Having just seen Superman Returns (parts of it in 3D!) with Raj, I found myself meditating on the subject of heroes, superheroes, and gods.
Superheroes take care of us from afar; yet they need a human element for us to interact with them and care about them. They are physically able, efficient, and must, as a rule, be flawed.
Firstly, they need a weakness (or a weak spot, such as vengeance or kryptonite) to create drama and the possibility of failure. Otherwise, the story of a superhero would never capture the imagination. He would be like a god in visible form. Oddly enough, we attribute failures of mankind to man subverting the will of the gods, while we blame the ills a superhero failed to correct on his weakness, disattention, disinterest, or untimely absence. Perhaps it is because the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God of human religions can be everywhere and do anything, so he must choose not to intervene. He couldn't possibly be hog-tied in some evil villian's lair, poisoned with kryptonite or surrounded by 'bad energy'.
Superheroes also need a human flaw - not a fatal one, but one that makes them susceptible to the emotions of humans, no matter how alien they may be. This could be Batman's lust for revenge, Wolverine's rage, or even just alienation from the rest of society. This is so we fear not only for their bodies, but for their minds - and their souls.
Logically, we know that nothing is perfect - that is why only the aforementioned omni3 God survives as flawless being. The Greek and Roman gods had weaknesses - they were like superheroes without moral compasses; using their powers as outlets for humanity's baser instincts. Even our villains need to be substantially flawed - obviously morally, but also in mental capacity or ability, so we know (well, mostly) that our superheroes will win. The best villains are capricious, insidious, well-prepared, meticulous, and fly so low under even Superman's radar that no one knows they exist. When they strike, it is swiftly and anonymously, and they never stick around to gloat or explain their plans.
There is nothing inherently new about the new Superman movie; by which I mean no profound truths are revealed, no dialogue sent shivers down my spine, no one had an epiphany but the ones scheduled by the writers for their fictional characters. But I did start to see the hypocrisy that humans believe, one that is necessary for us to understand our world and our desires. Instead of hanging our hopes on a better future, we wait for intervention from gods that will come only once we have become perfect - something even our 'best' creations (superheroes) can never be.
