The era of superhero about ancient mythology in DC and Marvel comics.

It was usually said that chaos was in the beginning. The original state of matter from which the world originated. Gods were born with him. Powerful beings who are supposed to guard humanity, patronize various areas of life, stand on the side of good, but also evil and lawlessness. Love and cheat. Save and kill. Conspiracy and lead the fate - both his own and mortals. Ancient Greek mythology, still widespread in popular culture, is a real treasury of literary motifs, which are rewritten in various forms and artistic conventions. Even in the DC and Marvel comics. One can say, however, that it was in American publishing houses that completely new pantheons inhabited by super-gods were formed. The most popular are representatives of the Justice League and Avengers. Already in the names themselves they indicated the ethical values ​​and problems to which stories about superhumans are devoted.

Zeus is from Krypton, and Hades from Gotham

Father of super gods, a real leader. Newcomer not from this Earth - quite literally. In the Superman story, the message that humanity is not recorded in the genes, but is the result of upbringing, taking over certain values, norms and customs has become established. A resident from Krypton took a human name and as Clark Kent he got involved with his beloved Lois Lane. The real name of the cosmic protector of the globe, however, is "Kal-El", which is sometimes translated as the Hebrew "God's Voice." Superman manifests superhuman strength, speed, endurance, soars across the sky, and in the Justice League he is the one who most often plays the role of leader. A father who could be identified with Zeus, the supreme god, lord of thunder, who cares for order ... although he can be carried away by passions. A Man of Steel, as Superman is sometimes called, could also be boldly identified with Prometheus, the titan who shaped people, ignited internal fire in them, sacrificed himself for them, and poured hope into mortal hearts. And that's what hope symbolizes as "S" on Clark Kent's outfit. The one who sacrifices himself in the name of the common good is also Steve Rogers, that is Captain America. The epitome of patriotic virtues, merciful, solidary with the weak. Promethean hero who matured as a leader, both as the leader of the Avengers, but also a soldier on the fronts of World War II - the tragic times in which heroes are born.

Batman, in turn, is a hero whose domain is darkness. Cursed hero, marked by tragedy already in his youth, when he lost his parents in front of his eyes. The Dark Knight acts in secret, a city of crime, as recorded in the Year-One, and a city of madmen, as we know even from the comic book Arkham Asylum - damned souls who evoke associations with the kingdom of Hades. Moreover, Batman and Superman, like Zeus and his diabolical brother Hades, also have a brotherly bond, a special relationship in which one symbolizes light and the other darkness. Gotham is for the hero, whose symbol is a bat, a place of combat - both internal and external. The real stable of Augeas in which Batman has to deal with the trauma of the loss of loved ones and the mission of eradicating evil, whose fictitious city is a real habitat. Anyway, it is characteristic that virtually every major superhero is the patron of his hometown. For Superman it will be Metropolis, for Batman Gotham, and for Flash, probably the fastest man in the world who represents the power of the god Hermes, Central City.

Asgardans and ruler of Atlantis

From the cold Scandinavia come myths in which the world is divided into nine different lands. Midgard, the middle world, the land of people, Alfheim, the seat of the elves, Nilfheim, the ice kingdom of the dead, ruled by the goddess of death Hel and Asgard, the seat of the Aces, and thus the gods. One of the most important is Thor, another representative of Avengers about whom songs were sung, legends were created, and now graphic novels. The lord of thunder, son of Odin, owes his royal pedigree to comics to Scandinavian myths. Featuring bravery, but capable of being carried away by anger, he wields the hammer Mjöllnir in his right hand, a symbol of glory and strength. The story of the blond-haired god of the storm was described in an amazing way by Jason Aaron, who respectfully refers to classic themes, but also updates the mythical content. In the pantheon of Norse creatures, Loki also holds a special place, a divine liar and cheater, a villain, and yet a tragic figure, as Robert Rodi and Esad T. Ribic argued in his comic. After all, imperfect characters are truly interesting.

Lord of the Seven Seas, King of Atlantis, almost equal in power to Poseidon himself. Aquaman, is another super god, a hero integrated from the past and future, a hero who, like Arthurian legends, must face his destiny, confront - like Thor - with his envious brother Orm and discover the secrets of the ocean. A place unknown to humanity, where you can write dark fairy tales. The legacy of the next representative of the Justice League is recorded in the pages of the comic anthology Aquaman. An extremely charismatic figure who holds a trident in his right hand, a symbol of the power of Poseidon and Neptune.

Beautiful Amazon and heir to Olympus

The virtue of wisdom and inborn reason would indicate that she is the daughter of Athena, unearthly beauty, that she owes the genes to Aphrodite, and the extremely relatives of her character and talent for fighting, that her father is Ares. Wonder Woman, in fact the first superhero who was comparable in popularity to male super gods, was born, from the relationship of Queen Hippolytus and Zeus, although the issue of her pedigree is disputed - different writers have different ideas. The story of a beautiful warrior is set in ancient times, but also modern. Diana from Temiskira, a fictional island inhabited by Amazons, is the link between the world of myths and legends (like Aquaman) and reality. Wonder Woman struggles with adversities, ancient gods, even Ares, with whom she is also related, extraterrestrial civilizations, when acting on behalf of the Justice League, but she also cares for well-understood equality, dignity and women's freedom. It inspires self-esteem in them. She inspires to act, as convinced, for example, by Greg Ruck in his interpretation of the fate of the divine Diana.

Shazam, or Billy Batson, is also the heir to the Olympic gods. Chance or maybe a twist of fate caused the metaphysical element to become present in the teenager's ordinary life. When the boy got to a mysterious cave in one of the branches of the New York subway, he came across a temple in which the powers of the ancients were transferred: Salomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury. From that moment, as soon as Billy utters the "Shazam" spell, she will become the hero guarding humanity. We will learn about his fate not only from the film, but also from a comic book by Jeff Smith. A great hero, though growing up to size.

In ancient myths, heroes were idealized. They were a model that people could compare to, but which they could never reach. The gods lived on Olympus. Modern-day super-gods went down to Earth, became more human, digest their internal demons - especially Batman - try to live in harmony with the human world, adapt to it - as in the case of Wonder Woman or Superman - and patronize from heaven and protect against cosmic threats, which makes Thor and Avenger. Stories about superheroes take place today, although there are elements from the canon of our culture inscribed in them. Not only on the basis of discreet mentions or subtle references. In many comics, it is the gods - Greek, Nordic, and sometimes from completely different cultural circles - that interfere in fictional worlds. They live in the universal imagination, as in the time of Homer, and this is the best proof that they really exist. Even if their existence depends on our faith.

Ps. Don't take this post to seriously, it's Friday and I don’t want to post another book or movie review. Enjoy your weekend folks!

#comic #culture #myth #blog #history