Superman, the embodiment of American Values, the beacon of Conservatism and Americana.Being used to push a political agenda that is the complete opposite of who he is as a character.
Just to be expected. Superman the embodiment of conservative American values can’t be a conservative or believe in conservative values in today’s world.Because GOD FORBID Superman stand for something!
Rather than flowing with the tide of the liberals who own the rights to him!
Hey do you know who Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster are?
Superman’s very first story literally dubs him “Champion of the Oppressed.” He stops a wife beater from killing his wife and threatens a lobbyist.
Superman has literally never been a beacon of conservatism. Superman is meant to be an ideal. He’s aspirational. And he’s a goddamn immigrant created by two Jewish men who were the sons of immigrants.
Superman is not just a refugee, he’s an undocumented immigrant. Just because he’s white-passing and enjoys Ma Kent’s apple pie, that has never meant that he is not a refugee or an undocumented immigrant.
Though I hesitate to use the term because no human beings are illegal, he is quite literally an illegal alien.
“But Superman espouses Truth, Justice, and the American Way!”
That was added in, later, actually. It’s not from Siegel and Schuster. It’s from the Adventures of Superman radio serial that ran from 1940-51, and it didn’t even show up there until 1942, when WWII wasn’t going so great for the Allies. They did away with the addition in 1944, after the tide of the war turned in the Allies’ favor. Then it returned during the height of the Cold War scare, for the Adventures of Superman television show (1952-58). That’s probably when it became most entrenched in pop culture myth. The Ages of Superman: Essays on the Man of Steel in Changing Times pg 225. It’s also referenced in a Mark Waid interview.
It’s not from old comics canon, some intrinsic, original thing necessary to the story. It was added on, later, and then abandoned when it’s somewhat dubious purpose had been served. Superman was always an analog for the immigrant, right down to his paralels with Moses as the baby in the basket found by Pharaoh’s daughter.
Superman was never meant to be the standard bearer for white, conservative upper class values. Next thing, you’ll be telling me Batman is a conservative who would never advocate for responsible gun control…
Superman actually renounced his American citizenship in Action Comics #900. The phrase “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” represents Clark’s idealism, but he doesn’t stand by it when the government doesn’t reflect his values – which are to protect everyone’s rights.
the1timetraveller 