The Origin of Superman’s ‘Truth, Justice, and American Way’

While comic book history can head-spinning at times, it does serve as an important reminder that comic books, like everything else, don’t exist in a vacuum. Often times, the most memorable elements of a comic book character are the work of several creators stretching over multiple decades. Case in point, Superman’s fight for “truth, justice and the American way”, a slogan often seen as inseparable from the superhero, actually has a complicated history.

Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman’s history is further complicated by his appearance in several different media only a few years after his creation, namely a popular radio serial which ran from 1940 to 1951, as well as the latter “Adventures of Superman” TV series starring George Reeves from 1952 to 1958. Originally, Superman fought in “a never-ending battle for truth and justice.” Superman, after all, was the product of two Jewish creators working in New York during the Great Depression, where corruption lurked behind every street corner, giving the Man of Steel plenty of crooks to triumph over.

It was the radio show which first coined the use of “truth, justice and the American way”, at a time when all three things seemed in short supply. By then, America was embroiled in World War II with no clear victory in sight. Interestingly enough, the “the American way” was apparently dropped by the radio show in 1944, after the tide turned in the Allies’ favor. However, it would be revitalized in the opening narration of the 50’s George Reeve television show, which often saw Superman fighting Communists and other threats. Superman himself didn’t actually say the line until 1978, in the Christopher Reeve classic film.

In the comics, Superman’s relationship with the classic slogan has somewhat shifted from writer to writer, though it is clear that, as his original creators intended, he often does fight for truth and justice. Perhaps the most notable exception is Frank Miller’s seminal The Dark Knight Returns from 1987, where Superman is seen as a stooge for Ronald Regan, catering to the President’s orders as the final antagonist the aging Batman must fight. On the other hand, Joe Kelly’s “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way”, published in 2001, centers around Superman defending his values against a group of super-powered vigilantes with extreme methods. Controversially, in 2011 Superman renounced his American citizenship in David Goyer’s “The Incident” in Action Comics #900 in order to adopt a more global perspective, though this occurred just months before the New 52 reboot. Most recently, writer Tom King used the phrase in a scene between Sgt. Rock and Superman in Superman: Up in the Sky.

While the phrase has generated some controversy, recently stemming from a Time Magazine article as well as a resulting Twitter exchange between King and Lois & Clark actor Dean Cain, it’s clear that “truth, justice and the American way” ultimately isn’t going anywhere. While the phrase, much like Superman itself, isn’t immune to the re-evaluation and re-interpretation which comes with time, Superman has repeatedly demonstrated that his core values are, in one form or another, still part of his never-ending battle.

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