[The Lone Ranger]

No, thank you. There's nothing at all stupid in what you wrote.

I've read several accounts of how this or similar scenes (the one from All Star Superman, for instance) has inspired people to go on, even when life seemed too dismal and/or hopeless to bear.

A big reason why I enjoy [well-done*] superhero stories is because -- while the characters themselves may be fictitious and larger than life -- they remind us that for all of our faults, people can be decent, good, even noble. That's a big part of the reason that life is worth living, it seems to me.


And as Superman himself is fond of saying, the real heroes aren't the ones with bullet-proof skin and the ability to lift mountains. The real heroes are the ordinary people who constantly demonstrate that most people are fundamentally kind and decent when you get down to it, and who -- despite their lack of superpowers -- nevertheless find the courage to get out each day and do what must be done.


*As opposed, to -- say -- Man of Steel or Batman v. Superman, which managed to miss the entire point of what superheroes are all about.

Originally Posted by Superman

“But you know what? Anger is easy. Hate is easy. Vengeance and spite is easy. Lucky for you… and for me… I don’t like my heroes ugly and mean. Just don’t believe in it.”