Superman Renounces U.S. Citizenship in 'Action Comics' #900

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/04/27/superman-renounces-us-citizenship/ 

After recently undertaking a journey to walk -- not fly -- across the United
States in the "Grounded" storyline and reconnect with the country and
everyday Americans, Superman appears to be taking another step that could
have major implications for his national identity: in Action Comics #900...

...Superman announces that he is going to give up his U.S. citizenship.
Despite very literally being an alien immigrant, Superman has long been seen
as a patriotic symbol of "truth, justice, and the American way," from his
embrace of traditional American ideals to the iconic red and blue of his
costume. What it means to stand for the "American way" is an increasingly
complicated thing, however, both in the real world and in superhero comics,
whose storylines have increasingly seemed to mirror current events and deal
with moral and political complexities rather than simple black and white
morality.

The key scene takes place in "The Incident," a short story in Action Comics
#900 written by David S. Goyer with art by Miguel Sepulveda. In it, Superman
consults with the President's national security advisor, who is incensed
that Superman appeared in Tehran to non-violently support the protesters
demonstrating against the Iranian regime, no doubt an analogue for the
recent real-life protests in the Middle East. However, since Superman is
viewed as an American icon in the DC Universe as well as our own, the
Iranian government has construed his actions as the will of the American
President, and indeed, an act of war.

Superman replies that it was foolish 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. From a "realistic" standpoint it makes sense; it would indeed
be impossible for a nigh-omnipotent being ideologically aligned with America
to intercede against injustice beyond American borders without creating
enormous political fallout for the U.S. government.

While this wouldn't be this first time a profoundly American comic book icon
disassociated himself from his national identity -- remember when Captain
America became Nomad? -- this could be a very significant turning point for
Superman if its implications carry over into other storylines. Indeed,
simply saying that "truth, justice and the American way [is] not enough
anymore" is a pretty startling statement from the one man who has always
represented those values the most.

It doesn't seem that he's abandoning those values, however, only trying to
implement them on a larger scale and divorce himself from the political
complexities of nationalism. Superman also says that he believes he has been
thinking "too small," that the world is "too connected" for him to limit
himself with a purely national identity. As an alien born on another planet,
after all, he "can't help but see the bigger picture."

Do you think the shift to a more global role makes sense for Superman? If he
really is going to renounce his U.S. citizenship in order to function as a
more international figure, how do you think it will affect the character?




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