I've noticed a lot of negative talk about Superman lately and I'm wondering what everybody's individual take on Superman is? I guess what I'm asking is what is it that you like about Superman? From anytime (Golden, Silver, Bronze, Tin Foil Ages), anybody's run, pick your favourite things about Superman! Your ideal Superman, if you will. So please, there are no right or wrong answers here, so keep it civil and have fun!
I'll start it off with a few things that I like about Superman...
1.The Golden Age rocket ship, with a baby Kal-El, rocketing towards Earth as an exploding planet Krypton vapourizes in space.
2.Smallville, Ma and Pa Kent, and a whole other life that helped shape him into becoming a "Super-hero".
3.Being portrayed as Super-"human". It just makes me relate to him a little more than him being "SuperGod". I think it's cool that he can't breathe in space, but can hold his breath for like a week or two with his "Superlungs" or that he can get winded once and awhile by an incredible force.
4.Some of the science fiction aspects of Superman. I like he gets powered/charged from our yellow sun and that the reason that Kryptonians weren't all superhuman was because of their red sun (plus the whole Daxamite/Kryptonian connection). I also like Cadamus and the whole secret underground cloning facility thing because of all the various things that could come out of that place. I also dig the GA Fortress of Solitude and everything within, pre-crisis Brainiac (I miss that verson, and that big flying head-ship), Intergang, S.T.A.R. Labs, and some of the New Gods stuff.
5.Superman being the strongest man on Earth or at most our solar system. Yeah this makes sense to me as long as they keep villans around that he can't defeat on his own. You know, the "Cosmic God" type! Guy's like Darkseid or Mongul he shouldn't be able to "beat-up" on his own. Superman should be able to outsmart them, foil their plans, or at most fight them to a draw.
6.Lex Luthor becoming a self made millionaire through his scientific genius and his manipulative business tactics and becoming a corporate powerhouse that even Superman can't touch. The "Teflon Don" of comic books, if you will.
7.Some of the Kryptonians from the SA. I guess it's because I like Zod and think it's cool that there's kind of an "anti-Superman". Also I think it would be acceptable if there were a few (and I mean a few) other survivors as well because to me it shows just how special Clark is in using his "gifts" responsably to help others instead of using them towards his own personal goals or being overwhelmed by them.
8.Superman being vulnerable to magic. I think these things are best suited for Dr.Fate and The Spectre but still believe that Superman should be the strongest mortal.
9.Some of the "Fantastical" Golden/Silver Age epic Superman tales! You know, the "cosmic journey" type ones. I still think they could have done that under the Byrne/Jurgens years, especially after they did "Time and Time Again".
10.Mr.Mxyzpitlyk (sp?) I love this oddball guy popping in every now and then just to annoy Superman. It's crazy. I love it!
11.Some of the crossovers. I'm not saying I like all of them, and sometimes there are way too many, but I liked Red Kryptonite and Time and Time Again just to name a couple.
12.Kryptonite now being radioactive and hard to find. I like this a little more than in the silver age where everybody and their "momma" had a chunk of Kryptonite in their back pocket ready to take over the world.
These are just a few of mine, so all I ask is what's yours?
