#a complex relationship with kryptonian culture

[cantsayidont]

Another dilemma with centering stories around the idea of Superman-as-immigrant is that while Superman is certainly an immigrant, and there is a substantial body of older Superman stories (mostly from 1958–1986) that present his homeworld and its culture as generally noble (and frequently Jewish-coded), it has become very common since the 1986 reboot for Superman media to treat Kryptonian culture as either decadent and corrupt (as in most of the post-Crisis comics) or actively invasive and evil (as in MAN OF STEEL or MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN).

In these stories, Superman has avoided this decadence or evil mostly by virtue of having been raised by white Americans in Kansas, and his nobility lies in his express rejection of his evil/corrupt heritage in favor of (white) American culture. These are intrinsically anti-immigrant narratives (and sometimes antisemitic as well), regardless of how much feel-good gloss the story may attempt to apply to it.

The first season of the current SUPERMAN AND LOIS TV show, for instance, plays out an alarmingly literal "Great Replacement" plot in which Superman's half-brother Tal-Rho attempts to carry out a genocidal scheme devised by Superman's eugenicist mother to resurrect Kryptonians in the bodies of living humans, while MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN presents Kryptonians as brutal invaders who have attempted to militarily conquer the Earth more than once. Neither of these series departs from the general details of Superman's origin, but they assert unequivocally that Superman being an immigrant from Krypton is of moral value only because it gives him super-powers that enable him to defend the American Way from others of his kind, and to uphold white culture in ways other Kryptonians do not or would not.

#comics #superman #it would of course be possible for superman to have #a complex relationship with kryptonian culture #but the modern stories have been very reluctant to do that #this is a major flaw of superman and lois #which tries to avoid talking about clark's feelings about his heritage as much as possible #in ways that don't seem realistic #(that show also suggests that clark and lois's sons are weirdly incurious #about the fact that their father is literally from another planet) #as for MAWS #i find its depiction of kryptonians as invaders and superman as a weapon disturbing #for these reasons #and because it's an homage to the iron giant #a movie i strongly dislike

[mamawasatesttube]

the thing abt the superfam and their relationships to their names is that if you come at it from any angle where youre ignoring the complexity of the immigrant experience, a) i'll bite you but moreover b) you're simply wrong. they are refugees and the last remnant of a dying culture. they are immigrants. literal aliens. that word is used for immigrants and them being Literally Aliens From Outer Space is like driving it home so hard, it's WILD to me when people don't see it. their identities as kryptonians vs denizens of earth will Always be paralleled to the immigrant assimilation identity question. and i will always be gnawing on wood about it,

#rimi talks #my parents were both immigrants and im first gen offspring who cant live in either of their countries for safety reasons lol #so you can understand why superfam gets my ass!!!!!!!!!!! #when i was like 3 before my parents were naturalized i used to have SUCH a giggle over the documents calling them legal aliens #im connecting the dots. listen. the superfam immigrant allegory

[an-shu]

Eclipse Disclaimer

I feel I need to put this out because of an AO3 comment from who I suspect is the same person past chapters that thought the Eclipse fic was going to align with their cookie cutter shape of Kara and Lena. It’s an exploration on the complexities of Kara being a human vs. Kryptonian as a last child of what she believed an extinct race and culture, with memories of a society on a highly advanced Krypton that strove for perfection in every way—a society, if you were paying attention, was heavily implied (like almost explicitly) throughout in my fic to be respected or feared, to colonize and look down upon others they deemed primitive or not as equal to their intellect and technology. By extension, it’s also Rao-imbued Supergirl struggling to figure out humanity as a newborn deity, one that is supposed to be perfect and godly and so exacting it’s inhuman and unsettling. It’s also an exploration of Lena's struggles against her dark side and the unhealthy relationships she experienced in her childhood that pushed attention on and kept attention from a child, where she was also expected to be perfect and achieve a greatness that required her to channel the Luthor family xenophobia and cutthroat cruelty, to use money and education as a means of disseminating anti-alien rhetoric to displace and genocide an entire demographic off the face of the Earth.

It’s a Kara and Lena who don't perfectly communicate and resolve what they're feeling in a single paragraph. This is them with the hard feelings that come and go as they're processed—emotions are fickle, people are conflicted, and in the heat of heightened moments they say, think, and do things they regret, like self-pity, holding grudges, rationalizing an action or behavior they know is wrong, and continuing to do so some time or long after being slapped in the face with their decisions. These are behaviors Kara and Lena exhibited even after the same problems resurfaced in different ways where they stumbled, faltered, recovered, made the same mistake however more, and eventually grew past them that's exhibited throughout the show.

They're heroes, but they're not incapable of being narrow-minded and bigoted in the comics and show, and they like many are shown quick to defend themselves when their characters and what they stand for are critiqued—what makes them different and good is that they're able to compartmentalize and tamp down those snappy judgements they made in the moment or as time passes, a maturity that's faster for Kara than Lena.

This fic shows trauma and difficult recovery, perfection and imperfection, humanity and humanness, religion and being god-like, assimilation and integration as an immigrant that's a stark dichotomy between two very different survivors, the "palatibility" of heroes, and a great deal more the show couldn't and/or wouldn't address when it was trying to flesh out like six different characters. Of course, many of these topics parallel racism. Perhaps this isn’t immediately discernible to a fandom that, I presume, is mostly yt women who stan a wlw couple who are also yt women, but there will be moments you might not be comfortable with the very real issues the show failed to portray dealing with xenophobia/racism. And to that I say make yourself uncomfortable. Because how American BIPOC perceive and portray media is actually vastly different than how yt consumers see things.

#supergirl #supercorp #kara danvers #lena luthor #kara danvers x lena luthor #lena luthor x kara danvers #kara x lena #lena x kara #supercorp fanfic #supercorp fanfiction #supercorp fic

[aalghul]

i'll be real Jon's writing consistently disappoints me largely because there is potential there... and i think a big problem is really that DC these days is just really struggling with writing Clark and honestly the Superfamily as a unit. part of what makes Jon's character so weak is that the Superfamily has a long history of complex and interesting legacy titles, familial relationships, etc., but that history is just completely ignored despite the fact that his Lois and Clark are supposed to be the preboot characters who went through all of it. with Jon they are essentially just creating a weaker and less interesting version of that history instead of exploring it and letting it have an impact. the fact that he never really interacts with Kara or Kon really cements this.. the Superfam dynamic is essentially flattened into a nuclear family. and even with that they fuck up -- Lois and Clark are apparently not influenced in any way by the previous child(ren) they lost, and Jon isn't even raised within Kryptonian culture

Exactly. It's a failed attempt at giving Superman, a character they keep flattening out, a nuclear family, as opposed to the mess that can come with Kara or Kon or Chris. (Especially since with Kon you have to choose between the retcon or the original, and work out how you want to make either work with current canon...which is everything).

#and btw mia and chris are still the best children and should be worked back into main continuity full time btw #well. chris isn't so much a child as in a youth but like. lois and clark's adoptive child. #whatever. jon could never be him

[superfam]

What are your thoughts on John Byrne's Superman? Love your blog btw ❤

Thanks so much!!

And oh, my dear friend, you have just excused me to go off. I was out for dinner last night and ended up ranting about John Byrne somehow LMAO I'm so glad I can direct it towards someone who actually asked sfksd

Here's what I bought at the comic store last week! (Don't mind the Urasawa) It pretty much sums up my feelings on Byrne's Superman: a great story, historically important, worth reading if you're into Supes, but missing out on a major aspect of Superman as a character. That aspect is more than made up for in Yang's absolutely exquisite Superman Smashes the Klan: his immigrant identity.

There's a lot to love about Byrne's Superman and his Man of Steel six-issue miniseries (as distinct from The Man of Steel omnibus..) is still an origin story I really love. The way he writes Clark's relationships, such as with Lois and his parents, is really great. His Lex Luthor is amazing, breathing new life into the character, and probably one of my favourite incarnations of him. And the individual arcs are just undoubtedly engaging and well-written.

But there's this:

Byrne's Superman is so WASP-y. It makes my skin crawl sometimes.

In many ways, the Superman that emerged in the 1980’s in the wake of this reboot was as gentile a character as he had ever been. This was a Superman who, by design and intention, had no desire or intention to be anything other than a product of the beef-eating, football-playing, U. S. of A. Zach Rabiroff, Superman The Jew: History Of A People Through The World’s Greatest Hero

John Byrne is not a person I like. He has said some awful things about immigrants, judging them based on their connection to their cultures. He's also transphobic and overall a kinda terrible person in general, from what I've heard. I think his Superman is always going to be missing something that is crucial to the character.

His Superman was not born on Krypton -- he was gestated in the rocket and was 'born' on Earth. His Krypton is cold, sterile, and appears to have a legacy that Clark is not proud of, and which he doesn't wish to connect to. Though not written by Byrne, you can see this continuing legacy in 80s and early 90s Superman, such with the Eradicator which is essentially introduced as an evil Kryptonian artifact. It possesses Clark and makes his cruel and callous as he transforms into 'Krypton Man'!

That doesn't make his incarnation of the character worthless, but it does mean that it should be read critically. I'll only recommend Byrne's Superman after modern incarnations of the character, and only if you understand the ultimate limitations and problems with this one.

I'll say that anyone who reads Byrne's Superman should also read Yang's Superman Smashes the Klan! It's an absolutely wonderful story which explores Clark's complex immigrant identity as he struggles under the expectations of the society around him. It follows a sort of transition from his Golden Age to Silver Age self as he accepts his heritage, and overall it's just so well-written and joyous. Who doesn't love Superman punching racists and being a champion of the oppressed?

I should really get around to writing a comprehensive Supes rec list!! Thanks for motivating me with my feelings on Byrne's Superman haha

Ultimately, I'm an Anglo-Australian gentile, so I can't comfortably speak any more deeply on Superman's roots and immigrant identity. So give the article I linked or the comic I recommended a shot!

#ask #myth's thoughts #comics history #kal

[aion-rsa]

What Superman & Lois Gets So Right About Clark Kent

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains some spoilers for recent Superman & Lois episodes.

In recent years, there’s been a lot of discussion within the world of geek pop culture about Superman – if modern audiences still respond to such a traditional do-gooder hero, whether the character should become a little rougher around the edges to remain relevant, or if we even still need stories about the Man of Steel when there are so many other iconic DC characters that have yet to make it to our screens in any form.

CW drama Superman & Lois does its best to stand as an answer to those sorts of questions, offering up a version of Superman that seems determined to remind us all why this character has long been DC Comics’ most iconic hero. Deliberately eschewing the frequently dour and violent aesthetic that has become a calling card of the DCEU’s take on the Man of Steel, this show is a deliberate return to the first principles of Superman’s story.

Earnest, heartfelt, and inherently optimistic, even as it tells complex stories about mental health and the struggles of small towns in an increasingly corporate America that steals their best and brightest, Superman & Lois never lets us forget that what makes its story so compelling is the humanity at its heart. It’s often said that every version of Superman is only as successful as its version of Clark Kent, and this show is one of the best examples of that axiom. 

Ever since Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman arrived in the Arrowverse, the character has exuded a delightfully dated farm boy charm, a kind of completely unselfish all-American goodness that makes it seem possible that this Clark would be a hero in Smallville even if he didn’t have superpowers. He’s the guy you call when your cat’s stuck up a tree, or ask to join the local PTA when it needs to figure out how to raise more money, a man whose servant-hearted attitude shines through as something regular people just might be able to replicate in real life.

