1970s

The seventies proved to be another progressive decade for comic books. They were beginning to get more recognition and less bad press than the years before. Adults were beginning to realize the more positive influence comics had on their readers. Comic books also started to appeal to a new buyer: the collector. Original mint condition comics could sell for thousands, and people realized they could put their kids through college by selling their old comics from when they were children.

During the seventies, DC continued to produce conservative storylines. Superman was especially used to endorse conservative values to the readers. The Batman comic was revamped by writer Julius Swartz with Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, returning to his original loner personality of brooding and being more seriousness. Jack Kirby was still working at DC during this time, and while O’Neil, Adams and himself attempted to push the boundaries, but the publisher refused to budge. DC continued to retell clichéd, uninspiring or unappealing story lines that readers could not relate too. It was a decade of change and questioning the government, and DC was too scared of low sales to give the population what they needed. Marvel, on the other hand proved to be what the readers wanted, producing left wing stories that addressed social and cultural problems. Their stories were no longer for children, instead catering to an older more matured audience. Marvel’s stories were very liberal, with stories of heroes openly questioning the government’s actions and American traditional values. These stories mirrored a society that was questioning their own national identity, values and character.

Race representation started to become more prominent in the seventies. Black rights had been a large movement moving from the sixties into the seventies. DC published two ground breaking issues that explored race. Superman Vol1 no 106 was about Lois Lane turning black for a day to learn about life in Little Africa, a fictional part of Metropolis. As white people were not welcome, she decided to transform into a black women. The rest of the issue explored how Lois was treated different just because her skin colour had changed. She was unable to get a taxi in the white neighbourhood, as if she was invisible. In the last pages she asks superman if he would still love her if she was black, and his response was that to him it did not matter because he was an alien.

Lois Lane being transformed into a Black woman

The next issue that DC published that explored the race issue was Green Arrow and Green Lantern no. 76. The whole partnership was openly liberal and radical, in one panel Green Arrow states “a cancer is rotting the world”. In this instance cancer was a metaphor for racism and how it was destroying the world from being accepting and peaceful. In one issue artists Jule Schwartz had a drawing of the oldest and most stereotypical black man stating to Green Lantern;

“I been readin’ about you… How you work for the blue skins…And how on a planet someplace you helped out the orange skins… and you done considerable for the purple skins! Only there’s skins you never bothered with -! The black skins! I want to know how come? Answer me that, Mr. Green Lantern! ”

Green Lantern and Green Arrow #76, when the Black Man is confronting Green Lantern

The point of the issue was for Green Arrow and background characters to have Green Lantern and the reader question the social order and conventional understanding of right, wrong and justice.

Over at Marvel, they were tackling an issue that had crawled its way into everybody’s lives: drugs. Stan Lee had received a letter from the Health Association asking him to write a story about the negative effects of drugs. Unfortunately, the CCA was still in effect at this time. Drugs were not allowed to be drawn or written about even if it was for a good reason. Stan Lee decided to write the story, putting the message in the Amazing Spider-man issues #96-98, May to July 1971. The first issue that addressed drug use was Green Goblin Reborn by Stan Lee and Gil Kane, show Spider-man’s friend, Harry Osborn, using pills to forget all the bad things in his life.

Harry Osborn overdose on pills

The next issue focused on a young man Spider-Man had to save who was about to overdose and is convinced he can fly. He realizes he is high on drugs and says to the reader “I would rather face a hundred supervillains than throw my life away on hard drugs, because it is a battle you cannot win!” At the end Spider-man speaks to reader about the negative effects of drugs to further drill the message into their mind. He sent it to the CCA and as expected, they rejected it. Stan told his publisher, who decided that they would publish it anyway without the seal of approval. Within a week CCA had a meeting and made slight changes to the code that liberalized it but kept its core conservative values.

Boy who thought he could fly from taking drugs

Iron Man became a pinnacle for moral changes during the seventies. Tony Stark, Iron Man’s identity, was a character that emulated conservative values to his readers. The character is a wealthy American industrialist, who is pro USA policy in Vietnam. He begins to change his mind during the issue no. 78 entitled “Long Time Game”, released in 1975. During the issue, Iron Man witnesses war atrocities and begins to wonder how the US policy makers can let these things happen. Making a full 360, Iron Man joins the liberal morals of Marvel, and decides to avenge those that were killed with his company’s weapons. Iron Man emulated a self-questioning society that did not support the war and the US invasion of Vietnam.

Iron Man taking his vengeance after finding about the atrocities the U.S. government committed

In 1976, Marvel released issues 163-176 of Captain American and the Falcon where they combated an enemy known as “Secret Empire.” The Secret Empire was based off the Nixon administration after the Watergate scandal broke. During the series Captain America uncovers government secrets, which mirrored the public finding out about Nixon. The betrayals of his government led Captain America to quite as a hero and lose faith in his country. He became “Nomad” fighting against criminals as a man who had no country. This was done to mirror how public opinion ended in a negative way with deeper questions to ponder about what the government was hiding. Ultimately Nixon was forced to resign, and did not finish his second term as president.

Captain America’s new identity as “Nomad”

“The Government created me in 1941 – created me to act as their agent in protecting our country, and over the years I’ve done my best. I did things I’m not proud of, but I always tried to serve my country well. And I find the government serving itself… I’m the one who’s seen everything Captain America fought for become a cynical sham.” – Steve Rogers (Captain America)

Captain America in the future reflecting on his time as Nomad

Although America was immersed in the Vietnam War, comic books never addressed the issue. Most writers did not believe the war was right and did not want write stories about it. Feminism in comics had been altered with Wonder Woman being reinvented without her powers, instead turning into a spy. Many feminists groups were very angry that the most prominent and powerful female character had lost what made her strong and becoming more of a sex object.

the transformation of Wonder Woman into a non-powered human

Opposite of this was the Wonder Women show staring Lynda Carter that stayed true to the original characterization. Carter played a strong feminist Wonder Woman who used the show to promote these ideals.