I’m flying today. I’m going to visit my father and sister in Colorado, something that I haven’t done in far too long. Two or three years, in fact. It’s amazing how quickly time gets away from you.
I always wear my Superman logo T-shirt when I fly. I’ve chosen the brightest version of the logo I could find. Not for me the black-and-silver, or the muddy red and dingy gold of the modern movies. I prefer the clear, bright logo of the Superman I first encountered in comic books as a child.
In the earliest Superman story that I remember reading, a villain called the Master Jailer had captured Lois Lane and was holding her prisoner at the center of a maze with a series of traps. For reasons I don’t recall, Superman couldn’t use his powers. One of the traps involved a pair of panthers. Even though it would have been faster for him to kill the great cats, he refused, having sworn never to take a life, whether human or not.
That stuck with me. Superman had all the power in the world, but he used them with care and purpose. That’s why Superman became my favorite hero. And that’s why I’ve chosen to wear that version of the logo.
Whenever I wear it, people light up. Children and adults give me a smile and say, “Hi, Superman!” I think they, too, have an image of Superman as the ultimate hero. Unequivocal good guy. The one who will stand up to any injustice, no matter how small. No matter what the Zac Snyders of the world do to the character, that’s who Superman really is, and always will be to me.
Sam Falco 