I know this appears silly, but let it sink in. . . . We lost Superman!

*Gasp* Had to get away from the Obama threads for a bit.

Superman is going global. Yup, you heard right. No moe; truth, justice, and the American way. Superman is renouncing his citizenship.

...Superman announces that he is going to give up his U.S. citizenship. 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.

Read More: www.comicsalliance.com...

Now in the great scheme of things, it'd rate a "meh" on the gives a damn scale. But something as mainsream as Superman now going global, with a muslim Batman already
www.dailytelegraph.com.au...

Is political correctness gone too far? Have they crossed the line?

Have we lost what it means to be American? We had the metrosexuals, Obama was the "global" president, political correctness has run amok.
I used to like Superman. He had a babe (Lois Lane) a job (reporter) and a cool side job fighting really bad guys.

What's next?
WonderWoman with PMS?
Green Later with OCD?
The Penguin being put on the endangered species list?

Have we sunk this low?

youre damn right they have went too far! i suggest they back up off my Superman! he has always been and icon for me. hell i even have a superman patch on my bullet proof vest! just another case of PC going WAAAYYYYY to far.

Kal-El is from another planet. He crashed landed on American soil and was picked up and "adopted" by an American couple, but the fact remains, he's a child of Krypton.

As Superman he serves the planet, fighting crime and helping aid Governments around the globe. I think it makes sense for him to renounce his citizenship. Why would other countries trust a Hero who is affiliated with another country, especially if that country is not an ally.

Now if you were to say that Captain America was dropping his citizenship I'd be like "WTF?!".

reply to post by Mactire


You may be on to something. Superman used to fight for truth, justice, and the American way.

Is the American way the same as it was when he first started his job?

reply to post by sempul


The Man of Steel is now the "multi-cultural person of equality"?

Meh. Red Son was far better than any "legit" Superman story.

Superman's beginnings in America were a matter of chance. If his meteorite had chanced to crash in Australia or Russia, you can bet he'd have donned the beer singlet and downed the vodka just as well as he blended in the "Land of the Free".

A renunciation of citizenship is a serious step, suggesting to me that Superman's agenda is no longer closely bound up with American aims. Instead, Superman probably regards himself as a free agent, working whereever he is most needed.

reply to post by wooretan


But what if it against American interests?

In that, would there be implications that we no longer hold the title as the superpower? That we are no better than any other country? That our values are no better or worse than any other countries?

Granted, it's just a damned comic book. BUT. It caters to an audience that reciprocates with sales.

Is this what the kids today actually think?

reply to post by InvisibleAlbatross

Cool.. Didn't even know that storyline existed.
Might have to check it out just for old times sake.

reply to post by beezzer


I don't think it's what kids today think. It's more likely what the comics creators think will appeal to kids of today, increasing sales. Isn't it better to have a loose cannon than a restricted range of fire? Imagine the topics that could be covered - Israel and Palestine, the UN, the Middle Eastern uprisings.

That said, your questions are good ones. The US of A may no longer be a superpower, and it is possible that its values and goals are no longer strictly aligned with those proclaimed by things such as the Declaration of Independence.

On the other hand, maybe Superman is displaying the alien intelligence he has and preparing to switch sides as an act of real-politik - to China.

reply to post by wooretan


Superman fighting for China. I feel somewhat nauseated now. Superman was an icon, an ideal, a figure that used to exemplify all that was good in our country. Maybe the figure is reflecting our country now.

Maybe America gave up on Superman.

I am (obviously) a very huge Supes fan, so I have to nerd out on you here and mention that he dropped the "American Way" a while back. When that cinematic abortion Superman:Returns came out.

Now, if that has been mentioned or the article is that old, apologies for my nerdom.

Superman has always been a defender of humanity as a whole first, and America second. The world we live in today is much different than the one Superman was created in. No longer do we have the looming threat of Nazism and the Cold War is over. Thanks to the advent of the internet the world has become a global community and Superman is simply changing to reflect this fact. In the past, Superman did not stop asteroids from colliding with Earth or defeated villains like General Zod because he was American. He did these things because he was a citizen of Earth.

Originally posted by iamsupermanv2
I am (obviously) a very huge Supes fan, so I have to nerd out on you here and mention that he dropped the "American Way" a while back. When that cinematic abortion Superman:Returns came out.

Now, if that has been mentioned or the article is that old, apologies for my nerdom.

Naw, I'm just that old. I still remember the original tv series.

Originally posted by Xcalibur254
Superman has always been a defender of humanity as a whole first, and America second. The world we live in today is much different than the one Superman was created in. No longer do we have the looming threat of Nazism and the Cold War is over. Thanks to the advent of the internet the world has become a global community and Superman is simply changing to reflect this fact. In the past, Superman did not stop asteroids from colliding with Earth or defeated villains like General Zod because he was American. He did these things because he was a citizen of Earth.

When he defeated General Zod (god, I can't believe I remember this) he flew to the White House, replaced the flag, saluted the president and said, "Sorry I let you down, sir. It won't happen again."

Okay, I just pegged the geek meter.

reply to post by beezzer


It's so quaint how you insinuate that not being an American can be equated with PMS and mental disorders.

I never really liked Superman, and in fact my favorite issue(which I still have sealed) is when he died. Always seemed too over the top and invincible.

That said, the fact that he is dropping his "US" citizenship" is probably just a ploy by DC to get people to pick the comic up again. Or they are making a statement about the state of the state. It would be interesting if perhaps the rest of the Justice League were to follow in his steps, to become more free to help world wide.

back up

he may be from another planet but if he married lois that meant he got his green card

so..........pftttttttttttttttttt

wheres my can of pc correctness begone.

dont mess with a dude running around in tights he da man!!!

Someone please tell Superman that multiculturalism does not work Sad news for an American Icon. That's a double whammy for me. I just read that scrap metal thieves made off with his historical marker here in Cleveland.
I guess they have already gutted the vacant homes of copper and stripped the aluminum siding off of everything else. Not to mention the copper gutters off of churches.

We need the man of STEEL!!

CLEVELAND — The Man of Steel may have fallen victim to scrap metal thieves in Cleveland.

A historical marker has been stolen near the house where two high school classmates created the Superman character in 1933. The neighborhood’s development corporation tells police a hacksaw was used to remove the plaque from atop a pole two weeks ago.

The Plain Dealer newspaper reports that the aluminum marker may have been swiped because its coloring led the culprits to think it was bronze, a popular target of scrap thieves.

The city installed the plaque eight years ago. Officials say it will be replaced.

www.washingtonpost.com... E_story.html

The idiots could not tell the difference in weight between aluminum and bronze. LUUUUTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhhh! thanks for the fresh air thread!!!! Definitely getting a little stale around here.

cheers!!