Disgrace of DC Comics: Superman Renounces His American Citizenship
by James HudnallDC Comics is owned by Warner Brothers. In what is either a move to make Superman more globally appealing leading up to his upcoming film, or a reflection of the globalist mentality in the DC corporate offices, it was revealed yesterday in Action Comics 900 that Superman is renouncing his American Citizenship.
Which is a huge mistake in many ways, but a sad reflection of our times.
What wannabe-elitists fail to understand is what the “American Way” Superman stood for is all about. Superman was created in the late 1930s by two Jewish teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. They created Superman at a time when Nazis were rising to power and taking over Europe. When communists had taken over Russia. Superman stood for freedom and justice and fought for the allies during the war because, not only were his two creators patriotic, they understood the threat to freedom that existed out there. Superman, like America, was fighting for the people of the world. He was a bringer of justice and peace at a time when organized crime was rampant in America, when fascists where threatening executing innocents in death camps and conquering the globe.
Superman was unique, the last survivor of the planet Krypton, just as America was unique in the world, a nation founded on the principal of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, a constitution with limited government that guarantees the rights of the individual. It stood in stark contrast to the rest of the world, which was mired in despotic regimes, kleptocratic states, not unlike today.
America was proud to have super-heroes on their side, representing our culture and values. Our culture was a beacon to the world at large. A symbol of hope and liberty, something everyone desires. People all over the planet responded to our movies, our music, our clothes, almost everything we produced. They wanted to be like us.
But now we live in a time where elites have ruined our economy and seek to strip us of many of our liberties in the name of big government. Elitists favor the global culture, which doesn’t even exist in except in their fevered minds. In a world of collapsing economies, of terrorist states, of totalitarian regimes, the attempts by some politicians to move us in that direction does not change the nature of what made America and Superman what he is. Superman doesn’t represent the
Superman was raised in the heartland of America. His values were informed, not only by his parents, but by the nation he grew up in. Superman, the selfless hero, was a reflection of this great land, which has shed blood and treasure in the defense of others. America has liberated millions of people, poured untold billions into rebuilding nations torn apart by wars. We’ve propped up economies and currencies. We’ve protected others from encroaching totalitarian communism and terrorists. Those are things to admire, but to the many people who went to colleges infected by leftist professors, they’ve been taught that America is a curse on the world, instead of what it really is. There is a sad attempt to distance our heroes from our nation. Captain America was also created in the same spirit as Superman by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. All of these creators would be rolling in their graves if they knew what the publishers of their characters are doing with them now.
The excuse given in Action Comics 900 is Superman doesn’t want to be accused of being part of American government policy. But what actions would Superman be ashamed of being accused of exactly? Superman acts to save and help people. Without reward. Sure, motives by the powerful are always being questioned and spun. America’s were and are to this day. But the difference between politics and superheros should be vast. There have been times in the comics where the heroes acted in the interests of their government, but that has not been the case in many years. It has been a common theme in many of the comics that the heroes are distanced from their governments or sometimes at odds.
When the heroes have worked for their government it has often ended up badly. In the DC universe they have often portrayed the Justice League, which Superman belongs to, as being at odds with the state. Even in this season’s Smallville, that has been shown. Whatever excuse they make, DC and Warner Brothers are missing the point. America and Superman can’t be separated by some editorial fiat. The history of that character is long and proud. People identify him with America no matter what some mealy mouthed dialog some writer puts in his word balloon. Just as Superman (and Captain America) has died and been reborn, one has to wonder how long this stunt will last before they face reality and have him come back home.
Comics publishers have a long history of making huge mistakes with their characters. We can add this to the heap of disgrace.
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141 Comments
Man this country is going insane. Now the Marxists have screwed up Superman as well as Captain America. Next step Superman will become Muslim grow a beard and start enforcing Sharia law.
Reading several comic writers twitter comments, they are seemingly happy with Superman's renouncement. I am ashamed of them.
To me Superman will always be for "Truth, Justice and the AMERICAN WAY!" Even if DC or Marvel Comics aren't. But one day, they'll will be again.
You're talking about actual history and facts, neither of which these people give a darn about.
Will Clark Kent also renounce his citizenship? If so, he will never be able to buy a gun. (I know he doesn't need one. As I often tell my customers, "What's 'need' got to do with it?")
Friggin' Despicable. Warner Brothers, I am ashamed of you and your Anti-Patriotic Americanism.
The Democratic Party: fought a war to KEEP slavery, opposed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment (freeing slaves, making citizens of ex-slaves), supported Jim Crow laws, segregation, and forced busing.
