So it has come down to it at last. The final nail in the coffin. The ending waltz on the dance floor. The last Pringle in the can. Or something. Either way, we have sworn in another president, we have upheld our particularly American brand of Democracy, and we are all certainly awaiting every politician to be taken into custody, executed, and then for Trump to rule forever. Q just has to be correct right? The track record is.... stunning? Pictured: Q at his computer, or something. Creator: Rembrandt | Credit: Hermitage Either way, our country has reached the dawning of a new administration. An event that has happened 45 previous times, and will undoubtedly happen many many more. But along the way, there was a bit of... discourse, if you could call it that. Most of it was spurned on by the greatest of all threats in this day and age, the Keyboard Warriors. Yes, this multi-class, 12th level, 5h Edition DnD champion has, for the last 5-6 years at least, had an alarmingly large a
So, quick recap of the last part:
Zeus = Bad God?
Hades = Good God?
Hercules = Misguided Demigod?
Disney = Greedy People
Society = Doomed
Alright, now that we got that out of the way, SUPERHEROES! That's right. Today we will be discussing what I strongly believe are our new mythologies, superheroes. Now, some context. I am fully aware that none of these characters has ever been worshiped or had patronage in real life towards them. For the most part at least. But, the simple fact that many have been used to explore complex and detailed emotions and problems that face our society warrants our examining. Many people look up to these fictional heroes because they embody principles and ideals that we ourselves wish to strive for. Many times we find ourselves wondering how these characters would solve a problem or obstacle before we ever think about what real role models would do. This is why these characters are so important to our society as it is today. The fact that many of these superheroes take roles and inspiration from our traditional mythological stories is also very relevant.
The first hero I would like to talk about today is of course, Superman. He is, arguably, the quintessential superhero, and the first of his kind in the world of comics. First created in 1933 by the children of Jewish immigrants (ed note: This is important) Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, he was eventually published nationwide in Action Comics #1 in 1938. The iconic cover pictures Superman lifting a crashed car over the head of an innocent bystander, obviously saving said person from an untimely demise. He wore a tight blue and red ensemble showing off his muscular features and all-American good looks. His red cape flowed behind him, further emphasizing his heroic stature. The cover is so ingrained in our consciousness that I am sure most of you reading will not even need to see the picture to be able to visualize it. And the ones who can't will instantly be reminded upon googling it.
.... You googled it didn't you? Sad. Either way, Superman was a big darn deal. He ushered in a wave of heroes who were larger than life. Gone were the days of Dick Tracy and The Phantom, now, heroes like Captain America, Wonder Woman and Batman graced the pages with stories that took the reader to places and events more fantastic than ever before. But something else happened as well. With the advent of World War II, superheroes now found themselves as a form of escapism. People didn't only flock to their pages to be transported to other worlds, they came to get away from our world. Superman himself was the product of two Jewish teens who wished they had the power to solve all the problems of their beleaguered people. So they created the ultimate human. Someone who could do anything, but had an unshakable sense of honor and duty, and would always stick up for what's right. Very ironic that Superman was himself the perfect example of the Übermensch model of human that so many Nazis strove to bring into the world. A man who was above all else, and could impose his ideals upon the world without resistance. Unfortunately for the Nazis, the only ideals that Superman strove to impose were those of Truth, Justice and the American Way.
These colorfully dressed super-humans helped get many a youth through the harsh realities of a war torn world, and in some cases, used their own brand of truth and justice to end those conflict on their pages. For a while, this was all that superheroes were. Saviors of patriotism and freedom. Larger than life figures to look up to and strive to be like. They stood for our best selves. Our greatest of hearts and minds. But soon, they would be so much more.
To understand why our heroes meant so much to us, you have to understand the time they came about in. With the advent of the 60's, the world saw much change abound. Gone were the productive and clear times of the 50's, where white picket fences and a good clean job were the easy way of life. Now, the haze of counter-culture and revolution against the old ideals of America permeated the land. The hippies (ed note: Damn hippies) pushed an agenda of peace and love, all while deriding any who chose to live life any other way. The Civil Rights movement threatened to upend many established ways of life for white American's everywhere, and they fought tooth and nail to prevent this. Homosexual people, long in the shadows, began to fight to be heard and seen for what they were, instead of having to hide and pretend to be something they weren't. Fear and intolerance ruled the landscape. The people needed heroes, and the old guard, the Supermen, Captain America's and Wonder Women of yesteryear would not do. Thankfully, a true hero never ignores a cry for help.
The X-Men burst onto the comics scene in Sept. of 1963 from masterminds Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, who already had massive success with their other heroes Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four. Although the previous two had tackled many issues regarding society and family life, the X-Men did something for the current culture that no comic had done before. It took cultural issues of tolerance and acceptance head on, and taught a good majority of young kids in those days, that it was okay to not be afraid of someone who was different than you. Being a mutant was analogous to a whole slew of different issues. Whether it was racism, homophobia, class-ism, or simple prejudice, they constantly fought against villains and fellow mutant who wished to divide the world. They did so while dressed in garish yellow and blue spandex, but the point was clear enough to cut through the fashion choices. These were heroes who were different. They did not fit in. And yet, they were just as heroic and goodhearted as any who came before them. As the years went by, the team grew, adding mutant heroes from all corners of the world, with every race, color and creed represented at one time or another. And throughout all of this, they kept on fighting against those who would promote hatred.
Zeus = Bad God?
Hades = Good God?
Hercules = Misguided Demigod?
