For a final post, I want to include a personal favorite hero of mine: Captain Marvel.

In a similar vein to the web singing Spider-man, Captain Marvel (or Carol Danvers) got her powers by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A former air force piolet, Danvers was caught in the explosion from an alien device. The release of energy transformed Danvers genetic structure, making her an alien-human hybrid. The alien species in question, the Kree, are a highly advanced race known for wielding super human abilities. With her new powers, Danvers became Captain Marvel!

One of the reasons that Danvers has become so popular as of late is due to her unique characterization. She embodies several feminist values and ideals. Historians and critics alike often comment that comics mirror the culture of the time. As a female Character, Captain Marvel mirrors the roles and ideas of women in society at certain times. Still, Ms. Marvel wasn’t exactly breaking molds. Her powers fell into traditional superhero lore, and were similar to those initially borne by Superman. Ms. Marvel wasn’t so much presenting an alternative to the patriarchy as she was embodying its ideals

Initially, Danvers was just a love interest for the former (male) Captain Marvel. After gaining her powers, however she became symbol of women’s liberation. Although Danvers had no memory of her victories as Marvel (she would black out, the Marvel persona would emerge, then Danvers would come to unaware of what she had done) Danvers was still a career oriented women who fought for equal rights in the work place. In the first issue of Ms. Marvel, Danvers demands equal pay and speaks for women in journalism. The comics also touch on keeping a social/love life along with a career.

Danvers has gone on a number of journeys, has lost her powers several times, and has lost her memories on more than one occasion. When she first entered comics, Danvers was called “Ms. Marvel.” She was the first hero to use “Ms.” In her name, in a way representing the feminist movement of the time who advocated to using the acronym. This is interesting, given that at one point She is sent to another dimension and raped by a villain. This particular storyline has been widely criticized, specifically by comic historian Carol Strickland in the essay “The Rape of Ms. Marvel.” In the essay, Strickland states “The artwork goes to great lengths — two close-up panels — to show Ms. Marvel’s ecstasy during the pseudo-mating,” Strickland wrote. “Another lesson to be learned from comics. It’s okay to rape. Women enjoy rape.”

Not only that, but Marvel’s fellow Avengers were not upset by the fact that their friend was kidnapped and raped. They were happy for her. Critics point out that this is a symptom of a patriarchal ruled comic industry.

The creator of Ms. Marvel, Chris Claremont took back to writing the character after the above mentioned rape happened. Returning to the roots of the character, he made her a strong force to be reckoned with rather than an object. In order to rectify the aforementioned events, Claremont created a scene where Danvers approaches the Avengers and rips into them for not being there for her and sending her off into another dimension with her rapist:

Today, Carol Danvers is just as she was before: a strong independent character who takes adversity and challenges head on. No longer objectified by her writers, Danvers has become a fan favorite even having a upcoming Marvel movie that will tie into Disney’s MCU.

Clad in red, white and blue, whip in hand, Wonder Woman has become the regular for modern female superhero. Wonder woman has a very interesting back story, and an even more interesting publishing history.

Wonder woman first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in December of 1941. Like many heroes of the time, she wore the colors red, white and blue, obviously based on the American flag. Her whip forces those caught in it to tell the truth, and her gauntlets can reflect bullets. Its a pretty great combo.

the reason for the whip is actually a very interesting one. During WW1, William Marston (the creator of the character) worked on the systolic blood-pressure test while a graduate student in psychology at Harvard University where he earned a Ph.D. in 1921. Blood pressure was one of the elements used in polygraphs, and the research done by Marston was used help with polygraph tests. This is all rather coincidental, since according to Marston, this actually had nothing to do with the Lasso of Truth. turns out, he made it as an allegory to feminine charm.

What Wonder Woman represents, is much more interesting though. Like any Amazon, Wonder Woman is a strong, independent woman who don’t need no man. Wonder Woman symbolizes many of the values of the women’s culture that feminists are trying to introduce into the mainstream: strength and self-reliance for women; sisterhood and mutual support among women; peacefulness and esteem for human life; a diminishment both of “masculine” aggression and of the belief that violence is the only way of solving conflicts.

Wonder Woman’s history in terms of feminism is certainly interesting. When She was fist being written, Wonder woman was a strong individual that certainly embodied feminist attitudes. When writers changed, so did the attitude to what Wonder Woman represented. Before going on hiatus in 1986, wonder Woman became a joke. One of her enemies was basically an Egg with a mustache. I wish I was kidding, but trust me, it exists. Because of the terrible writing of this period, Wonder woman was taken out of print.

