Man of Steel answers insight commentary episode 26 symbol suit flight I will ask the obvious question start asking questions and answers welcome to Man of Steel answers insight commentary on your Man of Steel apologist Dr. awkward I cover a mosaic of topics for fans who love discussing the Man of Steel and the DC cinematic universe together will endeavor to answer the questions criticisms and controversies raised by Man of Steel and those eagerly anticipating the DCC you this episode we talk about the symbol the suit the speech and flight this podcast dives deep into Man of Steel to answer the critics and the confused the show is not meant to convert anybody but the celebrate a film that will lead us into the DC cinematic universe reasonable minds will differ but this is a show for fans who love Man of Steel and who love to chew their food last commentary episode Clark meets Jor-El for the first time and he learns his other name and that he comes from krypton why krypton will it seems to be in oh mosh to one of Superman's influences John Carter of Mars who awakened on an alien planet who derived his powers from the difference in gravity and fought for the city of helium instead of helium the second most abundant element in the universe another noble gas with a more exotic disposition was selected one found in only 1 ppm in our atmosphere krypton now aside from John Carter Superman was inspired by several other contemporaries at the time will never explicitly confirmed the character Hugo Danner some publication in 1930 and had a scientist father who raised Danner in rule America to hide his powers those powers which included strength and leaping compared to an ant and the grasshopper and being impervious to a bursting artillery shell until his feats would be foist upon the world such as lifting a car over his head Superman liberally lifted from the pulp hero Doc Savage whose real first name was Clark hadn't Arctic fortress of solitude that predated Superman's board the monikers of the man of bronze and the man of tomorrow first and in a 1934 how sad was described as Superman the year that the Superman that we know and love is said to have been developed of course long time Superman fans will know that Siegel and Shuster attempted to sell their first Superman in 1933's reign of Superman which was a dark tale of a villainous mad scientist and his murderous telepathic guinea pig unable to sell that story their second Superman was a hero in the Superman and he was a powerless hero inspired by Doc Savage and meant to supplant Detective Dan but that concept also couldn't find a buyer and that idea would eventually become the character slam Bradley however their third attempt would be sold after a five-year journey and featured on the cover of action comics number one in 1938 in 1941 Siegel would be a bit more diffuse in attributing his inspiration saying quote I'm lying in bed counting sheep when all of a sudden it hits me I conceive of a character like Samson and Hercules and all the strong men I have ever heard tell of rolled into one only more so like any teenager Siegel and Shuster were inspired by everything that they had consumed and enjoyed but if there were other strongmen and vigilante pulp heroes why did Superman stand out what came together to turn these confluence of elements into something that would start a genre will these are big and well trod questions that this show but maybe we can just talk about just a thin slice of it a small sample with this episode on this show I often ask you to put yourselves into the shoes of others to think and feel like them and if your 10-year-old in 1938 what inspires you to buy this book with a character who is an even named aside from the pop of color common to all comics and the feats of strength perhaps seen with other sci-fi strongmen there was the suit and the symbol this episode will talk a little bit about that symbol and the suit really you could do an entire book or documentary on those elements board in a survey the history of both and then look at how Man of Steel honors that history under the start with what I consider to be one of the most distinctive things about Superman the symbol not the strength the comic strips have already seen the likes of Hugo Hercules and Samson strongman or perhaps more familiar to those today pop by the sailor may not even the costume the Phantom was the first hero in a skintight costume every 1936 and Les Daniels the author of Superman the complete history proposes that Siegel and Shuster's October 1936 character Dr. occult was a tryout of their favorite unsold Superman noting that Dr. occult quote acquired immense strength the power of flight a blue costume and a red cape unquote however when none of these characters had was a distinct and prominently displayed symbol or logo emblazoned across their chest to immediately identify and distinguish this character from all others nothing so generic as a scroll or anchor tattoo but a symbol that reinforced the identity of the character and made it uniquely theirs the Shield has evolved and changed throughout Superman's history but rarely is it unrecognizable graphic designer and editor-in-chief of the Superman homepage Steve Younis painstakingly compiled an epic chart showcasing over 140 official designs spanning 75 years upper link in the show notes so you can see for yourself from the very beginning a stylized red S on a yellow crest against the field of blue of Superman's chest the earliest concept art and the cover of action comics show an elegant shield with cutouts which immediately summon to mind a police badge or shield which was still reflected somewhat in the more easily drawn triangular shield within the actual comics and that badge idea would be better captured when the shield took on its more familiar pentagonal shape in later years this idea of a Crestor shield recalled to someone chivalrous with a coat of arms or sworn protector who wanted the public to know that he would protect the weak the defenseless helpless and fight for the general welfare of all this golden badge didn't just cover his heart but his whole chest as if to say this consumed his whole being and it would be not just a 9-to-5 job where your badges retired with your keys in your wallet upon coming home this was his central purpose his crusade a symbol like a heraldic crests or the sign of the cross worn on the tabard's or sir codes of nights committed to a singular purpose even unto death this was an elegant and unique symbol reinforcing the brand every time it was seen SS for Superman what so astounding about this is how incredibly masterful this would become in the marriage of merchandising or business with the creativity of comics Siegel and Shuster didn't lack experience in the industry by the time Superman was sold and published they were five-year veterans and in their 20s but they lacked legal and business expertise although three years their senior Bob Kane had three years of less experience in the industry but he had a skillful attorney for a father who secure obtains concerns through rigorous negotiation the spectrum of finger Kane Shuster and Siegel would be a fastening exploration but that's another show yet nonetheless the addition of this element was precedent the land him act would be passed until 1946 but the symbol would set Superman apart even among an explosion of imitators and competitors national comics had the foresight to form the subsidiary Superman Inc. to start licensing merchandise and the careful stewardship of their intellectual property would keep Superman economically relevant through the lean times Superman shield predates the Lanham act and the modern US PTO but still operated on the same basic principles a legally protected mark is distinct enough to allow consumers to distinguish the source of the product from others characters before might've had their calling cards the Mark of Zorro or the Scarlet Pimpernel but Superman was emblazoned with his mark which with its color shape and style couldn't be confused for anyone else to this day casual fans may confuse which lightning bolts go with what heroes but the distinctiveness of Superman's Mark means that he could stand out in the market and he could legally defend his mark and he could economically exploiting his mark through licensing is not hearing Superman is said to be the second most recognizable symbol on the planet other than Christian cross this economic motive may help clarify the perpetual change and evolution the Mark seems to undergo with time mediums and even movies many times we reconciled this is a creative choice Man of Steel doesn't look like returns are the comics because it's a different reality and certainly creative people are involved in developing distinguishing designs the ability to create a separate or distinct license for each new logo is to lucrative to ignore in connection with the recent licensing Expo Karen Mc Tyer executive VP of consumer products and Warner Bros. was quick to point out the licensing opportunities created by Batman be Superman including the costumes vehicles and of course the new logos which quote all create really merchandise of all elements for all our partners" the subtle and beautiful changes to Superman's costume for Batman be Superman mean a second round of licensing and those dollars and cents mean the lifeblood of the living legend and physics on living that