hammerofglass wrote: ↑Wed Jun 28, 2023 1:30 pm
clearspira wrote: ↑Wed Jun 28, 2023 11:11 am
hammerofglass wrote: ↑Fri Jun 23, 2023 7:31 am
At this point "evil Superman" has been so done to death and so ubiquitous for so long that "what if a good person had the powers of Superman and was not corrupted by them" feels like a subversive idea on its own.
I agree. But I also think however that almost everyone in real life who actually had superpowers would be selfish or self-serving. I think a superhero would be the exception - which is what makes Superman so special.
Just look at billionaires. How many of them use their money to build schools or hospices or free hospitals? Pretty much none of them. Plenty of lovely mansions and trips down to the Titanic though.
I'm sure there's plenty that would be self-serving. But I doubt it's most. It's the same reason most people take the "nice" path in videogames; being able to help everyone is a more compelling power fantasy.
I always found being raised right by good parents in a small farming community all the explanation that was needed, but I'm unavoidably biased on that point.
Power does not always corrupt. It can corrupt, there can be an allure of realizing that you can do anything you want but that is a lot more rare then people realize. What does always do though is reveal.
Case in Point, Marten Luther King. Jr.
King had gained many followers in his life from many members of the Black Community and the white and with such a wide range of people following him he gained a sort of power. People WANTED to listen to him, wanted to hear what he had to say and he's STILL quoted to this day. Mr. Fred Rogers became a pop-culture icon and just like King he's still talked about and still has influence to this day.
To quote Linkara "It's easy to look at the terrible things happening at any given point in history and see all the examples of greed, corruption and evil... But it's also easy to overlook the compassion. The decency. To see people being nice and good and wonderful! That's my "Deconstruction" of superheroes. People can be, and are, kind. So why wouldn't someone with incredible abilities be kind too?"
And what's funny is I remember someone who worked on The Boys (can't remember if it was Ennis or one of the show runners) that said that someone like Superman would be a sociopath if he really existed. This argument falls apart when you realize what Homelander's origins are in the comics and show.
He was NOT raised by two good people who instilled good morals in him, he was not sent away by other parents who loved him to a place where he would be healthy and safe. He's father didn't die as a result of something that was beyond his ability to prevent even with all his powers.
Homelander was emotionally neglected and abused for most of his life and was always a selfish dick head.
And there in lies the problem I have with the whole "Someone like Superman would be evil if he was real" argument literally EVERYONE who's says that has to change core elements of the character so that him being a violent asshole so he'll fit what they think he should be.
Something I never liked with the Justice Lords from the DCAU is that we never fully learn why this Clark is the way he is. Yes him murdering Lex was explained but him smiling about it and then clearly enjoying the power he now has over the world (even smiling at the idea of killing Flash in the main universe) is never explained even slightly.
It's why I actually like the Regime Superman from Injustice: Gods Amongst Us more because there IS a reason for him going down the path he does. He was tricked into killing his wife, unborn child and Metropolis and when he came to his senses he realized what happened and went insane, got paranoid and became monster. To quote the game
Regime Batman: Crime took my family too Clark.
Regime Superman: But you weren't the Gun!
It helps that we have a proper Superman to compare him with. One who is a father to his men, who aids those who can help instead of demanding to be put in charge, he listens to others and helps.
My favorite part of that game is how Prime Universe's Batman's plan is to deal with the Regime once he fully understands the situation is to call in his Universe's Superman. My favorite scene in that game is when Our Superman is brought in from the Prime Universe and is strategizing with Batman as Regime Batman simple listens and at the end has my favorite line in the game.
Regime Batman: I realize this isn't entirely accurate, but it's good to have you back.
This game honestly is an interesting, all bit it likely unintentional, deconstruction of the "What if Superman was Evil" by giving Regime Superman an actual reason to go insane while still being a tragic figure AND contrasting him with a Superman who hasn't lost his way and remains the symbol of hope in his universe.
And at the end Prime Superman reflects on the fear that he could fall to because you never know what we're truly capable of when pushed hard enough. Yet the story ends with PS making it clear that he has faith in his friends to take him down should he ever lose his way.
Homelander is just some asshole made to reflect what writers THINK Superman would "Really" be like but in the end he and others like him don't understand the character and have to give him a shitty start and a shittier personality to justify such a mindset because cynicism just assumes the world is terrible and we are not worth saving.
