Anonymous asked:
"Because a power set is only the slightest thing there is to a character. " No Tom, it's THE thing. It defines a character whether you like to admit it or not. Kids reading the comics don't run around as Superman because he is in a relationship with Lois. They run (fly) around with a cape on because they want to have that power set, and through that power set take-on what it is to be Superman etc. You try and diminish powers as though they are insignificant, but they make the characters.
What that kid cares about is that Superman can fly, is beaucoup strong and bulletproof.
He does not care what the specific tonnage Superman can lift (press) is, or what is top flight speed might be, or whether his power is “on a planetary level” or what-have-you.
It’s totally fine to care about these things, mind you–everybody enjoys different aspects of these stories. But I tend to think that, for Superman, it’s more important and more relevant that he fights for Truth, Justice and the American Way, that he’s got a strong moral compass and a line he will not cross, and that he stands up for the weak and the defenseless. (And that he’s secretly Clark Kent.) These are the attributes that make even kids connect with Superman and with the other characters beyond just the fact that he’s strong and he flies. Lots of guys are strong and can fly; only Superman is Superman.
