Do you see Superman as the type to retire from hero life?

[The World]

Yeah simple question but one at the heart of the whole "regular guy" or "normal" point of view surrounding Superman. There's been some debate around whether or not Supes will one day just hang it all up and say "My job here is done" regardless of what state the world/universe is in and he'll go off to live as regular man Clark Kent. The pertinent word here is job with "regular guy" proponents seeing retiring as as show of Superman having strictly been a job for Clark Kent and after he's put in his 25 or so years he'll quit and go live the life he always wanted to as a regular Joe who happens to be able to fly.

Obviously this isn't my particular viewpoint. I tend to view Superman as a passion for Clark and less of a job although being Superman does require that he balance a lot of different jobs. I also don't like how the modern world has kind of twisted the concept of dedication to the hero life into something angsty and self centered with Batman. A Superman who's putting work in for decades, centuries, however long you think his life span will be not because of personal angst but because the job needs doing and he gets a kick out of it would be a good counterbalance imo.

Note I'm not really talking about whether he calls himself Superman for his entire life but rather whether he'll stay entrenched in the lifestyle.

[Zero Hunter]

The best ending for Superman. Looking up seeing his legacy in the hands of the young and going forward.

[Riv86672]

Yes, under the right circumstances.

[Kuwagaton]

No. On that I take the "never ending battle" thing literally. The idea of Superman kind of implies a job but also a way of life. There are things he can do that help people at little to no cost, and helping people is something he'd choose even if there was. The day I see that stopping is the day I see us regular guys giving up on holding doors open for people. No matter how you can debate the good it does or if he should, he can and wants to so he'll keep doing it.

When he can't, though, I don't think he'd force himself back in the game like Batman would

[Sacred Knight]

Never. There is no circumstance outside of absolute physical inability or death itself in which I see Superman ever hanging it up.

[Adekis]

No, absolutely not, never.

Superman has both a strong drive to pursue justice and an unbreakable commitment to that cause. He might occasionally consider walking away after a bad day, but he would never actually stay away for longer than a few months. Like Lois says in Man of Steel, to stop helping others is simply not an option for him.

S69CnZQ.jpg

For reference, here's a panel from the only page of Superman Beyond media I have ever read and truly, unequivocally loved.

[Vordan]

Obviously it depends on the interpretation of the character since Supes has gone back and forth over the years under different creators, but the platonic Superman who exists in my head? No never. He might not be up at the front line but he’d never stop helping however he can.

[Riv86672]

Obviously it depends on the interpretation of the character since Supes has gone back and forth over the years under different creators, but the platonic Superman who exists in my head? No never. He might not be up at the front line but he’d never stop helping however he can.

Agreed, that’s why I said under the right circumstances. A huge personal loss like in Kingdom Come, a thousand years down the line when the Legion is active and exemplifying his dream, going to sleep in the sun for a million years.
But yeah, I can see Supes carrying on for decades.

[manwhohaseverything]

If he lives long enough and doesn't make a difference. He will get bored like everyone else. Maybe even if he makes a difference, he will get bored. Doing the same thing over and over and over again,Feels kinda like hell.Things would get mundane and monotonous . Oddly, enough it feels like the hindu concept of reincarnation. For guy a who breaks chains, if Superman himself and his own being becomes the chain. Then would he choose to bind himself in that?Maybe he will choose nirvana or moksha or freedom or whatever you want to call it.He will move on.
"Now, let us drink.
Let us drink.
Drink to the human race.
In every age, there will be good humans and bad humans.
Human life is too long to devote to reproduction, yet too short to devote to learning, in the helix of time.
Perhaps that is why humans succumb to desire and seek release.
Despite the fact that life is complete with the sun, the land, and the poetry."-hxh
Superman might not be just a man. But, he isn't a god either. Maybe, he can becomes one. Maybe, he chooses a simple life with love and legacy, finds peace insead. Maybe he chooses both at the same time. Why restrict possibilities? Why have one superman? Why not many?Anything can happen. Maybe, anything will.
Regardless, never ending battle will continue with him, before him and after him.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

If it's a version of him who ages, sure, eventually. If not, he might take a little time off during Lois's golden years and let Jon take up the cape, he might eventually head off into space to find someplace else to help out, but he'd never be *done*.