So why is Wonder Woman part of the Hero’s Journey blog? Like all the others here, she has her own journey like any other hero. Born on the fictional Paradise Island, She would meet Captain Steve Trevor after his plane crashed on the hidden isle of women. Against the Amazon code, she would fall in love with a man. To decide who will return Trevor home, the queen of the Amazons holds a completion to decide who is most fit for the task. Naturally, wonder Woman is the victor and goes the States to fulfill her mission. She ends up trading places with a woman called Diana Prince to work closely with Trevor. One thing leads to another, and Diana and Trevor go on a bunch of adventures including defeating Nazi forces and much more.

Diana Prince is once again back, and bigger than ever. With Gal Gadot taking up the mantle of Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman, the princess of power is back and better than ever.

I’m going to take a break from heroes today and move to something a bit darker. The once and future king, and would be ruler of the multiverse, Doctor Doom.

Victor von Doom has an interesting past, one unlike most other villains. He was raised in the fictional European country of Latveria, where he was raised by gypsies. Dooms mother was a witch, and was hunted for being so. Young Doom never really knew his mother, since she died protecting herself from soldiers of the king. His father, a doctor, was sent to cure the queen of cancer. He failed, and was executed by the king.

After losing his family, doom descended into mastering the dark arts to resurrect his mother. He lwearned the dark arts, and became a master of science by the time he was a teenager. Using magic and science, he waged war on the Latverian monarchy, winning on several fronts. He was brought to the United States by the government, along with promises of technology and access to information. Doom would meet Reed Richards, and the two became rivals instantly.

So why write about Doom and how is he relevant to the hero’s journey? Doom, although a villain, follows the course for the journey pretty well. Although his intentions may not be good, he certainly is a hero in his own right. Doom was able to unite Latveria (albeit under and iron fist) and once again make them a force to be reckoned with.

Here are a few highlights to Doom’s journey: When Doom is scarred in an accident, out of self-loathing he leaves the states to find enlightenment (this could be the call to action, or the refusal). When Doom decides that he shall rule Latveria, he is essentially taking heed to the call, and descending into the shadow. Finally, facing Reed Richards is very obviously facing the Shadow, since the two are stark opposites, but still incredibly similar.

Doom is also a very important shift in the way people see the “mad scientist” of old. Unlike predecessors, Doom takes the mad scientist from lackey of antagonist to the position of full-fledged villain. The fact that Doom is a villain is also very interesting, given the fact that he very well could have been a villain. He displays the traits of a leader, and on at least one occasion has literally saved the multiverse from total destruction.

Doom ascends beyond other villains, in that he has no petty plans to destroy the world or simply destroy a foe. No, Doom wants the world to be a better place, because under the rule of Doom, none would want nor need. And should they disagree with lord Doom, they would face the consequences. Doom also respects his enemies, even if they are far beneath them. He will not simply kill them like some petty villain, he would ruin them.

Doom has become a favorite among writers and fans alike. He has been described as more than a supervillain, rather a “mega-villain.” He transcends the normal villain whose plans rely on destruction or victory over an adversary. No, he is much more than that, he is DOOM!

Science is a fickle beast. Sometimes it works how you want, other times not so much. For Bruce Banner, science turned him into a giant green anger beast that only gets stronger as he gets angrier. In other words, he turns into a Hulk.

The incredible Hulk first appeared in the Incredible Hulk #1 in May of 1962. Interestingly, he stared off as a Grey behemoth, but due to the cost of ink, he eventually became the jaded giant we know today. Also, the reasons for this change in color have been given canon reasons in the comic. After the change, the comic stated the Grey Hulk was another aspect of Banner’s persona, and since then many different Hulks have been created, and each has a unique personality. At the moment, the comic has a “merged Hulk” one made up of several of the previous iterations, and more competent than his predecessors.

According to Stan Lee, the Hulk is inspired by Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Obviously, the monsters in both these stories were created through science, almost exactly like Banner became Hulk. Because the Hulk is not really a hero or villain, he does not follow the hero’s journey unless he is paired with another super hero. The stories he is part of focus less on the journey of the Hulk and center more around the perils of war and its terrors.

