With the late Silver Age and the emergence of the Bronze Age, there came a focus on the writing of the comics, and the symbolic nature of the characters. In regards to symbols, Superman might be one of the most symbolic superheroes of all time. Superman has been considered symbolic of many things. In early writings, he was a paradigm of truth, justice, and the American Way, some considering a Jimmy Stewart type superhero, who fought for the common man [despite his unflattering portrayal as Clark Kent (see previous web page)]. But as time went on, he has taken on many different symbolisms though he still represents these old values. But because of these values, he has lost favor in a world where the comic book fan base demands darker characters that are more relatable, though some still believe him to be a better role model, and as Superman writer Mark Millar points out "Who would you rather hang out with? (Den of Geek interview)" Still, some consider him too powerful and godlike to be looked up to and be relatable to, and his morals too old to be relevant. As Marc DiPaulo states in book, War, Politics, and Superheroes, "A popular misconception about Superman is that he is obsolete because he represents quaint, establishment ideas; apparently, he's as hip and relevant to the modern world as Ward Cleaver (DiPaulo 139)."

He represents an older form of superhero, the ACTUAL superhero, born into his powers instead of having them thrust upon him (Spiderman, Fantastic Four) or earning them through years of training and mastery of technology (Batman, Iron Man). But in reality, Superman is far more than that. DiPaulo claims Superman represents a form of "patriotic, transcendentalist liberalism that has fallen out of favor (DiPaulo 139)..." since the 80's. Superman has become a polarizing figure, with those on both sides of the political spectrum creating their own political ideal and meaning for the character. Those on the right like his patriotic concept, but don't like that he is written with a liberal code of ethics, in which he believes in equal rights for all, and justice for all, whereas the left like his politics, but not his old style and idealism. But much of Superman's problems lie in the fact that he is the product of a different, more hopeful time. In The Real Truth About Superman: And the Rest of Us, Too, Mark Waid, a Superman writer and historian, claims that Superman's ideals seem out of place in a world where "unrestrained capitalism always wins, where politicians always lie, where sports idols take drugs and beat their wives, and where white picket fences are suspect because they hide dark things (Waid 5)." In a time when we needed hope, Superman was a reminder of simpler, better things, but with all the darkness in the world, a character such as him just didn't fit in. In a way, he was too light, and too hopeful, and for some, a painful reminder that there are no real Supermen in the world. In response to the character's decline in popularity, it was decided the best way to make Superman popular again, was to kill him off and making him into Christ/Messiah figure.


In 1992, the comic book universe saw The Death of Superman. The storyline, devised by Editor Mike Carlin and writer Dan Jurgens, Superman faced off with Doomsday, a villain who matched Superman in strength and resilience, and ending with both characters fighting in Metropolis, eventually dying of their wounds sustained in battle. The Christ like sacrifice was not lost on many. Even Lois Lane, holding the body of Superman, looked like the Virgin Mary, cradling the body of Jesus.

The story met with enormous success, with the Superman titles gaining international exposure, reaching to the top of the comics' sales charts and selling out overnight. The event was even widely covered by national and international news media, and Superman had become relevant again. However, with his eventual resurrection in Reign of Supermen, there were those who soon saw Superman as a Christ figure, sacrificing himself for others, and then resurrecting. But this kind of symbolism drew criticism from some. Marshall McLuhan, who considered the figure of Superman to be more of a Guardian Angel type, and was troubled by America's decision to canonize such a figure, went on to claim "Like Superman, [the Angels] require neither education nor experience, but they possess... flawless intelligence about all things. Men have dreamed about becoming like these beings for quite awhile. However, fallen angels are known as devils. And imperfect men, possessing superhuman material power, are not a reassuring prospect (McLuhan 350)." But the religious ideas and symbols of Superman are not uncommon within the comic book universe. According to DiPaulo, Jewish scholars claim that all superheroes are inspired by Jewish figure of folklore called the Golem. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing (Idel 296). And, keeping in mind that many superheroes were created by Jewish immigrants, this makes a lot of sense. Golems were creatures made of clay, summoned by Hebrew mystics to help and protect Jewish people suffering and in great strife. Rabbi Simcha Weinstein, in his book, Up, Up, and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture, and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero, claimed that just because the superheroes are not made of clay, does not mean they are not Golems, going so far as to cite an example of when a little girl asks the Incredible Hulk if he is a Golem, and later identifying Captain America, an enemy of Nazism in the 1940's as a Golem, with the belief that the "A" on Captain America's helmet not only stands for "America" but also "Aleph" a Hebrew symbol that also is worn on the heads of Golems, and is the source of the their power. In a way, it is this symbolism and sign that gives heroes their power.

