Examining Superheroes In Conflict

Batman V Superman

“Black and blue, god versus man, day versus night” – Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) sums up the ramifications of this particular conflict far more succinctly than any feature writer ever could – but look deeper, and there is a whirling vortex of a collective 140 years of storytelling history to be found here. This clash – which forms the basis of the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice – promises to be the superhero conflict to end all superhero conflicts. Sure, Captain America: Civil War has a remarkable number of heroes battling it out, but this epic battle has the weight of history on its very formidably shoulders.

The conflict between Batman and Superman is something that has been present in the comic book source material for decades, and is a prominent part of the history of Justice League. It is based primarily in a fundamental lack of understanding between the two icons – Batman sees Superman as a threat to humanity because he is an extra-terrestrial with super powers, and Superman sees Batman as a vengeful vigilante, answerable to nobody in particular.

The big-screen depiction of this battle between the two most famous superheroes looks set to dig down into the morality of their fight – as Batman looks to take the Big Blue Boy Scout to task for the devastation caused by his brawl with General Zod in 2013’s Man Of Steel, and Superman takes exception to Batman’s brutal methods with the criminal underworld.

But, the fight represents so much more than that. The physical benefits afforded Superman by Earth’s yellow sun give him god-like powers in comparison to the human beings he lives amongst. Batman may well be a vigilante with no superpowers to speak of, but he is driven to fight for justice – perhaps to the point of obsession – and brings his considerable material resources to bear on that very endeavour. On the one hand, the fight looks very much like a man who is the best of us taking on a potential threat from another world. If Superman has assumed a position of superiority over humanity, then perhaps Batman represents humanity’s desire for self-determination.

But, we know Superman just as well as we know Batman, and we know that his intentions are inherently good – whether he inadvertently facilitates General Zod’s destruction of a tower block, or not. So, maybe this conflict represents humanity’s aspiration – or, more specifically Batman’s aspiration – to simply be more. The human race is essentially defined by its desire to advance itself in all areas – is it such a great leap to find it resentful of those that achieved the same first? Batman is a vengeful character, so in conflict with Superman, does he in fact represent the worst of us – trying to tear down the man above him, so as to become the ‘alpha-male’ once more?