Wonder Woman - not Superman - is DC's first superhero of the Heroic Age

[Tzigone]

Yes, at some point Superman was turned into the duck of the DCU, he isn't the best at anything. The only thing DC seems to want to keep is the fact that he is a naive farmboy, easy to trick and that he gets sick with Kryptonite. It telling that he is the only character to still have a weakness, three actually: red sun light, depowered him; magic he have no resistance to it, at the very least, at worst a magic trick males him sick and kryptonite, that can do all of it but better. Other DC character ler their weakness behind, Superman and Martian Manhunter still draging theirs, but I'm sure J'onn will ler his behind way before Superman. Honestly Kryptonite is a relic from the time Superman was truly invincible, but currently with every character and theirs mother capable kicking his ass, kryptonite main function is to allow Batman to defeat him, not that he needs, he van just wistle.

I like the weakness to Kyrptonite (and I still think Superman is plenty powerful and don't want him back at world-mover level). But I also liked the weakness to yellow for GLs. Don't like Diana and the bound-lose-powers thing, though.

[Ra-El]

I like the weakness to Kyrptonite (and I still think Superman is plenty powerful and don't want him back at world-mover level). But I also liked the weakness to yellow for GLs. Don't like Diana and the bound-lose-powers thing, though.

I kown kryptonite isn't going away, too iconic, but red sun light and magic can and should go, or at least be toned way down. Red sun radiation should only depower Superman when he is in a planet with a red sun, or at least when he is locked in a place with only red sun light, but not when Luthor uses a flashlight outdoors during daylight. I remember of reading a couple times some character telling Superman to step aside, that he was useless against magic. Really? I not asking for him to be invulnerable to it, but apparently a lot o writers decided that vulnerable to magic = magic alergy.

[Agent Z]

I kown kryptonite isn't going away, too iconic, but red sun light and magic can and should go, or at least be toned way down. Red sun radiation should only depower Superman when he is in a planet with a red sun, or at least when he is locked in a place with only red sun light, but not when Luthor uses a flashlight outdoors during daylight. I remember of reading a couple times some character telling Superman to step aside, that he was useless against magic. Really? I not asking for him to be invulnerable to it, but apparently a lot o writers decided that vulnerable to magic = magic alergy.

That could easily be said of any superhero who doesn't deal with magic regularly.

[Soubhagya]

I am a bit behind in this news. But what i am seeing is that Superman used to be Superboy in 40s or 50s. How does that work? Are they going the 'Supreme' way by Alan Moore? I have reservations about that direction.

But its quite cool. At least there is a Superboy career now. I was really against Clark Kent as Superboy earlier. But honestly that makes his teen years more interesting and explains that how he is so confident and in control of his powers when he starts as Superman. One thing which i would not like is that Superboy quits when government bans superheroes. That's bad. Superman may respect the law, but he isn't someone who obeys everything. That sort of thing is why Batman is more popular nowadays. People love rebels. Not those who follow every order. For example Captain America was pretty boring in the first Avengers film. His popularity increased in Winter Soldier when he fought SHIELD and then the government in Civil War. Superman shall not follow unjust laws lying down.

The other thing which i would take issue with is Superman being 80 year old in current continuity. Supreme got away with it easily, as he wasn't Superman. I liked the first Twilight film, but it was a bit creepy that a hundred year old vampire, the hero, loves somene in college. If they do this thing. Better do it like Jon. Jon left for space for years according to him, while a few weeks passed on Earth. Let it be reversed and Superman left for 4 or 5 years but decades passed on Earth. On one hand it can be a positive development. Lois' death makes loose touch with humanity or go psycho may become a thing of the past. But Lois can be very diminished as the love interest.

As to Wonder Woman being the first hero, i say Superman shall be. Superboy was active during the first generation. Would it be wrong if he was publicly active as Superboy in Smallville? If Superboy was active nowadays, it might make more sense that he operates in secret. But in 30s or 40s? I don't see why he shall work in secret. What is with the half hearted efforts? Superboy. But he never met Legion. Superman's arrival ushered in the heroic age today. The same thing can be done when Superman returns in the modern days. Long thought to have disappeared or dead, legend from the past returns.

[Ra-El]

That could easily be said of any superhero who doesn't deal with magic regularly.

There is a story, I think from Snyder Batman run, where Superman gets sick because he enters a room where someone made a magic ritual hours earlier. Can that be said of any supehero?

[Vordan]

There is a story, I think from Snyder Batman run, where Superman gets sick because he enters a room where someone made a magic ritual hours earlier. Can that be said of any supehero?

Yeah I know the one you’re talking about. I think we can chalk that up to Snyder not really doing his homework in regards to the magic “weakness” because it’s never worked like that before or since. Magic isn’t like Kryptonite to Supes, it’s just his powers don’t protect him from it and so he’s as vulnerable as anyone else.

