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[QUOTE=Tom Kalbfus;5311380]what sort of thing would you wish an elderly Superman to do?[/QUOTE]
Well die, honestly.
For LoSH to really do much of anything, Clark can't be around anymore. I like that he's a legend from the age of heroes, Earth's greatest champion, but he also died like anyone else. Making him immortal effectively ruins his impact inspiring others to take over because I just don't think Clark would ever stop so long as he's able; why [I]wouldn't[/I] he still be Superman in the Legion time? He has to go.
And I don't know, I just don't like Clark outliving Lois for so long and treating her as his greatest love if she's only a part of his life for what's effectively like 8% of it. A lot of Superman's themes and elements work best for me when he lives a shorter lifespan and him living longer is just more because it's cool on its face. Like yeah, it's dope that he lives forever but what does it actually benefit? It just prevents the DCU from getting to be more unique because Superman must always be there and it always has to accommodate him. Let his death be the end of the age of heroes and the beginning of the new age.
But Legion? Jon? Kamandi? Every future story? A lot of things require he not be around.
If he's around, I guess he just is an older Superman doing the same stuff he does now, only without any of his supporting cast-- it's just a watered down Superman for me. It can work for some stories, and it's been done very well, but for my money, Clark lives a relatively similar lifespan to others. I know this is a very unpopular opinion, but I think it also makes the time he spends helping others more meaningful; it's easy to be patient with others when your time is limitless.
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Age at the se rate as humans, but never have the breaking down effect our bodies go through as we're on our way to death.
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To Robbanker: Sounds like something from James Bond Dr No.
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[QUOTE=Robanker;5311637]Well die, honestly.
For LoSH to really do much of anything, Clark can't be around anymore. I like that he's a legend from the age of heroes, Earth's greatest champion, but he also died like anyone else. Making him immortal effectively ruins his impact inspiring others to take over because I just don't think Clark would ever stop so long as he's able; why [I]wouldn't[/I] he still be Superman in the Legion time? He has to go.
And I don't know, I just don't like Clark outliving Lois for so long and treating her as his greatest love if she's only a part of his life for what's effectively like 8% of it. A lot of Superman's themes and elements work best for me when he lives a shorter lifespan and him living longer is just more because it's cool on its face. Like yeah, it's dope that he lives forever but what does it actually benefit? It just prevents the DCU from getting to be more unique because Superman must always be there and it always has to accommodate him. Let his death be the end of the age of heroes and the beginning of the new age.
But Legion? Jon? Kamandi? Every future story? A lot of things require he not be around.
If he's around, I guess he just is an older Superman doing the same stuff he does now, only without any of his supporting cast-- it's just a watered down Superman for me. It can work for some stories, and it's been done very well, but for my money, Clark lives a relatively similar lifespan to others. I know this is a very unpopular opinion, but I think it also makes the time he spends helping others more meaningful; it's easy to be patient with others when your time is limitless.[/QUOTE]
In LSH stories (among other stories set in "the" future) it's never established what happened to Superman. He could be elsewhere in the universe. Having left earth in good hands.
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I like the idea that all Kryptonians have extremely long lifespans partially because I think it could be a contributing factor to the hubris that led to them losing their world and becoming an endangered species. Like the average age of a stodgy old Science Council member might be 1000 years old and their advanced age and experience contributes to their huge super-egos.
I think Superman should have the potential to live even longer but in the end gives his life to save the universe in the most super spectacular way ever. Imagine if that panel from that JSA Kingdom Come story where Superman is in the Legion's era leading into a story where that elderly Superman does something insane to save everyone and everything in one last big blaze of glory!
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[QUOTE=llozymandias;5325025]In LSH stories (among other stories set in "the" future) it's never established what happened to Superman. He could be elsewhere in the universe. Having left earth in good hands.[/QUOTE]
Sure, but I still feel the narrative of a shared universe is stronger when he is taken off the board to allow the new generation to make their marks. It's not as significant if we know Clark can just swoop in if things get to dicey against The Persuader or something.
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[QUOTE=Robanker;5326621]Sure, but I still feel the narrative of a shared universe is stronger when he is taken off the board to allow the new generation to make their marks. It's not as significant if we know Clark can just swoop in if things get to dicey against The Persuader or something.[/QUOTE]
You know that the universe has trillions of galaxies. If Kal is still around in the Legion's time, he could be operating in a galaxy that is many billions of light years away.
