Luptowski 1
Mike Luptowski
Exploratory Persuasion Piece
Prof. James Green
3/16/08
The Watcher asks “What If?” I ask “How Come?”
Revision and change is everywhere, be it the latest incarnation of a popular
automobile or the election of a new president. Nowhere is it more apparent though, than
in the stories told in superhero comic books. We assume the icons that we knew as kids
will stay the way we remember them, only to be surprised by the evolution taken place
when we visit as adults. The icons we know and love, Superman, Batman, Captain
America, have all gone through groundbreaking revisions, some popular, some not so
much.
What we then must look at is: What brings up the need for these sudden changes
in character and plot? What are the driving forces that make an icon like Spiderman
change the color of his costume, or cause Captain America to rebel against the
government? And what determines such a necessary change? What makes such canonical
revisions popular with the audience?
To find the answers, we will focus on three predominant reasons for such
revisionism. The Social Demographic, and how the consumer’s tastes effect how a
character is presented to the reader. This will follow the political and social climate
changes that the comic books industry mirrored in turn. This shows us the evolution of
comic book heroes as they try to continue to become or mimic the current reading
audience.
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The second factor to look at under the magnifying glass is the works made by
authors as social commentary that is outside the expectations of the social demographic
while still directly addressing them. Instances like this include the works by acclaimed
graphic novel author Alan Moore, along with the characters of Deathlok and Captain
America in the late twentieth century/early twenty-first century. Examples of the above
will show us the independent variable that exists in comic book storytelling.
The third and final concept that will be focused on is the changes made that
appear to be natural progressions of the story. These are the almost expected outcomes
that, never the less, changed the dynamics of a superheroes storyline. Examples include
the marriage of Superman (aka Kal El/Clark Kent) to reporter Lois Lane, the subsequent
death of Superman, and the very recent death of Captain America. It is important to allow
us to factor in the goal of good storytelling as a driving force of change, because not all
reasoning can simply fall under socially driven ones.
The Social Demographic
Now lets look at the changes over the course of the century in the demographic.
When comic books first started to branch away from reprints of the old newspaper
funnies in the early twentieth century(Kroopnick), the great depression was in effect.
Many latched on to the superhero as a form of escapism from the harsh times around, and
so many tales were very much broad and generally two dimensional. Batman, debuting in
detective comics, was just a vigilante (who actually used guns to fight criminals), and his
actual childhood background did not come until his second issue. Superman got his debut
in action comics, and generally fought standard mad scientists and bank robbing crooks
(Wandtke).
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It was not until WWII hit, that what could be called a patriotic awakening
happened (Dittmer). With the first issue of Captain America showing the icon punching
Hitler in the jaw, soon many other comic book heroes traveled overseas to give the Third
Reich a kick in the pants. The irony is that these heroes of pulp paper were at war before
the American military ever got there (Kroopnick). After Pearl Harbor, heroes began to be
portrayed fighting alongside American soldiers, filling their roles as Patriotic propaganda
for the minds of the youth back home.
This change in content, from fighting crooks to fighting German and Japanese
soldiers, shows us the change in attention. With the coming of the second world war,
people’s attention shifted away from the domestic and local problems of crime and
poverty to the issues of the war overseas. While those same problems did not go away,
they were diminished enough by the war-time economy to cause people to notice it less.
Couple this also with the draft sending most of our able-bodied men overseas, and one
can understand that a child might want to read more about a hero saving a soldier, like
their father, and less about beating up some crooks down the street.
It was also around this time that the character of Batman changed drastically.
Gone was the menacing figure of the night, armed with guns and vicious justice. He was
replaced by a more kid-friendly version, complete with a partner in anti-crime, named
Robin. This would set off a chain reaction, as many other comic book heroes would adopt
a sidekick as well (Kroopnick).
