History YMMV / Superman

* CantUnhearIt: It's hard not to read Superman's lines using the voice of Creator/GeorgeNewbern.

* CantUnhearIt: It's hard not to read Superman's lines using the voice of Creator/GeorgeNewbern since ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''.

* CantUnhearIt: It's hard not to read Superman's lines using the voice of Creator/GeorgeNewbern since ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''.

** Many {{Alternate Universe Fic}}s and official Elseworlds stories love to explore the possibilty of how Kal-El would have turned out if his rocket pod didn't land in Smallville, or otherwise like to transplant him into other universes via utilizing the {{crossover}}. ''ComicBook/SupermanRedSon'' (where Superman lands in Soviet Russia) and ''Superman: The Dark Side'' (where Superman lands on Apokolips and becomes a loyal servant of... [[OhCrap oh]] [[ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} crap]]), are only two of many tales. In the 1970s, ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' did [[https://vimeo.com/30954731 a parody version]] in which Kal lands and is raised in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and grows up to fight for "untruth, injustice, and the Nazi way"[[note]]which itself becomes HilariousInHindsight when ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' introduced Overman, who ''was basically'' Superman raised by Nazis, but wasn't that evil[[/note]].
** Some fanfics like to explore the possibilty where Krypton wasn't destroyed.

* MainstreamObscurity: [[ZigZaggedTrope A complicated case]]. Superman is an extremely well-known character, being the [[TropeCodifier superhero's superhero]]. His relationship with Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and the Daily Planet along with his ClarkKenting persona are well known elements. His feud against Lex Luthor is one of the most iconic hero/villain stories of all time. And at any given time, he's probably the third most popular superhero of all time, trailing closely behind ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' and ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''. But despite being such a renowned hero, the majority of Superman's central RoguesGallery has lagged behind in recognition and simply being relatable to a more general audience. Everyone knows about Lex (and secondarily Zod, Doomsday, and Darkseid) but for people like Metallo, Parasite, Brainiac, Toyman, and Mr. Mxyzptlk? Some of them may be at the tips of some peoples' tongues due to past cartoons and TV shows but the severe lack of live cinematic representation for those villains has left them in a strange spot where their level of memorability with general audiences isn't at the same level as Superman. If you go up to any random person on the streets, you could probably have an serious discussion about the iconic Luthor or Batman's Arkhan villains or Spider-Man's rogues but couldn't get people to talk about Parasite or Toyman with the same breadth, much less have them understand why these villains are so important to the Superman mythos or name any important storylines they've been in.

* MainstreamObscurity: [[ZigZaggedTrope A complicated case]]. Superman is an extremely well-known character, being the [[TropeCodifier superhero's superhero]]. His relationship with Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and the Daily Planet along with his ClarkKenting persona are are well known elements. His feud against Lex Luthor is one of the most iconic hero/villain stories of all time. And at any given time, he's probably the third most popular superhero of all time, trailing closely behind ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' and ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''. But despite being such a renowned hero, the majority of Superman's central RoguesGallery has lagged behind in recognition and simply being relatable to a more general audience. Everyone knows about Lex (and secondarily Zod, Doomsday, and Darkseid) but for people like Metallo, Parasite, Brainiac, Toyman, and Mr. Mxyzptlk? Some of them may be at the tips of some peoples' tongues due to past cartoons and TV shows but the severe lack of live cinematic representation for those villains has left them in a strange spot where their level of memorability with general audiences isn't at the same level as Superman. If you go up to any random person on the streets, you could probably have an serious discussion about the iconic Luthor or Batman's Arkhan villains or Spider-Man's rogues but couldn't get people to talk about Parasite or Toyman with the same breadth, much less have them understand why these villains are so important to the Superman mythos or name any important storylines they've been in.

* MainstreamObscurity: [[ZigZaggedTrope A complicated case]]. Superman is an extremely well-known character, being the [[TropeCodifier superhero's superhero]]. His relationship with Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and the Daily Planet along with his ClarkKenting persona are are well known elements. His feud against Lex Luthor is one of the most iconic hero/villain stories of all time. And at any given time, he's probably the third most popular superhero of all time, trailing closely behind ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' and ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''. But despite being such a renowned hero, the majority of Superman's central RoguesGallery has lagged behind in recognition and simply being relatable to a more general audience. Everyone knows about Lex (and to a lesser extent, maybe Zod, Doomsday, and Darkseid) but for people like Metallo, Parasite, Brainiac, Toyman, and Mr. Mxyzptlk? Some of them may be at the tips of some peoples' tongues due to past cartoons and TV shows but the severe lack of live cinematic representation for those villains has left them in a strange spot where their level of memorability with general audiences isn't at the same level as Superman. If you go up to any random person on the streets, you could probably have an serious discussion about the iconic Luthor or Batman's Arkhan villains or Spider-Man's rogues but couldn't get people to talk about Parasite or Toyman with the same breadth, much less have them understand why these villains are so important to the Superman mythos or name any important storylines they've been in.

