Guilty Until Proven Innocent

As I read through Tezuka's The Mysterious Underground Men, I couldn't help but draw some comparisons to a few superhero series'. Specifically, I thought of the X-Men and Superman. The X-Men were the first to come to mind because Mimio seems to fit into the group quite well. When he reveals himself to society, he is turned away in fear, a reaction similar to the one which Bobby Drake (Iceman) receives when he "comes out" to his parents in X2 (a terrible movie to be sure, though it does have its merits as well). In both examples, society fears the heroes because what they can do is viewed as "unnatural." What, then, was the reason for Superman's success? His powers are far beyond those of the X-Men, yet in the vast majority of Superman media, he is quickly accepted by humans without fear. The obvious distinction between Superman and Mimio, at least, is that Superman looks like a normal human whereas Mimio does not. The X-Men, however, also look human, though there are a few exceptions. So then why is Superman accepted so easily when Mimio and the X-Men are not? I would argue that one factor is the manner in which the heroes are revealed to society. Mimio and the vast majority of the X-Men are simply trying to live ordinary, quiet lives. They are, ironically, too normal. Because of this, their intentions are unclear to society. Superman, on the other hand, makes a grand reveal in many of his adaptations, often saving the lives of hundreds of people in the process. He willingly reveals himself to the public, proving his good intentions as he does so, thus earning public trust.