Saving lives has always been a fundamental part of Superman’s character. After all, heroism and saving lives go hand-in-hand, and the Man of Steel is undoubtedly one of the greatest heroes in the DC Universe. However, the lives he saves are typically confined to fiction. Yet, for one of Superman’s most legendary writers, this was not the case.

Mark Waid is widely regarded as one of the greatest comic writers of our generation, a sentiment that most, if not all, fans can agree on. While his work spans countless iconic characters, his contributions to Superman are some of his most significant.

Given his extensive history with the Man of Steel, it’s no surprise that Waid understands Superman better than most. However, in a surprising revelation, Waid shared that Superman’s impact on his life goes beyond just being a character he writes about: at one point, the hero quite literally saved his life, to the extent that he wouldn’t be here today without the Man of Steel.

“Superman Saved My Life”: The Man of Steel’s Impact on Mark Waid

Main Cover by Ryan Sook for Action Comics #1087 (2025)

At WonderCon 2025, Mark Waid participated in the 50 Answers in 50 Minutes , a rapid-fire, no-boundaries Q&A where he answered audience questions about himself, his career, and comics in general. One seemingly simple question stood out: “Were you a rabid Superman fan when the 1978 movie came out?” While it may have appeared straightforward, it led to an unexpectedly profound and deeply personal response. Waid revealed that, at the time of the movie’s release, he wasn’t a huge Superman fan, yet his answer quickly took a more serious turn as he opened up about his mental health struggles during that period.

Waid shared that he was in a very dark place, itting that he didn’t care whether he lived or died. However, upon seeing Superman: The Movie, he was utterly mesmerized, so much so that he watched it twice in a row. By the time he walked out of the theater, he was a changed person, realizing that his future would be tied to Superman. He has recounted this story before on his personal website, writing, “I’d walked into that theater with a very short future ahead of me, and I’d walked out feeling safe and inspired in Superman’s orbit. Without that, I can promise you I would not be here today.”

“Superman Cared About EVERYONE”: Mark Waid’s Love for Superman

Main Cover by Dan Mora for Superman #27 (2025)

In his 2009 post, I Believed A Man Could Fly, Waid states, “Thirty years ago today, Superman saved my life.” He then reflects on what made the Man of Steel resonate so deeply with him, despite not initially being a superfan, as he had always preferred Batman, Robin, and other interests. He recalls seeing the giant S-shield blazing across the movie screen in Superman (1978), bigger and brighter than he had ever imagined, the image utterly transfixing him. The instant Kal-El took to the skies, Waid knew he had found the hero he needed. It didn’t matter that Superman wasn’t real because he cared about everyone, without exception and without judgment, something that made Waid feel safe and inspired.

Mark Waid: I sat down for the 3:20 show, the film started, the music swelled–and the instant that giant S-shield boomed onto the screen bigger and brighter than I ever could have imagined it, I was transfixed. And when Superman took to the skies for the first time, in that moment I found the hero I’d needed. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t real. What mattered was that he cared about everyone in the world, without exception, without judgment.

Everyone.

Five hours later–I’d sat through the movie twice–I was a profoundly different person. It sounds a little silly now, looking back, if you’re not willing to cut your teenage self some slack over how dramatic everything seems at that age, or how important fiction can be…but I’d walked into that theater with a very short future ahead of me, and I’d walked out feeling safe and inspired in Superman’s orbit. Without that, I can promise you I would not be here today.

Source: Mark Waid