How Superman Developed Into a Jesus Figure
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HOW SUPERMAN DEVELOPED INTO A JESUS FIGURE CRISIS ON INFINITE TEXTS: HOW SUPERMAN DEVELOPED INTO A JESUS FIGURE By ROBERT REVINGTON, B.A., M.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts McMaster University © Copyright by Robert Revington, September 2018 MA Thesis—Robert Revington; McMaster University, Religious Studies McMaster University MASTER OF ARTS (2018) Hamilton, Ontario, Religious Studies TITLE: Crisis on Infinite Texts: How Superman Developed into a Jesus Figure AUTHOR: Robert Revington, B.A., M.A (McMaster University) SUPERVISOR: Professor Travis Kroeker NUMBER OF PAGES: vi, 143 ii MA Thesis—Robert Revington; McMaster University, Religious Studies LAY ABSTRACT This thesis examines the historical trajectory of how the comic book character of Superman came to be identified as a Christ figure in popular consciousness. It argues that this connection was not integral to the character as he was originally created, but was imposed by later writers over time and mainly for cinematic adaptations. This thesis also tracks the history of how Christians and churches viewed Superman, as the film studios began to exploit marketing opportunities by comparing Superman and Jesus. This thesis uses the methodological framework of intertextuality to ground its treatment of the sources, but does not follow all of the assumptions of intertextual theorists. iii MA Thesis—Robert Revington; McMaster University, Religious Studies ABSTRACT This thesis examines the historical trajectory of how the comic book character of Superman came to be identified as a Christ figure in popular consciousness. Superman was created in 1938, but the character developed significantly from his earliest incarnations. This thesis argues that the connections between Superman and Jesus were not integral to the character as he was originally created, but were imposed by later writers over time and mainly for cinematic adaptations. There is a notable difference between how Superman is portrayed in the comics and the films because the films are aimed at a broader audience and have different marketing aims. Superman turned into a Christ figure for financial reasons in many ways. This thesis also tracks the history of how Christians and churches viewed Superman, as the film studios began to exploit marketing opportunities by comparing Superman and Jesus. This thesis uses the methodological framework of intertextuality to ground its treatment of the sources, but does not follow all of the assumptions of intertextual theorists because discussions of authorial intention are necessary for the narrative that this thesis pursues. The connection between Superman and Jesus was not inevitable and cannot be seen wholly as a byproduct of the changes in the surrounding American culture because this connection was a product of specific artistic decisions by particular creators—who were not necessarily Christians themselves. iv MA Thesis—Robert Revington; McMaster University, Religious Studies Acknowledgements I would like to thank my committee members and readers — Dr. Travis Kroeker, Dr. Matthew Thiessen, and Dr. Peter Widdicombe — for their thoughtful feedback and professional goodwill. Thanks also go to Dr. Daniel Machiela and Dr. Philippa Carter, who gave me kind and consistent support. Friends Brad and Debra Crumb and Merrill Greene I wish to acknowledge. I also owe much to my parents Dan and Kate Revington, my brother Ben, and cat Dickon for their love and encouragement. Finally, I give thanks to Superman expert Neal Bailey for his time and energy answering different questions about Superman lore. v MA Thesis—Robert Revington; McMaster University, Religious Studies Table of Contents Chapter One: Allusion, Intertextuality, and Superman . 1 Comic Book Heroes as an Object of Study . 1 Intertextuality and Allusion as Methodological Frameworks . 8 The Use and Misuse of Intertextuality as It Pertains to This Study . 15 Chapter Two: Superman’s Development . 21 Misconceptions About Superman and Jesus . 21 Explaining the Origins of Superman . 23 Influences on Superman . 34 Chapter Three: The History of the Jesus Superman Across Media . 56 Early Superman/Jesus Parallels . 56 Superman as Jesus in the New Millennium . 71 The Films versus the Comics . 91 Superman’s Own Religion . 109 Conclusions: Superman and Jesus . 118 Bibliography . 