Robers Armand

Ms Cunningham
English 102
Superman through the Ages

Superman is known as one of the greatest cultural icons of the modern age. Since his creation in

1938 by Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, he has precipitated the launch of a creative renaissance in

American and World pop Culture. The super-hero genre itself was started in Superman’s first appearance

in Action Comics #1. From the very beginning Superman has represented a mixture of influences as

diverse a Jewish culture, Greek Mythology, pulp adventure magazines, and Nietschean philosophy. As he

has evolved, he also has been a representative of changing culture mores’ concerning the image of

manhood in American society.

Just about everyone knows the basic story of Superman. A Super powered alien baby from the

planet Krypton, sent by his scientist father to escape that planet’s destruction, baby Kal-El was found and

raised by an elderly rural couple, who taught him to use his gifts to help others, Clark Kent creates the

persona of Superman, costumed Man of Steel who helps the oppressed and punishes evil. Disguised as

meek and mild mannered reporter Clark Kent in order to gain access to world crises, Superman fights the

battle for Truth Justice and the American Way. On a certain level this was clearly an allegory for Siegel

and Shuster own cultural and personal experience as first generation Jewish immigrants. Saved from

destruction of a lost homeland, this sci-fi Moses/Samson figure had a public persona, Clark Kent, as the

‘nebbish’ the ‘nerdy Jew’ stereotype prevalent during the time exemplified in more modern times by

people like Woody Allen.:

“Clark Kent grew not only out of my private life, but also out of Joe Shuster's. As a high school

student, I thought that someday I might become a reporter, and I had crushes on several attractive girls

who either didn't know I existed or didn't care I existed. So it occured to me: What if I was really terrific?

What if I had something special going for me, like jumping over buildings or throwing cars around or

something like that?

 One night, when all the thoughts were coming to me, the concept came to me that Superman could

have a dual identity, and that in one of his identities he could be meek and mild, as I was, and wear glasses,

the way I do. The heroine, who I figured would be some kind of girl reporter, would think he was some kind

of worm; yet she would be crazy about this Superman character who could do all sorts of fabulous things.

In fact, she was real wild about him, and a big inside joke was that the fellow she was crazy about was also

the fellow whom she loathed.”(1)

Superman first appearance at the beginning what is now known as the ‘Golden Age’ of Comics.

Originally he was a social crusader and champion of the oppressed, rights social wrongs of the

Depression era like the execution of innocent prisoners, domestic abuse, child labor, slum lords, and

fascist collusion in industry and government. Back then Superman was like a force of nature, a confident,

wise cracking avenger. His creator Siegel once described him as ‘"I am lying in bed counting sheep when

all of a sudden it hits me. I conceive a character like Samson, Hercules and all the strong men I ever heard

tell of rolled into one."(2) When World War II came around, Superman was out there before the Allies,

hauling in Hitler and Mussolini into the International Tribunals. A the war marched on, like the rest of the

superhero comic genre he started, Superman w as used mostly as a pro-American propaganda, inspiring

the mostly young readership to support the troops. This trend made Superman a more mainstream figure

than the almost subversive force against institutional oppression he was created to be at first.

In the post World War II era, Superman in the comics was hitting a bit of a slump. Luckily by the

time the early 50s rolled around there was a creative renaissance on the verge for the industry. Now called

the Silver Age of Comics, this trend rejuvenated the genre after years of post world war Cold War

repression. During this time Superman became a more grandiose, mythical character under the editorial

direction of Mort Wesinger. The stories he was in became almost fable-like, imparting morality tales and

epic, cosmos spanning adventures. Instead of being an avenger for the little guy against the big forces of

corporate and government corruption as he was in the late 1930’s , Superman now became the world—

and even the universe’s-- top cop, similar to how America was viewed(or how America viewed itself) on

the world stage after WWII. Superman w as frequently compared to, and even encountered, the various
heroes of myths which were his inspirations like Hercules, Atlas and Samson. When Superman’s cousin

Supergirl was introduced in the mid 50’s, it was like a long lost member of the Tribe of Israel finding that

not all of his people had been killed in the Holocaust.

