Superman: The Misunderstood Character

A Flat Character Arc

By Matthew Kyriakides
English 270H
300135340
Introduction

In June 1938 the superhero Superman was introduced to the public and over the last 83 years has

become a juggernaut in the comic book industry. Superman's influence has spread from the comic

books to movies, video games, and even being featured as a balloon in the Macy's thanksgiving day

parade. There is a clear assumption that for characters to be as popular as Superman or others they

would have to be well written and well rounded. This presupposition would then conclude that if a

character were to not grow or develop from an experience then the character in question is poorly

written and lacking a proper character arc. From an outside view Superman could easily fall under this

umbrella from those who feel he lacks a true character arc throughout his stories. If one were to read a

Superman story from any comic book era then it is clear there is a longstanding ethos of protecting

truth, justice, and the american way (Grossman et al 2004). Since there has been little deviation from

this structure over the years it could lead some to conclude that Superman lacks a proper character arc

and is therefore a poorly written protagonist. For those who believe this to be true have therefore

misunderstood the character of Superman for he does have a character arc for he undergoes what

writers would consider as the flat character arc. A flat arc does not depend on a story about how a

protagonist or character will change but instead how they can institute change for everyone around

them.

There is no better comic than “All-Star Superman” to illustrate just how Superman can be a well

written protagonist while undergoing a flat arc. “All-Star Superman” written by Grant Morrison &

illustrated by Frank Quitely is one of the finest overviews of the hero's lore and gives an insight into

what drives Superman. Throughout this work Grant is able to provide the reader with ample scenarios

in which one can see how Superman shapes the world around him without having to develop as a

character. How this work distinguishes itself from other Superman stories is simple, it does not

attempt to change how one thinks about the man of steel instead it asks how does Superman affect the

world he lives in. This is why “All-Star Superman” is a fantastic work to showcase just how

Superman can excel as a flat protagonist.

The Character Arc

Whether it be books, television, or movies we can always narrow character arcs down to three basic

types, the positive change arc, the flat arc, and the negative change arc (Weiland, pg 10). The positive

change arc is one of the more popular literary arcs as a character will begin the story with a sense of

unfulfillment and be forced to challenge their assumptions until finally overcoming their demons

ending their arc in a positive manner (Weiland, pg 10). The flat arc in contrast deals with characters

that don’t require any noticeable personal growth to gain the inner strength to defeat the external

antagonists (Weiland, pg 10) . Characters undergoing the flat arc will not experience much inner

change throughout the story meaning that their arc stays static or simply flat (Weiland, pg 10). The

last basic character arc we see in media is the negative change arc. This arc in essence is simply the

inverse of the positive change arc as characters undergoing this arc will simply end the story in a

worse manner than when they began (Weiland, pg 10). Within “All-Star Superman” it is clear that the

man of steel undergoes the flat arc throughout the story.

To further understand a character arc within a story we must first comprehend these two concepts, the

lie the character believes and the truth the character believes. The lie the character believes is usually

reserved for those who undergo a change arc whether it be positive or negative. These characters will

begin a story with something lacking in his life, some reason that makes the change necessary

(Weiland, pg 14). There is something that makes them feel incomplete on the inside as they may have

deeply held misconceptions about either themselves, the world, or in some cases both (Weiland, pg

14). These misconceptions can turn out to be a hindrance later in the story as they attempt to fulfill

their plot goals. Some literary examples of what a lie can look like include money is to be treasured

more than people, might makes right, and being unworthy of love due to a past transgression. The

narrative in stories that include characters who believe a lie is for them to overcome the lie and finally

understand the truth.

This brings us to the truth the protagonist believes which is usually reserved for flat characters who do

not need to overcome their lie. In stories where the protagonist already has their beliefs held in the

truth will simply use it to overcome the challenges of the plot (Weiland, pg 91). This does not mean

that characters who believe in the truth do not hold any demons but that instead they have already

come to peace with it (Weiland, pg 91). One example of a truth the character believes from the

beginning can be seen from Dreamworks Chicken Run as Ginger the protagonist already knows it

would be better to die trying to escape rather than live in captivity. A belief in the truth is also usually

seen in sequels to works where the characters have overcome the lie in their first adventure and then

uses the truth to transform the world in their next.

The Flat Arc

Before we can delve deeper between the connection of Superman and the flat character arc we must

first acquire a deeper understanding of what this arc entails. As we know throughout the flat arc the

protagonist, while they may face an external threat there is not too much struggle beyond that which

can alter them as a character. The protagonist has not overcome a grand inner resistance; they have

simply gained a new set of skills or assumed a new position (Sicoe 2013). So to clarify this position

the protagonist in a flat arc will be confronted with tremendous opposition but his convictions and

ethos will never change, as a character they will not grow much more than when the story began.

