Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Superman Denounces His American Citizenship – Going Global to Fight Crime

There are a ton of reasons to love Superman.

He can run fast, he can fly, and he can even deflect bullets and see through walls.

But in a sign of the times the super hero has decided to take the non-traditional Superman approach to our current Geo-political problems.

In an effort to reconnect with his fans, he will walk across America in Action Comics issue #700. The man of steel is walking instead of flying because he wants to be close to the people. Writer Michael Straczynski says,

"You have to remember that when Superman was initially created, his fights weren't against vast interstellar forces. They were against criminals preying on the average guy. Superman was created to be the ally of the average American, the guy who didn't have lots of money or friends in high places."

The storyline will play out over multiple issues and create what might be the biggest Superman exploit ever taken in issue #900 when he announces he is going to give up his U.S. citizenship.

That’s right – and it’s not because he can’t find his long form United States Birth Certificate.

But how can this be? After all, the very theme song says Superman is all about “truth, justice, and the American way." How can you take that away from us?

We can blame it on writer David S. Goyer.

He wrote the DC Comic issue #900 where Superman tells the President's National Security Advisor, who is outraged that Superman appeared in Tehran to non-violently support the revolution protesters demonstrating against the Iranian regime.

However, since Superman is seen as an American, the Iranian government has considered his actions as the will of the American President, and indeed, an act of war.

Oh brother. First a cartoon showing Mohammad almost started a war, and now Superman?

Superman says he was a fool to think that his actions would not reflect politically on the American government, and that he therefore plans to renounce his American citizenship at the United Nations the next day, and to continue working as a superhero from a more global than national perspective.

So now we have to call Bruce in India just to get in touch with Superman?

It makes sense. The Daily Planet Newspaper was absorbed by evil Rupert Murdoch’s FOX Entertainment years ago, and then shut down when Glenn Beck joined the network. Who needs newspapers anyway?

What if Superman finds himself on the no-fly-list and can’t fly back to Washington for an important meeting of the Super Friends? What if he gets groped by a TSA agent who feels those buns of steel?

We know art imitates life, but in this case art is imitating a part of life that makes most people uneasy in the real world. We get the whole Globalization thing.

But how are we going to explain this one to our kids?

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