And to this day they keep our brothers down by lying to them and demonizing the one party that gives them freedom so blacks continue to be slaves (yup, I said it) to the party that oppresses them.
Oh, I so hate that stupid 3/5 thing. The last time I argued that one with a leftist, I finally brought the conversation to a halt by pointing out that the Founders used precise language. If they intended it to be a racist statement aimed at blacks, they would have used the word Negro. As it was, they used the word "slave." In order for your contention that they wanted to call African-Americans less then human to be true, you would have to prove that all slaves were black and that all blacks were slaves. Further, you would have to prove that the free blacks everywhere were not counted as full citizens for purposes or representation. Further, you would have to prove that those few blacks who were slave owners themselves were counted as only 3/5 of a citizen the same as their slaves whom you would them have to prove were all black. Finally, if anyone should be ticked off by the clause, it should be Native American slaves who were first counted as 3/5 of a citizen or fully discounted depending on which descriptor you chose to give them – slave or Indian not subject to the jurisdiction thereof …
Ok, I know I'm probably going to get a lot of thumbs down for this, but I'm going to say it anyway.
I was initially appalled that Superman renounced his U.S. citizenship. And quite frankly, I still am. But I'm not sure it's anti-Americanism per se. The storyline is that Superman has joined Iranian protesters, and then gets berated by government agents for interfering with U.S. policy. So Superman renounces his citizenship in order not to be bound by U.S. policy. In other words, it's a big middle finger to the do-nothing administration that ignored the Iranian protesters in the first place. While I think this could have been handled considerably better, by having Superman simply state that he's not a government agent (like Terry O'Quinn's Howard Hughes did in the Rocketeer), the point of the story is that Superman wants to do something, while the government is getting in his way. Actually kind of a conservative message if you think about it. Just handled poorly. Very poorly.
My husband and I have been having this discussion with a couple of our liberal friends. If what one of them says is true, Supes does it because he appears at an Iranian anti-government rally and then the Iranian government starts making threats against him based on his American citizensahip (something I don't think he actually has, btw). So, he renounces it. Since when has anyone taken Iran, of all nations, so seriously that they'd do something like that over threats from freakin' IRAN?! If that's true, then I am supremely disappointed in DC's editorial staff because the storyline shouldn't be remotely believable. Iranians are the same people who believe that licentious Western women cause the Haitian earthquake for cryin' out loud. Did we all kowtow and adorn ourselves with burkas over their dire warnings? I think not. But Supes will renounce his US citizenship such as it isn't over Iranian threats … Yeah, whatever …
I too wrote an article http://www.worldofsuperheroes.com/comics/et7e7r7n...
The excuse given in Action Comics 900 is Superman doesn’t want to be accused of being part of American government policy. But what actions would Superman be ashamed of being accused of exactly?
You mean the current U.S. government? The one that refused to offer any assistance to the Iranian protesters in the wake of the 2009 stolen elections, when at the time a statement against Ahmedinjad and the mullahs might have made a difference?
That's why the story line this is involved with is a little more than just boilerplate liberalism, since Superman is seen supporting the Iranian dissidents and against the fundamentalist Islamic regime before he denounces his citizenship.
There's a good chance the writers at D.C. aren't thinking this deeply about the implications of their new story line, which can be taken as a shot against Obama as much as it is against Superman's past history. Odds are they saw the Egyptian uprising, wanted to come up with a topical story line where the key shocker was in Superman renouncing his citizenship, and then stuck Iran in as the designated oppressive nation because it was a country readers would be familiar with, but without remembering what Obama's failed to do since taking office. So, unlike some of the other story arcs in recent years which were overtly taking the site of the left in attacking the U.S. because of who was running the government at the time, this story (deliberately or inadvertently) ends up taking a shot at the current occupant of the White House based on his failure to use little if any of his celebrated sterling oratory against the Iranian regime since 2009.
This IS a propagation of an “I am ashamed to be American” chic meant to further dilute our traditions, culture and push us toward a global currency, government, and religion. Unintentional or not that is what this self-loathing American act is getting us. Superman stands for Truth Justice and the American Way and all are capitalized because they are embodiment ideals of America. Let’s separate the American politics and the American dream out first. American politics is all that stuff people suffering from hate-chic spew when you say American Way –“Sweet Christ, if i was superman id have given up American citizenship years ago. Someone explain to what the American way is? Grotesque consumerism, imperialism, war mongering, idiotic political bickering on guns versus health care? What else can we add in? Political interference in international affairs? Raping the environment? Take a look around. Take a good hard look. Do you know why Superman doesn’t want to be an American? Because he’s better than you and you hate him for it.” This is an exact quote from the board yesterday.
