Could Kansas truly raise a Superman as we know him?

[Adekis]

Batman is every bit as programmed by his parents, or the lack thereof. I'd be interested in seeing a poll made of how many alternate Bruce Waynes essentially become Batman without a comparable inciting incident, versus how many Clark Kents become a Superman without the Kents.

Interesting point; I'm sure it'd be "most of them". After all, the point of Kal-El is to be Superman. Heck, even Overman, raised by Hitler himself no less, is a highly sympathetic figure owing to his remorse and shame over his society's actions. I've said this before, but there's a certain extent to which Kents aside, Kal-El is just a naturally good person in most iterations and alternate universes. No, not just good, extraordinary, taking into account the vast difference being a "good person" and deciding to dedicate your entire life to the betterment of humanity.

[Flash Gordon]

I think it is pivotal to the concept of Superman that he comes from extremely humble beginnings. A real working class up bringing. The Kents are just very kind, nurturing folk who work hard everyday and believe in doing what is right even when it is hard.

"Clark Kent" has to find his own self after that. He has to leave the comfort of the farm and embark into the world and truly travel and see what life is like for all peoples of planet Earth. That is how Superman is born. He's born through action. He's an investigative journalist, he seeks out the truth.

The Kents, and Smallville, tend to be depicted as an idealized Norman Rockwell America- which is unfortunate. That doesn't exist. A kind couple who live in the middle of nowhere? That is much more inspiring.

[Flash Gordon]

Interesting point; I'm sure it'd be "most of them". After all, the point of Kal-El is to be Superman. Heck, even Overman, raised by Hitler himself no less, is a highly sympathetic figure owing to his remorse and shame over his society's actions. I've said this before, but there's a certain extent to which Kents aside, Kal-El is just a naturally good person in most iterations and alternate universes. No, not just good, extraordinary, taking into account the vast difference being a "good person" and deciding to dedicate your entire life to the betterment of humanity.

Yeah, Kal-El is naturally a good person. He's a highly compassionate, loving being. I think it is very hard for him not to do good, it is his default tendency. It's his birthright.

The Kents role in his life, was providing him a safe place to grow and learn.

[Vakanai]

No way could Kansas today produce an adult who wears his underwear outside his pants.

[Korath]

First, we would need to find a consensus about what values Superman embodies. Because i think we all have widly different take on the character, in the end.

For me, the Iconic one is a terrible figure of Conservatism -at best- or the Reaction -at worst. Ever since Rebirth, I failed to see him as even at the center, idologically and politically speaking. In that regard, for me, I could see a rural community giving birth to someone like him, absolutely sure that the needs of the few always outweight those of the many and that everyone has to work hard and everything will be sorted out in the end. Which I stand absolutely against, which is probably why I really dislike the current Superman but loved the New 52.

[Kuwagaton]

I think it is pivotal to the concept of Superman that he comes from extremely humble beginnings. A real working class up bringing. The Kents are just very kind, nurturing folk who work hard everyday and believe in doing what is right even when it is hard.

"Clark Kent" has to find his own self after that. He has to leave the comfort of the farm and embark into the world and truly travel and see what life is like for all peoples of planet Earth. That is how Superman is born. He's born through action. He's an investigative journalist, he seeks out the truth.

The Kents, and Smallville, tend to be depicted as an idealized Norman Rockwell America- which is unfortunate. That doesn't exist. A kind couple who live in the middle of nowhere? That is much more inspiring.

How so? What is it about Smallville that can't exist? Ironically it's the most "true" DC setting since it actually exists.

[superduperman]

Without getting too political here, the whole point of Superman is that he was very lucky to be found by the Kents. That's the whole premise of his story. He was found by good hearted people who raised him to respect everyone. Now, in terms of sticking them in Kansas, I think Byrne did that more because if he's going to be raised on a farm then it makes a little bit of sense to stick him in a part of the country well known for farming. I don't think politics really had that much to do with it. Keep in mind, this was during the whole "how can we make him more realistic" era.

To give you a real life example: My mother was adopted. Her adopted mother left when she was about 3 and she was raised by a single father in the 1950s. For that time he was a very tolerant man. He taught her not to depend on a man. He taught her that there is no difference between black and white people. He was even justice of the peace where they lived and performed an interracial wedding. This was in Iowa. Where someone lives in and of itself doesn't determine their tolerance level. What kind of person they are does. Are the Kents supposedly more open minded than their neighbors? Well, to some degree we saw this with Martian Manhunter #20 back in 2000. MM disguises himself as a black farm hand working for the Kents. When he's assaulted by a group of racists, the Kents are the first to come to his defense. It all depends on the person.

