Best Superman origin in all media

[Ascended]

There is nothing 'objective' about opinions on the best Superman live action origin, IMO. I think it's all opinion. In my experience, however, I've noticed most people in general, including film creators and directors, etc, think that Superman The Movie did the origin really well. It's not divisive like Man of Steel.

I wasnt alive in 78 (born in 81) so I dont know for sure but my understanding is that, at the time, Donner's Superman film was just as polarizing as Snyder's MoS, with lots of mixed reviews. Time and nostalgia has led us to look fondly at the movie but when it hit it had a lot of detractors. Whether the origin itself was part of that contention though, I can't say.

Really though, the Donner origin is almost identical to the Snyder one, as far as the plot goes (the execution and time spent on it differs greatly of course). Zod tries a coup and is imprisoned shortly before Krypton explodes....Clark's raised by the Kents and struggles to fit in with the other kids......Pa Kent dies......Clark leaves the farm.....eventually uncovers his heritage in far North and is given the costume by his holographic space dad.

[Stanlos]

Hmmmm.
I am torn between REBIRTH in the books and LOIS & CLARK THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. Those two were the most memorable and magical for me.

[Jon Clark]

I wasnt alive in 78 (born in 81) so I dont know for sure but my understanding is that, at the time, Donner's Superman film was just as polarizing as Snyder's MoS, with lots of mixed reviews. Time and nostalgia has led us to look fondly at the movie but when it hit it had a lot of detractors. Whether the origin itself was part of that contention though, I can't say.

Really though, the Donner origin is almost identical to the Snyder one, as far as the plot goes (the execution and time spent on it differs greatly of course). Zod tries a coup and is imprisoned shortly before Krypton explodes....Clark's raised by the Kents and struggles to fit in with the other kids......Pa Kent dies......Clark leaves the farm.....eventually uncovers his heritage in far North and is given the costume by his holographic space dad.

I prefer Superman: The Movie and think the first half to two-thirds are a good origin, but are ruined by the last part. Sort of the same way the Birthright fell apart once the focus went to Lex's plans.

[Superlad93]

The Kent's one from No. 1 is just amazing for the amount of story it can plug in. Bendis' Action opening splash pages have nothing on that.

I was such a big fan of all of issue 1, but that back-up was next level. It told such a complete and moving story in just two pages. I knew Jon and Martha on a very intimate level once I finished it, and they came alive as people in a way that they don't always get to in Superman's origins. I remember rereading the issue after the back-up just get inside Jon Kent the would-be lawyer turned farmer because fate tugged at him and he and Martha took a leap. Seeing him slightly disturbed by what Clark is becoming, and then remembering that at the end of it all he's just looking at a scared kid was a showstopper.

And the Lobo fight, while still an odd choice, is pretty great.

See, this also struck me as odd even after enjoying the issue. Everyone, myself included, expected a level of gravitas and finality to Superman's first big fight that propels him into global fame, and Lobo doesn't really do that. I heard names like Mongul tossed around, and I ultimately more or less shrugged and said the author likely just thought Lobo was cool. But actual years later I'm now realizing that based on the story from issues 1 to 6, it more or less had to be a guy like Lobo. To put it simply: what better way to usher in manhood than being a toxic caricature of what manhood is supposed to mean. The threat had to be alien because that was the build up, but you also needed to thematically link it to the point of the book, and that point was Clark becoming a (Super)man. what was required was a space bully. A character with no lofty or abstract goals like "a good fight", world domination, or recreating a planet. The only other time the we and Clark have dealt with aliens in this book is just last issue (6), and it's deliberately framed as something inherently understandable but scaled up on a super level: Clark's getting pulled over by a cop for being "drunk".......in space. We never moved outside of what Clark know and understands, so the final foe has to be within that frame while remaining thematically relevant. Enter Lobo: space bully that's just here to do a job that Clark doesn't even understand (similar to how nothing outside of a single word the GLs said was ultimately anything Clark got).

But the kicker is that Lobo's brand of 80s hyper macho pull-no-punches talk is perfect because we ultimately need someone who will also just plan make fun of Clark to his face in terms that he and we can understand and get upset over. No warlords talking about how weak Earth has made Clark, or space despots asking Clark to join them. Just a jerk on a bike with a big mouth who's able to frame the cataclysmic death of Clark's lost world in the most blunt, rude, and unceremonious terms possible that result in Clark actually starting to cry, and you, in a very direct way, seeing why he would. But it also sets up for Clark "kiss my ass, Pete" Kent to reaffirm that Superman gives as good as he gets with his remark heard world round.