Not American Way that is American politics and policy.
The American Dream is 2 cars a picket fence, wife, kids, pursuits of happiness.
The American Way is this, an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay, God Family Country in that order, freedom to worship wherever whenever, freedom of the press, The right to think up an idea see it through on guts and smarts while helping your neighbor when asked but minding your own business when not asked, if you can dream it and work hard enough you still need to look for opportunity and be smart enough to achieve it. Personal space, accountability, and the ability to move freely without government constraint are the I-beams. Does anyone remember MY America because where I live it is largely still like that. These are the ideals that go with that citizenship that was given to him by a grateful people somewhere in his convoluted continuity. In 9 pages (heretofore referred to by me as the 9 pages of Doom) Goyer canceled baseball, punched mom, stomped apple pie, extinguished fireworks, stripped Uncle Sam and kicked a Boy Scout in the groin.
I've never been a big fan of Superman. I'm more drawn to the vulnerable super heroes, such as Iron Man running low on batteries, or Spider Man running out of webs.
But this is too much even for me. Superman renouncing his citizenship. I can only imagine the nice talking to he'd get from his parents. I doubt they'd look kindly on it.
Seems the Man of Steel has balls of grapes.
As soon as I discovered independent comics I began to gravitate towards them over comics from Marvel and DC and I think this is a good example of why. With independent, creator owned properties you could count on a fairly consistent experience. You know characters aren't going to vary wildly in how they are portrayed depending on who's writing them this month because it will be the same guy as last month. And you don't have corporate bean counters dictating characters actions based on what they think will sell better.
Before you write a blog or an article about a subject please do yourself a favor and read the source on what you're reading about/ You obviously haven't read this comic book and are commenting on a short story that lasted 2 pages long out of 96 pages. If you do your research you would also realize that the story is most likley not apart of the current continuity Just like the other stories within that issue.
The only story in that comic book that counted for something that will be in continuity is the first story.
This is being taken entirely out of context by people who don't even read comic books.
Superman isn't being Anti-American here. In fact, he's doing pretty much the opposite. Superman intervened in a situation in Iran. The Iranian government accused the United States of warlike actions. Therefore Superman is renouncing his American citizenship because he doesn't want to be held accountable for America's actions, but because he doesn't want America to have to answer for HIS actions. He want to intervene worldwide without risking the reputation or safety of the country he loves. Remember, Superman isn't actually an American citizen. He has no Social Security number, he pays no taxes, and he doesn't vote. Clark Kent is an actual citizen, and remains so privately and loyally. Superman still has all the morals and patriotism he used to, he just doesn't feel like he should be considered a representative of the American people, especially if that means he might start wars when he intervenes internationally.
And if you want to get all accurate about it, Seigel and Shuster didn't make Superman the champion of Truth, Justice, and the American Way. That was added in the 50's for the TV show.
But by all means, feel free to trash the comics. I'm sure DC will notice you not buying their product even more aggressively now. /nerdrage
Amen that. Superman is dead for now. This is the same as when Doomsday killed him. When he retakes the American mantle, he will live again. For now, RIP, and let's hope Captain America is still allowed to be American.
Well, since much of America no longer seems to be for "The American Way" can we really blame him?
Of course, what I think The American Way is ("God, Guns, Guts") , and what DC things the The American Way is are probably radically different…
Well we all agreed in our late night robed humming soiree, that you… yes YOU ArsAnima are to be shut out!
I have also read a few comic book message boards, and the comments of their readership are mind-boggling naive. The rational is that since Superman saves lives all around the world, and that since he doesn't support the policies of the government, he should renounce his citizenship since he's more of a "global" superhero.
Superman WASN'T raised by the U.S. Government. He was raised by two U.S. citizens in his fictional universe, and in the real world he was created as a symbol against tyranny. That is "truth, justice and the American way." I do not support everything my goverment does, but I would never renounce my citizenship. A multitude of men and women died defending this country. A great number of people from around the world come here – not the UN building – to escape despots. The idea of freedom is not to be taken lightly, for many have died in an attempt to attain it rather than live without.
A final thought: for those of you who do not understand the gravity of "renouncing" relationships: would you renounce your family over one quarrel? Would you renounce your spouse or significant other over not seeing eye to eye on everything? Would you renounce your friends because they have different beliefs?
As one attempts to become more one with the Global Community, it would seem one becomes more lonely.
