Are Superheroes Cops? Cyclops, Green Lantern & ACAB

Is Cyclops from X-Men actually a cop, or is he just annoying? That question turns out to be the perfect entry point for a much bigger one: what does ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards) really mean when the people using violence to enforce order have optic blasts and power rings instead of badges?Matthew is joined by comics writer and Book Riot contributor Jessica Plummer as they trace how the Green Lantern Corps shifted from lone-sector sheriffs into an explicitly militarized space police force through deliberate creative choices, and what that shift cost the characters. They work through Batman's complicated relationship with law enforcement, the X-Men's internal debates over respectability politics and who gets to set the rules, and why The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl might be one of the most quietly radical superhero comics ever published.The thread running through all of it is accountability; who superheroes answer to, what happens when the authority behind them turns out to be corrupt, and whether a hero who patrols, stops crime, and hands people over to the cops is meaningfully different from the cops themselves.Connect with Jessica: jessicaplummerwrites.com ************************************************************************** This episode is a production of Superhero Ethics , an Ethical Panda podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network . Check out our website to find out more about this show and our sister podcast Star Wars Generations .We want to hear from you! Keep up with our latest news and send us feedback, questions, or comments via social media or email. TikTok · Twitter/X · Instagram · Facebook · EmailJoin the conversation in the Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics channels on the TruStory FM Discord .Want even more content while supporting the podcast? Become a member! For $5 a month or $55 a year you get access to bonus episodes and bonus content at the end of most episodes — and you can even give membership as a gift. Sign up here. You can also support us through our sponsors: Purchase a lightsaber from Level Up Sabers , run by friend of the podcast Neighborhood Master Alan . Use Audible for audiobooks. Sign up for a one-year membership or gift one through this link. Purchase any media discussed this week through our sponsored links.

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Are Superheroes Cops? Cyclops, Green Lantern & ACAB is an episode from Superhero Ethics by TruStory FM.

This episode is 60:30 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

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