** Creator/JohnByrne's run on the various Superman books in the late 1980s was a dark age for the character in the eyes of certain readers, due to the removal of popular elements like the Fortress of Solitude and the Bottled City of Kandor, and dramatic changes the backstories and abilities of of classic characters like Brainiac and Supergirl, the divisive way Byrne wrote Supes himself, and his ''very'' unorthodox depiction of Kryptonian culture. It's worth noting that once Byrne was off the series, other writers quickly started re-introducing the elements he had cut and got Superman back to a characterization closer to the Silver & Bronze ages, and the books from this period generally sold better and are more fondly remembered than the Byrne era.

* AudienceAlienatingEra: Superman has been around since ''1939''. Being a very LongRunner, ''everyone'' has one period they consider an AudienceAlienatingEra. The most common candidates, however, are:

* AudienceAlienatingEra: Superman is now more than 84 years old. ''Everyone'' has one period they consider an AudienceAlienatingEra. The most common candidates, however, are:

* CantUnHearIt: It's hard not to imagine a Superman voiced by Creator/GeorgeNewbern.

* AudienceAlienatingEra: Superman is now more than 75 years old. ''Everyone'' has one period they consider an AudienceAlienatingEra. The most common candidates, however, are:

** The "New 52" version has its detractors, mainly due to a relatively radical costume redesign and a perceived attempt to make Superman DarkerAndEdgier. During that time, Superman suffered from inconsistent characterization because every writer was more interested in portraying their own interpretation of Superman rather than delivering a single, more cohesive narrative, the dissolution of his marriage with Lois Lane, his divisive relationship with Wonder Woman and his lack of meaningful connections to his fellow superheroes. These problems only grew worse with...
** ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', a mishandled attempt to reinterpret Superman as a cynical, brooding character. It does have its defenders, but that DC's sales numbers fell to their pre-''New 52'' levels that [[ComicBook/SupermanSavageDawn following]] [[ComicBook/DCRebirth initiatives]] worked overtime to undo the damage.

* AudienceAlienatingEra: Superman is now more than 75 years old. ''Everyone'' has one period they consider a DorkAge. The most common candidates, however, are:

* DorkAge: Superman is now more than 75 years old. ''Everyone'' has one period they consider a DorkAge. The most common candidates, however, are:
** Superman transforming into an [[EnergyBeings electrical being]], then [[MesACrowd splitting]] into Red and Blue Superman, in the 90s. (This odd development was in fact a take on a 50s "imaginary story" with a similar concept.)
** ''ComicBook/SupermanGrounded'', Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's half-aborted run on the main title which involved Superman [[WalkingTheEarth walking across America]] "to rediscover the country" was so critically derided that it was called the worst comic of the year.
** The "New 52" version has its detractors, mainly due to a relatively radical costume redesign and a perceived attempt to make Superman DarkerAndEdgier. During that time, Superman suffered from inconsistent characterization because every writer was more interested in portraying their own interpretation of Superman rather than delivering a single, more cohesive narrative, the dissolution of his marriage with Lois Lane, his divisive relationship with Wonder Woman and his lack of meaningful connections to his fellow superheroes. These problems only grew worse with...
** ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', a mishandled attempt to reinterpret Superman as a cynical, brooding character. It does have its defenders, but that DC's sales numbers fell to their pre-''New 52'' levels that [[ComicBook/SupermanSavageDawn following]] [[ComicBook/DCRebirth initiatives]] worked overtime to undo the damage.

* {{Anvilicious}}: ''Superman'' has enthralled generations of comic book readers for over eighty years because his story is one of the most unsubtle and in-your-face arguments for the Power of Good in the history of fiction. Even with enough strength to rival most militaries, Superman selflessly works to protect people of every race, culture, class and creed, he turns aside every chance at using his gifts for wealth or power, and he acts with genuine compassion and humanity in all things--despite having been born on a world light-years from Earth. Why? Because doing the right thing is a '''choice''', and everyone is capable of making that choice. And from those who have much to give, much is demanded. He also touted [[https://imgur.com/2ZfDEko calling out discriminatory behavior]] ''in TheFifties''.

