Christopher Reeve’s costume from Superman is seen on display at an auction at Christie’s in London, December 16, 2003 Ian Walton / Getty Images

What is home for Superman, the world’s most famous immigrant: Krypton, the United States, the whole of planet Earth? Next week, the newest chapter in the Superman saga hits theaters; the teaser trailer for the James Gunn-directed offering includes a nod to this question. A bloodied Superman splayed out on a snowy tundra whistles for his trusty dog, Krypto, and achingly pleads, “Krypto. Home. Take me home.”

“Home” in this case refers to Superman’s earthly refuge, the Fortress of Solitude. But the meaning of home to Superman may be best solved by looking at the evolution of Superman’s famous motto: “Truth, justice and the American way.”

Born on the fictional planet Krypton, the alien baby Kal-El was sent by his parents from their doomed world to Earth in a small spacecraft. Expanded retellings identify Smallville, Kansas, as his landing spot, where he was raised on a farm by Martha and Jonathan Kent. Now named Clark Kent, he grows up with superpowers. On reaching adulthood, Kent moves to the city of Metropolis and gains employment at the city’s newspaper, the Daily Planet. Being a reporter allows him access to breaking news stories, and thus the man in the red cape and blue tights begins to protect the world as the virtuous Superman.

Since his 1938 debut in Action Comics No. 1, one home for Superman has been America, even though he was born on a distant planet. By World War II, Superman had a much greater fight at hand than local gangsters and villains like Lex Luthor. Superman fought for his country. The covers of Superman and World’s Finest Comics from that era feature him hawking bonds to fund the war and battling Axis enemies. At first the Superman radio serial extolled his devotion simply to “truth and justice.” But in 1942, two years after its premiere and with World War II raging, the serial added “the American way” to its opening narration—thereby touting the Man of Steel’s patriotic commitment to the values of his homeland.

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Superman first appeared in Action Comics No. 1, released in 1938. Now, 87 years later, he is widely considered to be the character who defines the superhero genre.

Amid Cold War jingoism and the Red Scare, the opening narration for the 1950s television show starring George Reeves grandly announced: “Superman, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.” The catchphrase was now firmly ingrained in world consciousness.

Over the years, in different media, the motto appeared in various forms. The 1966 “New Adventures of Superman” animated series swapped out the reference to America for “truth, justice and freedom,” an especially apt choice with the recent passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. In the 1970s, the “Super Friends” cartoon adopted the catchphrase “truth, justice and peace for all mankind,” a wholesome message for young Saturday morning viewers.

“‘The American way’ was absent from all media spanning April 1958, the final episode of the Reeves television series, until the pilot episode [which ended up running as the fifth episode of the series] of the ‘Superboy’ live-action television series in 1988,” says Roy Schwartz, a Superman expert and pop-culture historian. There the phrase is not part of the opening narration, but rather Superboy explains, “I fight for truth, justice and the American way” when first identifying himself.

In the late 1970s, Superman reached his largest and most diverse audience to date with the eponymously named film starring Christopher Reeve. When asked by journalist Lois Lane what he stands for, the Man of Steel affirms, “truth, justice and the American way.” Lane laughs in disbelief. “You’re going to end up fighting every elected official in this country,” she retorts. This revealing moment shows Superman’s sincere belief in old-fashioned American values, while also acknowledging the cynicism of the era. Reeve’s Superman embodied a hopeful, principled hero trying to make people believe in goodness again, even if the world had grown distrustful in post-Watergate America.

Headshot of actor Christopher Reeve as Superman in a scene from the film, Superman, 1978 Warner Bros. Pictures / Getty Images

Despite the motto’s use on screen, comic books shied away from it. It was not until 1991, 53 years after Superman first appeared, that “truth, justice and the American way” graced a comic book’s page, says Schwartz. Superman No. 53 shows the hero proudly saluting, with the full phrase emblazoned in capital letters and punctuated by an exclamation point inside the stripes of a billowing American flag. Despite the patriotic cover and Superman’s reverent salute, he broadly acknowledges his global importance in a story about the rescue of a foreign president: “I believe in everything this flag stands for,” he says. “But as Superman I have to be a citizen of the world. I value all life, regardless of political borders.” The values of Superman’s earthly home extend to his heroics on an international stage.