perpetual tension between maintaining recognition but changing just enough to offer something new permeates Superman throughout his history the business behind him and the creative process will talk about a little later but the market drives the demand for difference in that explains much of the approach to Man of Steel including the incredible detail that went into rationalizing the symbol which would be so easy to simply take for granted for symbol so well-known the filmmakers could a simply just said you know what it is just excepted instead they were committed to getting at the why of the symbol and leaving it into their world effectively address and I shield exists on love test of a superhero from another planet is huge desire to serve the S class is related Superman and the house of L I when you look at the Council costumes available have their lives this you don't a lot of medieval heraldry symbols of these skills things so regret I version of the film and why he does like to limit the reason why the monthly drawing for thousand years for an opportunity so lucrative the studio could've manipulated the story to suit the marketing but they didn't say that I am a fan of the story so whatever I did as far as if I shuffled things Republicans around it all based on long it was a is an educated move by then just like a boardroom decision that like a marketing thing like it would be cool if you really you should definitely get it is always good have let my liking of the city be different I you know we make the movie outweigh the movies made from my point of view the movies made with me making all the decisions and allows there to be and I love the character and so you get like a real cures sort of mythological love of the character that I have but also you get all the Canon you get all the stuff that I love about Superman is in you can look deep in their defeat and so yeah I what there is not some of the moves as making but a lot of it becomes literally based on me wanting the character I felt like it would be again in instead there was a creative love and passion driving and Warner Bros. agreed to commission a linguist Dr. Christine Schreyer to devise a language and system of glyphs with graphic designer Kiersten Franson which would realistically accommodate that stylized as we all know so well at the Aquaman about my research I need to have possibly bringing kryptonian language learning to apply to you when you select the language as I believe I finally the finale Harley
from the morphology anything where exhibit at the house of kryptonian about how words can be put together and we look at how where it can anybody and structure will be language we like lightning in a previous email and click but in the mean very and there shall is kind of smiles are you available to last through the named Helen and in fact Clark Kent to include on krypton Jor-El so you have a profound because drought lately the characters and I look Alan elegant ideas happy balance when a language and kryptonian knowledge led objective or object I thought hand in believing that they were using other resources occasionally gap with the object whether probably better created language had gone along with the shall to learn the language is the nominee for on… He will be interesting connected as the divinely created but also how they relate to culture as if you want to know more about Dr. Schreyer's involvement in Man of Steel she's done a number of interviews and I'll put a few links in the show notes well we never hear the kryptonian tongs spoken in the film that level of detail and dedication to total world building finds its way into the nooks and crannies of your subconscious when you're taking in krypton in Superman's new Batman be Superman costume we see lines of kryptonian writing placed into the heart of a symbol and onto the cops of his sleeves Dr. Schreyer knows what they say that isn't at liberty to tell us at this time hopefully will learn what they say one day but that meticulous attention to detail world building and strategic exploitation of such efforts all following the footsteps of previous quote unquote unfilmable works like the Lord of the rings and watchmen which were brought to life of course this is after three quarters of a century of technology production business and law hold into a scalpel for Siegel and Shuster they somewhat stumbled into this secret of the symbol which would become a success at the time their aim wasn't to spawn an industry or an icon but to sell yet another in the line of characters so that they could keep doing comics when accounting for who came up with what when that would change with the storyteller over the years but here's at least one account from the BBC 1981 documentary Superman comic strip hero released shortly after the American premiere Superman to but before the UK premiere Superman came about because of both Joe Shuster and I am where I raise the second fans back in the 1930s had to fill you in a little and really the beginning of it off one night as they has been mentioned in the past story ideas Coming from and I kept getting up again and again during the night dining down these ideas and the scripts of the very early the next morning – the Joe's house was about 10 blocks away I showed him of the script of Superman in her the new concept in with there would be a meet mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent Lois Lane who scored him but who is the who flipped over soon as Superman is going to Superman and Clark Kent but one and the same person you have a very very very excited by the whole idea that I just took on the same enthusiastic is a terrific idea and we went right to work right then and there isn't it out on you are you he is aiming the yet the way they character realities the entire day working on all afternoon and weeks the drawing board Jerry and I remember the matter of the assuming of Superman is suggestion I made my hope was the letter as well you should write a skintight costume to to show up his physique for one thing and then Jerry suggested putting on a case of the manager is so they are when you are in the movement is really flying them) are yet you and all of this whole things like the booths in the delay in Yemen and while ramming the simplest possible assignment some of the Superman poses as you you is I was so it is in the windowless have actually been a threat the athletic the each would claim the Cape in this humble and different occasions with varying degrees of jealousy there you can hear some of the influences vaguely referenced ironically the same kinds of concerns about legal credit that forced DC to disown Siegel after he sued for sole ownership and lost in 1948 would mean that Siegel would always show reluctance to credit his contemporary influences or ghost writers definitively leaving much of it to inference and speculation nonetheless as startling and is confronting as Superman's costume might be today in a parallel world where he never existed for the readers at the time the inspiration for the costume made it more than clear that Superman was a strong man among strongman Brad Rick explains to the national is that failing out of it that the food family the underwear on the outside the house from some of Joe's reading to you so that means drawing matter a really thought like you and so you would be sure you know the 53 and they were often always from zero you know you see of the great blog go are you know they would is really cool name live Hotmail you pay think I have sold out about it on the scene is going to be more the same move they had underwear youhas the underwear outside the type right to save and the no important than they were very kind of you is Superman had to the trick that none of them do know the cost is this the symbol of the another rich American is a always a strong is always one of the heart of the couldn't do it was too hot there was one guy to do it but thoroughly always holy youth and laboratory nobody is good so you know is it any places on the cover of action comics one) event name is enlisting car I fear in this history isn't lost on the filmmakers the reason why is unaware the mail that is left over from Victoria their strong Man of Steel intentionally summons to mind chain mail under the suit to bring to mind a feudal society were even the planet's preeminent scientist has a Citadel suits of armor a loyal mount and martial training Superman's costume at the time was also completely inspired the powers and the colors brought to mind the science fiction heroes like Flash Gordon the types of strong that the Cape in the boots of the adventurous swashbuckler in the shield of the night or police man even without opening the comic and reading the first page kids knew they were in for something special unsurprisingly irrespective of the actual mechanism the Superman's powers children would attribute Superman's powers to the suit Larry ties 2012 book Superman the highflying history of America's most enduring hero Chronicles the concerning confusion stories of kids who trying to take when and fly is Jerry Siegel had as a child were always a sore spot for Superman and never more so than in that era of the Inquisition newspapers glommed onto the tales eight-year-old Larry King of Columbus Ohio spread his homemade Cape over his back and jumped from the second-floor fire escape explaining from his hospital bed that I thought