Wired; June 17, 2013

In Man of Steel, the latest film about Superman, we see a version of the iconic DC Comics hero who exists largely without agency. Decisions are made for him; restrictions are imposed upon him by others, or else the course he takes seems both obvious and narrow. But there are a few key points in the film in which he makes decisions with particularly interesting legal ramifications. Perhaps the most important one is when he allows his father, Jonathan Kent, to be killed by a tornado, in order to protect the secret of his superpowers. Clearly, Jonathan Kent had reasons for urging Clark not to save him, and Clark had reasons to obey, but what does the law say about it? Can someone like Superman simply sit back and watch someone die, knowing it was entirely in his power to save them?

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