One of the biggest debates about Superman as a character is that it’s hard to write a compelling story for him. A lot of this lies with his power set: in addition to being virtually invincible, Superman is also immensely strong, super fast (but not as fast as the Flash), and has a plethora of other abilities at his disposal. I’m not proud to say that I used to be part of this debate, and even worse, that I was one of those guys who thought Superman was a “boring” character due to his powers.
James Gunn is set to bring a new version of the Man of Steel to life with Superman this summer, meaning that the debate will no doubt be reignited. But there’s one Superman moment that turned me into a fan of Clark Kent, and it should be a scene that DC Studios looks to for future projects. That scene takes place during the series finale of Justice League Unlimited, “Destroyer.”
The ‘Justice League Unlimited’ Finale Features a Scene That Made Me a Superman Fan
“Destroyer” features what might be the biggest battle in the history of the DC Animated Universe, as Superman and the rest of the Justice League have to deal with a resurrected Darkseid. Blaming Superman for his death, the Lord of Apokolips invades Earth, planning to turn it into a burning wasteland before he attempts to kill Superman. Throughout “Destroyer”, multiple events happen to underline how big of a battle this is. Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom end up joining forces with the Justice League, though while the other villains actually want to save the Earth on account of living there, Luthor seeks revenge against Darkseid. J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, returns to help the League after leaving the team in a previous episode. But the best moment comes when Superman a
Superman then proceeds to knock Darkseid halfway through Metropolis, before super-speeding behind him and slamming him into the ground. It was in this moment that Superman finally clicked for me as a character. Up to that point, I’d thought it was hard to do anything interesting with Superman because of all his power. But the late, great Dwayne McDuffie, who penned Superman’s speech (and wrote some of the best episodes of Justice League Unlimited), understood that Superman’s true strength isn’t in punching meteors or withstanding bullets — it’s in knowing when to use that power, and using it for good. Needless to say, I was Team Superman from that day on.
Superman’s ‘World of Cardboard’ Speech Should Be the Gold Standard for DC Studios, and Superhero Stories in General
Image via Warner Bros
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The “World of Cardboard” speech in Justice League Unlimited isn’t just the perfect way to write Superman. In fact, I think it’s a state of mind that other superhero projects, including DC Studios’ upcoming slate, should stick to. What separates a superhero from a supervillain is the choices they make: the choice to utilize their powers to help others. In fact, the next DC Studios projects, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Lanterns, have a chance to prove that. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will feature Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) going on an intergalactic adventure, so it’s the chance to showcase if she’s taken her cousin’s approach to utilizing power wisely. Lanterns feels more grounded than the sci-fi landscape of the Green Lantern comics, but I definitely feel that John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) will utilize their rings wisely; after all, only those with great willpower can be a Green Lantern, and what showcases willpower than knowing when to use your powers?
Even non-DC projects have been tackling this issue. Invincible draws most of its drama from the fact that Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) is part-Viltrumite; he struggles to do the right thing, often coming into conflict with his allies. But the best example of showcasing a superhero who knows how to utilize his power is Captain America: The First Avenger. During a pivotal scene, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) asks Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) why he was picked to be a Super-Soldier. Erskine’s answer is simple, yet profound: “Because the strong man who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion.” Throughout his tenure as Captain America, Steve strives to use his abilities to do the right thing and lives up to Erskine’s words. Using that power for good, becoming a symbol, that’s the essence of a true hero.
James Gunn Seems To Understand What Makes Superman Tick
When the first teaser trailer for Superman dropped, James Gunn said something that stuck with me: “This movie, at the end of the day, is not about power…This movie is about, in the loose sense of the word, a human being struggling with his day-to-day life.” The second trailer only backed up his words, as a mock interview between Clark Kent (David Corenswet) and Lois Lane (Rachel Broshnan) ends with Lois questioning if Superman has the right to use his powers in geopolitical situations. A frustrated Clark yells, “I was saving lives!” Again, this resonated with me because it feels like something Superman would say, and it feels in character; he genuinely wants to use his powers to help people. That’s how he was raised! But scenes like this show that Gunn understands Superman as a character, and that he will deliver a scene that’s on par with the “World of Cardboard” scene.
Justice League Unlimited is streaming HBO Max.
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Justice League Unlimited
Sci-FiRelease Date2004 – 2005NetworkCartoon NetworkDirectorsJoaquim Dos Santos
Cast
Susan Eisenberg
Kevin Conroy
George Newbern
Where to watch