Superman was born Kryptonian, raised Methodist and sketched into existence by two Jewish teens in 1930s Cleveland. Faith and morality are his DNA.
There are no overt religious references in Superman comics. But over eight decades, hesa国际传媒 been viewed as a divine entity, a savior figure 鈥 his sacrifice Christ-like, his will to lead as strong as Moses parting the Red Sea, and his compassion akin to a bodhisattva, an enlightened being who guides Buddhists on the spiritual path.
While scholars, comic book writers and fans alike are struck by the religious undertones in Superman comics, they say what separates Superman from the ever-growing pack of superheroes is his singular ability .
James Gunn's 鈥楽uperman鈥 sparks conversation
As fans celebrate Superman Day on Friday, marking the 87th anniversary of the , they are also eagerly anticipating set for release on July 11. This version starring , the first Jewish actor to play Superman in a major film, promises a return to a version of a vulnerable Man of Steel who is rooted in values espoused by most faiths 鈥 goodness, compassion and hope.
The film has sparked a conversation about the place of Superman in the world and his personal code of ethics after several recent depictions of superheroes as anti-heroes. Corenswet said in a recent interview to Fandango that what captivates him about Superman is how he chooses to see good in people and not dwell on the negative.
鈥淲hy think about all the terrible things when we can focus on the good things we did today?鈥 he said.
In the same interview, Gunn said his Superman will reinforce the charactersa国际传媒 core value of preserving life at any cost.
鈥淗e believes that the sanctity of life is of the utmost importance,鈥 Gunn said, noting the contrast with Supermansa国际传媒 archnemesis Lex Luthor, who values scientific advancement over life.
Symbol of hope and positive masculinity
It was precisely this benevolent, hopeful version of Superman that inspired Robert Revington, who teaches at the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia, to go skydiving in a Superman costume on his 28th birthday. And yet Revington, a Christian, balks at Christ-like portrayals of his favorite superhero.
鈥淚 like Superman and I like Jesus,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 necessarily want to conflate the two. To me, the best depiction of Superman is as a symbol of hope.鈥
Revington also sees Supermansa国际传媒 relevance today as 鈥渁n example of positive masculinity.鈥
鈥淗esa国际传媒 this version of strong, but compassionate masculinity, which several prominent figures don鈥檛 necessarily embody,鈥 he said.
Revington and many others鈥 beloved iteration of Superman appeared in 鈥淎ll-Star Superman,鈥 a 12-issue series published by DC Comics between 2005 and 2008. The superhero saves a young person who is about to take their own life with the endearing message: 鈥淵ou are stronger than you think you are.鈥
Grant Morrison, who wrote those comics, has said his view of Superman was shaped by Giovanni Pico della Mirandolasa国际传媒 鈥淥ration On The Dignity of Man,鈥 which argues that humans ought to be more virtuous than angels.
Superman speaks to our better angels
Humans, Morrison said in a 2008 interview, become what they imitate, which is why he made Superman an inspirational character.
鈥淲e live in the stories we tell ourselves,鈥 he told Newsarama, a comic book website, and can choose to be 鈥渢he astronaut or the gangster. The superhero or the super villain. The angel or the devil. Itsa国际传媒 entirely up to us.鈥
As a result, said Matthew Brake, founder and editor of Pop Culture and Theology, Superman 鈥渋s an idea that can inspire us to be our best selves.鈥
Supermansa国际传媒 character is also shaped by his upbringing as a Kansas farm boy, raised by kindly parents 鈥 Jonathan and Martha Kent. They are portrayed as Methodists in the comics.
Superheroes, in recent decades, have received less-than-flattering treatment. In a comic book turned Amazon Prime series, the Superman-like character, Homelander, is a government-sponsored hero whose smiling exterior conceals the heart of a sadist.
鈥淚nvincible,鈥 a comic turned television series from Robert Kirkman, author of the 鈥淲alking Dead,鈥 features Omni-man, a Superman-like character who turns out to be an alien invader bent on conquest. The main character, Invincible, is Omni-mansa国际传媒 son, and must choose between protecting the Earth or taking his fathersa国际传媒 side.