That’s always been the thing with Superman, though, hasn’t it? (Or at least, it ought to be.) We don’t care about Clark Kent because he can fly or shoot lasers out of his eyes – it’s always been his most everyday, human characteristics that make this character so appealing. Superman & Lois rightly remembers that and focuses its storytelling on the man at the center of it all, rather than the being from another planet.

And Clark has rarely been a more relatable figure than he is here. It’s Clark, not Superman, that we see Lois fall in love with via flashbacks. It’s Clark’s all too human love for his wife and sons that keeps him tethered to himself when Edge tries to corrupt and erase the foundations of who he is. And it’s the complex dynamics of his relationships with that very same family that set this show apart from every other Superman property that’s come before it. 

In a less nuanced series, one might assume Superman would be an immediate Father of the Year candidate, what with his demonstrated history of inspirational speeches and can-do attitude. And yet, this version of Clark is often as stumped by his kids as any parent of teenage boys, often struggling to connect with his troubled son Jordan and fearing he’s neglecting the more traditionally normal Jonathan in the process. 

Jordan shares many of his father’s Kryptonian abilities but often vacillates between resenting the restrictions and responsibilities his new powers place on his life and using them for what can seem like selfish reasons. (See also: Revenge on the boys who once mocked him, the opportunity to chase the high school popularity and acceptance he has up until this point been denied.) He’s a teenager, so it’s not like any of this is abnormal, but what a contrast with his father’s youth – an emotional conflict that this show smartly and frequently exploits.

Given the care (and special effects budget) that Superman & Lois lavishes on its cinematic fight and action sequences, this is a show that also understands getting the chance to see the Man of Steel in action this way is still an important part of the story it’s telling. (And let’s be honest, Hoechlin looks great in that suit.) But that action firmly takes a back seat to the larger family dynamics at work within the show, and the series is ultimately stronger for it. Because it’s through that bond that we learn that Clark Kent – that Superman – isn’t some cliché spewing automaton, but a man who still faces problems like any other, particularly when it comes balancing the needs of a world that depends upon him with his role in the family he loves.

Perhaps the idea that even Superman struggles with work-life balance ought to feel cliche or lame, but the fact that Superman & Lois acknowledges the trade-offs Clark must make to be a hero seems almost revolutionary. (And not just because this is an issue that is almost always framed as a specifically female problem.) Even though he has literal superpowers, Clark can’t be everywhere or save everyone all around the world at once, and the good he does do can often carry a steep personal cost in terms of missing important moments with his family. It’s one of the many small narrative ways that Superman & Lois reminds us that, despite the fact that he can fly, Clark faces many of the same problems and challenges we do.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Superman & Lois is remarkable in the ways that it uses parenthood and marriage to explore a new facet of Superman’s story onscreen. Clark may be one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but at the end of the day, he’s a husband and a father before he is ever a superhero. He believes in doing what’s right, and he lives those values – not just when he’s stopping trains from derailing, but when he’s trying to teach his boys how to be good men.  And he treats his abilities as the gift they are, rather than an unasked-for burden he can never lay down. The end result is something that feels entirely new – and, for once, seems as though it could go anywhere. And given that this character has been around for nearly a century at this point, that feels like a fairly incredible feat.

The post What Superman & Lois Gets So Right About Clark Kent appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3BX5JxZ

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[rainbowisruinedforme1]

Me (only just watching the supergirl S5 finale): that was cringeworthy...

The writing is so... childish i wud say. But now, i wud also add that sometimes even if storyline were written horribly, the editors can work some magic into them. But obviously not in supergirl’s case 😩.

The way they resolve conflicts are so unrealistic... they dont give two shit about the characters.. they dont even care whats gonna happen to the audience acceptance towards the show.. do the writers think we are all simple minded as them? Im furious!!

As thousands of supergirl fans before me have been saying, this show had so much potential!! There are so many perspective of the super’s life they can explore besides the classic hero vs villain trope ie how kara deals with trauma of watching her planet destroyed n for years thinking she’s the only true kryptonian left, n now finding out part of her culture survived! how a super’s life can be intertwined with a luthor’s differently (read supercorp), how grey/blurred the lines between good n evil can be since kara is so vulnerable n more in touch with her human + kryptonian upbringing, made complex with her relationship with lena who is a very delicious character with a solid backstory already!!!

But hey, maybe im asking too much of them since we’re already spoiled with catradora 🤷🏻‍♀️.. which is saying so much.. how can a cartoon series touch ur heart more than a live action series? They have limited face reactions or emotional depictions for god sake!

But in saying that, im so thankful that melissa and katie able to deliver so much within the span of their short scenes together throughout the seasons *chefs kiss*.

Im so sad for melissa, katie, chyler n the rest.. they deserve so much better than this... 😔

Thank god for fanfictions n the talented writers 😘

#supergirl #supercorp #catradora

[coeurdastronaute]

Either/Or: Krypton 8

Previously on Krypton

The harrowed halls of the House of El were fluttering with activity, but unlike the normal galas and festivals that took up many invitations and hours of precise planning per the customs and rituals of their station, there was not any preparations made for the sudden Choosing of the only daughter. While people came from far and wide, migrating naturally to celebrate as the news spread, the matron of the house worked tirelessly to keep up with the crowd. 

Swept up in the entire notion of it, Kara didn’t know what to do, and so she held onto her life raft in the form of a human, Lena. She wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist. She held her hand. She looked at her from across the room, terrified of losing sight of her for just a moment. 

Vast conversations began and echoed through the rooms on the ground level. Sweeping arguments formulated the future and capabilities of the Matrix and what it all meant on a scientific, cultural, and political level. All of it was alive and loud and busy and as wonderful as she wanted to see it, Kara felt overwhelmed by what her relationship suddenly meant. She hadn’t thought about all of that before, not the implications for her world. 

Many bottles of wine were cracked, many toasts were made, many debates raged and many bodies filled in and out of the house before Kara was able to snag the single human who caused all of this grief and joy. 

Lena smiled and set down her glass as Kara grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door that led outside. It was still a warm evening despite the dark. Before she could ask anything or even see what Kara wanted, Lena felt herself tugged into Kara’s arms while simultaneously pushed against the wall, lips on her own, taking her breath away. 

Hands moved to her neck, and Kara smiled, her body radiating warmth. She felt Lena exhale against her cheek. Even in the dark, she knew there was a smile there. 

“I’m sorry for all of this. I know I am a lot of work,” Kara sighed, earnest and honest. 

“I guess we hadn’t thought it out as much as we initially thought.” 

“It would appear that we are a bit of an anomaly, and I should have taken into consideration how much my people love anomalies.”

“I’m sorry I appeared in your life and caused this mess.” 

“I’m not. It was fate.” 

“I’ll never understand how you can be so logical and yet so willing to give up to the idea that everything is decided,” Lena shook her head. She ran her thumbs along Kara’s jaw, felt the smile pull the muscles. 

Her answer came in the form of another kiss, softer than the first but no less necessary and needed. For a moment, even Lena forgot what she was asking. 

“You came from another planet and fell in love with me,” Kara reminded the girl in her arms. “Chance or fate, who cares?”

“Do we have to go back in there?” 

“I don’t think they’ll miss us.” 

“Let’s get out of here then.” 

XXXXXXXXXX

Far away from the house and the people heading home, from the empty bottles and bright lights of her ancestral home, the two bodies climbed toward the top of the old observatory where they watched meteor showers and snuck away for age-appropriate parties. 

The sky was dark purple, deep and punctured with stars shining from far away. It was a cloudless night, and surely Kara would write about all of these small aspects of it when she wrote the history of the day. A small bit of sweat lingered on her neck in the heat despite the chill that was moving in, drawn out by their hike. 

As they made their break from the house, Lena directed Kara, careful to grab some supplies despite not knowing where they were actually going. Something about following her anywhere but here was all she wanted to do. 

Placed between two towers, the two found a flat bit of land overlooking the eastern horizon where the sun would soon rise. The moons were gone and the darkest part of night was becoming overwhelming save for the rings of two distant planets. Kara unfurled a blanket and Lena put another down for them to climb beneath to keep warm. 

“Do you want to tell me about the Matrix?” Kara ventured as Lena took a sip of wine and passed it to her to try. 

“It felt like a dream. I don’t remember much, I don’t think,” she shook her head. But Kara just waited as she watched Lena look at the stars and consider the question. Sometimes it just took a few extra seconds to get to the truth. 

“It started with a voice asking me questions about myself. And then the world morphed so that I was speaking to my mother or someone who looked like my mother, which was weird and great all at once.” 

“An appropriation of what would put you at ease the quickest.” 

“Must have been a deep neural trigger that the computer was fine-tuned to look for. I’m just curious how biologically based it was. And it, or she, or whatever the Matrix is, it felt me trying to figure it out.” 

“Leave it to you to try to overpower a complex and ancient system with your brain,” Kara smiled, oddly proud. 

“I felt safe and I felt open. It must have read slight changes in body language and vocal patterns as indications of unconscious feelings, plus the sensors I wore must have--”

“But how did you feel inside?”

Lena paused her need to explain it all away and looked away from the view that captivated her every single night since her arrival. She looked at Kara, pretty brown eyes wide and earnest, her head cocked slightly, waiting, listening intently, slightly musky, warm smell radiating through the slight breeze that brought a hint of chill. 

“I felt this certainty. This certainty that I never ever experience. And there was a clarity that we would survive and my world won’t.” 

“You will figure out how to save your planet--” she began to promise. 

“I won’t. But something about us… I don’t break. You keep me together. The Matrix showed me that I can trust you to never leave, and I think it has to try to squander your darkest fears. That’s how you come out the other side and fall in love.” 

“You needed a machine to tell you that?” 

“No,” Lena shook her head and smiled. “I just never knew that I could have that.”

“It almost feels kind of weird to be confirmed, doesn’t it?” 

Lena rested her head on Kara’s shoulder and sighed against it all. She nodded but felt nothing more than an intense relief at having found what she never had the heard to believe anyone could offer her. Kara had a lionheart. She was certain of it. 

“I still have to go back,” she whispered. 

“I know.” 

“I’ll come back.” 

“I know.” 

“I thought I could stay and never return, but--”

“No,” Kara decided, kissing Lena’s forehead as she wavered, her voice cracking with the confession.”You didn’t leave thinking you’d never be back. You have unfinished business.” 

“I’ll come back to you.” 

“You will.” 

The words were sad but strong, and Lena heard it all in Kara’s voice. She wanted to explain more but wasn’t really sure what else there was. Instead, she just lifted her head and leaned closer to Kara’s lips before kissing her quickly and softly, dragging out each second, pulling the fabric of time as thin as she could.

XXXXXXXXXX

The sun warmed the sky, chasing away the dark. Despite the alcohol and party that kept them up late, the sleeping pair couldn’t hide from the bright rays once hey cracked the horizon. Lena dug her nose into Kara’s shoulder and neck, hiding from the idea of waking completely. 

“We have to wake up,” Kara rasped, her voice thick with sleep and groggy from the long night. 

“Never.” 

“Lena, we have to.”

“What are we going to do today?” 

“You have a lot of research to do, and I have a lot of things to classify and such. We have a lot to do. The world doesn’t stop spinning because two people are in love.” 

“It should.” 

Kara smiled and stretched slightly, letting out a small groan with how sore her body felt and how lovely her life was despite it all. The ground was hard, but everything was better than she could have imagined in her entire life. 

“Kara.” 

The voice was tiny and soft despite the noise of the waking world. 

“Yes?” 

“How do I tell my father about you?” 

Despite herself, Kara chuckled and shook her head, squeezing the other body toward her. 

