And because Superman to me has always been somewhat like "God" - that is, he is superhumanly powerful and he is, supposedly at least, very benevolent - I frankly want to take him to task when he does something which is unacceptable to me. I want to remind him who he is supposed to be, or at least, who I think he should be! I don't want to be someone who condones him whatever he does, the way those pastors condoned genocide if it was ordered by God!
Yes but why is Superman good? If he just is infallible caring and nice because he just is, you make Clarks’ character smaller then it has to be. IMO.
Clark isn’t human, there is really no practical reason to why he shouldn’t impose his will on humanity. In many ways he is like a lion cub that has been brought up by humans, He identifies himself and his values with his surrogates out of habit, but just like a lion there really is no natural reason to why he shouldn’t prey on them. Would the lion be evil for doing this? I don’t think so. Clark could have anything he desire and this is what the US with it’s reverence for individual achievement would encourage him to get, instead Clark has chosen something else, I picture Clark as someone that has thought extensively on these questions and decided that there some places his thoughts are not allowed to go.
Consider the episode "And the Answer Is", where Superman froze Lois and risked her life in order to get his parents back. What if he hadn't managed to bring her back? Would that have made him guilty of her death? Yes, in my opinion, it would have. If someone else had caused the death of someone by carrying out a highly risky, unathorized expreiment, would they have been punished by the law?
I don’t think ATAI is an example of bad Clark, Lois devices a plan to assist Clark’s parents. We know it’s risky, but so is Jonathan and Marthas situation. (IF we ignore giant plotholes like that Clark knows who is accountable for their kidnapping.
) Anyway, who is he to deny her the opportunity to save his parents lives? I suppose he could have come clear with her here, but this is not really a time for telling his life story to Lois. A decision has to be made.
(I must say that Terry’s story "She's" was a masterstroke in the angst department. Clark knowing without a doubt the depths of her love, without the opportunity to coming clean with her and being responsible for her death, forever wondering if he really chose his parents lives over hers.)
I view Superman’s legal situation as this: In the show(and many fics) we see in several instances how Superman is subject to the legal framework. To me, this makes little sense. IF superman was real and there was no way to force him to comply with human law, there would be a huge reluctance to make him answer for it.
I mean presently he zooms around doing major rescue work for some reason, do you really want to nag about his shortcomings? What if he won’t be there when the next hurricane hit your country if he finds your government ungrateful? What if takes up world domination as a hobby instead?
I cannot see a court daring to challenge him on anything, unless it beyond doubt that his intent was malicious and then it would be a national security issue, not a legal one.
And yes I think people would judge him very differently then if a human being or agency did the same thing. Which Clark would know and abhor.
This is why I find MLT take on Clark’s reaction in the “people vs Clark Kent”, spot on. Here Clark simply pleads guilty to killing Jefferson Cole. Everyone think he is nuts because, no jury would have convicted him of second degree murder when they heard the whole story. But this is irrelevant to Clark because he knows that he always would have a way to get out of it.(even without using his powers). Only he can dispense justice on himself. He put this even over his concern for his pregnant wife.
Btw MLT, I'm sorry to hear about your pain.
