Let's See That Visa, Pal

A non-Marvel nod to:  Superman

I know that the 900th issue of Action Comics was a milestone, but I ended up giving it a pass. I have only a handful of issues of Action Comics in my collection--and that's mainly due to the fact that I've never been particularly thrilled with the character of Superman. Frankly, I'm surprised Superman has made it this far. Characters who are introduced as so powerful that they can do practically anything, and showcase their fantastic abilities that make them seem overwhelming, either don't stick around long or are quickly moved to the background--or are given vulnerabilities or weaknesses that can be exploited. The Vision. Captain Marvel/Photon/whatever name she has these days. Yellowjacket. Quicksilver.  The Silver Surfer. Et al.

And then there's Superman. How much Kryptonite is there lying around now, and how many people know about it? Has it gotten to the point where it can be Googled? When did Superman become solar-dependent? How many abilities of Superman's did you count that he didn't end up using against Doomsday? Wouldn't tossing this guy into orbit have solved the problem, at least for the short term?

And how do you keep such a powerful character like Superman challenged for 900 issues? Are there that many foes who can go toe-to-toe with Superman?

Action Comics #900 took a more down-to-Earth approach for a Superman story: Superman decides to renounce his U.S. citizenship, reasoning that he can better serve the world if he's not associated with the policies of the United States. There's just one small sticking point--when did Superman become a U.S. citizen? We know Clark Kent is one, however arranged--but Superman? Does he have a Social Security card? A driver's license? Where's that long-form birth certificate? Any birth certificate? I suppose somewhere, in some Action Comics issue somewhere (I'm not about to research 899 past issues, thank you very much), he could have gone through the formal process of becoming a U.S. citizen. I mean, if you're going to fight for the American way, it probably makes sense to be documented. Though Superman probably doesn't have to submit to a TSA patdown, the lucky dog.

So I gave issue #900 the same shrug I gave the death of Captain America. Heck, the same shrug I gave to the death of Superman. If he hasn't already, I'm sure he'll reclaim his citizenship soon enough--and probably have to pay a hefty fine, too. There's your American way, bub.