Superman vs. Spiderman: The Real American Superhero?

The gamut of superheroes cherished by America is a vast, varied one. There are G.I. Josephs. There are so-called “captains of America”. There are human torches. There are even redheaded, curly haired, 80s TV stars. But if one were to push aside all of the lousy super heroes, all of the wash-ups and the copycats, the batmen and the wonder women, they would find the cream of the crop: Superman and Spiderman. These two masters of mental and physical stamina stay on top of their game more than any other. Each of them having lost their parents during their formative years, the truest sons of America were raised by Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam. Neck and neck, these elite superheroes have been fighting for decades for the top spot. It is now time to answer this age-old question: Who is the Real American Superhero?

Superman, was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton. His father and mother, along with the rest of his native planet, were killed when Krypton’s sun died; Kal-El was just an infant. Luckily, for the readers, Kal-El’s father sent him to Earth in an escape rocket, inadvertently creating one of the most important superheroes known to man. Superman’s rocket landed in Smallville, an average little town in America. He was adopted by two small town folks, Martha and Jonathan Kent, who, amazed by his superhuman strength, decided that they would adopt him and raise him as their own. Kal-El, who was renamed Clark Kent, made a fabulous transition from an otherworldly baby into a small town American citizen. Little by little, he would discover previously untapped powers, such as the ability to fly, and x-ray and laser vision. A classic example of the American immigrant, Superman was born of a foreign planet, but, like most immigrants, he was readily accepted into the American culture, because, in the end, no one is really from America. Superman is a historical artifact, the last remnants of a destroyed planet. If he were to immerse himself, alone, in his forgotten culture, Superman would surely go mad, and perhaps, with this in mind, he decided to abandon his homeland to protect his new planet of residence, never forgetting the tragedy that struck his infancy.

Emotionally, Superman is a rock, only slightly faltering when Lois Lane, his significant other, is in trouble. He is the model American man: muscular, tall, dark, and handsome. Created during the Great Depression, Superman originally started off facing local cronies, eventually moving on to bigger baddies, like Bizarro and Lex Luthor. He has embodied the resistance against fears that America has, and his job, a news reporter, is just another example of the services he provides to the people of Metropolis. In short, Superman is the perfect policeman, an ideal defender of the people.

Superman is written in such a fashion that he represents perfection, almost robotically; he is only slightly human in his choices. When Superman died (for a short time) in 1993 and was replaced by a robot (for an even shorter time), it said a great deal about his character. He was never really human; just a taskmaster, trying to create peace in a world that he is foreign to, using Clark Kent, a regular American man, as a mask that he has to put on to fit in. This next superhero is a regular American man, who uses an actual mask to protect his identity of a regular American citizen.

Peter Parker was born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. His parents were both killed in an accident that varies from book to book. As a result of this teenage tragedy, he spent his late childhood, up until he was about fifteen, living with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. During his teenage years, two things happened to Peter that would change his life forever: his uncle Ben was killed, and a radioactive spider bit Peter on the hand during a class trip. With his unconventional family situation, Peter represents the new, alternative American teenage boy. The real lesson that came out of the tragedy of Ben’s death, a reoccurring phrase in the Spiderman universe, was originally said by Uncle Ben: “With great power, comes great responsibility”, a symbol of the American burden. A part of being a citizen in America, a country full of freedom, is using the power responsibly that is given to you, in order to better the nation.

Spiderman represents the ability to stand up in the face of adversity. He is not passive, because he knows of his cosmic duty. His life was interrupted by this genetic disfiguration and, like an American with an opportunity, he seized it, using it for the greatest good. Peter is burdened by his powers, but would never stop protecting society, for this would mean betrayal of his uncle, and betrayal of his country.

Superman is iconic. He is perfect in every way. He is who we want to be. Spiderman is who we are. We are the lost boy in Queens, NY, who suffers death, stifles thoughts of revenge, of hatred. Superman has always been a man for the people, but he has never really been a man of the people. So, day after day, Peter Parker, a normal person, just like you and I, who could have lived a safe, normal life, swings through the urban jungles of our homeland from one arachnidan vine to the other, sacrificing himself for the lives of others. That is a true hero.