Your Favorite Superman

[IdiotGod]

GA Supes for me

[rZi]

superboy-prime would get my vote...but i had to choose superman-prime, who isn't half as kick ass.

[IdiotGod]

how are SBP and SMp different? same person. he just starts calling himself Superman.

[rZi]

how are SBP and SMp different? same person. he just starts calling himself Superman.

The characterization in countdown is different to the superboy i fell in love with from IC, he's far more malice and annoying... i honestly believe only geoff johns should be allowed to write him for these reasons.

[lovefist911]

The post COIE Bryne Superman isn't listed, I'll go with that one.

[MaxofSteel]

I really like how Busiek is writing New Earth Supes right now. I'm goin' with him.

[King Krypton]

Max Fleischer.

[SuperStar]

What about All-Star Superman?

Otherwise current New Earth

[The Confessor]

Pre-Crisis Earth-One Superman for me all the way.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

IdiotGod asked me to remove the DC One Million Superman and add the Kingdom Come Superman and the Byrne Superman wasn't even included so I rebooted the whole poll.

Everybody please vote again....if you'd like.

[Mon-el]

My favorite is Pre-Crisis Superboy.

Now it's really hard to choose between All Star Superman and Pre-Crisis Superman.

..........tough decision.

[J. Robb]

The "Byrne Reboot" Superman was my favourite, but not until Byrne actually left the titles and the new teams kicked things into high gear.

[Angelo2113]

As crazy as it is to say, Superboy Prime is actually doing the right thing in his mind and is just trying to fix everything the way it use to be. So I think I'd pick him as my favorite Superman/Clark Kent

[stelok]

"Byrne Reboot" has been my favourite version of Supes up to the point Byrne left the book. I loved the series "Man of Steel"

[Adamantium_Avatar]

It's gotta be KC Supes for me!

[Slaughter]

Byrne Superman. Even more Man, but still Super.

[lovefist911]

KC Supes comes in a close 2nd for me too.

[AntiChappy]

KC Supes. What's not to love?

[marshal99]

I prefer the wonder woman man. ;)

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e201/Clarkparker/wonderwomanMan.jpg

[NotSuper]

It's kind of tough to choose. For me, I suppose it would all come down to New Earth, Earth-1, Earth-2, and All-Star Superman. I like my Superman unbound by editorial decrees and I like his stories to be epic events.

Incidentally, this poll kind of reminds me of something I saw on Wikipedia today. I rarely go there, but today I noticed some nutty fan editing nearly EVERY article related to Superman and putting in that New Earth is a return to ideas associated with the MOS Superman, with no real citations or credible information. How someone could see surviving Kryptonians, a mild-mannered Clark Kent, super-pets, early powers, young Luthor in Smallville, and Superman having a teenage career as being similar to MOS is beyond me. :confused:

I find it funny because the fan went through all this trouble to convince people that their version of Superman was still around, when clearly the New Earth Superman is a blend of the Silver/Bronze Age, the Donner movie, and some modern concepts (especially the ones that have been shown in other media, like TV and movies).

Personally, I think the Birthright, Man of Steel, All-Star, and Silver Age Supermen are all on their own worlds. New Earth Superman seems to have the most enduring traits of these interpretations.

Basically, I think everyone's favorite version of Superman is out there, somewhere, in the multiverse.

[hangmanjury]

My ideal Superman combines a variety of traits from each incarnation of Superman. But the closest one that actually exists would be All-Star Superman, even though it's not my exact ideal.

[Harding Prime]

I choose Current Superman, Busiek and Johns have been doing a great job since after Infinite Crisis. I don't know what the difference is between this Superman and Birthright Supes though, and for that matter Byrnes Superman, it is still the same timeline besides a few retcons. Unless we are just saying how you like him written. I like him more powerful like the way Busiek is writing him. How detailed he gets and intertwines all the stories is amazing.

