There are various threads on Clark, individual episodes, the occasional praise when he does something right, the bashing when he does something wrong, etc. The comics have waffled between portraying him as a Kryptonian, forever an outsider to the human race, a human who just happens to have powers, regardless of his upbringing, a "god" such as in Kingdom come, Batman's lackey in the current JLA series, etc.

Out of all of this, no individual writer or writers have been able to solidly, for once and for all, define what Superman IS. There's too much argument both between fans and writers as to who Clark Kent, and who Superman, really are. Is he mild mannered reporter, confident eveyguy (Byrne, Jurgens, etc). Is Superman flawed or perfect?

No one knows.

The question is, who do you think Superman is, and how he shoudl be written. Definetively, and for all time. I don't mean just Smallville, but the movies, comic books, cartoon series. Everything.

For me, Superman should be the go-to guy, the one everyone respects but no one ever SAYS is perfect, nor consciously thinks that way. He's never considered or called a god (always hated that crap). He gets things done, he embraces his Kryptonian side, instead of basically rejecting it in Post-Crises comics. As Clark Kent, he IS mild-mannered. Not a spineless tool, but never seen as very strong or confident compared to "normal" people. As well done as the marriage is done in the comics, I preferred the courtship of a nervous Clark to Lois. Not totally disrespecting Clark, but not willing to even consider it because of her fascination with Superman. Bring back some of that romantic tension, while she wants Superman, Superman IS Clark Kent on one level, and wants to love her and have her love him as Clark, not Superman.

Superman is capable of feeling fear and making mistakes, but he's not nearly as flawed or insecure as he's been portrayed post-Crises.

Like the 1st Superman movies, I guess.

Anyway, how do YOU think they should do Superman, whether on Smallville or other media?*

*No HoYay! outside of Smallville specific, okay? Thanks.

For me - similar to LnC in that he considers himself human, but has a natural curiosity towards his Kryptonian heritage. Strong, brave, honest (excepting when he's hiding his secret). Pretty close to perfect. Definitely able to feel fear (can't be brave otherwise), but never letting it rule him, even though he comes close when those he loves are in danger. I'd say he should be very secure, by and large, with his insecurities typically (though not always) relegated to being accepted as he is (either by humans or by Kryptonians), but these insecurities should never consume him - ever. Don't want Lois in love with the image whilst ignoring the real man, whichever way it goes, though admiration/short-term infatuation for character traits or physical traits would be alright.

I'm a fan of a partnership with Lois, with her in on the secret. Romance can develop from there or they can be a couple - that doesn't kill tension for me. He should have connections (friends), but only Lois and his parents should really know all of him.

He should put others before himself, generally speaking. He should care about people in general. I like him generally thinking the best of people and being an optimist, but he shouldn't be a naive idiot (it's perfectly good for him to know Lex is going to sell him out to Zod in Superman II). He should not be thoughtless or inconsiderate as a matter of course. Most of all, he should want to help people - it should be his driving motivation to help people that he sees need help. It should fulfill him, it should make him feel happy and satisfied. It should just be what he feels his purpose is.

There is something very powerful about the way the character is written by Grant Morrisson, whatever the incarnation is.

Superman is the greatest superhero, he's the best superhero, he's pretty much perfect--but he doesnt know that and it would never occur to him to believe his own press like that.

He's an outsider in a way, but thats okay, thats why he enjoys dressing up as Clark Kent so much. He gets to mingle amongst humanity but he loves it. He loves humans, not in a Doctor Who-ish "ooh, you're quite my favorite species you know", he loves people, he loves human achievement, he likes to write about it, he loves to be in the thick of things.
The reporter job is cool in a double-agent away because he gets to find out about trouble, but he also loves writing and reporting, its a good challenge because no amount of superpowers make you a good writer.
He also gets a kick of playing the mild-mannered role, especially the fact that people see through him, he uses his bumbling to help and save people without them knowing--of course he ends up looking like an idiot sometimes, but its worth it to be amongst people.

Its both a cover-up role, but there are real parts of him in there too.

He loves his parents. Both sets.
And thats all for now, but I'm surely going to add more to it.

Superman is a man of two worlds. That often gets overlooked in the rush to make him more "human." He's a product of two heritages, and as such he equally embraces and embodies the best of both while being unable to fit fully into either. That Krypton is gone forever makes it all the more important for him to try and live among humans, otherwise he'd be a total outsider. For that reason alone, he needs to be Clark Kent.

Clark needs to be different from Superman, personality-wise. Not a "mask," not a "disguise," but a face he puts on at work to keep the distinction between the two identities, not unlike the way we behave differently when we're at home or on the job or whatever. Whether he's a mild-mannered or nerdy or a hot-tempered smart mouth (George Reeves, anyone?) isn't important. What's important is that the two identities be separate from eachother in some respects. This isn't to say that one is a disguise for the other. Being a man of two worlds, he's BOTH Kal-El of Krypton and Clark Kent of Smallville. It's just that the identities represent different sides of him.

