Superman renounces his US citizenship

[Volphied]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...-America-Fox-News-Readers-Take-the-News-Badly

A Superman story with an unusually overt political theme has some Conservative comic book fans up in arms.

Superman's classic line about "truth, justice, and the American way" is going to need a little tweaking, as in Action Comics #900, he renounces his US citizenship to take a more global prospective. This news has not gone down well in some quarters, especially with readers of Fox News' Nation blog.

Issue #900 actually contains a number of different stories, even one where Superman fights an actual god, but it was a politically charged piece by Batman Begins writer David S. Goyer that has people upset. In it, Superman intervenes in a anti-government riot in Tehran, Iran's capital city. He protects the protestors from Iran's army through what is described as, "an act of non-violent protest."

The story is unusual in that is uses real places and people - Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears in the story - rather than stand-ins. After protecting the protestors, Superman returns home where he is confronted by US Government officials. It's there he reveals his intention to give up his US citizenship, saying that the world is too small for him to be tied to any one country, and that he was tired of having his actions seen as "instruments of US policy."

Fox News wrote about the story twice, once in long form its main blog, and a short synopsis on its Nation blog, which linked to a story written by Wired. Despite what you might expect a Fox News piece on Superman turning his back on the country that had given him so much to be like, both pieces are incredibly even handed, free from the hysteria and half-truths that characterized its Bulletstorm coverage.

In the articles' comment sections, however, it's a different story. Many readers are upset with the story, which they perceive to be an effort by left-leaning writers to push their agenda, using Superman as a platform. "The liberal, America hating scumbags who now run DC Comics are just adding another feather in their cap with yet more anti-American culture and tradition jihad. F--k 'em," wrote one commenter. "This is why I don't go to movies or even rent anymore. I'm not making the left loons of Hollywood any richer to support their campaign of American hate," added another.

DC co-publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio were diplomatic about the story, issuing a statement seemingly intended to support it, while at the same time, placating its detractors. In it, they said that that Superman embodied the very best traits of "the America Way," and that despite his new, global focus he would remain true to his roots as a farm boy from Kansas. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that this measured response will be enough to mollify those who see this as a betrayal of what the character used to stand for.

 

[Still Probably Modio]

So... Superman isn't American anymore?

 

[TM2-Megatron]

meh, I don't really understand why this was strictly necessary (or the outcry over it). Clark Kent is his legally registered identity, anyway; and Clark Kent remains American... and I'm pretty sure that's who he'd think of himself as being in his head, not "Superman".

Regardless of his nationality, though, Superman has always devoted himself to defending humanity as a whole.

 

[Proxima Centauri B]

I was under the impression that Superman was an alien from Krypton

 

[Still Probably Modio]

But does this mean he's moving out of Metro City?!

 

[Kayi Rowling]

Loving the outrage :XD2:

How can someone be anti-American when they want to protect the world and not only the USA, while at the same time not been seen as an instrument of a nation?

...also, fictional character

 

[Ranger Jack Walker]

...also, fictional character

Indeed. This is a fictional character we are talking about. Sure he is the iconic Superman but he doesn't exist. Stop overreacting.

 

[Luna Tiger]

It's the same sort of sentiment when Marvel killed off Captain America at the end of the Civil War saga (before the predictable return-of-some-method): outrage.

Now, I think untying Superman to the US is a good thing. World savior of the biggest magnitude. He shouldn't be tied to any one country, and he certainly should not have to answer to a government when he's still basically the embodiment of everything just. ...Better the JL to command him more than any country.

Now, as long as Clark Kent (that still a secret?) hasn't said anything, he can still camp there scott free.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

meh, I don't really understand why this was strictly necessary (or the outcry over it). Clark Kent is his legally registered identity, anyway; and Clark Kent remains American... and I'm pretty sure that's who he'd think of himself as being in his head, not "Superman".

Which really opens up the whole "illegal alien pretending to be an American to fight American businessmen" problem. But no one ever sees that.

Regardless of his nationality, though, Superman has always devoted himself to defending humanity as a whole.

Which is, of course, the point of the story (the Superman story, not the article above).

I was under the impression that Superman was an alien from Krypton

He is. But he was given US citizenship by Kennedy, from what I've heard (and his alter ego is, presumably, American). Though I'm not quite certain how that works post-Crises.

But does this mean he's moving out of Metro City?!

