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Superman: The Comic Book's Messiah

What Makes a Man "Super"?

"I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're out there, please save me Superman!"

These are the words spoken by one of the world's greatest minds: Homer. No, not Homer the famous Greek poet. Homer Simpson, the famous cartoon. Although done in satire, Homer Simpson speaks a truth that has presented itself in modern American media. Superman — tights, cape, and all — has actually become a Christ figure in our culture. But how and why did Superman take on a Christ-like image? As an avid comic book fan and a self-proclaimed nerd, I have taken it upon myself to try to answer these questions for my own personal amusement (and hopefully yours too).

I think the best way to see how and why Superman has evolved in this way is to begin by looking into his origins. The name "super-man" originally came from the German philosopher Fredrick Nietzsche. He coined the phrase Übermensch which meant "over-man" or "super-man." Nietzsche envisioned the Übermensch as the perfect man who would not have to adhere to normal human codes of morality. This type of philosophy gave way to ideas of a "master race," which Hitler pushed for during his reign in Germany.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, an American writer and illustrator, believed that the perfect man, or "Superman," would not transcend moral codes, but would uphold them to the highest of standards. In the 1930s, Siegel and Shuster originally imagined Superman as a telepathic villain, but in response to Nietzsche and the Anti-Semitism in Germany, the two Jewish creators re-envisioned Superman as a strongman-type-hero along the same lines as Hercules and Samson.¹ Many specifics of Superman's story resemble that of Greek gods and heroes from the Old Testament.

Semitic Roots

Superman's origin story is most comparable to that of Moses. The back stories of both the comic hero and his Israelite counterpart are very similar. Superman, like Moses, was sent away from danger as a child in a capsule and then later adopted by foreign or "alien" parents. But Moses was sent away to avoid infanticide, whereas Superman was sent away (to earth) because his home planet, Krypton, was about to explode. Superman does not go on to lead his people to a promised land, but the fact that he is an alien trying to go unnoticed in a foreign society is something that Jews assimilated into Protestant America during the early 20th century could relate with. This has sparked a long-time debate as to whether or not Superman is Jewish or Christian.²

It is traditionally held that Clark Kent, Superman's secret identity, is a Methodist from Middle-America because many storylines show him seeking advice from pastors and celebrating Christmas with his adopted family. Some argue that this Christian aspect of the character is just another way of showing the Jewish culture's assimilation into Christian America. The strongest argument for this thesis is that Superman is not a hero when he is acting as "Christian Clark Kent," but only when he is acting as his true self, the alien.

Much of Superman's original Kryptonian religion is similar to Judaism.³ Both religions are monotheistic — the Jews worship Yahweh and the Kryptonians' god is named Rao. In the same vein, a prophet named Jaf-el, an Abrahamic figure, told everybody Rao was the only god and the creator of the sun. Also, Superman's original Kryptonian name, Kal-el, is very similar to the Hebrew name Kol-el, meaning "voice of God."

Because of these compelling links to the Jewish tradition, Superman has often been equated to a golem (pronounced goilem). A golem is a mythical being which comes from the clay of the earth and defends and serves Jews, especially during times of extreme persecution.⁴

Superman has always fought for truth, justice and the American way, but many times he has been quick to battle Anti-Semitism. Throughout his story, we've seen America's greatest superhero fight the Nazis three years before the U.S. even entered World War II. Superman also took on a fictional version of the Ku Klux Klan in 1946, years before the 60s civil rights movements and the decline of the KKK. I think this all points to something greater and can give us more insight into Superman becoming a messianic figure.

The Makings of a Messiah

Many mythical heroes have gone through forms of deification. A common theme in the deification of Greek heroes is the star as a sign in the sky. Usually during the arrival of a hero, a star will appear. We all know that the star of Bethlehem shone brightly around the time of Jesus' birth. Coincidently, when Kal-el's capsule landed on earth, it was during a meteor shower, a bunch of falling stars.

Another theme that presents itself in Middle Eastern messianic stories is that of solitude. Muhammad at Mount Hira, Moses in the desert, and Jesus in the wilderness are all examples. Likewise, Superman often retreats to his hideout, the Fortress of Solitude. These are just some of the similarities the Superman mythos has with other ancient figures, but the parallels between Superman and Christ are even greater in number.

When Superman: The Movie came out in 1978, Superman's father, Jar-el, says to him "[Humans] can be a great people … They only lack the light to show the way … I've sent them you, my only son." In Hebrew, "El" refers to God, which would point to Jar-el being a heavenly/unearthly father who sends his only son to show mankind "the way" — just like Jesus and His heavenly father.

Also, the story of death and resurrection are a reoccurring motif in Superman's story. In the 1993 comic series, Superman exerts all of his energy battling a seemingly undefeatable alien called Doomsday. It appeared that Superman had died, and the world mourned the loss of its greatest hero by burying him underneath a monument. Surprisingly, within days the tomb was empty and Superman was back out fighting crime. The same type of story appears in the 2006 movie, Superman Returns, when the Man of Steel exerts his energy hurling an island into outer space and then falls to earth, his body landing in the shape of a cross. After this, he goes into a coma and there are three distinct scenes of him in the hospital before disappearing to once again fight crime. Even though this movie clearly portrays the resurrection theme, its main goal is to show what happens when a long awaited messiah returns.⁵

The Perfect Hero

The illustrations of how Superman resembles Christ seem very clear: he is of Jewish origin, has been deified, sent by an unearthly father to save mankind, and has "died," risen and come again. But why has the Man of Steel been given these traits over the years? To refer back to Superman Returns — Superman's absence on earth drives Lois Lane to write a book titled Why the World Doesn't Need Superman.

To refute this point, Superman takes Lois high above the earth to where he watches and listens over all of humanity. He says to her, "You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior, but every day I hear people crying out for one." Superman has just given a solid observation of the world. From there, we can begin to develop what kind of savior the world needs.

C O F F E E  S H O P

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What do you think of Darby's conclusion that Superman is a Christ figure?

Join the discussion!

Superman is the archetypal superhero; he is brave, honest, unstoppable and the bar by which all other superheroes are compared. I think writers and readers alike have come up with specific expectations for a perfect hero. They have seen that the world is evil and corrupt, therefore the savior cannot be of-the-world in order to save it. But, the savior must live among and commune with the world so we can relate with him and he with us. Also, they know good must always overcome evil and the perfect hero must be willing to give his life so that the world can live. And above all, a super-man must give people hope that he will always be there — that not even the grave can hold him.

All this being said, we live in the real world, not a comic book. Who is our hero? Who will save us? Do not despair — even Superman is shadowed by his own paradigm. The perfect hero is our hero, Jesus Christ.