As far as character...selfless. Ferociously brave. Self-sacrificing. Fast-thinking. Completely unwilling to buckle down in the face of insurmountable odds. Treasures human life to the point where trading one life for another would be blasphemous to him. Doesn't resort to killing unless he has absolutely no other options, and in the event that he does have to kill in the line of duty, he always feels remorse. Is completely vulnerable to heartbreak, sadness, grief, regret, rage, and fear...but he knows when to stow it all and take care of business. He doesn't get bogged down in his own misery and neuroses. While he should believe in a better tomorrow and see great things on the horizon for the human race, he can't be blind to the fact that many people don't want to be better, nor should he be blind to humanity's potential--and some would say innate desire--to destroy itself. He needs to be aware of the fact that while he believes in hope, many don't, and will damn him for it (as many media commentators do when talking about the character). In that case, his mindset needs to be "I'm going to keep fighting for a better world to the bitter end, and you can go to hell if you don't like it." He's a symbol of hope for those who believe in it and those who need it. And those who don't? They just have to put up with him no matter how much they hate his guts.

As for attitude...I'm thinking Superman needs some zip here. The comics post-Crisis had a major tendency to literally make Superman a big Boy Scout, complete with total naivete and a lack of understanding about the world. When he wasn't acting like a dumb hick who just fell off the turnip truck even after years of superheroing, they made him bland. That just doesn't work. The better versions of Superman give him a much spikier personality. Kirk Alyn's Superman was a cocky wiseass. George Reeves's Superman was a bemused father figure who always got a laugh out of the silliness he was sometimes surrounded by. Chris Reeve's Superman was swaggering, confident, and aggressive. The animated Superman was a hard-headed ass-kicker. And not one of those Supermen was naive, or ignorant about the ways of the world, or hopelessly wet behind the ears. They were smart, worldly, and knew exactly what they were doing and how to do it. I personally tend to think of Superman as a kind of James T. Kirk in tights, the leader of men whose inner demons are kept behind closed doors as he charges head-on into adventure with a smile, tons of confidence, and a never-say-die state of mind. And the Golden Age Superman seemed to have more than a few hints of Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Errol Flynn in his personality, as does Kirk. So I guess what I'm trying to say is Superman needs to be a full-on, ass-kicking classic hero in the Old Hollywood mold.

Like Yannick, there's more I have to say on the topic, but that's enough for now.

So how well does the Clark Kent of Smallville fit the various molds you guys are describing? There seem to be some pretty consistent ideas here about who Superman is, or should be... does Gough and Miller's interpretation of the "Boy of Steel" measure up? I've always felt he should be a little "brainier," more academically inclined (though not a stereotypical nerd, by any means), and a lot less stubborn and quick to judge (there have been some scenes, especially in the last season or two- and especially involving a certain follically challenged billionaire- where I felt his characterization was completely off- from Superman, not necessarily from "Clark" as he's portrayed in this show). Any thoughts?

For me Smallville's Clark fits the bill SOME of the time. I think there are moments when he has "Superman" moments and then it's gone. Like after seeing Raya he was all about everything. Then it was gone. He was going after the zoners then it stopped. Sometimes he's curious about his Kryptonian heritage sometimes he hates it. In some respect I can understand that because Jor-El doesn't seem like a nice guy but I want Clark to look at his heritage as a whole not based on one man. Anyway, I have to agree with you that I wish he would not be so quick to judge, be a little smarter-academically and street sense, I want him to own up to his own mistakes, learn from them and move on, I would love for him to call people (Lana for example) on their mistakes as he does with say Lex and Chloe.

I realize he's young and no matter what is by no means perfect but I do expect him to learn from his mistakes. He's by no means Superman yet but I had hoped he would have been by now.

What made me fall in love with Superman is the fact that he having the power to literally crush stars and be totally aware of it, doesn't consider himself superior to people or entitled to judge us but part of us willing to help us, to protect us but not as a conqueror but as a friend and was totally thrilled to have the oportunity to do it. He was man with the weight of the world on his shoulders but he always managed to enjoy like as full as posible and without thinking the world owe him anything. Is true that he enjoyed the recognition but it was never about that it was about the satisfaction that his job, his mere existence, was saving someone, anyone even a villain and having the hope that no matter how long it could take us, humanity could be better and he was willingly part of our wonderful jorney.
I loved Superman and I could say that up until Promise I could see Clark having all that inside of him ready to jump out any minute, after it...Let's say the jury is still out I'm awaiting to see how he behaves on S7 to say if he will become Superman or if he will be Lana Lang's 487965123 worshiper wishing not to have powers just to be with her. :(

Not a comics!fan but I know what I like.

