7. Superman went to war in 1942
Superman’s writers and artists faced a problem when the United States entered World War II. It was obvious to them and Superman’s fans that he could not directly intervene in the war. How could German and Japanese troops oppose Superman were he to engage them in direct combat? The Man of Steel could easily destroy enemy troops, planes, tanks, ships and all the weapons of war. Yet the writers could not ignore the war. The same newspapers which carried the Superman comic strips, the radio stations which broadcast The Adventures of Superman, the theaters which presented the shorts, all carried news about the events taking place around the world. And in early 1942, most of the news was bad. Superman had to be seen aiding the war effort, but not in a way which detracted from the troops or weakened his own powers.
Covers of Action Comics and Superman often carried images of Superman battling U-boats, or deep in the Pacific jungles, but the stories in the magazine had no relation to the cover. In the animated shorts, Superman was often seen engaged in sabotage. One short, titled Eleventh Hour, had Clark Kent and Lois Lane interned as journalists in Japan in the early days of the war. By night, Superman left the place where he was held, sabotaging ships, railroads, and factories. When spotted, the Japanese announced Lois would be shot if there were further acts of sabotage, though Clark Kent was not similarly threatened. Superman sank another Japanese ship, rescued Lois from a firing squad, and returned her to the United States. For the most part, Superman supported the war effort by urging compliance with the Bond Drives, Scrap Drives, and other efforts on the home front throughout the war.