Superman turned 70 this month... and wouldn't you know it, he's not aged a day on celluloid - in fact he's gone back in time - at least judging by his latest avatar in Smallville. And it's there, as a young Super-teen that he faces some pretty daunting challenges (there's probably nothing scarier than a US high school!)
But the man who epitomised Superman, and who wore the cape best, would have to be the late Christopher Reeve, who then showed some of that formidable iron will after a horse-riding accident left him paralysed... Krypton's ambassador struck the world with his grit, even in his vulnerability.
But it's Superman's invulnerability that was his claim to fame -and in post-World War II USA, through the Cold War, that's not half-surprising... The need of the hour was precisely a Man of Steel who knew that Justice and the American Way were more than worth protecting. He didn't have to be profound, didn't need to be dark or twisted - we had a superhero who stood up for the little people... who held his head high as champion of the universe (sorry He-Man!).
Post-the 90s, though, and it's all urban angst and post post-modern, and all of a sudden strength involves more than just biceps and brute force -- it's also the strength to share your feelings. Is there any wonder Superman got left behind? He just never had the time! Or the inclination... And the last Superman movie is a case in point.
The Man of Steel is good-looking, yes, funny, yes, at times, especially when he's being a giant dork around Lois Lane, but of course he's also a Man of Integrity, so he doesn't use his Super-charm on her (even though, as everyone, even Clark Kent knows, she's smitten by the caped crusader). But that's all a given - He's super-good, yeah yeah we know... But beyond that? The next level?
The whole crux of it is, except for Kryptonite, he's got no chinks in his armour. Superman is a great guy, a super-guy, even. But he's just NOT human.
Unlike the brilliant but reclusive Tony Stark (Iron Man), or the deliciously dark Bruce Wayne (Batman), or the big mean Green Bruce Banner (The Hulk) - they're all like us... flawed. Beautifully so, and noone faces that crisis of faith more acutely than Peter Parker (Spiderman).
Apart from the dollops of special powers, that is, they're just like you and me - and if they can do it, save the world, that is, while confronting inner demons... well, there's just no telling what we can do.
But Supes? Well he's got that whole messiah-like charm going for him... But he's just not someone you can relate to. No call to arms, here, no attempt to make you find the best in yourself...
Which is not to say Superman doesn't have it anymore - he's quite simply the best, calmest face of justice ever... and faster than a speeding bullet to boot! Just that he's got super competition. Maybe he'll sock it to them in the next 70!
And by the way on another note entirely, just judging by all the superheroes playing at a theatre near you this summer (and in anticipation of Batman as The Dark Knight this July), clearly we need our good guys back, in these dark times.
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We tend to have a tendency that we need something whom we can blame for our bad times and on a similar note we need someone to magically come when we are in trouble and rescue us. While for the former GOD fills the bill , for the latter there are a lot of worthy contenders. As my friend has stated BATMAN,IRONMAN,SPIDERMAN and off course SUPERMAN. SUPERMAN somehow captures the imagination of all people of all ages. He catapultzs every individial to a new high, just the sight of a person appearing in a red cape rescuing is one of the ulmate dream of most kids.He stands up for what he believes, stands by his friends and those who cares but all along never takes advantage of his superiority. In our crazy times when humans are fighting their own brothern, problems are rampant and our world is devoid of any insipirational figure , these fictional pigmentation of our imagination takes a new importance as they instill hope in us that someone will come flying from the sky and rescue us. Everything can be restored back to good old times. I must admit , was a huge fan of the series as a kid but with time and social obligations the innocence of the character has been erraded. The Charm needs to be reinvigorated and time is just right now with 70th B'day looming around or it will become a memmory in our life. Kids can again find the same fictional characters to be their heros instead to being glued to video games or PORN. So that we can say it is a bird, no it's a plane ooh no he is SUPERMAN. ...Reply
Hi Amritha, nice off-beat post!
I think the best description of Superman was in the movie Kill Bill 2, when David Carradine (Bill) delivers his soliloquy to Uma Thurman (Beatrice Kiddo).
It's absolutely brilliant. And if the movie wasn't so violently off-putting, I think Bill's analysis of Superman would've stood right up there with the best of Jung and Freud!
Bill: An essential characteristic of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero, and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When he wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic that Superman stands alone. Superman did not become Superman, Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears, the glasses, the business suit, that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He's weak, he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race. ...Reply
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