In most plots that portray superheroes, whether in comics or films, they defeat their opponents. In the case of Superman, his sovereignty was once an obligation. Yes that’s right! But don’t worry, we’ll explain why.
According to the portal CRB, the Comics Code Authority has already made Superman’s victory a mandatory standard. This is because, in 1954, a revolt against comics was rising after the release of a book called “Seduction of the Innocent”.
Fredric Wertham’s book, in short, stated that comic books were corrupting youth.
After that, the public, especially the elderly, became concerned about the veracity of what the book reported. As a result, there was a congressional hearing on whether comic books were legal or banned.
So, DC, the company that holds the rights to characters such as Superman, Aquaman and Wonder Woman, was one of the publishers that complied with self-regulation, called the Comics Code Authority, also known as CCA.
The regulation established a list of requirements for comics. The goal was to reduce violent content in magazines, but it was basically considered a form of censorship.
How did this affect the Superman stories?
The CCA did not have the authority to prevent the publication of a magazine. However, they issued a stamp that determined the story as “Approved by the Comics Code Authority.” This seal made people buy magazines approved by the CCA.
The Council established a set of guidelines for comics, which included restrictions on the use of excessive violence, sex and profanity.
To comply with the requirements of the Comics Code Authority, in Superman magazines, there were no vampires, werewolves or villains allowed to fight victoriously over the hero.
Furthermore, there could be no anti-heroes or any type of “justifiable” crime. Evil police officers were prohibited from being in comic books. The goal was to make the heroes always “victorious good guys”.
Ultimately, this is why, to avoid lawsuits, DC maintained Superman as an invincible and perfect hero.
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