RSS Feed
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to Favorites
Contact this writerSuperman is more than Nieztche's ideal man, he's also the originator of the entire superhero culture. Before there was Batman's motivation to avenge his parents, and before Spiderman let guilt enslave him to sacrificing his time, education, sleep, and even girlfriend, there was Superman - doing what was right simply because it was RIGHT.
In order to compare Superman to other superheroes, you must first define how you are to judge the battle: will brute strength be your factor, or will character? For this argument, I'm going to say that a superhero is more than a strongman using a supernatural gift, as it can be shown that even villains can be difficult to stop or kill (for example, that killer of supermen himself, Doomsday). No, if we were to define the best "superhero" as simply being the best warrior, even the most villainous brute would qualify - so, ostensibly, prowess in battle cannot be used to validate Superman's reign as the better hero.
The key word here, then, must be "hero," rather than "super." And what's the most important aspect of a hero? Image. Heroes are bestowed with awards and medals, monuments and statues - Spider-man is a hero, right? He saves people every day! But he gets no glory. New York thought he was a menace for a good part of his career, and the Daily Bugle, Spider-man's own place of employment, slanders him every week, often right after he's saved dozens of people! Then you've got the heroes who abuse their position, like Iron Man in the recent "Civil War" story-arc. No one would think of Iron Man as a hero right now, and why? Image. A hero's most formidable weapon is his (or her) public image.
Superman has tons of image. He's the American icon. He stands for truth and justice. He was so inspiring that every other hero that followed in his footsteps followed his formula (cape, silly tights, bright colors). There are tons of other heroes who are stronger than Superman (I believe the the Hulk may be), or have better powers than Superman, but Superman always emerges triumphant.
The image is fostered mostly in his appearance: he is unmasked, as opposed to most other heroes, including the aforementioned spiderman. A concealed face naturally causes one to wonder what the concealed his hiding. What is he so worried about? we might ask. It gives off a subconcious feeling that the hero is not 100% confident, that he doesn't think he's doing right (because he's afraid that he may be arrested if his true identity is known) or that he may be unable to protect his loved ones (if someone comes looking for revenge). That doesn't make for a confident citizenry. And Superman knows this: Superman hides nothing, he appears friendly, confident, and so at ease that he can show his entire face to the world. You can TRUST him. Remember that old saying, "Can you trust a face like that?" Well, how can we trust a faceless man? Superman is far from faceless, his is the face of justice and freedom.
This would also help future Superheroes once Superman is gone: we can trust the men in tights, because we could trust Superman. Without the son of Jor-El paving the way, laying the foundations for the brightly-colored saviors of today, the public would never completely trust or tolerate any other "hero." There would be no "Justice League," if we can't trust one masked vigilante, how do you expect us to trust a whole gang of them, and never mind giving them a giant space laser to play with.
No, Superman has always been, and always will be, the world's greatest superhero, even if he loses all of his powers. His true power is hidden in his symbol.
Top "Superman" articles on:
Superman versus Spiderman: The superior superheroAdd your voice
Know something about Superman versus Spiderman: The superior superhero ? We want to hear your view. Write now!
On Certain levels, Spiderman is better than Superman and in other ways it's the opposite. In this article, I'll focus on Spiderman's edge on his DC counterpart.
Before starting, I find it difficult to compare the super heroes without mentioning their "alter egos", in this case Peter Parker vs. Clark Kent.
For starters, the Peter Parker/Spiderman character, though he doesn't have the brawn strength and ability to fly that Superman has, Peter is all the more human while still being someone to look up to.
Example 1; While Superman was born on another planet with all his super-powers and strength, Peter Parker grew up as a normal boy with his aunt and uncle. Parker was already more or less a grown up college boy, by the time he was bitten by the spider that gave him his powers.
Example 2; Superman always stayed with his adoptive parents, while Peter was living on his own, though only in a very small apartment.
Example 3; Whereas Superman is constantly saving the "damsel in distress" without really knowing why; Spiderman was raised by a couple who taught him strong values and how to be responsible for his actions and powers, "with great power comes great responsibility". In Parker's experience we see that the murder of his uncle truly enforced that lesson in Peter's life.
Example 4; Nationality of the creator's in each respective comic. The original creator of the "strong man in tights" Superman was Canadian but the rights were later sold to DC Comics. This is probably why they used the name Metropolis, which is a fictional city as opposed to Spiderman's New York City.
One more thing I prefer about Spiderman is that, while both these characters are reporters, we get a lot more out of the Parker personality as a competitive young man that has more back-bone than Clark Kent. Parker/Spiderman are often fighting for acceptance; Parker to be accepted as a good reporter who deserves his job despite his youth and lack of experience, Spiderman because he constantly gets bad press even when he saves the day. For this reason, I admire Spiderman much more than Superman because Superman never saved people that basically hated his guts, whereas Spiderman RARELY gets thanked and often is hated due to "spins" by J. Jonah Jameson.
In a paragraph above, I mentioned "human while someone to look up to"; I can also add that that's evident also in the comparison between Parker & Clark Kent, both in their physical appearance and their clothes (I know, they both wear glasses). Clark Kent not only has a solidly square jaw and just as square shoulders, he's also always seen in that suit and tie; thus giving the impression of a boxer or hockey player at a press conference. Peter Parker, on the other hand is in running shoes, jeans, t-shirt under an unbuttoned shirt, running everywhere or riding his little scooter; also his physical appearance is that of the average 19 year old college student (especially the ones that are more into reading/studying rather than sports).
On a personal note, I relate a lot more to Peter Parker because, aside from the super-powers of course, I've been there. I was a 19 year old college student, living on my own, that size, and into photography/video.
Top "Spiderman" articles on:
Superman versus Spiderman: The superior superheroAdd your voice
Know something about Superman versus Spiderman: The superior superhero ? We want to hear your view. Write now!
Difference of opinion? Debate now.
- Comic Books & Graphic Novels
- Is Captain America really dead?
- Who would win in a fight: Superman or Batman?
- Who would win in a fight: Wolverine or Sabertooth?
- Which is better: The Aliens Omnibus from Dark Horse or The Aliens Versus Predator Omnibus from Dark Horse?
- Who would win in a fight: Spiderman or Venom
