Alvarado 1

Santiago Alvarado
Vanderslik
English 100-15
October 23, 2014
Midterm
Consider this: You live your entire life holding a certain belief, a belief supported by
logical evidence. This conviction is held firmly at the core of your values, it dictates how you
live your life, how you survive in the snafu that is the world. However, one day you learn that
this belief is wrong, somehow and someway. All that youve ever worked for is suddenly a lie.
What do you do? While not nearly as dramatic, I have recently experienced this with a long held
belief. I once thought that, if they were to ever fight, Goku would beat Superman. In light of this
revelation, I know now that I was wrong and that Superman would most certainly reign
victorious in a battle of brawns.
One of the major flaws of my argument is that I assume that the fight is fair, and I also
assume that Goku can fully transform. In fact, his ability to transform was one of my major
arguments, with me stating, Goku has the ability to transform, and not just once, but several
times, and can thus multiply his power by an exponential amount (Alvarado 1). If Goku cannot
transform, his power is very limited, and his strength is easily be surpassed by Superman.
Superman, on the other hand, doesnt need to transform to reach his full abilities, although he
does need to stay in sunlight. This semi-weakness for Goku could be the difference between him
winning or losing, depending on how the fight is conducted.
Another Achilles heel to my former argument is that I have extreme bias in favour of
Goku. When I was a young child, I watched Dragonball Z every weekday as if it were my sole

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duty. Therefore, I have been raised to believe that Goku is, in fact, the strongest fighter in the
history of fictional warriors produced by humankind. To me, Goku isnt just a character from a
nostalgic cartoon, but an idol and hero that actually I once looked up to. My sentiments towards
Superman contrast in every way. I sparsely watched superhero cartoons as a child, so I wasnt as
exposed to Superman as I was to Goku. Also, my distaste for Superman grew when I became a
proponent of Batman in the Neo Superman-Batman Wars1. It was at that time that my disdain for
Superman grew; I had come to the conclusion that Superman was the epitome of unoriginality
and cliches. Clearly, my former argument was more biased than not, and in many ways that I
hadnt seen.
Upon further research of the topic, I discovered that I was wrong about some of
Supermans traits and abilities. For example, I stated, In the original Superman comics,
Superman pretty much only has the Ice Breath ability that is practically useless on foes with the
skill level of Goku (Alvarado 2). Besides the heavy bias towards the end, I was also
misinformed of Supermans ability cache. Along with ice breath, Superman also has heat vision,
accelerated healing, super hearing, high damage resistance, and invulnerability to atomic bombs
and diseases. The last few traits are crucial, because they basically undermine everything that
Goku can throw at Superman, including his strength. Most notably, Goku doesnt have a
resistance to disease, as he actually became ill and nearly died in the Cell Saga2 and is seen
becoming ill throughout the series. Clearly, in a battle of endurance, Superman is the winner.

The Neo Superman-Batman Wars is a cultural fan war between the fans of Superman and Batman.
Debates among the fanbases concerning this argument, which is notably similar to the Goku-Superman
conflict, have been refueled by the upcoming 2016 live-action film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice.
2
In the Cell Saga (Manga chapters 330-420), Goku contracts a fatal heart disease, and in an alternate
timeline within the story, perishes. However, future warrior Trunks travels back in time and is able to give
Goku the medicine he needs to survive.

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Holding a belief is a kind of double-edged sword. When its true, its the best thing
youve ever had, its a part of your identity. Alas, when evidence arises that causes you to
question your belief, it is very easy to fall into despair. The wisest choice possible is to research
your beliefs, whether through a book, or personal experience. Clear your mind and consider all
of the evidence at hand as objectively as possible. Dont avoid counter-arguments; if evidence
arises that contradicts your belief, accept it. Its better to make rebuttals than to run away from
opposing corroboration, which seems to be a very prevalent act in todays society. Perhaps this
information will actually strengthen your belief, making it that much more important. In the
Goku v. Superman debate, I blinded myself from the opposing arguments, dismissing Superman
as a superficial putz. However, after further research, although I havent truly changed my
position, I have learned to respect Superman for the hero he is.