The first 75. A look back at your favorite Superman Moment.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

I don't have a scan of it, but my favorite moment is from Action Comics #583 when Superman walks into the room of Kryptonite and relinquishes his powers forever.

[Buried Alien]

That first time...



Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[The Beast]

[Tra-EL]

Attachment 1196

Superman punching the ray of the Mad Scientist.

Okay, maybe that wasn't so much my favorite Superman moment, but it might be one of the defining moments that made me a Superman fan back when I first watched it as a child.

"Did he just punch a laser beam? Is he punching that laser beam?! COOOOOOOOOOOOOOL."

Dang man! It took all but one reply to have somebody share mine haha. That's undoubtedly my most favorite Superman moment EVER! As a kid I watched that non-stop when he's punching the beam. The way the colors light up and just the color pallet alone with the classic, Golden-Age Superman look gives me chills. EVERYTIME.

[Tra-EL]

The All-Star Superman suicide scene is amazing, as well as the Earth:One Vol.2 scene with his cat. Very moving. Love those tender moments. Love the ending to Superman: Secret Identity as well when watching Earth's multiple sunsets from different sides of the world.

[Kurosawa]

What is this from? It looks fantastic!

As for my own, of course it's difficult to argue with "You're stronger than you think you are" from All-Star Superman # 10.
I also love most of Morrison's run on Action Comics, from the beginning where young, headstrong Clark Kent decides to use his incredible powers to make the world a better place and f*ck what anyone else thinks, to the very end where an older, more experienced Kal-El has won his final battle against the fifth dimensional mastermind Lord Vyndktvx. That whole arc is pretty damn great.


Another personal favorite of mine is the ending to Miracle Monday by Elliot Maggin. I wish I had a direct quote, but basically CW Saturn, the devil himself, has possessed an innocent young woman and is using her body to wreak havoc all around the globe. He gloats to Superman that the only way to stop the him is to kill her. Naturally, Kal refuses. He's never killed, certainly not killed an innocent person, and he isn't about to start. He says he'll fight Saturn to the edges of the universe if he has to, for as long as it takes, even if it takes forever. In a way, he says, he doesn't suppose there's any greater purpose for a superman.

That moment, that climactic moment, exemplifies the triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism. It's everything I like to see in real life or in stories. It's beautiful, and it's everything Superman is about.

Yeah, like others said before, it's from All-Star Comics. #62, actually.

The great thing about that great scene is Superman practices what he preaches. Reflect back to the vow he took as Superboy:

"On that hill, silently and solemnly, he promised himself and whatever else might hear his thoughts that his life would be devoted to the preservation of life; that he would use his powers whenever possible to save and improve the conditions of life and of living things everywhere; that under no circumstances would he ever be responsible for the loss of a single conscious life; that failing in these affirmations, he would renounce his power forever."

He fails to live up to his vow in WHTTMOT, and he renounces his power forever as well he should.

[Pharozonk]

"On that hill, silently and solemnly, he promised himself and whatever else might hear his thoughts that his life would be devoted to the preservation of life; that he would use his powers whenever possible to save and improve the conditions of life and of living things everywhere; that under no circumstances would he ever be responsible for the loss of a single conscious life; that failing in these affirmations, he would renounce his power forever."

He fails to live up to his vow in WHTTMOT, and he renounces his power forever as well he should.

Awesome post, Kurosawa! You know, if they had done something like this in Man of Steel and had him relinquish his powers for killing Zod, I might have liked the movie a lot more.

[The Lonely Man]

Very interesting thread with some terrific replies so far. My first memories of Superman came, like so many, through Christopher Reeve and his portrayal of the character, he introduced me to a lifelong love affair which is still going strong.
Unlike many though my introduction came in the form of Superman 2, it would be a few years later before I saw the first movie. To say I loved Superman 2 would be a gross understatement, I absolutely adored that movie and remember so vividly the feelings it evoked now, some 30 or so years later. From the sheer joy at the Niagra falls save scene, to the feeling of utter hopelessness as Clark was beaten up in the diner and the President is on Tv begging for Supermans help.
The punch the air moment when Superman finally arrives to confront Zod to the feeling of despair again as it appears he has fled in defeat.
Nothing compares though to the moment when Superman kneels before Zod before slowly rising to the backdrop of the greatest movie music ever written.
As a 6 year old boy watching that, life didn't get any better.

