I'm Gotham Chopra and this is Holy Facts, the show where we take you on a tour of the
weirder side of religion and spirituality, from miracle pets to doomsday prophecies.
On this episode, we’re taking a closer look at the guy up in the sky.
You know, the one who answers your prayers when you’re stuck in a jam, who’s able
to bend the laws of nature to perform miraculous feats.
No, not Jesus.
Superman!
[Intro music]
Throughout recorded history, storytellers have told tales of heroic deeds and superhuman
abilities.
The Roman God Hercules was renowned for his strength, speed and smarts and his exploits
were told and retold in text and through art.
Jesus Christ was able to walk on water and heel the sick.
Humans have always loved a good tale, complete with origin story and pictures, if possible,
so it’s no surprise that the 20th Century’s great improvement on the genre came in the
form of comic book superheroes.
But our modern heroes are closely linked to those who came before.
Superman and Hercules, for instance have more in common than just rippling biceps and cool
names.
Both were raised by mortal earthling families and both took on local menaces: Hercules slayed
the Stymphalian Birds, the man-eating, crop-destroying beasts of Arcadia, while Superman battled
with evil super genius Lex Luthor in Metropolis.
You’d think Superman could easily take down a guy in a polka-dot Ascot, but Lex is smarter
than he looks, and seems to have an endless supply of Kryptonite.
And ascots.
Speaking of dandy gentlemen, both Superman and Hercules were fashion-forward – the
man of steel wore a cape and tights, while Hercules rocked a lion skin, complete with
head still attached.
Although Superman was already the comic book version of Hercules, that didn’t stop Stan
Lee and Jack Kirby from making Hercules himself into a Marvel comic book character.
Marvel also comi-fied Thor, the Norse god of thunder, and Ares, the Greek god of war.
When ancient religions have already done the leg-work of crafting perfect superheroes,
why not dig them up and send them out on new, 20th Century adventures?
Especially when you can then turn those adventures into movies and CGI Thor’s hammer flying
all over the joint.
And elements of Jesus himself can be found in several characters, like X-Man Jean Grey
who sacrificed herself for her people during the Phoenix Saga by flying her spaceship into
the sun.
By all reports, Jesus did shoot anybody with crazy lasers right before he sacrificed himself,
so point for Jean.
And Spiderman, like Christ, was persecuted before he was celebrated; and of course our
old friend Superman is the next most Jesusy thing next to Jesus.
Just as Jesus was both 100% divine and 100% human, Superman too embodies duality.
To many humans he is an eternal god, though when he meets another native of his home planet
Krypton they are always amazed at his humanity.
Both religion and comic books revere doing good works and self-sacrifice.
Superheroes are often fulfilling a divine calling or a destiny, not unlike the prophets
or “chosen ones” in religious tales.
And like religious figures, superheroes are often martyrs to the cause, giving up love,
security, money and their health in order to fulfill that destiny, and you know, gently
caress their old family photos and hitchhike, which I don’t remember from the Superman
comics, but which I’m gonna let slide because c’mon, Christopher Nolan’s producing.
I’m not going to lie to you: I’m a total sucker and believer in this cult of comics
and their religiousness.
I even wrote a book on it with my dad – cue the graphic plug.
My personal POV is that contemporary comics and comic heroes are our modern mythologies.
Stan Lee and Chris Nolan, they are today what Homer was way back when.
Superheroes, like ancient Gods, aren’t just strapping idols meant for worship, they embody
qualities within us that we mirror our divine aspirations – power, strength, magic, balance
and more.
Whoa…
Are comic books your religion?
What spiritual lessons have you learned from comic books?
Let us know in the comments or by uploading a response video.