It's a bird! it's a plane! It's christianity!
Christianity at the base of the modern-day superhero
Kieran J. Roach, November 9, 2015
introduction
Since the dawn of superheroes, Christianity has always been present in our saviors' stories. Evidence of this reoccurring theme stems back to early age Superman comics, and has continued to be an influence throughout the remainder of the twentieth and the twenty-first century. The modern-day hero lives among the rest of civilization, and never fails to answer the call when humanity is in need of saving. Does that sound familiar to you? It should.
In nearly every superhero universe that exists, Christianity appears in a variety of different aspects, be it intentional or not. Many of our heroes lives mirror the life of Jesus Christ to various extents. In all stories, many of the morals that are upheld by superheroes are the same morals that the average Christian churchgoer is taught each Sunday. Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men and Batman: these are all some of our favourite heroes. There is one startling commonality, they are all men. The industry of superheroes is a male dominated business. The females that are in the stories are often objectified or made out to be someone for the men to protect. The treatment of women is symbolic of the role that women play in Christianity. There is a great deal of religious symbolism that riddles the superhero world around every turn. Gender is just one example of what at times appears to be an endless amount of symbolism.
In nearly every superhero universe that exists, Christianity appears in a variety of different aspects, be it intentional or not. Many of our heroes lives mirror the life of Jesus Christ to various extents. In all stories, many of the morals that are upheld by superheroes are the same morals that the average Christian churchgoer is taught each Sunday. Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men and Batman: these are all some of our favourite heroes. There is one startling commonality, they are all men. The industry of superheroes is a male dominated business. The females that are in the stories are often objectified or made out to be someone for the men to protect. The treatment of women is symbolic of the role that women play in Christianity. There is a great deal of religious symbolism that riddles the superhero world around every turn. Gender is just one example of what at times appears to be an endless amount of symbolism.
What does it take to be a superhero?
Not all superheroes wear tights and a cape, nor can they all fly or see through walls. Each hero has something that makes them unique. Iron Man has his suit, Spider-Man is a web-slinger and the Hulk has super strength. What they all have in common, however, is their heightened level of perception. This is a connection that we can draw between all heroes and the Holy Family. God is omniscient - he sees all - and so do the heroes. They are able to see things coming. Spider-Man's senses tingle when danger approaches and he is always quick to respond. Superman can see through walls and has supersonic hearing, allowing him to be more aware of his surroundings than any human being. The heroes are then able to act upon what they see (Rosenberg, 2008, 106). Our perception is what gives us our wisdom in life, and dictates each and every one of our actions. Thus, by having super perception, one possesses super wisdom and subsequently has supernatural actions (Rosenberg, 106). We see the same thing in Christianity. Jesus Christ is the son of God, and he possess God's wisdom. He offers revolutionary teachings that have moulded the way humanity has lived for the last two thousand years. Jesus appears to be blessed with a larger understanding of how the world should be than any other man. Even his closest followers needed guidance from him. He was the word of God.
Superman as jesus christ and christian symbolism
The story of how Superman came from Krypton to Earth is nearly identical to the story of Jesus' arrival to Earth. There was a father who sent his only son down to Earth to be the savior of humanity. As he grows, he is different from other children. He doesn't quite fit in. Although he looks to be of mankind, he is more than any other man. Later in life, he grows to perform miracles and to be the savior for all of the human race (Campbell, 116).
Although little is known about the childhoods of both Jesus and Superman, compared to what we know of their adult life. However, what we do know about both of them is very similar. Both boys were raised by adoptive parents on a planet where at least one of their 'true' parents came from, and were raised to have good morals. Jesus was sent down from Heaven whereas Clark Kent came from the planet Krypton, which has different environmental surroundings than Earth (Giugni, 102). Both boys spent time doing manual labour to help their fathers. Joseph was a Carpenter, and Jesus reportedly spent lots of time in the workshop learning from his father. Clark Kent grew up on a family farm in Kansas. He led a quiet childhood helping his father look after the farm while he wasn't in school. Again, both boys shared supernatural gifts; yet, they were both encouraged to keep their respective gifts a secret until the time was right, once they and the rest of the world were ready (Giugni, 102). Neither child spent a great deal of time with friends. They were often isolated because they were different from the rest of their peers.
