We are one month away from James Gunn's remake of the beloved superhero film Superman to premiere worldwide in theaters, and one peculiar scene from Zack Snyder's 2013 Man of Steel movie is resurfacing on social media as a way to mock Jonathan Kent's iconic death.

@nihilismscapture I guess I'm jus build different 🤷🏾‍♂️#viral #fypシ #funny #meme #memestiktok #superman #manofsteel #icks #clarkkent #blackhistorymonth #relationship #relatable #relationships ♬ i was only temporary 2 u – my head is empty

However, netizens' seemingly newfound hate towards the scene is actually something that long-time fans of the superhero have been criticising for decades on sites like 4chan and Reddit.

Here's a recap of the "Stop, My Invincible Son" meme, and why it is going viral again on TikTok and Twitter / X all these years later.

What Is The ‘Stop, My Invincible Son’ Meme?

"Stop, My Invincible Son" is a catchphrase and meme inspired by a scene in the 2013 film Man of Steel. In this moment, Superman’s adoptive father, Jonathan Kent (played by actor Kevin Costner), sacrifices himself during a tornado, waving off his son Clark Kent (played by Henry Cavill), who has the power to save him, in order to protect Clark’s secret.

The line, “Stop, my invincible son,” is not actually said in the movie, but netizens turned the tragic moment into a satirical shorthand used online to mock the scene's dramatic framing and perceived narrative flaws in the script.

How Did The ‘Superman Father Death’ Become A Meme?

Though the scene was intended as a moment of noble self-sacrifice, the logic of the scene was heavily criticized by fans.

The /tv/ board on 4chan began mocking it way back in June 2014, pointing out how easily Clark could have saved his father without revealing himself.

This spawned the sarcastic phrase, “Stop, my invincible son,” first used in a June 25th, 2017, post that mocked the scene for its absurd essence.

How Is The ‘Superman Father Death’ Meme Used Online?

Online, the meme is often used to parody melodramatic or illogical acts of sacrifice. For example, in February 2023, Redditor u/themoonsuns uploaded an X / Twitter interaction debating Pa' Kent's death scene in the /r/superman subreddit.

The moment also became an exploitable meme on TikTok. For instance, in March 2023, TikTok user @do_it._.l1k3.xae posted a comical text overlay mocking the tragic death scene.

@do_it..l1k3.xae #SeeHerGreatness #meme #SeeHerGreatness #fyp #viral #fypシ #superman #manofsteel #fortnite blank" title="♬ original sound – YKWIM" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7141770725165419310?refer=embed">♬ original sound – YKWIM

What Are Some Notable Examples of the ‘Superman Father Death’ Meme?

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For the full history of Stop, My Invincible Son, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.