So, Christopher Reeve, I'm sorry to see you go. Somebody in Hollywood said "Let's make a superhero movie that doesn't suck and treats the genre with respect" and Somebody Else said "A fine idea, but who the hell is going to buy some guy in tights and a cape." Mr. Reeve was the answer to that question.

I have read all the ongoing Superman titles for a decade now, and I certainly knew the character well enough even before that. I've been through his entire publishing history, from 1938 onward. I've seen hundreds of different artistic takes on him, both in art and in writing. And when I look back at pictures from that movie, I'm still astonished at how well Christopher Reeve looks the part. The squinty eyes, the massive jawline, the perfect hair, the height, the muscular-but-not-too-muscular build. He nails it before he even opens his mouth. And then he gets that right too.

Superman was to be His Role, the one. Hell, even with that juggernaut of a stereotype, he remained largely an undistinguished actor. It was almost as if he was meant to be Superman and any other roles were just favors we would occasionally grant him.

It was a shame that his Superman movies got progressively worse, dulling the pop cultural relevance of the first one. It was probably a personal curse that he could never do anything else again without being labelled "Superman." And it was an irony as large as the universe that he, of all people, would snap his spine falling off a horse.

Someday they'll figure out a way to fix a broken spinal cord. Maybe his continued presence after the accident, wheelchair and all, will have played a role in that. If you want to help, in Christopher Reeve's memory or otherwise here's where you can donate.