the air would get under my towel and float me down like it does Superman James Henderson another eight-year-old second-story boy took off in his Superman suit and landed with a sprained ankle the darned thing wouldn't work the Des Moines youngster complained of his costume 12-year-old Robert Van Gossard of New York wasn't so lucky he slipped on a wet ledge while playing Superman on his tenement roofs plunged to his death after Jerry read articles like those is comic book Superman warned readers that only he could perform such feats of derring-do without getting hurt Superman costumes carried similar cautions it was one thing for young families to break their beds as they pretended to fly it was quite another for them to break their necks we were very conscious of that recalls J Emmett who oversaw the licensing of Superman products we couldn't have kids buying costumes of they were going to jump out the window while these were young children I think even adults can relate to feeling empowered through dress whether it's a power suit cultural costume Halloween or cosplay we know the transformation of our exterior can be an opportunity for empowerment self-expression cultural connection escape from self or adoption of authority the idea of transformation is deeply entrenched in the human psyche and experience and part of the brilliance of the Superman concept that he isn't publicly Superman all the time whether it's a persona that he reveals courts an occupation that he puts on that duality in transformation is in every era and in some form or fashion with varying degrees of psychological nuance in his thesis of Man of Steel real analysis that's art PEL proposes the Clark emerging from the scout ship in costume for the first time is not his rebirth as Superman but a Transfiguration the term Transfiguration comes from the Christian tradition but I'll let Chuck knows church briefly explain what it is and it significance transfiguration of Jesus is described in all three synoptic Gospels Matthew Mark many considered one of the miracles of Jesus but different from the others because it's not performed by Jesus but happens to have all three gospel accounts tell us that Jesus and three of his disciples go up on a mountain with a Transfiguration occurs Jesus shines with bright rays of light or asthmatic chapter 17 verse two describes it and his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white phrase laundry detergent companies would later borrow in the gospel according to Luke nine verse 29 the appearance of his face changed then and Mark nine verse two quote and his clothes became dazzling white such as no one on earth could the Legion of unquote and then there appeared to the disciples the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus a cloud overshadows them and at from the cloud of voice says again according to Matthew's Gospel this is my son the beloved with him I am well pleased listen to his Jesus glorified all three synoptic Gospels relate very much the same story of the Transfiguration is widely considered a momentous event because it is a time in which human nature and God meet the temporal and eternal with Jesus seen as the connection like a bridge between heaven and earth the Transfiguration is also a bridge between Jesus public ministry from the time of the Transfiguration Jesus sets his sights on Jerusalem and I think you could easily draw some additional parallels there but that's another show we don't need to get theological the secular perspective you can't deny the and Henry cavil shares some thoughts and experience is on the power of the suit this is a very special episode okay yes I went through the various stages of the concepts and I'm a different set of glyphs and different landscape and materials in the once was will finally put together and I said this is the finished product is is this is the suit this is this is the final thing but on its and I went to America in this something truly special about it doesn't is a genuine physical energy almost visual energy which it has been I'd like to likely to win some a culture delicious meal and you can taste the love and maybe will same ingredients that is something different about it because someone genuinely Cadwell creates wrestling with the suit exhibit was a materials with people who put together the people who came over the concepts the people who created it that love and affection for the character realize the power is the importance of it and that made the suit will we went through months of putting the suit together and trying different materials in different city of styles and different cave different sizes shield is is made this thing into something truly special it has like an almost physical energy about it and it affects people people will stand straighter ago I came and when they see in the suit the it's something I called whether what an there is some merit to the idea that the suit contributes to Superman's invulnerability in some iterations 1950s television series the writers of the brilliant explanation for the indestructibility of Superman's famous suit the suit was made by his adoptive parents the cats out of the kryptonian blanket that accompanied baby Cal wells are very much in less than sad and family through and I might have a lot and zero we've been something using the vision of the seven the friends eventually became his super suit as we discussed in the past on the show it's possible that Superman suit in Man of Steel is invulnerable I'm walking back and forth on whether it's the suit or not we deftly should revisit the issue again after Batman be Superman but a little bit of production based speculation since this is pattern is meant to give the impression of chain-link armor but isn't in fact actually chain linked armor might that suggests that even in Batman be Superman we won't see the suit get damaged at least not close-up because there would be no broken or frayed links in the nonexistent chain mail to show in any close-up damage there are many ways to shoot around that or to fix the issue with visual effects but it's just something to think about the kind of damage we see to the suit could ruin the illusion for modern audiences maybe let's briefly talk about the evolution of Superman's audience and how that was reflected in the suit in the 1940s senses data via NPR indicates that only 5% of the population had college degrees and that the explosion of superhero comics was targeted at 8 to 10-year-olds who would kick the comic habit by their midteens incidentally wonder woman's creator William Marston's PhD something that distinguished him and his creation from his contemporaries but that's another episode for the writers and the readers at the time gravity and grasshoppers was as good as any explanation for these young audience members the illusion was believed to be so delicate that Kirk Allen start the first live-action Superman serial wasn't permitted to be credited as Superman is a very seriously so that the kids would believe it and I quit I didn't dare lamp on anything or make fun of it so many times I felt very ridiculous doing some of the things you know this is not the ordinary that kind of acting analysis to do things is how to identify but I had to do it seriously I didn't verify make fun of it as if they were protecting the image so much that in the fiction the first one I did I didn't get billing as Superman so when the Cast of characters came on the screen and read Superman Superman Clark Kent Kirk out now I wasn't allowed to tell anybody that I place of a publicity that came out with me in the blog this is Superman one of my very favorite little squibs is in the trade paper here we call variety it had sought sent Halo forgotten that this is a salute to Hollywood's unknown actor most thespians unfettered over one thing or another but the one with the most reason to hate the world is a style of Columbia's Superman he plays the title role in the serial he gets nobility is listed simply as Superman Columbia doesn't want to insult the cliffhanger moppets audience with the advice that anyone but the great man himself play the role in a toast and gentlemen to that Superman among men familiar man who plays Superman are now in crediting Allen's seems almost like confronting kids with Santa's sincerity will I was crazy for Christmas with Iraq is presence and let foils Oregon-based you mean Santa rather than all of course dear in the 1950s George Reeves was beset by fans were hecklers unable to separate fantasy from reality a household name playing Superman TV serials of the 50s whenever he appeared in public to be challenged to fly or even assaulted to see if he was truly invulnerable of course as the times changed so what the superheroes use a short Nightline excerpt the superheroes themselves to change their tunes ever so slightly over the years in response to the challenges we Superman first arrived in the planet krypton in the gathering storm before World War II and the cartoons in those early days want to see later Vietnam and Watergate made a cynical straight arrow do-gooder suddenly seem dated and that's why the Batman of the 60s wouldn't care if this too seriously for diehard fans admitting you like many types about his will is attending a Star Trek convention for longtime it was comics to have his Arab disrespect ability the whole history of comics is fascinating but in our survey which