Disney = Greedy People
Society = Doomed
Alright, now that we got that out of the way, SUPERHEROES! That's right. Today we will be discussing what I strongly believe are our new mythologies, superheroes. Now, some context. I am fully aware that none of these characters has ever been worshiped or had patronage in real life towards them. For the most part at least. But, the simple fact that many have been used to explore complex and detailed emotions and problems that face our society warrants our examining. Many people look up to these fictional heroes because they embody principles and ideals that we ourselves wish to strive for. Many times we find ourselves wondering how these characters would solve a problem or obstacle before we ever think about what real role models would do. This is why these characters are so important to our society as it is today. The fact that many of these superheroes take roles and inspiration from our traditional mythological stories is also very relevant.
The first hero I would like to talk about today is of course, Superman. He is, arguably, the quintessential superhero, and the first of his kind in the world of comics. First created in 1933 by the children of Jewish immigrants (ed note: This is important) Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, he was eventually published nationwide in Action Comics #1 in 1938. The iconic cover pictures Superman lifting a crashed car over the head of an innocent bystander, obviously saving said person from an untimely demise. He wore a tight blue and red ensemble showing off his muscular features and all-American good looks. His red cape flowed behind him, further emphasizing his heroic stature. The cover is so ingrained in our consciousness that I am sure most of you reading will not even need to see the picture to be able to visualize it. And the ones who can't will instantly be reminded upon googling it.
.... You googled it didn't you? Sad. Either way, Superman was a big darn deal. He ushered in a wave of heroes who were larger than life. Gone were the days of Dick Tracy and The Phantom, now, heroes like Captain America, Wonder Woman and Batman graced the pages with stories that took the reader to places and events more fantastic than ever before. But something else happened as well. With the advent of World War II, superheroes now found themselves as a form of escapism. People didn't only flock to their pages to be transported to other worlds, they came to get away from our world. Superman himself was the product of two Jewish teens who wished they had the power to solve all the problems of their beleaguered people. So they created the ultimate human. Someone who could do anything, but had an unshakable sense of honor and duty, and would always stick up for what's right. Very ironic that Superman was himself the perfect example of the Übermensch model of human that so many Nazis strove to bring into the world. A man who was above all else, and could impose his ideals upon the world without resistance. Unfortunately for the Nazis, the only ideals that Superman strove to impose were those of Truth, Justice and the American Way.
These colorfully dressed super-humans helped get many a youth through the harsh realities of a war torn world, and in some cases, used their own brand of truth and justice to end those conflict on their pages. For a while, this was all that superheroes were. Saviors of patriotism and freedom. Larger than life figures to look up to and strive to be like. They stood for our best selves. Our greatest of hearts and minds. But soon, they would be so much more.
To understand why our heroes meant so much to us, you have to understand the time they came about in. With the advent of the 60's, the world saw much change abound. Gone were the productive and clear times of the 50's, where white picket fences and a good clean job were the easy way of life. Now, the haze of counter-culture and revolution against the old ideals of America permeated the land. The hippies (ed note: Damn hippies) pushed an agenda of peace and love, all while deriding any who chose to live life any other way. The Civil Rights movement threatened to upend many established ways of life for white American's everywhere, and they fought tooth and nail to prevent this. Homosexual people, long in the shadows, began to fight to be heard and seen for what they were, instead of having to hide and pretend to be something they weren't. Fear and intolerance ruled the landscape. The people needed heroes, and the old guard, the Supermen, Captain America's and Wonder Women of yesteryear would not do. Thankfully, a true hero never ignores a cry for help.
The X-Men burst onto the comics scene in Sept. of 1963 from masterminds Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, who already had massive success with their other heroes Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four. Although the previous two had tackled many issues regarding society and family life, the X-Men did something for the current culture that no comic had done before. It took cultural issues of tolerance and acceptance head on, and taught a good majority of young kids in those days, that it was okay to not be afraid of someone who was different than you. Being a mutant was analogous to a whole slew of different issues. Whether it was racism, homophobia, class-ism, or simple prejudice, they constantly fought against villains and fellow mutant who wished to divide the world. They did so while dressed in garish yellow and blue spandex, but the point was clear enough to cut through the fashion choices. These were heroes who were different. They did not fit in. And yet, they were just as heroic and goodhearted as any who came before them. As the years went by, the team grew, adding mutant heroes from all corners of the world, with every race, color and creed represented at one time or another. And throughout all of this, they kept on fighting against those who would promote hatred.
These are the heroes we looked up to. They proved to us that those who are different can be good; that there will always be someone out there who will fight for the same ideals that we all do. Whether they came in the shape of a team of misfits and outcasts, or a picture perfect muscular boy scout who could do no wrong, our new myths helped to bring us out of dark times. They helped us become bigger than ourselves and fight for more in this world of ours. Sure, they were never worshiped or prayed to, but we looked up to them nonetheless. Whereas the myths of old told stories of gods and monsters who had the flaws of humans, the new myth told the stories of ideals and notions that the world would turn out alright if only we work together. But not all would remain so. For there is yet more to this story. While the 60's, 70's and 80's passed, so to did their heroes. The hatreds died out, the intolerance dried up, and the wall came crashing down. Our heroes however, did not escape unscathed. As the advent of the 90's came, new breeds of heroes began to take shape. Ones with dysfunctions, grief and dark pasts. And spikes. Lots and lots of spikes...
To be continued in The New Mythologies - Part 3: I Cut Myself on all this Edge
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