Reader's Avatar vs. Heccubus' Avatar

QUOTE (Just your average movie goer @ Jun 24 2004, 05:01 AM)

I know. I wonder how the writers manage to keep tension in the stories... if he's invulnerable and can do anything with ease and nobody stands a chance of thwarting him, then how do the writers make a story? Perhaps Supes can enlighten us on this.

Supes has gone through many changes since his first appearance in 1938. Basically, power increases have related to the development of technology and our ever expanding world.

When he first appeared he couldn't fly, but rather just "leap" tall buildings. He couldn't move close to the speed of light, but rather was faster than a speeding bullet (strangely enough he still let them hit him more often than not). He wasn't strong enough to pull the moon back into its orbit, but rather was more powerful than a locomotive. He didn't have all the other powers and abilities like heat, telescopic, microscopic, x-ray vision or super breath. These all developed as technology developed.

As to how they have kept the readers engaged over the past 66 years. The majority of the great stories that I have read have related more to the "man" than the "super". Stories that examined responibility and purpose rather than just beat up the bad guys. Stan Lee coined the phrase in Spiderman "With great power comes great responsibility." But Superman was examiningthis concept before Spiderman was even conceived.

I'll admit that there have been periods where the writing has been lost in amoung the "super" aspect of the character and these stories are far less engaging. The stories that look at Clark as opposed to Kal-El have always engaged. Where you have a man in a gods body and how he maintains his grounding. It's a little strange when you think about a character like Superman, but it the stories about his humanity that really engage.

Most people will have been asked the question, what would you do if you had Superman's powers? And more often than not we have some sort of answer. Usually the answer is I do just what Superman does. How much ofthe truth that is is questionable. It would take a great character not to use this sort of power to exert your own will upon others. Particularly when you know that there is literally nothing on earth that can stop you. It would all be in a just cause, but where is the line draw? The Superman comics often pose these sort of questions in story format.

That aside, with the development of technology Superman has faced many opponents more powerful than himself. He's been killed and ressurected, beaten up and lost his powers. There re a great many things in the comic world that are there to challenge him now, but it's the human stores that still are the most engaging. It is why he has become an icon.

I would encourage people to read the Kingdom Come series as well as a series by Warren Ellis called Authority. They are the best examples I have found of this concept. What happens when the Supermen discover that they are strong and decide to take a more "active" role in the creating of a peaceful world.

As a side note this is post 666 for me, so please feel free to take my words however you want.