Lessons from Fan Fiction: Superman is the Most Realistic Superhero

These posts--Learning from Fan Fiction--maintain that in the process of writing fan fiction, one learns quite a bit about the original series/film/novel/story/legend that one is emulating.

I should add that this only truly works if the fan-fic writer attempts to write within the original world. If, like with so many movies, the fan fiction is simply a jumping off point--the writer is using one idea/character in order to create a completely different storyline/universe--that's . . . not wrong. It's just not fan fiction.

I recently delved into fan fiction based on Lois & Clark. My (unexpected) conclusion: Superman is more realistic than most other superheroes.

The realism becomes apparent when the fan-fic writer is forced to deal with what Clark would do, what Superman would do, what solution is the most plausible, and so on and so forth.

1. Clark/Superman has a job, and he doesn't want to get fired.

There is no evidence that Clark needs to work in order to keep from starving/freezing to death. But he does work. Rather than standing myopically outside of society, he works with the same citizens he intends to help. The fact that he works professionally--keeps appointments, hands in articles on time, follows up on interviews--indicates that he values his work.

It also indicates that he cannot be everywhere at once; most crimes are better handled by professionals within their specific venues. He can afford to spend time pondering headlines.

2. Clark/Superman has parents and presumably an entire collection of relatives.

He certainly has neighbors and colleagues, not to forget the vendor who sells him hot-dogs.

The realism here isn't so much Clark's/Superman's extroverted nature. It is rather that he realistically has to take other people into account when he makes decisions about work, holidays, vacations, etc.

Consequently, Clark/Superman doesn't evoke that chill that ordinary people feel when they read that a Hollywood celebrity invited 1,000 "friends" to a shindig. Superman has a community and a limited number of friends. How normal is that!

Superman lifts an island.

3. Clark/ Superman truly is mostly there for the big stuff and doesn't try to micro-manage.

He isn't trying to run the universe. It never seems to occur to him that running the universe would be within his purview. He isn't rushing around instructing fire fighters and police and aid workers where to go and what to do. He doesn't pretend to be a financial advisor or accountant. He doesn't even pretend that he knows all the ins and outs of an operation.

When he helps the Red Cross, he lets them tell him where to take the big truck of supplies.

Superman's limitations, even if self-imposed, give him interesting ethical dilemmas. Since he can't (or won't) always help, when should he help? Who should he trust? Whose rules of law should he honor? 

4. Clark/Superman doesn't have his own prison.

Because, come on, prisons are expensive! Really expensive! All those supervillains need to be, presumably, fed and clothed and, maybe, rehabilitated. Unless the prison is just a big torture chamber, their varying needs have to be considered: the guy who can survive in super-cold; the gal who needs super-warm, etc.

Unfortunately, the sheer, enormous cost of the things that superheroes are supposed to do figures into few calculations (except in Hancock). Superman's costs, however, are built in.

Frank Miller cleverly has Superman and Batman face off against each other as the intelligent optimist who compromises with the powers-that-be (because he knows his own limitations) versus the cynical idealist/rebel who stays in the shadows (because the system is just that bad).

I like both superheroes. But Superman--for all his "faster than a speeding bullet" prowess--is far more realistic. And, oddly enough, in the long run, he is also somewhat more relatable.

Because I don't yet have my trillionaire bank account. Not that I would turn it down. But nope, not yet.