People don’t get superman
Superman is boring.
That’s something I’ve heard at least once a year for the quarter century I’ve been alive. For a time, I even believed it. Y’know, before I ever read a Superman story.
With the new Superman trailer from James Gunn hitting the internet in December and becoming the most viewed trailer in DC and Warner Bros history, it feels like a relevant time to talk about the importance of Superman. And why we need him more than ever.
Gunn’s Superman is the latest iteration of the Superman “myth” and as such, will take liberties to adapt the story he wants to tell for the silver screen. But it’s that mythicality that makes Superman and his world eternally relevant.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve only grown to appreciate DC’s Big Blue Boy Scout more and more. It’s so easy to get caught up on the powers. The staples are, of course, flight, super speed, freeze breath, heat vision, and Superman’s signature invulnerability. There are other powers he’s had over the years, like his Solar Flare, or the ability to shoot a mini Superman from his hands, but like I said, it’s easy to get caught up on the powers. Yet, they’re the least important thing about him.
Superman is brave, macho, stands up straight and puffs out his chest. Meanwhile, Clark Kent is a bumbling buffoon, unable to stand up straight or look anyone in the eyes. These are the culturally understood defintions of Superman’s dual identity, and they’re wrong.
Like his best friend Batman, Superman doesn’t have a double identity. He has a triple identity. The conventional Superman dual identity doesn’t exist until Clark makes his way to Metropolis, but that’s not where his story starts.
“Oh, you mean it starts on Krypton?” I hear you asking. “The third identity is Kal-El, his Kryptonian heritage?”
You actually couldn’t be more wrong, but since you brought it, let’s talk about Krypton.
It’s where baby Kal-El was born. As the Last Son of Krypton, Clark carries the last vestiges of Kryptonian culture with him. That’s a burden that weighs heavy on him. Krypton changes wildly based on the interation of Superman, but over the past several decades, it can be described as such; a prosperous science-based society that ignored actual scientific-evidence of its own impending doom. The new Absolute Superman’s Krypton has expanded on that understanding by fleshing out the class divides between the laborers and the scientists, which is an angle that is painfully relevant. But that’s enough about Krypton…for now.
So to answer your question from one rant ago; no, the third identity isn’t Kal-El. It’s just Clark Kent. Sure, he was born on Krypton, but that’s prologue. The real story of Superman begins when that until invincible little baby is found by Ma and Pa Kent in Smallville, Kansas.
Ma and Pa are humble farmers. The Kent farm has been a staple of Smallville for a long time, and they’re usually well-known and liked in their community. Like everyone growing up, Clark makes mistakes. He lashes out, breaks down, gets his heart broken, worries about what he’ll do when he graduates, and hides aspects of himself to earn the approval of his peers. That’s all complicated with the powers he has and the alien heritage he discovers, but critically, his coming of age is not much different than the average working class American. After all, that’s what he and his family are.
By the time Clark is ready to move to Metropolis, he and his family have already grappled with what his powers actually mean and what he can do with them. Ma and Pa are supportive, but of course worry about their son putting himself in harm’s way. Still, they raised him to be this. They raised him to offer a helping hand when one is needed. They raised him to be kind to everyone, but to not get walked all over. They, and the people of Smallville, taught him the value of hard work and the importance of community.
Referring to Clark Kent as the third identity is a miscategorization on my part. The truth is, there is one Clark Kent. Who we see in Metropolis is just two halves of one whole. One, the mild-mannered and kind reporter who wants to uncover the truth so he can help people in Metropolis and around the world. The other, the colorful symbol of hope who flies above the crowds, punches monsters, and does everything he can to help everyone he can. Both embody the lessons from Ma and Pa, albeit differently. Both can be considered a “true” but not necessarily “whole.”
This is best understood through the experiences of Lois Lane. While initially enamored with Superman (or occasionally skeptical), she usually doesn’t start paying much attention to Clark. However, as he and Lois progress their relationship, both as Clark and Superman, Lois finds herself falling in love with both. Superman’s strength and kindness, acting as the ultimate good samaritan, and Clark Kent, the reliable, helpful, and humble coworker who just wants to reveal the truth. She ends up seeing Clark from both sides, and when he reveals his identity to her, she finally gets it.
All of that to say, Superman is a working class American who grew up with loving parents and because of how he was raised, chose to help people— whether he’s behind a pair of glasses or not. And I think now, more than ever, we need to a superhero who’s kind, just for the sake of being kind. Who does good solely for the betterment of others. And I hope James Gunn’s Superman inspires more people to follow in Clark Kent’s footsteps.
