The New Superman Is Woke, Anti-Occupation, and Anti-MAGA. We Should Embrace Him
There’s no need to be shy, coy, or demure about owning Superman’s rich history of battling fascists and protecting the defenseless.
If you’re a comic book fan, you know that Superman has been woke ever since his debut in Action Comics on April 18, 1938.
Created by two Jewish American sons of immigrants, Superman’s origin was modeled after Moses. His birth name is Kal-El, which is Hebrew for “voice of God.” Like the Biblical prophet, Superman’s parents sent him as a baby to a foreign land to escape certain death. He is literally an undocumented immigrant who crash-lands in Smallville, Kansas, and is given refuge by two farmers who decide to give him a secret identity and raise him with love.
Although he’s never battled the Old Testament pharaoh, Superman has fought Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, and Brainiac over the past 90 years. However, his greatest nemesis remains Lex Luthor, a self-absorbed, sociopathic billionaire whose immense privileges and wealth can’t compensate for his fragile ego and deep-seated insecurity.
Sound familiar?
In the past, Superman writers have even characterized Lex Luthor as Donald Trump after his Art of the Deal rebrand. Luthor also became president of the United States for a short period, but he was eventually impeached due to corruption and abuse of powers, and criminally indicted.
However, the latest salvo in the unending MAGA culture war isn’t due to eerie parallels between Luthor and Trump, but rather due to the writer and director of the new Superman movie simply stating an obvious truth that even children understand. “Superman is the story of America,” said James Gunn, ahead of the movie’s release last week. “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”
Hit dogs holler.