History Heartwarming / Superman

* By the end of ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'', ComicBook/LoisLane is an emotional wreck. She's gone through the trauma of Clark dying in her arms, has had to deal with his four would-be heirs, and even when the real Superman initially comes back she won't allow herself to believe him despite some very compelling (and ''very'' personal) evidence. After Supes takes down the BigBad with a little help from his friends, we cut to Lois in her apartment, lying in bed fully clothed in the middle of the afternoon, possibly hung over. She hears a tapping on her window and assumes it's a bird, a call back to a scene much earlier in the arc. She flings open the drapes to reveal a great big "S." The next scene is a full-page panel of Lois and Superman kissing in midair. Text reads, "There isn't a doubt in her mind. She's in his arms... faster than a speeding bullet."

* Post-Crisis Superman had a crossover with [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] where they bonded over having similar powers and ends with Captain Marvel's friend dying due to a hit squad when he's Billy Batson and then storming the police station the hit squad was in custody at. Superman calls him out on it and then finds out the truth about Captain Marvel being a 10 year old boy. Superman naturally calls out the wizard who gave Billy his powers and identity as Captain Marvel and the wizard asks Superman to help guide him. Clark Kent meets Billy Batson who is living in a rundown building and reveals his secret identity so Billy has someone to count on.
* There isn't one interpretation of the Kents' discovery of baby Kal-El that doesn't qualify as a CMOH.

* There's a bit in the Chris Kent storyline in ''Comicbook/{{Superman}}'', when Chris and Clark visit the Batcave. Clark's adopted son is impressed, in classic little-boy fashion, by Robin's acrobatics and begs to learn. Keep in mind that this is a kid who can ''fly''. It's just adorable.

* A lot of "Funeral For a Friend" was full of {{Tear Jerker}}s and [=CMOHs=], but I found the related subtle {{Red Skies Crossover}}s in the other titles to be even ''more'' heartwarming -- the death of Superman was such a huge loss that it was basically treated like a CrisisCrossover. Special props to a moment from ''Batman'' during the nightmarish lead up to the ComicBook/{{Knightfall}} event, where a morbidly depressed Bruce Wayne wallows in despair in the cave, and it's revealed that he's still wearing one of the JLA's Superman-Shield black armbands, reminding the reader just ''how'' miserable and hopeless Bruce's world is right now. Because he can't even call up Clark to help him, either with his problems or with emotional support, just when he most needed it. Awww...
** Let's face it, the entire point of "Funeral For a Friend" was to show how much Superman was loved by the entire planet and a great tribute to the character.
** Just the title, "Funeral For A Friend." To the world, he may be Superman, Man of Steel. . . but to the JLA, he's nothing more or less than a friend.
* By the end of ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'', Lois Lane is an emotional wreck. She's gone through the trauma of Clark dying in her arms, has had to deal with his four would-be heirs, and even when the real Superman initially comes back she won't allow herself to believe him despite some very compelling (and ''very'' personal) evidence. After Supes takes down the BigBad with a little help from his friends, we cut to Lois in her apartment, lying in bed fully clothed in the middle of the afternoon, possibly hung over. She hears a tapping on her window and assumes it's a bird, a call back to a scene much earlier in the arc. She flings open the drapes to reveal a great big "S." The next scene is a full-page panel of Lois and Superman kissing in midair. Text reads, "There isn't a doubt in her mind. She's in his arms... faster than a speeding bullet."
** The issue after that shows Superman rescuing a young boy and girl (presumably brother and sister) from a disused Civil Defense shelter where they've been trapped since the battle with Doomsday, a couple of months at least. The kids have been living on the food and water supplies they found - they're malnourished and dehydrated, but they're alive. The little girl tells Big Blue that she kept reassuring her brother that no matter how long it took, Superman would eventually come and get them - he wouldn't let them die. Superman replies that he would rather die himself. And we believe him, because he ''did''.
* There's a ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' arc wherein we gain a glimpse into Krypto the Superdog's thought processes (which are mostly along the line of "[[Franchise/{{Superman}} Man]] [[YouNoTakeCandle throw stick]]! Krypto get stick! Make Man happy!"). During this arc, the supervillain Atlas, backed by a secret group within the United States military, has all but defeated Superman and his allies in battle... until Krypto appears, and he's not happy. He withstands both Atlas' strength and the weaponry of the military to fight Atlas and buy Superman some time, all out of loyalty to Superman. Then, when Atlas is dealt with, Superman delivers a speech about how Krypto isn't just his dog, but belongs to Metropolis -- and as the city celebrates Krypto and his master pets him, we get this thought from Krypto.

