Who can save Superman now? KURT BUSIEK!

[Kurt Busiek]

Kurt, T.M. Maple summed up best IMHO how to handle Superman's values about honesty and not killing.

I question the claim that Superman had an oath "never to tell a lie" -- or if he did, he sure broke it a lot.

Grabbing a couple of pre-Crisis issues at random, I find that in #295, he returns to the GBS studio as Clark after foiling some danger as Superman, and claims that he had to leave because the tension of the unfolding crisis had upset his digestion.

In #336, he stops a runaway truck as Clark, then melts the asphalt beneath it with his heat vision and claims that the truck must have sank into the street because the asphalt hadn't hardened yet, slowing it enough for him to stop it.  Later that same issue, as Superman, he "returns" a pendant to Rose Forrest, except that it's a non-dangerous duplicate of the pendant, which means he's not only lying when he says he's returning it, but he's a thief as well.

I'm sure we can all remember many times he's claimed illness as Clark, or that he caught a train back to the city when he actually flew off to outer space, or that he got Clark back to a hotel or other safe spot before appearing on the scene, and on and on.

His lies aren't harmful -- well, except when he lies to villains, and the villains wind up being harmed -- but they are lies.

kdb

[Uncle Mxy]

There's a surprisingly-decent post-marriage Lois & Clark episode called "Sex, Lies, and Videotape".  To summarize:

Some tabloid photographer sorta-kinda catches a married Superman and Lois in compromising positions.  Meanwhile, Superman is trying to help with fragile peace negotiations between two warring countries.  They're falling apart because they don't trust that Superman is being truthful owing to the bad press and the salacious photo (haven't any of these guys heard about Photoshop?!).  

As Superman, in uniform, he feels obligated to tell the truth, not just to save the peace, but because Superman is something greater than himself.  Ultimately, he tells the literal (dare I say Clintonesque?) truth about how he's not having an illicit affair with Lois (conveniently dodging how he's married to her ).  

I really liked the notion that he felt a higher standard wearing the suit, and by contrast, could more readily tell a lie as Clark.  It makes perfect sense, but isn't something I've ever seen spelled out in the comic books.  And it isn't even that simple -- Superman certainly tells lies to save the day.  My favorite lie is the one he tells Luthor in Superman II.

[Kurt Busiek]

I really liked the notion that he felt a higher standard wearing the suit, and by contrast, could more readily tell a lie as Clark.

I like it, too, but yeah, that's why I made sure to use the Rose Forrest example -- to include a lie told as Superman, unrelated to the protection of his secret identity.

kdb

[TELLE]

I'm sure Superman wouldn't tell the truth if asked the name of his secret identity.  Maybe on the Kryptonian Day of Truth.

[forgottenhero]

But what do you (and everyone else here) think are Superman's flaws, and what stories have pointed them up well?

His ego. I can't point to very many specific stories, but anyone that powerful is going to have a bit of an ego, and I remember a DC COMICS PRESENTS story written by Roy Thomas where he's fighting Dr. Sivana, and he says something like "I'm Superman -- that's 'Super,' as in 'better than you." (Chuck Austen even used this same line in a recent ACTION issue -- further proof that the guy lacks ideas, or at least lacks good ones.)

[Kuuga]

I don't really think of it as a flaw so much as something that's a necessary part of him, there will just be times when he leads with his heart instead of his head and this can cause problems for him. Prolly the example of what I'm thinking of is Paul Dinis work on SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH.

But he's not a dumb person or an egotistical one. I also think that people have a tendnacy to way over analyze little things about Superman and superheroes in general for that matter and like putting them in a negative light. I don't believe things like the secret identity are the product of ego.

[Rugal 3:16]

Hi Mr. Buseik (remember me.. Although I would be surprised if you did)

anyway.

I always wondered..

What does Mr. Buseik like better..

Clark as the Disguise
Superman as the Disguise

Also It's not fair.. George Perez got to Work with Garcia Lopez in Donna Troy, and Kurt got left in the Cold..

And where is nightwing and Aldous there are many fascinating/intelligent posters here who talk more than continuity (not saying continuity talk is a bad thing no no) but IMO those two are the top tiers..

[Kurt Busiek]

What does Mr. Buseik like better..

Clark as the Disguise
Superman as the Disguise

Both of them are different faces he shows publicly.  The non-disguise (who I think of as Kal) is who he is in private with people who know the truth.

Also It's not fair.. George Perez got to Work with Garcia Lopez in Donna Troy, and Kurt got left in the Cold..

Well, I have gotten to work with both of them separately, though I sure wouldn't say no to getting to do more with JLGL...

kdb