Everyone is familiar with that most famous of superheroes, Superman. Most everyone can tell you what he can do. Most everyone can tell you what he looks like. Most everyone can tell you who his secret identity is. What most people can’t tell you is whom it was that he fought at the very beginning. It was not mad scientist or aliens or monsters. It was corrupt people like lobbyists, war profiteers, greedy businessmen and lynch mobs.

Yes friends and neighbors Superman started his career off as a two-fisted champion for justice. That whole truth justice and the American way was something Superman really took to heart. In his very first adventure he stopped a lynch mob from hanging a man and then later slapped some manners on a wife beater.

Superman later stopped a deal between a lobbyist and corrupt senator that would have sold illegal arms to Latin American country by making the munitions dealer fight on the front lines.

In what is said to be Jerry Siegel’s favorite story a disguised Superman traps a greedy mine owner in his own mine to force him to make improvements in the mine’s safety.

Superman started out as a soft bleeding heart liberal pinko commie wuss, at least if I was Bill O’Reilly or Rush Limbaugh that’s what I’d think. Thankfully, I am neither of those individuals. The Oxycontin or the luffa bills would break me. Oh come on laugh. It’s funny.

Is the mention of greedy mine owners, lobbyists and corrupt politicians reminding you of anything in the news? We could really use Superman’s help right about now couldn’t we?

What’s really cool about this is Superman’s brief time as a socially conscious hero didn’t negatively affect his sales at all. His popularity exploded during all this activism. Seeing how these were his initial appearances in comic books if the public had found his activism troubling we may have never heard from the Man of Steel again. But that was not meant to be, instead Superman become quite possibly the most recognizable character ever.

I bring this all up not only because I am an incurable nerd, but also because I think it shows that we weren’t as conservative in the past as some people would like you to believe. Also I think it really shows that Americans are really progressives at heart. We want safe jobs and to be free of greedy politicians and crocked businessmen.

I suppose if Superman were debuting today he’d have no shortage of injustice to fight now would he?