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Comics

• Alas, Poor Scrappy: Supeboy-Prime's apparent demise in Blackest Night. Of course, it might not have happened. The Legion Threeboot featured a very creative storyteller who looked just like Superboy in one issue, and we now know the Threeboot took place on Earth-Prime.
• Alternate Character Interpretation: The debate has raged for years over who is the real personality, Superman or Clark Kent?
  • Pre-Crisis Superman was very much the dominant personality, with Clark Kent as mask he puts on in order to "hide." He noticeably wasn't very committed to it, as the Clark Kenting trope is quick to point out, and several times tried to just give up on the persona and be Superman 24/7
  • The idea that Superman was the dominant personality was theorized by Jules Feiffer, whose words were paraphrased by Bill the Snakecharmer in Kill Bill Vol. 2.
    • While that was the case in The Silver Age of Comic Books, several Bronze Age stories, most notably the "Mr. Xavier Saga" (no relation), came to the conclusion that he valued both identities equally, and felt miserable and stressed whenever he was forced to neglect either for an extended period of time. Without Clark, he had no way to ever relax; and without Superman, he couldn't help people in danger.
    • One good story involved a pair of gambling aliens separating Clark and Superman. All that happened was that there was two Supermans, and that when one of them was Clark the other felt compelled to be Superman, and vice versa.
  • Post-Crisis is the opposite, Clark is the dominant personality with no knowledge or memories of Krypton until well into his adult years and after he started operating as a super hero. This means that Clark comes off as a far more assertive and aggressive person than the Pre-Crisis "wimp." This makes Superman come off as stiff and artificial because, as Clark puts it, "Clark is who I am, Superman is what I can do."
  • Modern writers now suggest that there are actually three personalities, the first is Clark at home, who is a decent, normal guy like any other. Then there is Clark at the Daily Planet, still a nice guy if occasionally clumsy and a little goofy, likes to play things safe but also an ace reporter and Deadpan Snarker par excellence. Finally there is Superman, who is every inch The Cape (trope) and honestly believes in Truth and Justice, almost to a fault. He sees Krypton as his birthright, but not his home and tries to bring the best of that society to Earth while trying to steer away from its shortcomings.
• Complaining About Shows You Don't Watch: Most haters of Superman argue that he is too powerful and boring, what they fail to realize is that Superman fights enemies that are just as powerful if not stronger, making the stories larger than life and is exactly what makes him so appealing.
• Complete Monster: While Superboy Prime was a Jerkass Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds before, there is no excuse for his actions in Countdown to Final Crisis. Of course, this is Countdown we're talking about. Ignoring this, how much of a monster the kid is seems to vary.
  • Brainiac has been one since his introduction in 1958. When the Silver Age version is so evil that Superman has to resort to deadly force, you know he qualifies, and it seems like each new version has tried to up the ante.
  • At times, Lex Luthor is this Depending on the Writer.
  • Mongul for sure, given his obsession with murdering and mind raping others.
  • Doomsday was very much this in his first appearance, though his psychotic mindset is very understandable considering that he was created by Bertron, a mad scientist who cloned thousands of babies and let them all die various ways in order to create an ultimate life-form.
• Continuity Porn: Any story by E. Nelson Bridwell, proud and joyful Bronze Age King of the Promoted Fanboys! A fellow who loved his job.
• Crazy Awesome: That time Bizarro managed to assemble an army of Supergirls from across the multiverse.
  • Vartox
• Crowning Moment of Awesome: Superman's Shut UP, Hannibal to Manchester Black: "Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul, I swear... until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice becomes the reality we all share - I'll never stop fighting. Ever."
  • Meta-example - The Superman radio show fought the resurrection of the Ku Klux Klan. And defeated the real one's attempted post-War revival.
• Crowning Moment Of Funny: Yellow Lantern.
  • And Pink Kryptonite. Lookin' pretty hot there, Jimmy.
• Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: Considering Superman's idealistic nature, he's prone to causing a whole lot... but let's face it, one of the biggest one has got to be the Kents' discovery and adoption of the infant Kal-El, regardless of the version of it.