The two saviors entered their public life near the age of 30. At this point, their quiet ways that they had as children were no longer necessary - the time was right for them to come out into the world. As men, they share more similarities in character. Both have strength that is not achievable by mere man. Superman can leap from building to building and is faster than a speeding bullet, while Jesus Christ had spiritual capacities greater than any other person has ever felt (Giugni, 102). Another power that they share is their ability and duty to help save and heal others. Superman defends from evil villains, and he is always at the beckoning call of humanity when it is in need of a savior. Jesus performed miracles like curing the blind and lepers (Giugni, 102). Because these men have such great powers, it becomes their duty to help others. For example, when Jesus enters Jericho, he is swarmed by the crowd, and a blind man approaches him and begs for his mercy. The man has such great faith in the Lord that he is healed by Jesus Christ (The Jerusalem Bible, Luke 18.35-43). Similarly, William Irwin asks if Superman should really be responsible for all of the human race? It is not necessarily fair that Superman be made responsible for all of humanity (145-148). As adults, each hero has their own set of morals and principles, but many of these overlap. According to Giugni, Jesus' motto is "the way the truth and the life," and Superman's is "truth justice and the American way" (102). These mottos are essentially saying the same thing. Jesus' refers to the way to live. Live by the way of God, live true to his teachings and that is what one must do to be righteous in the eyes of God. Superman's motto is a nationalistic version of the one that Jesus preaches. Rather than living by the way of God, one should live by the ways of the United States of America. After Clark Kent and Jesus reach adulthood, they appear to stay in a timeless period. They do not ever seem to age. For the entire part of the Bible that Jesus is in adulthood for, he remains around the same age of thirty years old. Superman is equally as ageless. Over decades of comics, TV shows, movies and more, he appears to remain about thirty years old as well.
Finally, there is an awful lot of symbolism that links Superman to Jesus Christ, and more generally, to Christianity. First of all, the original name for Clark's mother was Mary (Tye, 68) before becoming Martha, the same as Jesus' mother. The next symbol I would like to point out is Superman's cape. His cape was often times depicted to look like wings (Tye, 67). Although Jesus never had wings, this is how angels have been depicted in Christianity. In Superman, there is an ice fortress where the hero can go to meditate and to communicate with Krypton. This can be linked to when Jesus would go to the temple to pray to his father in heaven (Giugni, 102). This fortress was sacred to him, and it was a place where he would not be alone. While on Earth, Superman, like Jesus, is unlike every other human being. However, in his fortress he had Krypton, his home planet, just as Jesus had God, his father. There are also many connections that can be made by examining language. The New Testament refers to the kingdom of heaven as hidden. The Greek word for hidden is Krypton (Tye, 68). Also, Kal-El means Star-Child, which could be an allusion to the star that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem and the baby Jesus (Tye, 68). Finally, Kal-El's father is named Jor-El, which is a play on words in Hebrew meaning "God teaches," indicating that he represents God the Holy Father.
The two saviors entered their public life near the age of 30. At this point, their quiet ways that they had as children were no longer necessary - the time was right for them to come out into the world. As men, they share more similarities in character. Both have strength that is not achievable by mere man. Superman can leap from building to building and is faster than a speeding bullet, while Jesus Christ had spiritual capacities greater than any other person has ever felt (Giugni, 102). Another power that they share is their ability and duty to help save and heal others. Superman defends from evil villains, and he is always at the beckoning call of humanity when it is in need of a savior. Jesus performed miracles like curing the blind and lepers (Giugni, 102). Because these men have such great powers, it becomes their duty to help others. For example, when Jesus enters Jericho, he is swarmed by the crowd, and a blind man approaches him and begs for his mercy. The man has such great faith in the Lord that he is healed by Jesus Christ (The Jerusalem Bible, Luke 18.35-43). Similarly, William Irwin asks if Superman should really be responsible for all of the human race? It is not necessarily fair that Superman be made responsible for all of humanity (145-148). As adults, each hero has their own set of morals and principles, but many of these overlap. According to Giugni, Jesus' motto is "the way the truth and the life," and Superman's is "truth justice and the American way" (102). These mottos are essentially saying the same thing. Jesus' refers to the way to live. Live by the way of God, live true to his teachings and that is what one must do to be righteous in the eyes of God. Superman's motto is a nationalistic version of the one that Jesus preaches. Rather than living by the way of God, one should live by the ways of the United States of America. After Clark Kent and Jesus reach adulthood, they appear to stay in a timeless period. They do not ever seem to age. For the entire part of the Bible that Jesus is in adulthood for, he remains around the same age of thirty years old. Superman is equally as ageless. Over decades of comics, TV shows, movies and more, he appears to remain about thirty years old as well.