But these symbols changed over time, and heroes were made more vulnerable in order to up the stakes, and allow the characters to be more relatable to the reader. With this in mind, writers sought to bring Superman down to our level, by giving him real issues. As time went on, a change was made to focus on Superman and his sense of alienation. With the rise of the debate on immigration, Superman became another symbol. Here, we have Superman, born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, sent to Earth by his parents because of the imminent destruction of their planet. Superman, though a symbol for America, later became a symbol for the immigrant, and for all those who felt alienated, as Superman was, literally, an alien. All great comic book characters are symbols and representations. But again, this wasn't so important in the older days of comics. That all drastically changed during the end years of the Silver Age and into the Bronze Age, with the help of Stan Lee. Stan Lee, regarded as one of, if not, the greatest comic book writer and editor of all time, started focusing on the importance of the story, and the symbol of the comic book character. Characters like the X-Men, who represented minorities, or Daredevil, a hero for the disabled. But none meant so much to so many people than Stan Lee's greatest creation, Spiderman.

Peter Parker a.k.a. Spiderman, created in 1962, was one of the most modern and relatable superheroes written at that time. Unlike other heroes, Spiderman originally used his powers for his own selfish purposes, until tragedy struck him, and the guilt of knowing he could have prevented it with his powers, made him realize that with great power, comes great responsibility. Peter Parker was the hero most comic book fans identified with. He was nerdy, shy, had a tough time in high school, and made mistakes. And he was still growing up. Peter's powers developing during his teenage years and into young adulthood, and his realization of the responsibility of these powers, resonated with many who were growing into those years. Peter brains also helped him when it came to attracting girls, for it seemed no matter how nerdy Peter was, he always had a beautiful girlfriend at his side, giving hope to nerdy guys everywhere. But soon, with time, Spiderman, like Superman, became an American symbol, embodying the average teenager. But Peter Parker was never written as the Patriotic type, until the Civil War of the Marvel Universe. In 2006-2007, the Civil War story arc depicted the Legislation of the Superhero Registration Act, forcing all superheroes reveal their identities to the world. There were those in favor of the act, led by Iron Man, and those who opposed the act, who were led by Captain America. Spiderman was initially pro-registration, but upon finding out that people who did not agree to register would be imprisoned indefinitely, Spider-Man quits the pro-registration side and joins with Captain America's underground movement. The Civil War story arc is considered by many a stab at the Bush administration and the War on Terror, with many claiming that Spiderman's side represented the Democrats, who believed in personal freedom and privacy. But like the Patriot Act, the Registration Act would take those freedoms away. Spiderman became a representative of the dissenter patriot; bravely going against the rest of those who thought what they were doing was for the good of the country. At the time of the War on Terror, those who were against the War and the Patriot Act were labeled traitors, and as S.T. Joshi observed in his book The Angry Right: Why Conservatives Keep Getting it Wrong, he claims, "It is perhaps no accident that accusations that... every member of the Democratic Party, is a traitor surfaced after 9/11, and involved... a radical rewriting of history, not only that Democrats were soft on communism... but also soft on terrorism (Joshi 256)." Like Captain America, a symbol of patriotism who had grown to question the country he loved and protected, so too did Spiderman. But also like Superman, Captain America's assassination at the end of the Civil War story arc, served as a Messiah like sacrifice, uniting all the heroes in the Marvel universe to realize the damage they had done, and what must be done in the future to avoid another Civil War. Superheroes, throughout time, have grown into far more than just colorful, masculine characters, but rather, as deep, metaphoric symbols of our country and our way of life. But though male superheroes have been written to better standards, female super heroines are another issue.... Click the forward arrow to continue reading, or the back arrow to go back to The Superhero Gaze. Or you can click the back arrow to the previous page.