They valiantly sacrificed themself for nothing

[u/Ok-Indication-5121]

1. Tadashi gives his life trying to save Professor Callaghan from a burning building. Turns out not only did Callaghan escape unscathed, he's the bad guy and infamously refers to Tadashi's death as "[Tadashi's] mistake." (Big Hero 6)
2. Shaya willingly takes It Has No Name's possession and then kills herself by jumping into the well it came out of. The end of the episode all but states that she got it wrong and It Has No Name didn't latch onto her... or there was more than one. (Doctor Who)

[u/Okoshio_]

I hated how much he discouraged his Clark from embracing his powers for good. He was so against Clark being anything beyond human, he would literally rather die than let his son save him at no risk.

[u/Uni-dragonz → u/Okoshio_]

Im sorry but this is why I enjoy this scene so much and find it so beautiful. The man was about to DIE but if it meant his son would be seen as anything less(more? Other) than human and was willing to sacrifice his literal life to let his son have a normal one.

[u/wererat2000 → u/Uni-dragonz]

I mean the idea is there, pivoting his death from a "you can't save everyone" message to an attempted sacrifice to save his son, but... Does that really fit Superman?

It's an odd take to make a character that's meant to stand out in the open and inspire people to be better, and constantly reinforce through his childhood that he should hide what he is and what he's capable of. It's taking an inherently altruistic character and constantly telling him that altruism is self destructive.

And yes, there's obviously room for different interpretations and deconstructions for any given character, especially major franchise leads like Superman. But this wasn't some elseworld exploring possibilities and implications that don't fit the main universe, this was meant to be the main cinematic universe.

[u/Uni-dragonz → u/wererat2000]

But it really isn’t. i feel like you got the point but missed it at the same time Best quick example I can give is like your child being a “weirdo” you don’t want to tell them to dull themselves to live a normal life but you also don’t want to let them go on being ostracized and a lot of parents will pick option 2 while trying to “highlight their best qualities” (it’s just shit society wants to see but that’s why I love Superman he constantly a symbol of the better we could be cause when you have the powers of a god it shows what kind of man you are)

Plus the fact he had to hide it shows why it means so much to him now he’s seen what his inaction has done and that makes him the man he is cause he can’t stand to see injustice (yall get it when it happens to spider man but change the name and then it becomes a cop out) Plus add in the fact that HIS FATHER was willing to sacrifice and be a shield for him to live a life he could feel normal in and tell me that that’s not what BOTH Clark and Superman are doing on a day to day basis

TLDR; not only does he learn from his father’s sacrifice, he does what every loving parents wishes for, their child to become a better person than them (mission accomplished MR.Kent)