By the time the 70’s rolled around, the post civil rights era gave way to a much more cinical and

less innocent view of the world in society in general. As usual, Superman was adapted for the time known

as the Bronze Age of comics. Writer Denny O’Neil, decreased his uber-cosmic level power and portrayed

him as more introspective and self doubting., echoing the neurotic zeitgeist of the times. After his run

ended, Writer Elliot S! Maggin and Cary Bates revisited the Superman as cosmic Hebrew aspect by

reimagining ancient Krypton as a secular version of ancient Israel. The idea of Superman as Cosmic

Messiah became prominent in the books as well. In the late 70’s Superman the Movie starring Christopher

Reeves was a breakout hit, with Mario Puzo’s Script and Richard Donner’s direction conveying a blatant

modern day Christ allegory:

Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always

hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be.

They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent

them you... my only son.(3)

In the movie, Krypton is presented as a Sci-fi Heaven or Olympus, with Jor-El a stern yet loving

Jehovah/Zeus figure. Superman is presented as a Jesus-like being, falling to Earth in a Star-like

spaceship. Where the original Superman was a more rough-hewn no-nonsense

Moses/Davidic/Samson-like Old Testament Messiah for the oppressed common man, Reeves’

portrayal was more mainstream more Anglo more approachable for the mainstream, and thus

Christianized.

In the mid 80s a radical change occurred in the Superman books. Due to the increasing

complexity of the shared DC Universe where Superman resided and grandiosity of the Superman

mythos, readers in the comic community were increasingly seeing Superman as too unrealistic,
un-relatable, too ridiculously powerful with his ability to move planets and travel through time.

As a result, DC decided to simplify it’s universe through Holocaust. Crisis on Infinite Earths was

a break through series that wiped out all the clutter obtained over decades and used the cosmic

reset button.

In the all new continuity spearheaded by writer/Artist John Byrne in the Man of Steel

miniseries, Superman was much more relatable. He was much less powerful, mountain-moving

and super-sonic in speed. He was raised as a normal human most of his life. Unlike the no-

nonsense Golden Age portrayal or the morally pure Silver Age version or the self questioning

Cosmic messiah of the 70’s-early 80’s, here was a man who still needed to find his full purpose

in life and his true morals. Unlike the past Superman who had been orphaned not only by his

biological parents and planet but also by his adoptive parents, the Kents, here they lived, guiding

him throughout his career as Superman. To the legions of fans that had left DC’s more optimistic

and –to them-naïve sensibilities, this was a welcome change. Here was a Superman who wasn’t

such a stick in the mud. And in addition, the Clark Kent identity wasn’t just an in-joke for the

reader to laugh at Lois, here Clark was the true persona, and the Superman identity as mask, a

reversal of the classical dichotomy. The 1990’s Television series Lois and Clark: the New

Adventures of Superman and the 2000’s Smallville, about a young Clark Kent, have reflected this

fundamental change in the character’s psychological self-image. Superman has largely

maintained this, though recently he has been restored to some of his Silver Age glory by writers

like Grant Morrison.

Superman has gone through many metamorphosis’. From social crusader to mythical

cosmic cop, sensitive messiah to relatable farm boy hero. His changes reflect American cultures

mores of the time. They also reflect the changing images of masculinity through the 20th and
early 21st century. Here’s hoping he can inspire all people to greater heights of greatness going

forward into the future.

Bibliography
(1)Jerry Siegel, “In the Beginning “ 1983, Web Superman through the Ages, July20, 2010
< http://theages.superman.nu/superman.php>

(2)Murray, Will “Gladiator of Iron”, Gladiator Essays and Perspective, Web July 20, 2010
<http://members.socket.net/~hiebert/Essays/Of%20Iron_by_Murray.htm>

(3)Donner, Richard, Superman the Movie[DVD]. United States: Warner Bros ;1978