Superman is undocumented
If that fact shocks you, you’ve either never picked up a comic or you’re deliberately ignoring the obvious.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a comic book fan. Have been from a young age and honestly, nothing cools that kind of obsession. I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon. If the number of comic books that drop through my letterbox courtesy of my Forbidden Planet subscription is anything to go by, then yes, my love for comics isn’t ending. Ever.
Silver Surfer is my favourite Marvel character. Batman and The Flash are, without question, two of my favourite DC heroes. Superman? He’s not one of my top-tier favourites, but I appreciate him. I respect what he stands for, and I absolutely understand his place in comic book mythology and that he’s part of the ‘Trinity’ (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman).
You may have noticed (because the internet certainly has) that there’s a new Superman movie being released this weekend. Will I be watching it? Doubt it, at least not at the cinema. I’m just not a fan of James Gunn’s directing style so I will not be rushing to the cinema anytime soon. I’ll watch it eventually, most likely when it’s released digitally; which doesn’t take long these days.
But that’s not the point of this short piece.
The point is that James Gunn recently said something that set a very specific corner of the internet on fire. He said:
Brace yourself.
I know. I know. You’re shocked aren’t you? You fell off your chair and your world has been knocked off its axis.
Superman being an immigrant is not news. In fact it’s not anything. It’s not radical. Gunn might as well have told us that water is wet.
Still, there was outrage. Deep, righteous, loud outrage.
People were shocked that the man in red and blue, and yes, depending on the comic era, sometimes with his underpants on the outside, sometimes not, could possibly be… an immigrant?
Their blue-eyed superhero? An alien?
Nooooo!
For crying out loud, even Superman himself, Dean Cain, has an issue with Superman being an immigrant. Apparently, this version of Superman is ‘too woke’. The man who is of Japanese descent, somehow missed the character notes that Superman, the character he played in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman for four seasons, was born on another planet.
Honestly, you couldn’t make this nonsense up.
I ignored it for as long as I possibly could. Truly, I tried.
I ignored the social media posts, the cries from the manosphere and think pieces, but it reached a point. And yes, that point was partially influenced by the fact that we’re currently in the middle of a heatwave here in London, and I’m hot and slightly irritable. Also, I’ve got a ridiculous backlog of comics to read. But most importantly, this outrage is just… stupid.
If you’re on social media shouting about how Superman “shouldn’t be an immigrant,” and he’s “too woke” . If the fact that Superman/Clark Kent was not actually born in Kansas, to US citizens shocks you, then I’m going to conclude the following:
You’ve never read a Superman comic (or any DC comic).
You’ve never watched Superman: The Animated Series.
You’ve never seen Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice *any animated series featuring Superman.
Superman: Red Son, Unbound, Man of Tomorrow, The Death and Return of Superman, well you have no idea that these animated movies exist.
You’ve never watched Superman & Lois (You really should. It’s brilliant).
You’ve never watched Superman (1978), Superman II, Superman Returns, Man of Steel, bloody hell, any Superman movie (which includes Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, the movie we all try to forget about).
In every incarnation of Superman, and there are many, across comic book storylines, animated series, and film adaptations, one fact remains undisputed.
Superman is an alien.
From Krypton.
Launched into space as a baby.
Lands in Kansas. Raised by two humans who teach him compassion and morality.
This is CANON.
And by the simple fact that Superman comes from another place, a different planet no less, and builds a life in another place, he is, surprise, surprise, an immigrant.
The story of Superman/Clark Kent is the ultimate immigrant story.
The outsider trying to belong, constantly grappling with identity, power, and responsibility. He’s undocumented: no papers ( I have questions for Jonathan and Martha Kent - a bit of fraud going on there), no birth certificate, no formal status. Yet he fights to protect not only the country that raised him but the world. And the universe. And the multiverse. (I could go on because I read comics).
So if that bothers you, if that element of the character is your sticking point, then your issue isn’t with Superman.
It’s with the idea that someone who doesn’t look or sound like you could still be good. Could still be heroic. Could still save the world.
You’re not just wrong. You’re loud, wrong, and proudly ignorant.
If you’re standing on your high horse complaining about immigrants, or that everything’s suddenly “too woke”, whether we’re talking about comics, film, art, books or the waiting list for your local dentist, then yes, I’m also going to conclude that you’re racist.
Yes, I said it.
You’re probably racist.
If your issue with a fictional character, or a real-life person, begins with the fact that they don’t look like you, or that their story challenges your narrow view of the world, then we’re not talking about storytelling anymore. We’re talking about you.
What is racism, if not a deep discomfort with difference? A belief that someone who doesn’t look like you must be inferior to you?
What is discrimination, if not the belief that your perspective is the only one that matters?
This kind of outrage always says more about the person doing the shouting than it does about the character or the creator. It tells me that something about this story, this version, this identity, has exposed your own inadequacies. It’s forced you to look inward, and you don’t like what you see. So instead, you’ve decided to act like an idiot, log onto your social media platform of choice and declare that ‘Superman has gone woke’.
Anyway. It’s hot. It’s the weekend and I’ve got a comic book backlog to get through.
If you’re watching Superman this weekend, I hope you enjoy it. I really do. If it doesn’t deliver what you wanted, remember: there are countless Superman stories out there. Different timelines. Different creators. Different angles.
You will always find a version of Superman you can relate to.
And if you’re not sure where to start? You can ask me.