One of the many great things about the Beyond Universe is its ability to give us a fresh take on familiar faces. Whether it’s Barbara Gordon going from a fresh faced and starry-eyed heroine to a hard-biting yet compassionate police commissioner or Bruce Wayne who must learn to rediscover his humanity through Batman and Terry, the Beyond Universe lets us learn of new layers we never saw before in our favorite heroes. The character to receive the best treatment of the Beyond universe is perhaps the most misunderstood of all: Superman.

What hasn’t been said of Superman. That he’s too powerful, too unrelatable, too good - almost Godlike, really - or that he solves everything with his powers unlike heroes like Batman who use their brains and ingenuity. Contemporary professional storytellers in particular seem to think that the only way to make Superman likeable is to constantly “darken” him and make him more like Batman – bleaker, more morally compromised, more pessimistic. The Trillian saga demonstrates how wrong this is.

The story is simple enough: when he was younger, Superman freed a race of animal-like creatures called the Mangals from servitude to a more advanced alien race called the Trillians. Although he hoped they’d build a new, free life separate from the Trillians, this was not to be: the Mangals, discovering that they were not only slaves but also bred by the Trillians to be murdered before reaching adulthood and maturity, launched a brutal war of terror against their former captors, a war in which Superman is embroiled once again. Now caught between the two warring peoples, Superman must find a way to stop the conflict before it literally destroys life on the Trillians’ and Mangals’ planet.

But it is not the story itself but how it brings out what Superman stands for that makes this story worth the price of the proverbial ticket.

Not a God to be Worshipped but an Example to Follow

We learn from several scenes just how Superman wants be seen – and it’s not like a God. In fact, we get the feeling that that’s the last thing he wants. He cringes when the Mangals call him a “savior” and even finds such language ridiculous when they are the ones who save him in a critical point in the story. No, what Superman wants to do is help as much as he can; as Jonathan Kent makes clear in a memory, Superman always chafed at holding back simply because he – as a good man – could not stand by the sidelines when others needed help.

The same goes for his powers. Rather than see his abilities as a gift to abuse for power or glory, he sees it as a responsibility; as he says in “All-Star Superman” – it is the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak. Think of Superman as the biggest kid on the block who, instead of using his strength to steal money or at least get all the girls, tries to get people to behave and show that power does not necessarily mean being a bad person. In this he tries to set a moral example for everyone else.

This example comes across clear as day when the Justice League comes in at the end of the story to help Superman. We see that they share his values of mediation over destruction. More than that, though, we see through many scenes just what kind of leader Superman is – one who rules not through strength and fear but through inspiration and example. By doing so, Superman shows a very human side to him that any person can follow and emulate – but there’s more where that came from.

Empathy and Compassion – from a Position of Strength and Hope

Much has been made of Superman’s supposed lack of intelligence, certainly compared to heroes like Batman. This is an exaggeration in my opinion; not only is Superman an investigative journalist in civilian life, an occupation that requires a lot of intuitive knowledge and ability to do thorough research, he’s also the son of a scientist who has a quick grasp of many complex natural phenomena as shown in All-Star Superman. If Superman isn’t given a chance to demonstrate his smarts, then this is more a failure of storytellers than the character himself.

But even conceding that he’s not as smart as Batman in terms of analytical intelligence, there is one kind of intelligence where Superman blows Batman out of the water: Emotional Intelligence. We see in many scenes in the Trillian story how Superman thinks about others: like a scientist, he observes, doesn’t immediately judge and tries above all to understand where everyone is coming from. His character is mirrored in the Trillian scientist who also is conflicted between his desire to end the war and his ethical scruples as a lover of the natural order. In his thoughts and words, Superman shows just how empathetic he is to both sides of the conflict.

Furthermore, Superman’s empathy is not some shallow “even-handedness”. He frankly acknowledges the wrongs both sides have done to each other. He understands why the Mangals have resorted to violence. In his reconciliation speech at the end, he tries to convince them to stop the violence in a manner that is both convincing and heartfelt; it is the kind of speech that might be effective to many people in conflict around the world. Yes, that’s right, Superman ends (or tries to end) a conflict not with his fists but with his *words*. Let that sink in the next time someone says that all he knows how to do is punch things real good.

Perhaps the most important point to take away is how Superman leaves the decision to the Trillians and Mangals themselves rather than enforce it…like some kind of God. As Superman himself says, there are “points in time” where people stand at a crossroads and must make fatal decisions; it is clear from the end that Superman believes they will make the right one.

Some may think this faith in their ability to make the right decision naïve; Starfire certainly says as much at the end of the story. But here’s the thing:

Superman’s faith is our faith. It is our faith in people’s ability to do the right thing that has led us to enjoy and defend the freedoms of individual liberty and responsibility. It is that faith in human goodness that leads us all to eliminate disease, aim for the stars and help one another in countless ways in our everyday lives. No matter how often we stumble, that faith remains and is ever renewed. By sustaining and encouraging that faith in ourselves and our ultimate nature, the “alien” Superman may well be the most human of us all.

"Superman Beyond:The Trillian Saga" is now available through digital outlets.