is going to fast-forward to the early 80s and listen in on the thoughts of art students discussing superheroes their teacher the legendary Will Eisner teaching his course on sequential art at the school of visual arts SVA in the heart of New York City superhero is in effect a character created by you to satisfy a fantasy made of the reader is were delivering fantasy superheroes a really great is not as many while pilots let's kick it around what you think those are working on superhero character created before you should be sensitive to audience is still a market superheroes in the children and even Arnold on the script someone literate is is is is is is is no is is is is is you women are you will is is is okay later what will what you think about the you you you really easy to the sinking all is refreshing you even with these young students you can hear the arguments that echo to this day as well as the sentiments that in a few short years would percolate into watchmen mouse TKR crisis and beyond we can contrast the audience from the 1940s to 2012 going from 5% of the population having higher degrees to 39% in 1933 Jerry and Joe were creating comics while still in high school today the writers of action comics and Superman have graduated and attended Yale Oxford NYU and UC Berkeley that doesn't mean that education makes you smarter or better but it's going to change the scope and nature of your writing a recent comics ologies survey found that most of its readership falls between the 27 to 36 age bracket and a survey of brick-and-mortar retailers skewed even older the explanations that worked in the 1940s would have a hard time holding up today the audience for Superman has grown up and grown more sophisticated and so Superman grew along with us in 1978 Superman the movie had the tagline you will believe a man can fly which was a testament to the new post Star Wars era of compositing and visual effects while verisimilitude was Donner's visual creed there was a lighthearted wink of Cartoonish nests meant to acknowledge that this wasn't our world and that serve the film quite well even if it did nothing to change the minds of those SVA students in 1981 today Man of Steel's mission could be a truncation of the tagline to you will believe everything is as if the dark Knight trilogy with radiative we were also make Superman a pretty and Chris likes you or relatable getting is probably a better and more useful work more real realistic we tried to make Superman and relatable doesn't necessarily mean really really it just means related searches means is just out from another planet and everyone accepts that everything is value using the fact that he exists as like universe is a big deal to you all that back to its logical conclusion the especially is different and the respect the NSA powers are approach was on Superman was just to do a more realistic Superman a Superman exists in a real-world Chris let's let the audience participate in the experience is without breaking things and making Superman. Able to submit relatable ground feel really wanted to the film this feeling that the were dealing with a superhero is going on for me to happen tomorrow we tried to land Superman and that is another the stories very realistic mirror it's a 2012 2013 well real the Superman really thought ways into the story through the contemporary world is a real connection for the audience to understand this is a temporary condition most minute detail although it is biggest brought us context all of its intention to remain into the movie theater and more interesting on every level reality was a tool for connecting to modern sophisticated audiences and Superman skeptics who didn't simply allow or except those totems and traditions that fans took for granted it was not an indictment of Superman as he had been but an acknowledgment that he had not been rendered so rationally to date beyond the photorealistic visuals of artists like Alex Ross and it was a way to focus the approach the film to something fresh and believable and to connect with the audience it was a way in for the rest the world and not the end goal of the film no longer with a preaching to the choir of the converted but showing Superman can withstand the scrutiny of reality and still be an aspirational and inspirational figure of hope fortitude and nobility we could talk way more on that but I just wanted all of that to act as a preamble to the approach taken with Man of Steel and the changes to the costume tradition was ever present in the mind but so was understanding the mechanics rationale history and the why of their design admirably many of the design choices were driven by storytelling approaching it from a cultural perspective first the filmmakers built a culture to support the reality of the costume for Superman's outfit features a Cape in skintight suit this daily attire might seem eccentric at first we have since learned is that krypton was a caped culture what they wore was representative of their family dynasty upon review papers obtained by her investigators and according to genealogy experts there were likely 14 houses to represent the oldest and most of the family lines in kryptonian society each of the houses emblems clips adorn their homes and clothing the material of the skin suit appears to be made of interlocking links similar to medieval chain mail it seems to be a very common piece of clothing that they would then layer other garments and robes on top of the skin suit was replete with boots gauntlet trunk belt buckle the fabrics of the various caves are closest to what we know as velvet for hardened leather with raised textures mean that Superman S adorn to shield on his chest at first we interpreted to smart literally but as he explained on krypton it's a symbol that means hope one's culture became the answer for why the costume existed that answer logically influenced the design of the costume itself including the ultimate decision to depart from tradition and remove the red trunks and I love the underwear personally I think if I tried hard to get the underwear I would like tell the costume designers like okay we are drivers with the underwear though in a show it to me and I do like how has underwear than it okay to try one more time missing a look at images is is that from a monthly made the costume cultural like we did not do the version where Martha so the costume out of the blanket we wanted to constantly cultural to krypton and what he did not krypton you see like everyone has a version of the skin suit on their that's like a being that exists within kryptonian culture and so I just felt like what you do that many would had a whole planet of people who had their underwear on the outside of their pamphlets as possible as you night like a knows fighting ties are crazy on krypton but I just felt like it it was a little bit harder and from that point of view to keep that you've heard me say it on the show before I'm a fan of the trunks and consider them a lightning rod for criticism and a way of telling with the critic is coming from that acceptance and dialogue though is always meta-textual where I have the weight of 75 years of tradition behind me to backup my acceptance and adoption of the briefs within the reality of the film Clark has no such world breaking benefit when he sees the costume for the first time the filmmakers want to convey plausible enthusiasm for that costume something that shows his heritage that bears the symbol of his family house which is armor and has that call Cape yes it's still odd an alien the foreman the function make the fashion readily acceptable because the filmmakers guided the design in that direction contrast that against the suit with the briefs within the reality of the world it would cause Clark to raise an eyebrow being so contrary to our ordinary expectations heraldry armor and the drama of the Cape are all relatable but briefs on the outside of pants today in a world without Superman is something hard for Clark to just embrace Snyder acknowledges that he could have made it kryptonian fashion by Fiat but when that fashion interfaces with Clark's human expectations there would be unnecessary narrative friction to get Clark to accept so radical fashion wearing the armor of your people in the crest of your family is a bit different them wearing the fashion of your people especially if it clashes so much with your normal expectations may be 20 years from now we may be enjoying a Superman film for the trunks have returned and it's executed believably and seamlessly let's haul be happy and hopeful and live long enough to see that version too much like my position on color grading for me I'm less interested in the binary of the end result brief outside the pants are no secret identity love triangle or no desaturation filters or no etc. but rather I'm interested in the reasons forgetting that it would of been so easy to simply stick with tradition and not worry about the consistency of their approach in exploring the why and the implications of everything they could of waived off the idea that he's humanity's first contact with an alien or just said look that's just what Superman wears but instead they took a hard look at how these things might actually interact with reality even if they could cross that bridge where all kryptonian's where trunks outside their pants under an approach where every implication is allowed to reach its logical conclusion how could the kryptonian's or Superman interact with the rest of the human players without snickering comments or editorials about the fashion choice Col. Hardy probably would've had some choice words for such a design and even with the suit as is Martha offers the dryly humorous nice suit at his costume really how could you not comment especially if there were red briefs of intercut the new 52 comic parallels for time since we can even gotten to Jor-El speech yet basically it was a series of interviews showing that the decision was independently made by the filmmakers and the comics also a short bit about debunking the idea that either was necessarily tied to ongoing lawsuits but I'm good a hold that back for a future episode mailbag or blog post for now to appreciate the work and the effort behind the suit the play a clip that looks behind the scenes at the costume design process hopefully you'll see how lovingly and painstakingly meticulous Man of Steel production wants to take a break and then we come back with dive into Jor-El speech and Superman learning to fly so we really Superman was okay for fear if you got is with the signal a quick decision modern was the economic like you what kind it looks very much the same