“You simply tell him that you’ve fallen in love with a rather dashing Kryptonian and you’ve decided to stay forever because you can’t imagine a moment without her.” 

“Well, I don’t know if that will work.” 

“Why not? It’s the truth.” 

“Sometimes the truth is harder than a lie.” 

“Tell him what you would like,” Kara shook her head, smiling as she finally met Lena’s eyes for the first time that morning. “As long as you come back.” 

For the life of her, Kara couldn’t place the look that Lena gave her. She didn’t understand the green of her eyes and the clouds in her cheeks. But she saw the uptick of her lips and she felt the sigh against her chin as Lena let out the words she couldn’t say. Lena ran her fingertips along Kara’s cheek, along her jaw. She leaned forward and kissed her. 

XXXXXXXXXX

The moment the door closed, Lena took a deep breath and leaned against it, alone for the first time in over a day, and very disoriented with how swept up in happiness she could be. It was all so foreign for Lena, that she wasn’t convinced she was allowed to have it. 

The entire reason Lena left Earth was that she genuinely had no interest in falling in love or sitting in board meetings. She wanted magic and science and the entire world. She wanted to know absolutely everything there was, and so she ran away from so many things. After her mother and the fall of humanity to such base and unscientific thoughts, to the world killing itself for profit, she couldn’t handle it. The mission to Krypton was too perfect, and if she had to believe in such things, it was a bit of fate. 

It also meant that somehow she met Kara, and despite her best intentions, might have fallen in love, as impractical as that seemed. She hadn’t come here to meet someone like Kara, someone kind and good and bright and funny and patient. That wasn’t an option. 

Slowly she ran her hands over her face, pinching her eyes to stifle the thoughts that made her whole body slightly more tense. She couldn’t let herself get caught up in that. It didn’t make sense. She’d resigned herself to a quiet life. To a simple life. To a lonely life. 

“What did I do?” Lena muttered softly to herself, confused to it all. 

The answer was, of course, that she simply fell in love, and that was the worst thing she could have ever imagined. 

Two days ago, she wasn’t bound to be in love with Kara. It was all still wide open, and now she was tied, or at least according to a stupid machine, she was fated. 

And as much as Lena wanted to argue, to push herself out of how happy and perfect she was feeling, she would remember the Matrix, and how she felt when she was in it, like she was solving a problem and got to the purest, most honest, most correct answer, and that was Kara. At the end of it all, after all of the work, after overthinking it entirely, the Matrix helped her reach the answer, whether she liked it or not. 

In truth, she hoped the Matrix would help make it easier, that she would have proof of the unprovable notion of love, that finally her emotions were quantified. Instead, it just made her realize she wasn’t sure how to do it. 

But as overwhelmed as she was, and as afraid, and as sure, at the end of it all, as she took a deep breath and stood a little straighter, prepared to survive this as well, Lena knew that Kara was the answer. 

XXXXXXXXXX

“You do not look well rested, considering you left your own party.”

“I had to,” Kara offered as she took a seat at the table, grabbing herself some fruit as her mother didn’t look up from her tablet.

The breeze brushed through from the south, full of warmth and oddly stifling. Kara tilted her head slightly to catch some of it on her face. 

“It was a bit much. I think we will have to prepare better for the ceremony.” 

“I don’t think there will be a ceremony for a long time.” 

Sadly, Kara took a bite and looked out toward the gardens with the swaying trees, branches with long tendrils danced, weaving and tangling amongst themselves. 

“Why is that?” 

“Lena is going back.” 

“Not forever.” 

“No,” she nodded, inhaling weakly. “Not forever.” 

“You’re worried.” 

“I don’t trust that place. I don’t think her father is an honest man. She doesn’t think that, even though she can’t bring herself to say it. What if something happens?” 

“It’s not safe for you to go there,” Alura warned her daughter, seeing the thoughts dripping into her mind. 

“I know.” 

“She’ll come back.” 

“Yeah,” Kara nodded, forcing a smile before taking another bite. 

She was almost certain Lena would come back, she just wasn’t sure how to live while she was gone.

[iambraiden-blog]

DCEU v Masculinity

EDIT: This post was originally published on Creators.co on June 12th, 2017 - since then the site has now closed down.

The DCEU films to me - Man of Steel, Batman v Superman AND Wonder Woman - are actually everything that's right with the DCEU. Its narrative. How it's told, both visually and in story. It wasn't until I experienced Patty Jenkins's Wonder Woman, however, that I truly came to understand Snyder's intentions of the DC Extended Universe at large, beginning with Man of Steel (2013) and culminating with the anticipated Justice League (2017).

Have you ever wondered why Warner Bros - the same studio that gave us Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) not too long ago - placed Wonder Woman where it is in the DCEU slate, why it followed BvS and came before Justice League? Have you ever thought to realise that hiring a female director for Wonder Woman was intended from the moment Snyder laid the groundwork for the DCEU? What does 'dawn of justice' actually mean?

All the DCEU films are intricately linked and connected by masculinity, in more ways than one. And I don't refer to just male masculinity but female as well; not just white, but black; American and non-American (read: Atlantean); and human and non-human (read: Kryptonian). Even Rick Famuyiwa’s The Flash could have explored young masculinity, race and societal expectations in a culturally relevant piece of cinema.

Like what George Miller managed and succeeded with in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), it is my belief that Zack Snyder is using the DC characters to deconstruct and challenge cinematic masculinity within the action genre, to draw attention to the consequences of unchecked toxic masculinity / traditional white [hyper]masculinity, and address the importance and power of women - mothers, wives, sisters, friends, daughters - in our world and in the lives of the men they walk.

There is no "trilogy" in the DCEU. There is, however, an interconnected transition from male masculinity to female masculinity and leadership throughout the four films and an increasing focus on the power of emotion and love, passion and compassion, diversity and, well, humanness and human kindness. All traits that, as Diana (Gal Gadot) states, are worth cherishing.

"I used to want to save the world. This beautiful place. But I knew so little then. Because a land of magic and wonder is worth cherishing in every way. But the closer you get, the more you see the great darkness simmering within. And mankind? Mankind is another story altogether."

To arrive at a destination we must first make the journey. We must make the hero's journey ourselves. We needed the darkness - needed to literally fight our way through it - to get to the light. We needed to be divided to understand what it meant to stand together. Diana says that the Amazons "are the bridge of a greater understanding between all men. Snyder, through Patty Jenkins's direction and Allan Heinberg's screenplay, implies that Wonder Woman herself - a representation of the female body - is that bridge for men in the Hollywood industry, for men in pop culture, for men in today's society and across the globe. Wonder Woman's success is a win for all - it's a win against traditional masculinity and patriarchy and it's a win for women and the marginalised of our society. Wonder Woman is not just an origin for Diana but so much more!

I intend to illustrate how my claim is supported with evidence from the literature pertaining to action cinema and the hard bodies of Hollywood from the 1970s and the Reagan Era (it's going to get very political!), followed by a discussion of how masculinity is portrayed and deconstructed throughout the DCEU films (these films are far more political than people have given them credit for!), and concluding with how this could all play out in Justice League.

Tonally, the DCEU films are right. As George Miller asks but not explicitly states in Fury Road, "Who killed the world?" we understand the answer is, "MEN!" However, Zack Snyder takes it a step further: we perceive the destructible, bleak world of men, a world without much love, without much hope. It is why on all the promotional posters, the Justice League above and the Trinity further below, it is why there's a light behind Wonder Woman (edit: although with Justice League post-Snyder marketing probably had no idea). It is why, in Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins opens the film on Themyscira, a land so different, lush, thriving, surrounded by glistening water and built on stone. We open on planet Earth, an object we could hold in our hands like a snow globe and we hear Diana's voice.

Bare with me here: before we can get to Wonder Woman we have to discuss how Zack Snyder and Patty Jenkins have addressed masculinity within the DCEU, and to do so you, the reader, must first have an understanding of how Hollywood has handled masculinity in the past and its relationship with American politics. (Prior to my research, I have never been more fascinated with US politics.)

The 1980s saw action film after action film being produced by Hollywood, with movies such as First Blood (Kotcheff, 1982), Terminator (Cameron, 1984) and Die Hard (McTiernan, 1988) showcasing a complex interaction between narrative and spectacle while addressing societal concerns of masculinity (Ayers, 2008). These films were largely based on visual attractions, with an emphasis placed on the bodies of the white male heroes and their weapons and vehicles as much as, if not more than, the dramatic violence and hyperbolic action sequences (Gjelsvik, 2013). According to Gjelsvik, the foregrounding of the male protagonist’s hard and sculpted muscularity represented the hero’s “almost invulnerability” and their capacity to cope and overcome any obstacle or challenge they're faced with. This was your typical action hero.

It is not surprising then that this hyper-masculine heroic depiction is associated with what continues to be described as “traditional masculinity”, an ideology that found prominence in the 1970s requiring a man to be capable of withstanding dangerous situations and be resistant to weakness (Beasley, 2009). To achieve this masculinity, men also needed to be powerful and authoritative, aggressive, and willing to take physical risks where violence is involved or necessary. This traditional masculinity influenced the films Hollywood produced and the heroes they presented, reflecting and representing an ideal American hero and nation.

Action films have found popularity leading into the 1990s and remain a drawcard for cinema-goers today, however it is important to consider when this body of film started, and more precisely, why.

The 1970s, from the Vietnam War’s eventual cessation in 1975 after twenty years of conflict to the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979 that lasted for four-hundred and forty-four days, saw the threat of death loom over the American people and negatively affect their way of life (O’Brien, 2012). A fear, hatred and aggression rippled across patriotic America following these traumatic ordeals. The then President was Jimmy Carter, elected for being a figure outside the mainstream landscape of American politics. He was optimistic, hopeful and untainted by the Vietnam War or the Nixon-involved Watergate scandal. Despite cultivating the image of the everyman and a set of strong values, Carter grappled with the complexities of the world and the country he was expected to lead and defend. His presidency was ultimately undermined by the hostage takeover, which headlined the news and media and subsequently influenced the American people to perceive his administration as weak, negligent and incapable of leading the nation (Priest, 2009).

With the turn of the decade, however, O’Brien suggests the threat of death moved on from American society to the actual body, and according to Susan Jeffords, this move was in part propelled by the ideals and policies of Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

In her seminal work on cinematic masculinity, Jeffords (1994) asserts that there is a strong relationship between the representations of masculinity in Hollywood and Reagan’s America, a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist of the 1980s. Jeffords posits that the male bodies of Reagan’s idealistic self-projection and Hollywood’s “hard bodied action heroes forged an interdependence between actions of the nation and those of the individual” - a nationalistic crisis evolved into a crisis of masculinity and male identity.

Therefore, many people were effectively excluded from the national body by characterising them as part of the “soft body”, which included women, people of colour, homosexuals, children, refugees and academics. According to Carrier (2015), women were targeted as the cause and benefactors of the anxieties and fears experienced by American men due to their lost privileges, which were in fact more broadly caused by globalization and capitalism. Jeffords suggests that, like President Carter, these marginalised and often underprivileged sections of society were perceived by white nationalists as an internal threat to the well-being and autonomy of America, whereas the Iranian students taking control of the United States embassy in Tehran, and even Vietnamese and Soviet enemies during the war, were foreign entities who have terrorized American citizens and the nation from outside its borders.

