Okay, sell me on the idea of Clark Kent, football hero..

[Bored at 3:00AM]

What's the appeal? I just don't get it.

I mean, I get the whole All-American Kansas farmboy who played football in high school angle seems like it'd be a good fit for Superman at first glance, but that just doesn't make sense given Superman's personality and ethics.

Regardless of which interpretation of Superman you think is right, he is almost universally portrayed as the Ultimate Boy Scout. Why would a guy like that choose to not only play a game in which his physical abilities give him a ridiculously unfair advantage against every other player, but excel in that game using this unfair advantage to become the star of the team?

I understand that the spastic uber-dork of Christopher Reeves is not to everyone's liking, but l can't understand the need for the teenage Clark Kent to be a football jock rather than an outsider, forced to sit on the sidelines watching others do what he cannot. One of those adds another layer of pathos and makes the character more sympathetic and relatable, while the other makes the character look like a bit of a selfish dick. Which of those sounds more like Superman to you?

However, I'd like to hear what those of you who liked this interpretation have to say. I'm curious to know why some of you think it's so important.

[stealthwise]

It's not important, but who WOULDN'T want to take a bit of advantage of those powers in order to have a little bit of fun? I don't think he's ever been represented as a selfish dick when he's running around on the field, but I could be wrong.

[Jack Zodiac]

I thought he decided never to play sports again after he broke Pete's arm. Personally, I don't think Clark would do that, especially as a timid teenager. Clark-today might do it to shut Steve Lombard's mouth or something, but teenage Clark Kent was naturally bumbling and wussy.

[Supermancho]

Is it possible to play and not use his powers?
http://www.yelims.com/IPB/Invision-Board-France-234.gif

[WorstThingUS]

What's the appeal? I just don't get it.

I mean, I get the whole All-American Kansas farmboy who played football in high school angle seems like it'd be a good fit for Superman at first glance, but that just doesn't make sense given Superman's personality and ethics.

Regardless of which interpretation of Superman you think is right, he is almost universally portrayed as the Ultimate Boy Scout. Why would a guy like that choose to not only play a game in which his physical abilities give him a ridiculously unfair advantage against every other player, but excel in that game using this unfair advantage to become the star of the team?

I understand that the spastic uber-dork of Christopher Reeves is not to everyone's liking, but l can't understand the need for the teenage Clark Kent to be a football jock rather than an outsider, forced to sit on the sidelines watching others do what he cannot. One of those adds another layer of pathos and makes the character more sympathetic and relatable, while the other makes the character look like a bit of a selfish dick. Which of those sounds more like Superman to you?

However, I'd like to hear what those of you who liked this interpretation have to say. I'm curious to know why some of you think it's so important.

It was right the first time in that in he never played. Smallville at least had him strap a piece of kryptonite to himself so he'd be weakened. If nothing else, maybe the latest reboot of his origin will eliminate it. As Pa Kent said in Superman The Movie "You are here for a reason...and it's not to score touchdowns."

[Super Buddies Forever]

It represented the path that he could have gone down with his powers: Using them for selfish purposes.

Remember, Man of Steel's Clark Kent didn't have his powers as a kid. He was never Superboy and was in the dark until near-adulthood. At the most, Clark just thought he was an extraordinarily athletic teenager. It wasn't until, after showing up every last one of his teammates and reviling in glory that Pa Kent revealed the truth about his heritage to him. That put an end to Clark Kent:: High school football star, and that was a decision made by Clark.

After all, if you started to slowly develop super strength and speed, wouldn't you put them to similar use, especially in the environment of high school? Logic dictates that, without knowing the true nature of his "gift," teenage Clark would naturally use them in such a manner. His decision that he couldn't use them to get ahead was an important bit of self-realization for the Man of Steel Superman on his road to becoming a man.

Additionally, it paved the way for Conduit, one of the more underrated Superman bad guys.

[stealthwise]

Great points SBF. Except for Conduit, he sucked goat @$*#.