The television series “Smallville,” which followed the adventures of teen Clark Kent before his transformation into Superman, aired more than 200 episodes over ten seasons beginning in 2001. It depicts Superman’s home as the American heartland. His upbringing by good-hearted, wise and compassionate adoptive parents shapes his moral code. When Kent is running for high school president in the first season, a school reporter asks him about his platform. Unsure about his stance on the issues yet raised to do good, he responds: “I stand for truth, justice and other stuff.”

The 2006 film Superman Returns also elides the classic mantra. Superman has spent an extended five years away from Earth to search for any remains of Krypton and his otherworldly roots. Wondering if this foray into the universe has changed Superman’s ideals, Daily Planet editor in chief Perry White immediately sends out reporters to see if he still stands for “truth, justice and all that stuff.”

To much controversy, Superman renounces his American citizenship in Action Comics’ 2011 landmark 900th issue. “I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy,” he says. “‘Truth, justice and the American way’––it’s not enough anymore.” Responding to backlash, DC Comics’ co-publishers issued a statement: “Superman announces his intention to put a global focus on his never ending battle, but he remains, as always, committed to his adopted home and his roots as a Kansas farm boy from Smallville.” DC affirmed Superman as shaped by his American upbringing but firmly situated him as a citizen of the world.

Ten years later, the most recent television series starring the Big Blue Boy Scout, “Superman & Lois,” plays on the “American way” and questions about home in the first season. Interviewing Superman, Lane asks what he stands for, to which he responds: “Truth, justice.” Prodding further, she questions: “The American way?” An amused Superman replies, “I think someone’s just trying to get me to admit I was raised here.”

The Superman statue in Metropolis, Illinois Bernard Friel / Education Images / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Months later, DC officially changed Superman’s motto to “truth, justice and a better tomorrow.” As DC publisher Jim Lee explained at the time, “Superman has long been a symbol of hope who inspires people from around the world, and it is that optimism and hope that powers him forward with this new mission statement.” This new mission statement plays on one of Superman’s nicknames: The Man of Tomorrow.

Back in May 1939, shortly before Superman received his first self-titled comic book, the wildly popular character appeared in New York World’s Fair Comics No. 1. That tie-in to the 1939 World’s Fair was written by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The fair’s theme, “The World of Tomorrow,” inspired Superman’s new “Man of Tomorrow” moniker. The name nodded to Superman’s futuristic character and extraordinary powers that were meant to usher in a better future. Siegel and Shuster’s original tagline, from Action Comics No. 1, reads: “A physical marvel, a mental wonder, Superman is destined to reshape the destiny of a world!”

The new motto “truth, justice and a better tomorrow” thus brings Superman closer to his creators’ vision. Siegel and Shuster always intended for the Last Son of Krypton to be a citizen of the world sent to make Earth a better place. As early as Action Comics No. 2, Superman ventured to South America, where he rescues Lois Lane from a firing squad and pre-empts a war. A similar scenario, although with a different international backdrop, is hinted at in the official trailer for the forthcoming Superman film. During an interview with Lane, Superman defends himself in the face of government sanction: “I stopped a war,” he says in disbelief over widespread criticism of his actions.

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Some still see the value in the original motto.

“For me, it will always be ‘truth, justice, and the American way,’” says Brad Meltzer, a novelist and comic book author. “And I don’t think many people at DC will argue that with you. In fact, when I wrote [the children’s book] I Am Superman, I asked them if I could use ‘truth, justice and the American way.’ And everyone was completely lovely about it. In my humble opinion, I don’t think it’s as much of a fight as people keep insisting. It was just a way to add some more global accessibility. But right now, we need the ‘American way’ part—the hope, kindness and empathy that is at the core of the character—more than ever. Look around. We’re starving for Superman and his version of the American way. If you think the ‘American way’ part is about superiority, cruelty or dominance, you’re missing the whole point of Superman and comic books.”

Superman was never meant to be a hero only for Americans. He was meant to serve the world. In that sense, Superman’s home does not matter even as his search for a personal identity has surely been an ongoing and intriguing storyline across media and decades. No doubt, many moviegoers worldwide eagerly anticipate the release of Gunn’s film to see where Superman’s request to go home takes him––the Fortress of Solitude and perhaps beyond.

For over 80 years, Superman has been a champion of the oppressed, the epitome of social conscience, and an absolute supporter of democracy and responsible citizenship. In that way, he embodies America’s most deeply embedded, idealistic values. Those values guide Superman, a global hero without borders.

James Gunn’s forthcoming Superman movie, opening next week, is showing in the Airbus IMAX Theater at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.