This change in character, along with the addition of extras who were commonly
young, is indicative of the shift in audience during the changing era. With more adults
overseas or at work, the only market left for the publications were children. It was also
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the belief of many, including those in the business, that comics were exclusively a
juvenile activity. So the writers and illustrators followed suit and attempted to scare their
young audience less, and help bring them into the story. To do so, many heroes were
given young sidekicks, so that a child could imagine himself as part of the action
(Kroopnick). Unfortunately for some of the publications, there would be a backlash
against this sort of partnership, especially in the case of Batman and Robin.
It was in 1950s that a psychiatrist named Fredric Wertham wrote a book called
Seduction of the Innocent. In the book he largely criticized the comics industry, deeming
it a corrupting factor of the youth. He pointed out that many comic books play on the
fantasy of punishing others while being completely absolved from consequence. He also
made the accusation that the relationship between Batman and Robin was a blatant
homosexual fantasy. His words and his book carried enough weight at the time that
congress held a trial of comic books. From this trial, the self-regulated Comics Code
Authority was formed (Kroopnick).
The comics code led to the pruning of many genres of comic books, including
horror stories and anything having to do with the supernatural (Kroopnick). This meant
that many heroes had to disappear, but it also brought the focus back onto the superhero.
This change represents the post WWII demographic, which more often then not sought to
regulate what was being viewed.
It was then in the sixties and seventies that a change in comic book readers came
to the market. Many of the readers who read the comics when they were kids continued
to read the publications into high school and then college. This influx of more mature
readers, who were more self interested and absorbed then their parents, led to the
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introduction of more emotionally human superheroes, like Spiderman and the Incredible
Hulk. These characters played on the readers inner desires while simultaneously relating
with them on a personal level. Who hasn’t struggled with, or fantasized about, turning
into an angry avatar of rage and tearing up the problems in one’s life. And the character
of Spiderman is made interesting not by his alter-ego, but by his real identity as the nerdy
and awkward Peter Parker(Kroopnick).
Also going on in the era was the anti-war attitude in a post McCarthy era. It was
because of this that many of the superheroes were kept inside the US during the Vietnam
War. Captain America himself stuck to the streets, fighting crime with his African
American partner, The Falcon, and dating a feminist at the time (Dittmer). There was one
stint, where Steve Rogers abandoned the identity of Captain America, in favor of the hero
Nomad, due to the government wanting him to fight who they told him to (Dittmer). This
showed us that although the character of Steve Rogers/Captain America was a patriot, he
was also an individualist (Dittmer). This shows an evolution in the character, that mirrors
the evolution in the values of the American demographic of the time. However, just
because the heroes of the seventies had an anti-war sentiment to deal with, does not mean
they were finished being violent.
It is in the 1980s through 1990s that we see the most drastic of changes in the
industry. The Comics Code Authority begins to loosen its hold over the creativity of
authors and writers, and many more comic books are beginning to be published without
the CCA seal of approval (Kroopnick). This led to many of the old taboo genres to
resurface, become popular, and eventually affect the rest of the industry. Characters like
Ghost Rider and Blade, with their obvious ties to the supernatural, were allowed to come
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to creation. Ultra violent anti-heroes like the Punisher, Pitt, Savage Dragon, and Spawn
could kill freely and however violently the artist could depict. With the sudden shift to
much more “mature” audiences, many superheroes had a makeover.
The one of the most drastic changes occurred with Batman, who up until this time
had spent most of his adventures in an Adam West like, G-rated world. The canon
batman was returned to a much more darker figure, truer to his original incarnation. He is
dark, brooding, and often a solo vigilante (having the first Robin/Dick Grayson leaving
and the second Robin/Jason Todd killed by the Joker)(Kroopnick). And while the
canonical Batman still currently refuses to kill, the same can not be said for his rogues
gallery. Superman also has some changes to his nemesis, Lex Luthor, who went from
insane mad scientist to 1980’s style businessman (Kroopnick).
