Superman new motto drops ‘American way’

Generations of young television viewers knew Superman — the “Man of Steel” masquerading as a daily newspaper reporter — as a Krypton-born, Kansas-bred hero who battled evil to promote “truth, justice, and the American way.” 

The slogan, first used during the 1940s on radio serializations of the comic and revived in the Cold War’s early days of the 1950s, is being replaced in new editions of the popular comic book series.

“With a nod to the past and an eye toward the future, it was announced today at DC FanDome that Superman’s motto is evolving to ‘Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow,’” a statement from DC Comics said. 

“Superman’s new motto of ‘Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow’ will better reflect the global storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor the character’s incredible legacy of over 80 years of building a better world,” DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee said in the news release. “Superman has long been a symbol of hope who inspires people from around the world, and it is that optimism and hope that powers him forward with this new mission statement,” he added.

According to entertainment trade publication Variety, the slogan changed to “truth, justice and freedom” in the 1960s cartoon series, “The New Adventures of Superman.” It was revived in the 1978 feature film “Superman” which starred the late Christopher Reeve, though later films haven’t used the phrase.

The comic publisher said the new slogan will be deployed “for Clark Kent’s Superman, [and] will be featured across all mediums including comic books, film, TV, video games and more.”

The disclosure comes on the heels of last week’s news that the latest comic book Superman, Jon Kent, son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, will “come out” as bisexual when he is shown locking lips with budding reporter Jay Nakamura.

Now, the company says, “the next generation of Superman characters like Jon Kent will be fighting for ‘Truth, Justice and a Better World,’ as first introduced in SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL #1.”