By Nils Skudra
Since its creation during the 1930s, the Superman saga has captivated the minds of generations of Americans, and the subsequent decades have witnessed the release of a wide variety of Superman films, each attuned to the political and social issues of their respective times. The 2013 film Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill as Superman, is filled with Judeo-Christian elements in its portrayal of the iconic protagonist, who accepts the responsibility of becoming a beacon of hope for mankind with his supernatural powers. In watching the film, I felt that a plausible case could made for Clark Kent’s journey as a reflection of the experiences of people on the autism spectrum since they have unique talents (which some observers have described as “superpowers”) that distinguish them from their peers, while also struggling with significant social challenges. Just as the use of his superpowers for good makes Superman a hero to humanity, the skills that autistic individuals bring to their academic and professional lives have made them valuable assets in the workplace, which has encouraged employers to actively recruit people with autism and other IDD’s as part of fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment.
The film opens with Jor-El (Russell Crowe), a prominent Kryptonian scientist, tending to his wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer) as she gives birth to a healthy boy, Kal-El. As Krypton’s first natural birth in centuries, Jor-El is firmly convinced that his son represents the future of the Kryptonian race, which is faced with extinction due to the planet’s implosion. Therefore, he unsuccessfully tries to convince Krypton’s ruling council that they should evacuate the planet and relocate to other worlds, but his efforts are suddenly interrupted by a military coup launched by General Zod (Michael Shannon), Jor-El’s former friend and protégé who argues that Krypton can be saved by severing the “degenerative bloodlines” that he holds responsible for the planet’s decline. However, Jor-El steadfastly refuses to aid Zod’s plans, which are very much reflective of early 20th century eugenicist ideology that considered people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be a drain on Western society’s resources. Many prominent eugenicists argued that a healthy society could only be preserved through the sterilization of intellectually and mentally impaired individuals, a concept which was enshrined into law in many states throughout the U.S. and upheld by the renowned Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Defying General Zod, Jor-El makes a desperate escape back to his home, where he tells Lara that they must send Kal-El to Earth since he represents the future of both Krypton and humanity. Lara is initially resistant to parting with their son, telling Jor-El, “He will be an outcast. They’ll kill him.” But Jor-El remains optimistic about Kal’s future, replying, “How? He’ll be a god to them.” Implanting the Codex, a genetic template for the Kryptonian race, within Kal’s body, Jor-El and Lara send him into space, although Jor-El ultimately pays with his life when he is killed by General Zod in an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve the Codex. While Zod and his rebels are captured and sentenced to exile in the form of somatic reconditioning, Zod warns Lara that he will find Kal-El and reclaim the Codex. As Krypton explodes, Lara solemnly prays, “Make a better world than ours, Kal,” before she is engulfed in the destruction.
The infant Kal-El subsequently lands on a farm in Smallville, Kansas, where he is discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane). Raising Kal as their own and bestowing the name “Clark Kent,” they give him a warm and loving home while remaining cognizant of the fact that he is an extraterrestrial from another world. During his childhood, Clark exhibits a series of unique superhuman powers that set him apart from his peers but also mark him as a figure of ridicule among them. For example, during a classroom session, he is unable to focus on the teacher’s questions since he is distracted by his X-ray vision, which enables him to see through human bodies and view their internal organs. However, this ability, together with being the focus of everyone else in the room, causes Clark to panic and take refuge in a closet where he visualizes the other students gossiping and referring to him as a “freak.” After he burns the door handle with lasers from his eyes, Clark remains sheltered in the closet until Martha arrives. Trying to calm him down, she asks, “Sweetie. How can I help you if you won’t let me in?”, to which Clark replies, “The world’s too big, Mom.” Martha then follows a strategic approach that is ultimately successful: “Then make it small. Just, um, focus on my voice. Pretend it’s an island out in the ocean. Can you see it?” When Clark replies that he can, she tells him, “Then swim towards it, honey.” This finally calms Clark, who comes out of the closet and embraces Martha, asking “What’s wrong with me, Mom?”
This episode is highly illustrative of the unique skills that autistic individuals have, together with the social challenges that they face at a young age. Many people on the spectrum tend to visualize patterns in their mind, which can help them with solving problems and finding creative solutions. However, this tendency can also sometimes distract an autistic individual from remaining focused on conversations with other people, particularly if their topic of interest is different from that of the conversation. In addition, sensory overload, which can manifest itself in discomfort with too much noise or with being the center of attention, can induce meltdowns among people on the spectrum, particularly during childhood. Clark’s panic attack is reflective of such a meltdown since he is overwhelmed by the sensory input from his visual thinking and from the other people in the classroom, and his response is similar to that of many autistic children since they will often shelter themselves in a secluded spot away from the sensory overload. Finally, Martha’s solution is reminiscent of the strategies used by parents of autistic children, as many have found that calming a meltdown requires tailoring their approach to the child’s unique sensitivities so that they can communicate in a soothing manner that the child will comprehend.
