Squirrel Waving Bye In Tornado, also known as Superman Tornado Squirrel or Man of Steel Squirrel Getting Sucked Into Storm, is a viral reaction image and GIF based on an edited scene from the 2013 DC Comics film Man of Steel. The meme edits a squirrel into the role of Jonathan, Superman’s father figure played by Kevin Costner, in the “Jonathan’s Sacrifice Scene”—the same scene featured in the “Stop, My Invincible Son” meme.
In the image and GIF, the squirrel raises one hand before being pulled away by a tornado. The meme is typically used to portray someone accepting defeat or getting “cooked.”
How the Superman tornado squirrel meme started
The meme initially appeared as a still image in mid-2025, replacing Jonathan with a squirrel during the tornado scene. Over the following months, creators animated the edit, showing the squirrel slowly lifting its hand before being swept into the storm.
In late 2026, the meme experienced a resurgence online, particularly on X / Twitter, where users shared it in GIF-caption memes about surrender, defeat and being “cooked.”
Connection to James Gunn’s Superman
The edit directly references the 2025 James Gunn Superman movie, which featured a viral scene in which Superman saves a squirrel. The meme contrasts Zack Snyder’s version of Superman in Man of Steel, who does not use his powers to save Jonathan from the tornado, with Gunn’s Superman, who is shown rescuing a random squirrel.
Source: knowyourmeme.com