Comics Why is Superman called the greatest hero of them all?

[Arach Knight]

If being "the most powerful" made somebody the greatest hero of them all, then Silver Surfer would easily surpass Superman. For as often as Superman is lamented for his great power, the Silve Surfer wields a ridiculous amount. He has manipulation of matter. That power alone is limitless in application for defeating anybody (turning you into dirt, marshmellow or some other harmless and inanimate substance). Otherwise, I agree with the part about Superman's noble quality. He never comes off holier than though...and he enver abuses his power. He is just very much, a boyscout.

 

[Flint Marko]

I mean really, not like much hurts him so he has very little risk involved. Sure he is one of the most powerful but come on!

For some reason I heard that today and I had to ask this question, please enlighten me.

Thank

Superman isn't the greatest superhero of all, that's completely an opinion. I think spider-man is, but that's only because I'm a spider-man fan. It all depends on an individuals opinion.
The reason I don't particularly care for superman is because i really don't think reading a comic about someone who's basically invincible could be done without producing the same stuff over and over again. If he's invincible, and his only two weaknesses are kryptonite, and magic, that limits stories to where, I think, the stories would just get boring after a while.
But seeing as how i've never read a superman comic, I could be completely wrong

 

[Andy C.]

What I always liked about Superman is that he'd still be around even if it weren't for the bad guys. If Thomas and Martha Wayne hadn't been shot, there would be no Batman. If Ben Parker had taken a detour and driven home safely, Spider-Man would be just a sideshow attraction at wrestling shows. But if Lex Luthor had never risen to power in Metropolis, if Brainiac had never come to Earth, if General Zod had never gotten out of the Phantom Zone, Superman would still be doing everything in his power to save people and make the world a better place.

Too often, a superhero gets defined by his supervillains, so that the primary M.O. is simply to fight. And while Supes certainly has his fair share of bad guys to deal with, first and foremost his priority is to help people. He's unbelievably powerful, but not power-hungry. He's confident, but not cocky. He's determined, but not obsessed. And it didn't take tragedy or a larger threat to motivate him; just a genuine compassion for people and a will to do good. More than anything, that's what makes him a cut above the rest. That's why the JLA looks to him as a leader even when there are more powerful heroes around. That's why he's the best at what he does.

Outside of the DCU, he's not the most popular by any means, but he's still very much the gold standard against which all other superheroes are measured. Every hero at one point or another has been compared specifically to Superman, either in how he's similar or how he's different. Even in the case of anti-heroes and indy comics, as more often than not, the first thing they'll do is take a swipe at the Superman mythos. The entire genre of superhero comics starts with him, and that's why he'll always be the icon that represents it.

 

[Andy C.]

Superman isn't the greatest superhero of all, that's completely an opinion. I think spider-man is, but that's only because I'm a spider-man fan. It all depends on an individuals opinion.
The reason I don't particularly care for superman is because i really don't think reading a comic about someone who's basically invincible could be done without producing the same stuff over and over again. If he's invincible, and his only two weaknesses are kryptonite, and magic, that limits stories to where, I think, the stories would just get boring after a while.
But seeing as how i've never read a superman comic, I could be completely wrong

Pick up "Birthright" or "Kingdom Come." Those just might change your mind about how "boring" a Superman story can be.

 

[The Leaguer]

Anyone who thinks Superman is boring is a 'tard.

 

[Arach Knight]

The reason I don't particularly care for superman is because i really don't think reading a comic about someone who's basically invincible could be done without producing the same stuff over and over again. If he's invincible, and his only two weaknesses are kryptonite, and magic, that limits stories to where, I think, the stories would just get boring after a while.
But seeing as how i've never read a superman comic, I could be completely wrong

Take it from a fellow Spider-Man fan. Superman stories are very entertaining. Our World is At War, World's Finest, Superman/Batman. All of those are good graphic novels to pick up, that involve the well loved, Last Son of Krypton.