Finally, there is an awful lot of symbolism that links Superman to Jesus Christ, and more generally, to Christianity. First of all, the original name for Clark's mother was Mary (Tye, 68) before becoming Martha, the same as Jesus' mother. The next symbol I would like to point out is Superman's cape. His cape was often times depicted to look like wings (Tye, 67). Although Jesus never had wings, this is how angels have been depicted in Christianity. In Superman, there is an ice fortress where the hero can go to meditate and to communicate with Krypton. This can be linked to when Jesus would go to the temple to pray to his father in heaven (Giugni, 102). This fortress was sacred to him, and it was a place where he would not be alone. While on Earth, Superman, like Jesus, is unlike every other human being. However, in his fortress he had Krypton, his home planet, just as Jesus had God, his father. There are also many connections that can be made by examining language. The New Testament refers to the kingdom of heaven as hidden. The Greek word for hidden is Krypton (Tye, 68). Also, Kal-El means Star-Child, which could be an allusion to the star that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem and the baby Jesus (Tye, 68). Finally, Kal-El's father is named Jor-El, which is a play on words in Hebrew meaning "God teaches," indicating that he represents God the Holy Father.
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In this short clip, we see Superman's father give him the strength to go back down to Earth and to save Lois, who represents man-kind. As he flies out of the ship, his body is in the same position as Jesus Christ on the crucifix. |
Common morals in christianity and superheroes
During every single superhero story ever written, the given hero will be put in a position where they have to make a difficult decision. These decisions are not simple matters, such as whether to go out for supper or to stay home and cook. No, they are near impossible decisions that no human should ever have to make. Often times these decisions come at a heavy price. Heroes have lost people whom they love, and have even had to sacrifice their own lives to save the lives of thousands. What allows the heroes to make such difficult decisions, are the morals that they live by. Many of these morals are the same ones that I was taught growing up in a Roman Catholic family.
Ben Parker's "with great power comes great responsibility" (Irwin, 59) and Jesus' "to whom much has been given, much is required" (Irwin, 59) mean the exact same thing. God has entrusted certain people with more powers than the rest of the world. It is up to them to do the right thing and to use their powers for good and to help people in need. It may feel great to be bestowed with such great power, but we often don't recognize how much of a curse it may be for the hero. Peter Parker can't hold a relationship with MJ in the movie Spider-Man because he fears he will place her in danger (Irwin, 60). He must sacrifice his love for the sake of humanity. It is not fair to him, but he must. He is the hero that New York City needs. Similarly, Jesus Christ is scared after the Last Supper. He does not want to die, and he prays to his father to take the heavy burden off of him (Mark 14.32-42). He does not want to die, suffering a painful death. However, he knows that he must fulfill the will of God, and he finds strength to carry out his responsibility. Although at no point in Spider-Man's history does it say that he is Christian, clearly his ethics are.
Dalton argues that that there is a major ethical difference between Superheroes and Christianity; he claims that Superheroes use violence to defeat their foes, which goes against the turn the other cheek approach that is preached by Christians (Dalton, 2). There is some truth to this. For example, Jesus tells his disciples to put their swords away after he is turned over to the Romans, as violence leads to more violence (Matthew 26.52). Heroes can be very violent at times, but they do make effort not to kill their foes when possible. One of the Ten Commandments states: "you shall not kill" (Exodus 20.13), and we see that on many occasions, superheroes such as Batman do everything in their power not to kill. In the following videos, you will see that Batman is unable to kill the Joker when he has the opportunity. He places himself is a vulnerable position by not finishing his enemy, but he cannot bring himself to kill another human, no matter how much he would like to. In the second video, we see that Batman chooses not to save his enemy. He differentiates between killing and not saving the villain. This is a very fine line that he is treading. He is still obeying the Commandments, but he is not saving every person that he can, for he wants to rid Gotham of evil, and Ras Al Goul is too dangerous to be kept alive.