[WorstThingUS]

Great points SBF. Except for Conduit, he sucked goat @$*#.

I found Coundit both contrived and sad and given how Clark went off on his father, he definitely agreed with the latter even though Conduit tried to kill him and his entire family.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

It represented the path that he could have gone down with his powers: Using them for selfish purposes.

Remember, Man of Steel's Clark Kent didn't have his powers as a kid. He was never Superboy and was in the dark until near-adulthood. At the most, Clark just thought he was an extraordinarily athletic teenager. It wasn't until, after showing up every last one of his teammates and reviling in glory that Pa Kent revealed the truth about his heritage to him. That put an end to Clark Kent:: High school football star, and that was a decision made by Clark.

After all, if you started to slowly develop super strength and speed, wouldn't you put them to similar use, especially in the environment of high school? Logic dictates that, without knowing the true nature of his "gift," teenage Clark would naturally use them in such a manner. His decision that he couldn't use them to get ahead was an important bit of self-realization for the Man of Steel Superman on his road to becoming a man.

Additionally, it paved the way for Conduit, one of the more underrated Superman bad guys.

I dunno about that, it's been a few years since I read Man of Steel, but I seem to remember 5 year old Clark surviving being trampled by a bull without a scratch, seeing through walls and lifting trucks over his head to fetch his ball. Yes, Byrne's Superman didn't develop his powers to their full strength until later, but he clearly knew he was far more than just an extraordinary athlete.

If he did this as 13 year or 14 year old before clueing into what he was, it would make a little sense, but Byrne had Clark doing this up to 18 years old? Surely, we aren't supposed to believe that he was this dumb? I mean, he knew he could ****ing fly by the time he was seventeen yet he still thinks playing football against players who can't defy gravity is perfectly okay?

And is the story a high school jock selfishly using his super-powers to give him a unfair advantage against others until his father tells him not to really sound like Superman to you? Superman isn't Iron Man, it's not supposed to be the story of a self-involved guy who realizes there's more to world than his own self-interests. That's a worthy story to tell, sure, but it's not Superman. That's Super-Jock.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I thought he decided never to play sports again after he broke Pete's arm. Personally, I don't think Clark would do that, especially as a timid teenager. Clark-today might do it to shut Steve Lombard's mouth or something, but teenage Clark Kent was naturally bumbling and wussy.

Yeah, the current version of Superman has finally ditched the football jock idea that the Byrne reboot added. Accidentally breaking Pete's arm was Geoff John's reasoning for why Clark wouldn't allow himself to play sports, which is a little different from the Donner film in which Pa Kent forbid him from playing sports. I kinda prefer Johns' version as it reinforces Clark's feelings of being outsider while also making them self-imposed.

[Super Buddies Forever]

Martha and Jonathan rationalized away a lot of the strange occurrences to Clark until they felt he was old enough to know the truth. Yeah, he was strong and fast, but he hadn't even developed flight and heat vision by the time of the football scene in MoS #1, which would be the big two indicators that his physiology really was different. I'm also a bit hazy on the time frame of that first issue. I don't think Clark was 18 when it began... 16 maybe?

And is the story a high school jock selfishly using his super-powers to give him a unfair advantage against others until his father tells him not to really sound like Superman to you? Superman isn't Iron Man, it's not supposed to be the story of a self-involved guy who realizes there's more to world than his own self-interests. It's freaking Superman.

Again, Clark didn't know he had powers of any sort. By all outward appearances, he was a normal human teenager. There was no Legion to clue him in. No superheroes to let him know what a metahuman was (and yeah, the JSA was around, but that shouldn't have any bearing on the Man of Steel origin). If I'm never sick a day in my life, my first thought isn't "I must be an alien! I shall only use these powers for good!" Well, okay, they would be, but I'm an odd guy.

