DC officially dropped and replaced Superman’s iconic motto in 2021, a catch-phrase that had helped define the character since 1940, marking the end of an iconic piece of lore. Now, however, that character-defining slogan is making a welcome return to the DC Universe in a completely unexpected way.
In 2021, DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee officially announced that Superman would retire his iconic motto, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” a slogan that had become synonymous with the character. The announcement came during DC FanDome, where it was also revealed that the classic phrase would be replaced with a new motto: “Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow.”
Following the change, fans would have been hard-pressed to find “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” referenced in any mainstream continuity Superman comic. Now, five years later, the iconic slogan is finally making its return to the DC Universe, though in a rather bizarre way… or should we say, a Bizarro way.
Superman’s iconic Golden Age costume is returning as part of DC’s announcement that the Man of Steel will star in a brand-new adults-only series.
DC has released a preview for writers Kevin Smith and Eric Carrasco’s Bizarro: Year None#2, arriving on June 24, 2026, and it’s in this issue that the Superman-inspired antihero revives the Man of Steel’s original slogan, bringing back the long-abandoned “American Way” portion of the iconic phrase.
Bizarro Officially Revives Superman’s “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” Motto
Preview Pages Come from Kevin Smith and Eric Carrasco’s Bizarro: Year None #2 (2026) – Art by Nick Pitarra & Michael Garland
To make a long and bizarre story short, Smith and Carrasco’s Bizarro: Year None sees the main DC Universe’s Perry White and Jimmy Olsen kidnapped by Bizarro and taken to the hero’s “backward planet of backward doppelgängers doing backward versions of everything they would normally do.” To Perry and Jimmy’s dismay, Bizarro genuinely believes he is the real Superman, creating a headache of epic proportions as the pair tries to find their way home without upsetting the Man of Steel wannabe.
The preview for Bizarro: Year None #2 sees Bizarro sitting down with this world’s version of Lois Lane, where he gives the reporter an interview as Superman. During the conversation, Lois asks him to share his iconic motto, to which he replies, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.” As previously discussed, DC Comics officially retired that slogan, but it makes perfect sense that the Superman-copycat Bizarro never got the memo.
In fact, the use of the discontinued motto only further emphasizes the “wrongness” of the false reality Bizarro has created for himself, one in which he has fully embraced the Superman identity. As a result, bringing back the abandoned “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” feels perfectly in line with the premise of Bizarro: Year None. This world’s Lois also rightly points out just how odd the slogan is, noting that, since they’re on Bizarro World, they aren’t exactly in America, making Bizarro’s use of the motto even more nonsensical.
The History & Death of Superman’s Iconic Slogan, Explained
Cover C Ibrahim Moustafa Variant for Bizarro: Year None #2 (2026)
Superman’s iconic motto, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” dates back to the 1940 radio series The Adventures of Superman, which premiered on February 12, 1940. Voiced by Bud Collyer as both Superman and Clark Kent, the slogan quickly became inseparable from the Man of Steel, encapsulating the ideals and purpose that have defined the hero for generations.
The phrase only grew in prominence during the 1950s with the television series The Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. By introducing the motto to an even broader audience, the show helped cement it as one of the character’s most recognizable hallmarks. In the decades that followed, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” remained a fixture of Superman mythology, appearing across numerous forms of media, including the comics.
That changed in 2021, when DC officially replaced the slogan with “Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow.” According to the publisher, the updated motto was intended to better reflect Superman’s more than 80-year legacy of inspiring hope and building a better future while aligning with the character’s evolving stories. At the time, DC President Jim Lee emphasized that although the wording had changed, Superman’s unwavering commitment to truth and justice remained at the heart of the character.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Bizarro: Year None #2 from DC Comics will be available to read on June 24, 2026!
