WithJames Gunn’sSupermanon its way, the Big Blue Boy Scout has been the talk of the town. It’s clear that Gunn is taking a farmore comic-accurate routefor the character, and that’s led to people discussing the essential traits that make Superman who he is. A lot of people simplify the character and simply consider him a “perfect person,” and how that makes him “boring” as a hero. This is the farthest thing from the truth, though.
Superman is one of the most deeply layered and complex characters in the DC universe.Lighter fans of the character may not believe it, but people who know a lot about the character and/or have been following him for quite some time know that this is true. But what are the most important traits that make Clark Kent who he is? There are 10 that are the most important and cannot be forgotten, especially before theSupermanrelease.
9Determination
“I’ll never stop fighting. Ever.”
One ofthe best Superman quotescomes as a great example of his iconic determination. At the end ofSuperman vs. The Elite, Superman (George Newbern) says,“And on my soul, I swear that until my dream of a world where dignity, honor, and justice are the reality we all share, I’ll never stop fighting. Ever.“He’s a character whose determination is incredibly inspiring.
This part about him is a big part of what helps establish hope within the world of DC and the readers when it comes to the character. People can consistently believe in the fact that Superman will never stop doing what he does, and helps keep those he’s saving and those reading him truly believe in him, no matter what is happening in the story that is unfolding.
Superman vs. The Elite
8No Job Is Too Small
Step aside, Darkseid.
Sure, Superman may face off against some ofthe most overpowered villainsin comic book history, but that doesn’t mean that they necessarily take priority over the likes of a woman getting her purse stolen. When it comes to Superman,there’s no job that is too small, and he treats things like a mere thug threatening someone or robbing a bank with the same seriousness as he treats the likes of Darkseid.
… if Superman can help someone, he will.
It would be so easy for Clark to really not care much about small-time crimes and leave those to the smaller-town heroes of the DC universe, but if Superman can help someone, he will. Every crime is a necessity for him, and that is probably a good part of what makes the crime rate in Metropolis so much better than Gotham City’s. If a thug believes that Superman will care enough to come kick his butt, he’ll be a lot less willing to rob a bank.
7Dedication to Truth
You can’t have justice without truth.
If there’s one thing that Superman understands and believes, it’s that he cannot achieve justice and a better tomorrow without truth. There not only needs to be honesty within him, but there has got to be honesty within the system and a truth in every solution.True justice cannot be found through lies and deception. A real hero accomplishes his feats with honesty.
Real-world fans and the citizens of the DC universe can both feel confident in knowing that Superman will never stray from the truth of every situation…
This is a major part of what brings a deepsense of nobility to Superman’s character.Real-world fans and the citizens of the DC universe can both feel confident in knowing that Superman will never stray from the truth of every situation, even when that truth isn’t easy to accept or is difficult. It’s part of what makes him a true hero, at the end of the day.
Even a super-powerful hero needs to be brave.
Many may assume that it doesn’t take a lot of courage or bravery to be a hero as absurdly powerful as Superman is. There aren’t many villainsthat could reasonably step up to himand kill him, so why would he be scared? But there are villains that can, could, and have killed him. Not only that, but there’s another type of courage that comes forth in Clark’s character that has far less to do with physical bravery.
The courage that comes within Superman often isn’t about using his powers, but more about not using them when it would be so easy to.
There’s a courage and bravery within him that is one who is willing to do hard things on a mental scale, rather than just fighting a villain. It deeply connects to his trait of dedication to truth. Sometimes, being a hero means doing the hard thing. Giving up on things that mean a lot to them. Sometimes, being a hero means letting the likes of Lex Luthor go if there’s nothing to put him away for, even when he has the profound power to do whatever he likes with him.The courage that comes within Superman often isn’t about using his powers, but more about not using them when it would be so easy to.
5Keeps An Open Mind
It’s never his way or the highway.
Superman has never been afraid of keeping himself open to new ideas, places, people, and concepts. He’s not a man who discriminates or judges other people for their way of life. There are even moments in which he hascompassion for certain enemies, because he understands where they come from, even when he’s got to beat the snot out of them.
When his son came out as bisexual, he fully accepted him and loved him for who he is…
He always keeps himself open to new things, which is especially important with the number of new concepts and people he’s always getting introduced to. It also made him a hero within his family.When his son came out as bisexual, he fully accepted him and loved him for who he is,which was an incredibly heartwarming and moving scene.
4Selflessness
He’d give himself up for someone any day.
Superman is well aware that he is stronger and more durable than most, far more, actually. So, in recognizing this, he has always and will always put his own body and life on the line for others any time or day of the week. This shows that not only is he selfless, but he’s self-aware, too. He fully realizes that he should be using his power for the protection of others, even when it’s a villain who could kill him, like Doomsday.
It’s incredibly difficult and painful for Clark, but that didn’t matter. He helped someone, even if it hurt.
Much like Spider-Man, it can even come at a detriment to himself, but that doesn’t stop him.One of the best examples of how selfless Superman is comes inSuperman: Man of Tomorrow #12 (2020), whenhe holds up the Heavens itself for Atlasso he can attend his daughter’s wedding. It’s incredibly difficult and painful for Clark, but that didn’t matter. He helped someone, even if it hurt.
“… he’ll never kill anybody, and doesn’t want to hurt a living soul.” - James Gunn
Superman has one of the best moral codes in the superhero space. Some iterations of the character don’t have a “no-kill rule,” but even when he doesn’t, he still typically chooses not to kill (aside from versions of him like the one foundin the animated movie,Injustice. What makes this so special, though, is that Superman could kill people so easily. It wouldn’t be hard to kill thugs and take the easy way out. But he doesn’t.
What makes this so special, though, is that Superman could kill people so easily.
As stated, a lot of Clark’s courage comes from him not killing people, and that is also why his moral code is so special. Characters like Batman and Spider-Man have “no-kill rules,” but it’s not as easy to kill people for them as it is for Superman.He could kill every bad person on the planet in an hour and “make things better,” but he doesn’t because killing is wrong.
A better tomorrow.
Hope is so important to what makes Superman as special as he is. He truly and genuinely believes in a better tomorrow, which is why the switch to “truth, justice, and a better tomorrow” fits so much better than “the American way”. Most of the reason Superman does what he does and is a hero in the first place is becausehe has a deep-seated hope that one day there could be a world better than it is now.
“It’s always been my belief that people, at their core, are good. The grace of mankind is everywhere. You just have to open your eyes. Humanity has limitless potential for good. My purpose is to help people reach that potential,” isanother quote fromSuperman vs. The Elitethat proves more of Superman’s goodness. Superman truly believes people can be good. He has hope that humanity can be better.
1His Humanity
This alien understands more about being human than many.
This hero may be an alien from another planet, but he’s one of the most human heroes in comic books. He’s not a perfect being. Much like humanity, he’s flawed and struggles just like everyone else. He may have profound power, but his empathy and compassion he has despite said power is really special. This can most certainly be attributed to his upbringing in Smallville with Jonathan and Martha Kent.
It’s thanks to Jon and Martha that this young man was raised to be the superhero everyone knows and loves today.They raised him on good family values and kept him grounded and mindful of the power he has and how he can and should use it.The best example of this can be found in the iconic and ever-belovedSmallvilletelevision series.
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