It's a little annoying seeing people shit-talk that guy Dean who Steph was on a date with when the quake hit for...actually following proper civilian protocols for a disaster?
Like. The first rule for people who are not trained as disaster responders is "do not create more victims".
Don't run into the structurally damaged building, now you're an additional person to dig out. Don't jump into the water, now you're an additional drowning risk. Don't run into the area with the gas leak, now you're an additional patient in need of oxygen.
Dean was a random untrained dude facing the biggest earthquake his area has ever seen, and his response of not running into the collapsing mall and discouraging Steph from doing so is actually the correct response.
Dean does not know that Steph has been training as a caped vigilante, which in their universe means she's probably qualified for this. The rules of the fictional universe means she can run to the rescue, but when she tried to get Dean to do so too, that was irresponsible and dangerous. That would be risking the life of an untrained civilian and creating more work for the actual disaster responders. And Dean is not in the loop here!
There are things bystanders can do to help first responders, but running into the collapsing building is not one of them. This being a superhero comic means Stephanie running in to help is the right choice for her, but that doesn't mean Dean's choice was wrong.