[superduperman]

Not until he physically can't do it anymore. We've seen from the comics that having a kid isn't a deal breaker. If that's not, then nothing is.

[Tzigone]

No. Mostly because most that I see retiring, I see retiring because they can no longer do the job to the level the need to be able to (in able to not endanger colleagues or bystanders). Superman doesn't have that degree of physical deterioration (he'll always be able to do things law enforcement or rescue personnel can't), so won't have the need to retire. I mean, I don't like non-aging or forever young. He'd live a normal human lifespan, if up to me. It's that him in his 90s and far less powerful than he once was is still amazingly powerful.

I think that he, and many of the older heroes who didn't get overtaken with an angsty-motivation, help because they can. Because they want to. Because they are heroes. For Clark, it give him a sense of fulfillment - not his only sense of, as his family and friends matter too, and sometimes his career as a journalist, depending on version also fulfill him - and because he believes it's right to help where you can. And yeah, it's fun sometimes too. And it feels good to do altruistic things. He might even like people looking up to him (but not them worshiping him). He doesn't do it because it makes people like him, and would do it even if made him reviled, but kids dressing up as him or wanting to grow up to do good like him - might give him some warn and fuzzies.

[Ascended]

There have been a few versions of Superman where retirement could be seen as a viable and natural progression. The Smallville version for example; that's a guy who would hang up the cape at the earliest opportunity. But I consider versions like that to be going against type, playing with a concept that doesn't fit the character's proper shape.

Generally speaking? No, Clark wouldn't retire. Never. Not for anything. The entire planet could hate him and Clark would still save lives. The entire world could tell him to stop and he wouldn't listen.

If earth became a peaceful utopia Clark might take some time off to enjoy the fruits of his labor, but eventually he'd find another planet in need, some other job for Superman. It's the Never Ending Battle, not the Done At 65 Battle.

And I disagree with Sacred on this one. Death is no bar to his calling (Wheel of Time word play there; Horn of Valhere stuff). If Clark died, I fully believe he'd still get up the next morning and go on patrol as a ghost (or sentient ball of solar energy,) or what the hell ever. Instead of fighting Parasite in Metropolis he'd be fighting Neron in hell or something.

[Sacred Knight]

When you're beaten, you're beaten. :bows:

[manwhohaseverything]

There have been a few versions of Superman where retirement could be seen as a viable and natural progression. The Smallville version for example; that's a guy who would hang up the cape at the earliest opportunity. But I consider versions like that to be going against type, playing with a concept that doesn't fit the character's proper shape.

Generally speaking? No, Clark wouldn't retire. Never. Not for anything. The entire planet could hate him and Clark would still save lives. The entire world could tell him to stop and he wouldn't listen.

If earth became a peaceful utopia Clark might take some time off to enjoy the fruits of his labor, but eventually he'd find another planet in need, some other job for Superman. It's the Never Ending Battle, not the Done At 65 Battle.

And I disagree with Sacred on this one. Death is no bar to his calling (Wheel of Time word play there; Horn of Valhere stuff). If Clark died, I fully believe he'd still get up the next morning and go on patrol as a ghost (or sentient ball of solar energy,) or what the hell ever. Instead of fighting Parasite in Metropolis he'd be fighting Neron in hell or something.

Utopia is a foolish concept. It's never going to "arrive". A superman who sets out for that, isn't going to find any peace and might even do irreparable(then again that's an interesting story) . But generally, him trying to build things and having tangible goals i can see. for instance, curing a disease or changing economic structures or bringing back extinct animal or creating a better battery. I don't see how it's going against the character. I feel people are Making "superman" a clark's obsession . When it never was. Its an impulse of his altruistic nature. Which he will always have.Superman should move on to other things. As said, getting stuck in an eternal loop is like hell. It will only lead to apathy. Which will be clark if he sets out to create a Utopia and then retire.which ain't going to happen.

Smallville had this thing where clark will always loss power, was unable to defend himself. Its progression from that. Clark became a true superman with effort.with him giving up the unearned abilities from the sun. He not only showcased his fairness and his fortitude. He also showcased how he has grown past the greed and need to fly.he was even a undercover cop, once. Clark had been progressing into real superman. Who is that even if the strength is taken away