What do you think of when you hear the phrase ''classic Superman''?

[seismic-2]

I started reading (Silver Age) Superman comics in the 1950s. To me, "classic Superman" (regardless of the era or the costume) is the guy who will always take time out to help a child by rescuing a cat from a tree.

[Johnny Thunders!]

1. He is always fast enough, smart enough, and strong enough to reach a goal.
2. He pushes beyond limits and does the impossible.
3. He is a different person in front of different people.
4. Being Clark makes being Superman possible.
5. He has always had to wrestle with the absurd.

[SonOfBaldwin]

I think of the Superman who defends the people with little to no power against the corruption of governments, corporations, and the one percent.

[manwhohaseverything]

1. He is always fast enough, smart enough, and strong enough to reach a goal.
2. He pushes beyond limits and does the impossible.
3. He is a different person in front of different people.
4. Being Clark makes being Superman possible.
5. He has always had to wrestle with the absurd.

Isn't that all might?
GO BEYOND!!!!PLUS ULTRAA!!

[Jim Kelly]

What do you think of when you hear the phrase ''classic Superman''?

I think, "People don't read my posts."

[bat39]

The "classic" Superman and Wonder Woman relationship would probably be the occasional what-if? tease you see once in a while, but with no real weight to it. A substantive romantic relationship between them wouldn't be classic. On the other hand, I think as of today the secondary relationship for both characters would be with one another. It doesn't come anywhere close to touching Superman-Lois, and now that Trevor is back after 25 years of irrelevance it's a back to being a distant second from WW-Steve. But in modern times, it might've supplanted Superman-Lana.

I'd also agree that Superman and Lois are "destined" in that Lois was literally created to be his romantic counterpart and has been used accordingly throughout the most part of their existences.

Has Superman/Woman Woman supplanted Superman/Lana as the secondary relationship for Supes in the popular imagination? Now that's a debate worth having I guess!

[DochaDocha]

Has Superman/Woman Woman supplanted Superman/Lana as the secondary relationship for Supes in the popular imagination? Now that's a debate worth having I guess!

I'd say so, yeah. Maybe not during the Smallville run, but for random stuff like Halloween, Superman/Wonder Woman is a popular couples costume. Also, the fact that all these WW and Supes pastiches end up romantically entangled tells us something, too. I think there's a certain amount of laziness to the pairing, particularly when you look at said pastiches, but the "filthy casuals" who don't care about canonical romances buy into this sort of stuff, all the way back to the 70s when DC was printing greeting cards portraying the two as a romantic couple.

EDIT: Hell, my wife doesn't care about superheroes but knows I do, and she asked, "Should we do a Superman and Wonder Woman cake topper theme?"

[manwhohaseverything]

What do you think of when you hear the phrase ''classic Superman''?

I think, "People don't read my posts."

Sorry about going off topic.. Honestly,i have no clue what's classic and so didn't answer the question.i just saw that post and allmight instantly popped into my head.
When they tell me, "classic superman"..i think of pop culture expectations of the character.
1)boyscout
2)the farms of kansas nostaligia
3)this guy who is about saving people
4) conundrum is the limits of what superman should do since he can do anything
5)he is a friend not a one man vigilante force.
6)he is a dad(children or no children)
7)superman shouldn't do dark or be too flawed cause they don't like it
8)love life with lois
i wouldn't really care for that..My superman is a bit of a robin hood and Spartacus kinda figure..

[bat39]

Sorry about going off topic.. Honestly,i have no clue what's classic and so didn't answer the question.i just saw that post and allmight instantly popped into my head.
When they tell me, "classic superman"..i think of pop culture expectations of the character.
1)boyscout
2)the farms of kansas nostaligia
3)this guy who is about saving people
4) conundrum is the limits of what superman should do since he can do anything
5)he is a friend not a one man vigilante force.
6)he is a dad(children or no children)
7)superman shouldn't do dark or be too flawed cause they don't like it
8)love life with lois
i wouldn't really care for that..My superman is a bit of a robin hood and Spartacus kinda figure..

Fair enough. As I said ''classic'' doesn't mean the version you believe is objectively the best.

I personally enjoy Golden Age Superman too, sometimes more than any ''classic'' version of the character. But I know he isn't what most people consider ''classic'' (Fleischer cartoons notwithstanding perhaps).

[seismic-2]

1. He is always fast enough, smart enough, and strong enough to reach a goal.

...and doggone it, people LIKE him!

[Johnny Thunders!]

That’s hilarious!

[Johnny Thunders!]

Isn't that all might?
GO BEYOND!!!!PLUS ULTRAA!!

I really don’t know? I would have to look that character up.

[DABellWrites]

It is an answer that probably changes across age groups. But I don't believe in the simple equation that ''classic'' Superman = Superman you grew up with. The Superman you grew up with likely influences what you consider ''classic'' Superman but, at least speaking for myself, ''classic'' is a term I ascribe to something that was generally before my time, whatever that time was. So for instance, I regard Donner as classic even though that movie was out long before I was born. I regard Byrne's reboot as classic, even though that came out before I was born as well, though it did influence a lot of the Superman media and comics I was exposed to growing up.



I don't think Superman and Wonder Woman is ''classic'' by any stretch. Frankly, apart from their brief relationship in the New 52 (and I suppose DKSA and maybe some other Elseworlds too), its an idea that exists more outside the narratives themselves than within them. Its something people talk about online but not something that has a lot backing it up in the 80-plus years of both character's existence.

When I say that Superman and Lois are 'destined' I don't mean in an in-universe sense (the way the Hawks are destined). But Lois is the very archetype of a superhero love interest, and the Superman-Lois relationship is probably one of (if not the) most iconic relationships in all of pop-culture...so it's far from stupid to make that assertion. Them getting married is a logical progression of the classic status quo that began all the way back in Action Comics # 1, even if Siegal and Shuster themselves never actually intended to progress the relationship to that point.

Nah. It's dumb. She was created to be Superman's love interest, how is that in any way "destined"? That's what Lois is supposed to do, it's the whole raison d'etre for her character (yeah, I'm going to get a lot of flak for this). As you stated, she's the archetype superhero love interest.

I've made case for Superman and Wonder Woman.

[DABellWrites]

What do you think of when you hear the phrase ''classic Superman''?

I think, "People don't read my posts."

I do in fact read your post. Enjoys them a lot.

[bat39]

Nah. It's dumb. She was created to be Superman's love interest, how is that in any way "destined"? That's what Lois is supposed to do, it's the whole raison d'etre for her character (yeah, I'm going to get a lot of flak for this). As you stated, she's the archetype superhero love interest.

I've made case for Superman and Wonder Woman.

Not sure what you're arguing against...you've made my case yourself.

As I said, I meant destined in a real-world sense, not destined in-universe.