[MaxofSteel]

I prefer the wonder woman man. ;)

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e201/Clarkparker/wonderwomanMan.jpg

Hawt. :p ____

[NotSuper]

I choose Current Superman, Busiek and Johns have been doing a great job since after Infinite Crisis. I don't know what the difference is between this Superman and Birthright Supes though, and for that matter Byrnes Superman, it is still the same timeline besides a few retcons. Unless we are just saying how you like him written. I like him more powerful like the way Busiek is writing him. How detailed he gets and intertwines all the stories is amazing.
The New Earth Superman is different from both the BR and MOS versions, though he has similarities to both. The New Earth Superman comes from a Krypton similar to the Donner movies, but also with some Silver and Bronze Age ideas thrown in. He was born on this Krypton and was sent to Earth before it exploded, raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent (who retain the youth they gained in BR). Kal-El was named Clark Kent and developed his powers much sooner than either the BR or MOS Superman, even using them to help other people. He wore glasses from a very young age and was prevented from playing football. Many of his classmates apparently found him weird. He was briefly the "brother" on Mon-El (Lar Gand). He first encountered other super-heroes when he met and joined the Legion. He met and befriended Lex before both were teenagers. This Lex is a super-scientist (ala BR and the SA), but also comes from a wealthy family. He left Smallville sometime in his teens and founded LexCorp. He also lost his hair naturally, not as a result of an accident. He also admits to being from Smallville, as seen in 52.

From there, things are similar to the post-Crisis era: Superman and Luthor become enemies, Lois and Clark fall in love and get married, Luthor becomes President and is brought down, ect. Some of the changes are as follows: There has only been one General Zod (the current version), Clark Kent is more mild-mannered, Krypto is now from Krypton and has been with Kal since his boyhood.

There's still a lot we don't know, but that's a basic summary.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

My ideal Superman combines a variety of traits from each incarnation of Superman. But the closest one that actually exists would be All-Star Superman, even though it's not my exact ideal.

I'm in this boat as well. All Star Superman does come closest, but I like the movie and cartoon Krypton better. Don't really care for Quitely's Kryptonian designs.

[hangmanjury]

I'm in this boat as well. All Star Superman does come closest, but I like the movie and cartoon Krypton better. Don't really care for Quitely's Kryptonian designs.
I myself prefer hard-boiled Clark Kent instead of meek and mild-mannered. But at least All-Star does it well.

[Harding Prime]

The New Earth Superman is different from both the BR and MOS versions, though he has similarities to both. The New Earth Superman comes from a Krypton similar to the Donner movies, but also with some Silver and Bronze Age ideas thrown in. He was born on this Krypton and was sent to Earth before it exploded, raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent (who retain the youth they gained in BR). Kal-El was named Clark Kent and developed his powers much sooner than either the BR or MOS Superman, even using them to help other people. He wore glasses from a very young age and was prevented from playing football. Many of his classmates apparently found him weird. He was briefly the "brother" on Mon-El (Lar Gand). He first encountered other super-heroes when he met and joined the Legion. He met and befriended Lex before both were teenagers. This Lex is a super-scientist (ala BR and the SA), but also comes from a wealthy family. He left Smallville sometime in his teens and founded LexCorp. He also lost his hair naturally, not as a result of an accident. He also admits to being from Smallville, as seen in 52.

From there, things are similar to the post-Crisis era: Superman and Luthor become enemies, Lois and Clark fall in love and get married, Luthor becomes President and is brought down, ect. Some of the changes are as follows: There has only been one General Zod (the current version), Clark Kent is more mild-mannered, Krypto is now from Krypton and has been with Kal since his boyhood.

There's still a lot we don't know, but that's a basic summary.

I know most of that, but what I am saying is that it is still the same timeline, just very jaded and jagged. With every little future person going to the past changing things, every retcon punch, and everyone knowing how stupid the baby matrix line is.:rolleyes:

But as for many things, it hasn't been that long since Birthright, when did all these changes take place??? If you would be so incline to tell me, I thought of myself as a New era Superman guy, and notice things, like Lex reminiscing about his times in Smallville and the only boy taking friendship was Clark. I just don't know when it took.

