DC Drops “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” From Superman’s Motto
DC Comics recently made headlines when it announced that Superman’s famous motto of “truth, justice and the American way” would no longer reflect his international storylines and legacy.
Fox News hosts were understandably alarmed at this development, likening it to endorsing communist China or Taliban ideology.
Origin
Superman has always stood for “truth, justice and the American way,” yet DC Comics decided to update his motto to better represent his international storylines. Publisher’s Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee announced this update at a virtual fan event this past Saturday.
Lee announced at DC Fandome, an online event where fans can view new trailers and get first looks at upcoming films, TV shows, and games, that DC would change Superman’s motto from “truth, justice, and the American Way” to “truth justice and a better tomorrow”. This change is intended to reflect his enduring legacy: as our world evolves further “It is only appropriate that Superman’s mantra do too”, Lee explained.
Though the reasoning for DC Comics dropping “the American way” remains obscure, this change seems part of their effort to ensure their heroes represent all segments of society accurately. One telling example was Clark Kent’s son Jon being bisexual; this was revealed in one issue when Jon began dating male reporter Jay Nakamura.
Superman’s recent change of motto may cause dismay among some fans, but it’s certainly not without precedent. His allegiance to American ideallism has long been under question; one example can be found in 2013 film Man of Steel where it depicted Superman as having a fraught relationship with his adopted homeland.
Changes to Superman’s motto shouldn’t be seen as politically correctness but as an effort to ensure his message resonates in today’s interconnected world. He represents much more than American idealism alone: his motto should serve as an example for how all humans should strive towards building a brighter tomorrow.
Meaning
Since decades ago, “truth, justice, and the American way” has been associated with Superman as his motto. Yet this phrase did not originate in comic books by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster but rather during World War II radio adventures starring Superman himself. Narrators from these early radio adventures added “and the American way” as part of Superman’s mission statement as a reflection of American paranoia about communism during this Cold War era.
The phraseology surrounding Superman has caused considerable debate; critics see the move as an endorsement of Communism while supporters maintain it is meant to appeal to American consumers. DC Comics recently made public that Superman will change his motto in order to reflect his global mission, with Publisher/CEO Jim Lee making this announcement at DC FanDome on Saturday.
Lee claims the new slogan better represents Superman’s “global storylines” and will celebrate 80 years of building a better world through building his character. This change becomes especially significant given news that Clark Kent’s son Jon Kent will come out as bisexual in an upcoming comic book and begin dating another male character.
As part of Superman’s American heritage, his new mantra will include an allusion to Kansas where he was raised. This change should prove popular among fans, and may influence future iterations of his character.
The addition of “and” to Superman’s motto emphasizes his belief in combining truth, justice, compassion, and humility, which are core aspects of his persona. This marks a change from when the phrase was previously used: “truth justice American (or Western) way.” This will also be integrated into both Superman animated series and feature films.
Appearance
Superman, one of the longest-lived and iconic superheroes ever to exist, has seen his appearance change drastically throughout his decades-long run. Not only has his costume evolved over time; so has his power set.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman as a quintessential comic book superhero in 1938, complete with strong yet gentle characteristics who was always prepared to defend the weak. Due to his unwavering character traits and strong moral values, Superman quickly became popular among both children and adults alike.
Mort Weisinger was too moved by John F. Kennedy’s murder to overlook it when writing Superman stories; yet his universe largely remained divorced from contemporary social conditions. For most of its run in the 1940s and 50s, Superman served as an icon of patriotism against Axis powers like Germany; he battled villains like Lex Luthor and Kryptonians known as the Legion of Doom who would become DC super-heroes over time. Superman set an exemplary standard against which later DC super-heroes like Spider-Man would follow.
Superman has incredible strength, as well as an exceptionally durable body that is virtually impervious to attacks. He can leap tall buildings in one bound, move entire planets at will, bend steel chains with his hands, possess x-ray vision, superspeed vision and heat vision as well as creating a force field around himself that protects from anything except for close range bullets made of kryptonite or lead. Furthermore, Superman keeps all his memorabilia hidden away at Fortress of Solitude where his collection can be stored along with lab experiments conducted under supervision of scientists.
Superman enjoys an extensive circle of acquaintances and friends, including Lois Lane from The Daily Planet and Perry White as managing editor. However, their friendship is sometimes tenuous due to Jonathan Kent being half Kryptonian; soon, his sexual orientation will also become known. Superman recently changed his motto from “the American way” to something more fitting with our changing times: he now only emphasizes justice as his motto!
Reputation
The Man of Steel has an illustrious legacy and remains one of the most iconic figures in pop culture today. His superpowers have long made him a hero to generations, while his role as an icon for truth, justice, and the American way has been central to his character since 1938 – not only has he represented America but he’s become a hero to people worldwide!
At DC Fandom event, Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee announced that Superman will adopt a new mission statement: Truth, Justice and A Better Tomorrow. Lee explained this change was to make Superman more inclusive to a wider audience.
Clark Kent will now simply be known as Clark Kent instead of “American way”. Although Superman has had many slogans throughout its existence, this marks its most extensive change – particularly following Jon’s announcement as bisexual.
Superman’s reputation as a hero has been damaged in various incidents over time, most notably those depicted in DC Animated Universe by Lex Luthor who used his influence to discredit Superman through various schemes such as building an attempt at providing relief to lower income citizens before demolishing it later so that it looked like Superman was responsible and thus discredit his abilities and degrade his image.
Superman has taken hits for not just his superpowers but his attitude and approach to crime-fighting as well. Critics often accuse him of narcissism and arrogance; writers have responded by showing him as more vulnerable – the Mother Boxes story serves as an excellent illustration.
DC Comics’ recent change of Superman’s motto marks an important step toward increasing global justice and peace. But it must not forget that Superman stands not just for Americanism but instead seeks to save all humanity from danger.