Metropolis? No, I doubt he'll be leaving. Though he did just finish a cross-country walk that kept him out of Metropolis for a time.

 

[Eredar Warlock]

Indeed. This is a fictional character we are talking about. Sure he is the iconic Superman but he doesn't exist. Stop overreacting.

Superman is an iconic American character and has been since his creation. To me, seeing Superman renounce his citizenship wounds me considerably, and being a fan of DC, and Superman specifically, I find it impossible to have anything to do with their merchandise.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Superman is an iconic American character and has been since his creation. To me, seeing Superman renounce his citizenship wounds me considerably, and being a fan of DC, and Superman specifically, I find it impossible to have anything to do with their merchandise.

How many DC comics did you regularly follow/buy prior to this?

 

[Eredar Warlock]

Less a fan of the comics and more a fan of the animated series/movies. There aren't any comic shops around for 200 miles. My dad collected comics of all kinds, however, and I was partial to the Superman and Batman comics.

I do play DC Universe Online and this really ruins my ability to enjoy that game.

 

[Fig]

Superman is an iconic American character

(Created by an artist who was born and grew up in Canada)

 

[Mitsuru]

Indeed. This is a fictional character we are talking about. Sure he is the iconic Superman but he doesn't exist. Stop overreacting.

He acts as a symbol. They're outraged at the fact that this symbol is, to them, being ripped away.

In reality, he's simply not affiliating with just one country. Renouncing citizenship shows that he wants to aid the world without relations to the US, just like with any country, to not be their tool and align with their ideologies.

These people don't understand that Clark is still an American; that he does still have personal ties to the US, but he doesn't exclusively have one on a professional level.

Superman is an iconic American character and has been since his creation. To me, seeing Superman renounce his citizenship wounds me considerably, and being a fan of DC, and Superman specifically, I find it impossible to have anything to do with their merchandise.

Superman stands as a hero for the entire world, not just the United States.
And, then, what if he aligns with the American government? Is he not to save someone's life because the specific powers that be don't like them or if we have international complications?

 

[Eredar Warlock]

(Created by an artist who was born and grew up in Canada)

What does that have anything to do with anything? Regardless, he stood for truth, justice, and the AMERICAN way, not truth, justice, and the Mounties.

 

[Kayi Rowling]

What does that have anything to do with anything? Regardless, he stood for truth, justice, and the AMERICAN way, not truth, justice, and the Mounties.

Now he stands for something far bigger than the American way, spreading truth and justice through the world. Aren't you happy a superhero has finally become a true hero?

 

[GrnMarvl14]

What does that have anything to do with anything? Regardless, he stood for truth, justice, and the AMERICAN way, not truth, justice, and the Mounties.

Actually, the "American way" was added later. The "truth and justice" part was added in 1941 for the Superman radio show. With America entering WWII, the "American way" was added for the sake of nationalism. And even that was dropped after the war's end. It was the 1950s TV show (almost a decade-and-a-half after his creation) that popularized the phrase. Wasn't even his creators that added it.

 

[Eredar Warlock]

Now he stands for something far bigger than the American way, spreading truth and justice through the world.

I don't differentiate the two. And are you insinuating that he WASN'T a true hero before he renounced his citizenship? Because that is pretty insulting to me as an American.

Actually, the "American way" was added later. The "truth and justice" part was added in 1941 for the Superman radio show. With America entering WWII, the "American way" was added for the sake of nationalism. And even that was dropped after the war's end. It was the 1950s TV show (almost a decade-and-a-half after his creation) that popularized the phrase. Wasn't even his creators that added it.

It still doesn't change the fact that it has been a facet of his character for decades. Superman is a hero that is defined in America. He has saved the World, yes, but that doesn't detract from an American identity.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

It still doesn't change the fact that it has been a facet of his character for decades. Superman is a hero that is defined in America. He has saved the World, yes, but that doesn't detract from an American identity.

He's hardly Captain America. And he's not standing up for uniquely American values. Just because he was defined IN America doesn't make his identity solely American. Not when people the world over can look at him and see the same thing.

 

[Eredar Warlock]

He's hardly Captain America. And he's not standing up for uniquely American values. Just because he was defined IN America doesn't make his identity solely American. Not when people the world over can look at him and see the same thing.

DC doesn't have a Captain America. Superman is probably as close as it came. In any event, he is an American cultural icon primarily, thus it gives him an American identity.