Superman is a Space Alien

While watching the movie Superman Returns a while ago I was struck by how detached Superman seemed. At first I attributed it to a poor acting job (and it may well be that) but then it occurred that perhaps the actor was playing him correctly. It makes sense to think that Superman would be detached from the normal, daily, “trivial” cares and concerns of mortals. Superman is not human. He is a space alien, same as E.T., the girl-thing in Species and the creature in Alien or Predator. He is, as long as he stays under our yellow Sun, effectively immortal. Aside from looking humanoid, he has very little in common with humans. He didn’t ask to be here – he was sent here. Where else is he going to go? His biological father (and adopted one as well) laid the whole service trip on him. He didn’t ask for it. (But look at the first Superman movie – when he is forbidden to interfere in the lives of humans. Yet does just that at the end to save Lois’s life. So he’s willing to forsake his taught upbringing for what matters most to him. His wants come first. It’s not altruism, he’s being selfish.)

This appears to be true of Hancock as well, the recent movie with Wil Smith that did not do well at the box office. I can see why. Most people (see below) either can’t relate or reject the notion that immortals wouldn’t care about their trivial daily dramas. I loved the movie. I thought it a very accurate portrayal of how it is to be an immortal living amongst those who believe they are mortal. They take for granted that Superman would care about them, want to be like them. This is in contrast to Data on Star Trek, who is also effectively immortal, but has the non-biological-creature-Pinocchio-delusion and wants to be human, and constantly tries to act like a person.

But this “person” is an illusion, an ongoing “learned” process of sustained belief in a personal free-will separate self, painstakingly, tiresomely maintained with a myriad of reminders, cues, and self-imposed constraints: stories, pictures, emotional, family and friend connections, beliefs, thoughts and religio-spiritual delusions. Underneath all that, what is there, exactly? This process can be seen through and pierced, though not easily. Breaking free of ones’ programming is the hardest thing there is. Which is why it is seen as a “super-human” feat (pun intended?)
Many say they want it, but few truly do. Superman and Hancock, like Data are ultimately alone though not necessarily lonely.