My Internet Cave

This is a reasonably common thing I see on say Twitter, and I can’t honestly say it’s a take I find infuriating? I obviously disagree, but it’s been decades since Superman got a universally beloved straightforward mass-media adaptation (other than Tyler Hoechlin sticking his head in a couple times), whereas All-Might is rightly one of the most beloved characters in an overwhelmingly popular contemporary series. With that kind of differential in terms of exposure, it’s not shocking or unfair that the common consensus has come to favor the latter. However, the fundamental assumptions that typically go into ‘deeper’ attempts at outlining why All-Might’s the better character are interesting, because they seem to rest on the idea of him being in an interesting *situation* rather than an interesting *character*.

The fact is, no, I don’t think All-Might is as deep a character as Superman at his best, even if he beats out the other cartoons/movies, if only because he’s been around for ~5 years rather than 80. And the bulk of the stuff that people would typically point to as indicators of his superior definition and self-awareness - his struggle with his responsibilities and the expectations of the world, the divide between his public and private identities and how they both reflect his ‘true’ self, his willingness to struggle on in the face of odds that can end up against him in spite of his great power - is material that Superman stories have been digging into for decades outside the public eye. The thing is, the BIG difference, the one that’s usually the foundation that all other arguments are built off of and the ace in the hole, is All-Might’s vulnerability and mortality. He wins the popularity contest, I think, for much the same reason a lot of people say they don’t especially like Superman comics except for All-Star: it’s such a powerful and all-consuming touchstone that it permits otherwise skeptical viewers to accept these as actual people, with all the character work around it that makes you *care* that they’re vulnerable and mortal just being flattened out on a casual read into extensions of said vulnerability. It’d be fascinating to see how All-Might would be viewed if he had existed as a character outside My Hero Academia in his prime, and whether or not the good faith he’s earned would carry through to recognizing his virtues outside the very specific situation we’re introduced to him in, because the same fundamental concerns and struggles and character beats would still be in play, even if reflected through a traditional Superman-esque lens rather than the dilemma that’s come to dominate the final years of his career. Because to assume that’s the foundation of what makes All-Might interesting isn’t just doing a disservice to Superman, but the Symbol of Peace right alongside him.