Ed Strauss - The Superheroes Devotional: 60 Inspirational Readings

2017 by Ed Strauss

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Im a longtime comicbook fan. In the summer of 1962, when I was nine years old, someone who had money to buy thingscomicbooks cost 12 cents eachtrotted up our driveway to where I was in the backyard, bringing an issue of Amazing Fantasy featuring Spider-Mans origin story. I remember exactly where I was standing as I held it and read it from cover to cover, utterly fascinated. (I agree with Stan Lee, who insists that comic book should be spelled comicbook to make it clear youre not simply talking about a humorous magazine.)

Over the years I continued following Spideys adventures, though I also read every Superman and Batman comic I could get my hands on. And when I started earning money, I began collecting Spider-Man comics in earnesteven though the price had soared to 25 cents apiece. I soon realized that Marvel had a whole slew of other superheroes so I began buying every issue I could. By the time I was seventeen, I had no room left for clothes in my dresser. All the drawers were full of comicbooks.

I dreamed of working for Marvel Comics and I once wrote a letter to the editor suggesting a new story. Sometime later, I received a letter from Stan Lee himself, informing me that although my idea had him on the edge of his seat, unfortunately, they werent allowed to accept story ideas from fans. I suspect now that it was a form letter, but I remained a die-hard fan. I never ended up at Marvel, but I still was, as Marvel put it, a True Believer.

Best of all, a few comics in particular helped prepare me to become a Christian when I was seventeen. Then I was a True Believer in the literal sense of the word. If it seems astonishing that fictional superheroes contributed to me putting my faith in the one true God and Jesus Christ, His Son, remember that comics are literature, an oft-disparaged media form that frequently just entertainsand often fails to do even thatbut which sometimes carries deep spiritual truths.

Make no mistake about it: many comicbooks are insipid, contain over-sexualized imagery and gratuitous violence, promote unchristian values, and are a waste of time just like your mother says. Certain stories influenced me negatively. And these days, the power of comicbook characters to influence us for good or ill has increased dramatically, since superheroes have leaped off the printed page into big-screen movies seen by millions.

You may wonder, Can you actually find spiritual truths in comicbooks and superhero movies? Yes indeed, along with much error. Superhero movies captivate peoples imaginations with heart-pounding adventures, riveting plots, and spectacular special effectsand sometimes they have profound messages woven into them. Often the underlying themes reveal a Judeo-Christian influence and, even when it isnt intentional, you can still draw good messages from them, which is my goal in this devotional.

The apostle Paul was fluent in the culture of his day and often cited Greek poets, philosophers, and playwrights to make his point and communicate with his listeners. For example, Paul quoted the Cretan poet Epimenides in Titus 1:12 and referenced both Epimenides and the Cilician poet, Aratus, in Acts 17:28. And in 1 Corinthians 15:33, he quoted a zinger from Thais, a popular comedy about a prostitute, written by the Greek playwright Menander.

The Roman theaters of Pauls day were the equivalents of todays Imax cinemas, and if Paul were alive right now, he wouldnt hesitate to quote from The Man of Steel, The X-Men, or even Guardians of the Galaxy if they helped him drive home a message. That is, in fact, what I have attempted to do, and why Ive written this devotional. I pray that these readings based on todays most popular superheroes and superheroines will both inspire and challenge you.

Ed Strauss

CANONCOMICS OR CINEMA?

A word about canon, the accepted lore against which all new stories are measured: While its a given that the authentic canon for the superheroes adventures are the comics, this books primary intended audience is not superhero fanatics and collectors immersed in all the trivia of their favorite heroes, but for you, the general public, who may never have read the original comicbook adventures. The movies are often the only point of reference you have. Therefore, I also quote from the movies as authoritative.

Sometimes, however, a characters history diverges wildly between the comicbooks and the movies. For example, in the printed pages, Mystique was Nightcrawlers mother. Yet when they met in the second X-Men movie, they didnt know each other and were apparently not even related. When commenting on the Captain America: Civil War trailer, director Joe Russo explained, We dont always honor the mythology from the books. One, because its predictable and two, its not servicing the story in the way we want.

And which film version are we to follow if a superhero movie series has been rebooted? For example, the three Spiderman movies by Sam Raimi (200207) and the two movies by Marc Webb (20122014), are all good, although fans have their favorites. And in the case of Superman, while the four movies starring Christopher Reeve (197887) are established classics and were blockbusters in their day, the movie