Ronald Reagan became the hero for traditional, white America; he self-projected himself as being like the hard body heroes of the Hollywood action films, a paternalistic figure who defended and separated America’s vulnerable and voiceless from foreign, non-white bodies. The characteristics of traditional masculinity and the hyper-masculine action hero - aggressiveness, authoritativeness, a resistance to weakness, lack of emotion, individuality - were inextricably linked with Reagan’s values, presenting Reagan’s body and administration, and therefore the entirety of the American national body, as invulnerable as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s hard bodied and determined Terminator (Beasley, 2009; Carrier, 2015; Jeffords, 1994).

This invulnerability of the national body had been explored to a degree in action films involving the Vietnam War. Hard bodied heroes like Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo and Martin Sheen’s Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979) became representations and reflections of the 'true' American heroes of the Vietnam War, as claimed by Jeffords (1994). Through cinema, Americans were finally allowed to achieve the victory and strength that was unobtainable because of the weak and ineffective government administrations prior to the Reagan era. Jeffords points out that Ted Kotcheff’s First Blood involves a dire reclamation of the masculine body by rejecting the soft, overweight body as presented by Rambo’s judge and opponent within the film. Both films mentioned involve an excessive amount of violence too; Neale (1983) expresses that male audiences repress erotic desires for the masculine male hard body by displacing the eroticised gaze upon the weapons, vehicles and choreographed scenes that create the spectacle nature of this genre. Neale further specifies that these desires are not marked by an inclination towards violence and pain, but rather a want for violent acts to be unleashed on the enemies out of hatred and fear. Additionally, the pain experienced by the protagonists, self-inflicted through training or enemy-inflicted through torture, are a means by which male viewers can distance themselves from the male body and remain traditionally masculine, keeping homoeroticism at bay (Ayers, 2008). Most importantly, however, the heroes of these films, strong and capable like Reagan’s administration and America, would rather confront and oppose enemy states and fascist empires than submit and allow them to invade and take over (Jeffords, 1994).

Action films of the science fiction genre have used invasion narratives not only as a means of entertainment but to speak about both internal and external threats towards the American way of life and autonomy. The science fiction genre has often sought to ask what it is to be human (Kac-Vergne, 2012), and like the action hard body films, this fight to stay human (or alive) can be reconsidered as a fight to retain or reclaim masculinity, specifically to answer what it means to be a “man”. This genre treats obvious fictions as existing realities to support what Combe and Boyle (2013) describe as a social normal, with the abnormal represented by the monsters, the zombies, the robots and aliens in these films. Kac-Vergne acknowledges that the genre had become a mode for hypermasculinity in Hollywood, a vehicle for addressing what’s acceptable and normal. Tasker (1993) refers to alien invasion films, The Thing (Carpenter, 1982) and Predator (McTiernan, 1987), as being part of a hybrid genre - while engaging with science fiction conventions these films balance the tropes of action cinema, which emphasise masculinity and spectacle (Johnston, 2013). Moreover, in science fiction cinema femininity remains marginalised and not “real” (Beasley, 2009); the same can be more broadly said for action cinema.

If I broke this literature down for you straight to its relevancy to the DCEU's heroes it would go like this:

In Man of Steel, Kal-El (a     Superman-becoming) represents the everyman, who struggles with the power     he has (and a power he even struggles to use), and this continues into Batman     v Superman: Dawn of Justice - politically, his ideals and character is     like President Carter.

Throughout most of BvS, Bruce     Wayne/Batman is essentially the traditional hypermasculine hero, a man     charged by fear and anxiety due to internal/external threats on his way of     life and on the lives of the vulnerable and defenceless he has promised to     protect and watch over - he embodies President Reagan's hard bodies.

Wonder Woman and the 'others', as she calls     them at the end of BvS - Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash - non-male,     non-American, non-white, and non-masculine (or is that highly     intelligent?), represent the supposed 'soft bodies', as dictated by     traditional masculinity.

Now that the background around Hollywood, action cinema and their treatment of masculinity and of any non-white, non-male, non-American or "effeminate" person (with some exceptions such as Sarah Connor or Ripley, and more recently Furiosa) has been laid out, it's time to enter the DCEU and discuss Snyder's/Jenkins's fight against traditional [hyper]masculinity and the push for more women and diversity on screen at length.

You can bet that any criticism Snyder and Warner Bros. have received about Man of Steel or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice about character portrayals or spectacle, as well as the reviews of Wonder Woman by mostly white, straight men who've objectified and exotified Gal Gadot's appearances, has played into the DCEU's deconstruction and expression of masculinity as well as society's expectations and perceptions of masculinity and the action genre. The DCEU acts like a social experiment, an attitude measurement test, and audiences (and critics!) don't realise they're being experimented on. (Having previously studied psychology before film, this makes me as intrigued in the audience's attitudes as I am appalled at the behaviours of male critics.)

Masculinity in the DCEU

"I will honour the man you once were, Zod, not this monster you've become."

In the opening five minutes of Man of Steel we see the dichotomy of man. Russel Crowe's Jor-El, alone in front of the Council and armour-less, peacefully argues that although Krypton is doomed there is still hope, that he has held that hope in his hands (i.e. Kal-El, a child born by love and not by the machinations of a society). General Zod (Michael Shannon), on the other hand, storms in geared with guns and soldiers. He shoots the woman in power who questioned his male authority and claims that he can save the Kryptonian race by making them stronger, more assertive, by extinguishing the weak, internal degenerates that have threatened their planet.

After Zod's unchecked toxic masculinity destroys Krypton we cut to Kal (Henry Cavill), who, as an adult named Clark Kent, is a tough-looking, blue-collared everyman. Almost immediately Snyder captures Clark's selflessness on the fishing trawler - Clark doesn't watch out for himself. His masculinity, his manliness is questioned by the fisherman who keeps him from being "crushed" by a falling basket. And then when the trawler heads to the exploding oil rig, Clark has an opportunity to reclaim his masculinity. Reminiscent of the hard body action films of the 1980s Clark's body is bared. As he holds the rig to allow the chopper to escape, the camera pans down briefly to highlight Cavill's muscular body.

In a flashback to a younger Clark (Cooper Timberline), Clark's Kryptonian 'powers' suddenly dominate his senses; his X-ray vision forces his young male self to perceive his female teacher and classmate as bodies to fear, and this fear of his powers represents a fear of a hardening masculinity. This male emasculation, this emotional vulnerability even at such a young age, causes him to be othered by his peers. And when he is bullied as a teenager (Dylan Sprayberry) in front of Lana Lang, a girl he likes, she is the first to notice Clark after he saves the school bus. This approval by Lana propels him to save his bully Pete.

"There's more at stake here than just our lives, Clark; there are the lives of the people around us. When the world finds out what you can do, it's going to change everything: our beliefs, our notions, what it means to be human, everything."

Of course, Jonathan Kent is concerned about Clark's powers being known, but it more importantly connotes a form of masculinity that will be feared. Pete's mother's anxieties may be religiously motivated, but it's a fear of a potentially uncontrollable and destructive masculinity that will threaten her way of life, conservative or not. The "choice" Clark must make is not whether he should use his powers to save the human race or not, it's whether he should remain pure of heart, represent the goodness of humanity or let the hate and anger, the violence inherent in man consume him.

Man of Steel not only addresses traditional masculinity's harmful behaviour towards women, but the effects it has towards other men. In the pub Clark calls out a man for his inappropriate behaviour towards a waitress. The man, lacking Clark's stature, resorts to physical and verbal intimidation. His behaviour is approved by the other men - even the army men smile, remaining silent. The waitress steps in, keeping Clark's masculinity in check, and rather than resorting to violence Clark walks away. Instead Clark pummels and destroys a vehicle - the truck - that has played a significant part in shaping the aggressor's male identity, representative of a culture with toxic attitudes towards women. Clark, as a teenager and as an adult, is criticised for not living up to the traditional ideals of being a "real" man - authoritative and dominant, resistant to weakness and emotion, assertive and... violent.

When audiences call out Clark for being "mopey" and too emotional, they are in fact calling him out for being too feminine and not masculine enough. When Clark dons the Superman garb, it is still just a costume, nothing more. Clark understands that it is not how he is perceived that makes him a man or a hero, but how he behaves and what he uses the image of Superman for. Clark didn't give himself the name "Superman"; it was the media and the people who did. It was the people who claimed him as their hero, as their Superman, in much the same way that America elects and chooses their President.

Superman has shaped young boys' concepts of masculinity for decades, in both film and in the comics: what is ideal and what isn't. So when a cinematic portrayal of the man of steel is presented as being conflicted, unable to handle the complexities of the world he has been "called" to save against an external threat (similar to President Carter during the Iranian Hostage Crisis) then he is not their Superman, then Snyder doesn't understand - and will never - understand Superman.

This attitude is wrong.

"Be their hero, Clark. Be their angel, be their monument, be anything they need you to be... or be none of it. You don't owe this world a thing. You never did."

Superman is not a person. It is an image, a representation of something better, of what makes us good, of what makes us human. Snyder's portrayal of Superman is one of a masculinity kept in check - respectable yet respected, able to express love and yet be loved, able to be an emotional man yet be an assertive one, using his "hard body" for the right reasons, to make a change, to make a positive impact on the world. Holding onto a past Superman because of nostalgia is to be a sponsor for traditional masculinity and all that is wrong with today's conservative patriarchy. Cavill's Superman doesn't replace Reeve's Superman, he just enhances a character that has remained stagnant with old beliefs and ways of expressing. He is the Man of Tomorrow, not the Man of Yesterday.

Clark is not Superman in name alone. His suit is also apart of the Superman image. For Clark, though, that suit is associated with his Kryptonian ancestry, a demeaning representation of masculinity. For him to smile as Superman, teeth glistening, would be a fake display of happiness. The smile he produces as he saves people is one in which he must pretend to be assertive, dominant - a leader. By contrast, Clark shows his teeth when he's out of the suit, when he's just Clark Kent and in the company of Martha or Lois. There's a genuineness. Clark doesn't need to look like a leader in these moments, e.g. when Clark returns home to Martha in Man of Steel or when Clark arrives home with a bouquet of tulips for Lois (and then Lois brings up Superman and the smile fades).

Even for Trump teeth are not so freely given, as suggested by a psychologist earlier this year: “Although Trump instinctively recognises the demeaning potential of smiling, there are occasions when he is prepared to throw caution to the wind and give a full-blown smile, with his teeth on display and wrinkles around the corners of the eyes - the latter being the feature that defines a genuine as opposed to a fake display of happiness. Trump tends to produce these beaming smiles when he is in a convivial setting and when he doesn’t feel the need to look like a leader, or when he is with people whose company he enjoys.”

Don't misconstrue my intentions. I'm not insinuating that Trump is a hero or even a leader, nor do I believe Superman shares the ideals of Trump. But there's a difference between smiling with sincerity out of love and comfort and being forced to give an artificial smile because people demand it of you or because you think you're worthy of respect.

Holding onto a past Superman because of nostalgia is to be a sponsor for traditional masculinity and all that is wrong with today's conservative patriarchy.

MacInnes’s (1998) statement about masculinity as a concept is equally as relevant to Superman (and Batman and Wonder Woman etc.), that they are “shaped and expressed differently at different times in different circumstances in different places by individuals and groups”.

I jumped ahead earlier: The entire first half of Man of Steel is Clark discovering what he was sent to Earth for, learning that he's a force for change, for good. When Clark wears his suit and discovers his powers of flight, it's a self-affirmation or -confirmation that he has become someone good, not just as a man but as someone who could be a hero.

Clark then learns that Zod probed inside Lois's mind and then finds Zod threatening Martha shortly after - two women most important to Clark, two people who keep him human - Clark uses his strength against Zod. The destruction of Smallville, and then Metropolis, in the latter half of Man of Steel challenges Clark's masculinity.

