Category: Superman

GENE HACKMAN’S LEX LUTHOR, FOUR

He’s funny and diabolical. I love Hackman’s portrayal. However, this is where I separate from the other two characters in this movie. I can grant other Luthor portrayals respect. He changes based on the plot each movie gives him and what his villainy will be. It’s a gift to the actor. Superman and Lois will be the same, regardless. Luthor can invent himself anew.

This Luthor has a silliness. His sidekicks aren’t threatening. He lives in a resort-like sewer. His plot to own waterfront property along the western seaboard is ridiculous at first. The wigs, constantly changing like costumes . . . this Lex is fabulous.

Underneath all the slapstick, though, is a serious antagonist. He may smile when he chains kryptonite to Superman’s chest, but Luthor isn’t joking. He’s done his homework and he isn’t dissuaded by Miss Teschmacher’s distress that her mother is in the missile’s path.

Is he a Four? He’s self-deprecatory. He has a social gang, even though they’re incompetent. Certainly, he displays Envy. His biting humor seems very Four-like.

This Lex shows no signs of physical dominance. He’s not a Body Type. He’s either Heart or Head. He’s got to be a Heart Type, though, because he leads with feelings and social manipulation. He doesn’t attack Superman from an intellectual position; he’s messing with him and it’s fun. I don’t even think he’s concerned about success, which a Three would be. He just wants to screw with the world. A Four Lex is cartoony and wonderful.

Other Luthors may not need to match Hackman’s portrayal, but they still have big shoes to fill.

MARGOT KIDDER’S LOIS LANE, EIGHT

Like Reeve’s Superman, Kidder’s Lois is the OG to me. She’s smart and tenacious, but she (a professional writer) can’t spell. She’s a pretty woman, but she walks with an unladylike hunch. She’s a flawed human being, which makes her interesting. She also feels like she really lives in Metropolis, like she’s a city girl.

Let me warn you now: in my opinion no one will portray Lois like Kidder did.

We get the sense that Lois pursues difficult stories because she likes the battle. She’s not writing about crime because the public has a right to know; she’s writing because she has an aggressive streak. She’s a fighter who wants to win with her words.

This Lois is an Eight. Like a Nine Superman, an Eight Lois is a highly predictable storytelling choice. Make her a girlboss (even though Kidder’s portrayal is way before that became a female character trope). This Eight succeeds because of what I mentioned earlier: Lois is flawed. She’s tough but not perfect.

As I look at other Lois portrayals I’ll be very interested to see how many are Eights. I would guess that they’re not, but I’m going through a number of Superman properties with fresh eyes, so we’ll see.

“You’ve got me, but who’s got you?” That’s such an Eight line. Challenging, physical, and humorous.

CHRISTOPHER REEVE’S SUPERMAN, NINE

I was never a comic book reader. This movie, released when I was fourteen, is the OG Superman for me. Every subsequent Superman property will be compared to this one, often for the worse. The three leads — Clark, Lois, and Lex — are foundational characters. Stray from these portrayals at your peril.

When Superman visits Lois at her rooftop courtyard, he’s so wide-eyed and cheerful. He smiles a lot. Clark, by comparison, is almost dour. This is one of the things we love about Reeve’s portrayal: Clark seems more world-weary and Superman is like a hopeful child.

Superman’s optimism is necessary for his character arc. After Lois dies (which, by the way, is still horrific to watch) he goes very dark. He breaks his father’s rules and changes time. It’s as if Superman learns that personal tragedy is possible for him. Jonathan Kent’s heart attack is an old man dying from a natural progression; Superman is sad but he’s not wounded. However, Lois’ death is unfair. Because he keeps his promise and saves Miss Teschmacher’s mother first, Superman can’t get to Lois ahead of the missile.

Well, the OG superhero is going to get the OG Enneagram number, Nine. That’s my instinct, but is it true? Nines love justice; changing the earth’s rotation is an extreme reaction to the injustice of Lois’ fate, but it fits.

Here’s something interesting: Superman is very physical, as a Nine would be. However, is that an inherent trait, or just a benefit of being an alien from a gravity-heavy planet? Take away all of Superman’s strength, and what personality is left? What about the smiling toddler who lifts the Kents’ car to help a stranger?

Nah, he’s still a Nine. Truth, justice, and the American Way. This catchphrase encapsulates a hero Nine’s ethos. And Clark’s timidity, while a ruse to hide his secret identity, is also the sign of a Nine avoiding conflict. It’s not too far a stretch from his core personality, so it’s believable.