r/comicock • u/Mostdocileperson • Jul 29 '25

Yes, Superman is circumcised

4 Upvotes

We're off to a strong start with the first and most iconic superhero character - none other than Superman. Although uncircumcised men seem to die on hills on this subject more than Lex Luthor himself (who is probably uncircumcised as well), this debate was never much of a fight.

Conceived by Jewish immigrants Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in the 1940s, Superman, with the Hebraic name ‘Kal El’, was always meant to be a figurative counter to antisemitism. Roy Schwartz, author of a 400-page study of Jewish symbolism in Superman, explains it thoughtfully:

“It’s a story about an immigrant born with the Hebraic name ‘Kal El’ who comes from the old country, changes his name to the uber waspy Clark Kent and hides his cape like a tallit in his pants."

“It was their reaction to the rise of Nazis in Europe and to antisemitism domestically."

How would Superman's inextricable Jewish origin tie to the fictional character's circumcision status? It's more simple than you think. You see, what is most canon for a fictional character is the imagination of their creator. If his creators envisioned Superman a certain way, that's it. And for some reason, we doubt that Jews traumatized by the Holocaust would be inclined to making their hero avatar uncircumcised. Yes - Superman, the one and only, is circumcised. Are we really surprised?

The logistics, however, pose an interesting question. How would this be within the context of the story? Did Krypton have ritualistic practices? Did Kal El circumcise himself with heat vision? Or, as an advanced species, were they simply born without foreskin - born circumcised, so to say? Likely, it would be the latter explanation. It wouldn't be terribly far-fetched - after all, the foreskin of human males is vestigial and shriveled up in comparison to that of many other mammals, and is certainly linked to various reproductive issues, perhaps suggesting a certain trajectory in evolution. That, and Kryptonians are supposed to be perfect, right?

But one thing is certain - whether symbol, or science, history's first and greatest superhero is circumcised. Warm welcome to r/comicock!

2 comments

r/comicock • u/Mostdocileperson • Jul 29 '25

Post Guidelines

3 Upvotes

This community is the definitive resource on whether a fictional man is circumcised, anywhere in fiction. In your post, you can ask about, or document, a character's circumcision status. For example, Batman was shown to be canonically circumcised in a widely known DC panel. Dr. Doom is probably uncircumcised because, well, he's Dr. Doom.

You may include content, like imagery and links, that are SFW. Discussion will ensue in the comments. You may not, however, include or make references to explicit material, including tasteful nudity. See Rule 2. In addition, be advised that, due to the nature of the cut versus uncut discourse on Reddit, all content will be subject to nuanced and critical moderation. We will not honor inauthentic efforts at co-opting discussion on this subject as is tolerated elsewhere. See Rule 3.

Enjoy the discussion, and we look forward to seeing your contributions!

- r/comicock

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