[JackDaw]

That could easily be said of any superhero who doesn't deal with magic regularly.

I know but our guy has been in the game for a long time, is supposedly intelligent, by now he ought to have got some strategies in place to deal with obvious weaknesses.

To take an obvious example...mind control via telepathy or some such. Superman is a walking atom bomb...it ought to obvious to a pissed newt (let alone Superman himself)...that allowing himself to be mind controlled is enormously dangerous.

So he should have had strategies in place long ago to prevent. And..of all people..he has significant advantages in doing that: ability to think at super speed, move to thinking in Kryptonian, able to practice against the Martian, etc, etc..

Against mind control...he ought to be most “bomb proof” hero around.

You can go through his other weaknesses with similar scepticism. Take another example...I think we would all be comfortable with red light weakness if it was consistently written as something that weakened him very gradually as his energy reserves ran down. But if it’s written as an “instant off search”...it’s near fatuous. (e.g. It makes his villains look daft written that way...just shine a red light on him and shoot him. Job done.)

[stargazer01]

See, stuff like this is why I stick with versions of the character where he is the first public superhero like the movies.

Those version are also a lot more known by most people. I don't find it cool or right to try to diminish Superman's real world legacy for other very niche superheroes that only hardcores know about.

[Superlad93]

See, stuff like this is why I stick with versions of the character where he is the first public superhero like the movies.

Those version are also a lot more known by most people. I don't find it cool or right to try to diminish Superman's real world legacy for other very niche superheroes that only hardcores know about.

Wait, when's the last time he's been the first hero in the movies, TV shows, or even cartoons?

In the DCEU it's Wonder Woman, in the old DCAU it was Batman, in the current animated movies it's not clear (but if JL War is going off the New 52 then it's Batman), in Young Justice it's Wonder Woman and the JSA, and in Smallville it was the JSA.

[Frontier]

I know but our guy has been in the game for a long time, is supposedly intelligent, by now he ought to have got some strategies in place to deal with obvious weaknesses.

To take an obvious example...mind control via telepathy or some such. Superman is a walking atom bomb...it ought to obvious to a pissed newt (let alone Superman himself)...that allowing himself to be mind controlled is enormously dangerous.

So he should have had strategies in place long ago to prevent. And..of all people..he has significant advantages in doing that: ability to think at super speed, move to thinking in Kryptonian, able to practice against the Martian, etc, etc..

Against mind control...he ought to be most “bomb proof” hero around.

You can go through his other weaknesses with similar scepticism. Take another example...I think we would all be comfortable with red light weakness if it was consistently written as something that weakened him very gradually as his energy reserves ran down. But if it’s written as an “instant off search”...it’s near fatuous. (e.g. It makes his villains look daft written that way...just shine a red light on him and shoot him. Job done.)

I remember in Superman: The Animated Series they gave him a lead-lined suit (for toy reasons) that protected him from Kryptonite.

[stargazer01]

Wait, when's the last time he's been the first hero in the movies, TV shows, or even cartoons?

In the DCEU it's Wonder Woman, in the old DCAU it was Batman, in the current animated movies it's not clear (but if JL War is going off the New 52 then it's Batman), in Young Justice it's Wonder Woman and the JSA, and in Smallville it was the JSA.

Man of Steel. Nobody knew WW existed last I checked. And Batman doesn't count cause he has no superpowers and originally only worked in his city. He was more of a myth. It's why I said public superhero.

[Superlad93]

Man of Steel. Nobody knew WW existed last I checked. And Batman doesn't count cause he has no superpowers and originally only worked in his city. He was more of a myth. It's why I said public superhero.

Ah, I see what you're saying, and you're not wrong.

[stargazer01]

So wait, this means Wonder Woman and the JSA are the first superheroes known to the world?

This feels like DC just totally ignoring Action Comics #1..


I don't understand what relevance is Superman going to have in the comics after this..

[Vordan]

So wait, this means Wonder Woman and the JSA are the first superheroes known to the world?

This feels like DC just totally ignoring Action Comics #1..


I don't understand what relevance is Superman going to have in the comics after this..

He wasn’t the first in Post Crisis or New 52, so I don’t think it will affect him at all to be honest.

[Tzigone]

So wait, this means Wonder Woman and the JSA are the first superheroes known to the world?

This feels like DC just totally ignoring Action Comics #1..


I don't understand what relevance is Superman going to have in the comics after this..

I like Clark as first (and JSA on another earth -partially for prominence reasons, moreso for Superman-first reasons, and even moreso for timeline reasons, if they are tied to 1940s debut). But they have Krypton explode the year Steve crash-lands. Maybe they'll have the Amazons notice it with their advanced science, just for a shoutout.