Superman is often considered one of the most powerful beings in the DC universe, with his Kryptonian physiology protecting him from the most common infections and diseases. However, in a recent comic storyline, Superman reveals illness he is not immune to. Superman is shown struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that typically occurs during the fall and winter months.
The storyline, titled ‘We Just Have to Make It Till Spring,’ was published in DC’s Legion of Bloom #1 and explores Superman’s struggle with seasonally-induced stress. The story shows Superman becoming increasingly worn down from dealing with the stress of Metropolis’s citizens during the darkest part of the year. Lex Luthor and other members of Clark’s rogues’ gallery take advantage of this surprising Superman weakness and his mental strain to gang up on him when he is weakened, pushing him dangerously close to his breaking point.
What’s fascinating about all of this is that there is no reason for Superman to be affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder. While Luthor proposes that the sun’s further distance away during winter would weaken Superman’s powers, the changing of the seasons locally means very little to a being who can simply fly to where it is springtime elsewhere, or even directly up to the sun. Rather, the problem seems to stem from a conversation with his father at the start of the story, where Pa Kent tells a young Clark that “there’s something about the stretch of the year from New Year’s until spring…it does its best to beat us. There’s a…darkness that looms over us.”
Clark clearly has taken these words to heart, as the next panels show modern-day Superman consciously buckling down to increase his heroic efforts directly following New Year’s. Pa Kent’s advice always guided Superman with his appeals to human kindness, but in this case, his advice has backfired: while Superman has clearly internalized the need to help others more than ever during this time of year, he also seems to have accepted the fact that these days are bleaker for him, too. All of this results in Superman unconsciously taking on the psychic stress of those he is trying to save, and he does not realize it until Luthor’s antics leave him seriously considering killing his nemesis.
It’s a stellar example of how everyone needs to take time to rest and recharge, because not even Superman is immune to mental illness. Watching Superman struggle with seasonal depression, despite the fact that his powers technically allow him to circumvent it, is a fascinating snapshot into the mind of one of DC’s most powerful individuals, showing how Clark struggles with both a messiah complex and unintended trauma inflicted by his father. Superman’s enemies have long struggled to pin down any definitive weakness he may possess. Outside of Kryptonite, the mainly accepted solutions to the Superman “problem” are his perceived responsibility to save as many people as he can and Superman’s dependence on the sun to fuel his powers.
However, even these weaknesses are not always straightforward. For instance, Kennedy Johnson, Grant Morrison, Sami Basri, Adriana Melo, and Miguel Mendonca’s ‘Warworld Saga’ excellently depicts a world where Superman must try to keep to his proposed values when deprived of yellow solar radiation and where altruism is considered a weakness. This storyline shows how Superman’s dependence on the sun, while an integral part of his power, can also be a vulnerability.
Superman’s struggle with mental health issues also raises important questions about the nature of heroism. While Superman is often seen as an invincible hero, the reality is that he is just as human as anyone else. His struggles with mental health show that even those with seemingly limitless power can be vulnerable and need support.
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