鈥淒une,鈥 the famed sci-fi book adapted into blockbuster movies, warns of superheroes' frailty
鈥淗eroes are painful, superheroes are a catastrophe,鈥 Dune's author Frank Herbert once wrote. 鈥淭he mistakes of superheroes involve too many of us in disaster.鈥
A relatable superhero
But Superman has cemented his place in pop culture not just as a beacon of hope, but also as a character relatable to many, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Gene Luen Yang, who has written several Superman comics, is best known for his 2020 graphic novel 鈥淪uperman Smashes the Klan,鈥 a story about a Chinese American family moving to Metropolis in 1946 and facing discrimination from the Klan. The story follows the Lee family as they confront the white supremacist group with Supermansa国际传媒 help.
Yang sees his own experience as a Chinese American mirrored in Supermansa国际传媒 story.
鈥淭he idea that you have to hide who you are or that you鈥檙e caught in between cultures,鈥 he said. 鈥淪uperman has two names 鈥 Kal-El, his Kryptonian name and Clark Kent, his American name. I had a Chinese name at home and an American name in school. So even though I鈥檓 a practicing Catholic, I was more drawn to his Jewish roots because thatsa国际传媒 where I could relate more.鈥
Yang sees Superman as the original superhero who inspired almost religious fervor in the geekdom, featuring cosplayers who reenact scenes as a Christian might reenact biblical episodes around Christmas or Easter. A trip to a comic convention is like a pilgrimage where followers collect original art and 鈥渁ll kinds of relics.鈥
Stories in pop culture also draw from older storytelling traditions, often rooted in religions.
鈥淚n some ways, you can think of religions as communities that are built around stories that last centuries,鈥 Yang said. 鈥淭he idea of self-sacrifice, the idea that you do good deeds without the desire to gain recognition. Thatsa国际传媒 the whole point of secret identities.鈥
While his Catholic faith is an important facet of his life, Yang said he never forced religion into his Superman comics.
鈥淚 write more about my life and my lived experience of faith, with the doubts and the ragged edges,鈥 he said.
Characters like Superman, while not themselves religious, provide a portal to the sacred through the profane, said A. David Lewis, a Boston-based graphic novelist and comic book writer.
鈥淚 love that people take something from popular culture and find some level of spirituality or find a greater connection to some divine source through it,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut I would never say Superman is just of the Jewish or Christian people. Like some of the best narratives out there, Superman gives us access to something transcendent.鈥
Superman's strong Jewish roots
Samantha Baskind, professor of art history at Cleveland State University, is Jewish; she sees numerous parallels between Supermansa国际传媒 story and the history of Jews. Supermansa国际传媒 solitary flight from Krypton in a little spacecraft is reminiscent of how Moses鈥 mother placed him in a papyrus basket and left him on the Nile, seeing it has his best chance of survival.
Some also compare Superman's backstory to the Kindertransport, she said, referring to a rescue program that transported nearly 10,000 children, mostly Jewish, from Nazi-controlled territories to Great Britain in 1938 and 1939.
In Supermansa国际传媒 Kryptonian name, Kal-El, chosen by his original Jewish creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the 鈥淓l鈥 in Hebrew connotes God. In DC Comics, Superman also frequents the 鈥淏ottle City of Kandor,鈥 a Kryptonian city shrunk down and placed in a bottle, representing a fragmented piece of Kryptonsa国际传媒 history. Baskind said to her it is reminiscent of how diaspora Jews visit Israel.
鈥淭heresa国际传媒 also the thinking that Siegel and Shuster created Superman because they were these two, skinny, young Jewish men who couldn鈥檛 go out and fight Hitler, but Superman fought Nazis on the cover of their comic books,鈥 she said. In some early editions, Superman held Hitler by his Nazi uniform as he begged for mercy.
Appeal to the religiously unaffiliated
Despite the religious undertones, Supermansa国际传媒 appeal to those growing remains strong, said Dan Clanton, professor of religious studies at Doane University in Nebraska. He says itsa国际传媒 because Supermansa国际传媒 story 鈥渢ruly encapsulates American civil religion.鈥
鈥淭his idea that there are practices and beliefs that provide all, regardless of religious identity, with a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves,鈥 he said.
Neal Bailey, a contributor for over a decade to Superman Homepage and an atheist, believes Superman at his best is a 鈥減hilosophical pragmatist鈥 solving the most complex problems with the least amount of harm.
鈥淗e actually goes beyond religion to see our commonalities,鈥 he said. 鈥淪uperman wouldn鈥檛 care about people's religious beliefs. He would care more about whether they are living up to their human potential.鈥
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APsa国际传媒 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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This version corrects the last name of of Invincible creator Robert Kirkman.