In comic form there have been numerous moments that stand out above the rest, as much as I like the action elements of the character I have always preferred Supermans humanity side being showcased, so I'd highlight Adventures 505 opening 3 pages and Metropolis mailbag which took place in Superman just a few months before the Doomdsday story.

[Jim Kelly]

That time when Superman/Clark winked at me.

[oldschoolfan]

The end of Man of Steel issue that said "The Real Steel Deal" on the cover. Issue 25, I think. Superman falls out of the Kryptonian battle suit as only Bogdonave can show it, and Lois tells him that Mongul wants to destroy Metropolis....and Supes says, "Not in my city!" And then you know he's back and its ON!

I am enjoying reading this thread.

[Ultiman]

Christopher Reeve just exuded coolness and bad-assitude at the same time in this scene. His crowning moment as Superman, imo.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

Christopher Reeve just exuded coolness and bad-assitude at the same time in this scene. His crowning moment as Superman, imo.

I always expect his voice to be deeper than it actually is.

[Adekis]

I always expect his voice to be deeper than it actually is.

Me too. Chris Reeve's Superman doesn't have a real deep voice. My favorite voice for the Man of Steel is still Bud Collyer, from the Fleischer cartoons and the radio show. he perfected the "This looks like a job for Superman" line that I've always liked so much.

Yeah, like others said before, it's from All-Star Comics. #62, actually.

All-Star Comics #62. Got it. Thank you.

The great thing about that great scene is Superman practices what he preaches. Reflect back to the vow he took as Superboy:

"On that hill, silently and solemnly, he promised himself and whatever else might hear his thoughts that his life would be devoted to the preservation of life; that he would use his powers whenever possible to save and improve the conditions of life and of living things everywhere; that under no circumstances would he ever be responsible for the loss of a single conscious life; that failing in these affirmations, he would renounce his power forever."

He fails to live up to his vow in WHTTMOT, and he renounces his power forever as well he should.

Is that quote from one of Maggin's Superman Novels? It sounds like either Last Son of Krypton or Miracle Monday.

Hm. The thing I don't like about that moment in WHTTMOT is that I don't think it's terribly responsible for Superman to quit on a job literally only he can do, and that the world desperately needs him to be there for. Sure, he can say "I failed in my vow never to take a life and now I must give up my powers forever", but what happens next time Mongul shows up and destroys a continent because the Justice League wasn't able to stop him without Superman's help? Now all those deaths are on him.

When he killed General Zod and his lieutenants in Superman #22, he decided, eventually, to leave Earth forever, which wasn't too different from his decision to give up his powers. Unlike the killing in Action #583, those killings were totally unnecessary and totally avoidable. Like his reaction in 583 though, his decision to leave Earth in Adventures of Superman #450 was really quite irresponsible. In fact, between deciding to leave and leaving, he had to stop to help out in the Invasion Crossover, which should have been a clear sign that "yo Superman, Earth needs you to stick around"! Obviously, Superman shouldn't kill, but if he either breaks the vow out of necessity (Action #583) or annoyingly foolish paranoia (Superman #22), he should come to terms with it (with therapy- not going to begrudge him his mental health. Repressing it was what caused the minor psychotic break which made him decide to leave Earth for Exile, after all) and then keep on doing what he does, because the world needs Superman more than Superman needs to punish himself for his mistakes.

That said, I did really like a good number of moments from Exile.

[Legato]

If this is not put up then it deserves to be put up here.



One of the few moments Superman solved something without violence.

[Adekis]

One of the few moments Superman solved something without violence.

Always nice to see, isn't it? I like a nice balance between non-violent solutions and punching robots until they explode.