Ever since his first appearance in 1938, Superman has been the champion of the oppressed, fighting for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow. And despite being an alien refugee, he cherishes humanity and sees the fundamental goodness within everyone. Critics of Superman often claim that he’s only considered the quintessential superhero because of his overwhelming powers. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth: it’s not his powers that make him a hero, but what he chooses to do with his powers. Every day, he fights to better the lives of as many people as possible, whether in epic acts of bravery or in smaller-scale actions like just being there for someone who needs a shoulder to cry on. Ironically perhaps, Superman is a true superhero because he represents the ideal of what humanity can be at its best, and what we all can do to make a better tomorrow.
With the upcoming release of James Gunn’s new Superman movie, and a world in need of the values Superman represents, it’s a good time to look back at the moments in Superman’s history that helped to cement him as the ultimate symbol of virtue and hope.
1) Holds the Cosmos for Atlas
Superman is willing, literally, to put the weight of the world on his shoulders to help someone have one special day. In Superman: Man of Tomorrow #12, Superman instructs Lois to publish a story announcing that he will be taking the day off. He thinks it is okay for him to take a day off because he trusts the people of Metropolis to protect the city in his absence. He’s proven correct, as people all over the city do their part to help their community while he is away. But why did Superman need a day off? The answer is, he wanted to hold up the heavens for the Titan Atlas, who had been condemned by Zeus to hold up the sky for eternity, so that Atlas could have the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. Superman supported the weight of an entire universe to give a father and daughter a memory that they would never forget.
2) Giving Kids with Cancer the Trip of a Lifetime
To be a hero means more than just fighting bad guys; it means bringing joy and hope to those who need it most. After defeating a group of villains called the Demolition Team, Superman notices a group of young cancer patients at a hospital nearby the battle. He goes over and talks to the kids. After getting their doctor’s permission to take them on a field trip to the Justice League Watchtower in orbit. With the help of the League, Superman takes the kids on an exciting trip to meet their favorite heroes. To end the day, he gives each of them space suits and takes them on a moon walk. As they overlook the Earth, Superman has each kid’s name carved into moon rocks so that their memories would live on forever. Without any incentive other than his compassion for these children, Superman makes their dreams come true.
3) Travels Across the Galaxy to Save a Little Girl
In the short story Superman: Up in the Sky, we see the incredible lengths Superman is willing to go to save a single person, especially when that person is a child. When aliens abduct a little girl named Alice, Superman searches the entire galaxy, facing numerous threats and moral dilemmas. These trials push him to his limits as he tries to find Alice. He manages to defeat an alien mercenary even after losing his powers, battles an alien starship fleet, and even bargains with Darkseid so that he can get a clue to her location. Ultimately, overcoming all the challenges he faced, Superman is able to save Alice and bring her back home. In this story, we see that it’s not Superman’s Kryptonian physiology alone that gives him the power to overcome impossible odds but also the inner strength he derives from his unwavering desire to help others.
4) Rebuilding an Apartment Complex
It’s a common critique of superhero media that the heroes have no regard for the cities that they’re sworn to protect. Superheroes often destroy cars, streets, and entire city blocks to defeat villains with no regard for the livelihoods, property, and homes of bystanders. Superman isn’t one of those heroes. In Action Comics #11, when an alien robot goes on a rampage in Metropolis, Superman arrives and quickly defeats the robotic invader. However, during its rampage, the robot managed to destroy an apartment building, putting many people at risk of becoming homeless. Instead of leaving after defeating the robot, Superman stays and motivates everyone to work with him to help rebuild the apartment complex. And by utilizing his super speed and strength, and repurposing the robot’s metal, Superman constructs the building to be better than it was before. Superman doesn’t just stop villains; he protects people and makes their lives better.
5) Preventing Future School Schootings
Few people can make Superman genuinely angry, but people who risk children’s lives will unfailingly face his wrath. In Superman: Birthright #6, the Man of Steel swoops down and grabs two teenagers who are about to commit a school shooting. Not satisfied with only stopping the teenagers, the moment they are in custody, Superman seeks out the man who sold the kids the guns and gives him a taste of his own medicine. Recounting to him how a nine-year-old girl had to stare down the barrel of one of his guns, Superman then picks up a gun and shoots it at him. Of course, Superman catches the bullet before it can hit the man. Superman then leaves him to be arrested by the police. Superman did not stop at apprehending the shooters; he went the extra mile to assure that the gun seller could never again put guns in the hands of teenagers.
