Mark D. White - The Avengers and Philosophy: Earths Mightiest Thinkers

CONTENTS

The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

Series Editor: William Irwin

South Park and Philosophy Edited by Robert Arp Metallica and Philosophy Edited by William Irwin Family Guy and Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski The Daily Show and Philosophy Edited by Jason Holt Lost and Philosophy Edited by Sharon Kaye 24 and Philosophy Edited by Jennifer Hart Weed, Richard Davis, and Ronald Weed Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy Edited by Jason T. Eberl The Office and Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski Batman and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White and Robert Arp House and Philosophy Edited by Henry Jacoby Watchmen and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White X-Men and Philosophy Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski Terminator and Philosophy Edited by Richard Brown and Kevin Decker Heroes and Philosophy Edited by David Kyle Johnson Twilight and Philosophy Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski Final Fantasy and Philosophy Edited by Jason P. Blahuta and Michel S. Beaulieu Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy Edited by Richard Brian Davis Iron Man and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White True Blood and Philosophy Edited by George Dunn and Rebecca Housel Mad Men and Philosophy Edited by James South and Rod Carveth 30 Rock and Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy Edited by Gregory Bassham The Ultimate Lost and Philosophy Edited by Sharon Kaye Green Lantern and Philosophy Edited by Jane Dryden and Mark D. White The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy Edited by Eric Bronson Arrested Development and Philosophy Edited by Kristopher Phillips and J. Jeremy Wisnewski Inception and Philosophy Edited by David Johnson The Big Lebowski and Philosophy Edited by Peter S. Fosl Spider-Man and Philosophy Edited by Jonathan Sanford The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy Edited by Dean Kowalski The Hunger Games and Philosophy Edited by George Dunn and Nicolas Michaud Game of Thrones and Philosophy Edited by Henry Jacoby

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Copyright 2012 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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The Avengers and philosophy : Earths mightiest thinkers / edited by Mark D. White.

pages cm. (The Blackwell philosophy and pop culture series; 46)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-118-07457-2 (paper); ISBN 978-1-118-22253-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-23645-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-26138-5 (ebk)

1. Avengers (Fictitious characters) 2. Comic books, strips, etc.Moral and ethical aspects. 3. Superheroes in literature. 4. Superhero filmsHistory and criticism. 5. Philosophy in literature. 6. Philosophy in motion pictures. I. White, Mark D., 1971- editor of compilation.

PN6728.A9A93 2012

791.43652dc23

2011043329

INTRODUCTION: EARTHS MIGHTIEST PHILOSOPHERS

If you like superheroesand you wouldnt be reading this book if you didntyou love superhero teams, and the Avengers are the preeminent team in the Marvel Universe. The best thing about the Avengers is that not only do you get to see all your favorite heroes banding together to defeat formidable threats against incredible odds, but you also get to see them interact both as superheroes and as people. Whether theyre cooped up in Avengers Mansion or exploring the deepest realms of space, you get to see how they work together and play together, both when they get along and when they dont. Thats what we love about the Avengers, whether in the comics, the animated series, or the feature filmits equal parts superhero epic and soap opera.

Just as the Avengers assemble to confront threats no single hero can handle himself or herself, the contributors to The Avengers and Philosophy assembled to discuss a range of topics so broad that no single philosopher could possibly handle it all. Have you ever wondered how the big three AvengersCaptain America, Iron Man, and Thorcompare in terms of their moral philosophies? Has the Kree-Skrull War ever made you consider the ethics of war itself? What about the Avengers peculiar tendency to welcome former criminals into their ranks, such as Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch? We didnt forget to ask questions about the great Avengers villains: Can Kang actually go back in time to kill himself? Do we actually admire Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers? And finally, speaking of soap opera, can the Scarlet Witch and the Vision truly love each other?

No matter what Avengers lineup you prefer, or which Avenger is your favorite, theres a chapter in The Avengers and Philosophy for you. (Why no Squirrel Girl, you ask? Wait for volume twoits all her.) So until Avengers Academy opens a branch near you, this book is the best way to learn from Earths Mightiest Philosophersuntil we get our own movie, that is!

I would like to thank Bill Irwin for his constant support, encouragement, and hard work on this book and the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series as a whole; Connie Santisteban at Wiley, who saw this book through from beginning to end; and my fellow contributors, who came through with insights into philosophy and the Avengers I would never have imagined. I also want to give special thanks to Christine Hanefalk, who was incredibly supportive, especially in the stressful final weeks of this project. Finally, I would like to thank all the creators who have made the Avengers shine for half a century, starting with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, through Kurt Busiek and George Prez, and all the way up to Brian Michael Bendis, and Joss Whedon for bringing Earths Mightiest Heroes to life on the silver screen.

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