New members of the Superman family highlight his true legacy
0
0
Superman has always been a comforting power fantasy for the downtrodden, and especially for children. His new “relatives” underline this origin.
Spoiler alert for Action comics #1045
In DC Comics, Superman has added two unexpected new members to his family, and their inclusion highlights his true legacy. Even though Clark Kent has been separated from his son, Jon, as Superman fights for the freedom of Warworld, he has still managed to connect with the oppressed children of Warworld. This connection speaks to what Superman was always meant to do: serve as a fantastic escape for children and the downtrodden everywhere.
In 1938, Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two young Jews from Ohio whose parents immigrated to North America from Europe, fleeing anti-Semitism. His character “Superman” first appeared in Action comics #1, a Midwestern man with great powers whose only goal is to protect those who need protection. In more recent issues of Action comics— the book in which Superman debuted in 1938 — Superman has been working with a team of outcast heroes known as the Authority in order to free the oppressed race of Kryptonians, the Phaelosians, who have been enslaved on Warworld by the dictator Mongul . Clark Kent has separated himself from his family and home, choosing to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
In Action comics #1045 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Will Conrad, Brent Peeples, Lee Loughridge, and Dave Sharpe Near the height of the Warworld revolution, Superman takes two Phaelosian children with him on a mission to Warworld in order to keep them under his protection. The young man stops him and asks “When this is over, will you take us with you? On earth?” Both children seem hesitant to return to New Phaelosia with their people. Superman insists that one day they’ll be comfortable wearing their own family seals, but says he’s always welcome to wear his shield and “Both of you will always be welcome wherever I am.“
From his inception by two Jewish sons of immigrants, Superman has always been a comforting power fantasy for the downtrodden, and especially for children. Although comics are enjoyed by people of all ages, remembering that superheroes were created in particular, especially those like Superman. for children during the height of the Great Depression and the height of international war only increases its importance. This topic of Action comics returns Superman to his roots as a protector of children—those who cannot protect themselves—and as an escape from difficult circumstances. It’s an escape, yes, but only in addition to its role as a powerful symbol of what can happen when someone stands up for others and says: not more.
Superman has an extended family which of course includes his own wife and son, but from then on Action comics #1045, readers know that his family knows no bounds. Superman returns to his true origins as a protector and comforter of children in difficult times, and these Phaelosian children represent all the many children, past and present, who find escape and joy in Superman’s stories. Superman he’s not just a hero on the page—his “real-life” status as America’s first superhero means he’ll always be a symbol for those who hope for a better tomorrow.
Take a look Action comics #1045, available now at DC Comics!
About the author
