A little background: while Superman is walking around town he stumbles upon a group of aliens in human disguise. They fled a dictatorship on their own world and found refuge on Earth. The aliens lead a peaceful, self-sufficient existence. Unfortunately, Superman has some issues with this. These issues (and my responses) after the break.
- According to Superman “You can’t just come here” although (as pointed out by the Natallans) Superman did the same thing. Yeah, like the Natallans are the first aliens to immigrate to Earth. Not counting Superman and his super-family there’s the Martian Manhunter, Starfire, (some version of) Hawkman, etc. And let’s not forget a majority of the Legion of Super-Heroes! Hell, a major plot-line in the new Legion comic is xenophobia and the fact that Earth is a better place with immigrants around. Technically speaking I think the Natallans are asylum seekers, not immigrants per se. What’s he want them to do, go home and get killed?
- You have to ‘give back to your community’. Later on in the story it’s shown that Superman doesn’t mean ‘work at a soup kitchen’ he means ‘using your alien know-how to better Earth’. You know, like he uses Kryptonian technology to help out humans.
- He then implies that he won’t let them live their quiet lives anymore. What exactly would he do? Make them live in public? Send them back to their own world? He doesn’t expect these things out of himself or his super-buddies, what makes these poor people any different?
Kudos to J. Michael Straczynski for writing Superman as an hypocritical, sanctimonious dick.
from Superman #702 (preview)
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