thing is for any kryptonian we really very much one of the suit to have come from someplace to come from that legacy of krypton and so we had to create a world where that kind of outfit was commonplace and rather than the traditional sandwiches that was made out of the class said that his parents wrapped him in when he was sent off from krypton and how version decision as it is in a sense despite the foundation Misty under, that all kryptonian's where it's kind of like what I but in many gold chain mail suit is to their lives of of medieval times at the same as our house of Superman suit which act has a chain mail like to read underwear probably look hundred conversions Linda underwear I try honestly tell you… Would you may aware of the Superman is that fine line of reinventing hand still seeing in in their be a ready on his chest is a blue suit is a red boots be Superman I love it I think it's am I read get modernization assuming by classic it's got a very alien feel to it welding recognizable as assume that we know and love and the editor what makes sense unless Superman is something like what you kidding me if Luther will have been dismayed do a lot of something plan make your miles from Superman so we one of the lines in the details of extremely precise so we do it all in a three-day, application the computer so if we could get right into the desalinate short of West Virginia exactly how we wanted to the belt buckle delivered trim the trunks about everything is kind of obsessed Levine every little dates have had in general is adjusting the fearful a lot of these views of serve as life I know there are more integrated with certification are embossing general are you are doing is okay is doing here is cultural disappear into the impossibly thin nuclear membrane here make it all look as beautiful as the divinity is a lot of movies are spending a lot of time and result getting that line definitely is full details of the Superman has similar rendering a way to the process onto Jor-El's voiceover as Cal Al emerges from the scout ship is somewhat younger I apologize themselves as radiation strengthening a lot of senses gravity is weaker yet You anyway keep testing your limits in the past I focused a lot on the mechanics of Superman's powers with respect to these lines and you can go back and listen to those episodes so this time I want to focus on how this dialogue lands on Clark yes Clark is learning the mechanics of his powers and why an alien like himself can thrive in a different world the consider what that means for a moment when Clark was growing up he didn't know anything about his powers at age 13 he sincerely asked if God had given them to him from his reckoning that wouldn't be without precedent perhaps his strength was like Samson's or the fire from his eyes like Elijah's fire from the sky before Jonathan reveals the ship Clark doesn't know if his differences are contingent on the pleasure of the deity and that testing his limits might be paramount to testing his God he wouldn't know it testing his limits might be like allowing his hair to be cut and suddenly making him vulnerable or uncontrollable a reckless in less sensible kid might throw himself off cliffs to find out Clark is shown to be contemplative and obedient even after Jonathan reveals the ship it's not like the revelation explain the mechanics of his powers there would be more reason to believe that his powers were based in science but when the powers themselves defy physics and the foundations of science as we knew them how could they predict Clark's limits in a way they could be prudently tested there's no way to know if Clark's invulnerability comes from of force field that might suddenly leave him it taxed under the right conditions they don't know if every he's taking is draining and unseen life bar or shortening his life they don't know if high-speed led might be his kryptonite Jonathan feared Clark being taken away by the government whose military has access to tanks and guns missiles and bombs there's no way that protective father would want to much less have the ability to test if Clark was impervious to gunfire tank shells hellfire missiles and other military grade munitions Jonathan didn't know Clark's limits he wouldn't have the ability to explore them and he didn't want to Jonathan wanted Clark to be safe and when Clark set off on his own his imperative to save people meant putting himself in harms way more than he ever had before in small bill and that led him grow to understand his powers so by the time Clark was on the Debbie sue he knew that his powers might make a difference in the oil rig rescue but I wouldn't be surprised at all if holding up that Derek was the first time Clark had his strength tested to that degree Clark wasn't looking for tests he was just looking to help cavil gives us a little insight into the mindset of Clark and I'm well this movie isn't a superhero movie it's a story which happens have a superhero and patents if we imagine what it be like to be in invulnerable alien what is we'd abilities you know what they are why they are how they are you Dunaway of from you know from here and you can't ever fully relax around because never truly be also people may sympathize with you like mom and dad that they can never empathize and sue you feel incredibly line and you will see life that way you never know what the world is in a think if they were to discover you you keep on home ice revealing himself and if you do you have disappear goodbye to all your friends he made those delicate friendships so given that burden imagine how much relief peace and comfort Jor-El's answers provide Clark in learning to know the how and the why of his powers to know that the sun is his friend and having confidence that space is nothing to fear essentially even if Jor-El explicitly says he doesn't know Cal wells limits he's provided the rationale for the powers and now Clark can logically and reasonably test those limits more than that he's released and encouraged to do so by Jor-El here knowledge is power literally and figuratively to learn the how and the why of his powers you can see the key turn and why he might boldly step out after this and what better proving ground than the isolation of the Arctic when there's no one to see you were to be hurt in this moment he's allowed to cut loose without restraint and with no repercussions encouraged to test his limits not just of the incredible powers that he already knew that he had but imagine getting an added gift on top of all of that imagine being told try flying son because you actually can and he does taking great leaps at first which feel like a reference back to the characters like this origins when skyscrapers might've measured a single bound on his largest leap he wills himself forward and it takes and he can't help but laugh with joy then he loses it plummets and unintentionally demonstrates his durability reducing a mountaintop to rubble in these brief split seconds the filmmakers show is so much the pure and unbridled joy of flying even if only for a few seconds the flight within something that Superman just does but something that he has to learn and we get the impression that it's driven by willpower wishing and wanting to go forward and he does were also shown that flight isn't to be taken for granted and here it's delicate and fleeting than a momentary loss of faith will focus or whatever else propels them and he'll drop like a rock he doesn't just get to immediately impart his immense strength and power into his flight at least not yet and this is important in understanding the battle of small bill and beyond this Superman at this stage can't simply move people around it will become an immovable fixed point in space just because he can fly by showing that he can lose his ability to fly the film makers are priming us to into it why he can be pulled out of the sky prevented from flying knocked off course etc. later in the film it's a subtle but critical nuance that completely diffuses the idea that Superman can just take's odd when he where that he wanted to is a limitation true but it's tempered by coming on the heels