Superheroes through the Years
1930's:
The Superman we know today was not always a good guy. In 1933 Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster published “Reign of Superman.” Superman was actually a villain, created by Professor Ernest Smalley. Smalley believed he could make the perfect human even better and he created a biochemical to do so. He picked a man out of a bread line, Bill Dunn, and tricked him into ingesting the chemical. Dunn runs away from Smalley and finds out he has the power to read minds, amazing strength, and super sight. A once poor Bill Dunn became a con-artist, stealing from the rich and giving to himself. He goes on to create chaos for the world, then his powers go away and he returns to the bread line. The problem with this story is no one wanted to read about a villain. The Great Depression was going on and people needed hope.
In June 1938, the Superman we know today was introduced to the American people. Action Comics portrayed him as a crime fighting good guy. He would throw punches when he did not get the answers he wanted. While Superman did save people, he was brash and arrogant, but that was what was expected of any white Anglo-Saxon male at the time. Even as his Clark Kent he was a successful, popular man, fulfilling the American dream.
After the release of Superman came Batman. Detective Comics was asked to create a vigilante character that was relatable. Superman was not very relatable; no human could accomplish things the way he could. Batman was human, he had skills that a human could have and used them to solve crimes and put away bad guys. He was a much darker character than Superman, even resorting to killing people two years after DC released his comic. They made his secret identity a rich bachelor in an attempt to help mend scars after the Great Depression. People no longer trusted the rich and powerful, but Batman was rich and used his money for good.
This video shows the evolution of Superman, both in TV and in comics.
1960’s and 70’s:
The 60’s were a very political time for comic books. There was the Civil Rights and Black Power movements going on, as well as women’s rights. Up until this time, blacks were portrayed as the evil villain or seen in the African tribe’s heroes sometimes visited. In Jungle Comics blacks were often shown as the unintelligent locals who are not as evolved or as savages. As blacks started receiving their rights, comic books started to portray them in a more positive light. Green Lantern is a black man, mad at the white men at first but becomes more accepting. Captain America will also get a sidekick, Falcon, a black man named Sam Wilson. Sam is proud of where he came from and who he is, but the comics show the fear Americans felt towards the stance blacks were taking. Black Panther also becomes a major superhero. He comes from a made up country in Africa, but his country is incredibly advanced, the opposite of how Africans were portrayed in earlier comics.
Wonder Woman also makes a comeback in the 70’s. She was the first wildly successful female superhero in comics, first appearing in 1941. By 1970 she had lost her image and had been living a normal life, but returned by fans request. The X-men would also gain very powerful female characters. Jean Grey would become the most powerful X-men, even though when she first joined the X-men she was treated unfairly by the other members. Another powerful woman will join the X-men, Storm. An African woman who can control the weather and a strong female character for young girls of color to look up to.
1940's:
When Captain America is released in March of 1941, America still had not joined the war, but would by the end of the year. In his first edition Captain America is on the cover punching Hitler in the face. (Shown below) This is what America wanted to see, someone taking action against the evil in Europe. It also shows that America was ready to join in the fight and helped boost national pride. During the war, superheroes represented the American way of life. They were used as propaganda, but not in a way where the superheroes solved the issues of our world. It was known that the soldiers off fighting where the real heroes, and the superheroes were not to upstage them. Captain America did join the war effort, fighting Red Skull and other enemies abroad. Superman was a popular comic amongst soldiers, comics had not been censored yet and was a form of escape. A TIME's article, “Superman’s Dilemma” questions how Superman would get involved in the war, since he would be able to stop it in a matter of minutes. Action Comics have Clark Kent enlist, but purposely fails his eye exam forcing him to stay at home.
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Today:
After the months following 9/11, comics had to portray their heroes in different settings. No longer could superheroes run around and do what they wanted with no repercussions. In the comic Civil War, amateur superheroes cause the death of hundreds of innocents. Because of their blunder, the government wants all superheroes to be registered and start working for the government. Some heroes, like Ironman see the importance of surrendering some of their independence so that civilians will feel safer. Others, like Captain America, do not agree and think that buy letting the government control them they might have to go up against people they consider friends, not enemies of the state. Civil War showed that buy having the two sides fighting, even though they both mean well, bad things still happen. A superhero is killed, innocents get hurt, families are separated. It is not until the sides can stop quarreling that a positive change will occur. In Civil War, Captain America realizes the issue lies with Steve Rodgers morals and it is not until people, not superheroes, attempt to stop him from the destruction he causes. The comics today do not show obvious sides of good versus evil like they did before 9/11. It can no longer just be one powerful being saving the day, it can be a variety of heroes. Now comics place more moral issues on the superheroes, forcing them to acknowledge the consequences of their actions rather than ignoring them.
Amazing Spider-Man #36
