In what ways would you like to see Superman "bettering" humanity?

[Lightning Rider]

I'm sure this has been debated in other threads but I wanted to highlight it.

This isn't so much a question of "when should Superman intervene in human history" but rather asking creative ways in which Superman should help advance humanity, whether morally, scientifically, intellectually, or otherwise.

We all know he primarily does it by example, acting in ways that inspire humans to act similarly. But what societal gifts can he give that only he can provide? He is the Man of Tomorrow after all; what instruments from the promise of a better future does he pass on?

Some examples:

-Using his senses to develop new theories of thermodynamics & renewable energy production and engineering
-Regularly providing information and materials from space for us to learn from
-Occasionally dropping in on medical professionals to help cure a medical epidemic or precarious surgical procedure
-Giving Ted-Talk like lectures at Universities on sociological analysis (though I can see Wonder Woman doing this more often)
-Occasionally helping elite musicians discover new sounds and arrangements for fun

Ideally I see the whole league doing these like this, advancing science and medicine and philosophy and economics and art when not saving the world from natural disaster and bad guys, but Superman is uniquely positioned to operate on a lot of fronts with the trust of the world.

So what would you like to see?

[Adekis]

Some examples:

-Using his senses to develop new theories of thermodynamics & renewable energy production and engineering
-Regularly providing information and materials from space for us to learn from
-Occasionally dropping in on medical professionals to help cure a medical epidemic or precarious surgical procedure
-Giving Ted-Talk like lectures at Universities on sociological analysis (though I can see Wonder Woman doing this more often)
-Occasionally helping elite musicians discover new sounds and arrangements for fun

Ideally I see the whole league doing these like this, advancing science and medicine and philosophy and economics and art when not saving the world from natural disaster and bad guys, but Superman is uniquely positioned to operate on a lot of fronts with the trust of the world.

So what would you like to see?

These are all awesome ideas. I don't know if I see Superman trying to advance the arts - he's not very artistic himself, by his own admission in The Super-Key to Fort Superman, but as far as science, medicine and philosophy, he'd totally be about that. One of my favorite Superman moments is when Luthor gives Superman a repository of Kryptonian knowledge and suggests he use it to increase medical science in Gods and Monsters. Space research is a great element of Superman's background, and also the idea of Superman giving a TED Talk is really fun.

[magha_regulus]

I'd have Superman as a diplomat between Earth and other alien civilizations. It would give him an excuse to go to other worlds beyond crises moments and could set up some interesting space politics type stories for him. It lets superman be cosmic without having to do the whole alien invasion storyline over and over again. Let Superman be the UN special ambassador to other worlds. He can point humanity to the stars.

I'd also have Superman inspire and train up a lot of new superheroes. I'd have it so that a lot of the DCU heroes were actually trained by Superman. I'd have Superman have a career as Superboy and make it so that he's among the most experienced of all of the Superheroes. It would cement his position as a leader among them and show why they all respect him.

[The World]

He should start a university where anyone can go to learn free of charge. The greatest professors he can find should be from different planets, timelines, universes, past or future. It can be called Krypton University.

[Agniwolf]

I'm sure this has been debated in other threads but I wanted to highlight it.

This isn't so much a question of "when should Superman intervene in human history" but rather asking creative ways in which Superman should help advance humanity, whether morally, scientifically, intellectually, or otherwise.

We all know he primarily does it by example, acting in ways that inspire humans to act similarly. But what societal gifts can he give that only he can provide? He is the Man of Tomorrow after all; what instruments from the promise of a better future does he pass on?

Some examples:

-Using his senses to develop new theories of thermodynamics & renewable energy production and engineering
-Regularly providing information and materials from space for us to learn from
-Occasionally dropping in on medical professionals to help cure a medical epidemic or precarious surgical procedure
-Giving Ted-Talk like lectures at Universities on sociological analysis (though I can see Wonder Woman doing this more often)
-Occasionally helping elite musicians discover new sounds and arrangements for fun

Ideally I see the whole league doing these like this, advancing science and medicine and philosophy and economics and art when not saving the world from natural disaster and bad guys, but Superman is uniquely positioned to operate on a lot of fronts with the trust of the world.

So what would you like to see?

half of these would easilly be repurposed to warfare, if anything clark should ditch the reporter job and start a research and engineering company at first, use his connection to both wayne and luthor (irony at it finest) and go under the radar as a new company selling technologies to emerging countries, and use that as leverage to make changes in the society at its core, many may not see it, but to make social reforms you first need to boost the economy at least threefold, thenuse his connections with the amazons and the atlanteans to promote a giant cultural integration plan to direct the world first to consolidate unions into superstates (EU, Unasul and etc) and then direct it toward a ONU shared government, then when we become terrans instead of [insert your nationality here] we could look at our star system colonization and the cicle repeats

[Adekis]

I'd have Superman as a diplomat between Earth and other alien civilizations. It would give him an excuse to go to other worlds beyond crises moments and could set up some interesting space politics type stories for him. It lets superman be cosmic without having to do the whole alien invasion storyline over and over again. Let Superman be the UN special ambassador to other worlds. He can point humanity to the stars.

