Magic Love Hose posted:

Can Superman be wrong, and still be Superman?

A lot of people are telling me that no, Superman can't really be in the wrong on something, and that his moral instincts are too sharp. To them, "there is a right and a wrong in the universe and that distinction is not very difficult to make." And moreover, that if Superman ever WAS wrong - even subjectively - it'd be ruinous to the character.

They cite "Grounded." I admit that Grounded - the JMS half, I like the Chris Roberson half a lot - is a convincing argument for How Not To Do Something.

But I fall into the camp of "he can be wrong and, for the sake of drama, sometimes he should be wrong." To me, Superman's moral strength comes not from him always knowing what the right thing is, but from him always making the effort to find out. To me, it's more interesting if he puts a lot of effort into understanding moral dilemmas and resolving them. If he's right, it's because he's thought about something for a long time, probably while walking on the ocean floor or in a slow orbit around the Moon. If he's wrong, then he's a big enough man to admit it and works to make things right. If he just knows, with no real effort, then the drama is lessened. Not eliminated, but it takes a hit.

What do you all think?