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WhenSupermanmet President John F. Kennedy , the writers at DC could n’t have have intercourse that not only would the meetingnott help Superman ’s figure in the slightest , but would in fact destroy his reputation for decades to come up .
The Man of Steel has always associated himself with the police and the regime ina style that his counterpart Batman never truly has(at least since the 70s ) , and acquire one of his nicknames - the Blue Boy Scout - as a result . regrettably the events inAction Comics # 309cemented Superman ’s reputation as a man who would support the United States administration with all his tenderness - disregardless of those in explosive charge .
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It ’s important to remark that Superman was n’t always a jurisprudence - abiding citizen who appeared to bear for the status quo . Inhis first few stories beginning inAction Comics # 1 , Superman was stylize as the " People ’s Champion " who attacked corrupt officials and those who predate on the powerless and destitute ( appropriate for a superhero appearing in the wake of the Great Depression ) . When America entered World War II , Superman swivel toward a more patriotic , all - American approach ; while other superheroes used this approach as well , the style seemed to stick for Superman .
InAction Comics # 309 , Superman team up with the President of the United States , then John F. Kennedy . Kennedy apparel up and playact as Clark Kent ( in part to give up Superman and Clark to appear in the same elbow room ) . At issue ’s final stage , Kennedy remove his glasses and makeup and fulfil Superman properly . “I knew I was n’t risking my secret identity with you!“Superman assures the President . “After all , if I ca n’t swear the President of the United States , whocanI confidence ? "
Reader may be more familiar with a popular Photoshopped variate of the net panel , in which Kennedy ’s case is supercede with Richard Nixon ’s , make Superman appear to be woefully ignorant of Nixon ’s crime during the Watergate scandal ( or bad , his willing accomplice ) . While the Photoshopped icon is a pretender , the view of Superman blindingly intrust the President is all too substantial . Thanks to interactions similar to the one above , Supermanwas inextricably link up with the political organization ; during the late 60s and other LXX , the Blue Boy Scout was no longer seen as a people ’s champion , but a dim - witted prolongation of the government ’s top executive .
Superman is still trying to stir this repute even in the present day . He ( or perhaps his writing squad ) is far more willing to point out the flaws of the system and even struggle against it when the need arise , butthe Silver Age Superman has color the perception of the Modern Age Supermanregardless of his advanced actions . Superman’swriters sure enough never intend for the character to become a government spokesperson - but to some readers , that ’s exactly what he looks like .
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