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Introduction
Superheroes were integrated into the United States culture in the 1930s, and since then, they have remained a part of United States comic books and films. The superhero comic characters served different roles in American history ranging from spreading propaganda during wars, addressing the challenges facing the American society during the great depression, and promoting family ties and relationships (Dellecese 3). Cook (2) states that a superhero induces a sense of strength and nationalism in the citizens, especially in times of crisis. Comic books and superhero tales have been considered cultural artifacts and perceived to represent their creation period (De Dauw 11). Although comic books and superheroes were considered materials for children and young people, they have gained popularity in the scholarly environment, including in sociology and literature.
As a genre, comic books employ visual characteristics and represent American Culture. The visual representation of the superheroes in comic books is characterized by the main characters strength, nationalism, and patriotism (Aro 5). Superheroes are regarded as characters fighting against the evils in the society and induce hope that excellent morals preside over the immorality in the community. Most of the superheroes created since the 1930s have consistently fought against social injustice and oppression, especially from the corrupt members of society. The evildoers are usually considered the main villains in the superheroes comic tales. This paper studies a famous superhero who has appeared in comic books and films since 1938, Superman. It includes the history, his development, and the implication he has as a fictional character to the audience. For a thorough exploration of Superman and his implication on American society, this study focuses on the messages that Superman as a heroic character sends to the human race and how it influences the behaviors of its audience and fans.
Superman and his actions appeal to his Audience
Different scholars have studied the implication of Superman comic tales on human characters since his creation in 1938. Gould (4) found that Superman has transitioned over the decades since 1938. The series of superman comic books are divided into different periods in history, including the great depression, World War 2, the 1950s to 1960s, 1970s to 1980, and 1990s to 2000s (Gould 6). He is an interesting character since, for many years, his tales have been adjusted accordingly to fit the challenges of a particular time in history. Gould (2020) categorizes the superman tales according to American societys challenges and cultural dimensions during definite times in history. In 1939, Superman addressed the United States challenges during the great depression (Gould 5). He was also used to encourage and promote patriotism from 1941 to 1945 when the United States Pearl Harbor was attacked, and the country was forced to join the allies in World War 2 (Gould 3). His comic books were also used to promote family life during the 1950s to 1960s when the American society was working to restructure domestic life after emerging victorious from the challenges of World War 2 and the great depression (Gould 6). From the 1970s to the 1980s, Americans were recreating their beliefs and morals, and Superman was also an influential character, especially in promoting conservative behaviors.
The Tale of Superman and their Messages
Gould (8) quotes Grant Morrison, a famous comic book writer who stated that Superman was an accurate depiction of the peoples heroes. According to Gould (11), comic books are defined as an illustrative method of addressing immigration, Americanization, urbanization, changing concepts of gender and race, individualism, capitalism, and modernism. Superman addresses many issues ranging from exploitation of the poor by the rich, instilling patriotism to the American people during World War 2, and promoting healthy family and friends relationships. His tales can be classified as the war of good against evil in society and were first created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 and first published in 1939.
Volume 1 of the Superman comic book, book starts with action comic #1. The comic issues continued to be produced, and by 1958, issue #124 was made (Dellecese et al., 5). Superman, created in 1938 by Shuster and Siegel, sent the message that oppression and domestic issues in the United States during the great depression were contributed by exploitative business people. In comic #3, Superman intervenes in a mine collapse catastrophe where he saves a man trapped in the mines (Gould 6). He confronted the mine owner, who is unapologetic, and held that the mines were the safest place for the workers. The wealthy owner held a party in the mines with his friends. Superman uses that opportunity to express that the mine was not safe (De Dauw 4). He made the mine collapse, and the trapped owner agreed to improve the condition of the workers in the mines. That is one of the comic episodes about Superman, and all the others episodes not explained in this study portray Superman as a promoter of justice, love, equal treatment of all people, and love for friends and family members. United States people believe in democratic principles, which promote human rights, equal representation of all the citizens, and support humanitarian activities worldwide (Valentova 12). His actions express the United States beliefs in the political, economic, and social spheres of American citizens. Supermans heroic acts encourage the people of the United States to work towards their beliefs of economic development, social justice, united families, and good governance embodied in the democracy.
Cultural Implications and type of audience influenced by Superman
The superman comic episodes promote the Culture of equality, justice, and the promotion of humanity in the American population. Cook (3) argues that the central role of comic books is to promote a culture that fights inequality, which is rampant in the United States. The form of inequality that the superheroes, including Superman, discourages racial or ethnic bias and discrimination based on sexuality and country of origin (Carry 8). The audience influenced by Superman comics is the one that loves seeing the evil people and their actions being defeated by the common good. The optimistic audience enjoys when justice for all people is served. They aspire to be heroes, promote humanity and reduce the human suffering caused by the evildoers, including unscrupulous capitalistic business people who value profits over human welfare. Greenfield (3) argues that the literary success of superhero comic books is measured by their ability to influence virtues, including social justice, love, and promoting healthy family and friends relationships.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Superman appeals to his audience since he fights for a just society where everyone is treated fairly. He also promotes healthy family and friends relationships, especially in comic episodes produced in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Superman has a cultural impact on the citizens of the United States. The message communicated by Superman encourages the people to support morality and virtues, including love, fairness, and justice. He also discourages discrimination on a racial, ethnic and religious basis. The audience of the superman episodes are people who are obsessed with heroic acts and promote virtues.
Works Cited
Aro, Jonita M. Constructing masculinity: Depiction of the superheroes superman and batman. IUP Journal of English Studies vol.11, no.1, 2016, pp. 3-8. Web.
Cook, Mike P., and Ryle Frey. Using superheroes to visually and critically analyze comics, stereotypes, and society. SANE Journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education vol.2, no. 2, 2017, pp. 2-8. Web.
Carry, Justin Hart. Planet Superman: An Ecocritical analysis of the Man of Steel from 1938-2017. Theses, Dissertations and Capstones vol.2, no1, April 2017, pp. 2-8. Marshall Digital Scholar, Web.
De Dauw, Esther. The Masculinity of American Superheroes. Frontier vol.4, no 5, 2017, pp. 3-13. University of Leicester, Web.
Dellecese, David, et al. Comic Books as American Propaganda During World War II . Diss vol.4, no.1, 2018, pp.3-6. Sunny Digital Repository, Web.
Gould, Marie. Dissecting the Man of Steel: The Evolution of Superman as a Reflection of American Society. Undergraduate Theses vol.45, no.2, 2020, pp.3-7.
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Greenfield, David. Beyond superheroes and talking animals: Social justice in graphic novels in education. Pepperdine Library, 2017, pp. 2-10. Pepperdine Digital Commons, Web.
Valentova, Katerina. Representation and Agency of Aging Superheroes in Popular Culture and Contemporary Society. Societies vol.11, no.1, 2021, pp. 10-18. MDPI, Web.
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