10 Reasons Why Richard Donner's Superman Is Still Awesome

The way Jonathan Kent died in Man of Steel was always a point of contention for fans. He was killed saving a dog from a tornado that Clark could have easily saved him from but Jonathan refused, being more willing to let himself die than allow his son to expose his powers to a community that already somewhat knew about them.

It's silly, it doesn't make sense, but most of all it goes completely overdramatic over an event that is way more impactful when done simply.

Despite spending far less time with Glenn Ford than we do with Kevin Costner, seeing Pa Kent's death in Superman is far more tragic because it's so sudden: he just dies of a heart attack. Sure, a dramatically convenient one since it happens right after giving Clark a speech about using his powers, but it proves you don't need some crazy death to drive home the tragedy.

The effectiveness of this moment is really then solidified by Clark's words at his father's funeral: "All those things I can do. All those powers. And I couldn't even save him." People often criticize Superman for being overpowered. He can shrug off bullets, combat alien invaders and throw entire islands into space... but he can't prevent heart attacks.

In one simple line, Clark Kent's humanity is made clear to us, and the fact that Man of Steel's Clark could have saved his father but chose not to is a real spit in the face of this character-defining moment.