Sidenote: it's funny you bring up Bendis because Bendis also used Lobo to usher in the manhood of a Kent in his run. The whole "Main Man" aspect is just too good to pass on lol

Plus, the author is a giant wrestling fan and Lobo is basically the ultimate heel. He even gives Clark what I'm obligated to call the closest thing to an honest-to-God finishing move, AND he gave it thematic relevance. The Space Throw and his words just before it are perfection. Clark violently sends his foe off into space like his rocket. It possibly implying that he remembers on some level, or just put two and two together on how it likely went down, but funny enough, that's technically the only shout out to the iconic moment we get, and for the first time ever it comes on Clark's terms, thus further cementing the unwavering focus the narrative places on Clark in this story.

Plus it's f%&king dope.

[superduperman]

I wasnt alive in 78 (born in 81) so I dont know for sure but my understanding is that, at the time, Donner's Superman film was just as polarizing as Snyder's MoS, with lots of mixed reviews. Time and nostalgia has led us to look fondly at the movie but when it hit it had a lot of detractors. Whether the origin itself was part of that contention though, I can't say.

Really though, the Donner origin is almost identical to the Snyder one, as far as the plot goes (the execution and time spent on it differs greatly of course). Zod tries a coup and is imprisoned shortly before Krypton explodes....Clark's raised by the Kents and struggles to fit in with the other kids......Pa Kent dies......Clark leaves the farm.....eventually uncovers his heritage in far North and is given the costume by his holographic space dad.

Well, I don't think Pa told Clark to let a bus full of kids drown in the Donner movie but other than that the origin really isn't all that different.

[stargazer01]

I wasnt alive in 78 (born in 81) so I dont know for sure but my understanding is that, at the time, Donner's Superman film was just as polarizing as Snyder's MoS, with lots of mixed reviews. Time and nostalgia has led us to look fondly at the movie but when it hit it had a lot of detractors. Whether the origin itself was part of that contention though, I can't say.

Really though, the Donner origin is almost identical to the Snyder one, as far as the plot goes (the execution and time spent on it differs greatly of course). Zod tries a coup and is imprisoned shortly before Krypton explodes....Clark's raised by the Kents and struggles to fit in with the other kids......Pa Kent dies......Clark leaves the farm.....eventually uncovers his heritage in far North and is given the costume by his holographic space dad.

I don't know about the critics reviews, but my understanding is that Superman The Movie was a big hit and most people loved it (the masses). Christopher Reeve became an instant household name. Superman 2 was also very popular. I imagine a lot of merchandise sold extremely well because every kid wanted to be Superman. Even the new Mr Rogers documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor" tells about how many kids got injured while trying to fly from roofs like Superman. Donner's Superman was a big hit. It's not just nostalgia. The fact that a lot of filmmakers making superhero movies today say that Donner's Superman was a big influence for them and how much it inspired them is very telling. Patty Jenkins said her Wonder Woman movie was inspired by Donner's Supes and it shows. The Raimi movies too. Bryan Singer, nuff said.

Superman the Movie was the blueprint for superhero movies. It set the tone.

[Ascended]

Well, I don't think Pa told Clark to let a bus full of kids drown in the Donner movie but other than that the origin really isn't all that different.

That's my point; there's damn little difference in the bullet points. Sure, audiences weren't prepared for a Pa Kent that might actually value the well being and life of his own son as much as the impact that son would have on the world (not to nitpick but Pa never said Clark should've let those kids die. He didn't know what the right answer was, which was a damn human reaction), but Donner's two films and Snyder's two films......you put the plot points next to each other and you've got infinitely more similarity than you do differences. Hell, even the original ending of Superman II left Zod's fate nebulous enough that a whole lot of us assumed he died, just like in MoS.

With so many similarities I just find it interesting how people have such different reactions to the two movies.

Superman the Movie was the blueprint for superhero movies. It set the tone.

It did, but it took decades for everyone to catch up. And I have no idea how well received the film was at the time, I've just heard that it was pretty mixed, much like MoS was.

And certainly plenty of Superman merchandise was sold.....but that's always the case. I'm sure the movie introduced the character to a whole new generation of kids but that happens with every generation too, so its hard to tell where the influence of one adaptation or story ends and another begins. Especially since we didn't have the kind of data tracking in 78 that we have now.

[stargazer01]

It did, but it took decades for everyone to catch up. And I have no idea how well received the film was at the time, I've just heard that it was pretty mixed, much like MoS was.

And certainly plenty of Superman merchandise was sold.....but that's always the case. I'm sure the movie introduced the character to a whole new generation of kids but that happens with every generation too, so its hard to tell where the influence of one adaptation or story ends and another begins. Especially since we didn't have the kind of data tracking in 78 that we have now.