121 vi Chapter One: Allusion, Intertextuality, and Superman Comic Book Heroes as an Object of Study When future Superman editor Mort Weisinger was first hired as a comic book editor in the 1940s, he called his friend Otto Binder for a “crash course” on working in the medium.1 Binder said it was “very simple,” because in comics, “you get a fight, the hero hits the villain on the head with a lamp and says, ‘Lights out for you!’”2 Are comics so simple? In a 2014 interview, Academy Award-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu said: “I think there’s nothing wrong with being fixated on superheroes when you are 7 years old, but I think there’s a disease in not growing up.”3 He added that “the problem” with comic book films “is that sometimes they purport to be profound, based on some Greek mythological kind of thing.”4 Bill Watterson (the creator of the Calvin and Hobbes newspaper strip) once wrote: “You can make your superhero a psychopath, you can draw gut-splattering violence, and you can call it a ‘graphic novel,’ but comic books are still incredibly stupid.”5 Conversely, in M. Night Shyamalan’s film Unbreakable, a character named Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) owns a gallery of comic book art and points to an old comics image, saying, “This is an art gallery my friend … and this … is a piece of art.”6 Later, he says, “I believe comics are our last link to an 1Will Murray, “Superman’s Editor Mort Weisinger,” in The Krypton Companion, ed. Michael Eury (Raleigh, NC: TwoMorrows Publishing, 2006), 11. 2 Ibid. 3 Mike Fleming Jr., “Birdman’s Alejandro G. Iñárritu and ‘Birdman’ Scribes on Hollywood’s Superhero Fixation: ‘Poison, Cultural Genocide’—Q & A,” Deadline, October 15, 2014, http://deadline.com/2014/10/ birdman-director-alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-writers-interview-852206/ (accessed May 9, 2018). 4 Ibid. 5 Bill Watterson, The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book (New York: Scholastic, 1995), 171 6 Unbreakable, directed M. Night Shyamalan (Burbank, CA: Touchstone Pictures, 2000). MA Thesis—Robert Revington; McMaster University, Religious Studies ancient way of passing on history. The Egyptians drew on walls.”7 Price has a high view of comics, but he also turns out to be criminally insane.8 It is not hard to find silly Superman comics. In a 1975 issue, Superman’s metabolism is out of control, so at super speed, he eats hundreds of burgers from a fast food chain, while saying, “More burgers! CHOMP! Keep them coming ... GULP ... or I’ll starve to death!”9 Hundreds of female fast food servers in short skirts line up with platters of burgers to keep up with his appetite.10 In a 2000 miniseries, Superman met Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny when they came to life (though this plot was uncharacteristically silly for the era).11 In a 72 page 1978 comic, without his powers, Superman is forced into a boxing match against Muhammad Ali, but Superman and Ali later defeat alien invaders.12 In a 1987 comic, an alien named Sleez uses mind control on Superman, not to turn him evil, but just to make him star in a pornographic film.13 Nonetheless, comic book heroes are culturally significant. They can also be moral exemplars and a source of great joy for those who love them. Former Superman artist Jon Bogdanove said that, in the United States, Superman was a “national icon” because All you need to do is visit the Midwest, especially Metropolis, Illinois, to experience the nearly religious nature of people’s love .... for vast numbers of Americans he ranks somewhere between Elvis and Jesus. Many people overlay biblical parallels on Superman, drawing out the similarities in his story with the stories of Moses and Jesus.14 Superman is an influential figure in many different ways. Comics writer Mark Waid reflected that when he was a kid and went to see the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie, 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Cary Bates, “Superman’s Energy Crisis!” Action Comics #454 (New York: DC Comics, 1975). 10 Ibid. 11 Mark Evanier, Superman & Bugs Bunny #1–4 (New York: DC Comics, 2000). 12 Denny O’Neil and Neil Adams, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (New York: DC Comics, 1978). 13 John Byrne, “The Suicide Snare,” Action Comics #593 (New York: DC Comics, 1987). 14 Michael Eury, “Superman Roundtable Discussion,” in The Krypton Companion, ed. Michael Eury (Raleigh, NC: TwoMorrows Publishing, 2006), 230–32. Metropolis, Illinois, is the home of the annual Superman festival, a giant Superman statue, and a Superman museum. 2 MA Thesis—Robert Revington; McMaster University, Religious Studies “walking into that theatre I was a directionless, unhappy, borderline-suicidal kid with no one to look up to and with a real dearth of inspirational figures in his life. Walking out—after two consecutive showings—I was transformed.”15 Superman artist Karl Kesel observed that “Superman is the Ultimate Immigrant to America.”16 Marsha Boulton writes that Superman is “as globally recognizable as Mickey Mouse, Charlie Chaplin, and Elvis.”17 How should we understand heroes like Superman? In the 1970s, Mario Puzo (the author of The Godfather) was hired to write the first Superman movie and met with Superman comics writers Cary Bates and Elliot S. Maggin to learn more about the character, and Maggin recalled, sometime during the afternoon of the second day Mario furrowed his forehead and looked at the both of us and he said, as if it were a revelation, “Well, this thing is a Greek tragedy,” and Cary and I looked at each other and then looked at Mario and one of us said, “That’s what we’ve been trying to tell you.”18 Many writers compare superheroes to gods or mythological figures; for example, in a 2016 review of the comic book film Captain America: Civil War, Matt Zoller Seitz wrote that 15 Ibid., 211.