When he is in America, Superman fights for Truth, Justice, and The American Way. But he doesn't stop battling crime at the U.S. border. He's busy righting wrongs all over the Earth and around the Universe. Different jurisdictions have different laws. Does Superman have to abide by those laws or does he feel free to use his own set of rules?
asked Jul 20, 2012 at 2:06
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4Maybe Superman feels that "The American Way" involves imposing American rules on other people. Not sure where he might have got that idea from.– DJClayworthCommented Jul 20, 2012 at 12:52
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do they still use "The American Way" in modern canon? I know a certain non-canon television show went well out of its way never to use that part of the phrase...– KutuluMikeCommented Jul 20, 2012 at 15:00
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1Interesting to note that in Superman Returns, the reporters are asked to find out if he still stands for "Truth, Justice, and all that stuff" (or something similar) - leaving out the 'American Way' bit.– Clockwork-MuseCommented Jul 20, 2012 at 17:38
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@MichaelEdenield: No. He renounced his "American citizenship" in Action Comics #900.– Martin SchröderCommented Jul 20, 2012 at 22:21
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1 Answer
From my understanding, Superman isn't the judge jury and executioner. He's just the guy who stands up for things he thinks are obviously right.
I've seen a few times when Superman will stop a person he thinks has committed a crime, but then, the person doesn't get convicted of anything, so Superman doesn't press the issue and lets whatever government make their own rules.
I also think that Superman is versed in American laws enough that he has the ability to fight obvious crimes (bank robberies, heists, etc) and knowledgable enough to know when his services aren't needed (corporate espionage, insider trading, etc.).
answered Jul 20, 2012 at 3:57
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You seem to be saying that "The American Way" includes fighting blue-collar crime like bank robberies but not white-collar crime like corporate fraud. Commented Jul 20, 2012 at 12:51
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@DJClayworth The modern Lex Luther is essentially an embodiment of white collar crime, so yes, Superman fights that too. Although he usually uses his alter ego for that.– user1027Commented Jul 20, 2012 at 14:13
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4@DJClayworth I think he's saying that Superman knows when his particular skills will make him "more useful" in solving a crime -- physical "blue-collar" crimes where his strength, speed, etc. will help, and when he would just be in the way -- white-collar crime where he would likely fare no better than a team of trained investigators (or Batman) Commented Jul 20, 2012 at 15:01
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@SachinShekhar Then obviously Superman wouldn't stop it... Commented Aug 6, 2012 at 16:49