What if Superman was a Commie?
Jerome Lindberg
Think Piece 3
Com450
When I was growing up, probably until I was twelve or thirteen, I really loved comics. Whether the classics like Archie, the more esoteric Bloom County, He-Man Master of the Universe, or MAD, comics were a window into a creative dimension I could appreciate and enjoy. I’d like to blame the movie industry for my decline in the enjoyment of the comic genre, after their numerous attempts to capitalize off of anything that could move some merchandising cups at Burger King. I stopped reading comics and got into punk rock around that time, I think because something came to me in a vision and predicted the awfulmess that would become the Garfield live action movie.
So now, as a twenty seven year old, I have long been out of touch with the world of comics. The films that are coming out now are based on characters I’ve never heard of and whose superpowers seem more and more contrived. I still try to read Doonesbury when the collections come out, and anything by Berkeley Breathed, but the idea of any sort of new character or form might emerge from what has become Hollywood’s minor league team seemed like impossibility. Then, a few months ago, a friend introduced me to a new Superman graphic novel called Red Son.
After reading it one morning while I was hung over in my friend’s apartment in NYC, I vowed that I would track down a copy for myself so that I could better analyze the plot, the symbolism, and the characters. The artifact itself is a collection of four individual comics that comprise the entire series, following Superman’s life at four stages from youth to old, old age. The majority of the small details are there, his family, his drive to help those in need, his aversion to Kryptonite, but the writers imagined an entirely different context for his homeland. Instead of Superman’s spacecraft delivering him to a down home corn farm in the Midwestern United States, writer Mark Millar places Superman’s life and work instead in Communist Russia, making Superman America’s enemy.
This change in geography causes ripples throughout the Superman mythos, and the comic attempts to keep Superman’s general ethos of concern for all living being beings, regardless of the fact that he is a godless heathen. Other characters receive makeover’s that dramatically change their roles in the traditional Superman comics while still keeping the same general character traits. For example, Lex Luthor, instead of being evil, remains Superman’s Arch Nemesis. But, instead of being a crazed lunatic bent on world domination, Luthor is an American Government Defense Contractor paid by America to create our own breed of atomic supermen bent on world domination. His wife is Lois Lane, who only gets a fleeting chance encounter with Superman at the beginning and ending of the series. Batman makes an appearance as a pro-democracy terrorist in Superman’s Russia; Wonder Woman becomes a communist convert from her native Amazon, and becomes Superman’s international peace ambassador.
Because the Soviets have such a tremendous power in Superman that remains unmatched by the American’s, the soviets eventually win the Arms Race and the cold war, while Luthor tries vainly to destroy Superman. This was one of the really clever parallels I noticed in this comic, since the context of the Superman mythos is etched in 1940’ and 50’s style cultural norms, Superman himself is made into a symbol for the arms race, this point being driven home when the country is frozen in fear of the new soviet weapon and an announcer in one panel of the comic states “It looks like the whole damn country is seeing red capes under their beds.” Which I take to be a poke at McCarthyism.
Another interesting plot twist is that Superman becomes the leader of the U.S.S.R. after Stalin dies. At first, because of Superman’s idealistic belief in the principles of communism, he does not see why his special abilities make him different than any other Soviet, but eventually he realizes that in order for communism to survive, it needs an all watching, all knowing, all powerful leader, and so he takes the job. As leader, Superman imposes re-education programs for dissidents, made sure everyone had a job and eight hours of sleep, and eventually is able to eradicate crime. Back in the U.S., J.F.K. complains of riots of communist sympathizers to Luthor, proposing an America where the people are no longer afraid of communism, but see it as a welcome alternative to the U.S., where overspending on defenses and food shortages have created a serious social crisis, to the point where Texas is about to secede.