When Zod's suit is damaged and becomes susceptible to Earth's atmosphere, he is disoriented. Seeing through his own armour and muscles, seeing the bones that make up his body, Zod is forced to question his invulnerability and mortality. "What have you done to me?" he asks. "My parents taught me to hone my senses," replies Clark.

There's no denying that there is A LOT of destruction, but it is caused by uncontrolled masculinity - there's no thought for anything other than the opponent. What made Zod feel powerful and assertive was having Kryptonians obey his orders. That's what made him masculine. In the end, Zod forces Clark to give in to the ultimate form of violence, the darkest act of humanity: killing. Yes, it meant saving Earth, saving the vulnerable family in that station, but to Clark it meant so much more.

With Lois there, however, Clark's violent act was justified. Lois's love, her empathy, her acceptance subsequently allowed Clark to reclaim his humanity, his individuality, the good masculine ideals instilled in him by Martha and Jonathan Kent, a final push against the toxic, immoral masculine ideals projected by Zod that would continue to consume him. Only one could survive and it was the choice Clark was meant to ultimately make.

Finally, in Clark becoming a journalist at the Daily Planet by the film's end, it provides Clark an opportunity to use words (not fists) to make the world better. He wasn't able to use words with Zod; Zod knew only violence and aggression. Like Jor-El at the beginning of Man of Steel Clark would attempt to reason through words, verbal and written, well into Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Recently I’ve been reading a book by Bryan Doerries, The Theatre of War (2015), about what ancient Greek tragedies can teach us today and the relationship between story and human experience. It has also brought up many significant points for how relevant Batman v Superman is and how it is a tragedy like these Greek plays in it’s own right. But he brought up President Jimmy Carter who, in 1977, became the first American president to acknowledge that the nation’s resources and capacities had its limits. Carter said: “We have learned that ‘more’ is not necessarily ‘better’, that even our great Nation has its recognized limits, and that we can neither answer all questions nor solve all problems ... we must simply do our best.” A couple years later, Carter stated that the nation’s problems were due to a crisis of confidence due to tragedies and events, damaging the national spirit. 

Argo (2012), an adaptation about the hostage takeover in Tehran, was written by Chris Terrio, so it's no surprise that he came on to rework David S. Goyer's initial draft of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and with Snyder they further explored the dichotomy of masculinity as started in Man of Steel.

Clark's embodiment of masculinity, as expressed through his actions and ideals as Superman, continue to threaten the men of his world. The media, the people, government bodies and even Batman question his existence and "otherness" - who he is, who he should be, and what he should stand for (in other words, an image homogenous with the President).

Clark maintains his belief in words through the Daily Planet. Instead of confronting Batman head on about his uncontrolled behaviours as Superman, Clark intends to do it in a civil manner through the power of the press. And when he is called upon by Senator June Finch (Holly Hunter), to question him on the validity of his actions, Clark walks in civilly, hands together in front of him - unlike in Man of Steel he marches alone and not handcuffed by the military. He intends to talk, which is reflective of Jor-El before the Council at the beginning of Man of Steel. The same can be said for when he confronts Batman after learning that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) has manipulated them both - Clark wants to reason, to talk. But Bruce is far too gone....

Backtrack: After witnessing the Superman/Zod fight from the streets of Metropolis, Bruce Wayne becomes fearful about the threat Superman imposes on his way of life and the lives of the vulnerable and defenceless he has promised to protect and watch over. Although he resides in Gotham, Metropolis and its citizens are as equally as important to him, to his business, to the business his father built. Wayne Enterprises and the wealth it has generated have played a hand in Bruce's masculine identity, particularly in his identity as Batman.

Bruce/Batman, like the hard bodied and tough, hypermasculine action heroes of the 1980s, embodies Reagan's ideals. As shown in the early moments of the film, Bruce is seen as paternalistic, helping school children across the rubble and then comforting a young girl whose mother was in the Wayne Enterprises building. And so, throughout BvS, with twenty years of crime-fighting in Gotham behind him and as a witness to plenty of familial losses (his parents and Jason Todd to name a few), Bruce exerts the traditional characteristics of masculinity - aggressiveness, authoritativeness, a resistance to weakness, lack of emotion, individuality. He acts alone; his losses have hardened him and his violence knows no bounds from here on out. These traits are not only seen in his branding of criminals (internal threats) but in his attitudes towards Superman (a foreign, external threat [i.e., powerful immigrant]). Bruce believes he, himself, represents the human population and that it is only him - a man with power, status, strength, weapons and experience - who can bring down the Kryptonian.

If you think about the action films of the 1980s you would have seen Rambo and Captain Willard bleed, feel pain, stitch themselves up again but not falter, keep going, keep persisting to their goal. In just three words - "Do you bleed?" - Snyder and Terrio (and I guess Goyer) interrogate hypermasculinity. Batman, in his powered exoskeleton armour (a means to make himself more formidable), questions Superman's ability to bleed because, well, he never seems to bleed (and yet a 'nationalistic hero' like Rambo bled). Bruce defends his masculinity by attempting to oppress a figure who seemed far too masculine - Bruce wants to know if Superman is weak, if he feels pain, if he has felt pain to the degree Bruce has.  

"Breathe it in. That's fear. You're not brave. Men are brave. You say that you want to help people, but you can't feel their pain... their mortality... It's time you learn what it means to be a man."

To Bruce, Superman is a fake embodiment of masculine heroic ideals, much in the same way that patriarchal, white America perceived President Carter as being. Bruce has let toxic masculinity and traditional ideals blind his world view and his perception of Superman. Masculinity to Bruce became entirely about the exterior; his inner emotional weakness suppressed deep beneath the hard body - the suit and the weapons - he has forged.

That is until Bruce connects with not Superman, the image of a [masculine] "hero" mythologised and perpetuated by the media, no, but with Clark, a person who has also experienced loss and who is about to again, someone who has been displaced, someone who demonstrates selflessness even when he is dying. It was a connection beyond the superficial, on a level Bruce never knew was possible. Bruce is reminded of who he has lost, who he loved, of someone he almost forgot because of a masculinity he hadn't controlled. In killing Superman, Bruce would have given into the darkness, the rage, consumed by a toxic masculinity as defined by a traditional world view and conservative ideals. Therefore, to find reconciliation and with the approval of a purer man - Clark (as Lois had with Clark in Man of Steel) - Bruce gets to reclaim his identity, his masculinity by rescuing Martha Kent.  

Lex is unlike Clark or Bruce. He is a male wanting entitlement, power and authority, wanting to feel masculine despite his scrawny appearance (his "daddy's fists" made him emasculated). He tries to be assertive. He attempts to be authoritative. He's a person with no moral code. Senator June Finch, as well as the metahumans, are a threat to his manliness, his masculinity, so he disposes of them the only way he knows how: manipulation. The manipulation of Wallace Keefe, a man who even himself has been emasculated ("I can't even piss standing up"), to wreak havoc at the Capitol and the manipulation of Zod's body, failed masculinity, to birth Doomsday - these are the consequences of when toxic masculinity goes unchecked.

Although Man of Steel indicated that one type of man (masculinity) must die for the other to live, in BvS Superman sacrifices himself to kill Doomsday because he has learnt that there are people that love him (Lois, Martha, and men who approve of him, like Bruce) and to truly destroy the consequence of unchecked masculinity he must push through the pain, his ultimate weakness (the Kryptonite) - to bring hope, light and be reborn. But when that toxicity kills a man pure of heart, when Doomsday pumps his black blood into Superman, will Superman return in Justice League as himself, guided by ideals nurtured by the Kents and Lois, or as a Kryptonian bound by blood, as Zod said he would.

Will his good nature and ideals win out? His humanity? Or will his body determine what sort of man he becomes? His blood?

It harks back to the scene in Man of Steel with Clark and Jonathan arguing, Martha in the back seat of the car observing:

Clark: ... I just want to do something useful with my life. Jonathan: So farming and feeding people, that's not useful? Clark: I didn't say that! Jonathan: Our family's been farming for five generations, Clark -- Clark: Your family, not mine. I don't even know why I'm even listening to you. You're not my Dad. You're just some guy who found me in a field.

As much as I like to see traditional masculinity attacked in film, it's also extremely powerful and heart-rendering to see female masculinity grace the screen as well, with a strength or set of powers and character that have been attributed to traditional masculinity, or in the least not seem less feminine simply because they're taking on or adopting traditional societal norms of men. We have experienced a powerful woman before in Man of Steel, but while Faora was produced through the machinations of Krypton to serve for war, Diana was created by Zeus to defend mankind against war.

From Diana's heart-pumping introduction as Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman to her gladiatorial combat in the mid-point of her origin film with No Man's Land, she exerts her strength as a warrior and her determination as a person, never showing weakness - she was taught to be all these things on Themyscira. To speak to today's gender norms around "male" sports, activities or expressions, Hippolyta only doesn't want to lose her daughter, but she fears that her daughter will be unable to remain pure of heart if Diana becomes "masculine" and susceptible to the corrupted hearts of men. When Diana discovers some of her power for the first time when battling Antiope, Hippolyta isn't fearful of the powers; she's fearful that Ares will learn Diana has powers and a strength that only Ares believes is inherent in the gods - men - but that she still holds onto the values of love and compassion, duty and equality that have forged her as an Amazon, the true powers of women. What No Man's Land and the second act of Wonder Woman shows is that Diana can be both: she could be naive yet be strong, she can love and be compassionate yet express fury, she could be a warrior and show emotion.

In these moments I cried. My gender doesn't come into play, nor does my sexuality; rather it's seeing a reflection of my sisters, of my mother on the screen. I saw myself in Wonder Woman as much as I have seen myself in Superman.

Like Furiosa to Max, Wonder Woman is more experienced in combat and war than Batman and especially Superman, but she fights alongside them as an equal. The final fight shows that for society to break down social gender norms and traditional masculinity there will only be success if we work together, and that mankind (men and women) will need to sacrifice what makes them masculine but also use that masculinity to show true humanity and make the world better (Superman, Antiope and Steve Trevor present this physically). It's why Wonder Woman leaps at the end of her film - in her life Steve was the only man who showed that... until Superman. She departs the plane in BvS because men cannot defeat what they have created.

As the more feminine Diana Prince in BvS, she threatens Bruce's manliness, in much the same way Finch threatens Lex's. "Oh, I don't think you've ever known a woman like me." Bruce's assertiveness and dominance doesn't concern her; she's fought against the same toxic behaviour and traditional masculinity with Ares, the same kind Finch has most likely come up against in her own career.

But even then, people have complained about how Diana dresses as Wonder Woman. Why can't women be able to express their femininity yet wield masculine traits? Why can't she be beautiful and assertive? Why can't she bare skin, such as her thighs when men's hard bodied musculature bodies have dominated action cinema? To these people, Diana is not being traditionally female, much in the same way that Clark as Superman has been called out for not being traditionally male.

Masculinity is not only attributable to men, but women, too. As is femininity.

In Wonder Woman, Steve and his band of misfits, comprising of Sameer, Charlie and the Chief, all struggle with the masculinity they've traditionally meant to express. Charlie, for example, is haunted by ghosts when he sleeps, and when Diana goes to comfort him he pushes her away and storms off with his gun. It is after they experience Diana's strength and power, do they share their feminine traits: Charlie sits at the piano and sings, Sameer shares his desire to be an actor, the Chief denies the offerings by the Veld townspeople... and Steve learns to love.

