Survey of the religious affiliations of superheroes

In a story set around Christmas involving the Fantastic Four, Franklin asks his Uncle Ben (the Thing). what he does around this time of year. Ben replies that as he's a Jew, he doesn't celebrate Christmas but Hanukkah instead, and notes that he and Shadowcat of the X-Men are the only two known Jewish superheroes around( yes we all know that Moon Knight, as Marc Spector is Jewish- he's a rabbi's son after all, but nobody else knows). Franklin's mother Sue(the Invisible Woman) says that she goes to St.Patrick's Cathedral around Easter and Christmas, lights a candle and prays, so she and her brother Johnny are obviously Roman Catholic(why the editor is so coy about their religious affiliation when the Thing is known to be Jewish eludes me).

I'm curious-has nobody ever seriously tried to assess the religious affiliations of superheroes?- true, many have secret identities, but if the Marvel superhero community is as representative of the real life American population, then at some can be thought of being as Jews or Catholics(one out of every four Americans of both sexes is a Roman Catholic).

Just curious!

Terry

Wow great, great question...I'm curious about that myself now.

@Paracelsus: I'll bet the religious persuasions of most heroes hasn't been delved into for any of several reasons or a combination thereof.

These reasons might include, but aren't limited to:

1. - It was never considered by the creator, editor or writer.

2. - It didn't seem relevant to the story or to comics in general.

3. - It was forbidden by editorial mandate to avoid controversy due to the possibility of offending the pro-, anti- or specific religious beliefs of readers in general and thereby risk losing readers/sales.

@cattlebattle said:

@Paracelsus: @benjoe11: There is a whole website that covers this http://www.comicbookreligion.com/

That site is awesome, I've browsed it and recommend it many times before.

@Paracelsus: I'll bet the religious persuasions of most heroes hasn't been delved into for any of several reasons or a combination thereof.

These reasons might include, but aren't limited to:

1. - It was never considered by the creator, editor or writer.

2. - It didn't seem relevant to the story or to comics in general.

3. - It was forbidden by editorial mandate to avoid controversy due to the possibility of offending the pro-, anti- or specific religious beliefs of readers in general and thereby risk losing readers/sales.

@cattlebattle: Wow, that site is awesome. Thanks alot

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Paracelsus: I'll bet the religious persuasions of most heroes hasn't been delved into for any of several reasons or a combination thereof.

These reasons might include, but aren't limited to:

1. - It was never considered by the creator, editor or writer.

2. - It didn't seem relevant to the story or to comics in general.

3. - It was forbidden by editorial mandate to avoid controversy due to the possibility of offending the pro-, anti- or specific religious beliefs of readers in general and thereby risk losing readers/sales.

I seriously doubt the never considered it. I think it's number 3 and I think it's dumb not to include when they deal with issues that have a similar effect like political beliefs. Someones religious persuasion can have just as much relevancy on the story as political beliefs, and sexual preference which we see a lot of.

You may doubt it but a lot of the most iconic characters were created in a time (1930's to the 1960's) when comics, and hence comic characters, were considered 'kids stuff', so I think it's entirely possible that a lot of creators merely tried to conceive, design, write and draw characters they thought would sell, and thus keep them working, without ever considering assigning any religious notion(s) whatsoever to the character(s). Things have changed since and people today think differently about such matters, but people and comics were a lot different back then.

Comics back then didn't deal with social issues such as race, religion, gender, sexuality and politics. Trying to understand or guess at peoples motivations during those past decades using today's more open and progressive thinking probably won't work. For better and/or worse; They just didn't think like we do in modern times.

It's amazing that with all the supernatural stuff happening in comics, some characters still manage to become atheists.

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Paracelsus: I'll bet the religious persuasions of most heroes hasn't been delved into for any of several reasons or a combination thereof.

These reasons might include, but aren't limited to:

1. - It was never considered by the creator, editor or writer.

2. - It didn't seem relevant to the story or to comics in general.

3. - It was forbidden by editorial mandate to avoid controversy due to the possibility of offending the pro-, anti- or specific religious beliefs of readers in general and thereby risk losing readers/sales.

I seriously doubt the never considered it. I think it's number 3 and I think it's dumb not to include when they deal with issues that have a similar effect like political beliefs. Someones religious persuasion can have just as much relevancy on the story as political beliefs, and sexual preference which we see a lot of.

You may doubt it but a lot of the most iconic characters were created in a time (1930's to the 1960's) when comics, and hence comic characters, were considered 'kids stuff', so I think it's entirely possible that a lot of creators merely tried to conceive, design, write and draw characters they thought would sell, and thus keep them working, without ever considering assigning any religious notion(s) whatsoever to the character(s). Things have changed since and people today think differently about such matters, but people and comics were a lot different back then.

Comics back then didn't deal with social issues such as race, religion, gender, sexuality and politics. Trying to understand or guess at peoples motivations during those past decades using today's more open and progressive thinking probably won't work. For better and/or worse; They just didn't think like we do in modern times.

Thor's religion is well known being that he and all his people pretty much worship his father

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Paracelsus: I'll bet the religious persuasions of most heroes hasn't been delved into for any of several reasons or a combination thereof.

These reasons might include, but aren't limited to:

1. - It was never considered by the creator, editor or writer.

2. - It didn't seem relevant to the story or to comics in general.

3. - It was forbidden by editorial mandate to avoid controversy due to the possibility of offending the pro-, anti- or specific religious beliefs of readers in general and thereby risk losing readers/sales.

I seriously doubt the never considered it. I think it's number 3 and I think it's dumb not to include when they deal with issues that have a similar effect like political beliefs. Someones religious persuasion can have just as much relevancy on the story as political beliefs, and sexual preference which we see a lot of.

