It's like watching a sociopath, or an alien, trying to imitate human feelings. And maybe that's the point, if Waid is going for the whole "strange visitor from another planet" schtick.
"But you, I'll save you. I 'love' you, so I'll protect you. You can be my pet human."
IMO, it kind of undercuts any sense of tragedy when the "greatest hero" didn't actually have that far to fall, and was always close to going over the edge.