[Mon-el]

But as for many things, it hasn't been that long since Birthright, when did all these changes take place??? If you would be so incline to tell me, I thought of myself as a New era Superman guy, and notice things, like Lex reminiscing about his times in Smallville and the only boy taking friendship was Clark. I just don't know when it took.

I'm not Notsuper, but the man has a pretty good detailing of Superman's New Earth description.

The past couple of years since Infinite Crisis is when the changes have been taking place, or anything that Superman has appeared in since Infinite Crisis.

[Kid Quick Foots]

make mine KC Supes:)

[Taskmaster]

Kal-L, the one TRUE Superman!

[Super Buddies Forever]

Byrne Superman will always be my preferred take on the character.

"Superman is what I do. Clark Kent is who I am." Stolen from Lois and Clark, an iteration based mostly on the Post-Crisis version, and a mantra I repeat whenever this debate comes up. It's the only version of Superman that rings true to me. It makes sense that he would place his human heritage over his alien. He never knew the world of Krypton, and while he would be naturally curious about it, he would consider himself Clark Kent of Smallville first and foremost.

Plus, I really thought it was a nice twist to have him unknowingly abuse his powers in high school until Pa Kent told him the truth. Some people have a gripe with jock Clark Kent, but it seemed like a natural thing a teenager with hidden powers would become. In lieu of becoming a Superboy, this was once again a more human take.

I'm also fond of a Superman who's not ridiculously powered. Once you have him moving planets, you can only keep making the plots grander and more ridiculous. In the Byrne through Triangle era, Superman could fight drug dealers and wife beaters one day and alien invaders the next.

Like Superman-Prime, I'm going to be searching the 52 in order to find my perfect Earth... the one where this continuity still lives.

[NotSuper]

"Superman is what I do. Clark Kent is who I am." Stolen from Lois and Clark, an iteration based mostly on the Post-Crisis version, and a mantra I repeat whenever this debate comes up. It's the only version of Superman that rings true to me. It makes sense that he would place his human heritage over his alien. He never knew the world of Krypton, and while he would be naturally curious about it, he would consider himself Clark Kent of Smallville first and foremost.
Never been particular fond of that line, particularly since it's become trite through overuse (and it came from Lois and Clark, as you said). It's never made sense to me that a person would completely define themselves by the environment they're raised in. That, to me, seems kind of shallow. I believe that our environment influences us, but ultimately, it's our CHOICES that make us who we are. Our parents, our friends, and even our biology can influence us, but these factors alone don't make us who we are. From the moment our consciousness becomes aware of itself, we begin to define ourselves. I think Superman is the same way. He chooses to be who he is, regardless of what's happened in his life. Additionally, I think we sometimes tend to view Kryptonians as simply super-powered humans just because they look like us. But we forget that they have different brains, organs, and a different evolutionary history. Let me put it this way: a wolf can be raised as a dog, but it won't stop being a wolf. It'll still be different from a dog, even if it's in small ways. And ask yourself this, if Kal-El had been a completely non-humanoid alien but was still raised by Kents, would he still consider himself human? I'd tend to think no. Just because one looks human and is raised human, doesn't make them a human. Just like how a human raised as an alien wouldn't be an alien. They'd be different and they'd know this.

Plus, the xenophobic and nationalist elements of MOS always bothered me, and some of these themes are being explored in Action Comics with the Legion. Since MOS was created during the Cold War, it has a "foreigners are bad" subtext to it and it undermined Superman's status as the ultimate immigrant. He couldn't even be born on Krypton, as if that would somehow "taint" him. It kind of tells me that there's an underlying discomfort people have with the greatest super-hero not being one of us, as if we can't accept the idea that an alien could be held in such high-esteem over other human heroes. I think that's kind of disturbing, to be honest. And going back to Action Comics, I think it's a good metatextual storyline they're using, with Superman's history being altered in the future, casting him as a super-powered HUMAN who is xenophobic toward aliens. It's a storyline I've wanted to see for a long time.

I think Superman should care about humanity and be grateful for the way they adopted him as one of their own. But at the same time, he should also see himself as something different. He cares about humans, but knows he will never be the same as they are (even though he might wish for this). And yet, as shown in "Up, Up," and Away" he wouldn't quit being Superman even if he had the choice to do so.

