What are the many "sides" of Superman you'd want the public to be more aware of?
I'm thinking of making a video on this, and I need your help.
It's not an effort to argue or convince naysayers that Superman isn't "boring" or "too powerful" to be interesting, but rather a celebratory showing with positive examples that there's more to the character than the casual comic book media fan might be aware of. More aspects of his personality, mythos, and internal dynamics that reveal a character with a bit more nuance & intrigue.
I can't think of a more well-read group, who spend the time to really think about the character and what they love about him, than you all.
So let me start with a couple of categories and examples I was thinking of to start off.
[B]Superman's Mischevious Side[/B]
Superman has often been no stranger to bullying the bully and being creative with his "punishments". Compassion is something he always has, but he's not afraid to taunt enemies once in a while that will leave a lasting impression and deter them from doing wrong again. (Had a whole thread devoted to this one)
[url]http://community.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?100766-Examples-of-Superman-s-mischievous-side[/url]
[B]Superman's Secretive Nature[/B]
Credit to Ascended for always bringing this one up and bringing my attention to it. Superman is often very secretive and keeps a lot of his circle at arms length from certain aspects of his life. Many times he'll omit information about his adventures, the existence of certain lurking dangers, and aspects of his home culture; he doesn't openly and generously [I]share[/I] everything with everyone and would rather reflect alone on certain things than air them out. (Examples welcome! This one is more subtle.)
[B]Superman's Intelligence/Cleverness[/B]
This is a big one for me. Superman is often cheated of his Super-intelligence (and worse, robbed of even average intelligence) when subject to team dynamics, particularly with Batman. But there are many different types of intelligence, and Superman has not only great familiarity with advanced technology and the ability to compute at a superhuman level, but also the strategic thinking required by combating the laws of physics while saving lives. Morrison obviously had a great handle on balancing this, and the preview comics to BvS contained a cool scene devoted to that concept, but I can't seem to find it online at the moment.
[B]Super-Tricks[/B]
These are self-explanatory. Fighting like Superman is awesome, but his abilities don't stop there. Everyday life is full of small miracles. Performing surgery with fingernails, crushing coal into diamonds, sitting on a cloud, wrestling harmlessly with lions, cooking steak with just his eyes...the list goes on. The universe is your plaything and you can create wonders at your whim.
A subset of this might be his perception. Lex's tearful moment of enlightenment in All-Star summed this up perfectly, and things like Birthright's "soul-vision", hearing the truth (or lack of it) in people's heartbeats, and more would certainly give one a different perspective on life and the world.
[B]Superman's Loneliness [/B]
This one can be controversial if abused to the extent that it stamps out his noble optimism. But it's undeniably a part of the character. From an extinct culture with unique abilities, Superman grew up with limits on how well he could relate to others, had to keep a big part of his life a secret, and can only partially grasp the reality of his homeworld & birth parents.
[B]Superman's Rebellious Side[/B]
Again, controversial, but Superman's origins lie in being a champion of the oppressed. Corrupt businessmen, wife beaters, Nazis were his target, while children and the vulnerable were those he served. This strain is far more prevalent than his supposed obedience to government authority. The Golden Age, the renouncement of his US citizenship, Morrison's Action Comics, and plenty of other examples (please provide!) point to a regular lack of hesitation to upset the powers that be to protect the innocent.
It seems to me that Superman also has a lot of rugged boyishness to him. Played football & boxed in his youth, fantasized about war heroes and sci-fi as a child; he's not so straight-laced and uptight at all.
[B]Mythical Qualities[/B]
Superman's story is timeless in large part because of how similar it is to other stories spanning thousands of years. Hercules, Odysseus, Perseus, Gilgamesh, Beowulf, Moses, Jesus, etc. The idea of a god living among men and foreshadowing what they might achieve, morally and physically, makes the character larger than himself and taps into a sense of awe capable of bordering on the spiritual.
[B]Compassion and Inherent Goodness[/B]
This is probably the one to start off with since it's the most well known one. But there is more to be explored here as well. Landis made an interesting point that Superman's powers don't corrupt him the way they would a human. It's natural for him to want to help and he wields his abilities free of our worst impulses. Not to the extent that he's flawless, but inherently good in a way humans can tap into from time to time. There's more to be said about this, and more artfully, but I'll leave it at that.
In my view, these are like a pie chart. All of them are a part of the character, and the version you like or idealize in your head may shift the percentages a bit.
So what examples would you add, and what new/different categories would you include?