Ben Parker's "with great power comes great responsibility" (Irwin, 59) and Jesus' "to whom much has been given, much is required" (Irwin, 59) mean the exact same thing. God has entrusted certain people with more powers than the rest of the world. It is up to them to do the right thing and to use their powers for good and to help people in need. It may feel great to be bestowed with such great power, but we often don't recognize how much of a curse it may be for the hero. Peter Parker can't hold a relationship with MJ in the movie Spider-Man because he fears he will place her in danger (Irwin, 60). He must sacrifice his love for the sake of humanity. It is not fair to him, but he must. He is the hero that New York City needs. Similarly, Jesus Christ is scared after the Last Supper. He does not want to die, and he prays to his father to take the heavy burden off of him (Mark 14.32-42). He does not want to die, suffering a painful death. However, he knows that he must fulfill the will of God, and he finds strength to carry out his responsibility. Although at no point in Spider-Man's history does it say that he is Christian, clearly his ethics are.
Dalton argues that that there is a major ethical difference between Superheroes and Christianity; he claims that Superheroes use violence to defeat their foes, which goes against the turn the other cheek approach that is preached by Christians (Dalton, 2). There is some truth to this. For example, Jesus tells his disciples to put their swords away after he is turned over to the Romans, as violence leads to more violence (Matthew 26.52). Heroes can be very violent at times, but they do make effort not to kill their foes when possible. One of the Ten Commandments states: "you shall not kill" (Exodus 20.13), and we see that on many occasions, superheroes such as Batman do everything in their power not to kill. In the following videos, you will see that Batman is unable to kill the Joker when he has the opportunity. He places himself is a vulnerable position by not finishing his enemy, but he cannot bring himself to kill another human, no matter how much he would like to. In the second video, we see that Batman chooses not to save his enemy. He differentiates between killing and not saving the villain. This is a very fine line that he is treading. He is still obeying the Commandments, but he is not saving every person that he can, for he wants to rid Gotham of evil, and Ras Al Goul is too dangerous to be kept alive.
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Unequal treatment of women
It is clear that throughout the history of superheroes, men have dominated. The role of the superhero is so gender divided that many of our most popular heroes have 'man' in their name. But along the way, there has been heroines as well - the most famous probably being Wonder Woman. However, in recent years society has started to shift, and women's rights are being given much more attention. Superhero television shows and films have reflected this shift by adding more important feminine roles to their plots (Kaklamanidou, 61). The same affect has been reflected in Christianity. In the past, women had next to no influence in the Christian faith. Albeit, certain denominations offered more equality than others, but there was still a major divide. Within the last number of years, though, there appears to be more respect for women in the Christian faith. As a child, I remember my sister was always told that she had to wear a dress to go to church, and that she had to look a certain way, while I could wear my blue jeans and any old t-shirt. She never had the same freedom that I had as a boy. Now, on the other hand, if she wants to wear jeans or even shorts to go to mass, she is more than accepted by the congregation.
At the time that the Bible was being written, some 2000 years ago, women had so few rights that they weren't even considered to be people. They were objects to be owned and taken care of. They answered to their husbands and even their sons. They had no influence whatsoever, as they were completely objectified. Our superheroines of the modern age really are not treated very differently. They are also overly objectified in a sexual way. For example, Wonder Woman carries whips and chains, which plays at the sexual fantasy of many fans (gray, 75). There is also a 'bad girl' attitude that many of these heroines have, which many fans find super sexy (Gray, 76). This sexy attitude is part of their super power, as it weakens their male enemies. Hollywood is more than aware of this, and casts attractive actresses to fill the roles. They also go heavy of CGI effects to exaggerate the women's attractive features even more (Lebel, 52).
At the time that the Bible was being written, some 2000 years ago, women had so few rights that they weren't even considered to be people. They were objects to be owned and taken care of. They answered to their husbands and even their sons. They had no influence whatsoever, as they were completely objectified. Our superheroines of the modern age really are not treated very differently. They are also overly objectified in a sexual way. For example, Wonder Woman carries whips and chains, which plays at the sexual fantasy of many fans (gray, 75). There is also a 'bad girl' attitude that many of these heroines have, which many fans find super sexy (Gray, 76). This sexy attitude is part of their super power, as it weakens their male enemies. Hollywood is more than aware of this, and casts attractive actresses to fill the roles. They also go heavy of CGI effects to exaggerate the women's attractive features even more (Lebel, 52).
