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magus2003 t1_j035xw1 wrote

Reply to comment by Funandgeeky in [EU] The CIA are trying to kill Clark Kent and make it look like an accident. They don't know he's Superman, he's just a really good journalist and is getting too close to some things the government wants to keep secret. by Affectionate_Bit_722

That's the distinction for me, Supes is boring. Whatever power he needs he's got, immortal, etc.

Kent is interesting as hell. Trying to be a reporter and live a life while hiding what is essentially God hood.

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Funandgeeky t1_j036u96 wrote

The best Superman stories are the ones where he can't just use his powers to automatically win. He has to figure out how to use his powers, when to not use his powers, and make choices about who he saves and who doesn't get saved as a result.

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Jollysatyr201 t1_j040wl0 wrote

I agree completely- my favorite scene of him choosing who gets saved has a great parallel in Greek myth in the Iliad.

Zeus wants to save Sarpedon, but Hera tells him it is forbidden. Because he doesn’t save him, the Trojan war ends and thousands live.

Clark wants to save Lois, but Jor-el tells him it is forbidden. Because he saves Lois, he must deal with the consequences of his actions and the people he did not save as a result.

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Lord_Nivloc t1_j1tj0w6 wrote

Superman fighting bad guys isn’t interesting

But Superman trying to persuade people to be better? That’s interesting. How does he win people over? How does he change society without resorting to violence or autocracy?

Even if Supes isn’t trying to fix systemic problems, he can change people just by being himself. He can inspire people.

There’s a lot of stories you can tell. For example, what happens when Superman’s heroics inspire a young boy, and that boy then tries to stop a robbery at a local store and gets shot? That would wound Superman like no bullet can. And while Superman is trying to figure out what he could have, should have done, life doesn’t wait.

There’s another boy to inspire with inspiring words. There’s another villain to put a stop to without allowing any harm to come to anyone. Louis asked for a favor, Clark Kent has a report coming up, a politician wants a photo op, and all Superman wants to do is fly back to his fortress of solitude. He wants, just for one second, for this responsibility to be lifted from his shoulders. He wants, just once, to take the quick and easy way.

But he can’t. He can’t let go of the responsibility, he can’t use violence to solve problems, he can’t order people around, and he must continue to inspire people.

And it’s all worth it, because he does inspire people. He does save people. The henchman he spared, looked in the eye like the faceless mook was a real human now has a productive job. There are countless children happier and more optimistic about life because Superman is there.

Superman is a simple character. He’s as close to perfect as you can get (and he has to be, any abuse of power or laziness would be catastrophic), and he doesn’t change, doesn’t have a normal character arc.

Because Superman works as hard as he can to change the hearts and minds of other people. He is a beacon of hope. He is the catalyst for their character arcs.

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