Finally, I really don't think humanity relates strictly to Earth. Krypton was originally conceived as a humanistic utopia, where science, reason, and morality were the highest ideals. (The planet died because its leaders refused to listen to Jor-El and his reasoned arguments, instead their hubris and egotism doomed them.) I view Superman as Siegel and Shuster viewed Krypton. Where Krypton was Earth-Plus, I view Superman as Man-Plus. He's the Man of Tomorrow (what we could become), not the Man of Today (what we are now). He's a reminder that even if things are bad now, we can always improve ourselves and the future by doing what's right.

Like Superman-Prime, I'm going to be searching the 52 in order to find my perfect Earth... the one where this continuity still lives.
Well, that's one of the pluses about having a multiverse: Everyone gets the version of Superman they like.

[J. Robb]

And ask yourself this, if Kal-El had been a completely non-humanoid alien but was still raised by Kents, would he still consider himself human? I'd tend to think no. Just because one looks human and is raised human, doesn't make them a human. Just like how a human raised as an alien wouldn't be an alien. They'd be different and they'd know this.
They would know they're alien, but I bet they'd still want to be human.

I think Superman wants to fit in, he wants to be "normal", and that's why he considers himself human even if, deep down, he knows he's not.

[Harding Prime]

"Nature versus nuture...Nature always wins"

That quote comes from Wedding Crashers, by Christopher Walken, and totaaly goes against what Superman goes by.

Just saying that there is a lot of sayings out there, but depending on the individual, it can always go either way. That and quotes can come from funny places...Lois and Clark, lol.

[Harding Prime]

The New Earth Superman is different from both the BR and MOS versions, though he has similarities to both. The New Earth Superman comes from a Krypton similar to the Donner movies, but also with some Silver and Bronze Age ideas thrown in. He was born on this Krypton and was sent to Earth before it exploded, raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent (who retain the youth they gained in BR). Kal-El was named Clark Kent and developed his powers much sooner than either the BR or MOS Superman, even using them to help other people. He wore glasses from a very young age and was prevented from playing football. Many of his classmates apparently found him weird. He was briefly the "brother" on Mon-El (Lar Gand). He first encountered other super-heroes when he met and joined the Legion. He met and befriended Lex before both were teenagers. This Lex is a super-scientist (ala BR and the SA), but also comes from a wealthy family. He left Smallville sometime in his teens and founded LexCorp. He also lost his hair naturally, not as a result of an accident. He also admits to being from Smallville, as seen in 52.

From there, things are similar to the post-Crisis era: Superman and Luthor become enemies, Lois and Clark fall in love and get married, Luthor becomes President and is brought down, ect. Some of the changes are as follows: There has only been one General Zod (the current version), Clark Kent is more mild-mannered, Krypto is now from Krypton and has been with Kal since his boyhood.

There's still a lot we don't know, but that's a basic summary.

What I am am ultimately saying is that this Kal-El is the same character as Byrne's Post Crisis Superman, as is Birthright. This is the same Superman that died at the hands of Doomsday, resurrected, fought in WW3, and so on and so forth, but has just been retconned many times to keep up with the times. It is still the same character. Different characters would be Kal-l of Earth 2, Superman-Prime, Pre-Crisis Superman, KC Superman, Red Son, etc.

[4thHorseman]

Post Crisis gets my vote. The one i grew up reading.

[Super Buddies Forever]

Never been particular fond of that line, particularly since it's become trite through overuse (and it came from Lois and Clark, as you said). It's never made sense to me that a person would completely define themselves by the environment they're raised in. That, to me, seems kind of shallow. I believe that our environment influences us, but ultimately, it's our CHOICES that make us who we are. Our parents, our friends, and even our biology can influence us, but these factors alone don't make us who we are. From the moment our consciousness becomes aware of itself, we begin to define ourselves. I think Superman is the same way. He chooses to be who he is, regardless of what's happened in his life. Additionally, I think we sometimes tend to view Kryptonians as simply super-powered humans just because they look like us. But we forget that they have different brains, organs, and a different evolutionary history. Let me put it this way: a wolf can be raised as a dog, but it won't stop being a wolf. It'll still be different from a dog, even if it's in small ways. And ask yourself this, if Kal-El had been a completely non-humanoid alien but was still raised by Kents, would he still consider himself human? I'd tend to think no. Just because one looks human and is raised human, doesn't make them a human. Just like how a human raised as an alien wouldn't be an alien. They'd be different and they'd know this.

