Glenn Yeffeth - The Man from Krypton: A Closer Look at Superman

This publication has not been prepared, approved or licensed by any entity that created or produced the well-known character Superman.

Previous Issues 2005 by Lawrence Watt-Evans

A History of Violence 2005 by David Hopkins

You Will Believe a Man Can Walk: Christopher Reeves Part in the Superman Myth 2005 by Sarah Zettel

Jewel Mountains and Fire Falls: The Lost World of Krypton 2005 by Monkeybrain, Inc.

Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex 1971 by Larry Niven, reprinted from All the Myriad Ways

Actor and Superactor 2005 by Keith R. A. DeCandido

A Tale of Two Orphans: The Man of Steel vs. the Caped Crusader 2005 by Lou Anders

God, Communism and the WB 2003 by Gustav Peebles, reprinted from The Believer

Supermyth! 2005 by Steven Harper

Six Things that Plain Dont Make any Sense about Superman 2005 by Adam-Troy Castro

Is Superman a Superman? 2005 by Adam Roberts

The Mirror of Gilgamesh: The Foe Superman Fears the Most and the Ally He Cant Do Without 2005 by John G. Hemry

The Golden Shield: Image as Supermans Greatest Power 2005 by Paul Lytle

Superman by Moonlight: Can Clark and Lois Break the Curse? 2005 by Yvonne Jocks

Speeding Bullets and Changing Lanes 2005 by Joseph McCabe

A Word of Warning for Brandon Routh 2005 by Lou Anders

Supermans Moral Evolution 2005 by Peter B. Lloyd

Brain Versus Brawn: The Many Lives (and Minds) of Lex Luthor, the Worlds Greatest Villain 2005 by Bob Batchelor

Superman, Patriotism and Doing the Ultimate Good: Why the Man of Steel Did So Little to Stop Hitler and Tojo 2005 by Paul Levinson

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EISBN: 978-1-941631-58-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The man from Krypton : a closer look at Superman / edited by Glenn Yeffeth.

p. cm.

ISBN 1-932100-77-6

1. Superman (Fictitious character) I. Yeffeth, Glenn, 1961

PN6728.S9M33 2006

741.5973dc22

2006005980

Proofreading by Jessica Keet and Stacia Seaman
Cover design by Todd Michael Bushman
Cover art by Paul Gilligan
Text design and composition by John Reinhardt Book Design
Printed by Victor Graphics, Inc.

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Lou Anders

Gustav Peebles Reprinted from The Believer

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Lawrence Watt-Evans

F ASTER THAN A speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotiveSuperman is undeniably a symbol of power. Whats more, he fights for truth, justice and the American way; hes an icon of power used for good, power handled responsibly. It may be Spider-Man who actually said, With great power comes great responsibility, but The Big Blue Boy Scout was living it twenty years before Spidey spun his first web.

Superman has powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men; he can make himself ruler of the world, take anything he wants or kill anyone who gets in his waybut he doesnt. Hes a good guy, the ultimate good guy, because he apparently isnt even tempted to abuse his powers. Hes wholesome and noble and selfless. His foster parents raised him that way, and hes true to his upbringing.

Its long been recognized that this is part of what makes him boring sometimes, or at least hard to write good stories about; hes too powerful, too perfect. No menace can really endanger himhes invulnerable. His moral choices are never really difficult; the Kents gave him so strong a sense of right and wrong that theres not much room for self-doubt. DCs editorial powers have more than once tried to make things easier for their scripters by cutting him back to a more human scale, but it never really sticks, because hes Superman. If he isnt power incarnate and a moral paragon, hes not the same iconic character.

What makes him Superman is that hes practically perfect in every way.

At least, on the outside.