I could have distilled all of the above, but I needed to address everything. I'm most likely forgetting about a number of other ways that masculinity is challenged in the DCEU - such as, which I will discuss below in regards to the importance of women in these films, following Jonathan's death and Clark's becoming of Superman, it was up to Martha to care for the farm, it was up to Martha to fulfill both motherly and fatherly roles for Clark. Even within Suicide Squad, masculinity is addressed by the characters of Amanda Waller and El Diablo, for example.

The Importance of Women in the DCEU

The DCEU's fight against traditional masculinity begins on Krypton with not Jor-El, but Lara (Ayalet Zurer). Man of Steel opens with her face, giving birth to a child that will become all that is good. It is Lara who becomes the bridge to a greater understanding between men, launching the pod. When Zod is ordered to spend eternity in the Phantom Zone it is to Lara, standing with the Council, that he yells, "I will reclaim what you have taken from us", in other words, reclaiming masculinity. In hard body terms, if Krypton is the national body, then Kal is the individual body who was to save them.

Lara's final words before the consequences of unchecked masculinity implode Krypton: "Make a better world than ours, Kal."

Jumping to nine-year-old Clark at middle school who's fearing his powers (and therefore his masculinity), it is his human mother Martha Kent who helps him understand that if he ever gets caught up in the perceptions of the world, in a society dictating how he should feel or act, that who he is is more important to those who love him. Martha is that person who will guide him to being a better self. Interestingly, as Clark became a teenager the advice came from Jonathan; yet following his death, and then well into BvS, it is Martha who advises Clark on what to do.

Although Martha remains the compass of Clark's journey into selfhood and manhood, it is Lois throughout Man of Steel that wants his identity, his type of masculinity to be known. Lois becomes Clark's guide for how to express his masculinity as an adult. Both Lois and Martha are the only two people who keep Clark from giving into the darker side of man, into the toxic masculine ideals forced upon him by Zod. It is these two people that he shares his genuine smile with.

There have been complaints about Lois's role in Man of Steel. For example, why does Lois board the scout ship when ordered by Faora on behalf of Zod? I used to think it was for plot convenience, to fulfill the screenplay's beats, but now I believe it's because Zod wanted to learn what it is to be human from someone connected to Kal, so that Zod can crack Kal's resistance to the Kryptonian way of life - the dominant way of man. Lois keeps Kal from giving into his Kryptonian blood, from a potentially destructive side simmering within. Jor-El understands this as well; when Lois's pod is damaged and hurtles for Earth, Jor-El says to Kal: "You can save her, Kal. You can save them all." Lois is as much apart of Clark's masculinity as Martha is, and it is them in which hope will shine through, not the man himself.

There have also been complaints that Lois and Martha as being convenient to Clark's narrative or that they're always portrayed as damsels-in-distress. But in the context of masculinity, in a world dominated by men and in a world being destroyed by men, Lois and Martha do the best they possibly can with what they have available to them - which is their love, their peacefulness, their use of words. When Lois is persuading Perry to allow her to investigate the bullet she looks at Clark who catches himself from speaking for her, but Lois manages to finish herself - she was her own white knight. Neither Martha nor Lois are threatened by men - Martha did not feel threatened by Zod nor was she in distress with Anatoli Kynazev (she doesn't scream, which is why Clark would be unable to hear her voice). It is the consequences of unchecked masculinity that stop them from doing what they've set out to do and accomplish: Lois's quest to help Clark prove his innocence or Martha wanting to raise a morally good son regardless of his power. To elaborate, Lois puts herself in danger and 'enters' the domains claimed by men (e.g., travelling to Nairomi to interview a terrorist) so that she can alleviate the public's fears back in Metropolis around Superman - even the CIA don't trust her relationship with Superman by sending a male in 'James'. Lois constantly puts herself in "man's world", such as the men's bathroom to speak to Swanwick; when Swanwick's authority and the state's actions are questioned by Lois, Swanwick resorts to questioning her reliability as a woman and her relations with Superman. Lois is willing to risk her job to discover the truth; Swanwick would rather keep his position of power. When she reaches the Capitol or goes to retrieve the spear, it is the consequences of Lex's uncontrolled actions that obstruct her goals, first the explosion and then secondly Doomsday.

Since his parents' deaths, Bruce has always lacked a stable female figure in his life - he insistently talks about his father yet can only dream about his mother. Bruce had a fatherly role model as he came of age in Alfred, but never a motherly one. His father's ideals - assertiveness, aggression (as seen just before Thomas is shot or the fact that his ancestors were hunters) - feeds into Bruce's masculinity. Unlike Clark, Bruce only matured with the male masculine. He sleeps with women and forgets about them. He even tries his ways with Diana but his attempts are ignored by her.

Diana, on the other hand, is more balanced than either of them - she came from an island of women who demonstrated both feminine and masculine traits. What Themyscira shows is the harm social gender norms play in the shaping of our ideals as humans, and that within a patriarchal world of traditional values it is women who will pave the way forward to a brighter, more balanced future.

On a related note, it was revealed by the Hollywood Reporter towards the end of May that Zack would be stepping down from finishing Justice League following the death of his daughter, Autumn, in March.

If Martha and Lois mean to Clark what Deborah and Autumn mean to Zack, then...

Zack believed he could overcome the despair, the loss of his daughter, in his work. Yet the pressures of his job as a director and producer, as a leader, got the better of him. With his films showcasing the importance of women in the men's lives and the love and comfort they bring, it would have been impossible for Zack to ignore the very messages he has been conveying. He almost gave in to the traditional masculine ideals he worked hard to break. Toughness. Resistance to weakness. Lack of emotion. Endurance and strength. 

So like with Clark, it is Zack's family - Deborah and his children - that give him the strength to continue making these films, even through all the criticism and all the hate.

Zack has become my Superman as much as Patty is my Wonder Woman and Patty is my Superman as much as Zack is my Wonder Woman.

The DCEU films matter to me. These characters matter to me. Zack and Patty's tireless work matters to me. They matter to who I am; I may not believe, even still at 24, that I'm masculine physically (I've never been physically aggressive or assertive; I've never acquired masculine confidence because I've never received approval for my masculinity from other men; I'm not muscular, not tall, have short legs and wears glasses; I read, I write, love theatre, have danced, hate the gym) but these films have taught me it's how I act, how I behave, how I am towards others that define my masculinity, not as a man but as a human being.

These films have highlighted the importance of my mother and sisters in my life. BvS made me think about my mum and Wonder Woman made me think about my sisters - I cried during both. And although I may have matured without a stable male role model, I've become who I am today because of these women, not because of some traditional social ideals.

We have a Batgirl film in development, as well as Gotham City Sirens and a sequel for Wonder Woman, but what could we expect from Justice League if all the above is true?

Mad Max: Fury Road barely broke $400 USD million worldwide. Yet it was still successful because of what it held. For Miller to go from producing a little independent Australian film with unknowns in the '70s to a modern Hollywood masterclass in masculinity and action cinema, do you really think Warner Bros. is concerned only about how female characters perform at the box office? It's a good incentive alright and definitely an achievement - as I write this, Wonder Woman is tracking well better than Fury Road did overall in just its second weekend - but a film's worth, its messages and who it inspires, are far more important than the worth it accumulates.

What does this mean for Justice League?

Man of Steel gave us a glimpse of what may happen if Kal lets his Kryptonian blood take hold. Zod showed him that.

In Batman v Superman the Knightmare sequence shows us a post-apocalyptic future if Superman became what Zod wanted him to be. It's a possible future of Kal giving into the blood and rage because of the loss of Lois, who is his hold on humanity. Even at the end of BvS, even after Clark dies, he is fighting to hold onto that humanity. Lois is the last person to throw dirt on his coffin, which then rises.

I don't believe we'll see much of the black suit in Justice League, but what there may be is a final push for Clark against the dominant masculinity as dictated by the Kryptonian blood flowing within him. However, Lois may not be the only person who will help him - Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman will fight for him and believe that he can change. These other 'heroes' are individuals who represent sections of people in society that have been oppressed or othered by a patriarchy and would understand Superman's plight - displacement, isolation, loss - as if it were their own (edit: in Justice League Kal El uses his heat vision, which harks back to young Clark at school unable to control his abilities). It is they who will finally make Clark feel like a leader. For so long he was ostracised for what made him different, but to then have others who are also different but ultimately remained good would make Clark feel like he finally belonged. He will then smile, teeth glistening.

To add to this, in the official Justice League trailer and even the first look presented at San Diego Comic Con last year it is Bruce who goes and recruits Arthur Curry and Barry Allen. Bruce lets Arthur use his dominant, threatening display of masculinity and it is through words - "I hear you can talk to fish" - instead of strength that may make Arthur come on board. With Barry, on the other hand, Bruce uses his money and gadgets to compel Barry to join. In the comic con footage it seems that, although Bruce brings the league together, it is actually Diana that orchestrates it all. As for Victor Stone, I believe Diana will be the one to convince him, using her compassion and love.

If we bring Hippolyta's (Connie Nielsen) tale of the war of the Gods from Wonder Woman into play it is pretty much a representation of the invasion to come - it actually is the tale of the first invasion as she then goes on to tell Diana that it was just a story (edit: Ares was not “bad” at first and it was he who had the final blow on Steppenwolf, but was then used as a pawn and someone to fear by Zeus to protect the Mother Box). 

Therefore, looking at the broader picture of the DCEU, Diana will lead the 'others' - Batman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg - against the invasion of Darkseid's parademon army in Justice League and to stop Clark/Kal from losing what makes him human and compassionate and good. This is why Wonder Woman is not just an origin for Diana.

It's why the only word Zack Snyder could say about her success is 'proud' (source). His true intentions of the DCEU became its success. Audiences will come to see Diana in a ground-breaking turn as the leader of the #JusticeLeague.

I'm gonna bet there'll be many great female-driven moments in Justice League and Wonder Woman has already had white, straight men complaining. If this understanding of Zack Snyder's magnum opi (with powerful work by Patty Jenkins) is any indication to go by, a heck of a lot of damage is going to be done to the patriarchy come November. Justice League will be a superhero, action film for the ages - a film for everyone.

References

Ayers, D. (2008). Bodies, bullets, and bad guys: Elements of the hardbody film. Film Criticism, 32(3), 41-67.

Beasley, C. (2009). Male bodies at the edge of the world: Re-thinking hegemonic and “other” masculinities in Australian cinema. In S. Fouz-Hernandez (Ed.) Mysterious skin: Male bodies in contemporary cinema, (pp. 57-76). London: Palgrave, Macmillan.

Carrier, M. B. (2015). Men and the movies: Labour, masculinity, and shifting gender relations in contemporary Hollywood cinema. Retrieved from Ohio University Thesis and Dissertation Services, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=ohiou1430322393&disposition=inline

Combe, K. & Boyle, B. (2013). Introduction: Of masculine, monstrous, and me. Masculinity and monstrosity in contemporary Hollywood films (pp. 1-26). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Deakin, P. (2012). Masculine identity in crisis in Hollywood’s fin de millennium cinema. Retrieved from Manchester eScholar Services, https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/item/?pid=uk-ac-man-scw:172532

Gjelsvik, A. (2013). From hard bodies to soft daddies: Action aesthetics and masculine values in contemporary American action films. In K. Aukrust (Ed.) Assigning cultural values (pp. 91-106). New York, NY: Peter Lang AG.

Jeffords, S. (1994). Hard bodies: The Readgan heroes. Hard bodies: Hollywood masculinity in the Reagan era. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.

Johnston, K. M. (2013). Science fiction film: A critical introduction. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Kac-Vergne, M. (2012). Losing visibility? The rise and fall of hypermasculinity in science fiction films. InMedia, 2, 1-15.

