Superman: Cincinnatus in the Sky

Art by Alex Ross

By Dan Hagen

Superman is THE superhero, arguably the meme from which all others derive (and I emphasize "arguably").

His secret identity embodies the Americanized myth of Cincinnatus, the early Roman hero who instantly left his civilian life to repel an invasion, then abandoned his power when it was no longer needed. George Washington is another Cincinnatus figure.

Art by Rodolforever

Superman has deep, resonant roots in the American psyche that have to do with the immigrant experience, the power of the common man and aspirations about progress and hope for the future. The planetary explosion that really gave us Superman was the Great Depression, which rendered millions powerless and afraid, thereby creating the need for a fantasy figure who was the opposite of those things.
And over the decades since, Superman has provided us with a subtler example than superhuman power in the service of right, one often obscured by the hero's gaudier trappings.
"At all times, Superman acts with a quiet dignity and humility, because he has no need to prove to others how virtuous or powerful he is," wrote Deepak Chopra. 

"When it comes to their language, integrity, actions and even thoughts and intentions, super heroes emphasize authenticity over all else," Chopra wrote. "They are honest and genuine, saying what they mean clearly, without duplicity, and align their actions with their highest intentions."

I've sometimes thought how lonely Einstein must have felt. Like Superman would feel, in a way. Trapped among people too stupid to stop destroying each other and themselves.

Einstein is gone, but we need Superman still, perhaps especially because he’s one hero who still won't beat up a helpless prisoner sitting in a jail cell.
Here, I discuss superheroes on a university radio talk show (Dec. 5, 2010). What the character of Superman means to me finally, after 61 years on the planet Earth, is that the world depends entirely on strong people with good intentions.

Compare the classical ideals (by Arlen Schumer)

George Reeves and Phyllis Coates as Superman and Lois in 1951. Library of Congress photo.