Could Kansas truly raise a Superman as we know him?

[Flash Gordon]

How so? What is it about Smallville that can't exist? Ironically it's the most "true" DC setting since it actually exists.

"Smallville" as a Midwestern farming town can exist. An economically depressed area that just so happens to be the place where the greatest hero of all time grew up.

The saccharine that gets slathered onto that doesn't hold water, though.

[Flash Gordon]

I totally disagree with this. Clark is who he is because of the Kents not some internal factor. The way your making it out because he is an alien so he has this inbreed personality which is just wrong. It is not like everyone on Krypton were these amazing people who are just naturally good. If Clark had been found and raised by the govt or crappy people he would probably not be a really great person. It was the Kents bringing him up in a loving home and teaching him right from wrong that made him who he is today.

Forgive me if I seem like I'm dismissing the role of the Kents, I'm not. They should be a major part of Superman's formative years. "Clark Kent" doesn't become the man we know on that farm though, it's impossible. He has to learn from experience and leave that comfort zone in order to forge his own path in society.

The Kent's provide a foundation for him, and give him a safe place to grow. They're loving and caring and he learns a lot from them, but Clark is a good man at heart.

[PunishedFire]

Forgive me if I seem like I'm dismissing the role of the Kents, I'm not. They should be a major part of Superman's formative years. "Clark Kent" doesn't become the man we know on that farm though, it's impossible. He has to learn from experience and leave that comfort zone in order to forge his own path in society.

The Kent's provide a foundation for him, and give him a safe place to grow. They're loving and caring and he learns a lot from them, but Clark is a good man at heart.

Wasn't even stated at one point that Clark Kent's nobility is a near-universal constant in the DC multiverse?

[Kuwagaton]

He was awfully close to his older self as a young man, though. I think Superman is one of the few heroes where his year one isn't usually that existent. And that's including the inherent goodness aside from the Kents. Superman didn't really require a mentoring hero and became the gold standard in superheroes pretty much on the fly when we think about the shared universe. By the time he came to Metropolis in the Morrison run, age 22 I guess, even though he wasn't the pillar of superheroes he was still a man with his mind very made up on his professional lives.

"Smallville" as a Midwestern farming town can exist. An economically depressed area that just so happens to be the place where the greatest hero of all time grew up.

The saccharine that gets slathered onto that doesn't hold water, though.

This is what I don't think I get. What is the saccharine? People being happy, or shopping in general stores? Having Pete and Lana as best friends? Having a good relationship with his parents?

[godisawesome]

I went to high school in Kansas, and teach in rural parts of Missouri (as in, last year my largest class was *7* students). I think you could easily find leftist or left of center or right-of-center-but-super-compassionate-and-tolerant-as-in-did-not-vote-for-the-right-in-the-last-election (like myself, hopefully! )farmers or rural families who could roughly fit the profile of the Kents. They're not the majority in almost any part of the state, but there's still quite a few. One of my buddies was politically opposite me, but still my best friend, and my parents, especially my Dad the government teacher, taught me to be very analytical and critical of politicians on all sides; I know a bunch of kids who respected the last two presidents before the current one.

And if you really want it to be politically accurate, just imagine Smalville is right outside Lawrence.

[Robotman]

So is the question, could the epitome of compassion, champion of the people character like Superman be raised in the anti-science Make America Great Again section of the Midwest? I like the idea that Superman’s true nature will shine threw in any version of the character. Even Red Son and Nazi Superman showed signs of the classic Superman traits. It just takes a little longer. But his altruistic nature shines through.

[stephens2177]

There is a lot of Assumptions about ppl in this thread,which is sad,and a bad place to start when having a discussion about ANYTHING.

Kansas isn't a cesspool of evil,because it's middle America,good ppl don't just live on the coasts or in Chicago sorry,you find them EVERYWHERE.

superman saves ppl regardless of what their views are,or what they have done.if someone threatens to hurt someone he is going to stop them,even if in your mind it's justified,he doesn't play those games.if 2 ppl are fighting you breaker up the fight 1st,don't you?

[PyroTwilight]

I don't see why not. One can argue it's improbable...but so is an infant child who was catapulted across space sometimes purposefully sometimes by accident crash landing on Earth and being found safely and intact.