After the cold war ends and Superman foils several of Luthor’s and other villains plots to destroy communism, the comic creates a world where the U.S.S.R. influence mirrors the influence America had after the cold war for real. Six billion communists all over the globe come under superman’s watchful eye, which is becoming more and more a metaphor for the Orwellian “big brother “concept. Superman makes every decision for the greater good, and anarchistic followers of the martyred Batman can do little damage in Superman’s utopia. On our continent, the comic takes Superman’s arch nemesis and makes him president after having operated one of the most successful corporations in America, Lex Corp. Luthor manages to fix America’s economy and ease social tensions, but not for the same reason’s that Superman does, Luthor does it simply because it his character’s nature throughout the comic series to be in ruthless competition with Superman. As America grows more powerful, Superman’s advisors suggest a final annihilation by means of nuclear war, to which Superman replies, at his most idealistic: “But I don’t want to bomb them…Everything I’ve accomplished so far has been by winning the argument. I could have had my utopia overnight if I pounded the world into submission with my fists.” I think this idealism is the central, if flawed, precept of both democracy and communism, that if people are given an equal chance and a proper education, they will make the right decisions for themselves. Unfortunately, like superman himself, this concept is often alien to our actual governmental structures that seem more apt to exploit and propagandize the citizenry.
Eventually, Luthor convinces Superman that it is up to humans, not aliens to decide the fate and direction of mankind. In the final move of their lifelong chess match, Luthor reminds Superman of a city that was miniaturized by one of his enemies, Brainiac, that Superman was never able to restore. “ Why don’t you put the whole world in a bottle, Superman?” is the question that finally makes Superman realize that although it is possible for a utopia to exist under his ever present gaze, by controlling and protecting us he has robbed us of our individuality and resourcefulness. The series ends with Superman leaving earth, and Luthor’s unique brand of capitalistic democracy, Luthorism, becoming the predominant governmental structure. In another twist that mirrors the original plotline, Luthor does finally get to rule the world, but he has become less evil and vengeful and actually helps the world to live happily ever after. Until the sun explodes and the story circles back on itself.
In reading this comic, I thought about many different concepts that I had not before. Was Superman, the ultimate figure of lone ranger American independence, actually a psychological symbol for America that helped it steel itself against the Cold War? If the Russians had invented a character like superman who then became a prevalent social icon, would it have helped to reinforce the ideals of Communism, the way Superman reinforces individualism? Batman, who in his American version rarely fights crime that affects everyday people, could be viewed as a watchdog of the upper class, and I think that is the symbolism the comic is trying to get across by casting him as a terrorist for democracy in Russia. Luthor, whose basic character make up remains the same, becomes a totally different and respected citizen inside the context of this comic, even though his techniques for fighting Superman and controlling the country are extremely underhanded.
I almost feel like superman has reached such iconic status, that his films, shows, and comics compromise a genre all their own, and in this respect Red Son does an excellent job of essentially reversing every precept that is embedded in this genre. While the visual imagery is first rate, it is really the story and the concept that makes this comic so interesting. I do think that this comic is meant for entertainment, but it does an awfully good job of persuading the reader to think about an entirely different world that might have existed, one that the reader has probably never conceptualized before.
Although this is a great story, and the A-list of superhero cameo appearances would probably make this an extremely profitable and fun film, I doubt that Hollywood will ever attempt to capitalize off of this comic. Even going on twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall, America’s climate of opinion is still not ready to imagine a world where communism won, unless there is swift and bloody retribution by the yanks about ten minutes from the end of the film. For me this is both disappointing and reassuring. Disappointing in the fact that this is one comic book adaptation I would pay money to see, reassuring in the fact that there is still an incredible amount of talent, energy, and imagination left in the comics industry that has not yet been sucked into the hole named L.A. Also, in closing, I’d like to say that this comic has rekindled my interest in the genre and I have begun to look for more graphic novels in hopes of finding other creative, imaginative talent in the country that gives us a weekly dose of inane “reality” television, shows that create and destroy pop stars, and a celebrity media that feeds on itself like a snake swallowing it’s tail. If I were to take any meaning away from this content, it would be that the greatest good and the greatest evils can be done in the name of competition.