Critics believe that the Hulk is a metaphor and reaction to war overall. He is a raging beast fueled by anger. Some people would say that a country at war acts in a similar way to the Hulk. As fear and anger surface, the people will become more zealous and conflict hungry. It is an almost unwilling transformation that people will take when they are thrown into conflict. Hulk acts in the exact same way, so the comparison is extreme, through justified.

Hulk, alongside the web-slinging Spider-man, has also been ranked one of the most influential and revolutionary characters of the modern era. During the atomic age, he represented the fear of possible atomic annihilation. An unstable atomic fueled beast, he illustrated the public fear that atomic annihilation is inevitable, and very, very scary. During the 70s, he was a caricature for anger and rebellion during the time. In the early 2000’s, many Asian-Americans identified with the angry green giant, comparing him to the expectations of society for them to be something “useful” like doctors or lawyers. Jeff Yang, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, extended this self-identification to Asian American culture, arguing that “the passive-aggressive streak runs deep among Asian Americans—especially those who have entered creative careers, often against their parents’ wishes.”

Overall, the Hulk is more a metaphor than a character. He represents anger and war, contempt and animosity. Whether you like it or not, the story of the Hulk also evolves with the times. He changes color, shape and personality often, even taking on new names with his shades.

Since I talked about the Dark Knight last time, I feel it is appropriate to talk about the Red and Blue Boy Scout, Superman. Superman, alter Ego Clark Kent, made his first appearance in Action comics #1 in 1938. He is considered the first American comic hero, and has appeared in games, shows, movies newspapers and even radio shows since his first appearance.

Superman is certainly an interesting character, considering he is almost a god in terms of human standards, but chooses to act as a man. This has led to a lot of readers to dislike the character, since they consider him to be so completely over powered, and therefore lacks a really interesting character. Because Superman knows that he could probably kill anybody whenever he wants, he acts in a very Boy Scout fashion.

Ian Gordon suggests that the many incarnations of Superman across media use nostalgia to link the character to an ideology of the American Way. He defines this ideology as a means of associating individualism, consumerism, and democracy and as something that took shape around WWII and underpinned the war effort. Superman, he notes was very much part of that effort

Of course, Superman is not that original in terms of his story and abilities. The John Carter of Mars series is almost identical. John Carter comes from Earth, ends up on Mars and is more powerful than the inhabitant of the red planet. Superman, in a similar fashion is an alien from Krypton who is significantly more powerful than any human, and saves the population from various threats. The creators of Superman, John Siegel and Joe Shuster, claim that other characters like Popeye, Zorro and Robin Hood influenced the character. Superman’s story also mimics Moses’ story, a baby found by a new family who raised him as their own, and he ultimately became a hero. Also, interestingly enough, Superman’s Kryptonian name “Kal-El” resembles the Hebrew “קל-אל, or “voice of God”.

In terms of the hero’s journey, Superman is very predictable and not new. He follows the steps in a rather predictable fashion, so the more interesting part of the character is how he has influenced pop-culture and the implications of the character.

According to Gerald Clarke, Superman represents man in the 20^th and 21^st century. “Only the man with superpowers can survive and prosper.” Andrew Arnold, writing in the early 21st century, has noted Superman’s partial role in exploring assimilation, the character’s alien status allowing the reader to explore attempts to fit in on a somewhat superficial level.

Superman has an unoriginal origin story, a rather boring character, but is sill considered by many to be the best hero of all time. On the flip side, many readers view him as a boring hero who is too over powered to have any real character. In the end, it’s really up to you who he best of the best is.

To some, he is the Dark Knight, to others, the bat. For the most part, people know him as Bruce Wayne, the “Batman.” The man in black has an interesting history and an even more fascinating cultural implication. He represents more than a rich guy with a pointy eared cowl.

Batman first came into existence in 1939, appeasing in Detective Comics #27. Since then, he has become a pop culture icon and most people see him as either unbeatable or invincible. Keep in mind, he doesn’t have any real powers, he is literally just a dude with a cape. Plus he has a lot of money, which helps.

But why has Batman stood the test of time so well? His survivability lies in how the character is able to evolve with the times so easily and the interesting psyche that the character holds. Batman’s character is just so interesting and deep that he can fit into any time and most people can enjoy seeing him. Batman has appeared in comics, movies, television shows, and even radio dialogues. From the lampoon adventures of Adam West as Batman to the dark trials of the animated Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy) Batman has taken all forms of media up without a skip of the beat.