MacInnes, J. (1998). The end of masculinity: The confusion of sexual genesis and sexual difference in modern society. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.

Neale, S. (1983). Masculinity as spectacle: Reflections on men and mainstream cinema. Screen, 24(6), 2-17.

O’Brien, H. (2012). Action movies: The cinema of striking back. London: Wallflower.

Priest, A. (2009). From Saigon to Baghdad: The Vietnam syndrome, the Iraq war and American foreign policy. Intelligence and National Security, 24(1), 139-171.

Tasker, Y. (1993). Masculinity, politics and national identity. Spectacular bodies: Gender, genre and the action cinema (pp. 91-108). New York, NY: Routledge.

Film References

Berg, J., Johns, G., Roven, C., & Snyder, D. (Producers), & Snyder, Z. (Director). (2017). Justice League [Motion picture]. USA; Warner Bros. Pictures.

Coppola, F., & Aubry, K. (Producers), & Coppola, F. (Director). (1979). Apocalypse Now [Motion picture]. USA: United Artists.

Feitshans, B, (Producer), & Kotcheff, T. (Director). (1982). First Blood [Motion picture]. USA: Orion Pictures.

Foster, D., & Turman, L. (Producers), & Carpenter, J. (1982). The Thing [Motion picture]. USA: Universal Pictures.

Gordon, C., & Silver, J. (Producers), & McTiernan, J. (Director). (1988). Die Hard [Motion picture]. USA: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Hurd, G. A. (Producer), & Cameron, J. (Director). (1984). The Terminator [Motion picture]. USA: Orion Pictures.

Kennedy, B. (Producer), & Miller, G. (Director). (1979). Mad Max [Motion picture]. Australia: Roadshow Film Distributors.

Kennedy, K., & Wilson, C. (Producers), & Spielberg, S. (Director). (2005). War of the Worlds [Motion picture]. USA: Paramount Pictures.

Miller, G., Mitchell, D., & Voeten, P. J. (Producers), & Miller, G. (Director). (2015). Mad Max: Fury Road [Motion picture]. USA: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Roven, C., & Snyder, D. (Producers), & Snyder, Z. (Director). (2016). Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice [Motion picture]. USA: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Roven, C., Snyder, D., Snyder, Z., & Suckle, R. (Producers), &. Jenkins, P. (Director). (2017). Wonder Woman [Motion picture]. USA: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Roven, C., & Suckler, R. (Producers), & Ayer, D. (Director). (2016). Suicide Squad [Motion picture]. USA: Warner Bros. Pictures.

[princessbrietta]

Rating: General Audiences Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne Word Count: 1,608 Additional Tags: Fluff, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Culture Shock, Friendship, First Kiss Summary:

Bruce meets Kal, a Kryptonian from another world, and gets pulled into a mission to save an alien race. It's less complex than he expected. And the alien is surprisingly handsome.

To @drawingpankake for the @superbatsecretsanta hope you enjoy! Happy Holidays! 

#superbatsecretsanta2017 #superbat #batman #superman #dc #my fics

[mamawasatesttube]

Flamebird Kon Guy again (I should start leaving some kinda signature), and Yes!! There’s so much about Krypton and it’s culture that cna be played with, and just barely gets touched on in regards to Kon and the other Kents and then being immigrants!! Like, on Krypton, clones literally had a civil war, and then centuries later, all of the children were born artificially anyways. Literally, Kon would be considered Clark’s kid by their standards, and that’s just never brought up or talked about!!

I’m a bit denier of the Bad Dad Clark fanon shit, but I do want to say, it would be so so INTERESTING to see this type of scenario played with. Kon who compares himself to Clark constantly, and has expressed insecurity over Clark keeping secrets from him and what he (Kon) means to him. And like, Clark has always rushed to assure Kon whenever these insecurities are made known, so something like this would have so much potential!!

But DC is too busy being Mfing haters 😒😒

Anywhores, sorry for the tangent. But this also plays into why I love Flamebird!Kon so much! Because there’s so much that can be explored with Kon taking that name. Imagine Clark telling him about Flamebird, a creature of passion who destroys not because she takes pleasure in it, but because it’s her duty to keep the spark from going out. Kon proudly wearing a name that Clark said he would be a good fit for, and every time they’re together or every time he’s alone, he can’t help but preen because it’s another name that Clark bestowed upon him, and that means something!!

okay first off "anywhores" cracked me up so shoutout to that <3. i just didnt see that coming at ALL hdfjkshdkjHd

anyway. yeah "bad dad clark" is my enemy and i'm setting this particular bit of fanon on fire and throwing it off a cliff. like... here's the nicest guy in the world! also he just hates this teenager for no reason. GET REAL. it's SOOOO much more interesting to give them a nuanced relationship (i also don't subscribe to them having a 100% nuclear family label in any way; i think it's somewhere between "brothers" and "father/son" and also both of them at the same time and also neither. no label fits them too well outside of simply "family"). but them having the struggle of "kon, esp younger early-in-his-narrative kon, craving parental affection from clark, who isn't quite able to give that to him the way he wants" is ABSOLUTELY my cup of tea and im so here for adding the extra layer of old kryptonian vs newer kryptonian culture as a further confounding variable. let them be complex and multifaceted!! the love is there but so are the issues, etc.

re: that last paragraph i can't also help but think of The Agonies... kon defining himself so much by clark's pride in him as a concept makes me wail into my hands. it's in-character Esp again when he's younger but also babygirl you are also your own person!!!! id love a narrative w flamebird kon where he first is so proud of it bc of clark but then grows to forge his own connection to flamebird's mythos and the deity herself too, in addition to the connection to his heritage through clark. kon's narrative re: individuality is just so gripping to me (even if we kinda have to imagine a lot of it bc dc does not want to deliver lmao) and that could be such a fun additional angle on it.

also this whole thing in general made me remember again how mad i am that rebirth just completely nuked the entire kon & clark relationship. clark just doesnt fucking remember him and by the looks of it/the way they wrapped it up so neatly re: house of kent arc, he never will. what the fuck!!!!! rebirth get out of my house bendis do NOT interact!!!!!!

#kon and clark are just SO. AUGH. you know? #the agonies persist but the love prevails!!!!!! #until rebirth decides to fuck them over anyway. BUT IM IGNORING THAT. THE LOVE PREVAILS #theyre family!!!!!!!! theres no other word for it that sits quite right on either or both of their tongues but theyre FAMILY #kon #clark #answers #flamebird kon anon #<- you get your own tag now :)

[ao3feed-superbat]

the one to rearrange your world

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2kX6tgn

by SkyRose

Bruce meets Kal, a Kryptonian from another world, and gets pulled into a mission to save an alien race. It's less complex than he expected. And the alien is surprisingly handsome.

Words: 1608, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Alfred Pennyworth

Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Fluff, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Culture Shock, Friendship, First Kiss

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2kX6tgn

#ao3feed #superbat #world's finest #Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne #Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent

[gabsrambles]

if you could gain control of any show, what would it be and what would you do with your power?

Omg this question. I love it. I’m divided between the 1oo and Supergirl purely for the same reasons: the untapped storyline potential.

Lexa and the grounders. The grounders in general. Their culture. Not painting them as “savages” and the arkers as saviours. Exploring the idea of the child warrior being able to create the aliance she did. The different clans. What was the commanders role before the clans were united? How could we have seen more of that? How could we have seen Clarke, my light, and Lexa, bringing their people together? What is Azgedas problem? Where did that come from? Are there more survivors? Getting Raven a true storyline. Ugh.

And Supergirl. No more show based so much on romance. Instead focusing more on their found families, the strength of the relationship between Kara and Alex. Kara truly keeping her secret identity and the battle of that (HUNDREDS WORK AT THE DEO AND THEY ALL JUST KNOW HER IDENTITY?!). More exploration on balancing Kara’s lives. And, most of all, exploring Kara and her past, her potential. Kara is Kryptonian. She is not Clark, raised on Earth as a baby. I want more of what we glimpsed in Season One. Her anger, her fear. Her utter complexity.

I can talk all day about this.

[cthoughts]

Why Supergirl Would Be Awesome With 2 Leads

SuperFamily

I’ve been watching Supergirl and it’s not really what the show’s focused on, but it’s made me really interested in a story focusing on the relationship between Kara and Clark.

Doing Justice to The Show

They’re superheroes, they’re both interesting characters when done the way they are in the show, they each have very unique and compelling backstories that are similar in some ways and at odds in others, and they’re family.  With a show that focused on each individually and then on their relationship with each other, it would be super (ha!) interesting.

I love that Supergirl is focused on a female hero and that there are so many other women in the show and so many woman-woman interactions.  I wouldn’t want to take away from that by making the show about Superman whose story has already been told so many times.  However, I can’t help but feel like not exploring Superman more in the context of the Supergirl show is a huge missed opportunity. 

Their relationship as family members is a huge point of interest.  It adds so much complexity to the characters, relationships, and plot that’s already there. In fact, it already feels like something is missing from the show as it currently is because it’s such a logical thing for people to want to fill in the holes about their relationship.  Ignoring that part of the plot in order to make sure Supergirl doesn’t get overshadowed by her more famous cousin isn’t optimal.

They could keep Supergirl as the main character and have Superman be a more developed secondary character like her sister Alex is.  I think that would be the best compromise in this situation.

Doing Justice to Superman

I have to admit that I’ve never been very fond of Superman as a character in general.  He’s always come off as arrogant, disrespectful of others, presumptuous, self-centered, headstrong, and too rigid in his morality.  

The Smallville version and the version from Supergirl are the only two versions I’ve ever felt fond of.  I think it’s because they make him much more human and vulnerable.  They show him being angry, being hurt that he’s not trusted by someone who could otherwise be an ally, being protective, feeling giddy at getting to share his powers with someone who understands, relishing his powers, fondly humoring his fans, getting exasperated at how illogical the people he fights can be, respecting his cousin’s space, using his assets *wink* to his advantage, and more.  He’s a real person in Supergirl.

Humanizing Superman is something they did very right with Supergirl, whether on purpose or by accident.  It’s something they need to expand on because there are so few versions of Superman that are like that.

Age Switch

Since it’s basically in the intro of the show from the start, it’s not a spoiler to say that Kara’s backstory is extremely interesting because of how her age in relation to Superman changed.  She was older than him, got stuck in the Phantom Zone by accident, and ended up on Earth over two decades later. Because Clark came to Earth as a baby and grew up before Kara got there, that makes things very different for the two.

She started out 13 years older than Clark and ended up 11 years younger than him. 

Losing Krypton

Kara grew up on Krypton and was already 13 when she had to leave, so her experience of Krypton dying is very different to Clark’s.  For Kara, she actually knew the culture and the people and she really felt the loss.  She was old enough to basically know the shape of her world, but young enough that there’s a lot of adult perspective about how Krypton was that she’ll never have. 

For Clark, he’s lived on Earth his whole life, but he never actually fit in and didn’t always understand why.  He grew up on Earth and it’s all he remembers, but he’s Kryptonian.  He’ll never completely feel like he can identify with the people of Earth or Krypton because of it.  

Both are hard, but they’re different types of hard.  It’s the difference between losing your parents before you can even remember them and losing your parents when you’re older and have plenty of memories.  In the one case, you feel like you’ve never fit in and that you don’t really know or understand yourself.  In the other, there’s so much pain that gives you a sort of isolating wisdom that no one has until they experience that type of loss.