That's where I find the charm in Post-Crisis Superman. Whether or not he was truly human, he deeply desired to be. He was raised by humans. He lived amongst humans. He was in love with a human. As Superman, he strove to help humanity. As Clark Kent, he strove to find his own.

It goes back to the unending argument over whether or not Clark Kent is the mask. I've heard others theorize that Silver Age Clark was Superman's view of mankind, that he was a buffoon because that's how he saw everyone else. Whether or not that idea had any merit in the canon of the day, it always rubbed me the wrong way. If Clark/Superman looks down on humanity, why is he Superman in the first place?

Plus, the xenophobic and nationalist elements of MOS always bothered me, and some of these themes are being explored in Action Comics with the Legion. Since MOS was created during the Cold War, it has a "foreigners are bad" subtext to it and it undermined Superman's status as the ultimate immigrant. He couldn't even be born on Krypton, as if that would somehow "taint" him. It kind of tells me that there's an underlying discomfort people have with the greatest super-hero not being one of us, as if we can't accept the idea that an alien could be held in such high-esteem over other human heroes. I think that's kind of disturbing, to be honest. And going back to Action Comics, I think it's a good metatextual storyline they're using, with Superman's history being altered in the future, casting him as a super-powered HUMAN who is xenophobic toward aliens. It's a storyline I've wanted to see for a long time.

Conversely, an argument could be made that the Silver Age Superman is a genetically superior savior, indicating that mankind is incapable of helping itself and that we have to look to the stars lest we want to wallow in our declining society. I'm more fond of the idea of the "perfect being" finding so much to appreciate about mortal man that he strives to be like us while rejecting his godhood. This was a theme that was present a lot back in the Post-Crisis days, illustrated with stories like the Krypton Man.

As far as him being born on Earth via the birthing matrix, I admit that I never saw the need for that element. If nothing else, the birthing matrix was just a minor tweak that allowed the possibility for future storylines such as Superman running for president or Hank Henshaw replicating his DNA, but to me it was never a consequential factor in the Byrne origin. It just further illustrated the nature of that scientifically cold version of Krypton

I think Superman should care about humanity and be grateful for the way they adopted him as one of their own. But at the same time, he should also see himself as something different. He cares about humans, but knows he will never be the same as they are (even though he might wish for this). And yet, as shown in "Up, Up," and Away" he wouldn't quit being Superman even if he had the choice to do so.

I'm in agreement with you there. Then again, why is he Superman? Is Superman reflective of his alien heritage, or is it merely another byproduct of the Kents' parenting and his own journeys through his adopted planet? Obviously he couldn't be Superman if he didn't have Kryptonian genes, but he's not inherently good because of his DNA either.

I also like the MOS Superman because of the contradictory parallel he creates with Batman. Batman is unquestionably human, yet Bruce Wayne has become the mask while his superhero identity of a bat has become his true self, a direct contrast with Clark Kent. It made their conflicted relationship all the more interesting.

In the end, I really think the preferences come down to which version of the character we first became attached to. All Supermen have their merits, but we're more able to see the flaws of the versions that are foreign to us (and turn a blind eye to the flaws of the version we adore).

[Harding Prime]

That's where I find the charm in Post-Crisis Superman. Whether or not he was truly human, he deeply desired to be. He was raised by humans. He lived amongst humans. He was in love with a human. As Superman, he strove to help humanity. As Clark Kent, he strove to find his own.