It might be interesting to see a take on Clark crash landing and being adopted by much more Conservatively leaning folks who are against many of the things Clark usually stands for and how he makes them come around to the ideas.

But as it is I've never considered it all that impossible.

[stephens2177]

I don't see why not. One can argue it's improbable...but so is an infant child who was catapulted across space sometimes purposefully sometimes by accident crash landing on Earth and being found safely and intact.

It might be interesting to see a take on Clark crash landing and being adopted by much more Conservatively leaning folks who are against many of the things Clark usually stands for and how he makes them come around to the ideas.

But as it is I've never considered it all that impossible.

What exaclty are conservatives against that "you believe" Clark is for?

[PunishedFire]

What exaclty are conservatives against that "you believe" Clark is for?

I would also love to hear this.

There are some unbelievably ignorant statements in this thread that, if reversed, would ABSOLUTELY get people in trouble with Mods I reckon.

The disgusting hate and prejudice some people are showing is enlightening. Really goes to show how totally out of touch some people are.

BTW, stephens2177 your avatar is fire. Can you share the source/artist?

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

First, we would need to find a consensus about what values Superman embodies. Because i think we all have widly different take on the character, in the end.

For me, the Iconic one is a terrible figure of Conservatism -at best- or the Reaction -at worst. Ever since Rebirth, I failed to see him as even at the center, idologically and politically speaking. In that regard, for me, I could see a rural community giving birth to someone like him, absolutely sure that the needs of the few always outweight those of the many and that everyone has to work hard and everything will be sorted out in the end. Which I stand absolutely against, which is probably why I really dislike the current Superman but loved the New 52.

Classic Superman is actually NOT a figure of conservatism. I really can't think of any Superman who is other than the twisted interpretation that Frank Miller uses in DKR. Again, this is a man who has stood up for the rights of immigrants, opposed the Iraq War (and all war for that matter), stood with protesters against a dictatorial regime, renounced his American citizenship in order to be seen as more representative of the rest of the world, etc. How are any of these things bastions of conservatism??

[Kuwagaton]

I would also love to hear this.

There are some unbelievably ignorant statements in this thread that, if reversed, would ABSOLUTELY get people in trouble with Mods I reckon.

The disgusting hate and prejudice some people are showing is enlightening. Really goes to show how totally out of touch some people are.

BTW, stephens2177 your avatar is fire. Can you share the source/artist?

I think prejudice is in how you read things. It's not a great thing to read, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's what's projected.

The contention to me seems to come from the realistic chance that people from a certain region have different perspectives from so many in the comic reading, forum going demographic. Obviously, being from somewhere doesn't mean you at all have to represent a norm, but it's still a fair assumption. I know a farmboy from Michigan who's quite liberal, but even knowing him as I do it doesn't stop me from believing most people of the same background would seem comparatively conservative.

I don't wish for Superman to be either or, though. I think those sort of politics miss the point of the character. But then, if you follow one ideology and want to line the character up to that, I say go for it.

[The World]

I mean lets not be naive here the conservative leadership in this country has been pushing for bans on Muslim immigration, defends white supremacist, and feels the need to pick on the trans gendered folk. None of that fits who Superman is, I mean come on.

[Slim Shady]

So you all think a normal, conservative, blue collar family would teach their son, forget Superman, you think the average of them would raise their son to walk past an immigrant drowning and teach them NOT to to try and help him? Damn.

[The World]

Classic Superman is actually NOT a figure of conservatism. I really can't think of any Superman who is other than the twisted interpretation that Frank Miller uses in DKR. Again, this is a man who has stood up for the rights of immigrants, opposed the Iraq War (and all war for that matter), stood with protesters against a dictatorial regime, renounced his American citizenship in order to be seen as more representative of the rest of the world, etc. How are any of these things bastions of conservatism??

There was a gigantic backlash when this issue was release to the point where the writer David Goyer had to come out and speak up on it. People were offended precisely because he denounced his American citizenship and found in wildly out of character precisely because most felt he had been built up as an American loyalist at that point. IIRC pre-crisis Supes did in fact have citizenship in most countries around the world but Post-Crisis destroyed that in it's desire for the character to resemble what they felt was a more American Superman.