Chrisitan Super Heroes

Out of the things I like one of the most prominent is my love for Super Heroes and their genre of literature so to speak. Even though I’m in college I still read comics, although I must admit I prefer novelization of heroes over comics these days. Mostly because of a novel takes a bit longer for me to get through and its less noticed then a comic book. But comics have had a big impact on my life so to speak. I have enjoyed the characters of Spider-Man and Batman all my life. Thankfully back in my youth was when the great Bruce Timm version of Batman came out and Fox’s Spider-man. They were the shows for me to watch. All the more because in my hometown we didn’t have a comic book shop so longing to read more of the stories of my favorite heroes became limited.

But as I have grown up, and I have full access to the internet, to sites like Wikipedia, Marvel and DC comics homepage, not to forget a site called Comicvine I’ve become able to get back history and more fully immerse myself in my beloved genre. But in all my searching I have become sadly disappointed with the lack of super heroes who show faith. I mean sure in comics such as Marvel with Aliens, time traveling, multiple dimensions nailing down something like YHWH God is responsible for all of that, and Jesus saves all. Still I have to wonder where are the Christians making their own published works of Comics? It would be nice if they could be mainstream, but surely we could have a big third party company like Image or Darkhorse, who may not be as big as Marvel or DC, but have a sizable fanbase.

A place where we have comics that tells stories from a Christian perspective. Or try to make a graphic novel that though it spews out Christian is as compelling a story as V for Vendetta or Sandman. Something that doesn’t borrow Christian thought, but is Christian thought. Its nice to start seeing manga adaptation of the bible, but honestly while I like manga I’ve always been a fan of the way American comic books are set up, the artwork in them are no better or less better than that of those from Japan. But must every time we decide that we must work on something for God be an adaptation of the bible in another art form or just another parable. What about a Christian living out his life in world filled with some many confusing things?

Is that so wrong to really want? To have a world where super heroes start popping up and ponder the implication just that would have on religion? I mean honestly how would Christianity be affected if someone like Spider-Man or Super Man started to saves lives all over the world? How would Islam react or Hinduism for that matter? What about the struggles of that person with powers? What if he were Christian would his faith be shaken from him? How would he handle being a mask vigilante, would he feel that was right? Or would he try and find the best thing to a government sanction team of super beings? What about secret identities and lying? Wouldn’t something like that be just as entertaining as the many ways in which Spider-Man struggle with his secret identity issues? Or Bruce Wayne’s unique double life? Interacting with non Christian heroes? Would they partner with them easily or rather avoid them. How would someone as a Christian really like working with Batman, Wolverine, or the Punisher? Would they prefer Super Man?

It’s not that I’m condemning Christian for not doing this, enough Christian condemn others Christian and yet how much do they really do in helping furthering getting ourselves in the media? I mean even known about some, if so please show me.

Of the Christian Super Heroes I have seen the most prominent one would be of course Bible Man. And nothing against Bible Man, he does do a good job with his ministry I’m sure. But the thing with that is childish, which is great for children. I don’t see him working out into a bigger community because it’s not so much that’s he a super hero who fights random villains. But he is a Christian fighting various villains who represent various sins and issues Christians have to deal with. Before I sat down to write this I did do a brief search in Google to see if I could find any Christian super heroes. I found one company, called the “Christian Knight Company” which features a man named Armor Bearer (so its sounds parabolic yet again). There does seem to be a novel and four comics on the site which at some point I may have to pick up.

But once again they all seem to be heroes given gifts from God, to do his will. And these might be good. But still it’s not quite the super heroes I’m looking for. Give me a Christian who after some freak accident got his powers and now he doesn’t know what to do with them. God isn’t leading him any better then he would lead us. We see movies like Iron Man and Batman which come out and try and give realism to its Characters and their stories. But would any non Christian really want to watch (or read) a story about a guy whose powers come directly from the Christian God? I guess I just feel that someone would prefer a story about say a genius like Tony Stark who makes a suit of highly advance armor and decides he wants to help the world. Or someone like Batman who trains to avenge his parents and maybe in the end finds out vengeance doesn’t make him feel any better, that only Jesus can do that and thus is converted.

Would that really be too worldly to have heroes like that? Or must we instead have heroes who have to get their powers from God and must fight villains who are purely evil, and somehow connected to Satan? What about a Magneto type character that isn’t necessarily evil, but trying to fight for rights he thinks super being are being denied. Making a reader decide who is in the right. Something not clear cut. Give me something like that and give the world something like that. Give them a hero that they want to emulate, someone cool, that doesn’t make Christianity dorky. Someone who shows being a Christian you can still be cool.

I have been told before that there are Christians who work in the comic book industry, that the industry is remarkable religious. Okay I won’t deny that, but where is the proof? Do they really think it’s okay to just smarter some Christianity here or there and be done with it in the stories they write? I do understand you can’t change a character too much. But why not write new characters or new stories that benefit God and help to further the mandate that Christ gave in the Bible? Why can’t story about Christians be serious? Not corny? Why does it seem everyone who maybe Christian doesn’t want to write Christian things? It’s a bit annoying.

Well that was quite the rant… *Ahem*

In my constant boredom I try my hand at this writing fiction, I’m not sure how good at it I really am, but I do try. And I seem to be constantly shaping my own universe of Super Heroes, which I’m sure you can figure out from my spewing above tries to emulate that slightly. For the most part I don’t try to make all my characters Christian, (although the main ones are). Those that are, aren’t all the same denomination, the main (used loosely) character of the universe, Vamp, is a nondenominational, Eo’s Roman Catholic, the one named Psychic Blur is Baptist, as I suppose so is Sparrow. In my constant wanting to add more character I’ve added a friend’s character that believes in God but other than that who cares; (these are just a few of the heroes). I have various religions react in different ways. I mean honestly is a group of humans with powers popped up what would the average Christian do? Would the pope rule something in such a way?

As the stories are semi based on things that happen in the world, but also twisted in places. I do have one pope who rules the mutant community as demons and monsters, but his successor rules against that, he claims mutants to be just as human as any non-powered individual. There are riots that are started because religious view on them, but also some just simply because of bigotry. The Character have to react in a world which has the events our real life but also now the events of mutants and other super powered peoples. It is here, where I place my character of Indiana into the mix. Indy is just normal person, a graduate of some unnamed education. But he’s been hired into an organization which deals with these super hero beings. Now he has to deal with his issues of faith as he deals with the worst and the best of souls and now he has to deal with faiths of all sorts.

Indy as a Christian has to deal with issues that we face in different ways, and issues that of course we wouldn’t ever face. But the question is how (for me) would a Christian deal with such issues? How should we deal with issues like genetic manipulation? Cloning (in a universe where it’s happen once or twice). What about something like time travel, dimension hoping, aliens? (Some of these which I struggle about adding into my universe). In his job as chaplain of this ministry he has to deal with relations which mutants and the rest of the world, does he agree with the mutants or the majority. Does he oppose the government would they be right? I try to make him react in these situations as I react, but the question then is would I really react like that?

Of course this all mere conjecture based on events I have made, situations I have created. I hope that someday I might be able to get some of this stuff I dunno maybe published, and in a small way show how Christian Super heroes might be done, in a way I think that would be pleasing to God and would be something that a non-Christian would actually like to read and maybe be influenced toward the side of Christ. Of course I would hope Christians would like it too.

– Le Bel Inconnu