of Jor-El imploring Cal Al to keep testing his limits Superman may continue to explore and push the limits of this another abilities as the cinematic universe continues as he emerges from the crater created by his crash we get Jor-El's voiceover as a way of accessing his thoughts will give the people of an ideal strived will always live you will stumble and fall time you join you time it will help them start with the will stumble they will fall because I think it shows where Clark's head is that he could be recalling the technical details of how to fly but instead he's recounting Jor-El's great commission to him but he comes to mind just as he has stumbled and fallen Clark still thinks of himself as one of the people over rather than the ideal to strive towards Jor-El acknowledges this by putting everything in the future tense twice over he says in time just like Jonathan Jor-El is giving his son a great calling but he's also saying not yet like the people of earth he gets up after falling ready to try again now regarding join you in the sun the phrase is clearly metaphorical but it provides another possible reference to Plato this time the allegory of the cave we don't have time to get into that but concisely consider it turning point in a enlightenment indescribable to those yet to perceive it themselves in terms of blunders we don't know explicitly what Jor-El is talking about and the imagination can run wild but consider what Crowe thoughts about his character or reach are things through important Jor-El to try to communicate to some giveaway can is that these things to different about him the strength that he has capacity is huge responsibility is also really telling his son you go have a you you and get beyond my time to visit touch of madness to Jor-El's attachments entity monies down and massive desperation them and discuss his concerns lost throw of the dice for the entire is that he's not Jor-El's exultation was metaphorical he's not talking about humanity working on its tan so it's interesting that Crowe anticipates a literal new race the movie isn't so explicit but it's an intriguing endgame grossing Cal Al as a God is also interesting in light of Batman be Superman but that's another show now I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the obvious template for these lines is grant Morrison's All-Star Superman which reads you have shown them the face of the man of tomorrow you have given them an ideal to aspire to embody their highest aspirations they will race and stumble and fall and crawl and curse and finally they will join you in the sun Cal Al in time you will no longer be alone clearly influenced by that seminal work but it's because it works here to it basically implores Cal Al to be an example and a beacon of hope and to be patient while humanity catches up and ends his isolation Man of Steel is very much the tale of two fathers and will go in depth into that in a future episode but here we see that Jor-El is optimistic about humanity Jonathan is skeptical of it Jor-El can't imagine how Cal could be harmed Jonathan fears that Clark could be harmed Jor-El expects Cal to be seen Jonathan expects Clark to be hidden until it's time Jor-El knows krypton's faults but none of earths and Jonathan knows humanity's faults but little of krypton but all of that is another episode both fathers put significant responsibilities onto him but he lets the sunlight fallen his face he closes his eyes gathers his thoughts gathers is focused builds up his power and explodes into the air truly flying for the first time until now Clark's powers have always had to be controlled and he has been he's kept his strength in check to avoid hurting people he's kept his senses focus to avoid overload and respect people's privacy he never lost his temper or lashed out with his heat vision and he's carried the weight of that his entire life nearly to the breaking point as we saw with Ludlow's truck but now for a moment he could completely let loose with this new ability to escape from those limitations those responsibilities and to be free from the bonds of gravity his there any wonder that he goes all out like a great stretch after a lifetime being confined in a small space he is free and he's a way although Superman did not canonically flight start the idea was perhaps always in his DNA the wish fulfillment of his creators and their audience at the time writer Jerry Siegel wished as everyone does at some point he could fly away recessed who was a trial and often times of terror for him tormentors were everywhere some tripped him as he trying to escape others punched his very name became a source of ridicule Siegel's ego bird of an ego they would check if only he really could fly away certainly the power preexisted the first time a human imagined being a bird to melt up on wings like eagles that impulse finding its way into our myths and legends a flying chariots thrones and carpets Pegasus Icarus and someone more contemporary fiction included Peter Pan and Santa's reindeer and even Siegel and Chester's own Dr. cult of the canonically flightless doubtless countless children's on the cover of Superman one and considered that a flying man inside the comics Superman would change direction in air mid-leap managed to catch people who had already fallen before him feats not readily explainable without flight even if shortly thereafter in issue might remind the reader that Superman can fly other artists would also make the same mistake assuming Superman could fly in drawing itself and then correcting the Canon subsequently CBR's comic book legends revealed number 373 by Brian Cronin relates just such a story up put a link in the show notes this is a canonical stumbling block only to picky historians looking back to an era in an audience with nominal concerns about the ideas of can enter continuity in fact Siegel and Shuster would recycle stories and even panels much to the chagrin of their editors who had a significant hand in assuring that Superman stories would be consistent and novel all of which is to say in the hearts of minds of many young readers Superman flew before he officially could making the adoption and the inclusion of actual flight seamless and without fanfare in 1943's action comics number 65 in an era before continuity was carefully guarded no one questioned his new unseen ability because of course Superman can fly has and he always certainly that seems to be the position of some today with respect to many of Superman's traits and trappings as an he always stood for the American way what's in small bill always in Kansas and he always have heat vision wasn't Superman always capable of anything a Dudley do right a square who never kills Superman predictably by over two decades incidentally Superman is woven into the fabric of our culture and easy to take for granted but like many of the other sources of inspiration be discussed at the beginning Superman was able to appropriate and amalgamate flight into one of his defining characteristics in the public eye up up and away you will believe a man can fly why not you will believe a man can lift a car or turn back time is because Superman is synonymous with the fantasy of flight throughout the decades considerable pains have been taken to turn that fantasy into reality for Kirk Allen in the serial making Superman fly was a more vexing problem the technical crew was struggling cables from the studio ceiling to Paul Allen aloft and molded a steel breastplate to hold him there and for 12 long hours he was filmed dipping banking and yes flying the way men had dreamed of since Daedalus built wings for Icarus the flaw of this time was the wiring it was so painfully visible that the crew was fired and Superman was ground filmgoers saw Ellen poised on the Windows edge but what flew away from the building or any other setting was an animated Superman the always landed behind a bush or wall from which is human counterpart could – out and resume the role the effect was cartoonish for George Reeves and adventures one premise that got more credible as the series went on was that a man could fly after the early mishaps a mechanical arm was rigged up and Superman lay on attached Plexiglas plan that had been fitted to his chest inside the trade could be turned and tilted with 20 stagehands pulling to lift and lower the lumbering arm the camera following it on a hydraulic Dolly there were no more wires although there still was a wind machine I'm compressed air to give the feel of Superman whooshing through the air when really it was the film background that was moving George was skeptical I had to get in first then my helper and still one other guy to make sure it held said Saul Simonson who was brought in to manage the special effects the aerial action happened now in three phases George got a running start jumped on the springboard positioned out of sight level window and overhead first through the opening and onto a pile of wrestling's then came film of the mechanical arm moving him through the air the last sequence showed him hitting the ground feed first as if he were landing this all human no animation approach made more convincing not just the flying but the science fiction itself for Christopher Reeve and Superman the movie is like retrofitting is a really figure out how we did some is that for what techniques are you have to invent to an old you have that was the