The X-Men : Anti-Morality Of Characters

Superheroes can be defined in many ways by many experts. Clare Pitkethly’s academic background consists of comparative literature, culture and communication as she also speaks and writes comic books and superhero, defines a superhero to be different. In Pitkethly’s article “Straddling a Boundary: The Superhero and the Incorporation of Difference,” talks about

A hero is universally seen as a selfless individual who puts the needs of others before themselves. Heroes usually hold the same values; honor, nobility, integrity, and strength. Now what happens when a person does not hold those heroic values? What if their motivations did not have good intentions? These are the questions that will be answered using the deconstruction critical lenses. “Today, it is much harder to detach the concept of heroism from morality; we only call heroes those whom we admire and wish to emulate.” (Lebarge web) The Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur has evolved into the modern trilogy of Batman which, when deconstructed, reveals how the selfish motivations of

This presents a problem in anti-hero stories, where, according to them, moral judgment plays an “insignificant role in antihero liking” (1037). Therefore, ADT, while effective in measuring likeability of heroic protagonists, fails to measure that of antiheroes. To try to measure the enjoyment of antiheroic stories, Shafer and Raney conducted two studies. In the first one, a group of students was split into two groups. One watched and antihero movie and the other a movie with a classical hero protagonist. Through various points in the film, the viewers were asked to rate the protagonist likeliness on a scale from 0 to 50, with 25 being neutral. Here are the results from the study (fig. 1):

The concept of a hero has been around for many generations, and the meaning of a hero is defined in ways people grasp its idea. A hero can be a person who has a superpower and is willing to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others or can be an ordinary everyday person who just wants to help people out of his or her own heart. Linda Seger’s article, “Creating the Myth,” tackles the idea of a “Hero 's Myth,” and shows the ten steps of how heroes are transformed from an ordinary person to the Savior. On the other hand, Robert B. Ray piece titled, “The Thematic Paradigm,” emphasizes that in modern films, it is either having an “Outlaw Hero or an Official Hero,” which he uses three stages to demonstrates how they are different each other in the way they perform in the society. Further, the article, “Out of Character: Wonder Woman’s Strength Is Her Compassion - What Happened?” by Stevie St. John, explains how Wonder Woman was viewed as a compassionate woman in the 1940s and 1950s, and in the 2000s she changes into a more violent person. In this essay, I argue that a hero is subjective, and is defined by the villain or event that they had to adapt to suddenly.

Sporting a fedora, suit and a cigarette in hand, leaning against a wall, the captivating anti-hero stands double crossed in the stereotypical L.A. noir genre. Right in the heat of World War II noir started to rise to the top and become a popular source of entertainment and instant distraction from reality. Many people were drawn to the anti-hero; they were drawn to the flawed characters who were the “heroes” despite their flaws. A hero embodies what people want to be, most consider noir anti-hero’s the same. You can idolize them in a story, but they all have specific characteristics that make the “hero,” themselves, just as vulnerable as everyone else. An anti-hero needs to be layered, complicated, and flawed that pushes the boundaries of what is right and what is wrong. They need an illustrated struggle that builds through growth so as the audience reads they can keep showing optimism for the anti-hero as they try to seek redemption. A novel by James M. Cain, Double Indemnity’s anti-hero Walter Neff has many flaws; flaws that are egotistical and murderous, but also manipulative and powerful. Just like Walter Neff, a recent character that is the epitome of an anti-hero is, Frank Underwood in the show House of Cards. Frank started at the bottom and with his anti-hero characteristics powered his way to presidency putting many morals aside and doing what he thought was the only option to achieve what he wanted. With complex motives, a driven mindset, and no boundaries, the

The representation of diverse people and experiences in comics is important to expand the thoughts and minds of readers. Yang and Wilson, the minds behind American Born Chinese and Ms. Marvel, use the medium of comic books and graphic novels to help bring a new sense of belonging and acceptance to marginalized people. They do this by applying a “millennial mindset” to their respective stories. What this means is that the characters they have created, whether they are based off real people or are fiction, address the problems of race, religion, or sexuality that we are facing today. These characters also act to threaten the current atmosphere of the comic book industry. Typical comic book characters and superheroes, before now, were mostly white and from a typical American background. Heroes that were women were generally over-sexualized and unrealistic. These two authors hope to challenge the current status quo of the comic book industry by creating characters whose background is much different than previous superheroes.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman—what do all these characters have in common? They are all products of the human aspiration to be saved. The word hero is passed around too much these days. A hero is not a football player that scores the game-winning touchdown or the goaltender who saves his team from a loss. A hero is usually an ordinary person that did extraordinary things. A true hero is really never a hero at all; at least not in their own mind. However, there are various cases today in which we see the exact opposites of these characters, the anti-heroes. The anti-hero is one who cannot be classified as a hero, for that said character lacks natural heroic qualities. However, the anti-hero cannot be described as a villain either.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a superhero as, “a fictional character who has amazing powers (such as the ability to fly)” or “a very heroic person”; yet, many of the characters in Watchmen have no supernatural power and are immoral by most precedent societal standards. Alan Moore, in the graphic novel Watchmen (1986-1987), asserts Rorschach as an example of deontology. Moore supports his thoughts through dialogue and illustration. The author’s purpose is to juxtapose philosophical beliefs by comparing their varied flaws through differing narrators’ points of view. The author takes a condescending tone in an effort to enrage his target audience of adult males. This paper seeks to illustrate, qualify, and challenge Moore’s claim that Rorschach is a deontologist.

