4 ’m a Crook’
97
become a dictator; he is displayed as being one of the few worthy to lead the
nation. This storyline certainly mirrors the aforementioned Prez theme of
waiting for a President deserving of the office. Much like the sainted Prez,
Superman is one of the few that are “holy” enough to deserve to sit in the oval
office. All of the characteristics that Superman displays in this issue prove him
to be morally, intellectually, and politically superior to his challengers and his
actions show him to be a true savior of the nation (and the world). What is
unique about this story is that it suggests that a superhuman would make a better
President than a mere mortal. At face value this supposition seems rather
elementary; Su perman is a beloved, renowned hero who possesses super
intelligence and extra-human physical skills which make him better than
mankind. Why would he not be a better President than an average human? This
may sound appealing logically but also it creates the appearance that humans
can no longer govern themselves. When Superman becomes President he creates
a precedent that super-humans make better leaders than those that are without
superpowers. As President, Superman uses his powers to create a better world
politically but sets a standard that those without extraordinary abilities cannot
meet. This in turn could eventually produce a hierarchy in which humans are
placed at the bottom. Later DC Comics explored this theme in Kingdom Come
(1996s) in which heroes battle over how much influence they should have on
society. None of these themes are made apparent in Action Comics Annual #3
though, and the writer seems to be making an effort to return to stories in which
moral questions remain unexplored and innocent stories reign. One could
speculate that this change is a product of the recent end of the Cold War and a
new sense of optimism which existed within the United States. Possibly DC saw
its audience aging and wished to created stories that appealed to a more youthful
readership. One cannot know for certain the reason for the change but this view
of the President in 1991 was much more akin to the cheery comic book stories
of the early 1960s than the darker ones of the 1970s or 1980s.
President Luthor
In the years following the first comic book stories the image of the
American President changed greatly, but early 1990s stories like the President
Supennan tale appeared to mark a return to cheery simplicity. However, the year
2000 saw the creation of the aforementioned President Luthor storyline in which
the creators of Superman comics allowed one of the greatest villains in comic
books to become America’s leader. Luthor, a self-made businessman who saved
Metropolis from ruin and rebuilt an earthquake-ravaged Gotham City, seems to
be an impressive candidate for President because only a few know of his past
evil deeds. One of the main themes of the President Luthor series is that the
American people cannot know the true character of their leaders. Twenty-first
century citizens only see televised sound bites and highly processed spin. To
emphasize this point, DC Comics even created Lex Luthor campaign buttons
and a thirty second campaign ad that made the faux candidate sound eerily