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aspects of the character. After all, Superman is historically grounded in Metropolis for
most of his canonical depictions and, much as Batman is considered Gotham City’s hero
and Spider-Man New York’s, Superman’s constant defense of his territory is
characteristic of not only most superheroes, but many mythological heroes as well,
including Perseus. While it is true that most superheroes are written with innate desires to
protect the public, they are also usually written in distinct locations. For instance, it is
unusual that Superman would appear in Star City, the home of Green Arrow, simply
because that location is Green Arrow’s territory, and vice versa. The appearance of a
superhero in another city is often the result of a crossover, or a meeting between two
heroes that would otherwise not normally intersect. For that reason, while Superman is
obliged to protect the public, he primarily does so in his territory. That is why, when
Lee’s Superman stands atop Metropolis, he surveys his surroundings with a domineering
expression that can be interpreted as a sense ownership of his surroundings. Superman
dominates his territory, and that domination can come from a variety of sources, such as
his desire to protect Lois Lane, his defense of the innocent, or more obviously his defeats
of any villains that attempt to wrest his territory away from him. Superheroes, as a group,
tend to be very territorial, a trait that first originated from the methods artists use to
portray the characters. Lee draws Superman to command his environment, and
everything from his muscles to his posture conveys his territorialism. The same can be
said, and has been said by other scholars such as Yael Even, for Cellini’s Perseus and
Medusa.
Even’s article, “The Loggia dei Lanzi: A Showcase in Female Subjugation,”
serves as an excellent example of other scholars noting the territorial nature of the