I'm guessing because some of your comments contain words that others don't. Some words automatically trigger the moderation filters around here, queuing messages up for review by a moderator before being made public. Don't ask me what words as I don't have a list but figure they are related to touchy subjects and are often favored by trolls.
I wasn't going to comment about this because it is so INSANE, that I was afraid it would spoil my day, and the sun is shining for the first time all week. However….this is beyond rational. It is beyond juvenile. It is downright dangerous. Kids are being brainwashed by the evil liberals (and yes, I think a lot of them ARE evil). I am a Canadian and always felt that the "American Way" was my way too. Superman stood for all the greatness of American values. G-d help the kids today, growing up with this twisted and perfidious brainwashing.
LMAO!! Thanks.
This makes me sick to my stomach. A culture unwilling to reinforce its values – let alone even acknowledge them! – upon a younger generation is in big trouble.
On the other hand, do children even read comic books? My exposure to the sci-fi world via my interest in Star Wars tells me that the only ones reading them are middle aged and older. These tend to be die hard "fanboys" (lord, I hate that term) and often have very fascistic and dark tendencies regarding what they want from their superheroes (I know I'm generalizing, but you who know this world know of what I speak).
Long gone are the superheroes who promoted sunny optimism, clear value systems and even encouraged kids to judge between right and wrong. The value these days is "everything is gray." Isn't that wonderful for kids? Moral confusion at its finest. Kids do NOT need dark, murky complexity in such things. They are desperate for the comforts provided by knowing what is right and wrong and adults in their lives who assure this for them. This is how they form the foundations for their own value systems. They'll learn about all the murkiness when they are mature enough to do so.
And if you want to get all accurate about it, Seigel and Shuster didn't make Superman the champion of Truth, Justice, and the American Way. That was added in the 50's for the TV show.
—————————————————————————————–
Now unless you're that old, that saying is what we all grew up on…
What did you expect? If children's television programming is slanted, why wouldn't comic books be?
@ wellstock
Big Hollywood once posted a link to the following article "Can Censorship Actually Make for Better Movies?
" by a writer who is pretty liberal. Click the link below:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/does-censors...
Though the writer doesn't want a return to the Hayes Code, he wonders if self-imposed moral limits by filmmakers would result in better movies.
I think the same is true of comics. I read far more comics as a teen than now mainly because the writers had to rely on compelling stories not crass shock value to attract readers. Sure, the CCA was a kneejerk reaction to horror comics back in the 50s, but the even before the code writers had moral standards that led to better stories.
I know it sounds counterintuitive that having lines you will not cross opens up your creativity. But that's what leads to great work.
It's a secret!
And you let it out of the bag?
I even stayed up late to make this decision! Thanks for nothing.
*sarcasm off*
Wow, great article!
Tom Mankiewicz, who worked as consultant on the first two Superman movies, had warned Christopher Reeve to not get into the nuclear disarmament issue in Superman IV. As well intended as Reeve was, he said, this created a huge problem for a superhero – if he can get rid of all nukes, then why shouldn't he just take over everything and make people do what he wanted? Superman's mythos should be kept in fantasy, where he can stop evil from taking place – robbers, career criminals, evil masterminds bent on destruction, etc. This is something we can all admire and live vicariously through. Mankiewicz felt that things like social issues and politics should be avoided at all costs. Pretty wise advice.
As I understand it he's renouncing his citizenship because a government official gets on him because Iran is using his support of the protests as proof that the US government is behind them. Of course people paying attention in the real world have noted that the US is going to get blamed whether they do anything or not. Obama did nothing and Ahmadinejad still found an excuse to blame the US for the protests. Tyrants find it easier to control their populations when they have a bogeyman to blame for when bad things happen and right now that's the US. But that's a more in depth analysis of the situation than you're likely to find in a comic book.
VERY, very impressive.
thank you!
Being a parent changes people's direction.
Thus, collecting comics has been out the door for twenty years. Now I'm grateful.
IS Superman a US citizen? Does he have a Social Security #? Does he file with the IRS every year? Is he registered to vote? Does he have a driver's license? These are far more valid questions about the Man of Steel and I hope his writer's and editors will start publishing exciting stories about these topics!
Where's his long form birth certificate????
I say GOOD, we're rid of the illegal alien. He wasn't even BORN HERE!
In more seriousness, you people are making an obscenely sized mountain out of a molehill and having a paranoic crap fit at the same time.
You think the bigwigs at WB have control over the stories DC puts out so as to blame the organization?
And remember, this is an industry where lead characters will be killed off, just to re-emerge months later. And we aren't talking in a story reboot or anything like that, we're talking good old fashioned Soap Opera 'I faked my own death' type stuff,
I agree.