Jesus Christ and bruce wayne as symbols
Batman is indeed a symbol, as seen in the video above. He is a persona that Bruce Wayne creates not only to protect those whom he cares for, but more importantly, to be someone Bruce Wayne cannot be. As a man, Wayne is subject to his reputation, his namesake, the law and all the character traits that make him human. As Batman, he is able to overstep all of those things, and he becomes a symbol of justice and good. He is no longer subject to the same limitations that he faces as Bruce Wayne while trying to do the right thing. Jesus Christ can equally be regarded as a symbol. His teachings and words were not from his time - he was a man of the future in many ways (Hege, 198). This could not have been easy for anyone. But he, like Batman, was incorruptible. He is "regarded as a figure of unparalleled moral heroism and ethical courage" (Hege, 198). He was able to go beyond himself as a human in the flesh to become this incorruptible figure. Bruce Wayne put on a cowl and a cape to become Batman, while Jesus used his words and spiritual wisdom to become a symbol.
Arkham asylum is hell
The Devil and Hell are common themes that are often expressed in various works (McCollum) through the use of symbolism. In Batman, Arkham Asylum represents hell. The premise of Batman is that good battles against evil, and good always comes out on top. One must then pose the question: If Batman never kills his enemies, what happens to all the villains when they are defeated? They all go to Arkham. The asylum is located in the Narrows, in the depths of the poorest, dirtiest, most crime-ridden part of Gotham City. It is the underworld that completely juxtaposes the luxurious Wayne Manor, located just outside the city, home of Gotham's guardian angel. All the most evil bad guys get sent there to live out the rest of their days in the dungeon-like prison. There is no place more miserable to be stuck in all of Batman for the rest of one's life. It truly is a living hell.
Why?
It is important now to know the 'why'. Why are all these Christian connections there? Why is there so much religious symbolism? The simple answer is that it sells. Christians make up a very large portion of the North American population. Religious symbols are everywhere, and marketers and businessmen are aware of this (Taylor, 79). This makes the superhero industry a very lucrative industry. People can relate to a hero who shares the same values as they do, and they can sympathize with one who has suffered in the same way that their religious savior did. Audiences will make these connections without realizing it, just because it is familiar. People find comfort in their religion, so they will be comfortable seeing it surrounding Superman on the big screen.
Christianity is clearly a driving theme at the core of the superhero world. Almost every hero, whether or not it is intentional, shares common traits to Jesus, or upholds Christian values in some way or another. Christianity is one of the biggest influences in the modern world, and can be found around every corner and under every rock.
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De Haven, Tom. Our Hero. Superman on Earth. United States of America: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2010.
Giugni, Miriam. "Conceptualizing Goodies and Baddies through Narratives of Jesus and Superman." Contemporary Issues In Early Childhood 7.2 (2006): 97-108. Print.
Gray, Richard J., and Betty Kaklamanidou. The 21st Century Superhero: Essays on Gender, Genre and Globalization in Film. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2011. Print.
Hege, Brent. "Jesus Christ as a Poetic Symbol: Wilhelm Bousset's Contribution to the Faith-History Debate." Journal for the History of Modern Technology 16.2 (2009): 197-216. Print.
Irwin, William. Spider-Man and Philosophy: the Web of Inquiry. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc.,2012. Print.
Irwin, William. Superman and Philosophy What Would the Man of Steel Do. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2013. Print.
Lebel, Sabine. ""Tone down the boobs, please!" reading the special effect body in superhero movies." CineAction 77.12 (2009): 56. Print.
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Rosenberg, Robin. The Psychology of Superheroes: an Unauthorized Exploration. Dallas: BenBella Books Inc., 2008. Print.
Sampson, Mike. "Amber Heard Thor." 2013. JPEG file.
Taylor, Valeriea, Halstead, Diane, Haynes, Paulaj. "Consumer Responses to Christian Religious Symbols in Advertising." Journal of Advertising 39.2 (2010): 70-92. Print.
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