# Superman renounces his American citizenship **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094 "2011-04-28T23:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/21 "2011-04-29T02:38:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It was silly anyway, since even without the birthing matrix, he’d _still_ be a natural-born citizen, as a foundling whose citizenship was not challenged before his 18th birthday. Only if he hide the Sombrero and Cerveza… ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/22 "2011-04-29T02:41:41Z")
Wasn’t Superman’s creator a Canadian citizen? Oh Canada! ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/23 "2011-04-29T04:00:26Z")
How is this “PC bullshit”? I thought PC was minority groups going overboard exploiting their victim status. How does declaring yourself a “citizen of the world” fit in with that? Hell, maybe Superman wants out of the US because he’s pissed about taxes, big government and Obamacare. Or would you prefer Superman resort to “Second Amendment Solutions”? ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/24 "2011-04-29T04:08:48Z")
Cheap gimmick for a fading comic. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/25 "2011-04-29T04:35:01Z")
> **[How do I go about renouncing my U.S. citizenship?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342020/how-do-i-go-about-renouncing-my-u-s-citizenship)** ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/26 "2011-04-29T04:41:23Z")
He’s not a real American anyway! Where is his birth certificate? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/27 "2011-04-29T04:58:28Z")
I’ve been pointing out for decades now that if the government sets the standard, truth and justice haven’t been “the American way” for a long, long time… ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/28 "2011-04-29T05:25:16Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > Shuster’s plan _finally_ comes to fruition… Wasn’t the _Daily Planet_ modelled on the Toronto _Daily Star_? [From Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Planet): > [@](#): > > When Superman first appeared in comics (in 1938’s Action Comics #1), his alter ego Clark Kent worked for a newspaper named the Daily Star, under editor George Taylor. Superman co-creator Joe Shuster named the Daily Star after the Toronto Daily Star newspaper in Toronto, Ontario, which had been the newspaper that Shuster’s parents received and for which Shuster had worked as a newsboy… When the Superman newspaper comic strip appeared, the fictional newspaper’s name was permanently changed to the Daily Planet to avoid a name conflict with real newspapers. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/29 "2011-04-29T09:32:49Z")
Seems fine to me. I’ve often thought being a citizen of a particular country was as silly as being a citizen of a particular town. I wish there was some ‘global citizen’ option in existence. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/30 "2011-04-29T09:41:01Z")
Note that you can’t just ‘renounce your citizenship’ on your own; that has to be accepted by the government. So the US could just decline to accept it from Superman, and he stays a US citizen. A famous example of this is Lee Harvey Oswald. He tried to renounce his citizenship while living & working in the USSR; officials at the US embassy thought he was a bit nutty, so they just buried the paperwork and ignored it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/31 "2011-04-29T09:57:28Z")
It is not true. It’s one of those silly stories about Superman used to sell comic books. In reality, Superman is 100% certified USDA red-blooded American, and always will be. It’s just the work of the birthers again, doing anything they can to try and deride the Man of Steel just because he happened to be born on another planet. He has lived nearly his entire life here. He has been a model citizen. His home planet no longer exists. What do these people want to do? Deport him? If they continue to hound him like this, one day maybe he will renounce his US citizenship, and become a citizen of the Universe. If that sad day does eventually occur, with heavy-heart, I will do the same. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/32 "2011-04-29T10:19:10Z")
Who cares? He’s a dick anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/33 "2011-04-29T10:21:29Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > An American icon succumbs to PC bullshit … I haven’t read the comic in question, but it has been said elsewhere that the problem that prompted the in-universe criticism wasn’t _Superman_ being involved, but an icon of The American Way and a perceived representative of the US government being involved, when the politicians and diplomats would prefer not to do anything as blatant as rocking up to an anti-Ahmadinejad vigil. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/34 "2011-04-29T11:14:52Z")
This is awesome. I may buy this comic just to collect. I love anything that puts the wing nuts panties in a bunch. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/35 "2011-04-29T11:38:44Z")
The Kryptonians are taking our jobs. The only way to stop it is to build a space fence. It’s a fact that Kryptonians aren’t assimilating the way European immigrants did a century ago. I think it’s because their culture lacks the Protestant work ethic. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not prejudiced against aliens (I have Kryptonian friends), I just wouldn’t want one marrying my daughter. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/36 "2011-04-29T11:56:09Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I haven’t read the comic in question, but it has been said elsewhere that the problem that prompted the in-universe criticism wasn’t _Superman_ being involved, but an icon of The American Way and a perceived representative of the US government being involved, when the politicians and diplomats would prefer not to do anything as blatant as rocking up to an anti-Ahmadinejad vigil. That’s exactly it. Superman sees what’s going on in Iran, can’t bring himself to stay out completely, so he flies to Tehran. (However, mindful of the situation, he does nothing but stand between the protesters and the army - probably would have done more had violence broken out, but it didn’t.) Then he gets called on causing an international incident by the feds. He acknowledges they’re right, but since he’s not going to stand by and let the rest of the world burn just because he lives in Metropolis, his solution is to give up his citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/37 "2011-04-29T12:10:47Z")
Sounds like an interesting story idea … sorta. Still trying to figure out how it’s PC bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/38 "2011-04-29T12:22:46Z")
Everyone’s citing that opening line “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” . I’d like to point out that the opening litany to the Fleischer SAtudi cartoons (which morphed into the Famous Studios cartoons) had simply “Truth, Justice”, with no mention of “the American Way”, despite being made during that patriotic era of World War II. It wasn’t until the 1950s TV series that Superman stood for “Truth, Justice, _and the American Way_”, something later incarnations kept up (Superman carries a huge US flag near the end of the first **Superman** movie with Christopher Reeve). So Superman, in not explicitly championing “the American Way” is arguably simply returmning to his roots. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlTgDbLwxBU) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/b8hC9Mwearg/hqdefault.jpg "Superman Intro") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8hC9Mwearg) ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/39 "2011-04-29T12:28:18Z")
Could they be any more transparent? Superman renounces his American citizenship only to re-assume it in another blaze of publicity when the timing is right. This is about selling comics, nothing else, no secret liberal agenda. The bottom line is the almighty dollar, nothing could be more American. The right has its panties in a bunch for no reason at all. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094/40 "2011-04-29T12:52:41Z")
I think this is an artistic mistake. The more the writers involve Superman in current politics, the greater the violence to the willing suspension of disbelief necessary to accept the Superman story. As long as he lives in a universe where “truth, justice, and the American way” always win out by the end of the story, I can accept him as the world’s biggest Boy Scout. But this is jarring - why doesn’t Superman fly to Cuba and free all the Gitmo inmates? Why doesn’t he punch Ahmadinejad in the face instead of just protesting? > [@](#): > > He acknowledges they’re right, but since he’s not going to stand by and let the rest of the world burn just because he lives in Metropolis, his solution is to give up his citizenship. This doesn’t make a lot of sense - how does it help for him to renounce his US citizenship instead of doing something concrete? I know, I know - they are just trying to sell comics. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-renounces-his-american-citizenship/580094.md?page=3)