What do you see as the essential traits a Superman must have?

[manwhohaseverything]

Except for the fact that Superman does struggle with his powers. That struggle does not come from getting his powers but how he uses them. He has the powers but he still has to struggle and think about new ways to use them to solve problems as most of Superman's problems are more than just punching it really hard. And that is where the agency of Superman and the tension comes from as every battle is Superman using his powers intelligently to win. Both what you described and what I described are legitimate ways to tell stories, it's just that Superman falls into what I described. And what all those and other characters like the Fantastic Four, Green Lantern, the Flash etc have in common is that is just, on its fundamental level, a way of explaining how Superheroes get their powers and it doesn't have to be more than that as the struggle is not how they get their powers but how they use them.

That is exactly what he does. Kryptonite equalizes the playing field and Superman has to be smart to neutralise the threat. And that comes with him thinking strategically and using his powers well. Any person who sees Superman as a "naive farmboy" knows nothing about the character and shouldn't be taken seriously.

yeah!yet!with all that power he doesn't seem to be getting anywhere or doing anything.why?because comics is a static medium.He is not allowed to fix anything or change anything.If superman solves problem and actually fixes things it there would be a start,middle and finish to his story.Thus making superman irrelavant and usless in comics as a medium.Moreover,this makes him look like he is for maintaining a status quo which leads to things like dkr.Thus what you might say could be true.Admittedly, i find it boring and moreover it doesn't fit superman as the working class guy.He is not an allegory for a rich guy or royalty for his " struggle to not come from getting his powers" .Working class people have to think of getting "Money" .Weak people need to think of ways to get strong.Superman was meant to " fight a never ending battle for truth and justice on behalf of common man". It doesn't fit the theme.Aquaman is a king.Bruce is rich.Techincally,these guys should be the ones to about "how they uses powers and not how they acquire it".Yes,am not denying superhero narrative is about "how to use powers".Yet people flock to batman as the paragon of hard work.Which is nonesense.Batman and other guys are seen as "self-made men" .People say "it's not like superman needs to work".when they shouldn't be.Anyways my issue is this, a working class guy should be the struggler in all aspects,yet superman seems way too comfortable.Having a working class guy behaving like an elite is counter productive and doesn't fit thematically.Themes and characterisation matter.

I say superman works better as a multi and uber talented individual who challenges himself to break the limits of his potential and get more competent. He needs to cause otherwise doomsday will cripple him and break the planet in half with strength.

well, you just eliminated 99% people. There are many who believe superman shouldn't be intelligent to begin with. Moreover, i find the mind games and strategies a bit lacking. I would love for a chess game between two intellectual giants. But, alas batman is regarded as the smart one. Not clark. Not that bruce does strategy better. He does the basic "i threw a rock at him. It was a green one". So, for me it comes of as superman tripping on some rock, falling head first and getting beat. Tripping on rocks is clark kent's department,not Superman’s.Even then in that case, superman would need to be challenged as a strategist and get better at a more cerebral way. here, the power hierarchy would be based on the mind is all.