• Dork Age (Superman transforming into an electrical being, then splitting into Red and Blue Superman.)
• Fridge Logic: How the hell is Superman vulnerable to his own planet?
  • We are also vulnerable to portions of our own planet that are radioactive.
  • Kryptonite has been subject to so much Fridge Logic over the years (like how you can just about buy it on any street corner on earth by now, etc..) that it's best to mutter Bellisario's Maxim and move on...
  • Symbolism-He's an immigrant to America, kryptonite is the old country.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: In a letter at Superman: Man of Tomorrow #3 a couple of readers said that it would be cool, if Lex Luthor killed Superman and took over his titles, like Action Comics. What do you know, fifteen years later the second part of their wish came true. And it was awesome.
• Ho Yay: His comments about how Jimmy looked in a bow-tie were not subtle. This is arguably a variation on Kissing Under the Influence since he had just been exposed to pink Kryptonite.
  • This was an intentional spoof of Silver Age Values Dissonance.
• Memetic Mutation: Lex Luthor stole forty cakes. And That's Terrible.
  • Pre-internet memes from Superman include:
    • Kryptonite, as a object/substance/etc. that the forms the fatal weakness of someone. Similar to an Achilles' heel, but that's more Attack Its Weak Point.
    • Superheroes wearing their underwear on the outside.
    • Clark Kenting, keeping a Secret Identity through a disguise that's not even paper thin.
    • The terms "superpowers" and "superhero". Before Superman, they were "mystery men" who had "extra-normal abilities" or similar terms. Superman introduced the all-purpose "super" prefix.
    • "It's a bird! It's a plane!" And it's variation "Is it a bird? Is it a plane?".
• Motive Decay: After his brain damage was cured by the demon Neron in Underworld Unleashed, Atomic Skull has mainly appeared as just a superpowered thug-for-hire without any real motives.
  • After getting her book, Silver Banshee now goes around causing trouble for no reason, and her tribe seems to have been forgotten. She can now be motivated by money, as well.
  • Originally, Prime wanted to replace New Earth with a "perfect" Earth—Earth-Prime. When he found out this was impossible, he just wanted to destroy everything.
    • Justified, 'cause when Prime tried his hand at bringing the end of the world, he wasn't exactly thinking straight. Later his goals changed depending on the cicrumstances he found himself in.
• Moral Event Horizon: In every one of his appearances, Superboy-Prime ends up finding new and horrific ways to become more and more of a Complete Monster.
  • "Did he just kill a pregnant chick? Not cool man"
  • When Alexander. Jr killed Pariah
    • And being a Manipulative Bastard to Superboy Prime.
  • General Sam Lee crossed this in War of New Krypton
  • Zod tried to kill his son to make an example out of him.
  • Luthor, after curing his sister of a disease, made her ill again just to prove he could.
• Newer Than They Think: Lex Luthor. Many villains of a certain type - Corrupt Corporate Executive Karma Houdini Magnificent Bastards, generally bald - have been described as Lex Luthor Expys on this site. Norman Osborn and Obadiah Stane, for example. However, Luthor was only a Corrupt Corporate Executive Karma Houdini after the Crisis in 1986. For most of the character's history he was a Mad Scientist driven to criminality by his hatred of Superman rather than the other way around. If anything, he is an Expy of the Green Goblin rather than the other way around.
• The Scrappy: Jimmy Olsen, Superboy Prime.
  • As of Blackest Night, Prime may become a decent character.
  • In universe example, Mr. Mxyzptlk, also The Unpronounceable. Even the other characters think he's an annoying little snit. In reality, he's one of Supes's most famous enemies.
• Stoic Woobie: When Lois at one point breaks off their engagement and returns his ring (with fair cause; marrying Supes is a daunting prospect for a dozen reasons), a brokenhearted Superman flies out to the middle of the Atlantic to try to calm down. There he bumps into Lori Lemaris of Atlantis, his ex-girlfriend, and confides in her how frustrating it is that he's the only man in the world who can never allow himself to get angry. He chucks the ring miles over the horizon. Then Lori asks, "Wasn't that Ma Kent's engagement ring?" Supes realizes she's right and bolts off over the horizon to retrieve it.
• Straw Man Has a Point: Superman in the Action Comics comic Muscles For Money. Sure he was being a jerk, but his argument that he deserves a reward for all his good deeds does have merit.
• Tear Jerker: The Death and Return of Superman arc. Especially having to do with his parents is almost hard to read.

