Perhaps that's why the writers had Jonathan Kent die in such a manner as he did on the show - Clark not using his powers, not showing what he could do, even at the expense of his adopted father's life. (And I have to agree with the previous posters that the set-up was lame, very lame. The family dog? Come on! :shock;
Oh, I know. It was pathetic. But I will say that Jonathan didn't want Clark to use his powers, so at least he didn't have a double-standard where it suddenly became okay to risk Clark's secret when it was his own life on the line.
Does this correlate to America of the 1930's and post-WWII, when we were the good guys (Superman not killing) and now we are doing some ethically dubious things (pick the political program of your choice)? Have we, the country, lost our innocence as well? [Frown]
I think squeaky-clean, non-killing-Superman came in the 40s (maybe the radio show developed it because parents heard it, unlike with comics? or did the comics do it first?), but am not sure. I've definitely seen other people on the Internet reference him killing in the early comics. Of course, he also didn't have nearly the amount of power in the early comics. He wasn't nearly strong, didn't have supervision (much less X-ray vision), etc. When a being has that much of power advantage, they don't
have to kill anyone - it's too easy to disarm and capture their opponent. They took that advantage away here. I don't mind it, myself, but I'm not a die-hard Superman fan (more of a Lois and Kent-family fan, usually). I want him to be good, to not kill needlessly, but I'm okay with it if they write him into a corner, as they did here. Better that he kill the killer than let the killer kill others.
And, as has been mentioned elsewhere, Ursa and Zod got thrown into deep pits in Superman II - and that would seem deadly (and unnecessary, as they were depowered). But then there's the UNused arrest footage.
leaves a trail of miraculous rescues (I like this, it's sort of like our LnC Clark) where he has to move on because people are getting suspicious
Absolutely love that he does that. He wants to save people. He chooses his way over Jonathan's, in that regard. But do you think he's using his real name when working those other jobs? I was thinking not, because then Lois wouldn't have had to track him as much, but am not positive. That goes back to the "permanence" thing I mentioned in my other post.
there was an absolutely insane amount of property destruction
Oh, I know, I got so tired of it. And then when they move to a new section of the city, it seems the residents don't know what's going on in the other section of the city. Big city. I also noticed there didn't seem to be any tv news people trying to get in on the scene - I don't think there are any public photos or video of Superman yet.
Lois finding out on her own, and tracking Clark down before he's "out" as Superman. It shows that she deserves her Pulitzer Prize. She's not galactically stupid; she's the one who finds out things first.
Oh, I love that. I love her being in on things from the start. She comes off as just brilliant and talented and very good at what she does. Plus it gets rid of treading the same "she swoons over me in my other outfit" story. And she was literally only minutes behind him getting into the spacehip - I love that.
I really like that it enables honesty and trust in their relationship from day 1. I was just thinking about this because I read a MOS fic where Lois thinks how she always believes what Clark says, and also I watched '78 Superman earlier today and Superman there says "I never lie" which is an absolutely huge lie.
It also puts the more equal footing. It doesn't have him with all the power and the knowledge and her the crushing (and very overwhelmed, at first) school girl. Yes, he saves his life as soon as he sees her, but he does it as man, not a superman. He's in normal clothes, he's holding her hand, and he's talking to her like a normal person instead of spouting one-liners. He's physically close to her, and she can see his face, and will know him when she sees him again, and that's vulnerability, a risk he takes when he saves lives. He's
not larger than life to her despite his powers. Once she investigates him, she discovers his rescue of her is not a fluke. She knows the kind of man he is by his deeds. And she holds his secret and he just has to trust she'll do the right thing with it, and she will. He says he can disappear, but he can't, because his nature won't let him stand by when people are in danger, and she knows that. And, though her keeping that secret, he knows the kind of person she is. It's a very solid foundation for their relationship, IMO.
Clark getting up from the interrogation table and casually breaking the handcuffs
I liked that, I really did, but I liked the conversation while he was still handcuffed even better. He was just making them comfortable and Lois knew it and it just lovely. They had no idea the powers he had - flight was all they'd seen.
the communication tech in the war room - "They're calling him Superman now" (but we know that Lois said it first in the interrogation room, she just got interrupted)
Yeah, Lois was one the party sending the message, so I assume she told the Colonel that's what he was called and that's what the Colonel said the communication tech.
Wonder what Lois' colleagues think of her kissing "the alien" when they see it? I mean, he's not "Superman" in the public consciousness yet. Though I'd think Perry, at least, would know he was Lois' rescuer, and a good guy, not bad like Zod.