I always thought Clark Kent was smarter than SV!Clark. I'm not expecting a super genius inventor type but definitely someone who went to college or at the very least enjoyed learning. I expect him to be able to figure out a case by somewhat unorthodox means, above-average with maybe a twist of Sherlock Holmes & Gregory House (just a twist, I like to think Batman's the better detective). I also prefer Pulitzer Prize winners to go to college. It doesn't have to be huge university, a state school is fine. If he supposedly writes books then I prefer he's interested in reading something other than advice books.

I didn't expect him to be so dense about women. Shy is one thing but creepily obsessed with a girl who's just a pretty face, ick. I wouldn't have minded him dating a lot of girls, maybe even sleeping with someone he was upfront about his origins. I hate the idea of a whipped!Superman who seems to have bought into enjoying the white knight/DiD dynamic to such a dysfunctional extent.

I prefer Clark to be the real guy or at least as much as the guy who flies around. I actually rather hate the Kill Bill explanation where the geeky facade is a parody. I also think prefer Clark not to be as geeky as the CR version. I don't think it would be so bad just to have him be a regular Joe w/o going that far to throw people off the track. Someone mentioned Dean Cain and I think that's the look I think works.

As for a more human!Clark, I don't mind him being snarky, taking a peek at a Playboy (or Playgirl), enjoying card games for small stakes (this was actually a nice device on ST:TNG to get quite a few actors in one scene & created a life after work feel), playing practical jokes. Hobbies like drama club because he likes the attention.

I prefer Clark to have nice bio!parents not that creepy whacko computer critter in the North. They don't have to be saintly, just not going around hurting people, mind!whammying people, etc. I'd also prefer Jor-El not poking a married clone-like ancestor of a girl his son wants to bang.

I think I'd like a guy who gets something out of his chosen calling. Han Solo and Gregory House may bitch about parts of their job but you know that they get something out of it. A more joyful guy overall.

As a Superman, I'd prefer a guy who's even-tempered, stoic and compassionate. I want someone who doesn't jump to conclusion all fire and brimstone but someone who says "I trust the evidence, not gossip." When it comes to material goods, he's not greedy or power hungry because he developed an almost Zen state of mind.

Watching the Horatio Hornblower movies, I really think a good model for Superman is Horatio. He's willing to stand up to corrupt authority, speaks on behalf of his men, is smart, brave and very much a man who jumps into action w/o hesitation.

I want a good man who just happens to have more tools and a few more problems than usual.

I've been watching Superman: The Animated Series lately and though I'm not really big on comics, and really only have things like the movies as a basis for my idea of Superman, the one thing I've realized that both Superman Returns and Smallville is missing, is that Clark Kent should love life.

Not that he should be all high on life, or jokey, but he should simply enjoy being. Being alive, being around, having friends. There is this sense of joy in other versions of Clark Kent that I don't get from this one. And I know SV!Clark has had a lot of hardships in his life but he should triumph over adversity and not wallow in it. His positivity should be annoying in its infectiousness, not because it's overtly there (and its not so obvious since he's just simply a positive guy with no need to show it off).

And I know people talk a lot about how things shouldn't be held against Clark since he's not Superman yet. But this isn't something for Superman, this is something for Clark. Being trained away from humanity by a potentially insane computer will not teach him to be happy and joyful, it cannot. Even something like justice and morality could be "learned" later (arguable, I know), but the positivity of Clark Kent has to be part of who he is by the age of 20.

There are other problems, of course, but that cool positivity is something that is really striking me as I make my way through TAS.

I am not impressed with the Clark of Smallville. Early in the series, Clark was full of potential. Clark was innocent and naive, but good hearted. From that starting point, I could see that Clark Kent eventually becoming Superman. However, things didn't turn out as I hoped. I just don't think SV's Clark was developed in a logical way. From S3 on, his path has gone almost in circles and often his development went in the wrong direction.

After six seasons, I find SV's Clark not particularly mature, in a superhero sort of way. Why is it that his middle age mother has decided to move on to bigger things like becoming a U.S. senator while a young Clark is satisfied to be in Smallville and is going nowhere fast?

You might have assumed that the passing of Jonathan and Clark's encounters with the Green Arrow, Flash, etc. would have prompted Clark to think bigger and to move on to greater things. But that has not been the case.

I agree with a lot of the other posters about how Superman should be portrayed. But I can't envision SV's Clark really taking on those qualities mentioned in the other posts and thus becoming Superman. After six seasons, Clark seems lost in the wilderness. SV's Clark thinks small, and he's petty and mopey.

