It should be no shock to anyone who knows me that I read comic books as a kid. I favored X-Men[1] and the 2099[2] series. I don't recall it ever occurring to me care about the religion of any of them. Nevertheless, someone cared enough to create a database of the religions of comic book characters[3]. I may not have cared then, but I've found myself amused by what I've found.
Atheists[4] are as underrepresented as you would expect, but there are some noteworthy entries. The character I was most into, Wolverine[5], is "sometimes atheist". Henry Pym[6], who's due to get his own big screen film in 2015[7], is listed as atheist. Both of them have been on the super hero team The Avengers[8], who are mostly various kinds of Christian. But, The Avengers also include atheist The Wasp[9], lapsed Catholic[10] The Hulk[11], lapsed Russian Orthodox[12] Black Widow[13], secular[14] Nick Fury[15], and mostly secular, Iron Man[16].
Religion for The Avengers is an interesting thing. Of its founding members[17], only Captain America[18] is overtly Christian. I suppose that makes sense when another of them, Thor[19], is worshiped as a god[20] but is really from another dimension/planet[21]. Then there's a later member of the group, who is a god of a different non-Christian religion. The Hercules[22] of The Avengers is the Hercules of Ancient Greek religion[23].
On the subject of atheists being faced with actual gods, there is the flagship character for Image Comics[24], Spawn[25]. He was atheist until he was faced with indisputable proof of the existence of Heaven & Hell. Despite the religious aspect of their most famous character, Image Comics itself, appears to be very light on religion. It's possible that has something to do with Todd McFarlane being atheist[26], but there were seven other founding members[27] whose religious views I've been unable to find anything on. Savage Dragon[28], one of the company's other prominent characters, is atheist.
DC Comics[29] has its own peculiarities. Batman[30] is a lapsed Catholic. The first Robin, Dick Grayson[31], was raised Gypsy (Romani)[32] but apparently converted to a form of Christianity at some point after his parents' death. Wonder Woman[33] is a follower of the same Ancient Greek religion[23] that provided the lore for her character.
Alien Martian Manhunter[34] follows the religion of his home planet[35]. Alien Superman[36] is Methodist[37] but also follows the Kryptonian religion. His wife[38] is Catholic[10], and his arch enemy[39] is a lapsed Episcopalian[40] Nietzschean[41] atheist[4].
Marvel's[42] Fantastic Four is comprised of a Ben Grimm[43] (Jewish[44]), Reed Richards[45] (theist humanist[46]), and Sue[47] & Johnny Storm[48] (Episcopalians[40]). The child of Reed & Sue, Franklin Richards[49], has godlike powers and is more powerful than those listed above who are actually called gods, but is Episcopalian[40] like his mother and uncle.
Under religion, some things that aren't really religions are listed. Black Widow[13] was also listed as "communist"[50]. X-Men member Colossus[51], who grew up in the USSR is listed as communist[50] atheist[4]. I wonder if the CW Show "Arrow"[52] ever addresses Green Arrow[53] being an agnostic[54] and a Marxist.
Many characters' religion is listed as Anthropomorphic Animal[55], which is more of a race/species than a religion, but it gave the creators of the site something to put for the Disney characters'[56] religions.
Also not a religion is LGBT[57]. Other than the glaring lack of gay characters, there's nothing particularly interesting from that page, other than the picture they used for Ace & Gary[58].
Lastly, there's Christian Knight Comics[59]. Their lineup[60], is almost entirely Evangelical Protestant[61]. They have a character called Mr Christian[62], who's a former atheist[4]. And their only villain is also their only Catholic[10]. I'm sure the stories they tell are fascinating.
Thanks to Alyssa Milano[63] for sharing and to anyone who actually read this entire thing.
Atheists[4] are as underrepresented as you would expect, but there are some noteworthy entries. The character I was most into, Wolverine[5], is "sometimes atheist". Henry Pym[6], who's due to get his own big screen film in 2015[7], is listed as atheist. Both of them have been on the super hero team The Avengers[8], who are mostly various kinds of Christian. But, The Avengers also include atheist The Wasp[9], lapsed Catholic[10] The Hulk[11], lapsed Russian Orthodox[12] Black Widow[13], secular[14] Nick Fury[15], and mostly secular, Iron Man[16].
Religion for The Avengers is an interesting thing. Of its founding members[17], only Captain America[18] is overtly Christian. I suppose that makes sense when another of them, Thor[19], is worshiped as a god[20] but is really from another dimension/planet[21]. Then there's a later member of the group, who is a god of a different non-Christian religion. The Hercules[22] of The Avengers is the Hercules of Ancient Greek religion[23].
On the subject of atheists being faced with actual gods, there is the flagship character for Image Comics[24], Spawn[25]. He was atheist until he was faced with indisputable proof of the existence of Heaven & Hell. Despite the religious aspect of their most famous character, Image Comics itself, appears to be very light on religion. It's possible that has something to do with Todd McFarlane being atheist[26], but there were seven other founding members[27] whose religious views I've been unable to find anything on. Savage Dragon[28], one of the company's other prominent characters, is atheist.