You may doubt it but a lot of the most iconic characters were created in a time (1930's to the 1960's) when comics, and hence comic characters, were considered 'kids stuff', so I think it's entirely possible that a lot of creators merely tried to conceive, design, write and draw characters they thought would sell, and thus keep them working, without ever considering assigning any religious notion(s) whatsoever to the character(s). Things have changed since and people today think differently about such matters, but people and comics were a lot different back then.

Comics back then didn't deal with social issues such as race, religion, gender, sexuality and politics. Trying to understand or guess at peoples motivations during those past decades using today's more open and progressive thinking probably won't work. For better and/or worse; They just didn't think like we do in modern times.

A lot of what you say is true but in some cases they have managed it with political motivations so they should be able to do it with religious when it comes to the old characters. There is also nothing stopping them from doing it with the new characters they come out with all the time.

I agree with both of your sentences, though I do think the risk of offending or turning some readers off might stop some creators.

It's amazing that with all the supernatural stuff happening in comics, some characters still manage to become atheists.

It's amazing that with all the supernatural stuff happening in comics, some characters still manage to become atheists.

@cattlebattle:   Comics generally seem to take a part-religious, part-science approach. DC showed evolution, but also showed the Garden of Eden and Cain and Abel. Rather interesting. 

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Paracelsus: I'll bet the religious persuasions of most heroes hasn't been delved into for any of several reasons or a combination thereof.

These reasons might include, but aren't limited to:

1. - It was never considered by the creator, editor or writer.

2. - It didn't seem relevant to the story or to comics in general.

3. - It was forbidden by editorial mandate to avoid controversy due to the possibility of offending the pro-, anti- or specific religious beliefs of readers in general and thereby risk losing readers/sales.

I seriously doubt the never considered it. I think it's number 3 and I think it's dumb not to include when they deal with issues that have a similar effect like political beliefs. Someones religious persuasion can have just as much relevancy on the story as political beliefs, and sexual preference which we see a lot of.

You may doubt it but a lot of the most iconic characters were created in a time (1930's to the 1960's) when comics, and hence comic characters, were considered 'kids stuff', so I think it's entirely possible that a lot of creators merely tried to conceive, design, write and draw characters they thought would sell, and thus keep them working, without ever considering assigning any religious notion(s) whatsoever to the character(s). Things have changed since and people today think differently about such matters, but people and comics were a lot different back then.

Comics back then didn't deal with social issues such as race, religion, gender, sexuality and politics. Trying to understand or guess at peoples motivations during those past decades using today's more open and progressive thinking probably won't work. For better and/or worse; They just didn't think like we do in modern times.

A lot of what you say is true but in some cases they have managed it with political motivations so they should be able to do it with religious when it comes to the old characters. There is also nothing stopping them from doing it with the new characters they come out with all the time.

I agree with both of your sentences, though I do think the risk of offending or turning some readers off might stop some creators.

@cattlebattle:   Well, you could say the Celestials are the cause of mutants, not evolution per se.

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Dernman said:

@PowerHerc said:

@Paracelsus: I'll bet the religious persuasions of most heroes hasn't been delved into for any of several reasons or a combination thereof.

These reasons might include, but aren't limited to:

1. - It was never considered by the creator, editor or writer.

2. - It didn't seem relevant to the story or to comics in general.

3. - It was forbidden by editorial mandate to avoid controversy due to the possibility of offending the pro-, anti- or specific religious beliefs of readers in general and thereby risk losing readers/sales.

I seriously doubt the never considered it. I think it's number 3 and I think it's dumb not to include when they deal with issues that have a similar effect like political beliefs. Someones religious persuasion can have just as much relevancy on the story as political beliefs, and sexual preference which we see a lot of.

You may doubt it but a lot of the most iconic characters were created in a time (1930's to the 1960's) when comics, and hence comic characters, were considered 'kids stuff', so I think it's entirely possible that a lot of creators merely tried to conceive, design, write and draw characters they thought would sell, and thus keep them working, without ever considering assigning any religious notion(s) whatsoever to the character(s). Things have changed since and people today think differently about such matters, but people and comics were a lot different back then.

Comics back then didn't deal with social issues such as race, religion, gender, sexuality and politics. Trying to understand or guess at peoples motivations during those past decades using today's more open and progressive thinking probably won't work. For better and/or worse; They just didn't think like we do in modern times.

A lot of what you say is true but in some cases they have managed it with political motivations so they should be able to do it with religious when it comes to the old characters. There is also nothing stopping them from doing it with the new characters they come out with all the time.

I agree with both of your sentences, though I do think the risk of offending or turning some readers off might stop some creators.

Yes I agree with what you just said :p It's why I find it odd they include similar issues that could offend or turn a reader off equally. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying they should or shouldn't. I just find it odd.

It is odd.

@Dernman said:

@ssejllenrad said:

It's amazing that with all the supernatural stuff happening in comics, some characters still manage to become atheists.

On one hand yes it does make it harder to deny that there could be supernatural being who is the god and creator that exists but....
On there other hand with all the heroes going around claiming to be gods it could make it harder to believe in the one.

But atheists don't just reject the one god. They reject the existence of any god. Thor, Hercules, etc. In fact atheists reject any form of supernatural subjects. Which, in the comic world, is just so pathetic.

@Dernman said:

@ssejllenrad said:

It's amazing that with all the supernatural stuff happening in comics, some characters still manage to become atheists.

On one hand yes it does make it harder to deny that there could be supernatural being who is the god and creator that exists but....
On there other hand with all the heroes going around claiming to be gods it could make it harder to believe in the one.

But atheists don't just reject the one god. They reject the existence of any god. Thor, Hercules, etc. In fact atheists reject any form of supernatural subjects. Which, in the comic world, is just so pathetic.