Mr. Mankiewicz should have passed that along to David Goyer, seeing how he wrote both the story and the upcoming reboot.
I was going to write almost the same thing until I saw your post. If Superman has renounced his citizenship then who is going to issue his passport? If he's traveling on Clark Kent's papers then he is committing a crime wherever he goes. I predict that DC will resolve this in a few issues by having the Man of Steel taking up official residence in the Grand Caymans as a tax shelter.
What dreadful bad taste.
Now what? I'm gonna have to boycott Superman? No way to punish these A-wipes?
I mean, that's like making Betty Boop into a hot, loose, sexpot who loves inviting abuse! Oh, wait…..
Correct on the 3/5 clause. It was the best compromise the north could get with the south. And without a unanimous vote, the constitution wouldn't have been ratified.
If Superman is a "Citizen of the Universe" then what's the point? Does that mean that Earth has no more call on his time than some planet out near Alpha Centuri? How can he justify hanging around here and not among the Slime People of Planet Mordock? Why have any emotional investment in Superman if we really aren't all that important to him?
Also is his moral and ethical outlook still the one shaped by Jonathan and Martha Kent or has he rejected all that? Actually I would have preferred that DC reinvent him as the incarnation of the Twelfth Imam of Shi'ite Islam than as Klaatu from "The Day the Earth Stood Still."
Superman doesn't want to be associated with the Obama Administration. Can you blame him?
Reminds me of a series of homilies I heard in Church a few years back.
The general gist was once you surrender yourself to God, and agree to live by God's morals, you know what the morals are, you know the rules, you know what's right and what's wrong.
And that frees one from the need to constantly search for the next thrill, the next cool thing, one no longer cares if they come across as cool enough or hip enough.
And that's where the freedom begins, by throwing off all that baggage.
Clark Kent does. This means Kal El is still an "American" and he's just full of it. Otherwise, man of steel or no, he gets to live at the fortress of solitude, because most countries won't let Clark in without at least knowing what country they can deport him to when he makes trouble.
Homeland Security Dept. rules dictate that information is on a need to know basis only. And you have no need to know. (just joking
If you ask me they're doing it because they think they'll make more money this way.
Next thing you know, Sgt Rock will be running around in a pink tutu.
the wake of the 2009 stolen elections
The Iranian elections were never stolen. They were never in doubt. All the politics is behind closed doors between the mullahs and the revolutionary guard.
I'm a comics writer of over 26 years. I have written Superman. Those who rationalize this action are completely missing the pint. It doesn't matter if the TV show added "the American Way" slogan in the 50s. Superman is a uniquely American character. People around the world see him that way. They made a huge mistake and they will come to regret it.
I was referring to Superman's own actions., There is nothing he would do that he would be ashamed of. Our government might be upset by them,but that's another issue.
Oh no….you mean the new movie is written by the a-hole who came up with this idea? Wonderful.
Another thing this illustrates:
The LEFT destroys more than it either improves or creates.
If something is not perfect (in this case, the United States), then the Left believe it deserves to be disowned or destroyed. Idiots.
Yeah, what you said.
Which US government policies does he not agree with? This has me confused and possibly the readers confused as well. To bring politics into comic books as a story line is not only a bad move but can bore readers as well as alienate those on either side of the political aisle. It's a faux pas of sorts…don't do it.
But to renounce his American citizenship because of a few political differences? That's moronic…
Here is the relevant statement:
(Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.)
There is nothing there about slaves or blacks. In fact, the words "black", "negro" and "slave" appear NOWHERE in the Constitution.
I don't mind them wanting a new, non-American Global Man. But, they should just create him and launch him. Instead, they can't be content to let established characters remain who they are. They must remake them into a new image and destroy them in the process. Global Man won't sell and Superman will die.
Thank you I think as many forums and platforms we can have this debate the faste Supes gets his citizenship back. I encourage you in protest to boycott. I am sending a stack of Superman stuff back to DC and telling them my preference to where they should place it.
thanks hollywoodron
Let's be real here. I think most of the indignant voices here are filtering this through childhood nostalgia. When was the last time you actually read a Superman comic? (Don't get me wrong, I was a comic geek for years, but haven't had a monthly pull list in quite some time) As far as impact on youth–video games are kids' comic books now. That's the medium they spend hours consuming and sharing with friends. For those of you who have children, when was the last time they begged for a comic book to read as opposed to a video game? And of the most popular video games, I'd wager very few promote 'American' ideals the way Superman of old did. (I'd like to see that Mario guy's papers–there's something fishy about that accent!)
