Disclaimer: This article will use some evidence from "Batman vs Superman", and therefore includes spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie yet, then either accept this fact and continue reading or see the movie first. Don't say I didn't warn you. Also, for all the hardcore nerds and comic book aficionados out there, this article is an opinion and likely will not take all of comic lore into account. Do not raise an army of DC followers and murder me in my sleep just because you disagree with anything I say here, or even believe I am dead wrong and insult the DC Universe with my opinions. They are just opinions people, it's all good.
Superman. What do people think of when they hear that name? Christopher Reeve? Henry Cavill? The most powerful superhero in the world of comics? Superman is a lot of things for a lot of people, but what I want to focus on isn't the attractive actors hired to play him or the endless debate over whether he is actually the most powerful. This article is about the reasons Superman exists in the first place and why the idea of him is so necessary in society. The following five reasons will be my attempt to answer this question.
1. Hope
It's impossible to talk about the symbols of Superman without talking about Hope. The crest for the House of El, the 'S' that Superman wears, is said to be a symbol of hope. Of course, as Lois Lane points out, on Earth the 'S' is just an 'S', but the thought was there. Regardless of what the 'S' stands for, Superman himself stands as a symbol of hope. His genuine goodness is a reminder that everyone should have hope in good people and that good people exist. This is one of the main debates in Batman vs Superman, whether anyone can remain good in this world. By the end, even Batman, the pessimistic, slightly crazy, Dark Knight himself, is forced to admit that yes, it's possible to stay good. In the world of chaos and corruption we live in today, we as a society need that reminder and Superman provides it.
2. Strength
Anyone who's ever watched a Superman cartoon remembers the lines "More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!" While a touch out-dated, and understated as far as Superman's power, these lines do the best they can to convey his strength. For all Batman's preparations and attempts to trap Superman, if Superman actually wanted to kill Batman then he would have. There isn't much about Superman's physical capabilities that requires an introduction. What's more important than how many reps he can do with a train car is the sense of protection that strength gives to people. Now, obviously, the alien from the planet Krypton doesn't actually exist, but how many little kids now can think of their dad, grandpa, or other close, male figure, as Superman? Maybe this seems naive, but I remember being that little kid. It was nice for me to have such absolute confidence and comfort in the idea that such invincibility existed. There are enough monsters out there; people should have an image of strength to find protection from the monsters.
3. We Are Not Alone
Now, everyone loves a good debate, but this section is not meant to discuss the aliens concept. Whether or not humans are the only intelligent life in the universe is a question for another day and certainly one much larger than we have space to discuss in this article. No, Superman represents more than just the idea of aliens existing on other planets. Superman comes to people when they are scared, when they think no one will save them or no one will ever find them. Lois Lane is a perfect example, I mean how many times has he saved her life? In all seriousness, he doesn't just come to her when she's in life-or-death situations. In Batman vs Superman, he goes to her when she's scared, when she's lonely, worried, whatever. He reminds her that someone is there for her. Another example, when he saves a little girl from a burning building. He was saving lives then, but he was also showing that girl and her family that someone was there for them. The idea of Superman reminds all of us that no matter how alone we feel, there is always someone willing to be there for us. No one is ever truly and completely alone.
4. The American Dream: Freedom
Superman was raised in Kansas. He's pretty much American. But what's more important than that is the ideal being raised in America taught him: freedom. This is the core of the American dream, that people should be free to say what they think, practice their own religions, pursue their own goals. No one should have to live in fear or with things like prejudice and hate controlling them. These are the things Superman directly opposes. But, there is no Man of Steel to go to countries in Africa and the Middle East and rescue people from tyrants, or to save a bully from drowning after a school bus goes into a river in America. The idea of Superman has to be enough for people to see the effects of freedom and try to spread the ideals of freedom around the world until there aren't any more bullies or prejudice. It sounds idealistic, but it's supposed to. Superman is an ideal, but he is one we should strive toward.
5. Survival
Death. The end of the world. Doomsday. Superman overcomes all of these things. His world exploded, but his parents made sure he survived. The American government shot him with nuclear weapons, yet still he came back to save them. And Doomsday. The monster. Everyone's worst fears combined by DC comics into one creature that everyone believed was impossible to kill. (Except of course Batman. Always the rebel.) Even in the face of something so powerful and destructive, Superman not only didn't back down, he succeeded in destroying it. And of course, being Superman, he survived. This idea of survival is important in our society, especially in a world where sometimes, people don't survive the horrors that happen to them. Because of this, applying Superman's sense of survival to our world changes it slightly. The idea of survival Superman represents isn't so much the "living to tell the tale" part, it's the fact that no matter what happened to him, Superman didn't give up. He came back to Earth after being nuked, he got up every time Kryptonite knocked him down. He didn't stop fighting just because things looked hopeless, and his persistence paid off. This is a reminder to everyone that just because things look bad or it's hard to be good and do the right thing means we should stop doing it. Never give up.
Superman is a lot of things. Being all powerful, the movies and comics constantly call him a god. Whether he represents one or doesn't isn't really the issue. The point is his character and the messages that the idea of him sends to people today. People need the symbols he represents. So say what you want about Batman, hold all the rallies you like about him or Wonder Woman or anyone else. They are all amazing an represent similar things (well, Batman is a little complicated), but Superman is, and always will be, the ultimate hero.