logic behind the ship when I took over they told me history fairly easy for you because you preproduction for a long time the most important thing is we see your flying because if I couldn't convince the audience to destroy Israel and the movie there back to TV show or jumped out the window and was on board see so when they showed me their tests jumped out of window is on board as he is a kidding whom the first day of the flying we rule there are assembled we would see you know what we've been a be doing a may have the team of guys who did the flying in the Peter Pan enema they kind of of three guys they pull the rope to one afternoon I remember looking at Donna seeing don'tis that we trouble it was to late and fortune absolute fortune get there you just can't you the special effects department by that I mean all of you too much credit for the most unbelievable job because they were doing is just not been done no idea how they went about their work except for the fact that was like the Wright brothers no one ever made anybody fly onscreen successfully so that no one had any idea three months how he was going to fly and he flew green screen black screen screen there was a little bit of animation he was wires he was in in gambles that finally that were very sophisticated 90% of the stuff that if ability in the early days a little models of Superman Fong out of funds across along Studios is a flying test we try fly upside down or source of innovative things would with tried and tested as we were aware. We haven't really figure out how to make it most effectively I would could do at the flu really wanted to avoid is visible tricks we wanted I came up with system for making things fly using two intellectual is Christopher would be basically in one place on a toll on Ms. Bush pushed through the skin and you don't see a music and only does make the moves and is the camera in the project making the state says that you can take and entailed in the last stuff and crisp had demonstrations some you sick in the home is on a guy in hanging you buy parts of the of two comfortable for many hours of time and he holding opposing keeping his composure and is still having to actually act and react to something of the individual it it's a technique yet example of flying was sound down there is no way this is so spot on and Donna came how you're going test the Statue of Liberty will the new is what I thought there was a lot of things during lines in it really one's confidence in the same itself where I didn't think of that work at all nowadays resume if like he was midflight but theyet enjoy that it was major major thought process production and narrowed down to a group of physical computersyou had to do those things I would touchable and they were unreal we saw Christopher Reeve fly for the first time dailies that it worked every year trying to get to work was a dry eye in the room me he flew he was a Brandon Routh and Superman returns to thousand six release Superman returns directive Ryan Singer said to raise much realism is possible to the movies playing scenes with the help of the film star Brandon Routh kind of flying his heavy accounting experience but I didn't realize how much of it playing out to be a way that we experimented with how the body moves and flight is we had Brandon swimming pool is a quite a swimmer and he would draw the one wall of the swimming pool but because he was swimming suspended from his body would exhibit strength more resistance in certain ways we would take video this use as a reference and the many other iterations between before we came to Henry cavil and the efforts of Man of Steel's cast and crew to make Superman fly again is this is an excellent illustration of how we work with visual effects between Zack needed myself coming up with the best method for each particular gag action are seeing in the beginning stages of testing for this scene we tried various different wire configurations both on winches and polls computerize winches cylinders etc. to trying to up with the most realistic best way to flying Henry during the process we always have the visual effects team on board with us as well as a director so we know which would complement each scene in other words when is it best to do it live-action when is it best for DJs team to take it over visually in the end we found out the best way of flying for this scene was to look to our visual effects brothers we did using gamble from many of the close-ups of Henry when he starting to lose stability and is getting ready to crash knows he cannot capture digitally so we need that human element again as far as the majority of flying here it's all our vision a visual effects brothers and I is is briefly about the you you is a gigantic spacious aggressive plan and with Superman to the idea that Superman you revealed that point is the estimate of anything is the palm of his flying by less than anything really punching things that strike anything is a sci-fi character basically some becomes a visual effect really fast and some of the proving ground for them was even in first I think when we talk about like a game imply anything really like a character model hair right a lot of stuff you is a training facility to do style is did otherwise right as he wanted to show you is the body language seven and you and then I would go back to let's not assume that a superhuman hair right there less switch out there one thing not mentioned in that segment is that the flying sound effect from the TV show was featured in Superman's first flight is an audio Easter egg the stunt teams trainers and visual effects worked tirelessly to bring flights and the fights to life: article Intel Someone to do something that they never do anything that that's what my loves you to take many people chosen is so guys motion in a way of analyzing as I do I think the hand of January interesting because of pain see her success enjoy all those things are private if there is care for the suffering is immediately evident and you bring to motives it's not the kind of training which just makes you look pretty basic training which is for my students useful I didn't realize how difficult of those doing was good because I trained Jim Jones been given at the very least core strength redirection stunt work specifically wire work you need a strong core and you need your muscles to the length and union to be strong to be stable structure them to hold together a new something in shape is an enormous advantage flying was one of many attributes that we had to really really take her time figure out how to use correct we went from wiring to gamble reads very had more but basically you name it be explored as a DJ there's a visitor management takeover with the CG that we still do is call performance capture where we fly our guys on wires and DJ uses at least those of given that legacy Superman flying faster than is ever is hard to come up with the speeds Zack and I would sit down and come up with a scale as we have some sort of rules of play Verizon guideline foundation it okay China so basically would take that as a reference and then we failed all the physics around reaction is to make sense on not was whose with three films the she's the course of a join you like you challenges always to make the actor do in most of his call abilities of course without asking them to do anything crazy and mostly see the actor performing their own stunts in action more rewarding for us we you suddenly is to figure all of these create the action give everyone on the same page so much clear vision action on sense shooting show us anti-pricing say this is what is supposed like was have a very basic this is the one case were going to make it otherwise would get a little something Henry said fantastic total trooper inherently trust the stunt apartment we all we show him video beforehand this is what with one of us in that situation showing was with me knows that we've already Donna that we've got is best interests definitely start with how fast Superman flies and I said I said oh yeah will be able to photograph these pieces is his other pieces that we Photograph we want to keep as much real as possible. You know we want to see the nuances of the season when hair blow by feel in the cave one of these in their we want immunity want to be over the actually wanted constantly pushed back to digital hand off as long as we can push that keeps that real then visual effects is not taking over visual effects is assisting what were trying to do and were trying to keep it as real as possible to the last part you have these guys really do some of the moves so that we get a positive a fighter the moments where your eyes on is really them when you doing something which is physically taxing for drinking to do because it's certain you make that much easier when you got guys rushing join you fun and working exceptionally hard to get right to the refund was for the guys doing the why work for hours on end is the most recent for his time that it is a know it phrases when you flew the first time from the ground that I did a shower he flies like the first shot in the suit right so with Amy and Henry coming one air they had a dialogue scene and then had a fight out-of-state and talk about it with my bracket easiest to is implied the scene that like you like inhaled deeply like look.you that the final but like okay my finished the dialogue yet why way as I had to do is walk off the added there this thing where he does fly away that had have right now is really bizarre people who did not have the quite a few people on camera didn't know what I was doing is the staring at me whatever despite all that work they had fun and enjoyed the project the links they went to is reflected in how they approached the mythology and to the gravity in approaching the material meant to thoughtfulness in every aspect of the film asking the why of the suit in even the why certain scenes were shot certain way is always a leap of faith that Superman because he has these extraordinary powers that are impossible ideal not by making earth even a small kind of sort of understand a little bit of the why of it allows it all to use the suit itself is to be cultural krypton make you can play with the students not in some mythology
