Superman has always been our Favorite Undocumented Alien. Despite his origins as a Strange Visitor from a Distant Planet he has always fought a Neverending Battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way.
But that is about to change. According to an article on the comics website Comics Alliance, in issue #900 of ACTION COMICS, Superman is going to take the step of renouncing his U.S. Citizenship.
Now, Superman has always been an American Icon. During WWII, he fought America's enemies on the Home Front. In Public Service ads he extolled patriotic and community values. Some critics even suggest that in his first appearances in the 1930s, he was a symbol of the New Deal, swooping down from the sky to help the little guy in need.
The phrase "Truth, Justice, and the American Way", I believe, came from the Superman radio program (which also gave us other key pieces of the Superman mythos, such as kyptonite, Jimmy Olson, and the idea of changng in a phone booth); but it has stuck with him ever since. Early in his career he was granted honorary U.S. Citizenship by the President. During the character's re-boot in the '80s, writer John Byrne concludes the story where Clark first discovers his alien heritage with a splash panel standing in front of an American flag and stating, "I've always thought of myself as an American." There was even a "alternate future" story in the early '90s where he ran for President (using some gobbledy-gook about his "Kryptonian Birthing Matrix" to get around the "natural born citizen" requirement)
So why would Superman renounce his adopted nation?
The story which will run in ACTION COMICS #900, has Superman appearing in Tehran to offer non-violent support to protestors demonstarting against the Iranian government, obviously inspired by the recent wave of such protests across the Middle East. Afterwards, he gets chewed out by the President's national security advisor. Because Superman is so closely associated with America, the Iranian government is taking Superman's presence as a statement of U.S. Policy and an act of war.
Superman's reaction is not what the President expects:
I intend to speak before the United Nations tomorrow and inform them that I am renouncing my U.S. citizenship. I am tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy.
"Truth, Justice and the American Way" -- It's not enough anymore
The world's too small. Too connected.
Now, this is not the first time something like this has happened. During the '80s, a CAPTAIN AMERICA storyline had the Government informing him that his costume was government property and so he'd better be a team player if he wanted to keep being Captain America. Cap replies that he fights for the American Ideal, not for any specific administration. He turned in his uniform and continued fighting evil under a pseudonym.
Also during the '80s, the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA comic was retooled. One of the first things they did was drop the "of America" from the title, under the reasoning that the League protected the entire planet from danger and so shouldn't be regarded as the sole property of a single nation. After a few issues the title went from "JUSTICE LEAGUE" to "JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL" as the League recieved official UN backing.
And about the same time, a storyline in FIRESTORM THE NUCLEAR MAN had the title character decide to use his powers to single-handedly disarm the nuclear arsenals of the U.S. and the Soviet Union. One issue has a bit where the President asks Superman personally to stop the hot-headed hero. Superman respectfully declines, becasue he's not sure Firestorm is wrong and admitting that he's considered doing the same thing himself; (a cute reference to the well-intentioned but otherwise wretched movie Superman IV: The Quest for Peace).
More recently, Wonder Woman has discovered that wearing a skimpy outfit that looks like the American Flag has decided drawbacks when trying to save people in Muslim countries. (I think she donned a burka for that issue; I'm not sure).
But what about "Truth, Justice and the American Way"? The writer at Comics Alliance observes:
It doesn't seem that he's abandoning those values, however, only trying to implement them on a larger scale and divorce himself from the political complexities of nationalism. Superman also says that he believes he has been thinking "too small," that the world is "too connected" for him to limit himself with a purely national identity. As an alien born on another planet, after all, he "can't help but see the bigger picture."
Will people's heads explode? Does Mr. Mxyzptlk wear a funny hat?