You speak in was....It's still the same character!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jon-El]

Definitely 70's Bronze age for me. Put Byrne on him in 86 and it would have sold just as well probably without the reboot. I still can't believe they did that!!!! cold.:confused:

[Iroquois]

I consider myself a Post-Crisis fan, as far as concepts and ideas go, though probably for different reasons than Byrne originally intended (prime-example of that being the sterile Krypton). Also, I consider KC Superman an alternate Post-Crisis Superman. The story may be Elseworlds, but was written as a possible future to the post-Crisis universe.

As far as the debate about the "humanized" Superman and the demi-God Superman and which theory is better, I find the debate rather unecessary. Fans, myself included, seem to fall in that loop a lot and assume that one is the real person, the other is the disguise. The fact is that it was certain writers throughout history that used that aspect. In large, even in the times of the Golden and the Silver Age, Superman and Clark (and later Kal) are one and the same person. They're both real and they're both disguises.

Each one represents a side of the character and each one is a little bit acting to a degree. Superman isn't an Earthling, he knows that, he shouldn't deny it. He's an alien with powers far beyond those of mortal men. That's Superman. But at the same time, he's a human. He has emotions, needs and passions like everybody else. That's Clark. Anybody can really say that one of these aspects of his character is real whereas the other is not? After all, the catalyst for Superman's character is the one thing that both identities have always shared: one stands over men as a God, the other is desperately trying to fit in and, in the end, they're both just... lonely.

[Powerboy]

I went for Golden Age as the original concept is usually the best but All-Star and Pre-Crisis Earth One (Bronze Age) were also great. I also loved Birthright.

[dupersuper]

Can I vote for every one BUT Superboy Prime? Why's a bad guy even in here? Also, New Earth Supes is still pretty vague.

[BoosterBronze]

I'd like to draw a distinction between Golden Age Superman, and Kal-L or Earth 2, who was a Silver-Age character.

Golden-Age Superman, somewhat less powerful, a tad ruthless at times, and a bit mysterious, is one of my favorite takes on Big Blue, especially the Fleisher cartoons.

Kal-L of Earth 2 always seemed dull to me, since he was just a married Silver-Age planet pushing Superman with greying temples.

[Conner_Kent]

I like both KC Supes & the current Superman, i dont know if he's new earth or Earth 1 or whatever lol just the Superman from everyday Superman comics and Kingdom Come Superman :D alot less confussing

[Slaughter]

I'm going with Byrne's Superman at this one.

Why, you ask?

I think his concepts and ideas are the best.

Krypton: Krypton is not a utopian planet, where everything is perfect. I mean, C'mon, if the place and the people are so perfect and advanced, why the other Kryptonians died? Byrne's Krypton was a very diferent planet, more original than other versions. Krypton was a cold, esterile world. I loved how, while being Kryptonian, sometimes, Superman had to confront his Kryptonian heritage. Ever saw "Day of the Krypton Man?" Superman's turned into something he's not. Byrne's Krypton was a cold alien place where Jor-El was a strange element that had emotions and was more intelligent than the rest of his folk.

[Beta Ray Bill]

I read in an interview somewhere, it might of been here at CBR, that one of the dream projects Howard Chaykin would like to do is a Superman title set prior to WWII. I think that one would definitely be in contention.

Real life though, probably 70's Superman or Superman as written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by Jerry Ordway. So I guess that would make it the Byrne Superman since that's what that incarnation was based off of.

[BoosterBronze]

I'm going with Byrne's Superman at this one.

Why, you ask?

I think his concepts and ideas are the best.

Krypton: Krypton is not a utopian planet, where everything is perfect. I mean, C'mon, if the place and the people are so perfect and advanced, why the other Kryptonians died? Byrne's Krypton was a very diferent planet, more original than other versions. Krypton was a cold, esterile world. I loved how, while being Kryptonian, sometimes, Superman had to confront his Kryptonian heritage. Ever saw "Day of the Krypton Man?" Superman's turned into something he's not. Byrne's Krypton was a cold alien place where Jor-El was a strange element that had emotions and was more intelligent than the rest of his folk.

I agree that the 'cold' Krypton seemed more interesting to me than other versions. Just for the "Eradicator" storyline if nothing else.