Superheroes Have Religious Beliefs

     The superhero character Superman has long been recognized to have been based on the Christ/Messiah story.  Kal-el is sent by his father to the Earth where he is raised by foster parents.  The "el" of his name is the Hebrew root meaning "divine," or "god" and, in its plural form (more about that in a later post) occurs as elohim, one of the biblical names of God.

     There are hints during his childhood and adolescence that he is "special" but the full truth is not apparent until he reaches adulthood, when he exhibits powers and abilities not available to normal humans.  In one major story line he even rises from the dead.

      During his childhood he is raised as Clark Kent by a kindly older couple named Jonathan and Martha Kent.  A little known fact is that the character is a Christian, raised as a Methodist in Smallville, Kansas.  The two creators of the character were Jewish.

     While overt religion was historically little mentioned in comic books, it was always there, slipped in as asides and used as the basis for numerous story lines.  Overtly Christian superhero comic books and television programs have begun to appear with characters such as Bibleman, Biblegirl, The Crusader, and the Crossbreeds. 

     The religious beliefs of many superhero/supevillain characters have been determined.  The results are listed and discussed on two excellent websites:

http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/comic_book_religion.htmlhttp;//www.comicbookreligion.com

      A short list:

Ant Man: Atheism

Aquaman: Greco-Roman

Batman: Episcopalianism/Catholicism

Blackhawk: Communism

Captain America: Protestantism      

Daredevil: Catholicism

Doctor Strange: Magic

Dust: Islam

Mr. Fantastic: Humanism

Green Arrow: Marxism

Hawkman: Ancient Egyptian

The Human Torch: Episcopalian

Mandrake the Magician: Buddhism

Nightcrawler: Catholicism

Punisher: Catholicism

Red Skull: Nazism

Rogue: Southern Baptist

Shadowcat: Judaism

Sunfire: Shintoism

Superman: Methodism

Thor: Norse

Timeslip: Hinduism

Wonder Woman: Greco-Roman

Professor Charles Xavier: Judaism