My Hero Academia proved that one unexpected hero is not only the series’ equivalent of Superman, but he’s also actually better than the Man of Steel.
Warning: Contains spoilers for My Hero Academia #357
The latest chapter of My Hero Academia proved that one unexpected hero is not only the series’ equivalent of Superman, but he’s also actually better than the Man of Steel. Endeavor showcased a use of his fire-based powers that is very resemblant of Superman’s own heat vision, while the character’s progress and evolution over the course of the series proves that he is a much better role model than the Last Son of Krypton.
For many years, the no. 1 hero of Japan was All Might, “the Symbol of Peace”, a hero who strived not just to be the ultimate force against evil but also to inspire people to be better. This made All Might very similar to DC Comics’ Superman, who is the most powerful of the heroes but also the one that people look up to the most. After All Might had to retire due to injuries suffered while capturing the villain All for One, the coveted no.1 position went to Endeavor, a powerful hero who, however, never cared for what people thought of him (including his family), but dedicated his entire life to reach that top spot. Shortly after being promoted to no. 1, Endeavor found himself fighting All for One‘s resurgence and his attempt to take over Japan, and then the world.
In the final battle between the heroes and the villains, Endeavor proved he can use his powers like Superman does. The almost-impossible task of taking down All for One fell on the shoulders of Endeavor and Hawks (the no. 2 Pro Hero). Despite the villain trying to break him psychologically, mocking his failures as a father and as a hero, Endeavor found the resolve he needed and attacked All for One relentlessly, driving him into a corner. In My Hero Academia chapter #357, Endeavor even finds the perfect counter to All for One’s quirk, which allows him to steal other powers simply by touching his victims. When the villain tries to grab him, Endeavor (who has lost one arm and has the other hand busy) fires off two fiery beams from his eyes, incinerating All for One’s hand.
This attack is very similar to one of Superman’s trademark powers, his heat vision. However, Endeavor could not be more different from the Man of Steel. Superman’s concept is that he is a god among men. He inspires people to reach higher and higher by being perfect and beyond reproach: he’s more of an ideal than a man. All Might was similar to that, while Endeavor is the opposite, the very image of a fallible man. He tortured his sons and himself, he destroyed his family, all to conceive a child that could one day surpass All Might. However, Endeavor fully accepted the weight of his mistakes, his family forgave him and he grew into a better man and hero, one that can pose a serious threat even to the unbeatable All for One. Rather than being an inspiration by being perfect, Endeavor shows that mistakes can be fixed and hardships can be endured, which is a much more inspiring message than Superman and All Might’s ideal of perfection.
Endeavor shooting rays from his eyes could be a nice reference and homage to Superman from My Hero Academia‘s author Kohei Horikoshi. However, taking into consideration the character’s story and his evolution, Endeavor represents a very different ideal of a hero from Superman and All Might, one who inspires people through his ability to overcome his own failures rather than through perfection. This makes Endeavor a better hero than Superman, and worthy of being My Hero Academia‘s no.1 Pro Hero.
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