Superman is in the WW2 again…

The Nazis have a secret base in Africa (presumably) where the Baron Strucker-lookin’ boss is posing as a god to make the locals serve under them (and also they have gun turrets build into some statues, which I do have to respect). Naturally Lois Lane is flying over and gets shot down and captured by the Nazis, which brings Superman’s attention to the whole thing. Together, Lois and Superman stop the Nazis’ plan, get some U-boats imploded, and make Hitler sad.

It’s a decent showing for Lois here. I’ve said it before I’m sure, but she has a reputation for being a “damsel in distress” that I think is undeserved. Sure, she’s rescued by Superman, but she’s not just a woman kidnapped because she’s a princess to be held for ransom or anything. At every point she is an active participant in this battle against the Nazis, hiding the important documents, resisting torture, and disguising herself to sneak into the base and radio the Allies. Sure, Superman takes a few rounds of turret fire directly in the back, but Lois is no slouch.

Also: it feels like it’s almost too obvious to say, but say it one must: the depiction of the African tribe isn’t great. It’s very in keeping with the way the genre treated Africa at the time (with Superman’s comics in particular not being any exception) like superstitious primitives. While this cartoon was being made actual African armies, not beloinclothed spearmen, but actual modern armies were actually fighting in the war. I can dislike the way the cartoon depicts its Natives, but even these days Africa’s role in the war is downplayed in movies or videogames that would rather just keep retelling America storming Normandy over and over. Still, that annoying fact doesn’t make this cartoon’s depiction any better does it?