Is Superman A Traitor?

, he was discussing challenging the American government and strict religious ideology (specifically in terms of stem cell research), and I contemplated the idea of Superman being considered a heretic by his patriotic followers. Now something has come up to make many fans believe that., in the short story “The Incident” in, Superman is renouncing his American citizenship. The decision stems from Superman being criticized by our president after he appears in Tehran, as Hudson explains, “to non-violently support the protesters demonstrating against the Iranian regime, no doubt an analogue for the recent real-life protests in the Middle East. However, since Superman is viewed as an American icon in the DC Universe as well as our own, the Iranian government has construed his actions as the will of the American President, and indeed, an act of war.”

That sounds like a simple misunderstanding transformed into a political powderkeg, but as Hudson further elaborates, “Despite very literally being an alien immigrant, Superman has long been seen as a patriotic symbol of ‘truth, justice, and the American way,’ from his embrace of traditional American ideals to the iconic red and blue of his costume. What it means to stand for the “American way” is an increasingly complicated thing, however, both in the real world and in superhero comics, whose storylines have increasingly seemed to mirror current events and deal with moral and political complexities rather than simple black and white morality.”

The Comics Alliance story has generated over 2,000 reader comments ranging from a thoughtful discussion of who and what the iconic superhero stands for to upright venom over his allegedly being a traitor to one reader claiming he will never read DC Comics again because they are turning into a “politically correct, liberal entity”.

DC’s decision to test out this concept is more than just savvy marketing. We live in politically tumultuous times, and Americans have been re-assessing their values and beliefs in the wake of an endless (and dubious) “War On Terror,” political and financial fraud and a system of government that continually favors the rich. By having Superman renounce his citizenship, writer David S. Goyer is raising questions as to the nature of a national symbol and what it means to be a hero. Is Superman only considered so by us if he is an American? Is a hero only someone who allies himself with one side or one country? Isn’t a hero someone who commits selfless acts to save people, prevent catastrophe, stand up for important values or to improve people’s lives? And is a hero allowed to speak their mind and express their beliefs beyond their actions?

I read numerous Superman comics as a child, although I really loved the first two films with Christopher Reeve. He was a gentleman, embodied a noble spirit and always wanted to help people. Yes, people. Not Americans, people. When he showed concern for innocent people, he did not say innocent Americans. He said people. While I have always been proud to be an American, I never thought of Superman as a distinctly American hero. I just thought he was an amazing role model for everyone.

When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created the caped superhero back in the Thirties, American values and ideals were held with higher regard across the world. That was before the end of World War II and before our government became more imperialistic and self-serving in its endeavors. I do not believe that our government truly represents the interest of its people anymore (something that is a moral quandary for Superman now), which is something many conservatives take offense with when challenging those whom they deem “un-American” or a “traitor”. It’s funny to see the knee jerk reactions of so many people who prefer that Superman favor brawn over brain, and who seem to act the same way.

I have yet to read Goyer’s story in Action Comics #900, so I will reserve judgment on how the topic is handled, just as I think others should reserve judgment against Goyer and DC for their seemingly blasphemous musings. Considering the fact that many adults look at other adults who read comic books as immature or childish — I prefer to think of it as being child-like yet still adult — I think it’s great that DC has been modernizing their storylines and making them highly relevant to adults. Reducing the discussion of this groundbreaking issue to the maturity level of a schoolyard rumble only reinforces that stereotype when we can rise above it.