Jerome Lindberg
Think Piece 3
Com450
When I was growing up, probably until I was twelve or thirteen, I really loved comics. Whether the classics like Archie, the more esoteric Bloom County, He-Man Master of the Universe, or MAD, comics were a window into a creative dimension I could appreciate and enjoy. I’d like to blame the movie industry for my decline in the enjoyment of the comic genre, after their numerous attempts to capitalize off of anything that could move some merchandising cups at Burger King. I stopped reading comics and got into punk rock around that time, I think because something came to me in a vision and predicted the awfulmess that would become the Garfield live action movie.
So now, as a twenty seven year old, I have long been out of touch with the world of comics. The films that are coming out now are based on characters I’ve never heard of and whose superpowers seem more and more contrived. I still try to read Doonesbury when the collections come out, and anything by Berkeley Breathed, but the idea of any sort of new character or form might emerge from what has become Hollywood’s minor league team seemed like impossibility. Then, a few months ago, a friend introduced me to a new Superman graphic novel called Red Son.
After reading it one morning while I was hung over in my friend’s apartment in NYC, I vowed that I would track down a copy for myself so that I could better analyze the plot, the symbolism, and the characters. The artifact itself is a collection of four individual comics that comprise the entire series, following Superman’s life at four stages from youth to old, old age. The majority of the small details are there, his family, his drive to help those in need, his aversion to Kryptonite, but the writers imagined an entirely different context for his homeland. Instead of Superman’s spacecraft delivering him to a down home corn farm in the Midwestern United States, writer Mark Millar places Superman’s life and work instead in Communist Russia, making Superman America’s enemy.
This change in geography causes ripples throughout the Superman mythos, and the comic attempts to keep Superman’s general ethos of concern for all living being beings, regardless of the fact that he is a godless heathen. Other characters receive makeover’s that dramatically change their roles in the traditional Superman comics while still keeping the same general character traits. For example, Lex Luthor, instead of being evil, remains Superman’s Arch Nemesis. But, instead of being a crazed lunatic bent on world domination, Luthor is an American Government Defense Contractor paid by America to create our own breed of atomic supermen bent on world domination. His wife is Lois Lane, who only gets a fleeting chance encounter with Superman at the beginning and ending of the series. Batman makes an appearance as a pro-democracy terrorist in Superman’s Russia; Wonder Woman becomes a communist convert from her native Amazon, and becomes Superman’s international peace ambassador.
Because the Soviets have such a tremendous power in Superman that remains unmatched by the American’s, the soviets eventually win the Arms Race and the cold war, while Luthor tries vainly to destroy Superman. This was one of the really clever parallels I noticed in this comic, since the context of the Superman mythos is etched in 1940’ and 50’s style cultural norms, Superman himself is made into a symbol for the arms race, this point being driven home when the country is frozen in fear of the new soviet weapon and an announcer in one panel of the comic states “It looks like the whole damn country is seeing red capes under their beds.” Which I take to be a poke at McCarthyism.
Another interesting plot twist is that Superman becomes the leader of the U.S.S.R. after Stalin dies. At first, because of Superman’s idealistic belief in the principles of communism, he does not see why his special abilities make him different than any other Soviet, but eventually he realizes that in order for communism to survive, it needs an all watching, all knowing, all powerful leader, and so he takes the job. As leader, Superman imposes re-education programs for dissidents, made sure everyone had a job and eight hours of sleep, and eventually is able to eradicate crime. Back in the U.S., J.F.K. complains of riots of communist sympathizers to Luthor, proposing an America where the people are no longer afraid of communism, but see it as a welcome alternative to the U.S., where overspending on defenses and food shortages have created a serious social crisis, to the point where Texas is about to secede.