In the Superman movie, Jonathan helped mold Clark and gave him moral guidance. There was a line in the movie (I looked at the script from that movie) where Jonathan tells Clark, "And I know now that as sure as we're gonna see the moon tonight there's a reason why you're here. Don't ask me what reason, don't ask me whose reason. But whoever, and whatever, there's one I do know... It ain't to score touchdowns."

When Jonathan was gone, Clark spent years at the Fortress of Solitude learning from Jor-el. Jor-el tells Clark, "You can only become inferior by setting yourself above them. Lead by inspiration. Let your actions and ideals become a touchstone against which mankind may learn how to serve the common good." There were other lessons like that. Jor-el reinforced and expanded what Jonathan instilled in Clark. The movie did it right in how they portrayed Clark's development.

In Smallville, with Jonathan no longer around, and without a SV equivalent to the Jor-el of the movie (and with Martha off in Washington), who's going to help push Clark in the direction of superhero greatness -- to be the Superman that so many posters expect. It seems to me that if you think logically about it, TW's Clark is destined to be a Smallville farmer, albeit with superpowers, who will continue to obsess over a squirrel, er I mean, you know who.

But, of course, Smallville before it concludes, will just force down our throats Clark's transformation from the patheticness that he is now to superhero status. And we're suppose to buy it.

I think I agree with everything said here about Superman's character. The big problem is that Smallville has taken Clark so far away from what he should be that I don't think it is possible to turn him into the Superman you all have described so well. Based upon the information we have received about Season 7, there is no way this Clark Kent will become the Superman he should be.

Reading through some Superman panels on livejournal, it suddenly struck me that the characterisation of Clark on Smallville DOES match up with the comics' portrayal of Superboy. Only, at a rather earlier age...

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/6197170.html

Thanks for that, Cosanostra. It made Monday morning much more bearable.

Apparently Baby!Clark grows up to be Neanderthal!Clark. RepairmanBob is prescient.

No worries, Independent. Made my monday happier too when I found it.

I like that the children in the comic all talk like Bizarro used to. Hmm, rather glad they dropped that for Bizarro in Smallville. Whatever his other crimes-against-dialogue, at least he doesn't say "Me love Lana" or similar.

And, yup, Neanderthal!Clark pretty much sums up SV's take on him. I wish they'd make him slightly less of a stupid head, if only because no one in their right mind would hire that oaf for an important city's main newspaper. Though, as the thread about that points out (I forget its name), the hiring criteria of SV's Daily Planet does seem to be slightly more lax than most blogs.

Here's somthing that let you kinda decide how Smallville should be betrayed.It’s a website that lets you take clips from the seventh season of Smallville, along with music and sound effects, to create your own trailer.  Then you can submit your trailer to a contest where the prize is a nokia phone and a TV.  Check it out and let me know what you think.
 
http://smallvilletrailermaker.warnerbros.com/main.html

Like a true hero

I always preferred the version of the character that gets hired solely on the basis of being able to get the Superman interview. That sort of characterization makes Clark Kent a little less perfect and a little more interesting. Also, the fact that he was a bit competitive and machiavellian as a reporter made his relationship with Lois more fun. Who wouldn't hate a guy who never seemed to leave the office, but always manged to file the big stories before you even got a chance to sit at the type writer? Superman was such a cheater.

My take on Superman:
There's a man named Clark Kent who works as a reporter in Metropolis. He was raised on a farm in Kansas by two genuinely good and decent people. He frequently puts on a brightly-coloured costume and fights crime under the code name "Superman". He can do this because he's an alien, born on the planet Krypton, with superhuman powers. The Kryptonians may look just like humans but they had an utterly alien culture, and they'd find the whole superhero idea both ridiculous and disgusting. They don't get a vote, though, since Krypton was destroyed just after Clark left, killing every Kryptonian and every Kryptonian animal. Clark knows his Kryptonian name and the name "Krypton" itself, and that's the limit of his alien heritage. Everything he does, the entire Superman persona, comes from being raised by two Americans with their own culture of public service and self-sacrifice. So Superman is not ethically or culturally unusual - there are millions of people who are just as good and noble as he is, for the same reasons. It's just that he's the only bulletproof one.

Your take on Superman fits SVClark Kent. He's morally skewed at times. I hate that about him. I would say if Jonathan was alive, he would not approve. I miss Jonathan Kent.


Except for: Kara, The two evil kryptonians that came in the second shower, Dax-ur, Raya, and all the Kryptonians in the phantm zone. Smallville really should stop saying that Clark Kent is the last son of Krypton. Or maybe it's like Brainiac said: "A Superior race is hard to eradicate" (paraphrased).

That's not quite what I'm saying. Superman really is as consistently good as the classic image of him. It's just that that's the human part of him, caused by his upbringing. Even in the real world, there are people who behave like that. Superman is just a version of them who can fight evil in a more spectacular way.