Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer 
Superman (Brandon Routh) flies high above the earth, getting a lordly view ... and holds up a heavy piece of its surface (below). - Contributed
"Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look! Up in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman! Yes, it's Superman..."
THOSE WORDS, which accompanied the Superman radio serial, have grown to mark much of the abilities we associate with Superman. Of course, Superman's identity has received numerous changes, from tweaks to rewrites, since his first arrival on Earth via Action Comics number 1 in 1938.
And now he has received another.
When looking at the new Superman, one is forced to ask the question "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's 'Jesus'." According to the underlying theme of Superman Returns, currently playing in theatres, Superman appears to be the new Jesus or at least a very similar relation.
As numerous T-shirts, lunch boxes, my cellphone's screensaver and inane conversations the world over have highlighted, Superman is one of the world's most beloved heroes, not just superhero. Along with Batman and Spiderman, he is also one of the most recognisable figures, which explains how he was able to become a spokesperson for American Express (along with Jerry Seinfield) in 1998 and 2004.
SUPERPOWERS
The Superman pictured in Brian Singer's Superman Returns has many of the traits that have evolved about Superman in the decades since his creation. He has super-breath that can instantly freeze objects, he can see through walls, he flies and he has super strength, but Kryptonite can defeat him.
However, the strong Jesus associations that run rampant in this movie are new to Superman. Wikipedia.org notes that Superman's birth is similar to that of Jesus, Moses and Samson, in that he is a babe who was spirited away to somewhere else to escape death.
Yet, in all other versions, as the website explains, young Kal-El (Superman's birth name) was sent to earth for his own survival. But Superman Returns (written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris) borrows much more heavily from the story of Christ. In this story, the Man of Steel was sent by his father (Jor-El) to save our world. This idea has been pushed since the first trailers for the latest superhero box office outing.
OMNIPOTENCE
It is carried even further by the script and the direction of the film, which plays heavily on Superman's omnipotence. In the film's introductory spiel, Jor-El's voice says in a benign booming voice "through the son comes the father and through the father comes the son". This line resonates with references to the trinity, the only missing element being the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, via the memory crystals used to teach Superman about his Kryptonian past, Jor-El declares "for this reason, above all their capacity for good I sent them you". As such, the Jesus references now resonate well beyond Superman's birth and his battle against evil.
Indeed, in the flick Superman also speaks about himself with references that echo Christ. He explains to Lois that he hears everything. Shortly after, she declares "you wrote the world does not need a saviour, but I hear it crying for one every day".
The visual styling for the film further concretises the Jesus/ Superman associations. In order to save the world, Superman flies up well above earth, listens for the voice crying out and then swoops down to help. This presents visual rendering of the saviour coming down and listening from on high.
Of course, Hollywood has a great reason for reconfiguring Jesus as Superman. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ declared that Jesus can sell at the box office. The Chronicles of Narnia declared that a metaphorical Jesus accompanied by very cool CGI sells even better.
READY TO DOMINATE
BOX OFFICE
So in swoops, the new Superman is ready to dominate the box office. Now not only is he the Man of Steel but he is clearly reconfigured as the modern saviour. His new Jesus role also comes with something of an ironic twist, as the original creators of Superman, Joe Shuster and Jerry Seigel, were both Jewish.
Yet, Superman's reconfiguration comes at an interesting time in modern history. Superman, who has always represented the American Way, comes at a time when that country's president touts fundamental Christianity to flog the rest of the world into line. So, with America's renewed Christianity, it is not surprising that one of their greatest icons has now been merged with the greatest symbol of Christianity.
Of course, Superman's reincarnation is not the first pop-fiction figure to take on Jesus-like traits. Marcus Golding, a 20-something year-old Christian, explains that he finds The Matrix much more disturbing. He pointed to the Neo's discovery that he is the world's saviour, his ability to give life and his willingness to sacrifice himself.
"What bothers me is the fact that people constantly try to find a replacement for God when there isn't one," he said, "but as far as I'm concerned Superman is just Superman."
Superman has come a long way since his invention and via the multiverse has managed to go back to his origins many times over. In Superman Returns he has just come back from attempting to find himself. Apparently, while on his search, what he has discovered is that he is Jesus, the Hollywood version.
