Truth, justice, and the American way

I recently saw the new Superman movie. Of course I did - it was a superhero movie! No spoilers here, in case you haven’t seen it, but if you’re on the fence, I’ll say that I highly recommend it. It had the feel of Christopher Reeve, the actor who played the Man of Steel in the 70s and 80s, in the title role again. Plus, the swells of John Williams’ iconic theme music stood out throughout the flick.

The phrase “Truth, justice, and the American way” has been associated with Superman for decades, back to the 1940s. In 2021, DC Comics, the proprietors of Superman comic books, changed that to “Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.” They claimed it was more encompassing of people all over the world who may look to Superman as hope for a better future. (This is shown in the new movie as well. There is a part where a child in a war-torn country raises a Superman flag that gave me a shiver.)

I can understand the shift. It’s not some “woke” thing; DC is trying to sell more comics worldwide. But like many things that we’ve known for a long time, it’s hard to change the phrase in our minds. In fact, I have a poster in my classroom with Superman, an eagle perched on his arm and an American flag flying behind him.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman in 1938. He was created in response to the rise of Adolph Hitler in Germany and his anti-Jewish ideas. One of Hitler’s goals was to create an ubermensch, which is German for…Superman. Siegel and Shuster, two Jewish men, said, “Okay, here you go!” Throughout World War II, some Superman comics had the alien from Krypton fighting Nazis. Not only was he fighting the good fight, but the first issue of “Action Comics,” in which he debuted, set the stage for the comic book and super hero revolution that is still going almost 90 years later.

As I thought about Superman’s transformation into a being that represents hope for people all over the world, not just out country, I remembered that this has been going on for a while. Superman has belonged to the Justice League for a long time. But when the group first got together, they were the Justice League of America. That has faded over time, starting in the 80s when they had a Justice League Europe branch and were also Justice League International. These days, it’s simply the Justice League.

I’ve often thought about Superman in a patriotic way, probably because so many early images of him involve our flag. Clark Kent, his secret identity, was able to fulfill the American Dream. But what is the American Dream? This thought process led me down a very different path.

I’ve written in the past about Captain America, my favorite super hero. But Cap is a Marvel Comics character, so he and Superman live in different universes. 

Captain America has always fought for the American Dream. He, too, was created in response to Hitler. Joe Simon and Jack Kirby brought Cap into being in 1940, and he is seen punching the head Nazi on the cover of his first comic, even before America entered the war.

Since the Star-Spangled Avenger returned in the 1960s, he has often faced moral dilemmas of whether he fights for the government that created him or the people of his country. He has struggled with what the American Dream means. Most people think of it as a chance to achieve prosperity if we work hard. That’s what so many of our immigrant ancestors thought when they crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

Has the American Dream changed? I don’t think so. Has the mechanism for how it is achieved changed? Sure, it has evolved, just like anything else in life.

Captain America and Superman both fight for people who are downtrodden and don’t have the same resources in an effort to allow those people the chance to work hard and get somewhere in life. If you try to take advantage of others, you just might see a red-and-blue costume appear, one with a cape or one with a shield. 

Tell the truth. Seek justice for people who need help. Promote the American Way and bring it back to the forefront of what our country should be by being kind and working hard. You don’t need X-Ray vision or Super Soldier Serum to do that.

With all of that, we can create a better tomorrow.

Word of the Week: This week’s word is oik, which means a person perceived as uncouth and unpleasant, as in, “Lex Luthor is very much an oik in the new Superman movie.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!