To most readers/watchers, Batman is the stark opposite of the man in blue and red, Superman. The two fight for justice, but Batman is manipulative and cold when Superman is caring and hopeful. There are several interpretations of what this means, but eh most interesting one would be how they represent the United States. Superman is how we see ourselves: we want to save the world and spread “freed, justice, and the American way” to the entire world. Batman is how the world sees us. We wipe out those who oppose us without blinking, and will go to the ends of the earth in the name of justice. To be frank, neither of these are particularly good ideologies to have, but the Batman one certainly is much more menacing compared to the Superman one.

Batman also has a slight homo-erotic tone to it, depending on how you read into his relationship to his protégés who take the name Robin, and other pieces of dialogue. Professor of film and cultural studies Will Brooker argues the validity of a queer reading of Batman, and that gay readers would naturally find themselves drawn to the lifestyle depicted within, whether the character of Bruce Wayne himself were explicitly gay or not. He also identifies a homophobic element to the vigor with which mainstream fandom rejects the possibility of a gay reading of the character. On the flip side, writers like Alan Grant have said “The Batman I wrote for 13 years isn’t gay… everybody’s Batman… none of them wrote him as a gay character.” Now, in 2005, painter Mark Chamberlain made some paintings that depicted Batman and Robin in suggestive poses.

Whomever Batman is to you, he is a world known vigilante who wears black and grey. His character reflects our society, and he has had such a long life time that chances are we will continue to see the Dark Knight for a long time to come.

The year is 1941, and the Second World War is being waged across the globe. The axis powers are attempting to dominate the world, headed by one of the most influential people of all time, Adolf Hitler. The world needs a hero, the world needs Captain America!

  Captain America, alter ego Steve Rodgers is a product of his time, and is one of the most influential heroes in the comic universe. He is the leader of the avengers, the Unity Squad, and more. Of course, he is the embodiment of the American way and universal freedom, so he basically a metaphor for how the United States saw itself in the war time.

In the comics, Cap fought against the forces of Hydra, a Nazi offshoot that conducts evil experiments to crush the allied powers. The organization is created and led by the Red Skull, a red faced villain who wants to control the world. Of course, Cap always came out on top since that was what America would do, win the war. The interesting thing about the character of Captain America is not the fact that he beats the bad guys, it’s HOW he does it.

Captain America’s signature weapon is his stared red, white and blue shield. He could use anything: a gun, a sword, any weapon that would be fatal in defeating a foe. Instead, he uses a shield, an item that protects. The shield represents the goal of America: protect. They were in the war to help protect the world, or so we say to this day. Cap served as a piece of propaganda in the 40’s to convince readers that America wanted to help and protect their allies, not come in and take over the world. Not only that, but Cap can be viewed as a propaganda piece to enlist.

Steve Rodgers was a frail kid before getting the super serum that would turn him into Captain America. He wanted to enlist in the armed forces, but his small stature made him unable. If you have seen the new Captain America movie, you see that because Steve was such a good, caring individual, he got the serum to make him the ultimate soldier. In other words, if you as an American were feeling small because of this frightening war going on, you can become big and powerful by joining the armed forces and assisting your country in defeating the enemy.

Cap might be a metaphor for the US, but his publication history is a bit choppy. After the war in 1950, the comic came to a halt in favor of new characters that were more popular. It was not until 1963 that the flag clad hero came back in a continuing publication. Even though Captain America was in essence America itself, he still got the cutting block a few times.

Captain America has had a rough past. He has recently made a resurgence as the “first Avenger” and with the Marvel movies coming out, we should be seeing plenty of him over the next few years. But, as a symbol of an old American Dream, is Cap ready for a new changing world that he no longer fits into? Or can his revival bring back the America that existed post World War II?

I should note, none of this is an official analysis of Captain America. This is all what I think about the character and what he stands for.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Everybody knows the line (whose origins are disputed), but today many will attribute it to the Amazing Spider-man. Spider-man is the mascot of Marvel today, and there is good reason for this. Spider-man has become the face for a multi-billion dollar company, had a float in the Macy’s day parade, and has taught several generations what it means to be a hero. Plus, on the movie screen the actors look pretty good in a spandex suit.

