Superman: 75 Years of the World's Greatest Superhero

       

          

               Seventy-Five years ago, my favorite hero of all time was created, Superman, and all these years later, The Man of Steel is just as super. He is one of the most recognizable heroes in the world, and his "S" shield is one of the most recognizable icons right behind the Cross. What makes him so super that he is still relevant today? The powers? The costume? Is it because he is faster than a speeding bullet? More powerful than a locomotive? Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Not at all. It’s because of his impact on a person. The best Superman comics, in my opinion, are the ones that don’t focus on him as the hero who takes out the giant monster, but as the hero who walks the streets, doing the little things. Superman is in every sense, immortal. So how do you make an immortal hero relatable? You don’t strip him of his powers. You don’t make him lose everything. You make him the man who helps a girl get her cat out of a tall tree. You make him the man who visits people that are sick and cares for them. You have him be there for the little kid who was bullied. You have him be there for the little crimes, not just the giant “End of the World” Crises’. Most importantly, no matter how invulnerable he may be, you show that a Man of Steel can cry. That he can have his heart broken. You show that he has problems like everyone else, and showing that even with these problems, he will still do what is right. He will still be what we all desperately need him to be. That is what makes a Superman story so compelling, and so relevant after all of these years.

 

        

At his core, Superman isn’t a hero. He’s a symbol of the virtues we should all live by. He’s a symbol of promise for a better tomorrow. He’s a symbol of hope that people can always do the right thing. So here is to every man, woman, boy, or girl, who knows and recognizes what the “S” means, and what it symbolizes. Here’s to doodling the “S” in your notebook in school, or in your notepad at work. Here’s to the kids and kids at heart who would hide under their blankets with a flashlight at night reading about the new adventures of Superman. Here’s to those who wore the symbol with pride, who fought to get where they are, who do the right thing. Here’s to all of those, working for a better tomorrow, and here’s to all those, who like me, will continue to believe, no matter your age, that Superman, is one of the greatest symbols of all time, and who will continue to believe that Superman is real. Just look around you when you’re out with your friends, when you see a good deed being done, or when you do one yourself, and trust me, you’ll find him.

          I could go on and on about my love for the character, but rather than do that I figured I would end this brief post with an awesome video that I came across earlier today. So with that, I hope you enjoyed this post, and here's to another 75 years of The Man of Tomorrow!