Superman and the Ideologies of the Middle Class Essay

"Of all the comics I used to read, nobody looked like me or anybody in my family or my neighborhood. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized that was a harsh thing to live with." (Ivan Velez)." I have also never seen a graphic novel character that looked like anyone in the real world or acted like anyone in the real world. Nobody lives in a cave if they have money, there are no aliens on earth, and there aren't any kind of spiders that give people super powers. When we are young, we are always told that anything is possible if you try your hardest, but what if someone wants to start fighting crime like comic book superheroes, or wants to swing from spider webs around a city. Kids need comics that they can relate to, something that will inspire them to do their best to become like the character in the book. Why can't we have a Martin Luther King comic book. That would teach children to fight for their rights, and children who want to fight for their freedom will be inspired from that comic book. They won't be inspired to fight for their freedom after reading a superman comic. Superman doesn’t have to face any issues because he is born with powers. That does not encourage anyone to be the best person they could be. Instead, it will make kids feel helpless. They will be thinking that they can't do things that Superman could do because they

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen illustrates the lives of retired superheroes in the 1980s. The Keene Act outlawed the “masquerading” of superheroes in the 1970s and led to the dissolution of many superheroes. The murder of an old colleague, The Comedian, forces them to come out of retirement and sets the events of the graphic novel into place. Moore and Gibbons sets up a world of superheroes in the midst of a very real historical period of the Cold War. We usually think of superheroes as existing in a fictional place, with an altered history. However, the novel references President Nixon, the Cold War, Vietnam, and other real events and figures. These references help to establish the superheroes as people existing in reality. Here,

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.

Subsequently, while most superhero plots involve an element of fantasy, the characters in Moore’s graphic novel are, for the most part, embedded into pessimistic version of reality with only lifelike traits. Obviously, the one glaring exception in Watchmen is Doctor Manhattan, who is transformed into a being capable of a number of otherworldly abilities. However, the other five heroes in the story are regular humans who take the initiative to aid in the protection of society. This is unlike most superheroes in previous comics, who are often blessed with a divine power that allows them to conquer all evil. Additionally, referring to the society in which Moore’s heroes are immersed in, it is situated in a location known to its readers, with a certain twist. While Superman has his Metropolis and Batman has his Gotham City, the six costumed adventurers are based in New York City, or more accurately, a filthy parody of it. The universe in which Moore sets his story is the closest to reality, with a hyperbolic emphasis on the evil in society, in which superheroes have been set it. Hence, the problems presented to the superheroes are not something to be combatted with fantastical talents, but more nuanced with realistic obstacles without a clear solution. In Watchmen, the imminent threat of nuclear war is a state of affairs that would have been realistic for readers, particularly during the time period of the graphic novel’s release in 1987. This, coupled with the urban violence

Each new generation gets it’s own Superman, it’s own Batman and Wonder Woman that shares the views of the time and reflects current events. This changing of characters is needed, both to keep new generations interested, and to teach the new values of the age to the young readers. Superman from the 1940s is vastly different in actions and morals than 2016 Henry Cavill’s Superman, which reflects the differences in society and the changing times. In another 20 years, there’s going to be a new Superman with a new moral code because that’s the great thing about these characters, these heroes. They’re immortal in name and are flexible enough to allow for the changing of the generations, while still having the original comic's available for comparison. Even though they’re different now readers can go back as far as they want and see the way things used to be but there is a very real danger of that not happening. The old comics are getting worn out and are collectors items, which implies no one is able to see them, and over and above that, children are forgetting there were generations before

We can see this happening when the narrator describes Maycomber. “Maycomber is very tall, very well built if you do not mind that length of bone…He is also very good at court games” (Hemingway 122). This quote shows that Maycomber is very fit and strongly built, but despite his strength, in reality he is really a coward as described in paragraph above. He focuses more on being the person who he looks like to be than what he actually is; a coward. Unlike superman who does not focus at all about his strength. “When maturity was reached, he discovered that he could easily: raise tremendous weight” (Siegel 4). This illustrates how superman is strong to the public’s eye, but in reality he is also a coward. “Be reasonable Lois. Dance with the fellow and then we’ll leave right away” (Siegel 10). Despite the fact that superman may be similar with Maycomber, Superman still save people’s lives, instead of trying to keep glory like Macomber. With great strength, Superman uses it both as Superman and Clark Kent to save lives. Macomber uses his strength as a way to show people that he is strong and not actually demonstrating it in the story, again, showing us that heroes does not care much about appearance, they rather care about saving