* {{Anvilicious}}: ''Superman'' has enthralled generations of comic book readers for over half a century because his story is one of the most unsubtle and in-your-face arguments for the Power of Good in the history of fiction. Even with enough strength to rival most militaries, Superman selflessly works to protect people of every race, culture, class and creed, he turns aside every chance at using his gifts for wealth or power, and he acts with genuine compassion and humanity in all things--despite having been born on a world light-years from Earth. Why? Because doing the right thing is a '''choice''', and everyone is capable of making that choice. And from those who have much to give, much is demanded. He also touted [[https://imgur.com/2ZfDEko calling out discriminatory behavior]] ''in TheFifties''.

* CommonKnowledge: Everyone "knows" that Clark Kent's only disguise is his glasses that inexplicably fool everyone. In actuality, Clark slouches and acts awkward in his civilian persona, making it harder to believe someone like him could be Superman and, most infamously, in some continuities Clark's glasses have special kryptonian lenses that hypnotize people and keeps them from adding 2 and 2. On top of that.

* CommonKnowledge: Everyone "knows" that Clark Kent's only disguise is his glasses that inexplicably fool everyone. In actuality, Clark's glasses have special kryptonian lenses that hypnotize people and keeps them from adding 2 and 2. On top of that, Clark also slouches and acts awkward in his civilian persona, making it harder to believe someone like him could be Superman.

* ShippingBedDeath: ''Inverted''. Clark[=/=]Lois is far and away ''the'' most popular couple in the comic book medium. By the 80's, fans were tired of the TwoPersonLoveTriangle[=/=]LovesMyAlterEgo plot and just wanted Clark and Lois to be in an actual relationship. They were HappilyMarried until the ''New 52''. And as of ''Rebirth,'' they're back together with a son.

** The second Post-Crisis Zod swore revenge on Superman when the Brainiac 13-created Krypton was disappearing. But nothing ever came of it. It was speculated that Loeb intended him to become...

* TheScrappy:
** Jimmy Olsen, depending on the era and writer. Mainly because he has a tendency to turn into an annoying [[TheArtifact Artifact]] whenever the writers don't actually have need for him.
** Superboy Prime, though ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'' hinted he [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap might become a decent character.]]
** Sleez, the villain from an infamous story were Superman and Big Barda were kidnapped and brainwashed into starring in a porn film. [[FanonDiscontinuity Despite most readers wishing they could forget him]], writers kept finding ways to bring him back every few years just to remind everyone he still existed. It took until ''Countdown'' to finally kill the little creep off for good... at least until ''ComicBook/NewSuperMan'' proceeded to bring him back.

* EvilIsCool: Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Metallo, General Zod, and plenty of others.

* FashionVictimVillain:
** Both the Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis versions of the villainous Ultraman. The Pre-Crisis version wore a blue bodystocking with huge spiked shoulderpads, and the Post-Crisis version is wearing pajamas with weird circular bubbles on the belly. The ''New 52'' versions avoids this by wearing an outfit almost identical to Superman's.
** Parasite's Pre-Crisis design. See NightmareRetardant below.
** Kryptonite Man's Pre-Crisis design. [[http://www.rapsheet.co.uk/Images/Characters/KryptoniteKid.jpg I mean good lord]].
** Similarly, Brainiac's [[http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120817142159/marvel_dc/images/8/8a/Brainiac_NAOS_001.jpg Silver Age costume]] must be seen to be believed.
-->"[[Creator/CartoonNetwork I just want some pants! A decent pair of pants!]]"
* FoeYayShipping: With guess who... and Lois. Doesn't help that he has the same initials as all of Clark's major love interests. Though technically he's ''Alexander'' Luthor.

*** In 1963, during Superman's 25th Anniversary Special, this connection was notched up. Superman and Clark must appear at the same event in Washington DC, and none of his usual tricks will work. But lo and behold, they do both show up, and Superman even flies 'Clark' home - to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the other Clark being none other than JFK himself, who Superman confided his secret in. Sadly, this comics was published very close to the November assassination.