Throughout the narrative of a flat arc the protagonist will have to stand against a great lie that has

engulfed the world he lives in. At some point in the story the protagonist may have their will

challenged as their grasp of the truth may falter slightly but in the face of the lie they always stand

tall. With any work it is in the climax that the protagonist must come to head with the lie almost

always an external threat in this case and finally rid their world of its presence. This is the simple

story structure for every flat arc narrative in all media with much room for nuance and twists.
All-Star Superman

Within “All-Star Superman” it is quite clear that Morrison has decided to blend his storytelling

adjacent to the flat arc as he wants to show the reader what change Superman brings to his world. We

can come to this conclusion based on some simple facts, first it is clear that the man of steel already

has the truth in which he believes. This is a truth he has believed in for many decades, truth, justice,

and the american way (Grossman et al 2004). This means that what drives him as a character is the

pursuit to do what is right always and to uphold the values that every american should strive to

achieve. We can see this at many points throughout the comic especially in the beginning as he risks

his life to save the scientists on the surface of the sun (Morrison and Quitely, issue 1 pg 10).

When there is a truth there must also be a lie and in this story we can narrow it down to this statement,

we are not ready for a world without Superman. The man of steel must confront this lie throughout the

comic and prove at the end finale that this world can exist beyond him. This is why he spends much of

the story preparing for the death he thinks he will succumb to by making sure the planet and kandor

can thrive past his demise. By confronting this lie Morrison has been able to construct a narrative that

allows the reader to understand just how interesting a flat protagonist can be with regards to how they

affect the setting and supporting characters.

Since Superman has been gifted the powers of a god by the earth's sun he feels there is a moral

obligation to become the planet's protector and spend his days protecting those in need. Within “All-

Star Superman” we can see just how this has affected this version of planet earth due to his ever

growing presence. Let's revisit the beginning of this comic again as we see that humanity has grown

to the point that they feel comfortable to plan manned missions to the sun. There is no doubt having

the knowledge that at any time Superman can swoop in and save the day allows these scientists and

astronauts the opportunity to indulge in risky endeavours as there is always a safety net in Superman.

Furthermore, these scientists have even been able to create their own contingency plan regarding

superman's absence with their own alleged creation of a replacement (Morrison and Quitely, issue 12
pg 23). Superman's effect on earth has enabled rapid technological growth and inquiries into the

unknown.

The last discussion point on Superman's effect on those around him deals with the little actions he

accomplishes throughout the day. This is in reference to when he appeared in front of the suicidal girl

on top of the building to console her and tell her everything will be better (Morrison and Quitely,

issue 10 pg 13). While in comic books saving one life might seem miniscule to the man of steel her

death would have been of great tragedy. While it may seem that Superman spends his weekends

fighting a planet level threat this comic reminds the reader of the little things the man of steel does

throughout the day to help the average citizen. Superman's words can even save a life and he is not

afraid to spend the day with one person to make sure they are alright (Straczynski et al 2011) This is

the effect Superman has on his world.

Conclusion

The flat character arc is perhaps one of the most misunderstood literary devices as the lack of

development for the protagonist can fool others into the belief that the story is poor. Throughout this

paper it has been explained how when viewing a flat character arc one must judge how they evolve

the world around them rather than how they evolve as a character. A protagonist who undergoes the

flat character arc is one who becomes a catalyst for change and in doing so creates a narrative full of

nuance and intrigue. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s “All-Star Superman” is one of greatest

examples to showcase this fact. The story within this comic is driven by Superman who undergoes the

flat character arc and how he affects the world around him. This comic did not need a character

transformation for the man of steel as his character remaining static allows the plot to progress and let

the worlds changes take centerfold.

Works Cited

Grossman, Lev, et al. “The Problem with SUPERMAN.” TIME Magazine, vol. 163, no. 20, May
2004, pp. 70–72. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=13051247.

Morrison, Grant, and Quitely, Frank. “All-Star Superman #1.” All-Star Superman, DC Comics,
16 Nov. 2005

Sicoe, Veronica. “The 3 Types of Character Arc – Change, Growth and Fall.”
Www.veronicasicoe.com, 29 Apr. 2013, veronicasicoe.com/2013/04/29/the-3-types-of-character-arc-
change-growth-and-fall/.

Straczynski, J. Michael, et al. Superman: Grounded. DC Comics, 2011.

Weiland, K. M. Creating Character Arcs: the Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure,
Plot, and Character Development. Penforasword, 2016.