If you could write a Superman story what would it be about?

[The Patriarch]

I'm curious to hear people's answers, so if you were given the chance to write a Superman story then what would it be about?

[Primal Conundrum]

But he's like, the least interesting superhero D:

[Gekidami]

I'd rewrite the character to not be so lame.

[The Patriarch]

But he's like, the least interesting superhero D:

@Primal Conundrum

He's been around longer than all of The others and he's more than just a character, he's symbol of what humanity should be. He is the greatest hero

[The Patriarch]

I'd rewrite the character to not be so lame.

@Gekidami

I think he is way cooler than most superheroes, and he's a better person

[Primal Conundrum]

He's an alien who's invulnerable to most things on Earth, leaves swaths of destruction when he fights, and acts as though he were somehow above the law just because of his powers. Captain America is a much more compelling character, especially the movie version. Not even originally a particularly noteworthy individual, his strength of character was the deciding factor of why he was chosen to get his abilities. He earned them for being a good person. He's still fundamentally human, and though powerful he doesn't see himself as being above anyone. If Superman is a symbol of anything, he's a symbol of how far we've come in learning to make interesting characters. He's flat as a board. Also, Man of Steel was a piss-poor movie.

[The Patriarch]

He's an alien who's invulnerable to most things on Earth, leaves swaths of destruction when he fights, and acts as though he were somehow above the law just because of his powers. Captain America is a much more compelling character, especially the movie version. Not even originally a particularly noteworthy individual, his strength of character was the deciding factor of why he was chosen to get his abilities. He earned them for being a good person. He's still fundamentally human, and though powerful he doesn't see himself as being above anyone. If Superman is a symbol of anything, he's a symbol of how far we've come in learning to make interesting characters. He's flat as a board. Also, Man of Steel was a piss-poor movie.

@Primal Conundrum

You clearly have never read a superman comic. He's had plenty of great stories, but you would never check them out of course

[Primal Conundrum]

Actually I formed my opinion after reading some of them. They got me to the point where I'm at. You know, it's possible that I may be well-informed and just have a different opinion than you? My disagreeing doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm talking about.

[The Patriarch]

Actually I formed my opinion after reading some of them. They got me to the point where I'm at. You know, it's possible that I may be well-informed and just have a different opinion than you? My disagreeing doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm talking about.

@Primal Conundrum

You're comments sounded more like you were stating a fact instead of an opinion. Also your comment is basically trolling since it is not relevant to the op.

[Primal Conundrum]

I -am- stating a fact. Superman is one of the more boring and poorly-designed superheroes. Fine. You want it to be on-topic? I'd write a story that kills him off in a way that won't let him come back. As it is, even though he theoretically has weaknesses, he's been brought back from the dead so many times that it never feels like he's ever at risk at all. So basically, I'd have a situation where he needs to stay dead in order to keep some massive, world-ending threat at bay. Captain America is willing to jump on a grenade to protect those around him, if Superman is supposed to be anywhere close to the Cap'n, then he needs a proverbial grenade of his own.

[The Patriarch]

I -am- stating a fact. Superman is one of the more boring and poorly-designed superheroes. Fine. You want it to be on-topic? I'd write a story that kills him off in a way that won't let him come back. As it is, even though he theoretically has weaknesses, he's been brought back from the dead so many times that it never feels like he's ever at risk at all. So basically, I'd have a situation where he needs to stay dead in order to keep some massive, world-ending threat at bay. Captain America is willing to jump on a grenade to protect those around him, if Superman is supposed to be anywhere close to the Cap'n, then he needs a proverbial grenade of his own.

@Primal Conundrum

You're such a troll. Well screw you and your bias and incorrect facts

[Primal Conundrum]

You're the one making ad-hominem attacks rather than actually responding to my point. You haven't provided a scrap of evidence for any of your claims. You made a few statements, but you never actually explained why any of your points could hold merit. He's a symbol of what humanity should be? He's not even human. It's not even particularly impressive that he goes and does heroic stuff, since he's almost never at risk by doing those things. He could walk into a burning building without any of the risks involved. He could rescue trapped divers without any equipment. He could single-handedly trounce a small army before they could threaten an area. He is never at notable risk, and that's part of what makes him not a good symbol of what humanity should be. To put yourself on the line, to risk personal injury while doing these things, that's a big part of what makes a hero heroic. Any of the heroes with no or few powers are examples of this, from Batman to Captain America. They are in real risk when they go to help people, but they do it anyway. Now if you want to respond with "but he's cool, your a troll" I'd like to point out that you're not actually discussing anything. You'd be doing the text equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and humming loudly, like a child being told something they don't want to hear.

[The Patriarch]

You're the one making ad-hominem attacks rather than actually responding to my point. You haven't provided a scrap of evidence for any of your claims. You made a few statements, but you never actually explained why any of your points could hold merit. He's a symbol of what humanity should be? He's not even human. It's not even particularly impressive that he goes and does heroic stuff, since he's almost never at risk by doing those things. He could walk into a burning building without any of the risks involved. He could rescue trapped divers without any equipment. He could single-handedly trounce a small army before they could threaten an area. He is never at notable risk, and that's part of what makes him not a good symbol of what humanity should be. To put yourself on the line, to risk personal injury while doing these things, that's a big part of what makes a hero heroic. Any of the heroes with no or few powers are examples of this, from Batman to Captain America. They are in real risk when they go to help people, but they do it anyway. Now if you want to respond with "but he's cool, your a troll" I'd like to point out that you're not actually discussing anything. You'd be doing the text equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and humming loudly, like a child being told something they don't want to hear.

