Superman; the all-American hero who has lasted for over three quarters of a century
(Impact of Superman). It’s nearly impossible for a comic book character to exist that long and not change, and Superman is not exempt. In fact, from sporting a mullet to fighting Nazis, Superman changes a lot. These changes may seem random at times, but they make sense when put under this lense; Superman is just mirroring America. Superman comics have changed to reflect society most notably during Great Depression, WWII, and The Vietnam War.
The Great Depression was a trying time for America. Just four years after the stock market crash, 15 million Americans were without jobs. Investment, consumption of goods, and overall quality of life went down significantly
It was a time where everyone pulled together, making sacrifices for the good of the country (The US Homefront). Through the social and political disorder of this time, Superman comics impressed the simplistic view of America’s goodness against the dastardly ways of evil (Impact of Superman). Even Superman’s core morals changed to reflect how society was feeling (Impact of Superman). Now, instead of fighting just for “truth and justice,” as he had been doing since his creation, Superman fought for “truth, justice, and the American Way” (Impact of Superman). This wasn’t really a noticeable change, considering the large amounts of patriotism that America felt (Impact of
They started families, relishing the newfound peace and prosperity (New Republic). As the country settled into a new, postwar normal, Superman was also affected. Superman’s adventures became more domestic (New Republic). He spent just as much time making sure Lois Lane didn’t discover his secret identity as he did fighting villains (New republic).
During the fifties, Americans saw themselves as the ultimate justice. Superman reflected this almost exactly, now he transformed into something of a super police officer (Larry). Not only that, but as America considered themselves a global peace keeper, they were also felt stronger (Larry). With that, Superman also was strengthened, receiving newer, stronger powers (New Republic). A few of the aforementioned powers including the ability to break the time barrier, and the ability to shoot miniature versions of himself out of his hands (New Republic).
In the mid fifties, America entered the Vietnam War (Vietnam War). However, by