I recall the first time I saw one of the original Fleischer Superman cartoons from the 1940s, and the introduction announced that Superman stood for “Truth, Justice”, but it didn’t go onto say “…and the American Way” the way the 1950s TV show’s intro did. Evidently the “American Way” was first introduced in Superman radio broadcasts during WWII.
I can’t say I’m surprised at the change. Now that the Optical Society of America has changed its name to Optica in recognition that its membership is now international (and has been for years), it makes sense that a Superman who wants to be international shouldn’t restrict himself to national boundaries.
Evidently this has caused howls of outrage from the right.
I started this thread because I didn’t see the earlier one in a different category, but I put it here because of overreaction by right wingers. Presumably the reason they re-opened this one.
To be fair, those fights were decades ago, and unless you’re a serious fan of the character (and comics in general), I wouldn’t be surprised if they do not actually remember or know about that.
Regardless, I suspect that they see Superman through their own lenses, and view him as a paragon of patriotism and manliness.
A few years back, when Sam Wilson took over as Captain America, and was doing stuff like fighting racist militias on the Mexican-US border, Tucker Carlson complained, “Why can’t liberals make their own Captain America.”
Well, Tucker, we did. His name is “Captain America.”
No shit. Steve Rogers was so fed up with Nixon in the 70s he gave up the costume because he couldn’t wear the flag of a country he was disillusioned with. So he was Nomad briefly. He eventually took the Cap identity back when he decided he could fight for his country without supporting the government. But he was no Right Wing paragon.
These panels from Action Comics #1 (Superman’s first appearance) were reprinted in the first edition of The Science Fiction Encyclopedia as examples of Superman’s isolationist tendencies. I’m not sure the political philosophy was meant to be that broad. Supes is clearly foiling an effort to directly involve the US in a war
I don’t know why they keep pumping out these loud, migraine-inducing CGI festival movies where the only two stories they know how to tell are
Superhero stops destruction of planet/galaxy
Villain seeks revenge on superhero
… because I dunno about you, but I’ll pay double to see a DC movie where Superman just absolutely lays waste to a used car lot because they sold Jimmy Olsen a shitty '16 Fiesta.
