brayzie

I guess Superman renounces his US citizenship in Action Comics #900. He does it because in the story he's peacefully protecting protesters in Iran, and the Iranian government accuses him of being a tool of the US. So he renounces his citizenship so other nations will believe his actions come from his heart and not from some US mandate.

I guess it's okay but honestly, I don't think this kind of sophisticated writing really works in "Superman." I mean big ideas are cool, but the more realistic you try to make Superman, the more unrealistic it seems.

At first, I thought it was just pandering to the left considering the timing, but after reading more about it, it sounds like a more honest attempt to universalize the character. But if they want to move the character and comic in this direction, it's like, why not just become Miracleman and make the world how it should be?

fujishig

Isn't he an illegal alien (not only to the US, but also to Earth) with forged documents and a stolen SSN?

The other question I had when I saw the page that this happened on... is Clark Kent also renouncing his citizenship?

The reason I dislike putting politics like this in comics is exactly what you said; if we're no longer suspending disbelief about borders and international law in comics, we get into the Squadron Supreme/Authority line of questioning which becomes why don't they just go after every single atrocity in the world? And after they do that, what makes them the best judge of which events are atrocities or worth interfering in?

Patman

Meh!

Bronkster

I can somewhat understand the logic of the concept, but I ultimately agree with Brayzie that too much political gunk in comics detracts from the enjoyment. Hasn't DC always maintained a stable of fake countries to play with anyway, along with U.S. presidents not related to reality? Besides, even within the storyline of Iran, a non-Americanized Superman is still going to be viewed as an enemy of Iranian government - which is plenty of fodder for the writers, I would imagine.

I dunno ... in the end, I prefer the whole Truth, Justice and the American Way ideal for Superman.

PhantomStranger

The first thing I thought of when I read this news about Superman was Miracleman, which ultimately ended up being a liberal fantasy riff on a Superman-like character. By using a real country in the story such as Iran, it seems DC made a calculated decision for media attention and publicity. DC almost never uses real world places in their comics, except when the storyline is designed to provoke controversy.