** Likewise, in the dream future of ''Action Comics #270'', Superman voluntarily revealed his Secret Identity to the world after losing his powers. In ''Comicbook/WhatEverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow'' and ''Comicbook/SupermanTruth'', Clark was outed in decidedly more tragic circumstances.
** In ''ComicBook/ActionComics #275'', Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} dreams that Superman never turned up and she lived her cousin's life. In ''ComicBook/ElseworldsFinestSupergirlAndBatgirl'', written 37 years after, Superman never turned up and Supergirl was world's greatest hero... because [[spoiler:Lex Luthor found Kal-El's rocket and murdered the baby]].
** In one old Silver Age comic (see ItOnlyWorksOnce), Superman burns out a part of ComicBook/JimmyOlsen's brain after he discovers his secret identity. After ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'', where Superman {{Expy}} the Plutonian lobotomizes his sidekick Samsara, it's a lot more disturbing.
** Superman's famous match with Muhammad Ali has become a tearjerker since they both died in 2016 (''twice'' in [[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Superman's]] [[ComicBook/TheNew52 case]]).

** In ''Action Comics #270'', Superman dreams he travels to the future and he has become a sickly, powerless old man. Fast-forward several decades, and it's been established that Kryptonians age more slowly on Earth due to the yellow sun, and they actually become ''more powerful'' as they grow older.
** In that same issue, Linda Lee works as a reporter in the Daily Planet. Linda never was a reporter in the comics, but in 2016 she became one in ''[[Series/{{Supergirl 2015}} her Live-Action show]]''.
** In ''Superman Vol 1 #282'' made his appearance a Kryptonian called Nam-Ek who wished he was immortal. This tale was written ten years before the birth of Franchise/DragonBall.
** In a letter at ''Superman: Man of Tomorrow'' #3 a couple of readers said that it would be cool, if Lex Luthor killed Superman and took over his titles, like ''ComicBook/ActionComics''. What do you know, fifteen years later the second part of their wish came true in ''Comicbook/TheBlackRing''. And it was awesome.

* JerkassWoobie:
** Lex Luthor and Metallo, both DependingOnTheWriter.
** [[ComicBook/TheDeathOfClarkKent Conduit]]. In the end, all he wanted was [[IJustWantToBeSpecial to be special like Superman]]. Even in-universe, Superman mourns and pities him after his death.
** Due to the sheer amount of trauma he went through, Superboy-Prime can be considered one. '''[[AxCrazy At]] [[HeroKiller least]] [[MoralEventHorizon at]] [[FaceHeelTurn first]]'''.
* LoveToHate: Lex Luthor, Brainiac and General Zod among others.

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: Sadly one of the biggest examples of this trope. Aside from the various fighting games he's appeared in, virtually none of the games starring Superman has been considered better than SoOkayItsAverage. ''VideoGame/Superman64'' is even considered one of the worst video games ''of all time'', with the NES ''Superman'' game being considered almost as bad.
** Many developers have pointed out that making a game where Superman has all the powers that players would associate with him while still provide enough challenge to be satisfying would be a nightmarish balancing act.

* AlasPoorScrappy:
** Subverted. Superboy-Prime's apparent demise in ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'' elicited this response, but it was undone barely a year after and he was just as bad as ever.
** Played straight however, for ''New 52'' Superman, since Savage Dawn finally had him acting ''like'' Superman before [[ComicBook/TheFinalDaysOfSuperman the very next arc]] killed him off. His [[FaceDeathWithDignity dignified acceptance]] of his impending demise, and selfless prioritization of ensuring Earth's protection all while heading towards the inevitable was enough of a tear-jerker that even some readers who never got on board with the character were genuinely sorry to see him go.

** Who's the best Superman actor? Creator/ChristopherReeve? Creator/GeorgeReeves? Creator/DeanCain? Creator/TimDaly? Creator/GeorgeNewbern? Creator/TomWelling? Creator/HenryCavill? Creator/TylerHoechlin? Fans fight endlessly over this.
*** For that matter, who is the best Lois, Lex, Jimmy, Lana, or Perry?
** Superman fans vs. [[Franchise/DragonBall Goku]] fans. The latter thinks that Superman is an overpowered bore, [[{{Hypocrite}} while boasting about how Goku could defeat him]], while the former thinks that Goku is an idiot that couldn't out strategize a brick and that Superman is far more complex then they give him credit for as they boast that Superman is invincible. There's been a small but growing third party that just wants to see them become [[BashBrothers best buddies]].
** And then [[Anime/OnePunchMan Saitama]] entered the mix, creating a three-way rivalry between fans of the characters. Debates on who would win are never pretty.

** Similar to the Spider-Man example, there's a decent amount of overlap with the Superman and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica fandoms due to both characters' histories in being all-American icons and being the BigGood of their respective universes. It helps that in ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' the two were [[CompositeCharacter merged]] to create the even [[UpToEleven Bigger Good]] Super-Soldier, while on the film side of things many Superman fans have pointed out that the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]] [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger Captain America]] acts more like Superman than the [[Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse DCEU]] version.