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[QUOTE=Robanker;5309966]I'm probably the only person on this forum who prefers a Superman that ages with us; I like that the one thing Clark has zero advantage over is time and that it comes to even the strongest of us.
I don't hate a Superman who ages slower or even nigh-immortal based on the takes, but I think his story is more powerful (and lets other aspects of the DCU exist without him mucking them up, such as Legion or even Kamandi) if Clark is allowed to gracefully be removed from the table.[/QUOTE]
I'm out here with ya.
I'm not against Immortal Superman stories but I do prefer that Lois and he age naturally. There's something more poignant about the Superman story if he ages normally. History remembers a man from another world who just wanted to do good by his fellow man.
I like Morrison's Golden Superman too, but it resonates less with me outside of just being fun.
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[QUOTE=Robanker;5309966]I'm probably the only person on this forum who prefers a Superman that ages with us; I like that the one thing Clark has zero advantage over is time and that it comes to even the strongest of us.
I don't hate a Superman who ages slower or even nigh-immortal based on the takes, but I think his story is more powerful (and lets other aspects of the DCU exist without him mucking them up, such as Legion or even Kamandi) if Clark is allowed to gracefully be removed from the table.[/QUOTE]
Im practically of the same mind. If he has to age slower then I prefer it just being slightly behind humans. Once he hits his prime, it takes him 5 years compared to a human to "age". But nothing extreme.
Depending on the story he spent all of 5mins of Krypton so while his molecular structure may take in Sun and make him Super, his overall body isnt used to the density of Krypton. So he can be a little different from a Kryptonian who grew up on the planet and came to Earth.
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I don't like Superman being immortal. Long lived, perhaps up to three, four hundreds years, sure I have no problem. But for me immortality shouldn't be possible for beings not born out of Myths. I'm okay with Diana being near-ageless because whatever her creation/birth is, goddess and gods have a hand in it, but Immortal Sun God Superman is just absolutely not my cup of tea and in fact reinforce my distaste for the iconic version of Superman by a lot, knowing that it's supposedly its future.
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[quote]I'm probably the only person on this forum who prefers a Superman that ages with us; [/quote]I'm right there with you.
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[QUOTE=Korath;5334148]I don't like Superman being immortal. Long lived, perhaps up to three, four hundreds years, sure I have no problem. But for me immortality shouldn't be possible for beings not born out of Myths. I'm okay with Diana being near-ageless because whatever her creation/birth is, goddess and gods have a hand in it, but Immortal Sun God Superman is just absolutely not my cup of tea and in fact reinforce my distaste for the iconic version of Superman by a lot, knowing that it's supposedly its future.[/QUOTE]
The monkey king isn't born out of a myth.he's immortal.This idea that only gods can be immortal is bad.
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[QUOTE=manwhohaseverything;5334177]The monkey king isn't born out of a myth.he's immortal.This idea that only gods can be immortal is bad.[/QUOTE]
The Monkey King is a figure of Myth, even if he isn't a God, just like the Fairy Queen in the British Isle or Merlin and all that. At least to me.
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[QUOTE=Korath;5334185]The Monkey King is a figure of Myth, even if he isn't a God, just like the Fairy Queen in the British Isle or Merlin and all that. At least to me.[/QUOTE]
ok.then why isn't superman himself figure of myth?he's had cultural impact.he might be a bit young compared to the others.but,he hasn't exactly faded into obscurity like most of his predecessors.Heck!he was used as catapult or inspiration for many popular characters today.The only bad i see is that superman is owned a company.Hey! sooner or later that's gonna change as well.If the character lives long enough.
Now,i agree with you on superman being a sun god.But,i want figures who steal the fire from the gods,so to speak.Who are capable of erasing their name from the book of the dead and declaring themselves "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven".These guys might be fed to the vultures or chained like beast in the end.But that's because people are normally afraid of beings equal to the gods and not exactly them.I mean, you brought up merlin,Witches and warlocks had a bad rep.
[video=youtube;O-tj_FBlZsc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-tj_FBlZsc[/video]
Wonder woman has never met a being like clark.
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I'm fine with Superman aging normally as well.
[QUOTE=manwhohaseverything;5334314]ok.then why isn't superman himself figure of myth?[/QUOTE]
Because he's a comic book character created for a corporation not a figure born out of an existing culture's mythology and religion. You really have to stretch the definition of a myth to classify Superman as one.