Omar episode it out of blanket as many of these little things their life can articulate and wrapped me just want to make it easier for the audience to guide you every step you take in that direction allowed to get inside his head and then allows users see the world through his perspective and that's that's what it is just initially started the concept of power to make the movie I wanted to try and make a movie in the most realistic way I could because I felt like Superman is already does that mean he doesn't possible stop so the more sort of invalid that of photography is the farther away gets from you because it's just more style on top of file and I felt like I should the movie in a way where it seemed the most part of photograph likely when he's flying a whatever it we try to make it so that that's not an easy thing the film you know he's you can imagine China films Superman flying mock five whatever you know the cameras costly vibrating a whatever that was the idea of self in the action sequences we try to the camera in a place where you could see the action a lot of times your scene reaction and then suddenly those characters just like fly out of frame and I like this but you haven't jump to another to gets them coming and rather than you know where the camera links onto them and we fly epidemic back down and that is them was really about sort of that almost like war correspondent version of the those Identity it really when they do move back and becomes like shocking because there's so there so fast you realize that the fight them is possible translate to the flying those sequences I said okay the movie had handheld handheld camera is a person to quit I you solely film is why I said okay the heart of you that way right that means that this is the rig somehow flying for Superman trying to film and Caulfield out of the so what we get is when we films of fighting a flying we really try to approach it both ways that will ever be held we should is a hopeful CD shot you would leaving the helicopter would really on a platform appreciate it so that either shakiness of the camera or difficulty in getting shot focus are all the things those are all translated is that the themes that is giving you the emotion of feeling like you're really there because I if the observer is also helping every of energy I think his life he leads into the flight sequence to make him the idea human allow the walk you finally get a glimpse of Emily you can Cape and all the identity and down first be like it's not easy to fly so I want you to feel like lines not a thing that even for Superman it's incredibly easy once you get it should be like this is like delivering for him I wanted to flight to be a slightly violent in life in the air like you Matthew like if you could just go somewhere a lot of is value to go back and so when we photograph them and you know the scenes were he's flying Thursday his face I like the should look like they were difficult to photograph because going in a camera be all shaky and I think that's also what is the sense that it's actually happening in that last clip flight was described as liberating and I just wanted to take a moment to consider the implications of flight for Clark in this story the power of flight comes with the gift of superspeed allowing Clark to go anywhere any time at will before Clark's transient lifestyle meant he could rarely accrue the kind of material goods that so many of us take completely for granted like a personal automobile cars tend to leave paper trails in a costly to abandon every time Clark is compelled to help so as we see in the movie Clark was dependent on hitchhiking never quite able to completely control his comings and goings borders and boundaries would be a problem for him if his papers were in order or she had to burn another identity it's quite probable than an alien who traveled light-years across a sea of stars to landing Kansas found himself constrained to the continent until now Clark's paperwork problems might even make commercial flight prohibitive again reinforcing his reliance on the road irony of ironies his first flight may have well been the first time that he had ever flown by any means but what it means this power of flight is also the gift of family and friends Clark's dependence on anonymity and hitchhiking surely strained his shot is happy homecomings to Kansas the same problems of privacy and lack of permanence probably meant the Clark didn't carry a cell phone and relied on payphones if that so his quest for answers and identity would've been incredibly isolating and lonely disconnected from the one person in the world who completely new him flight meant that Clark could see Martha for comfort Council company with but a wish at a moments notice he could see her face feel her embrace it her cooking and sleep in his own bed home could actually be home again the power of flight means that he could enter and leave it will undetected and with limited repercussions compared to his ordinary means of motion and that means that the friendships broken and abandoned could be revisited reevaluated and perhaps resumes and explored Clark could select and connect with a trusted few using his power of flight and in fact that's exactly what he does with Lois Lane deciding to descend and extend an offer of friendship and intimacy a whole new world of others and no longer being alone the physical world would also become paradoxically larger and smaller all at once Clark could suddenly explore the entire world the entire thing all within his immediate grasp traveling from the Arctic Circle to the African savanna buzzing zebra in a nod to birthright and then to the white cliffs of Dover through the canyons of Utah and to the edge of outer space anywhere that he had dreamed of any place that he's young mind had read about when fastened to the farm was his to behold perceive precious and pledged to protect is it any wonder that Clark commits to earth over krypton having only just discovered an iota of how incredible it could be flight might give the gift of perspective Clark realizing perhaps that he's the only one who can perceive earth as he does from his vantage point with his senses his experiences and his powers a fragile blue marble that only he can protect when made to way the stakes that planetary perspective is less myopic than collateral concerns and after a lifetime of living with us this Superman doesn't judge us from above but identifies with our everyday struggles this deliberate approach by the filmmakers of delayed gratification recognized flight for the gift that it is rather than something simply assumed were taken for granted as it has been for so long if we think through the implications of his life before flight given by the film suddenly the death of Clark's joy of flight those well beyond just amusement and the smiles that we saw flight would be and it was a completely transformative experience and if we open our hearts and our minds to empathize with him we can fly to everyone is why you want to fly hope you enjoyed this extra long episode hopefully hold you over until our comic con reaction episode which may be delayed because I'll be on a trip but I hope to get back to you as soon as possible okay I think I've rambled on long enough here some shows I suggest you check out if you want to extend your enjoyment of the Superman mythos got it together from the far reaches of beings that are assembled and that's what got dedicated to the bust greatest superhero is safe a heavy Superman like featuring Superman: a the DC comics presents crisis to crisis Superman podcast is Superman this you will podcast is Superman forever and about the you you are you are you will podcast KL from Superman homepage.com is John Wilson really help you are leaving my present bride your retailer Michael they start to Sam result is the original Mario is given by an highlighted I gave Younis and how has Gotti they because that what.com thanks so much soliciting I just love discussing the stuff and if you been sticking with me hopefully you do to I'm genuinely grateful for each and every listener and hope you'll join us Man of Steel answers to that way if you have a question you want answered or insight you want to share commentary to make composing the comments for all your like-minded apologist to see or you can email me at mosaic@ManofSteelofSteelanswers.com like what you heard please review the show in iTunes and stitcher and subscribed this is Dr. awkward your DC cinematic universe apologist signing off CNX time that answers