--> Tommy: I think I told you...you can't help what people are going to believe about you. Somethin' like that. I guess you can't help who's going to believe in you, either.
** All of the above being written by Creator/GarthEnnis, who vocally hates superheroes more than just about anyone else in the medium...with, as one might gather, one notable exception.

* During the ''Brainiac'' arc, just before Superman flies off to track down ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} he has a chat with Pa Kent. Pa shows Clark a whole bunch of mementos from Clark's childhood (such as a baseball Clark knocked clear across Smallville). Now, this is heartwarming enough on its own, but what clinches it is Clark engraving ''World's Greatest Dad'' on a horseshoe and giving it to his adoptive father before he goes.
** Which makes Pa's death at the end even more of a TearJerker.

* In pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} days, the rare occasions when [[ComicBook/LexLuthor Luthor]] would get a PetTheDog moment, and Superman would smile and Lex would look embarrassed, and you'd realize that [[UsedToBeASweetKid the nice kid Lex used to be and Clark's old friend]] [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight is still in there somewhere,]] and that Supes has never given up hope for his old friend's redemption. These often double as [[TearJerker Tear Jerkers,]] since in the [[StatusQuoIsGod long run,]] they usually wind up as [[IgnoredEpiphany Ignored Epiphanies]] and [[StatusQuoIsGod he stays a villain.]]
** The original Lexor story by Otto Binder, when Lex passes up a chance to defeat Superman in order to help a dying civilization (well, at least to get out of the way and let Superman help them). The [[HumanAliens Lexorians]] hail Lex as a hero. The most heartwarming part? [[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Osgood39/Time%20Capsule/SM164h_zpscde669f2.jpg Superman brings a jailed Luthor a photo of the statue the citizens built of him.]]
--->'''Luthor:''' It was worth coming back to prison for.
** The time travel story when Luthor gets into a fight with Superboy in the nineteenth century, and realizes too late that he's accidentally prevented him from stopping John Wilkes Booth--making Lex indirectly responsible for the death of [[UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln Lincoln]]. [[EvenEvilHasStandards He's aghast,]] and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere leaves Superboy alone]] and returns to the present, badly shaken.
** His efforts to keep his sister Lena and her son from learning their relationship to him, because he doesn't want them to suffer the burden of knowing they're related to a universally hated super villain.
** In "The Galactic Golem," Lex believes he's accidentally wiped out all of humanity when a scheme of his went out of control, leaving him the last man on Earth. [[VillainousBSOD He's horrified.]] When he learns everybody's fine (of ''course'' Superman saved the day), he stretches out his arms to take in [[TheWorldIsJustAwesome the beautiful sight of ordinary people going about their business,]] overwhelmingly relieved, and says he doesn't even mind Superman carting him off to jail, as long as everyone's okay.
** In a WhatIf story, a [[FromNobodyToNightmare D-list villain]] has killed Lois, and then returns to further torment Superman while he's grieving. Luthor and ''Brainiac'' show up to catch the villain and hand him over to Supes, saying when all's said and done, they respect him too much to watch what this scum was doing to him.
** The ''last'' Lexor story, when Lex returns there to raise a family, and sincerely tries to put his past behind him and [[HeelFaceTurn go straight...]] leading up to a huge TearJerker when it really, ''[[UpToEleven really]]'' [[DownerEnding doesn't work out.]]
** "The Einstein Connection,'' when Superman realizes that [[MadScientist Lex's]] hero is UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein. Lex passes up a chance to escape so he can rescue a drowning child--because he just can't bring himself to be a JerkAss on Einstein's birthday. Instead of taking him straight back to jail, Supes flies him to the Smithsonian's Einstein exhibit -- a place Lex has always wanted to go, but never could because it's so public, and he's a wanted man. Deeply moved, he looks up at the Einstein statue and says, quietly, "Happy birthday, sir." When Superman finally does take Lex back to prison, Lex says, "Thanks for everything."
* In ''Comicbook/ActionComics #867'' -part of the ''Superman: Brainiac'' storyline- [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/action_867_07.jpg Kara glomps Clark]] while she tells him she is terrified of Comicbook/{{Brainiac}}. He hugged her back to reassure her.

