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What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?

The title above is taken from the cover of Action Comics #775. Possibly one of the greatest Superman, no, human tales ever written. I’d tell you to go read it, but it came out a couple of years ago and you’ll be hard pressed to find a collector who would part with their copy. The plot is relatively simple. A new team called The Elite has taken to killing the villains in the world. When confronted by Superman they argue that by utterly and completely wiping out the evil in the world they are making it a safer place. Superman argues (as he always does) that killing for any reason makes you no better then the people you are fighting. The Elite asks the people to decide, and they do. In a painful moment Superman watches some kids playing “superhero” and NONE of them wants to be him because Superman can’t kill.

There in lies the core truth to Superman. He can kill. He can kill with such force and power that NO ONE could stop him. What makes him more human then any of us mortals is that he chooses NOT TO. Superman tries to make the world a better place without causing harm. It pains Superman when he is forced to resort to his fists and heat vision when protecting the people of the Earth.

The Elite tells Superman that he is washed up. That his morals no longer apply in the new world of terrorists and nuclear despots. The Elite challenges Superman to a fight. A fight that Superman KNOWS he can not win without killing the Elite. Superman spends a sleepless night watching the city, country, world, and wife that he loves resting peacefully; knowing that in the morning he must either kill or allow himself to die for his higher beliefs. Like all events in the modern era, the fight between Superman and the Elite is televised. Refusing to stoop to their level, Superman is killed…

We are that power. America is the Superman of the world. We can utter and totally obliterate any foe we face in an instant should we choose to. As a whole I want to believe that we don’t want to pummel our foes into submission. Like Superman, I want to believe that America would prefer to extend a hand in friendship then in violence. True, the world is dangerous and scary at times. Such dangers must be met with the appropriate amount of vigilance. America should, like Superman, temper our power. Such terrible power unchecked is a dangerous and frightening image.

The Elite returns victorious. The Elite begins to strike at forces it believes to be dangerous. Their argument is an old (and valid) one. If you could have killed Hitler before he took power, how many lives would have been saved? The Elite kills those that it feels will be a threat to the world. Soon, the Elite even turns to those that disagree with their philosophy. Just as Superman claimed, the people of the world become frightened and threatened by their new “protectors”. Luckily, these are the comics and we all know that Superman isn’t really dead. Faking his death Superman challenges the Elite to another fight. No cameras, no witness’, and no rules. Full of pride the Elite accepts. Superman knows he must cross the line.

Without the world watching what would America do? Would we maintain our higher moral ground or would we simply fall back on our astonishing power and level our foes?
America is at an impasse right now. Like Superman we must make a choice. We can open our coffers and unleash our power upon the world, forcing all to do as we say and desire. Or, we can channel our power into making the world self-sufficient. A world that no longer needs figures of complete and total power to protect us.

Superman fights the Elite to the grizzly end. He uses his power to make the leader, Manchester Black, of the Elite believe that all that he cares for has met hideous and violent deaths. Superman gives the Elite a taste of the fear they places upon the population of Earth. Black relents and Superman returns the other members of the Elite to Black’s side. However, in a final act of hubris Black asks Superman why he even bothers. Why does he care? Why bother to fight for a future that is nothing more then a dream? To this Superman responds:

"You know what, Black..? I wouldn't have it any other way. Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul I swear... until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice becomes the reality we all share... I'll never stop fighting. Ever."

Interestedly, whenever DC does a story about the possible future of Superman it tends to run along two themes. One, Superman sees that humanity can not govern itself and so he sets himself up as a god. He crowns himself “Superman Rex” and rules to the end of time. Then, there is the other future. The one in which Superman is no longer needed. Humanity solves it’s problems on it’s own. In this future, Superman is no more. There is only Clark Kent, mild mannered (and happily retired) reporter for the Daily Planet.

I wonder which future we will have?