                Since his conception in the 1960’s, Spider-man has been a favorite for all ages. The dichotomy between his masked identity and his shy high-school persona make him a dynamic and relatable character. Peter Parker, being bullied for years, knows and cares about the little guy. When he gains his amazing powers, he understands what I is like to be pushed around by somebody bigger and knows he must use his abilities for good.

                Of course, the story does not simply kick off without a problem. Spider-man’s quest starts as vengeance. When his uncle Ben is killed, Peter feels guilty for his inability to save Ben’s life. Even with his amazing powers, he was totally helpless to do anything. This is where Joseph Campbell’s “Heroes’ Journey” comes in. Peter follows the path that Campbell has devised (like many heroes before him) to the period.

So who was the original Spider-man? The one from ancient tales that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby emulated in the modern web-slinger? Many heroes of old have extra ordinary powers gifted to them by their divine blood. Spider-man, although acquiring his power through a spider bite, is a direct homage to the “divine blood.” In fact, one of the modern story arcs of the Amazing Spider-man, titled Spider-Verse is all about a villain’s quest to acquire the blood of Spider-men from across the multiverse (think all the different Earths that could be) to gain the heroes power. Some heroes known for their divine blood, whose stories closely follow that of Spider-man include: Heracles and Odysseus are relatively close, depending on what stories you look at.

One of the most important things a hero doe sis teach us a lesson. Besides “with great power comes great responsibility” Spider-man teaches us humility and courage. Peter could use his powers for great wealth and fame, but refuses to reveal the man behind the mask or become some kind of mercenary for hire (like the beloved Deadpool, who dresses eerily similar to Spider-man). When Pete is just 15, he has already started to use his powers for good. He knows he has these powers for a reason, and even if he will face danger Peter must do what is right.

Spider-man might not be all that original, but Jack Kirby and Stan Lee sure know how to make a character interesting. Peter Parker and Spider-man will be sticking around for a while if the stories keep coming out. Also, Spider-man will be making an appearance in the up coming Captain America: Civil War, so he will certainly be in the next few Marvel movies. Of course, even if Peter Parker goes away and the name Spider-man becomes a thing of the past, he won’t really be gone.Heroes never die, they just change their masks.

Every culture has its mythical heroes. Odysseus. Gilgamesh. King Arthur. Horus. The list goes on, each civilization has its own list of heroes that defines their culture. But where are these heroes now? Has humanity lost the heroes who define it? The ones that have spoken to us for ages?

The modern hero does not make appearances in epic poems or masterfully painted on the wall of a tomb. The modern hero comes in 24 page comics. They appear in our largest films. The new hero is a super hero.

The purpose of a hero is to tell a story to the reader (or watcher) while also teaching them a lesson. Modern heroes fight for good. The lessons can range anywhere from humility to the infamous line “with great power comes great responsibility.” Of course, the story should be entertaining, or nobody would listen to it.

Having a good story and a moral to a story are only part of the reason heroes are so important. When you read an old issue of Captain America and a new one, the differences are very stark (get it? Like Tony Stark? Ah, never mind.) Besides the fact that the quality of art changes, the issues being brought up are very different. Comics have had a history of bringing up topical problems (like racism and corruption) and putting them into fantastical circumstances. In fact, one of the largest villains in today’s Marvel comics is Roxxon, a giant corrupt organization led by a greedy business man. This, of course, compared to the Red Skull of the Captain America comics of the 40’s. Red Skull was a madman working with the Nazi’s to take over the world. The usual trope of villain in classic comics.

Just because the issues have changed, the stories have not. Our modern heroes are just reskinned versions of the heroes of yore. I’m not going to list off who is who. You can draw those conclusions yourself. Anyway, the stories are eerily similar in terms of what happens and how. If you know who Joseph Campbell is, you probably know all about the “Hero’s Journey”. To keep it short, it is a linear set of events that most (basically all really) stories follow. Think the stories of the original Star Wars trilogy. You can lay the plot of Star Wars next to the Odyssey, and the two are the same story with different faces.

Okay, I still have not answered the question of why we love these characters so much. To be totally honest, I have no idea. Is it because the stories are good? That these stories tell us what is important to us? Something else? We might have different reasons for loving these stories, but the fact that they transcend time and cultures. We see love to see hear these stories and hear about the struggles of these mighty characters.

The purpose of this blog is to look at our modern heroes (or anti-heroes) and try to figure out why we love them. Disclaimer, I’m a pretty big Marvel fan. I’ll probably stick to Marvel’s characters.