Kal's ship could have crash landed five miles outside of town and he'd been found by some trailer park and taught to cook meth. He could have been found by the Luthor's and raised to take over the world. Both Smallville and Superboy did episodes about that. That's the point of the story. He was very lucky to have been found by such good hearted people. Someone with that kind of power taught to use them for the good of all.

[Lightning Rider]

Kal's ship could have crash landed five miles outside of town and he'd been found by some trailer park and taught to cook meth. He could have been found by the Luthor's and raised to take over the world. Both Smallville and Superboy did episodes about that. That's the point of the story. He was very lucky to have been found by such good hearted people. Someone with that kind of power taught to use them for the good of all.

I think it's just that simple. We could get into the political landscape of Kansas and what that means for Clark, but it boils down to having "good parents", which means he was taught universal values like altruism, empathy, generosity, kindness, honesty, fairness, acceptance. How you think that translates into politics is a trickier more subjective discussion.

[Adekis]

First, we would need to find a consensus about what values Superman embodies. Because i think we all have widly different take on the character, in the end.

For me, the Iconic one is a terrible figure of Conservatism -at best- or the Reaction -at worst. Ever since Rebirth, I failed to see him as even at the center, idologically and politically speaking. In that regard, for me, I could see a rural community giving birth to someone like him, absolutely sure that the needs of the few always outweight those of the many and that everyone has to work hard and everything will be sorted out in the end. Which I stand absolutely against, which is probably why I really dislike the current Superman but loved the New 52.

I mean, there was that post-Rebirth issue where he protected illegal immigrants from a violent white man, angry at them for "taking his job". Now in absolute terms, saving people from an active shooter should probably not be considered a political action, but realistically?

"Fox News has a column calling the Man of Steel a 'propaganda tool for the defenders of illegal aliens,' and the right-wing website Breitbart derided him as 'Social Justice Supes.'"

When compared to actual reactionaries, it's clearly far left enough to piss them off. So I think Superman's doing okay, in that regard. I'll admit, I could stand it if Superman's left-wing politics were a bit more anti-authoritarian, as in the heights of the New 52. It seems to me like DC made Superman less rebellious at just the moment we needed him to be more rebellious, but he's still basically doing okay, as far as I'm concerned.

[PunishedFire]

I mean, there was that post-Rebirth issue where he protected illegal immigrants from a violent white man, angry at them for "taking his job". Now in absolute terms, saving people from an active shooter should probably not be considered a political action, but realistically?

You realize that Superman and his situations are manufactured bits of fiction and not chronicles, right?

That's not more "realistic" than any other bit of violence. Arguably, it's less realistic in a pure statistical sense. This is why injecting current politics (especially in a one-sided way) is generally frowned upon with characters like Superman.

Though if you want to talk realistically about political actions where saving people from an active shooter played a part we can put David Bailey, Crystal Griner and Henry Cabrera in the role of "Superman"

But, again, constantly drawing real-world comparisons in escapist fiction is part of the reason comics are doing so poorly unfortunately.

When compared to actual reactionaries, it's clearly far left enough to piss them off.

Or perhaps it's part of a series of repeated actions that are annoying people enough? A slow burn, as it were?

So I think Superman's doing okay, in that regard. I'll admit, I could stand it if Superman's left-wing politics were a bit more anti-authoritarian

Superman respects legitimate authority. Always has.

I don't see any need for Superman to be more rebellious right now.

[Lightning Rider]

But, again, constantly drawing real-world comparisons in escapist fiction is part of the reason comics are doing so poorly unfortunately.

Maybe, but I think it's a disservice to a character like Superman to have him avoid anything politically sensitive at all. His heroism has serious limits if he only saves people form natural disasters and alien invasions, unless we presume DC is far more just and stable and peaceful than our world (which I'm kind of okay with).

Superman respects legitimate authority. Always has.

I don't see any need for Superman to be more rebellious right now.

That's true, he has, but the world is less just in many ways for many people than it had been before. More polarized and more violent in certain respects. I can see the appeal of having Superman taking a stronger stand in favor of marginalized populations.

