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| Image couresy of Wonkette. |
Superman renounces his U.S. citizenship in Action Comics‘ record-breaking 900th issue. But that’s not all the benevolent alien refugee does in the sprawling special issue, which hits stores Wednesday.
It’s a sobering moment, as obvious as it is revolutionary. Superman’s conscientious creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who dreamed up Superman for Action Comics‘ 1938 debut, positioned their deathless hero as an American heartland warrior battling tyranny and evil.
But Superman has always been bigger than the United States, and not just because he was inspired — directly or indirectly is still subject to debate — by Friedrich Nietzsche’s polar-opposite Übermensch.
In an age rife with immigration paranoia, it’s refreshing to see an alien refugee tell the United States that it’s as important to him as any other country on Earth — which in turn is as important to Superman as any other planet in the multiverse.
The genius of Superman is that he belongs to everyone, for the dual purposes of peace and protection. He’s above ephemeral geopolitics and nationalist concerns, a universal agent unlike any other found in pop culture.
It makes perfect sense that the ultimate illegal alien would become troubled by the way that his adoptive home was treating other non-native born Americans. I mean let's face it America needs Superman far more than Superman needs America.
When was the last time YOU saw America make the world spin backwards in order to save the life of one of its citizens? Yeah, that's what I thought!
So right about now you are probably asking yourself, "I wonder how the Teabaggers will respond to this news?" Gee how do you think they will respond?
DC comics has decided to have Superman renounce his US citizenship stating “Truth Justice and the American Way It’s not enough anymore.”
Who buys comics? Mostly Americans I reckon…
How dare they? Do you know how many people are trying to get citizenship? How many are going through pure hell in paperwork and legal costs to do this? The statements are clear that DC (and I must assume that these views are shared by Warner Brothers as well since they own DC Comics) is a fan of the “world view”/world government.
Bleep Superman. I urge a boycott of Warner Brothers, all DC franchises, and particularly Superman.
They intended this to be a political statement, but it is really a slap in the face of the American identity. Show me any one country that has done more for the world than America. We have fought for more people and sacrificed more treasure than any other country in history.
Superman’s real kryptonite is lack of comic sales. Hit them where it hurts, and I bet they’ll be doing a special issue where he retakes the citizenship oaths.
You know somehow I think this boycott is going to be less than successful. Let's face it, the 40% of the Teabaggers are over 55 years old, while only 22% of them are under 35. How many fifty five year old Superman comic book fans can there really be? citizenship
Maybe the Teabaggers should concentrate on not being such insufferable douchebags, and leave the boycotts to the liberals.
Now if you will excuse me I have to go buy a Superman comic book.
Lets see if Palin jumps on the bandwagon with Trump on the president's school record. My bet is she'll remain silent on this one. There is no way I would ever believe she finished college and got a degree; way to hard. Her first reporting job she was introduced as an attendee of college NOT a graduate.
ReplyDeleteBut superman was not a natural born citizen. Wasn't he from some planet far, far away?
ReplyDeleteThe Baggers probably wouldn't care that this statement is coming from an American icon (hell, most of them read Superman comics when they were kids). Now, these dingdongs would probably just say good riddance--he wears tights, so he must be gay! Then they'd go back to watching wrestling.
ReplyDelete...and if it's mud wrestling, so much the better.
ReplyDeleteNot just Superman!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.atheistcartoons.com/?p=4361
From what I've read both this post and the Tea Party response are both off base. Superman is not renouncing his citizenship because of some problem with the US but because of how his actions reflect on the US.
ReplyDeleteFrom
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/04/27/superman-renounces-us-citizenship/
The key scene takes place in "The Incident," a short story in Action Comics #900 written by David S. Goyer with art by Miguel Sepulveda. In it, Superman consults with the President's national security advisor, who is incensed that Superman appeared in Tehran 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.
Superman replies that it was foolish to think that his actions would not reflect politically on the American government, and that he therefore plans to renounce his American citizenship at the United Nations the next day -- and to continue working as a superhero from a more global than national perspective. From a "realistic" standpoint it makes sense; it would indeed be impossible for a nigh-omnipotent being ideologically aligned with America to intercede against injustice beyond American borders without creating enormous political fallout for the U.S. government.