“It’s not an ‘S.’ On my world, it means ‘hope.’”
It’s a much maligned line from a divisive film. And in spite of the flaws behind the line, there’s something powerful there.
We’re less than a month away from the latest film adaptation of DC Comics’ Superman. He’s a character who embodies so much to so many. Based on the trailers, it looks to get right what Man of Steel got wrong.
But what Zack Snyder and David S. Goyer’s misguided attempt to assign additional meaning to a famous symbol gets right is what the man wearing it symbolizes.
Above all else, Superman is a symbol of hope.
He’s the last survivor of a dead world.
He’s a foundling.
He’s the son of farmers, the humblest of us.
He’s a hero who uses the incredible strength and power he found on our world to protect the innocent, not for his own benefit.
He’s a symbol we can all look up to.
He’s Superman.
And at this very moment in the United States, he’s someone we can learn from.
As the citizens of the United States struggle against a government that has shifted from doing what a government is supposed to do to consolidating power and enacting policies rooted in racism, the marketing for a superhero movie is ramping up. In any other circumstance, it would be impossible to see it as anything but the capitalist machine chugging on, despite the rise of fascism.
But this is Superman. The trailers show Clark Kent doing the right thing to save lives and protect people, damn the consequences. The fact that we see Superman in handcuffs may even point to him breaking the law to do what he must to save lives. When he’s questioned about it in one trailer, we see him losing his temper for one reason:
“People were going to die.”
Meanwhile in the real world, a government agency is indiscriminately arresting and deporting individuals based solely on the color of their skin. For the first time in years, perhaps ever, mass deportations are the policy of the American government, and it’s sparking protests and demonstrations in opposition.
And make no mistake, we are opposed to what the government is doing. We are opposed to mass deportations. We are opposed to the racism and white supremacy fueling it.
Why?
Because we understood the message in Smallville when Clark Kent stood in his kitchen, confronting his mother and declaring that HE was an illegal immigrant, so why shouldn’t he be protecting another?
We understood that the declaration that “Magneto was right” isn’t an endorsement for genocide, but a message of opposition and protest against fascism.
We understood that “with great power comes great responsibility” means using our privilege and platform to defend and speak up for those who cannot defend and speak up for themselves.
We understand that the S does mean hope, because we saw what our fictional heroes did, the messages they were delivering, and the ideals they embodied, and we took it upon ourselves to do the same.
It doesn’t matter that we don’t have the ability to fly, shoot lasers out of our eyes, or withstand fireballs. We can stand up and do the right thing, damn the consequences.
Superman is an illegal immigrant, but he’s also a symbol of how we can be better. And that’s what we need to take from him today.
Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble. Follow him @brawl2099.bsky.social.
