As mentioned before, I will be going through some of the popular movies to discuss which heroes and superheroes have influenced my life for the better. Because he is larger than life, I thought it necessary to discuss the most powerful superhero of all.
Superman's Biggest Weakness: Not Having Any
For all of those out there who, like Seinfeld, love the Man of Steel, you might find great offense in this post. After all, I am not a Superman fan and will not list him amongst my favorite and most inspiring film heroes. Some may ask how this could be. In some ways, Superman is everything you could want in a superhero: he can fly, he can run, he can jump, he can't die unless green rocks are around, and he never seems to make mistakes despite his nearly absolute powers. However, it is precisely Superman's lack of limitations or challenges that makes him uninspiring.
The biggest problem is that I cannot look into Superman and see any part of myself. While Superman is perfect, I am imperfect. While Superman always uses his incredible powers for good, I struggle to use my intensely limited powers for anything positive. While Superman can go anywhere, do anything, and act without fear of death, I am daily faced with my own limitations and my own mortality. The result is not only a hero who is distant, but a hero who is boring. I am not fond of Superman films because there are never any different challenges. Although Superman will doubtless come face-to-face with Kryptonite at some point in the film, there are no moral dilemmas. There is no inward struggle, only external reactions. Although Lex Luthor may embody everything that Superman despises, Lex is no match for a nearly immortal alien. Thus, the movie's climaxes always seem to be anti-climactic.
As a result, I find myself much more intrigued in the series "Smallville" than in any of the Superman films. True, "Smallville," like all dramas on the WB/CW, is often slowed down by teenage angst and cheesy soap opera moments. However, the character of Clark Kent before he donned the cape and tights is intriguing because Clark is not yet perfect. He still questions himself and what he can and should do with his powers. Although he usually makes the right choice in the end, he often screws up along the way. He even goes so far as to use his powers for selfish motives and not the greater good. It is this imperfection, this teasing of the reality that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" that draws me in and allows me to compare myself with Clark Kent. Although the similarities are small and seemingly insignificant, at least they exist. Once Clark Kent transforms into the Man of Steel, this man of mush has nothing to compare.
For those of you out there who love Superman, congratulations! You are doubtless better individuals than I, for you can actually find some means of comparison with the Man of Steel. As for me, I must set my sights a little lower and search for heroes who can shine but also will struggle.
3 comments:
Isn't there a quote in one of the Superman movies about him being "too perfect"?
And I agree - Smallville, while full of teenage angst, is a far more interesting story due to Clark Kent's imperfections and learning experiences.
Two comments:
1. I don't think one needs to identify with the hero to like them. Based on your last post of Batman, and using your "identification" criteria, I would not like Batman at all, because I don't identify with him. But I like him because he is great. Same with Superman, I like him, but yes, I can't compare myself with him. I'd have to say that I liked all of the TV Superman stuff (Lois & Clark, Smallville, and animations) better than the movies (though I haven't seen them all yet).
2. I hate to bring religion in to this, but in your comparisons of you to Superman I just kept thinking "Jesus." Here is the ultimate hero who is absolutely perfect, yet somehow we can love and even perhaps identify with him because he is our savior (and if your FHE / home teaching lessons are any sign, I think you do).
That is all. =)
Superman's greatest weakness is not green rocks, it's his intellect. Actually, that's pretty much a weakness of everyone in the superman universe—people look sooo different when they put glasses on, it's unreal (sarcastic eye rolling here). Seriously though, this is why batman cleans his clock every time they go head to head. Superman's powers have made him lazy and uncreative. Sure, he beats Luthor all the time, who is supposedly smarter, but Luthor is so blind with ambition he can't see the street in front of him. Superman is boring because he is predictable.
I agree with you that smallville is the most entertaining versian of superman (although Grant Morrison's Allstar Superman is supposed to be amazing, but I haven't bothered to pick it up), Clark is still uncreative in a lot of respects. That show is like watching something with a lot of potential and that consistently falls flat.
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