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The Christ-parallels were fairly obvious from the start: a father in the heavens sends his only son to earth to battle evil with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.  Some have noted that the Kryptonian surname "El" is also the Hebrew name for God.  I doubt, however, that Siegel and Shuster had this in mind when they created the character; originally, the alien scientist was called Jor-L and his son Kal-L. Still, the rural foster-parents do tend to bring Joseph and Mary to mind. At this point, however, the analogies peter out—in the comics at least.

What the funnybooks whispered, the 1978 film proclaimed. Interestingly, Mario Puzo's original story did not include the Christological line from Superman's father, "For this reason above all others, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son." Someone else apparently added not only that line, but a speech that seems almost to have been lifted from the Gospel of John: "You will carry me inside you all the days of your life; see my life through your eyes, as yours will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father and the father the son."

There's another passage in the Gospel of John that resonates with the '78 film: The raising of Lazarus. Who can forget Lois Lane's awful, claustrophobic death, entombed in her own car, near the end of the movie, with Superman too late to save her? Desperate with grief, Superman circles the earth at incredible speed, somehow reversing the planet's rotation and turning back the clock, raising Lois from the dead. One can't help but compare the incident to the resurrection of Aslan in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, after which the great lion makes his speech about death itself working backwards. By making time work backwards, Superman also manages to reverse death—at least for Lois.  

But what of Superman himself? While death was always a possibility for the Man of Steel, he was never the one who died and rose again … not, that is, until 1992.

Originally suggested at a writers' summit as a joke, the death of Superman ultimately made comic book history. In this multi-issue epic, Superman battled a hulking, mindless monster aptly dubbed Doomsday. When it was over, the Man of Steel and his foe lay dead. The effect was galvanic. Thanks to DC Comics' savvy use of the media, many who'd never bought a comic book lined up outside comics shops across the country to buy Superman #75—which sold an astonishing six million copies. And then, silence reigned as DC ceased publication of its flagship title. Fans held their breath for months. Was this truly the end?

Hardly. Casting a long strand of science-fiction gobbledygook, the writers found a way for him to come back from the dead. Fans heaved a great sigh of relief. At last, the Christ analogy seemed complete. 

Or was it?

Resurrected or not, Superman remains at best a crude imitation of the Son of God. Jesus offers transformation from within. Superman can only alter circumstances. Jesus can say, "Follow me" and expect us to do so, but who's going to jump out a window to follow his caped counterpart? As badly as we might want to, there's no way to enter Superman's story. Amazingly, the Son of God entered ours.

I've found but a single Superman story to approach the true gospel message. It's in a 2000 graphic novel, Mann and Superman. The plot is simple: Small time crook Marty Mann heists a priceless gem with the power to grant a man's fondest wish. Marty wishes to be Superman. One body-switch later, Superman finds he has become a loser with unpaid bills and a contemptuous son. He first struggles with his predicament, then decides to turn Marty's life around from within his own body.

Meanwhile, with the Man of Steel's muscles, Marty has the power and exaltation he's always wanted—but remains a failure. Superman, however, has made Marty a man worthy of his son's respect. The tale ends with a chastened Marty renouncing power in favor of a new life, a life made possible only by Superman's efforts in Marty's own weak flesh.

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Related Elsewhere:

The 'Savior' Returns	Printer view
Bryan Singer, director of the highly anticipated Superman Returns, says it makes sense to compare his protagonist to Jesus because, after all, "Superman is a savior."