DC Comics[29] has its own peculiarities. Batman[30] is a lapsed Catholic. The first Robin, Dick Grayson[31], was raised Gypsy (Romani)[32] but apparently converted to a form of Christianity at some point after his parents' death. Wonder Woman[33] is a follower of the same Ancient Greek religion[23] that provided the lore for her character.
Alien Martian Manhunter[34] follows the religion of his home planet[35]. Alien Superman[36] is Methodist[37] but also follows the Kryptonian religion. His wife[38] is Catholic[10], and his arch enemy[39] is a lapsed Episcopalian[40] Nietzschean[41] atheist[4].
Marvel's[42] Fantastic Four is comprised of a Ben Grimm[43] (Jewish[44]), Reed Richards[45] (theist humanist[46]), and Sue[47] & Johnny Storm[48] (Episcopalians[40]). The child of Reed & Sue, Franklin Richards[49], has godlike powers and is more powerful than those listed above who are actually called gods, but is Episcopalian[40] like his mother and uncle.
Under religion, some things that aren't really religions are listed. Black Widow[13] was also listed as "communist"[50]. X-Men member Colossus[51], who grew up in the USSR is listed as communist[50] atheist[4]. I wonder if the CW Show "Arrow"[52] ever addresses Green Arrow[53] being an agnostic[54] and a Marxist.
Many characters' religion is listed as Anthropomorphic Animal[55], which is more of a race/species than a religion, but it gave the creators of the site something to put for the Disney characters'[56] religions.
Also not a religion is LGBT[57]. Other than the glaring lack of gay characters, there's nothing particularly interesting from that page, other than the picture they used for Ace & Gary[58].
Lastly, there's Christian Knight Comics[59]. Their lineup[60], is almost entirely Evangelical Protestant[61]. They have a character called Mr Christian[62], who's a former atheist[4]. And their only villain is also their only Catholic[10]. I'm sure the stories they tell are fascinating.
1. http://marvel.wikia.com/X-Men
2. http://marvel.wikia.com/Earth-928
3. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/
4. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=atheist
5. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=30&Wolverine_James_Howlett_Logan
6. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=19&Giant-Man_Hank_Pym
7. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478970/
8. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Team=Avengers
9. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=71&The_Wasp_Janet_van_Dyne
10. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Catholic
11. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=12&The_Hulk_Bruce_Banner
12. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Eastern_Orthodox
13. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=75&Black_Widow_Natasha_Romanova
14. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Non-Religious
15. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=18&Nick_Fury
16. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=13&Iron_Man_Tony_Stark
17. http://marvel.wikia.com/List_of_Avengers_members
18. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=11&Captain_America_Steve_Rogers
19. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=14&Thor_Donald_Blake
20. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Norse/Teutonic_paganism
21. http://marvel.wikia.com/Asgard
22. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=120&Hercules
23. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Greco-Roman_classical_religion
24. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Publisher=Image
25. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=1200&Spawn_Al_Simmons
26. http://www.adherents.com/people/pm/Todd_McFarlane.html
27. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_Comics#Founding
28. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=1382&The_Savage_Dragon_Kurr
29. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Publisher=DC
30. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=2&Batman_Bruce_Wayne
31. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=44&Nightwing_Dick_Grayson
32. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Gypsy_/_Roma
33. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=3&Wonder_Woman_Diana
34. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=7&Martian_Manhunter_Jonn_Jonzz
35. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=alien_religions
36. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=1&Superman_Clark_Kent
37. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Methodist
38. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=40&Lois_Lane
39. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=103&Lex_Luthor
40. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Anglican_/_Episcopalian
41. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Nietzschean
42. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Publisher=Marvel
43. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=20&The_Thing
44. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Jewish
45. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=22&Mr_Fantastic_Reed_Richards
46. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Humanist
47. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=23&Invisible_Woman
48. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=21&Human_Torch
49. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=754&Franklin_Richards
50. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Communist
51. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=33&Colossus_Peter_Rasputin
52. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_(TV_series)
53. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=8&Green_Arrow_Oliver_Queen
54. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=agnostic
55. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=anthropomorphic_animals
56. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Publisher=Disney_Comics
57. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Lgbt
58. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=7390&The_Ambiguously_Gay_Duo_Ace_and_Gary
59. http://christianknightcomics.com/
60. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Publisher=Christian_Knight
61. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?Religion=Evangelical
62. http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=1863&Mr_Christian_Jonathan_Paul_Christian
63. http://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/339606668323217408
It's actually stupid to be an atheist in these comic book words. DC's The Spectre is the Christian God's wrath and real angels have also been used. Both DC and Marvel have a devil character. With all the evidence of God and the supernatural in those universes, even I would be a theist.
ReplyDeleteOur world doesn't have all that, so I'm not.
Yup. There's only 2 atheist characters who switched to believing after seeing the proof. Spawn (created by an atheist) & Mr Christian (from a Christian publication).
DeleteSidenote, there's an atheist character I'd meant to include but forgot.
http://www.comicbookreligion.com/?c=550&Solomon_Grundy_Cyrus_Gold
Grundy IS God.
Delete