Golden Age Superman week: Super-Ego

I think Chuck Austen's run on Action was awful. I really do. Thing is, aside from all the horrible elements with the plot and other characters, his attempts at Superman's characterization were sort of a noble failure.

Austen said many times he wanted to bring back the attitude of the Superman that appeared in those first issues of Action comics, but he only understood it on the most superficial levels. He did not get why Superman behaved as he did.

The original version of Superman, in a nutshell, was some one strong who protected the weak. Absolutely intolerant of bullies.

By his very presence he was intimidating because he shouldn't be real. Seeing him do any of the things he could do distorts your sense of reality because you know no one should be able leap an eighth of a mile straight up or have bullet proof skin.

The bullies and the thugs, they were scared of this impossible man for a couple of reasons. One, he was otherworldly and they feared this thing they did not understand, and they also knew wasn't going to let them get away with hurting people. They saw a Superman you and I didn't; one who would say "You can't hurt me, so go ahead and try. It's a lesson that you need to learn- The basic good I fight for is a far stronger force than those who prey on the weak would ever think. "

The every day people knew that if they were weak or not out to hurt any one else, they had no reason to be afraid. They knew he was there to help, and they knew he was going to do the right thing and they knew he was confident and certain in his actions. It wasn't ego, he was just comfortable with who he was and what he could do, and he enjoyed helping and doing the amazing things he could do. He enjoyed being special but never lorded over any one. And they loved him for it.

Austen's big mistakes were two: There was no difference in the Superman seen by the people Superman was fighting for and the people Superman was fighting against. He also mistook that matter-of-fact confidence and confused it with ego, and these things together turned Superman into a bully himself in ways.

There was one moment, though, where he got it right. It's a funny little moment that blends the sense of humor Superman would develop with the kind of self-comfort of that first Superman.

Superman flies in to help the Titans Superboy, Kid Flash and Wonder Girl in a fight, and he mentions that Superboy looks like he's worse for the wear, and then there's this exchange.

It's funny, and it hints at exactly what Superman and Superboy's relationship should have been. It's Superman teasing his little brother, just like any older brother would. It's not Superman being too humble as he was often seen before or being an arrogant jerk, as he was often seen during the rest of Austen's tenure. It's a charming kind of middle ground that shows a friendly teasing. It's the only place I think Austen succeeded in his attempts to make Superman more fun. So thanks for that brief moment of fun character interaction, Chuck.

There's a middle ground between boyscout and jerk, and that's where Superman really should be.

Thanks to Mr Farrell for much of this post, as it's really just a poor transcript of a long geeky conversation we had.