Since the liberal mindset equates Government with America as a whole I can completely understand why Superman (yes I am fully aware I am talking about a fictional character) would want to distance himself and not be seen as a tool of government policy.
Superman has always represented middle American values that the left despises so much. They tell us they are making the character more complex, but in actuality the they really think Superman is stupid. They think the character's thought process is simplistic. He shows up in a foreign country to support protesters and the oppressive government spins it as American intervention. Therefore if he just renounces his American citizenship and just becomes a Global Citizen then the next time he shows up somewhere it will foil evil spin machine. They make Superman so stupid to think that just by doing one act will change the perceptions or motivations of other people. End the end they just render the character as a dolt, the same way they view folks that don't share their progressive sensibilities.
This looks like the time they killed him off, they only want to sell comic books.
I'm assuming Superman comic sales are down.
Screw DC Comics! Superman would have been eliminated in any communist or socialist regime because he had more powers than his peers…
Your country and your citizenship are yours, the government just works for you (or not). Even Soviet dissidents who hated their government with a passion and better reasons than any American ever had, suffered when their citizenship was revoked.
If it is true that Superman does it out of nobler reasons (as the commenter above indicated) then that is perhaps something else. But I can make an argument that it is still wrong.
Actually, this is a digression to the topic at hand.
The CCA was set up in the 50's because it was believed the comics would encourage delinquency. It placed controls similar to what modern liberalism does today: such as ban salt, transfat, movie popcorn, etc. "This thing is potentially bad for you, therefore we will control it."
What we are upset about today is the modern liberal globalist mindset: That loyalty to a nation-state is bad, that America as a nation is no better — even worse than other nations, that it is better to be a "citizen of the world" than it is to be a citizen of one's country of origin.
This is similar to why I dislike Marvel's "Ultimate Avengers". Thor is an activist for global liberalism, using his power for globalism. Superman's renouncing his citizenship is along the same lines. Both characters are implying that Globalism is a virtue, that loyalty to country and belief in exceptionalism is a vice.
Truth, Justice and the Iranan Way! I'm really disappointed that the comics have now embraced the lefty, one worlder path for it's super heros. Whats next; Tovarich Mickey and Donald?
Well said, and assuming you are telling the truth I don´t find it nearly as bad. I would still argue it is wrong. Logic and real world experience tell us it wouldn´t make a difference. Fascist regimes and their propagandists will do and say what they will. They are not influenced by symbolic actions but by cold calculation. They know America is their enemy just as they always know which thugs and criminals are not, for the moment.
I remember a Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs found some carrots that scientists had been doing experiments on. When he ate them, he had super powers, just like Superman. He had the goofy suit and the flowing cape, the whole shahbang. After a bunch of mayhem dodging a hunter and his horse, Bugs looses the cigar holder full of carrots to his adversaries, who eat them all. With chests bulging and teeth gritted they make ready to beat Bugs to a pulp. Bugs Bunny says, "This is a job for a REAL super hero!" He dashes to a phone booth, and comes out in full Marine dress uniform singing the Marine anthem.
Superman, you fictional global self important goof, you sir, are a loser, as are the utopian dunces who give you life. It hurt when Benedict Arnold, a war hero and great leader of men, turned on us at such a critical time. It likewise stings to have this kind of back stabbing, but by thunder we'll go on without you. Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Semper Fidelis.
Superman is gay.
The Tick would never give up his American Citizenship.
Not sure why people are so worked up over this…After all, Superman is only doing what the President of the United States did…renounced his citizenship and swore allegiance to the UN. If its good enough for obama, well, then……
Good one!
Superman has survived his blue electric phase, his mullet, and the series "Smallville". He will survive this overblown controversy just fine. I think the fact that people around the world see Superman as American is what this story is about. When Superman intervenes internationally, is he doing so as a representative of America? It's an interesting idea and something that's worth a few issues to explore. You can see where Superman wouldn't want to put America, the country he loves, at risk through his actions to the point he's be willing to relinquish his status as an American (remembering, of course, that Clark Kent, Superman's major interaction with the real world, remains a patriot and a citizen).
I can only imagine what would have happened if the internet had been around when Captain America became Nomad, or when the Justice League of America became the Justice League Europe, or the Justice League International.
Seriously, it's not Superman or DC being anti-american. It's just a writer writing about how Superman might deal with the implications of his Americanness when he is dealing with international issues. And this writer thinks he might decide to become an international hero to avoid political entanglements, while remaining privately an American citizen as Clark Kent. It's ok if you think that's a poor choice for Superman to make, he's never been a character that makes infallible decisions. But to act like it's a political statement by DC is just silly.