Adoptive Family

The difference in their ages when they came to Earth also means that Clark and Kara’s experience as adopted children is different.  For Clark, his parents are his parents because they’re who he grew up with and they’re all he remembers.  Because Kara’s older, even with a nice adoptive family, she can never just forget her original family.  

In that sense, even though Clark probably feels alienated because of his position between two worlds, he feels like he fits in with his adoptive family more than Kara ever could.  Kara will never feel completely at home again because she can remember her original home and she’ll never quite stop longing for things to be how they were.  It’s a more intense version of the nostalgia that we all feel for parts of our childhood.

Protector vs Protectee

Being older, Kara was originally supposed to take care of Clark when she got to Earth, but because of her being in a timeless place and getting to Earth late, things got turned on their head.  Instead of her taking care of Clark, Clark found her after she landed and he was the one who took care of her.  

It’s hinted in the show, but never fully explored, how she must feel guilty to a certain extent over this.  She didn’t do what her parents expected of her (not her fault though) and her getting there late also meant that Clark was alone without anyone who really understood who and what he was.

The other thing is that Kara arriving late stripped her of her purpose.  Not only did she not get to do what her parents asked of her, but she no longer had a mission to carry out.  For someone who originally had a mission to focus themselves on while the rest of their world was falling apart, it must have felt overwhelming to suddenly lose that purpose and have nothing to focus on and no set direction to head in.

Growing Up Separately

Clark and Kara are two different people despite being family and having the same powers on Earth.  

Clark

Solitary-

Clark grew up having to figure out who he was on his own.  That left a mark on him.  It’s referenced in the show that he always goes it alone.  His default is going it alone and that’s just how he expects it to be.  

Because the show hasn’t shown us Clark’s background, there are any number of reasons that might explain why he’s that way.  I’m curious about it and that’s part of why I started wishing for the show to focus on the two of them rather than Kara alone.

It could be that Clark is just used to being alone because for the longest time he was the only one who had powers and could do the things he could and it became a habit.  Maybe he’s aware of it and maybe he isn’t.  

It might be that Clark being used to being the only one with powers made him a little arrogant about being the only person who could handle things.  Even though he can’t always handle it anymore and there are more people who have powers and can help him now, he still thinks he’s the best person to do everything.

It could be that Clark has trouble trusting others because of feelings of isolation and actual isolation caused by being different when he was growing up.  

It’s possible that because he never felt like he fit in (like he wasn’t good enough to), Clark has a hero complex and feels like he has to be the one to help everyone else to be good enough.

There are so many possibilities when it comes to why Clark took up the mantle of Superman and why he does his heroics the way he does.  I want to know what his childhood was like.  I want to know if he had friends or if he was lonely.  I want to know if he still feels lonely at times.  I want to know his feelings about being born into one culture without remembering it and living in another culture while never being able to fully fit in.

Identities-

I also want to know how Clark views his Superman vs Clark identities.  It’s often hinted in previous incarnations of Superman that he’s more comfortable as a superhero and Clark Kent is more of an act.  

The feeling on the show is more like both Superman and Clark are part of who he genuinely is.  It would be interesting to see more of how his private life and superhero life interact like we get to see with Kara.  I would expect somewhat different conflicts, though, because he and Kara aren’t the same people. Rehashing the same conflicts with both of them would be boring.

Relationships-

We also have yet to see Clark’s relationship with his parents, with Jimmy/James, and with Kara’s foster family.  We’ve seen that Kara’s foster sister Alex has some negative feelings about Clark, but it would be interesting to have that and his other relationships with family explored more.

Alex-

With Alex, it’s partly an animosity because of insecurity and jealousy.  Alex is the older sibling who feels her importance to Kara is less when the cool older cousin who Kara has more in common with comes around.  Alex spends more time with Kara and has more memories with her, but Clark has a specific bond with Kara that Alex will never have with her.

The other part is that Alex thinks Clark shirked his responsibility by leaving Kara with Alex’s family.  Whether this is a fair judgment or not is up for debate, but it’s a viewpoint that inevitably crosses the minds of people watching the show.  It’s logical and highly emotional at the same time, so it’s a smart conflict to have between Alex and Clark.

James/Jimmy-

We hear about how James is friends with Clark from James’ side often on the show, but we’ve yet to actually see them as friends.  Mostly that’s because James belongs to Kara’s narrative in the show and Clark doesn’t have his own separate narrative.  Every scene James is in has to do with Kara in some way, so there’s no opportunity to show James and Clark alone and focused on anything other than Kara.

Actually, with the current set up on the show they could develop James and Clark’s relationship at least a little bit by having them talking alone about something related to Kara.  They could also have a situation where James is in trouble and Supergirl is dealing with someone else, so the focus is on Superman being worried and saving James.  They haven’t done that up until now, but they could.  Still, it would help define Clark’s character a lot more to see the details of how he relates to James.  

It would also create another nice triangle a la Alex-Kara-Clark.  What are Clark’s feelings on James liking his sort-of-baby cousin? What are his feelings on Kara getting James’ hopes up and kind of dumping him out of nowhere? Would he take sides, which side would he take, or would he be uncomfortable and avoid it entirely?

Another thing it would do is add more depth to James’ narrative.  James may well be the most fleshed out secondary character on the show currently.  Alex and J'onn have more to do in the plot, but we’ve seen more of James’ emotions more consistently.  Part of James’ emotional journey is to define himself away from Superman, just like Kara’s is.  Seeing the conflict between him loving his friend and him hating how he feels like a sidekick to Superman and how trying to help Superman messes up his life would develop his situation more. 

Kara

I don’t have as much to say about Kara because the show IS about her and they’re already developing her past, her emotional life, and her conflicts. There’s not as much room for me to be missing pieces of her story as with Clark.  The biggest thing is her relationship with Clark and that’s going to be a different section of this post.

Younger Sibling Syndrome-

In the show, Kara defines herself separate from Clark by saying that her philosophy is about being stronger as a team.  While Clark is known as the solo wonder-hero, Kara is okay with relying on her friends and family and the DEO to help save the day.  As a team, they can get the best results.  

This doesn’t mean that Kara is weaker than Clark.  It’s a strength to trust in other people and combine everyone’s strengths without ego.  She defines her unique superhero-dom by this strength.

The whole reason she has to define herself separately from Clark is because he’s already established.  The public recognizes him already, so when she starts, she’s going to be considered an afterthought unless she asserts her own identity.  The public would view her as an offshoot of Superman rather than as her own person otherwise.  Kara is essentially Clark’s younger sibling in this respect.  She faces the same challenges the younger sibling of an exceptional student or athlete would face.

Fledgling Insecurity-

Although Kara was older to start with, she’s far behind Clark when it comes to being a superhero.  He started earlier and has years on her.  Partly because of this, partly because Clark is already viewed as exceptional in the same role she wants to fill, partly because of having the rug pulled out from her when Krypton died and again when she got to Earth late, and partly because of having to grow up and hide her powers while with her adoptive family, Kara is very unsure of herself and insecure.

Kara has strong convictions, a natural instinct to help anyone in need, and she’s got the same powers from the sun as Clark does, but she’s unable to fully reach her potential as Supergirl and especially as Kara because of her insecurity.  

She starts getting comfortable with her role as Supergirl sooner and this causes a gap between her identity as Supergirl and her identity as Kara. The confidence she has as Supergirl doesn’t transfer over.  Being confident as Kara is something else she has to learn.

Kara and Clark

So far Kara and Clark have the sweetest, most adorable relationship on the show.  I love it and I wouldn’t change that too much.  I think it makes sense for their personalities and it’s heartwarming to see them embracing what they have left of their Kryptonian family.  They’ve both lost so much that them making each other happy seems right.

History and Conflict-

However, we’re told that they love each other and we see that, but we have no history for it.  The opening credits where Superman rips the top of Kara’s pod when she lands and helps her out of it always thrills me.  It just represents all of these things about Kara and Clark’s relationship with each other that could be so interesting to explore.

How did Clark feel when first finding out that he had family that was alive? 

How did Clark feel when he realized she could tell him stories about Krypton?  

How did Kara react when she first realized that Clark was all grown up and not her baby cousin anymore?  

How did she deal with the potential guilt of having accidentally left Clark to grow up on his own with no other Kryptonians to teach him?

How did Clark come to the decision to leave Kara with an adoptive family?

Did he ever regret his decision either for his own sake or for hers?

Did Clark visit Kara or did they keep in touch through electronic communication only?  How much did they keep in touch at all?

Did Kara ever resent being left with a foster family and not living with Clark?  Does she understand why he did it beyond the surface explanation or is she too afraid to ask?

Does Kara have any negative feelings about how Clark tends to do all his heroics alone?  Is she irritated, disapproving, or worried?

Does Clark feel like Kara’s his little sister or does she feel like his equal? Does he feel vulnerable around her?

Does Kara still feel like Clark’s protector or does she feel like the little sibling?

In the present day, are there any situations where Kara gets upset with Clark for not calling her or not sharing important information until too late?

Does she disagree with any of his positions on working (or not) with the government or about the use of force?

Has Kara ever met Lois Lane?  Does she think Lois is a good match for Clark or not?

How does Clark feel about his cousin and his best friend becoming romantically entangled?  

How does he feel about Jimmy switching from Superman’s sort-of sidekick to Supergirl’s?

What types of challenges does Clark have with his regular life colliding with his superhero one vs the ones Kara has?

How do they help each other overcome their personal issues?

What were Clark’s feelings about Astra since she was related to Kara but on the other side of her family?

It’s impossible to have a relationship without some conflict.  Conflict is what helps two people understand each other better by revealing the places where they inevitably have different experiences, values, and opinions.  We’re told and shown that Clark and Kara love each other, but I want to see the history of that and I want to see it grow through the course of the show.

Not Too Dark-

I would prefer that their conflicts not be too negative or overly dramatic though. Both of them have so many hard things in their lives already, so there’s enough drama anyway.  I’d prefer them worrying about each other and helping each other grow rather than having tragic elements.  

At their cores, they’re goodhearted people who have faith in the world.  If their conflicts with each other are too heavy, it wouldn’t fit with that characterization right and I wouldn’t want the characterization to change.  

One of the defining parts of Superman and Supergirl is their inherent goodness, just like Captain America.  When done wrong, it can be unrealistic, too absolute, and grating. However, when done right, it’s relieving and heartwarming.  With the current state of the world, relieving and heartwarming is welcome as far as I’m concerned.

Conclusion

I’d love to see Supergirl and Superman as equally strong focuses in the current show.   It could be so good.  The characters the show already has like James, Lucy, Winn, Cat Grant, etc. are already great and that’s the scenario I’d want to add more of Superman to.  Unfortunately that’s not very likely since the structure of Supergirl is already set to revolve around her as the sole focus.

Alternatively, I’d like to see a show in the future that takes the idea of them being related and develops that as the core point of interest.  This has more of a chance of happening someday.  Since Superman is one of those popular properties that will perpetually be made and remade and reimagined, it’s not unlikely.

#supergirl #superman #kara zor-el #kara danvers #kal-el #clark kent #show analysis #mine #I just made myself sad #I thought he was in more than 2 episodes in the 2nd season #turns out he's not and what I've watched is all that there is #it could be SO good #and it's probably never going to happen

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

the one to rearrange your world

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2kX6tgn

by SkyRose

Bruce meets Kal, a Kryptonian from another world, and gets pulled into a mission to save an alien race. It's less complex than he expected. And the alien is surprisingly handsome.

Words: 1608, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Alfred Pennyworth

Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Fluff, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Culture Shock, Friendship, First Kiss

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2kX6tgn

#IFTTT #ao3feed #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #gotham