What Makes Superman A Hero

What Makes Superman A Hero

The paper I wrote about Superman at my high school

Editorial Opinion
By JM4Superman - May 15, 2011 02:05 PM EST
Filed Under: DC Comics
Source: ComicBookMovie.com

Everyone needs a hero to save them now. Someone to save them just in the nick of time. As the rock band Skillet said “A hero is not afraid to give his life, a hero is going to save me just in time.” He is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound….. He is Superman!


In their song “Superman(It’s Not Easy)”, Five For Fighting said these truthful words in Superman’s point of view “ I’m more than a bird, I’m more than a plane, I’m more than a pretty face beside the train. It’s not easy to be me.” There is more to what makes Superman heroic. The most important key factor that makes Superman heroic is the values his foster parents the Kents raised him with. His act of courage is what makes him heroic like Samson and Hercules. His use of his abilities to help people insteading of terrorizing them is another factor of what makes him heroic. The greatest factor next to his moral values is being an alien or immigrant coming to a different world to make a difference.


Superman was born on the planet Krypton as Kal-el who was sent to Earth to escape from Krypton’s doom, he was found by a Kansas couple in Smallville and raised as Clark Kent. Throughout his early life, Clark discovered that he had powers beyond any human being and was advised by his foster parents to use them to help others. When he reached adulthood, Clark made a decision to use his powers for truth, justice, and the american way and became Superman. The question is how did he become Superman? Well he did not just wake up one day and become Superman, he made that choice to become the man of tommorrow. The televsion series “Smallville” and the new graphic novl Superman: Earth One are perfect examples of how Clark Kent made that choice to become the hero is known as today. With all the powers he have, he could have been an athlete, scientist, or even ruler of the world but instead he chose to use his powers to help protect the people of Earth.


Superman is one of the strongest heroes in DC comics. Another reason why he is the greatest hero is because of his humility. As Batman mention before, Superman have powers that could compete with God and states that Superman does not realize that much to Batman’s relief. Superman sees himself not as a god but someone who is only here to help and expects nothing in return. In Superman: Secret Origins, Superman tells the citizens of Metropolis not look at him as a savor.


Superman is a legendary hero who will always be number one in my book. As other heroes cross the line between good and evil not caring about moral values, Superman refuses to cross that line. Superman reprents us all who could have cross the line and take matters into their own hand but chooses not to. Kal-el made the choice to become the protector of the Earth not only out of honor of his biological and foster parents, but out of his own free will.


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golden123
golden123 - 5/15/2011, 2:27 PM
Nice read!
superbatspiderman
superbatspiderman - 5/15/2011, 5:30 PM
Very great article. Superman is a great character and is a true hero.
LP4
LP4 - 5/15/2011, 6:08 PM
@JM4Superman- Again buddy- GREAT [frick]ING ARTICLE!! Seriously great man. I love how you put it together. I also love how you mentioned what Supes said in "Secret Origins"! Great book. One of my favs only after "Birthright"

In "Secret Origins" Superman also confronted Lex Luthor at his office and explained to Lex that neither he nor the citizens of Metropolis BELONG to him anymore.

Superman is always on the lookout. Constantly keeping his eye on Luthor...



Brain vs. Brawn. Lex Luthor hates everything Superman represents. Because in his mind...Superman represents a society completely reliant on just ONE MAN ALONE. I remember reading a comic where Lex was talking to Raven...and he explained that he can cure world hunger and all ailments worldwide...but that he can't do all that until he's destroyed Superman once and for all.

Superman is a great hero. But by far he has one of THE MOST interesting and deeply-layered villains in all of comicbook history~ Lex Luthor.

manymade1
manymade1 - 5/16/2011, 3:47 AM
Tell your teacher to give you a A++ for this article. Great work.
JM4Superman
JM4Superman - 5/16/2011, 3:56 AM
@ manymade 1 Thanks
Orphix
Orphix - 5/16/2011, 7:59 AM
Superman, to me, has always been a bit dull. Someone so powerful is difficult to cause a threat to, to endanger.

How can you be heroic when you know, pretty much, that you are indestructable. I always liked the definition of courage as being 'completely terrified but still carrying on with what you have to do anyway'. When has Superman ever been truly terrified?

The only thing he can be scared of is not using his power correctly - and screwing up big time because of an accident. Not the definition of a true hero in my book.

Superman stories have always been interesting because of the satelite characters around him. How to you reacte to someone so powerful and godlike? Does his very appearance define you? Does his very existance on Earth define the planet? That the interesting thing about Superman. But he, as a character, have always found a little bit boring.
nuck82
nuck82 - 5/16/2011, 8:51 AM
the cape???
Dynamo
Dynamo - 5/16/2011, 3:06 PM
@Orphix
By that extention, Thor is a boring character aswell...
Orphix
Orphix - 5/17/2011, 1:26 AM
Dynamo@ You're right. And he could be if handled badly. But Thor has a more 'fish out of water' quality about him which makes him interesting. Asgard seems more of a fun place to come from than Krpton - especially when you are royalty of that world.

Also much of his story is about learning how to cope with such power and learning humility. Superman is a bit more dull because he is 'good' from the beginning. Luckily Thor is a bit of a tw@t and this 'flaw' makes him more interesting (at least to me). And means we get to see him grow and develop.
CoolioVids
CoolioVids - 5/17/2011, 9:39 AM
great stuff man
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