And the second Pa tells him the truth, that's the end of high school jock Clark. That's why it's worked for me since I first read the story. Clark is almost ashamed at what he was doing, even if it wasn't his fault. I don't see that as a blight on Superman's record of integrity, nor do I think that Clark should be ready-made as Superman from day one (one reason why I've always hated Clark as Superboy, or, God save us, Superbaby).

In fact, I'd even argue that if Johns was so keen to bring in the Chris Reeves interpretation of Clark, the football backstory works even better in conjunction with it. The meek personality he puts on would almost be atonement for how he unknowingly abused his powers in high school.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Martha and Jonathan rationalized away a lot of the strange occurrences to Clark until they felt he was old enough to know the truth. Yeah, he was strong and fast, but he hadn't even developed flight and heat vision by the time of the football scene in MoS #1, which would be the big two indicators that his physiology really was different. I'm also a bit hazy on the time frame of that first issue. I don't think Clark was 18 when it began... 16 maybe?.

I'm looking at my copy of Man of Steel #1 now. He's 18 when Pa Kent tells him he's an alien after winning the football game. He was 17 years old when he learns he can fly, so he continued to play football after he knew he not just an extraordinary athlete. He could lift trucks over his head as a toddler. He could see through wall as a pre-teen. He could survive being trampled by a bull when he's five.

Again, Clark didn't know he had powers of any sort. .

Not according to Man of Steel #1.

By all outward appearances, he was a normal human teenager. .

A normal human teenager who could fly, see through walls, lift trucks and survive injuries without a scratch that would kill anybody else.

There was no Legion to clue him in. No superheroes to let him know what a metahuman was (and yeah, the JSA was around, but that shouldn't have any bearing on the Man of Steel origin)..

I don't see why not, Byrne mentioned in a few interviews that Pa Kent's fondness for the JSA influenced the creation of the costume.

If I'm never sick a day in my life, my first thought isn't "I must be an alien! I shall only use these powers for good!" Well, okay, they would be, but I'm an odd guy..

If you start flying, seeing through walls and lifting trucks over your head, I think you'd be bright enough to realize you're not like everyone else though...

And the second Pa tells him the truth, that's the end of high school jock Clark. That's why it's worked for me since I first read the story. Clark is almost ashamed at what he was doing, even if it wasn't his fault. I don't see that as a blight on Superman's record of integrity, nor do I think that Clark should be ready-made as Superman from day one (one reason why I've always hated Clark as Superboy, or, God save us, Superbaby)..

No one's talking about turning him into a ready-made Superman. I'm talking about what makes more sense for the character's journey towards becoming Superman. What makes for a more sympathetic and interesting Superman? A young outsider who can't fit in because he's different from everybody or a selfish kid using an unfair advantage to get ahead?


In fact, I'd even argue that if Johns was so keen to bring in the Chris Reeves interpretation of Clark, the football backstory works even better in conjunction with it. The meek personality he puts on would almost be atonement for how he unknowingly abused his powers in high school.

Again, Superman is not about atonement, that's a character like Iron Man or Spider-Man.

Superman has never been about atonement for being selfish, he's about being selfless not because he's trying to make up for being a jerk but because he thinks it's the right thing to do. That's Superman.

If Byrne had changed Batman's backstory so that Bruce was responsible for his parents' murder so he became Batman to find redemption, wouldn't you think this was a giant mistake?

[datriadx18]

when he played football, he was a teenager. Y'know, full of angst, not wanting to be sidelined just cuz he has powers. The redemption comes when he realises that he is meant for much more than scoring touchdowns.

[Herr Mike]

If Byrne had changed Batman's backstory so that Bruce was responsible for his parents' murder so he became Batman to find redemption, wouldn't you think this was a giant mistake?

Ooh, interesting. But too Peter Parker.

[David Atkins]

The football thing, from the desire to play to the decision to quit because it would never be fair to the other players, was one of the things I felt Smallville handled especially well. It was the kind of thing you might expect out of a teenager who would grow up into a man with Superman's ethics.