| From time to time I've wondered, if I was a superhero, what would my back story be? Did I grow up on this planet? Would I have known from an early age? What would my day job be?
I'll admit the last thing I'd probably consider would be my religious affiliation. I mean, if you're contemplating kicking ass for the good or bad of the human race, do you factor in time for prayer? This seemed like something I needed to look into.
Research led me to comicbookreligion.com. Under the link for "Religious Affiliation of Comic Book Characters," you'll find more than 400 listings for superheroes, super villains and major supporting characters, complete with team and religious affiliations and publisher. There are some interesting sidebars highlighting overtly religious characters like Green Arrow and Nightcrawler, notable writers of religiously themed stories, and why nearly all major superheroes tend to be Episcopalian.
The site is well organized, with references to stories supporting the superhero's religious background in addition to explaining key events that shaped their spirituality. There is a wide range of religions across the board, from Methodist to Teutonic Paganism, and an extensive set of links offering more information on religion in the context of comics and graphic novels.
I still haven't come up with a definitive moment in my religious epiphany back story, but at least I know what the deal with Wolverine is. |
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