I don't remember where exactly I read/heard this but it left quite an impact on me, and for reasons that are beyond me I found myself remembering it today and replaying the entire monologue in my head.
Superman is unique in his status as a superhero. A normal superhero dresses up to be able to use his powers, being a superhero is his "alter ego", a secret identity that usually reflects what he believes a superhero should look and behave like, in a way he builds this alter ego to be better than his normal self and to match his perception of other superheros he knows about.
What sets Superman apart is that he's had his powers since birth, even his outfit is what he had in the pod he landed on earth in. Actually he had to invent an "alter ego" to blend in with the rest of normal humans, the alter ego he invented matched his perceptions of how a normal human being looks and behaves. To understand his perceptions all you need to do is to check his invented alter ego Clark Kent is weak, shy, wears glasses, helpless, coward and whenever anything happens he is the first to run. That is how we look to him and hence Clark Kent had all these traits, in a way Clark Kent summarises what a visiting alien would think of us as human beings.
**update**
I found the quote still I dont recall where I read or heard it, however the source is Wired magazine's "The Myth of Superman"
Superman is unique in his status as a superhero. A normal superhero dresses up to be able to use his powers, being a superhero is his "alter ego", a secret identity that usually reflects what he believes a superhero should look and behave like, in a way he builds this alter ego to be better than his normal self and to match his perception of other superheros he knows about.
What sets Superman apart is that he's had his powers since birth, even his outfit is what he had in the pod he landed on earth in. Actually he had to invent an "alter ego" to blend in with the rest of normal humans, the alter ego he invented matched his perceptions of how a normal human being looks and behaves. To understand his perceptions all you need to do is to check his invented alter ego Clark Kent is weak, shy, wears glasses, helpless, coward and whenever anything happens he is the first to run. That is how we look to him and hence Clark Kent had all these traits, in a way Clark Kent summarises what a visiting alien would think of us as human beings.
**update**
I found the quote still I dont recall where I read or heard it, however the source is Wired magazine's "The Myth of Superman"
Other heroes are really only pretending: Peter Parker plays Spider-Man; Bruce Wayne plays Batman. For Superman, it’s mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent that’s the disguise – the thing he aspires to, the thing he can never be. He really is that hero, and he’ll never be one of us. But we love him for trying. We love him for wanting to protect us from everything, including his own transcendence. He plays the bumbling, lovelorn Kent so that we regular folks can feel, just for a moment, super.
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