provide that outlet.
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