After the cold war ends and Superman foils several of Luthor’s and other villains plots to destroy communism, the comic creates a world where the U.S.S.R. influence mirrors the influence America had after the cold war for real. Six billion communists all over the globe come under superman’s watchful eye, which is becoming more and more a metaphor for the Orwellian “big brother “concept. Superman makes every decision for the greater good, and anarchistic followers of the martyred Batman can do little damage in Superman’s utopia. On our continent, the comic takes Superman’s arch nemesis and makes him president after having operated one of the most successful corporations in America, Lex Corp. Luthor manages to fix America’s economy and ease social tensions, but not for the same reason’s that Superman does, Luthor does it simply because it his character’s nature throughout the comic series to be in ruthless competition with Superman. As America grows more powerful, Superman’s advisors suggest a final annihilation by means of nuclear war, to which Superman replies, at his most idealistic: “But I don’t want to bomb them…Everything I’ve accomplished so far has been by winning the argument. I could have had my utopia overnight if I pounded the world into submission with my fists.” I think this idealism is the central, if flawed, precept of both democracy and communism, that if people are given an equal chance and a proper education, they will make the right decisions for themselves. Unfortunately, like superman himself, this concept is often alien to our actual governmental structures that seem more apt to exploit and propagandize the citizenry.
Eventually, Luthor convinces Superman that it is up to humans, not aliens to decide the fate and direction of mankind. In the final move of their lifelong chess match, Luthor reminds Superman of a city that was miniaturized by one of his enemies, Brainiac, that Superman was never able to restore. “ Why don’t you put the whole world in a bottle, Superman?” is the question that finally makes Superman realize that although it is possible for a utopia to exist under his ever present gaze, by controlling and protecting us he has robbed us of our individuality and resourcefulness. The series ends with Superman leaving earth, and Luthor’s unique brand of capitalistic democracy, Luthorism, becoming the predominant governmental structure. In another twist that mirrors the original plotline, Luthor does finally get to rule the world, but he has become less evil and vengeful and actually helps the world to live happily ever after. Until the sun explodes and the story circles back on itself.
In reading this comic, I thought about many different concepts that I had not before. Was Superman, the ultimate figure of lone ranger American independence, actually a psychological symbol for America that helped it steel itself against the Cold War? If the Russians had invented a character like superman who then became a prevalent social icon, would it have helped to reinforce the ideals of Communism, the way Superman reinforces individualism? Batman, who in his American version rarely fights crime that affects everyday people, could be viewed as a watchdog of the upper class, and I think that is the symbolism the comic is trying to get across by casting him as a terrorist for democracy in Russia. Luthor, whose basic character make up remains the same, becomes a totally different and respected citizen inside the context of this comic, even though his techniques for fighting Superman and controlling the country are extremely underhanded.
I almost feel like superman has reached such iconic status, that his films, shows, and comics compromise a genre all their own, and in this respect Red Son does an excellent job of essentially reversing every precept that is embedded in this genre. While the visual imagery is first rate, it is really the story and the concept that makes this comic so interesting. I do think that this comic is meant for entertainment, but it does an awfully good job of persuading the reader to think about an entirely different world that might have existed, one that the reader has probably never conceptualized before.
Although this is a great story, and the A-list of superhero cameo appearances would probably make this an extremely profitable and fun film, I doubt that Hollywood will ever attempt to capitalize off of this comic. Even going on twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall, America’s climate of opinion is still not ready to imagine a world where communism won, unless there is swift and bloody retribution by the yanks about ten minutes from the end of the film. For me this is both disappointing and reassuring. Disappointing in the fact that this is one comic book adaptation I would pay money to see, reassuring in the fact that there is still an incredible amount of talent, energy, and imagination left in the comics industry that has not yet been sucked into the hole named L.A. Also, in closing, I’d like to say that this comic has rekindled my interest in the genre and I have begun to look for more graphic novels in hopes of finding other creative, imaginative talent in the country that gives us a weekly dose of inane “reality” television, shows that create and destroy pop stars, and a celebrity media that feeds on itself like a snake swallowing it’s tail. If I were to take any meaning away from this content, it would be that the greatest good and the greatest evils can be done in the name of competition.
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