[SiegePerilous02]

Is Kansas like void of good people (regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum) or something? Of course he can be found and raised by good people there, same as anywhere else.

For me, the Iconic one is a terrible figure of Conservatism -at best- or the Reaction -at worst. Ever since Rebirth, I failed to see him as even at the center, idologically and politically speaking. In that regard, for me, I could see a rural community giving birth to someone like him, absolutely sure that the needs of the few always outweight those of the many and that everyone has to work hard and everything will be sorted out in the end. Which I stand absolutely against, which is probably why I really dislike the current Superman but loved the New 52.

When exactly has Superman been concerned with the needs of the few over the needs of the many? And why would the rural setting produce someone like that?

[Adekis]

constantly drawing real-world comparisons in escapist fiction is part of the reason comics are doing so poorly unfortunately.

Total disagreement. Part of what made Superman successful in the first place was that in a world where most adventure comics took place in fantastical settings like Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon or Tarzan, Superman took place in an approximation of the real world and often dealt with approximations of real social issues ranging from drunk driving, political corruption, unsafe working conditions, abuse scandals and more. Even though he oversimplified the issues into a form where they could be dealt with in ten to twenty pages of hyper-compressed story, it was still something of a mirror that people of the time could look at and see their own world.

If anything, I'd say comics are doing so poorly because other media have taken over more and more as a mainstream source of entertainment, and also since comics are really only sold in specialty shops, and are increasingly expensive, there's no way for them to fulfill their old role as cheap, accessible entertainment for the masses.

[Zero Hunter]

Yeah, Kal-El is naturally a good person. He's a highly compassionate, loving being. I think it is very hard for him not to do good, it is his default tendency. It's his birthright.

The Kents role in his life, was providing him a safe place to grow and learn.

I totally disagree with this. Clark is who he is because of the Kents not some internal factor. The way your making it out because he is an alien so he has this inbreed personality which is just wrong. It is not like everyone on Krypton were these amazing people who are just naturally good. If Clark had been found and raised by the govt or crappy people he would probably not be a really great person. It was the Kents bringing him up in a loving home and teaching him right from wrong that made him who he is today.

[PunishedFire]

Maybe, but I think it's a disservice to a character like Superman to have him avoid anything politically sensitive at all. His heroism has serious limits if he only saves people form natural disasters and alien invasions, unless we presume DC is far more just and stable and peaceful than our world (which I'm kind of okay with).

Yeah, he stands up for proper political matters like stopping the slaughter of innocent people en masse by tyrants and by fighting things like slavery (be it of humans or alien) and other such matters. Contemporary stuff? Not so much.

Closest he should get is feel good stuff that shows various sides. For a recent example, see the treatment of science & religion with the seahorse people in one of the recent issues. That was a rather sweet story (bittersweet, really) that did a great job of reasonably displaying that it is more than possible for people to balance science and faith.

That's true, he has, but the world is less just in many ways for many people than it had been before. More polarized and more violent in certain respects. I can see the appeal of having Superman taking a stronger stand in favor of marginalized populations.

Fear-mongering rhetoric. The world is safer than it has ever been. Perception is not statistical reality. Unless we're not talking about the western world? But, even then, if we're going to show something like persecution in foreign nations, that is better shown via allegory

Total disagreement. Part of what made Superman successful in the first place was that in a world where most adventure comics took place in fantastical settings like Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon or Tarzan, Superman took place in an approximation of the real world and often dealt with approximations of real social issues ranging from drunk driving, political corruption, unsafe working conditions, abuse scandals and more. Even though he oversimplified the issues into a form where they could be dealt with in ten to twenty pages of hyper-compressed story, it was still something of a mirror that people of the time could look at and see their own world.

No one thinks drunk driving is good.

No one thinks political corruption is good.

No one thinks unsafe working conditions are good.

These are not debated issues.

If anything, I'd say comics are doing so poorly because other media have taken over more and more as a mainstream source of entertainment, and also since comics are really only sold in specialty shops, and are increasingly expensive, there's no way for them to fulfill their old role as cheap, accessible entertainment for the masses.

This is part of it but they are hammering the last nails into their own coffin.

Also, I'll point out that Japanese society is the most technologically "plugged in" of any and their comics regularly produce multi-million dollar franchises. The American model has become utterly broken.