@Primal Conundrum

You claim that you have read comics and then say he's never at risk, superman has been at risk plenty of times and has put his life on the line plenty times as well. The whole no or fewer powers equals better is a bad argument, it's not about the powers, it's about the story and characters and the mythology.

[Primal Conundrum]

You should probably stop accusing me of having a bias if this is how you respond. Hello pot, I'm kettle. How are you.

[aza]

It's already been written

[Kidd]

I love, love, loooooove Superman. I'm not surprised by the general dislike of him, though, haha. He is relatively dull and generic to many of the superheroes who have the spotlight today. In fact, in addition to what's already been said, Captain American is another favorite of mine who's similar in a lot of ways, but just done better. And, to be honest, my love for Superman is more of a nostalgia thing for me since my father really liked the superhero. As for my answer, I'm not even sure how I would go about the actual story itself, but ever since getting into anthropology, I've headcanoned Superman as dark skinned. I mean, he's all about the sun and using the sun's energy and, evolutionary speaking, dark skin is a result of a really sunny environment. Plus I like the contrast it adds to the pale, brooding, under-the-moon superhero Batman. I do know that anything I would write about him would emphasize his struggles to accept himself as Kryptonian / not human. I'm more interested in what's going on in a character's head than how many bad guys he's beating up. Edit: Also, reading through, I disagree also that he's supposed to be a symbol of what humanity should be. To me, Superman has always been representative of those who struggle to find their place in the world. He's aware early on that he's a freak of nature and it actually affects how well he can use his superhuman powers. It isn't until he grows and learns to accept himself as a Kryptonian (an outsider on earth, not human) that he reaches his peak strength. The whole point of Superman (in my opinion) has always been to show that you should embrace who you really are because that's what can make you great. As mentioned, he doesn't have a metaphorical (nor literal) grenade to jump on like Steve Rogers did. That's because his story isn't about earning your super powers or strength or anything. It's about accepting it, even if it makes you stand out.

[Keyguyperson]

You're such a troll. Well screw you and your bias and incorrect facts

@The Patriarch

You say this so often that I'm starting to think you're actually a chatbot.

[The Patriarch]

I love, love, loooooove Superman. I'm not surprised by the general dislike of him, though, haha. He is relatively dull and generic to many of the superheroes who have the spotlight today. In fact, in addition to what's already been said, Captain American is another favorite of mine who's similar in a lot of ways, but just done better. And, to be honest, my love for Superman is more of a nostalgia thing for me since my father really liked the superhero. As for my answer, I'm not even sure how I would go about the actual story itself, but ever since getting into anthropology, I've headcanoned Superman as dark skinned. I mean, he's all about the sun and using the sun's energy and, evolutionary speaking, dark skin is a result of really sunny conditions. Plus I like the contrast it adds to the pale, brooding, under-the-moon superhero Batman. I do know that anything I would write about him would emphasize his struggles to accept himself as Kryptonian / not human. I'm more interested in what's going on in a character's head than how many bad guys he's beating up.

@Kidd

I find superman is very relatable, he grew with an honest background, his parents weren't rich, he was adopted and he works an average job. It's funny because superman could work almost any job if he chose to but he chose an more average job as a reporter. In a sense Superman is going against the norm that we all have to be over achievers which in my opinion is a serious problem that society has. Superman is symbol that we don't need to be billionaires or over achievers to do good. This one scene is incredibly powerful and really shows how great of a person superman is, even though he's an alien he's more human than most of us. He also an allegory for the immigrants who came to America and made the country better

[The Patriarch]

You're such a troll. Well screw you and your bias and incorrect facts

@The Patriarch

You say this so often that I'm starting to think you're actually a chatbot.

@Keyguyperson

Nope just taking out the trash

[Kidd]

I find superman is very relatable, he grew with an honest background, his parents weren't rich, he was adopted and he works an average job. It's funny because superman could work almost any job if he chose to but he chose an more average job as a reporter. In a sense Superman is going against the norm that we all have to be over achievers which in my opinion is a serious problem that society has. Superman is symbol that we don't need to be billionaires or over achievers to do good.

@The Patriarch

Oh, yeah, definitely. My emphasis on how different he is one reason why he's so easy to relate to. He seems like a run-of-the-mill average Joe, but what makes him great is the stuff he hides from others (and from himself early on). And I think a LOT of people are like that. I like to think I'm like that. He's just relatable all around, even in his difference.

He also an allegory for the immigrants who came to America and made the country better

@The Patriarch

Exactly! That's why I think he's so important as a character. The importance of his diversity is lost in American culture, and it's a great allegory for immigrants and outsiders who struggle to fit in when they (and the rest of the society) need to learn how valuable different can be. There is strength in diversity and everyone has something to offer no matter their origins--or rather because of their origins.