SCOTT: In case you missed it, Superman recently received a new power called the “Super flare”.
Now, I wasn't planning on doing an episode about it, but it does raise some interesting
questions about the status quo and shifting baselines inside comics. So... Yeah... Let’s
talk about it.
[MUSIC]
Welcome to Comic Misconceptions, I’m Scott,
and Superman #38 from the New 52 introduces a new power to the Man of Steel where he expels
all of this solar energy that's stored up in his cells in one massive blast.
This super flare also has the side effect of making Clark Kent human for a day or two
as his power recharge, something we’ll talk about later in this episode.
But this new power is kind of big deal, not because of how powerful it is on top of an
already overpowered character, but because of how DC marketed it.
You can see this image right here, announcing the new power while also telling us about
Superman’s other powers that we consider classic when they were first introduced.
From his speed, and his strength, to his flight, and heat vision as well.
It’s almost as if DC is telling us that this new super flare ability is legitimately
here to stay and march a new status quo for Superman, as if to say that this power might
eventually be worked into other forms of media like animated shows or movies, perhaps even
the DC cinematic Universe? I know what your thing, this is not at all
the first time DC has given him a new power over the years. Superman has had powers added
to him, ranging from super ventriloquism, that memory wiping kiss thing, and of course,
who could forget the time that he could shoot miniature versions of himself out of his hands,
plus a dozen other wacky powers as well. Obviously, not every power they’ve given
Supes has stuck around, but the ones that have, are the ones that we might consider
to be "classic" Superman powers, even though he premiered in Action Comics
#1 in 1938 with only a few abilities. Originally, Superman could leap great heights
over tall buildings, and distances up to a 1/8 of a mile, raise tremendous weights,
run faster than a speeding train, and had skin that was tough but not impenetrable.
And that is it. That’s exactly as super as Superman got
when he first debuted. As time went on and powers were added, we
now have a different of Superman in our minds today.
He would take on an evolution where he could run faster, become stronger and more durable
while also gaining brand new abilities along the way.
He acquired super senses, like his super hearing, and his various super optical powers like,
X-Ray vision, which E. Nelson Bridwell calls, “A great roof saver”,
since Superman didn’t have to bust through ceilings to see if anyone was in the building
anymore. From that X-Ray vision came his heat vision that was actually first described as
the heat of his X-Ray vision, and eventually became its own power, and through that heat
vision, we now have the “Super Flare” ability that evolved through that as well.
And if done well, changes to a character outside of the comics could find their way back into
the medium. This happened, probably, most notably, with
Superman’s ability to fly, which happened first in the Fleisher Studios’ Superman
cartoons because, quite frankly, flying was cheaper to animate than having him leap long
distances. A simple trick to cut the cost of his animated
films were shortly thereafter brought into the comics, and it’s been a staple of Superman’s
power set ever since. Not it seems weird to have a Superman that
can’t fly or at least, eventually learn to fly if it’s some story involving a
lesser experienced Man of Steel. And it’s not just his powers that have changed
either. Superman’s suit, especially his chest emblem, is iconic.
The “S” symbol is one of the most recognizable symbols on the planet but it didn’t always
look the way that we know it today. It actually went through quite a few renditions
before we finally got that classic logo. Arguably, the second most iconic part of Superman’s
costume are his red trunks and this is actually something that has changed fairly recently.
Both in and out of comics, They’ve opted to do away with the underwear
outside of the pants. It seems DC is adamant about this change, and we can probably expect
it to be a permanent shift in Superman’s garb.
Which kinda makes you wonder: If DC continues down that line of keeping the red trunks out
of the picture, will there be kids born today or sometime in the future that will have their
personal baseline for Superman be the version without the red trunks?
This goes right back to the super flare as well.
If DC pushes that new power as the new status quo for Superman and it’s incorporated in
cartoons and movies and TV shows and video games, then will kids grow up thinking that this has always
been one of Superman’s “classic" powers, the same
way that we might have grown up thinking that Superman has just always been able to fly,
or freeze people, or shoot heat out of his eyes?
This is something known as shifting baseline syndrome. Shifting baselines are often referenced
in terms of ecology, but I think we can easily apply to comics, or really anything.
Essentially, it describes changes to how something is measured overtime against certain reference
points. More specifically, each new generation accepts
the world they were born in and are used to as the norm, even though it could be radically
different than previous generations. Like my nephews, who will never know life
without the internet, or someone like me and you, who will never know life without movies
was like or trying to imagine what New York must have looked like before a single building
was ever built there. We take the world that were specifically born
and raised in and use it as our personal reference point or baseline to measure against how the
world is changing. And as each new generation is born into a
slight differently version of the world, these baselines shift, because it is easier and
more tangible for us to make comparison to a world that we actually know.
Applying this back to Superman, because I promise there is a point, his entire baseline
from which we measure has drastically changed from his first appearance all those years
ago. From a guy with a few standard powers to a
hero with an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to all his different abilities.
But we accept all of those abilities as the status quo of the character as that’s just
what we’re used to, but not because he’s always been that way.
Obviously it’s way too soon to say with certainty whether or not the super flare will
be a permanent change. Comics are riddles with instances where there
is a huge shift in the world of our heroes that eventually just go back to normal.
This could easily just be something that is short lived and is taken away from Supes in
the future, resetting him back to the version of him that we’ve all grown accustomed to.
In some kind of ironic twist, this new power seems to be kind of a perfect analogy for
that. When Superman uses his super flare, he expels
all of that solar energy that he stored up in every cell all at once, in one gigantic
blast. After he uses it, he becomes powerless for
a day or so as his cells recharge. Superman essentially undergoes a big change
and becomes human for a while, only to be restored back to normal soon after or whatever
normal for Superman is. Just like comics, introducing drastic changes
only to fix everything in a relatively short time later.
I’m reminded of that Spider-man editor, Danny Fingeroth, said in an interview with
Back Issue Magazine, “There’s a game played with the readers.
They always complain that not real change occurs in the lives of the characters, but
if you do change something, many of them complain then too- which makes sense. There’s no
one opinion shared by millions readers so you take things to the edge, change them for
a while, but usually return to some form of the original status quo.
Everybody gets an adrenalin charge, but the people who sell the toys and T- shirts don’t
have to worry that the brand they’re selling is obsolete, and fans get their beloved icons
back the way most of them want.” So, I have 3 questions for you guys:
#1: Do you think that the super flare will mark the next big baseline shift for
the Man of Steel, or will it eventually be taken away and reset to the standards that
we've grown accustomed to? #2: Do you even like the super flare
ability? Would you like to see it pop-up in movies and cartoons and stuff?
And #3: What is your personal baseline for Superman? How strong is he, what powers
does he have or does he not wear underwear outside his pants?
Let me know all of your thoughts in the comments. A lot of stuff to think about in this one.
And if this is the first time hanging out with us at NerdSync, we do weekly comic book
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Once again, I’m Scott, and you can find me on Twitter and Instagram.
We’ll see you right here next week for more things that you thought about comics.
See ya!