Seriously, at some point I think it's important to remember that this is a fictional character making a fictional decision about events that didn't actually occur.
I think you're correct. The audience for comic books tend to be middle aged sci-fi "fanboys."
But, who reads Archie? That's still around. The last issue I saw, about a month ago, was essentially a tribute to Barrack Obama, whom the comic declared "the coolest president ever!"
I read Archie a TON as a kid. I NEVER recall them even hinting at politics. From what I understand, the comic also has a gay character now too. Unreal.
Superman turning into Global Citizen, complete with UN-colored costume, may suit comic book writers and editors, and probably the corporate folks at Time-Warner who want to sell "Global Citizen" to Chinese and European and Indian audiences, but its a turn-off to American audiences. By taking the America out of Superman (and Captain America, now with 100% LESS America! according to the movie's producer and director), the characters become as interesting to US audiences as an EU meeting on tax synchronization.
More to the point you can't replace something with nothing. ALL the writers/creators/artists/entertainment-infotainment execs want to create an "International" or "citizen of the World" culture, because like Davos Men they find their ordinary citizen compatriots to be disgusting and non-Westerners to be superior moral props in a never ending status battle. But what about everyone else, i.e. ordinary people in the West? Take away Superman, Captain America, any iota of US Nationalism, and what is left?
ALL that is left is intense devotion to tribe, clan, locality, and self. The "slacker men" are caused at least in part by a lack of nationalism culture (along with a social order that rewards only a few Alpha males and decades long crumbling economy for Joe Average White Guy) and first comes "individual secession." Later comes regionalism. After that, open conflict. Guaranteed no one will fight, die, or even tax themselves for "Captain UN" and Citizen of the World stuff arguing "R2P" and some "non-violent" altruism towards distant (and hostile and alien) foreigners. No one will even tax themselves across class and racial lines either. You want a multi-racial society? Then absolutely NATIONAL SYMBOLS and unifying American Nationalism is absolutely required. You can't replace something (American Nationalism) with nothing (bloodless internationalism for Davos-attending elites).
On the contrary, he'd have been given a spiffy uniform and better food, then used by the regime to eliminate their enemies.
I never said that. I said it was a mistake. A huge PR mistake. I know as well as anyone that nothing in comics is permanent. Just the memories of how stupid the publishers are.
now would be a good time to come out with a truly AMERICAN hero………they just killed any film they may have made.
Comics have been bad for quite awhile now. I have been a comic collector since the mid sixties. Two years ago I gave away about 15 thousand comics to my nephew all I kept were comics from 1972 on down. My favorite comics are the WW II Superman. Some of the covers are so patriotic. I wonder what the creators would think about the current situation with Superman? Superman RIP
The only reason that they are unreadable to you, wellstock, is probably because you don't understand history enough to place them in the context of the time in which they were written. You probably also have a hard time watching black and white movies because they aren't in color. That, and because of all the socialist, relativistic, new age nonsense that has been poured into your head by modern media, your teachers, and probably your parents. Pretty broad brush, I know, but I'll bet there's more than a hint of truth in there.
yah yah… once I thought I was free, to do anything, and in that, I became a slave to hedonism, to earthly desires… now that I know God, I see desires for lame retarded self indulgent get offs, all the while I am free now, to do hard work, be a family man, fix the sink, and enjoy life.
when I see a beautiful woman now… I think…. wow! she'll make someone happy… i hope… now where'd my wife run off to?
I've wondered that myself. Probably one reason why animated movies recently tend to be better than their live action counter parts. Cartoons are "technically" for children, but you need to keep the adults entertained too, right? But you can't throw gratuitous violence/sex in there to appeal to "adult" sensibilities, so the movie makers have to be more clever to keep the adults in the room awake.
I wonder if WB will go back to the first Superman movie and remove "and the American way" from Lois Lane's interview on the balcony…
"Death of Superman" redux.
That issue of Superman almost killed off mainstream comics in this country – the number of comic book stores has never fully recovered. Apparently the comics industry has only a 15 year memory.
I dunno…Jor-El and Lara would probably be totally cool with it.
Thank you, I was about to post something similar. Also, this is part of issue 900, which apparently includes a collection of "non-canon" short stories by guest writers featuring superman. The thing is over 100 pages long. I'd really like to see where this event falls into all that context (main story/side story, how it eventually plays out with Iran) before attacking DC as moronic or un-American for including it.
Sadly, Joe Simon is still around to see what's become of Captain America. I'm sure he wonders what the hell happened to his character over the years.