I think this element of Superman's "future" is implied in some-or-another Legion stories- that in the DC equivalent of First Contact on a species-wide level instead of just invaders, super-villains and individual refugees and immigrants, Superman has a front row seat to helping the cultures interact and understand each other - "a bridge between two worlds", as Jor says in Man of Steel.

Huh. Now that would make a good movie.

[Lightning Rider]

These are all awesome ideas. I don't know if I see Superman trying to advance the arts - he's not very artistic himself, by his own admission in The Super-Key to Fort Superman, but as far as science, medicine and philosophy, he'd totally be about that. One of my favorite Superman moments is when Luthor gives Superman a repository of Kryptonian knowledge and suggests he use it to increase medical science in Gods and Monsters. Space research is a great element of Superman's background, and also the idea of Superman giving a TED Talk is really fun.

Thanks.

In terms of the arts, I think he'd do it in a really incidental way. Like with music, which is very mathematical, he'd discover "interesting" or "complex" arrangements that sound really interesting, but don't necessarily make up a complete song or piece of music without an artist's touch.

I also get a kick out of the image of Superman on the stage with an ear-piece microphone giving a lecture. It just feels right.

He should start a university where anyone can go to learn free of charge. The greatest professors he can find should be from different planets, timelines, universes, past or future. It can be called Krypton University.

Very cool idea!

[Lightning Rider]

Are people not feeling this topic or what? I find it hard to believe...

[magha_regulus]

Are people not feeling this topic or what? I find it hard to believe...

I feel you. This thread should have at least 10 pages by now.

[Ascended]

I just saw the thread today. Not sure how I missed it?

I like the idea of digging into the way Clark influences the world.

I cant claim the idea as my own, but I always liked the notion that Clark will occasionally publish scientific papers under an assumed name. I like the idea of him looking at a subject human scientists are struggling with and giving them a nudge. Stuck on detecting dark matter? A scientist you haven't heard of just hit a breakthrough.

But I think the spot where Clark's interests really lie, social reform, is why he's a reporter. I dont like the idea that Clark writes about Superman or gets front-page exclusives. I think Clark writes Page 2 articles about breaches in trade policy and tax reform bills. Boring, dry stuff that no one wants to read. And he follows the story until the trade policy story turns into taking down a ring of human traffickers. The tax reform story turns into a corruption scandal that brings down an entire administration. Of course, in the hype and excitement no one remembers the page 2 article that got the ball rolling. Clark Kent might do more long-term good for the world than Superman, but Clark's name will be forgotten while the future itself is built on Superman's legacy. I sort of love the ironic parallel there; the glory of the unsung hero that is Clark Kent.

[TruthAndJustice]

You'd think Superman could solve global warming all on his own (or perhaps with help from friends from the League). Of course, then humanity becomes dependent on his doing so.

[Ra-El]

He is just making sure that some villain not turns mankind into slaves or that humanity don't selfdestruct before it can achieve those things alone. But I like the idea of Superman giving tips to scientists, somthing like he goes interview them frame his questions in a way that point them in right direction.

[Lightning Rider]

You'd think Superman could solve global warming all on his own (or perhaps with help from friends from the League). Of course, then humanity becomes dependent on his doing so.

He might connect a few arctic sheets here and there, but without changing our production and consumption patterns, he'll just be doing cleanup. So i imagine he might give a speech on it or release a statement in support of such reform.

I just saw the thread today. Not sure how I missed it?

I like the idea of digging into the way Clark influences the world.

I cant claim the idea as my own, but I always liked the notion that Clark will occasionally publish scientific papers under an assumed name. I like the idea of him looking at a subject human scientists are struggling with and giving them a nudge. Stuck on detecting dark matter? A scientist you haven't heard of just hit a breakthrough.

But I think the spot where Clark's interests really lie, social reform, is why he's a reporter. I dont like the idea that Clark writes about Superman or gets front-page exclusives. I think Clark writes Page 2 articles about breaches in trade policy and tax reform bills. Boring, dry stuff that no one wants to read. And he follows the story until the trade policy story turns into taking down a ring of human traffickers. The tax reform story turns into a corruption scandal that brings down an entire administration. Of course, in the hype and excitement no one remembers the page 2 article that got the ball rolling. Clark Kent might do more long-term good for the world than Superman, but Clark's name will be forgotten while the future itself is built on Superman's legacy. I sort of love the ironic parallel there; the glory of the unsung hero that is Clark Kent.

This is so true. Clark the journalist tackling something controversial that only needs Superman's abilities incidentally (when Clark gets into trouble for example) would be a great story. The gradual lead-up, maybe the way he shifts his "portrayal" of clark depending on who he's talking too.

Also I've never read a scene like this but I wouldn't be surprised if Clark made someone sweat during questioning with the mildest heat vision. Better still, for that the be the rumor and for it to actually just be Clark's skills that make them sweat after all (which is something I have planned as a clever reveal in a "the league loses their powers" story.)

[Carabas]

In 2017?

I feel strongly he's morally obligated to become a lot more politically active than he has been in the last... 60-ish years?

[Agent Z]

In 2017?

I feel strongly he's morally obligated to become a lot more politically active than he has been in the last... 60-ish years?

Let's say he does.

What good would that actually do. Being involved in politics is one thing. Being good at it would be something else.