As Clark becomes a teenager, his superhuman abilities gain further notoriety when he saves his fellow students after their school bus falls off a bridge into the river. After being visited by the mother of one of his classmates following this incident, tension develops between Clark and Jonathan, who tells his son that he must keep “this side of yourself a secret.” When Clark asks whether he should have simply allowed his classmates to die, Jonathan replies, “Maybe; but there’s more at stake here than our lives or the lives of those around us. When the world… When the world finds out what you can do, it’s gonna change everything; our… our beliefs, our notions of what it means to be human… everything. You saw how Pete’s mom reacted, right? She was scared, Clark.” He further explains this fear by stating, “People are afraid of what they don’t understand.”
Jonathan’s discussion with Clark highlights the issue of masking, which has become a highly contentious topic in the autism community since it raises questions about whether autistic individuals should openly display their identities or hide them in order to successfully integrate into mainstream society. During childhood and adolescence, young people on the spectrum are frequently subjected to bullying and ostracism from their peers, which can make them closeted about their identity. Even those who are sympathetic, such as parents or friends, can shape an autistic person’s sense of the importance of masking by emphasizing how it can help them become more accepted and socially integrated. However, this can negatively impact autistic individuals’ self-esteem since they may develop feelings of shame about their autism and will purposely avoid disclosing it. For some autistic people, though, masking can be a strategic tool that they might use in certain social situations while being open about their identity in other scenarios, such as when they are in the company of other people on the spectrum.
When Jonathan shows Clark the Kryptonian ship that they found him in, it reinforces Clark’s feelings of self-doubt and his desire not to be different. But Jonathan gently reassures him, “It’d be a huge burden for anyone to bear; but you’re not just anyone, Clark, and I have to believe that you were… that you were sent here for a reason. All these changes that you’re going through, one day… one day you’re gonna think of them as a blessing; and when that day comes, you’re gonna have to make a choice… a choice of whether to stand proud in front of the human race or not.” This statement sheds further light on the issue of autistic identity as a badge of pride, which many autism advocates have increasingly argued in favor of. This argument emphasizes the value of autistic individuals’ unique gifts and the ways in which they can benefit the wider world. Consequently, this has profoundly shaped prevailing notions of autism, contributing to the transition from something stigmatized to an identity that people with autism can wear openly.
As Clark transitions to adulthood, the pressure to hide his superpowers results in anguish and guilt following Jonathan’s tragic death during a tornado storm. He subsequently leaves Smallville and travels the world under a variety of aliases, using his powers to protect and save other people in different situations. Things take a fateful turn when he meets Lois Lane (Amy Adams), a Daily Planet reporter who is sent to investigate the discovery of a Kryptonian scout ship in the Arctic. Entering the ship, Clark encounters an artificial intelligence image of his father Jor-El, who reveals Clark’s true identity and the purpose of his mission to Earth:
“…[Y]ou are as much a child of Earth now as you are of Krypton. You can embody the best of both worlds. The dream your mother and I dedicated our lives to preserve. The people of Earth are different from us, it’s true, but ultimately I believe that is a good thing. They won’t necessarily make the same mistakes we did, but if you guide them, Kal, if you give them hope, that’s what this symbol means. The symbol of the House of El means hope. Embodied within that hope is the fundamental belief in the potential of every person to be a force for good. That’s what you can bring them.”
With this newfound realization, Clark finally embraces his superpowers and rescues Lois when she is wounded by the ship’s security robot. When he examines her injuries, he uses his eye-generated lasers to cauterize the blood, assuring her, “I can do things other people can’t.” This prompts Lois to embark on a journey to uncover Clark’s identity, eager to publish a story on his superhuman abilities. However, her supervisor Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) cautions her against pursuing this agenda, asking, “Can you imagine how people on this planet would react if they knew there was someone like this out there?” Nonetheless, when General Zod and his crew arrive on Earth to find Kal-El and create a new Krypton, Clark is confronted with the ultimate challenge of fulfilling his destiny as Superman, even though it will expose his identity to the world and bring about the profound changes in perception about the definition of humanity that Jonathan had warned him about during his childhood.
Filled with brilliant sci-fi action sequences and stellar performances, Man of Steel provides a compelling depiction of Clark Kent’s struggles with his superpowers and the eventual acceptance of his identity as Superman. In many ways, the film’s portrayal captures the experience of young adults on the autism spectrum, highlighting both their unique skills and challenges as neurodiverse individuals navigating a neurotypical world. The film’s themes of finding a purpose in the world and embracing one’s identity are themes that strongly resonate with members of the autism community who are faced with strikingly similar life journeys to that of Clark Kent. By watching the film and following the protagonist’s example, autistic viewers will be encouraged to pursue their passions while openly displaying their identities and demonstrating their value to the broader world.
I am an artist on the autism spectrum. I received an MA specializing in Civil War/Reconstruction history at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and I have been drawing hundreds of Civil War-themed pictures since the age of five and a half. I recently completed a secondary Master’s in Library and Information Sciences. As a person with autism, I have a very focused set of interests, and the Civil War is my favorite historical event within that range of interests. It is therefore my fervent desire to become a Civil War historian and have my Civil War artwork published in an art book for children. I am also very involved in the autism community and currently serve as the President/Head Officer of Spectrum at UNCG, an organization I founded for students on the autism spectrum. The goal of the organization is to promote autism awareness and foster an inclusive community for autistic students on the UNCG campus. The group has attracted some local publicity and is steadily gaining new members, and we shall be hosting autism panels for classes on campus in the near future.