Christopher Reeve was extremely famous because of the Superman role he acted. However, misfortune can happen to anyone, regardless of social class and other factors. As a celebrity, Mr. Reeve got injured seriously after he fell forward off the horse. The life was tough to him, but he made a great role model to fight against the paralysis and distress he suffered. I think his personality helps him a lot to cope with this trauma. The divorce and remarriage of his parents bring him step-parents and multiple homes. For a young child, it’s difficult to accept all these extensive changes in the family structure. However, Mr. Reeve went through all these changes, and he found his personal stable home which is the theatre. He has a high standard for

Batman v Superman is a movie that portrays in life no matter how hard you try to be a good guy there will always be someone trying to make you look like a villain like Superman said good people living in fear. In the movie Henry Cavill who plays Superman has to cope with the fact that everyone on the news makes him look like an evil person who killed thousands of people and the fact that his family and loved ones are always put in the ring of fire. Superman (Henry Cavil) quickly learns that no matter what happens he will always look like a threat to humanity.

Superheroes are very prevalent in today’s culture. Superheroes began as characters in comic books. Now, superheroes have expanded into different mediums, such as movies, television shows, apparel, games, toys and many others. The majority of people in today’s society are familiar with superheroes such as Batman, Superman, Spiderman and the X-men along with others. What most people do not know is that superhero comics and movies also concern philosophical issues. Some of the issues are ethics, justice, social and personal responsibility along with others. Tom Morris and Matt Morris edited the book, Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way, which showed how superhero comics and movies are related to the writings of many great philosophers.

Comic books first appeared in the 18th century, but it was in the 1930’s when they became really popular. The characters created conquered the hearts of many people at that time. DC Comics, a publisher, released many stories that changed the cartoon world forever. The appearance of Superman in 1938 began the era of superheroes and revolutionized the comic industry. This character was followed by the equally successful Bat-man in 1939 (“Comic book”). Superman and Bat-man both became known all over the world. The pair has greatly contributed to the American culture. Because of their tremendous influence, from the very beginning, people have been wondering which one of these powerhouses is better than another, and how dissimilar they really are. But actually, these superheroes are as different as they are alike. Superman and Batman have contrasting backgrounds, weaknesses, and strengths, but

Whether you call him Kal-El, Clark Joseph Kent or the Man of Steel, fans and non-alike know him the world over as Superman. Recently, this iconoclastic character was reintroduced to a new generation with the film Man of Steel and so began for some a look back to another era where a bold new dawn of superhero action movies was born with Superman The Movie. An inevitable debate ensued about whether a modern, technologically advanced and possibly more faithful adaptation could outshine the original, with all its nostalgia, including an inimitable portrayal of Superman given by the late Christopher Reeve. My aim is to find out whether I still believe a man can truly fly or if he is just simply wearing a costume.

Being born as a Kryptonian Superman acquired superpowers. Superman embodies several superpowers which include, super strength and hearing, telescopic vision, x-ray vision, microscopic vision, freeze and heat breath, superhuman speed, and the ability to fly. The only people who know of Clark Kent's true identity are his parents.

Many comic book superheroes were born in an era of highly intense international tension.The genre of Superheros in American comic books revolve around adventures of powerful superheros using superhuman abilities or weapons, as they act on personal morals through violence. The political elements are evident in the plot: the heroes are in a war with a dangerous enemy, and their morals justify violence to 'protect' those who are in danger. As well as it is a form of entertainment, comic books as a media influenced many, especially young boys and men.

Superman has become a household name throughout the United States. He supposedly embodies truth, justice, and the American way. The 1970’s comics held extremely patriarchal values and were biased toward an ideal man and masculinity. While the 2013 movie Man of Steel made significant progress toward gender equality, the values from the 1970’s are so engrained in our culture that they may never be completely undone.

     Though when most people think of superheroes they think of the type with super powers, the original idea of the ‘superman’ was developed by Friedrich Nietzsche in the 1800s. The ubermensch (literally overman in German) never had extra-ordinary powers and wasn’t developed as the protector of man. Instead, the superman is a person who has overcome all the flaws of mankind and is essentially ‘perfect.’ This idea, though it was thought of as an ideal goal that all people should strive for, has almost completely been used for less-than-good agendas. The details of what Nietzsche’s superman is supposed to be and how that compares with how it was used to the advantage of many dictatorships and other oppressive