The essay, “No Sympathy for the Devil”, written by Heather Havrilesky, is about the concept of antiheroes, and how much of an impact they have made on modern media and the characters hollywood choose to create. For many years, most of the TV and movies made had a cookie cutter, almost perfect hero(s). But as of late, the entertainment industry has come to the realization that people with pros and vices, are much easier for the audience to relate to. Heather’s goal is to dive further into these antihero characters, and unravel what exactly makes them so relatable. In the process of explaining to us all of these different, complex characters, Havrilesky seems to get lost in her topic from time to time. However, the evidence she uses to back all of her claims is both plentiful, and very strong. The overall tone of the essay is not excessively opinionated, yet she does not sound

For example, some people argue that Bond is perceived as the anti-hero. This interpretation would make sense because some people believe that Bond lacks conventional heroic attributes. He often uses fancy weapons, like a handgun that recognizes his palm print, and different specialized methods of transportation. In addition, his character, often drinking, sexualized, and in the beginning weak, is seen as having non-heroic characteristics. However, this view is ultimately weakened by not acknowledging the validity of Campbell’s research on the hero journey.

Supervillain Compare & Contrast Essay Super Villains, with powers or not, are remarkably popular considering that they are such unfavorable people. Fictional villains are generally defined as evil, and it is questioned whether this indication leaves for reason to believe that being evil is popular. These characters come in various shapes and sizes, albeit they habitually have similar schemes. Villains dominate a penchant to act upon impulses triggered by greed or a lust for revenge against the protagonist, one that has usually been derived from severed relationships in the past.

Humans regard mutants with low warmth and high competence. It is understood that humans are envious of mutants, because of their super powers. Hispanics are prejudiced against when they hold a high level of authority either in their work place or even in politics. The majority of the population envies when this happens, because they feel that Hispanics aren’t capable of doing this type of work. How can a minority hold such a high position? They are taking our good jobs. These are just a few critics and statements that Hispanics have to deal with, but they must overcome the negative comments in order to move forward with their lives. Mutants are criticized with hateful slogans as well. “The only good mutant is a dead mutant” (Rosenberg 84). With this type of hateful slogan most mutants want to stay unknown or hoping to blend in with the

Chris Claremont’s X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills explores the themes of religion and discrimination in horrifying manners. Through religious metaphors and allusions to the legitimate world around us, the author has developed a piece to be studied in today’s society. The text also concerns discrimination against those of which are different, whether it is a physical difference or a difference in belief. Through the characters of Magneto and Reverend William Stryker, the piece tackles the repetitive nature of history.

In Gerad Jones’ Men Of Tomorrow , Jones argues that the characters authors create are inherently influenced by the experiences that the creators experienced during their life. Jones uses Superman and Batman as his examples, but his argument shouldn’t be limited to those two entities. If we look at Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s background, we will see that both are (was) Jewish, a religion with a history of being ostracized by many different groups. Given Lee’s background and experience as a Jewish man, it comes as no surprise that he would create a group of superheroes that could represent a marginalized group. Each subsequent author and/or director of the X-Men comics and films brings their own unique experiences to the table in their portrayal of the X-Men which ultimately leads to one specific marginalized group being clearly represented in that specific author or directors interpretation. But, nonetheless this representation isn’t restricted to a single marginalized group, but rather any group who has been ostracized and deemed inferior in the eyes of the general public. In the book War, Politics, and Superheroes: Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film , Marc DiPaolo says “The

Through my analyzation of these values, I have assessed the relevance of superheroes in cinema through the impact of American popular culture, the contrast of gender roles, and their impact on children. As a result, society should be gracious toward the immense popularity of superhero films, as they bolster American popular culture and positively impact children from a young age. Although the gender roles might be a bit skewed, many film companies are taking steps to include women in more empowering roles such as Wonder Woman in the DC cinematic universe. Therefore, superheroes in cinema tend to only create and preserve positive characteristics within society, which is glorious in the future of mankind. In closing, I end with the question, “Which superhero best depicts