* Not seen so much any more, but it used to be a stock ending in Superman stories to see Clark back at the office with his friends, after the day has been saved and the world is safe again. Lois or someone would say something unintentionally lampshading Clark's secret identity, and he would [[BreakingTheFourthWall turn to the reader, smile, and wink.]] Maybe it's corny, but it feels ''good'' every single time.
* [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] ComicBook/{{Superboy}} had some touching moments. One of the most notable was when Superboy has a dull day and is convinced that he didn't do anything noteworthy. All he did was save a toddler from a dry well, help keep a teenage girl from being humiliated at a party, and rescued a reporter's briefcase. As it turns out, the toddler was ComicBook/JimmyOlsen, the girl was ComicBook/LoisLane, and the reporter was Perry White. Aww!
* ''[[ComicBook/{{Convergence}} Convergence: Superman]]'' depicts Superman and Lois still HappilyMarried. Lois is even pregnant with Clark's son. [[spoiler:In the second and final issue, Clark and Lois name the boy Jonathan Samuel Kent.]]
* ''Comicbook/SupermanRebirth'' #1:[[spoiler: After realizing that there's no way now for him to come back, the pre-''Flashpoint'' Superman helps Lana bury the New 52 Superman beside his parents. Then, he erects a statue of him in the Fortress of Solitude [[HesBack before declaring that all tomorrow needs is Superman]].]]
** It's revealed that the New 52 Superman created a statue of Ma and Pa Kent mimicking the iconic one of Jor-El and Lara holding up a planet. [[spoiler: Pre-''Flashpoint'' Superman is amazed as ''he'' never even considered doing the same and adds the statue of the dead Superman between his Earth parents.]] Hope is returning indeed.
** Supes telling Lana that "two young Clark Kents on two different worlds were very lucky to have Lana Langs in [their] lives".
** For those who notice such things, it can tug at the heartstrings seeing Superman wearing the iconic and unaltered "S"-shield again, given that between such things as the New 52, ''Man of Steel'' movies, etc., the shield itself had been undergoing subtle but noticeable redesigns.
* ''Action Comics'' #958 has Superman actually think twice about Lex Luthor when he throws himself at Doomsday to give Superman a chance to save civilians in danger by the beast.
* ''Comicbook/SupermanRebirth'' #2 has Clark and Jon bonding together as Superman and Superboy. [[spoiler:Jon also reveals what happened to his cat and opt to give it a proper burial.]]
* In ''Action Comics #270'', Superman dreams he is stuck in the future world, in which Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} -now Superwoman- is the world's greatest hero and he is a decrepit, powerless has-been. Although he feels frustrated about being forgotten or treated as a silly old glory, he is happy about his cousin having acclaim and praise. And later he meets Lois, and it turns out that she never forgot him and always waited for him.

* The ''Action Comics: Rebirth'' arc ''Men of Steel'' shows that Luthor still totally resents Superman, but it's a very different reason than it used to be. According to Luthor, humans are a complex ball of emotions, thoughts, and history, impossible to definitively categorize But Superman? Superman's "just good."

* Just the fact that, as demonstrated by Comicbook/TheNail and other "what if" scenarios, that ''he's'' TheHeart of the DCU, and one of the reasons why costumed heroes are loved in that universe as compared to the suspicion and sometimes outright hatred they are treated with in Marvel canon. Ma and Pa Kent raised a seriously ''good'' boy.

** The time travel story when Luthor gets into a fight with Superboy in the nineteenth century, and realizes too late that he's accidentally prevented him from stopping John Wilkes Booth--making Lex indirectly responsible for the death of Lincoln. [[EvenEvilHasStandards He's aghast,]] and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere leaves Superboy alone]] and returns to the present, badly shaken.

--> "My name is Clark Kent. Get out of my home. '''Get off my planet.'''"

* In ''Action Comics #270'', Superman dreams he is stuck in the future world, in which Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} -now Superwoman- is the world's greatest hero and he is a decrepit, powerless has-been. Although he feels frustrated about being forgotten or treated as a silly old glory, he is happy about her cousin having acclaim and praise. And later he meets Lois, and it turns out that she never forgot him and always waited for him.

* Heartwarming/{{Supergirl}}
** Heartwarming/{{Supergirl 1972}}
** Heartwarming/{{Supergirl 1982}}
** Heartwarming/{{Supergirl 2005}}
** Heartwarming/{{Supergirl 2011}}
** Heartwarming/SupergirlRebirth
** Heartwarming/DemonSpawn
** Heartwarming/ElseworldsFinestSupergirlAndBatgirl
** Heartwarming/ManyHappyReturns
** Heartwarming/RedDaughterOfKrypton
** Heartwarming/SupergirlBeingSuper
** Heartwarming/SupergirlCosmicAdventuresInTheEightGrade
** Heartwarming/YoungLove

* Heartwarming/SupermanSuperLeague

** All of the above being written by Garth Ennis, who vocally hates superheroes more than just about anyone else in the medium...with, as one might gather, one notable exception.

** Heartwarming/TheSupergirlFromKrypton