Look! Up in the Sky! It's Superman!
My Enduring Love for DC Comics' Iconic Hero
When Superman The Movie was released in 1978, I was 10 years old. Seeing the late actor Christopher Reeve’s depiction of the iconic Superman/Clark Kent character was mesmerizing. He actually made me believe humanoids could fly. That’s why when Reeve passed away on October 10, 2004, I was heartbroken. While I knew he would no longer be donning the red cape at 52 years young, I imagined my adult self talking with him, getting his autograph, at the San Diego Comic-Con, or some other fanfare event featuring actors and writers from the films, television shows and comic books that I loved during my childhood.
A number of different actors have donned the red cape since Reeve’s death. My favorites included Tom Welling and Dean Cain in the television shows Smallville and Superman & Lois. Another one of my favorites was Henry Cavill in the films Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. But now there is a new sheriff, or dare I say a new Superman, in town, and his name is David Corenswet.
In the run-up to the release of James Gunn’s Superman film, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew whatever Gunn produced would have plenty of humor in it because that’s what he injected into his three Guardians of the Galaxy films. But I also knew he would offer comic book-accurate representations of the Superman Universe cast, which includes Superman/Clark Kent himself, as well as love interest Lois Lane, villain Lex Luther and photographer Jimmy Olson.
After seeing the movie, though, I questioned why my love for Superman/Clark Kent is so enduring. I think it boils down to three undeniable facts: his origin story is fresh, his alter-ego (Clark Kent) is a mild-mannered reporter, and his wants revolve around his desire to serve and protect rather than rule.
Gunn opted not to focus on Superman’s origin story because the retelling of it has been overdone. We all know that Kal-El (aka Superman/Clark Kent) was sent to Earth in a spaceship by his Kryptonian parents to be discovered and raised in the rural town of Smallville, Kansas by Jonathan and Martha Kent. He grew up to become a reporter with the Daily Planet while using his superpowers to fight for truth, justice and, back in 1933 when writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, two Jewish immigrants, created him, the American way, against Lex Luther, his nemesis.
This origin story resonates with me because it is representative of a coming-of-age story, the Hero’s Journey. While the events following Kal-El birth were truly traumatic and out of this world - his biological parents died when their planet exploded - it was his Earthly parents that instilled a desire to live a morally, righteous life, use his superpowers to serve the common good.
And that leads to my second point, that his alter-ego, Clark Kent, is a mild-mannered reporter with the Daily Planet. He hides his identity with a pair of glasses, and walks around the office acting like a somewhat bumbling fool. But we know the man, the Superman, hiding behind the glasses, and we know what he is capable of. This projected persona is needed, though, because it lets us know that he is allowed to let his guard down. He’s relaxed when he walks among the Daily Planet cubicles, not on high alert, and we see that this is the person he wants to be.
Corenswet’s portrayal of Clark is spot on. When we meet him, a few of his Daily Planet work colleagues give him a hard time for not using enough adverbs in his news articles. And when Lois does a mock interview with Clark in her Metropolis apartment, he reacts angrily to many of her hard questions. This exchange lets us know that Superman may be all-mighty and powerful, but Clark Kent has an emotional breaking point. He wears his heart on his sleeve. And the fact that he is not afraid to express how he truly feels to those he trusts most signifies that he is more human than Kryptonian.
Lastly, my love for Superman/Clark Kent is enduring because he opts to serve and protect rather than rule. This personal mission statement, however, would not have been possible without Jonathan and Martha Kent, who, again, raised him from infancy when they discovered his spaceship in a cornfield. Clark had many heartfelt moments with both of his adopted parents, and both of his adopted parents had maximum influence over his life, but Jonathan’s words probably resonated with him the most.
I say this because Jonathan Kent possessed a moral center that motivated him to do right by his wife and Clark. Because he operated a farm, Jonathan had a strong work ethic, and he was determined to help Clark develop his own set of rules around work. We don’t see this in Gunn’s Superman film, but we know from the Superman comic books that Clark worked alongside his father in the cornfields doing manual labor. Not at a metahuman pace, either. At his adopted father’s slower, human pace. For this reason, Superman/Clark Kent was reared to serve and protect without using his powers instead of ruling with a iron fist.
My writing self sees the splendor in this dichotomy, brilliance really. But I also like the fact that Superman/Clark Kent opted not to serve and protect as a solo act. In the DC Comics, and the films and cartoons, he teams up with Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Arrow and Cyborg as members of the Justice League.
In Gunn’s Superman, the Justice Gang shows up to help him save the day. There is one Justice Gang member in particular, Mr. Terrific, who goes above and beyond the call of duty to support Superman’s crimefighting. So, even before I left the theater, I knew I would be getting more acquainted with this character at my local comic book store.
Mr. Terrific is played in Gunn’s Superman by Kenyan-American actor Edi Gathegi. Many of you may remember Gathegi from one of his previous roles. He played the adapting mutant Darwin in Marvel’s 2011 X-Men: First Class.
In the aftermath of Black American actor Chadwick Boseman’s August 28, 2020 death, Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific offers diverse audiences another unique take on another Black character that possesses genius-level intellect, advanced technology, gymnastic ability and skilled fighting prowess. But this time, he emerges from the pages of the DC Universe. While I am more Team Marvel than Team DC, I’m looking forward to seeing how James Gunn will further develop storylines for Mr. Terrific and other members of his Justice Gang team.
My love for Superman endures because he is the ultimate avatar for unconditional love and neighborly compassion. He came to this world as an undocumented immigrant, was reared by his two adopted parents in a loving household in a rural American city, and endeavored to share undeniable truths with the public as a Daily Planet reporter while serving and protecting others as the Man of Steel.
We all should wake up each morning wanting to do the same.
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