It took one decade: Batman 89

I found this wiki link. It seems to me Superman The Movie was more successful overall than Man of Steel. Critical reviews seem mixed but in everything else it seems that STM did better than MOS. It got 3 Academy Awards nominations and won one for Special Achievement. Box Office was also great, though it's not adjusted for inflation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_(1978_film)

That said, I'm a fan of both STM and MOS. I have more issues with MOS, but I also like some things about it very much.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Comicwise it's probably American Alien followed by Birthright. I didn't see Morrison's run as an origin but more of a year one style story.

Live Action- I think MOS and Smallville have good beginnings but lose themselves along the way.

[KC]

1. Silver Age (Superman #146)
2. Secret Origin (Great modern update to Superman's Origin)
3. Donner Movies
4. Birthright

[magha_regulus]

I really liked Morrison's Action comics origin, especially the way Krypton was depicted.
What I'd add is a bit from the man of steel film about Superman being the first public proof of extraterrestrial life. I thought that was a brilliant addition to the mythos.

[Yoda]

The single issues are such a great way to read, from picking your own order to getting a clean break for "origin" purposes at your choosing. But it seemed to completely lose just about everyone who aimed to follow it, which doesn't seem like Morrison's fault so much except it is a serial and it's really a responsibility they have to the series.

Would have been a phenomenal movie imo

Funny enough, I just got the World Against Superman TPB that collects Action Comics Vol. 2 1-10 and it has them out of order, 1-4, 7, 8, 5, 6, 9, 10. Sticking the two Legion issues after the Collector of Worlds arc. Reads so much better.

[Vordan]

Funny enough, I just got the World Against Superman TPB that collects Action Comics Vol. 2 1-10 and it has them out of order, 1-4, 7, 8, 5, 6, 9, 10. Sticking the two Legion issues after the Collector of Worlds arc. Reads so much better.

Lucky, I’m still waiting for Amazon to ship me my copy.

[Jim Kelly]

I wasnt alive in 78 (born in 81) so I dont know for sure but my understanding is that, at the time, Donner's Superman film was just as polarizing as Snyder's MoS, with lots of mixed reviews. Time and nostalgia has led us to look fondly at the movie but when it hit it had a lot of detractors. Whether the origin itself was part of that contention though, I can't say.

It might be my confirmation bias, but I consumed everything I could find about the Superman movie starting from when it was first announced to well after it had come out and been reacted to in the press. I still have lots of newspaper clippings and magazines from that time. The main gist of the articles against the movie was about the cost of making the movie and the massive hype that it got. You know, there was still this hangover from the hippy days, where we resented The Man and commercialism. So the movie was put down for being an indulgence in Hollywood excess. The other patch against it was that Siegel and especially Shuster were doing so poorly, while Warners had spend so much money on Superman (millions of dollars spent on a movie, shocking). But I don't recall many critics attacking the movie for its actual content. Most thought it was sweet.

The movie clearly laid out all the bits of origin. And I think what it did was present those bits of legend as identifiable iconic scenes. Looking past the goofy foil suits that the Kryptonians wore and the obsession with crystal, there was some good model work and cinematography that was easily identifiable with other science fiction (everything from METROPOLIS to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY). Smallville was presented as the typical American Gothic rural setting fused with 1950s rock & roll youth. Clark leaving hope amid the sweeping wheatfields was an archetypal scene of leaving home. So everything was set in this swirl of cultural iconography that everyone already carried around in their heads. It was less about creating never before seen visuals than tapping into the visuals that we already understood and could relate to.

So maybe MAN OF STEEL has some of the same bits of legend, but it subverts what we expect to see on screen. Kevin Costner is probably just as iconic as the American farmer dad as Glenn Ford (maybe more since Ford was Canadian), but instead of embodying what we expect that dad to be, he subverts it and says the things we don't expect to hear, rather than what we want to hear. Instead of embracing his destiny as the Earth's saviour, Clark turns away from it. He doesn't save a kitten from a tree with a smile; he allows a dog to die while being all surly and self-absorbed. The movie isn't radiant with colour, it's drained of colour. The score isn't celebratory, it's funereal. The intention of Donner and Snyder is completely different, as it should be, because each director has been given different marching orders from the studio heads.

[superduperman]

I hate to say this but it would not break my heart if the DCEU died. Simply because of the way it treated Superman. I get that it's all we have right now and that they've started going in a different direction but it would take a lot for me to accept it at this point. I find it interesting I'm looking more forward to the Joker movie than any other DC movie at the moment and a lot of that is simply because it's a stand alone film that has no connection to the DCEU. That, and I'm getting kind of sick of franchise movies. This "you're obligated to see everything that comes out in order to follow what's going on" thing bothers me. It's why I'm waiting to see Endgame. I'm not in huge hurry to watch something out of a sense of obligation.