The famous comic-book hero Superman has announced plans to speak at the United Nations to renounce his American citizenship and become a citizen of the world, sending a strong message and upsetting many of his fans in the process.
“I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy,” the “Man of Steel” declared after noting that he would inform the UN of his intentions. He broke the controversial news in Action Comics issue 900, released on April 27.
"Truth, justice, and the American Way … it's not enough anymore," Superman said, referencing his famous tagline. “The world’s too small. Too connected.”
Before making the announcement, the hero was chastised by a U.S. government official for appearing at a protest in Iran. That’s when Superman dropped the bombshell: “I intend to speak before the United Nations tomorrow and inform them that I am renouncing my U.S. citizenship.”
In the new comic, Superman never actually officially renounces his citizenship, he simply states that he plans to do so. It was unclear whether his red, white, and blue costume or the classic line — "truth, justice, and the American way" — would be altered to fit the new character.
The co-publishers of DC Comics, however, downplayed the news in a joint statement. "In a short story in Action Comics 900, Superman announces his intention to put a global focus on his never-ending battle, but he remains, as always, committed to his adopted home and his roots as a Kansas farm boy from Smallville," said Dan DiDio and Jim Lee.
Though originally from the planet Krypton, Superman arrived on Earth as an infant. He was found in Kansas by a farmer and his wife, who raised him as Clark Kent. As an adult, he works as a reporter in his regular life along with his wife, Lois Lane. (Yes, veteran Superman fans who remember when Clark and Lois were simply coworkers — they'e now married!)
Created in the 1930s, the Superman character had come to represent American values in the eyes of his fans. But now, a lot of them are furious.
Columnist Cal Thomas, for example, blasted the new story. He suggested that Superman, like “so many other American traditions that have been debunked or discarded by the liberal elites,” had been “hijacked” and turned into a “U.N. loving Anti-American.” Claiming that the “real” Superman would never do such a thing, Thomas wrote that the storyline “sounds as if it was written by an acolyte of the Obama administration.”
USA Today noted that Superman’s long association with the “American Way” was why “the unfolding storyline is so shocking.” But citing an announcement by the comic’s publisher, owned by Time Warner, Inc., the paper suggested the move may be “the comics version of a ratings ploy.”
Not everyone was upset though. In a piece for Wired, Scott Thill claimed that the “genius” of Superman was the he “belongs” to everyone. “He’s above ephemeral geopolitics and nationalist concerns, a universal agent unlike any other found in pop culture,” Thill wrote.
Jonathon Narvey argued in The Propagandist magazine that Superman didn’t really give up on American ideals — America did. “It's disgusting,” he wrote of the U.S. government's recent behavior. “And I get the feeling that Superman's writers are disgusted, too. This is the closest they can come to making their point about the American administration without directly accusing Obama of turning his back on what America stands for.”
Numerous observers have also drawn a parallel between Superman’s new identity and the former “Captain America.” After discovering that a high-level U.S. official was the leader of a terrorist organization, the disillusioned patriot-themed superhero dropped his American identity and costume to become “Nomad.”
The news about Superman’s decision comes as record numbers of real Americans continue to renounce their U.S. citizenship. But unlike Superman, regular Americans who surrender their citizenship often do so in an effort to avoid taxes and other government obligations. The U.S. government is almost unique in the world in forcing its citizens to pay taxes no matter where they reside.
Photo: The Superman portrayed by TV actor George Reeves promoted U.S. citizenship (and the purchase of U.S. savings bonds)!