Anyway, I particularly like the term "wannabe-elitists." That accurately describes a lot of Leftists I've known, who longingly aspire to be in the Cool Club, stringently follow all the approved talking points and postions, but who the true elitists using them will never, ever let in the door. In fact, when the next Great Purge comes, they'll be the first ones to go missing. I'd find it amusing if it wasn't so pathetic.
It's also true that this "global culture" liberal-progressives constantly pine for is pure fantasy that makes Superman look real, and if One World ever does come into being, it will make the ineffectiveness and corruption of the U.N. and the inaccountability and fraud of our own government look quaint by comparison. So keep beating that drum.
Superman, and his fans, deserve better than what DC Comics has to offer these days.
Hey, Joe Simon isn't spinning in his grave. He's still alive and still a proud American!
I saw a TV interview a few years ago where he denounced anti-war protesters and (his quote) "Bush haters".
Someone caught Mr. Simon for a quote when Marvel kicked off their whole "Death of Captain America" thing a while back. He basically opined "It's too bad – we need him now more than ever," which told me a lot about where he's coming from.
Those old comic book guys may have largely been a bunch of socially liberal Jews (not implying anything, just a statement of fact), but they were patriots first and foremost. You can't look at the characters they created and think otherwise.
You have to admit, it's hard to deny that comic book publishers are trying to indoctrinate young people into a leftist mindset. Pointing it out isn't the same thing as censorship. DC is more discrete about it than Marvel, but it's still there and pretending it isn't won't change anything. Ironman dropped his old business to create a new one based entirely on 'green' energy. The X-men moved to San Francisco to get away from the redneck racists that were always attacking them in middle america. Captain America battles right wing 'domestic terrorists' that always seem to appear at tea parties. If anything, these characters are just as one dimensional as they were in the 50s. Pick up any current comic book at random and flip through it. If you're lucky enough to even find the rare super-villain, they're guaranteed to sound like somebody Ed Schultz, Rachael Maddow, or Keith Olbermann talks about rather than someone Glenn Beck or Andrew Breitbart talks about.
One other point about this— The story in question actually depicts a group of snipers (with kryptonite bullets) surrounding Superman at the Presidents behest. And although the story doesn't say the Pres is Obama it is implied since all the other aspects of the story mirror real world events. (If the Pres is not Obama it is Martin Suarez who is the current president in the DCU and is based on Obama) Any way you look at it this issue was putting Superman at odds with current administration.
People seem to be reading a lot into a story concept rather than looking at it as just that, a story. But to me Superman wants to be known as a hero for the world, a symbol of truth, justice and hope for all people. Superman has just recently suffered some great losses from losing his adopted son to the deaths of his uncle, aunt and complete destruction of New Krypton and truly the last of his people. His intent is to keep such horrible things from happening to his adopted world. If being thought of as a tool of America is going to stop him from being that universal hero than he has to renounce his citizenship to achieve that goal.
I'm not sure how to look at this. On the one hand, I could see it as an attempt to make Superman more of a "citizen of the world," a manifestation of the ridiculous liberal idea that America should become more like "the rest of the world," which is, of course, exactly ass-backwards. On the other hand, it is tempting to see it more as an example of Supe's saying he just can't be effective under the silliness of the Obama administration. LOL
My comment of #### YOU ALL! didn't make it.
Superman should just man up and tell these whiny foreigners and self-loathing Americans, "Hey! My policies are made by me. I'm from another planet. My Dad sent me here and I landed in the USA and grew up here. If that is too American for you, call Tarzan next time you have a problem. He should be there in about a month. I think I speak for Captain America, Wonder Woman and any one else with red, white and blue on their super-asses. Damn color bigots. Now get out of here because your pissing me off."
This whole episode is sickening. These marxist bastards have no shame. I have not given Marvel Comics a dime since the Captain America issue a couple years ago that smeared conservatives/Tea Party as, take a guess- "ignorant and racist." And now, though it pains me I will NEVER give another dime to DC.
Please, patriotic comic fans everywhere- BOYCOTT DC! Tell your local shop you are boycotting DC and support your retailer buy spending your $$ on some of the independents instead.
Just like Hollyweird, sales are at a all time low. And they wonder why.
I'm pretty sure he's Kryptonian.
Isn't he renouncing his citizenship so he can punch people all round the world without it being seen as an act of war on the US's part? (A plot hole needing addressed if he was viewed as a US agent.)
Anyway it's Clark that's a US citizen not Superman surely? So he'll still be American really.
Another sad day for American culture and tradition.
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