6) Fighting the Klan
Based on the incredible classic radio show story, the mini-series Superman Smashes the Klan has the Man of Tomorrow fight for peace and equality against some of the biggest instigators of hate in American history: the Ku Klux Klan. Set in 1946, the story follows Clark as he struggles to come to terms with his alien heritage at a time when being different could lead to being treated as “subhuman.” When an Asian-immigrant family is harassed and attacked by the Klan, Superman is so effective fighting the Klan members that he even inspires the nephew of the Klan’s leader to abandon his hateful ways. On top of fighting a dangerous and hateful group that was at the height of its political and social influence, and protecting those under attack, Superman was able to inspire others to reject violence and bigotry.
7) Sacrificing His Life to Kill Doomsday
In 1992, the whole world watched in horror as Superman, the Man of Tomorrow, died. When the unstoppable killing machine, Doomsday, invaded Earth, he went on a murderous rampage with the intent of killing everything on the planet. Many heroes tried and failed to stop the monster. Only Superman stood a chance. Doomsday, however, proved to be so powerful that even Superman’s life was at risk. Their conflict was intense and brutal, and Superman could feel himself dying. Yet, he kept fighting because he knew that, if he couldn’t stop this monster, no one could. By the end of their long and grueling battle, Superman had killed Doomsday but, it seemed at the time, at the expense of his own life. Of course, it would later be revealed that Superman had instead entered a coma, but the fact remains that he was ready to give up his own life to save the world.
8) Liberating Warworld
In addition to Earth, Superman has also brought hope to other worlds. In the story “The Warworld Saga” in Action Comics, Superman confronts the alien warlord Mongul and leads a team called the Authority against the tyrant’s gladiatorial planet-turned-battleship Warworld. However, Mongul quickly overwhelms them, and Superman, depowered from red sunlight, is forced to become one of Mongul’s gladiators. Even as a powerless gladiator, Superman’s compassion and resistance to Mongul’s reign inspire the enslaved people to revolt against their oppressor. Superman is even given the nickname of “the unblooded sword” as he refuses to kill any of his enemies. Superman has always been a hero for the downtrodden, and in this story, he managed to do so even without his powers.
9) Refusing to Kill Manchester Black
Despite what the Injustice series suggests, the Man of Steel will never kill out of anger. One of Superman’s most powerful villains, the telepathic and telekinetic Manchester Black, is a satire of anti-heroes as he claims to fight for the greater good but takes great pleasure in killing people. Manchester hatched a plan to prove that Superman isn’t the Boy Scout he claims to be. He begins by brainwashing several of Superman’s enemies and having them attack Superman and his loved ones. In the final step of his plan, Manchester made Superman believe that the villain had murdered Lois, hoping that this would prompt Superman to kill him and prove his case. However, even though Superman thought Lois was dead,he refused to kill the man he believed had murdered Lois because he knew it wasn’t what she would have wanted. Thus, even at his most emotionally vulnerable, Superman still denounced his darkest impulses. Because that’s who Superman is – a man who will never give in to the temptation of hate.
10) Saving Regan
Arguably, the moments most emblematic of Superman’s character are not those where he is preventing world-ending threats or performing impossible feats. It is when he responds and reaches out to individuals who are in despair and helps them to see that there is hope and that their lives matter. As part of the critically acclaimed series All-Star Superman, the writers conveyed Superman’s identity and significance in just six panels. The story revolves around Superman succumbing to an illness that’s killing him. In his final days, Superman gets his affairs in order and saves as many people as he can. In one instance, using his super-hearing, Superman listens in on a doctor’s distressed phone call with a girl named Regan. The scene then cuts to Regan, a teenage girl who’s about to jump off a building. But, before she can jump, Superman appears and tells her that she is stronger than she thinks. He then embraces the girl, holding her as she cries. There have been other times Superman has convinced people not to take their own lives, but this is the most well-known. And it showcases Superman’s most significant power: his empathy and ability to inspire hope for the future.
The post 10 Times Superman was the World’s Greatest Hero appeared first on ComicBook.com.
