The Audacity of SUPERMAN

Superman, with a twist, is brought to you by Kevin Ahearn! In the future more stories, or shall I say, a continuation of Kevin's new rendition may grace the pages of my site. Read on...

Once upon a time, a 10-cent comic book dropped a dime on the world! But after 72 years, can Superman be new yet again?

In his first appearance, Super-man couldn't fly, lacked super-sight and while very strong, not yet his super-strength - as underpowered as America's army, navy, and air force on the brink of World War II. The war won, the US became a 'superpower' and the upgraded 'Man of Steel' became 'faster than a ballistic missile, more powerful than the hydrogen bomb, and able to leap from galaxy to galaxy in a single bound.'

Posing before Old Glory, he fought 'a never-ending battle for Truth Justice and the American Way!'

More than half a century later, after Super-man had joined the Justice League, defeated super-villain after super-villain, married Lois Lane, was killed and came back to life, is there any new Man of Steel story left to tell? Is Super-man still the 'American Way'?

Superman loyalists insist that he is 'The first and best comic book superhero.' Trapped in a 10-cent mind-set, fans call him 'The "Adam" in the "Garden of Superheroes"' and the '"Big Bang" of the DC Universe'.

Such definitions underestimate the power of Super-man. First appearing in a comic book, the 'Man of Tomorrow' would go on to do radio, half a dozen movies, hundreds of cartoons, a Broadway play and multiple TV series, thousands of stories, plus billions of dollars in merchandizing. More than a hero or an icon, Super-man has become a marketing machine, a super-corporate 'frontman' whose latest battle is being fought not in the skies over Metropolis or on alien worlds, but in a courtroom. Has Super-man become that America?

The man of steel was created to be a hero. Since WW II, America has had thousands of brave young heroes in uniform, many who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. but Siegel and Shuster never intended to 'show up' or replace the American Fighting Man. Instead Superman was an inspiration, an ideal.

In the 21st Century, has "The Big Blue Boy Scout" been left behind, hopelessly dated and outmoded by the technological revolution?

Imagine Super-man at the height of powers. Then place a two-ton mainframe computer on his back. Also throw on a console television, a radio, a stereo system, a movie camera, a dial-up telephone plus a vast library of books, movies, TV shows, and music. No problem for the 'Man of Steel'; he can carry all that stuff. So can you, in the palm of your hand, but please not while you're driving.

Have superpowers become commonplace? What is he going to do now? Is there a new American Super-man story left to tell?

After ten years, SMALLVILLE will end. Those who proclaim that the TV series is definitive do not fully grasp the power of Super-man, not as a comic book superhero, but a literary giant, who like Gulliver, Mr. Scrooge, Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, and Dracula, by the strength of their character, demand reinterpretation with every new generation.

But Superman's iconic stature should not be taken for granted. Once Tarzan ruled the world with books, comic strips and a series of movies. As time went on however, the concept of the white man born of royalty ruling the African jungle fell out of favor--racist and exploitive. Invincible and invulnerable, could Super-man suffer the same fate?

Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster were the perfect creators of Superman because they understood their own imperfection. ACTION COMICS #1 had a rocketship escaping an unnamed planet 'Dying of old age.' Second time around gave us Krypton, Jor-El and Lara and the catastrophic end of their world.

"That which does not add to Superman takes away from him," was a rule his creators stuck by, but after legal and corporate maneuvers excommunicated Siegel and Shuster, a barrage of 'add-ons' were welded to the 'Man of Steel' - Supergirl, Superdog, Superhorse, Teen Titans, the Justice League, even his 'girlfriend' and 'best friend' got comic books of their own. Conceived when airplanes had propellers, he was faster than the 'Jet Age' and more powerful than the 'Nuclear Age'. There seemed to be no end to selling Superman.

But the times they were 'achangin'. Despite a series of revisions, Superman did not, forever the brave and noble hero. Losing popularity in favor of Bat-Man, Harry Potter and Spider-man, pressure built up for a 'Dark and gritty' reincarnation.

The 'Man of Tomorrow' portrayed as Yesterday's Anti-hero? Not this time around. Hollywood is promising 'a new look altogether'.

To Finish Audacity of Superman

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