Film

• Anvilicious: Superman IV: nuclear weapons are bad! Did you get it?
• Awesome Anachronistic Apparel: Clark Kent's suit and hat are very fifties, yet he manages to look dashing in them.
• Complete Monster: Lex pretty much turns into one in Returns.

Kitty: Will this really kill billions of people? Lex: *nonchalantly, while lighting a cigar* Yes.

• • He was already a total sociopath by the first movie, albeit a much more hammy and comical one.

Superman: Is this how you get your kicks, Luthor? By planning the deaths of innocent people? Lex Luthor: *nonchalantly* No... by causing the deaths of innocent people.

• Crowning Music of Awesome: That opening fanfare.
  • You can almost hear the words -- "Look, up in the sky, there he is! Look, up in the sky, Superman!"
  • No, no... it's "Look, up in the sky! Way up high! Who flies so high? SUPERMAN!"
  • You'll believe a man can fly...
• Foe Yay: Ever since that wonderful mouth to mouth scene in Smallville.
• Genre Turning Point: While not the first superhero film, the original Superman opened a whole new era for this genre (which either carries on to this day or ended with a similarly influential The Dark Knight Saga).
• Harsher in Hindsight: Needless to say, Reeve playing the role as Superman was seen in a whole new light after Reeve was crippled in real life. In light of Reeve's social activism on behalf of the disabled after that, many parallels were drawn between his activism and his role as Superman.
• Hell Is That Noise: Kryptonite made a pulsating noise when Supes opened the lead box. The original Dolby Surround mix (available in later pressings of the Theatrical Cut on DVD, as well as VHS and laserdisc) is louder.
  • The 5.1 mix uses all channels during the Sonic Warning scene (This is Lex Luthor. Only one thing alive of less than four legs can hear this frequency...)
• Hilarious in Hindsight: The relavitely modern idea that Superman is something of an ersatz of Jesus Christ is quite ironic when you know that not only were Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster jewish, Superman himself was partially inspired by the concept of Judiasm!
• Memetic Mutation: The aforementioned "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!!!" and "WROOOOOOOOOONG!!!"
  • No mention of Otisburg? OTISBURG?!?!?
• Narm: Pretty much anything Nuclear Man does in IV. Certain Lex moments in Returns.
  • The entire flying sequence with Lois' spoken-word musical number in the first film. However, the music and the sheer sense of awe and wonder can make it a Crowning Moment Of Heartwarming for sufficiently sentimental viewers.
    • It was spoken-word because the filmmakers discovered too late that Margot Kidder couldn't sing. Perhaps dubbing in a professional singer's voice would have put them over budget or something.
• Nightmare Fuel: During the Final Battle of Superman III, the rogue supercomputer shoots out cables and wires, drags Ross Webster's sister into its circuitry and spits her out as a horrific Hollywood Cyborg to join the attack on Superman. Then it tries to do the same to Big Blue himself. Thank Rao for Hollywood Acid.
  • The depowering scene in the theatrical cut of Superman II.
  • The last scene of the Executioner in the TV version of Superman The Movie.
  • The faint, echoing screams of the Phantom Zone villains inside that spinning crystal.
• Replacement Scrappy: In Superman Returns: Kitty's just no Teschmacher for many viewers. Earlier, in Superman III the character of Ross Webster was lambasted for being a cheap Lex Luthor knockoff.
• Running the Asylum: Superman Returns.
• Seinfeld Is Unfunny: Although the first movie basically invented the modern superhero film, looks impressive even after 30 years, it is often dismissed as a museum piece with little appeal to modern audiences.
• Special Effects Failure: The entirety of IV, that is all.
• Tear Jerker: Plenty in the original film, especially the 2001 Extended Cut, and Superman Returns, although you'd be smiling through most of them too.
  • Still...

All those things I can do. All those powers. And I couldn't even save him.

• Visual Effects of Awesome: Many. One of the most striking visuals even today is the scene in the first film where Superman rebuilds the San Andreas Fault. Superman Returns has the whole sequence with the 777 jetliner rescue.
• Villain Decay: Really, compare the Lex Luthor of the comic books to the sniveling, real estate-obsessed loser from the films. It's no contest.
• What an Idiot!: After Superman first makes his presence known in Metropolis by stopping many crimes in a single night, Lois deliberately asks about and prints for all to read one of his non-Kryptonite Factor weaknesses—his inability to see through lead.
• What the Hell, Casting Agency?: Aside from any considerations of talent Kate Bosworth was an odd choice to play Lois Lane in Superman Returns on age alone - Bosworth was 23 (and looked it), playing a character roughly a decade older. This is especially irritating when one considers that Parker Posey's in the cast and would have been perfect for an older iteration of Lois.
• The Woobie: Clark Kent by the Daily Planet elevators, a lovable nerd who has just been brushed off by Lois, ignored by everyone else and treated rudely by a person inside one of the cars and now all alone as he waits for a downward car. Don't feel too sorry for him though, for outside, Lois' helicopter is going to crash and his Crowning Moment of Awesome is about to begin.