Superman Fought a Threat More Insidious and Real Than Marvel's HYDRA
Superman took on a threat more insidious and real than Marvel's HYDRA. Superman Smashes the Klan pitted the Man of Steel against a KKK stand-in, the Clan of the Fiery Cross. This extremist group is similar to HYDRA in some ways, though it is more honest about its intentions in the worst way.
Superman Smashes the Klan is a three-issue limited series written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Gurihiru - the creative collective made up of Naoko Kawano and Chifuyu Sasaki. Published in 2019, this series was inspired by "Clan of the Fiery Cross", a story arc within the radio show, The Adventures of Superman from 1946. This story was actually part of the legitimate Ku Klux Klan's downfall at the time, with the story's antagonist group being inspired by this real-life counterpart, making it a powerful and influential story within the Man of Steel's legacy.
The Clan of the Fiery Cross serves as the collective antagonist of the series. It is a hate group that targets a family of Asian Americans who moved from Metropolis' Chinatown to Metropolis Proper. The "Clan" targets the family because of their ethnicity, harass them, call them ethnic slurs, and ultimately attack them. Superman fights this group that presents the hate speech that is stereotypical of these groups, saying that the family is stealing jobs from actual Americans. This abominable, unacceptable mentality defines these groups, but it isn't what makes them the most dangerous. The reality behind the Clan of the Fiery Cross reveals that it is more effective than HYDRA - for all the wrong reasons.
Marvel's HYDRA is a group that has been shown working similarly, as an extremist collective that rose in Nazi-era Germany. It has been known to preach ideals of superiority over others, though its plans are always foiled by Marvel's heroes. The leaders are also usually following the doctrines of the group and seeking varying degrees of power. In Red Skull's case, it is often the desire to rule the world and have supreme power over it. The revealed leader of the Clan of the Fiery Cross also wants power, but in a more realistic way - which makes him a bigger threat when it comes to practicality - super-aliens aside. Towards the end of the series, the motivations of the Clan boil down to one thing: power through money. It isn't about actually putting people down - it is about rallying people to make Superman's foes money to rise in power using the money. In this case, it is to research ways to take down Superman since he is the biggest holder of power around - however, in of itself, money is a strong motivator.
HYDRA's members and leaders actually believe in what they're selling to their recruits. They stick to those beliefs and hold them as the highest marker to aspire to. The Clan of the Fiery Cross, however, maintains its power by disassociating from the cause. The cause in and of itself is just a guise - a distraction intended to hold people's attention and establish a hierarchical division between the citizens of Metropolis. Membership dues and materials are used purely to gain profit, with the Clan's leader becoming upset when the "Grand Scorpion" is causing the group to garner too much attention and hurt sales. It isn't about hurting people to uphold an ideal - it's about hurting people simply for profit. HYDRA is incredibly dangerous, but Superman's battle against the Clan of the Fiery Cross was a fight against a very deep-rooted, insidious evil that is far more terrifying because of just how real it is.