The Golden Age of Comics

The first comic book superhero – Superman – was born in the cauldron of the Great Depression. Although the advent of supervillains would later change the medium, comic book villains were thus more villain than super, and superheroes more social justice vigilantes than the protectors of Earth from mad scientists and alien invasions. The superheroes of the era instead fought against corrupt politicians, defended the working class, and stood up for a more inclusive form of “Truth, Justice and the American Way.”

Superman and the New Deal

Superman was created during the Great Depression and President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, protecting the “forgotten man” not from supervillains but everyday criminals of the times.

Superman vs. the Slums

To keep a group of kids from turning to a life of crime, Superman forces President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal to build low-cost housing after the superhero demolishes a city slum.

Superman and the San Diego Rainmaker

Charles Hartfield was hired by San Diego as a rainmaker in 1916, resulting in devastating consequences, while Superman had to later stop another rainmaker from likewise causing havoc.

Superman and the Securities Exchange Act

In April 1939, Superman is given a crash course on why regulation of the stock market was necessary when he uncovers a stock swindle that wipes out the life’s savings of investors.

Superman Battles Polio

In 1940, reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane investigate a fake medical clinic that claims to assist people suffering from infantile paralysis, better known as polio, that is nothing more than a scam.

Captain America: Punching American Nazis

While Captain America was punching Adolf Hitler on the cover of his self-named comic book, American gangsters were doing the same on the streets of New York City in the late 1930s.

Captain Marvel vs. Atomic Armageddon

In 1946, the Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel is unable to prevent an atomic attack that kills billions, contradicting assurances that one could survive an assault with proper precautions.