Superman American Myths

All of us dream to one day be as fast as the Flash or to be as strong as Superman. Superheroes are a part of our lives. According to the infographic; “Box office Revenues: Superhero Movies 1978-2017” every year millions of dollars are spent on superhero movies, they are widely popular due to the fact that we can look up to them as someone that we would want to be. Even though they might be very different from us, there always is a human side to them which causes us to relate to them and laugh. Superheroes are so popular in our American culture due to how we are inspired to overcome obstacles in life and learn lessons from them. Ever since 9-11 many people looked for an escape from the tragedy which occured on 9-11. Superheroes were the escape,

Batman is human and is from Gotham City while Superman is not human and is from another planet called Krypton. Superman’s planet was getting destroyed by another being so his parents sent him to Earth. When he came to earth he got adopted by a caring couple that lived in a small town of Smallville, Kansas. Batman is a wealthy businessman who lives in Gotham City. Superman’s adoptive family lives on a farm and are farmers.

During the course of the battle for Truth and Justice, man and sword came together at last. Holding the sword, Superman found himself expanding, spreading across the winds of the universe. The entire history of creation flooded his mind, and his consciousness expanded as he became and all-seeing and all

Superman is represented as a symbol of strength and courage, representing the heroic act of destroying barriers and overcoming adversity.

But whence digging past the loud colours and the "it's-a-bird-it's-a-plane," generic, one realises the true face of Superman. He isn't super for his inhuman abilities or his capricious appearance, he isn't a true man for his strong build and his appealing features:  Superman is super because he's what everyone should aspire to be, and he is a man because he melds the world in a form of good and good only. For if Superman wanted to, he could rule the world and no one would be able to stop him. Superman is, literally, a god among men.  He has the power to sink entire continents and kill millions of people with ease, but he chooses to protect everyone, good or bad, no matter how insignificant and tiny the life is for nothing in return. Superman is a hero because he's there for everyone, never compromising his ideals and taking the high road to support those in need. This is despite the fact that he could basically be a god lording over others without much trouble, but instead chooses to serve and inspire. That is why he is a hero. Superman is the ultimate hero, and not just because he is the most powerful being on earth but for his integrity which sets him completely apart. One could constantly remark on how Superman looks for the best in everyone, how he is ultimately loyal and selfless, not even considering the fact that he could rule the world but chooses to serve is the greatest compliment you can

Saying “Superman” instead of a more generic “superhero” made the story seem real and relevant to this word instead of just a piece of fiction with little connection to readers.

Darowski, Joseph J. The American Way: What Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the X-Men Reveal about America. N.p. 2006.

In Houston, Texas there was a kid named John, but by weeks passed his name eventually became was Superman. He got this name by wanted to save a lot of people in danger. It first started when he saw a lot of people being in danger, so he wanted to make a change and help people. He started doing that but after a while he couldn’t help everybody so he started to get worried and wanted to stop. But he didn’t stop and he got better at it, then not that much longer he was helping everybody and the city was a safer place.

Since the creation of “The Invincible Superman”in 1938 he still remains to be one of the best and most well-known heroes.“Telling their sorrow, telling stories /Of their dead King and his greatness, his glory” (831-834).Beowulf has died, showing how he is mortal and able to die. Superman is not, he is invincible--indestructible from any and everything. Another huge difference between the two heroes is Beowulf is a human from earth. While Superman is inhuman and was exiled from the planet Krypton. After the battle with Grendel Beowulf must swim to the bottom of a murky lake to take the life of the one who took his men’s lives, Grendel’s Mother. Similarly, Superman must travel to other planets and other galaxies to help those in need of him. As a child, Superman is sent away from the planet of Krypton, to the town of Smallville,Kansas where he then realizes all his supernatural powers. Superman defends Metropolis against disaster but also flies into outer space to fight off Brainiac and save a city from his own planet. Many times, he makes the trip to other universes to help those in distress. This is a resemblance of how both men are able to use their remarkable abilities to better the lives of

The quote, “"Superman was more powerful than any politician and more effective than any social activist," said Laura Siegel Larson, daughter of Jerry Siegel” (Michael Sangiacomo 1), shows how Superman somewhat assumed the position as a politician or some kind of role model in America. This was because he was able to calm America down a little and allow them to rest after long, hard days or in the mornings to help them get up and their day. He could also speak openly and appeal to all Americans, which added to his popularity. People went to work all day to try to make money and during this time it was literally a matter of life or death, so seeing Superman overpower his barriers helped them relax and get through the day. Moreover; this simply goes to show that he was easy to relate to, which Americans seemed to adore about him.

During the 1920’s and 1930’s many families immigrating to America were enduring strong abhorrence towards them because of their religion, beliefs, and where they were from. Two of these people experiencing hardship were the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, whose Jewish parents had immigrated to America before having them. Siegel and Shuster wanted to create a superhero to give immigrants entering, or immigrants that were already there, in the United States a kind of hope since many Americans did not want them there (Tye 8). To add to not being wanted there many immigrants were bullied because of the fact that they were unwanted in America by many citizens during the Great Depression. Today, superheroes are most commonly used

The first hero, Superman, the greatest superhero of all time. His powers include flight, super strength, x-ray vision, invulnerability, speed, heat vision, freezing breath, super flare (a recently added massive, omnidirectional heat blast that obliterates anything within a quarter mile radius), and superhuman senses. Having all of these abilities is said to make him god like, but he has his one weakness, Kryptonite. Kryptonite

In Superman, the author mainly portrays and emphasizes how gender roles were perceived immediately prior to World War II. The protagonist, Superman, was the perfect vision of masculinity that men idealized during the time. This comic emphasized how men should be strong enough to fight for people who are weak.

For centuries, man has struggled with the concepts of good and evil and have produced astounding works as a reflection of it. This is ideally the foundation of early fables and folklore dating back to ancient civilizations. Stories about famed heroes and the battle of good and evil woven into extravagant tales of danger, destiny, and triumph. These stories were often assimilated into individual societies, told from generation to generation until eventually finding themselves becoming an integral part of the culture. In 1938, a new era began to emerge known as the “golden age” of superheroes. Superman made his first appearance in action comics, forging a unique identity as the first comic book superhero in American culture and quickly

Superman has powers like flying, x-rays, and heat vision. With his power Superman faces responsibilities and difficulties in calm and adequate ways. The opposite of Batman is that he is more aggressive and very impulsive in the moment to attack. They are very easily distinguished either in a comic book or a movie for their customs in different colors. Batman outfit is gray with black and a mask which anyone could determine the evil and dark he represents by the outside. Superman is in a brightest outfit representing America and the kind a hero they will choose definitely to fight crime. Frank Miller only wanted to bring Batman a little bit different with other perceptions including his principal rival Superman to make the story interesting and give the opportunity for many readers to notice wrong actions from our comic heroes.