These changes could be seen to reflect how many readers of the time viewed the
world around them. Yuppies and unethical high corporate business practices, gang
violence, and overall drastic censorship loosening when introduced to a young adult
audience could be seen as a factor that would skew the interest. Comics about Batman
and Superman saving kittens from tries in a nice, brightly colored environment is neither
interesting or relevant to someone in living in an urban neighborhood during last twentyyears of the century. So it could be believed that the comics became darker and grittier,
because for many it seemed the world was darker and grittier.
As it is now, in the Post 9-11 world, superheroes have made changes not in so
much in method, but in mindset. There is now that threat of terrorism always looming,
which the media has reminded us of again and again in this media. As a consequence, we
begin to see a more aware, more socially responsible hero begin to take shape. And the
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world itself in the comic book medium, begins to become more aware of its super
powered benefactors.
Captain America over the course of the many marvel titles struggles between the
American ideal he was brought up with, and the repercussions of the actual American
policy. This puts him at odds not only with foes of his past and present, but with the U.S.
government, and even his allies. In the Marvel comic event, CIVIL WAR captain
America finds himself on the opposing side of a government law that requires all
superheroes to register with the U.S. government; both their alias and their secret
identities. Steve Rogers finds himself not only having to battle with the U.S. military, and
their secret organization of S.H.I.E.L.D. but also against fellow self-policing superheroes
led by his long time friend and fellow avenger, Iron Man (Millar).
This story arc, and the resulting division within the Marvel universe of registered
superheroes and unregistered superheroes, may reflect the cultural division going on the
American populous. The entire premise of Civil War centers on superheroes giving up
their secret identity for the sake of accountability and safety. You could compare this to
the issues of unwarranted phone-tapping and the rights of insurgent prisoners held by the
U.S. government held at places like Abu Ghraib. The consequent division of superheroes
at the end of the Civil War story arch, could also be indicative of the current division
between the populace, with the constant reminder of Red States and Blue States, and the
loudest people in popular media being those with the most extreme views.
Social Commentary
Sometimes comics are not necessarily done just to please the reading audience,
but are also trying to deliver a message to the reader. No where is this more prevalent
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than in the works of Alan Moore, writer of famous comic book series as The Watchmen,
and V for Vendetta. Moore’s stories usually center around characters in shades of grey,
where the protagonists are often not that much better than the primary evil of the story
(Kroopnick).
Looking closely at The Watchmen, the story takes place in a in a world very
similar to our own, set in the 1980s, with the primary difference being that superheroes
were prominent throughout the history leading up. Much like the more recent Civil War
event in Marvel, America in Moore’s universe has passed laws prohibiting superheroes.
In the present time of the story, many of the characters that are superheroes suffer from
sociopathy, impotence, alienation, and detachment. It’s heroes more often then not don’t
fight crime and evil for good, so much as personal reasons ranging from disgust to thrillseeking. The central theme of the graphic novel series is to point out the trust people are
likened to put into the masked vigilantes, and that is something one should never do
(Kroopnick).
While the watchman series had no direct canonical changing effect on the series
of Marvel or DC, it did however set the tone for future comics to come. Many artists and
writers, seeking to emulate the works of Moore, ended up grounding their heroes in more
real world relevancy. But Moore was not the only commentator within comic books, and
neither was he the first.
As early as the 1970s Dennis O’neil was exploring issues of race and religion in
the Green Lantern/Green Arrow. The Green Lantern hero Hal Jordan, suffering from a
drab persona and uninteresting stories, which led to poor sales, was teamed up the Green
Arrow, aka Oliver Queen. Queen, originally a simple Robin Hood-esque styled hero, was
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supplanted with a very liberal, very streetwise personality and belief structure, in the
hopes that the contrasting heroes could better illustrate the conflicting views on the issues
of the day. The issues ranged from Green Arrow’s accusation of Hal Jordan being a
racist, to fascism, to Native American rights (Kroopnick).
This revision of the Green hero pair is a stellar example of revision for the sake to
deliver a message to the reader. Dennis O’Neil says it clearly while interviewed in a
documentary on comic books, that he knew it was too late for his generation, but maybe
he could find a really smart twelve year old, and get him thinking about this stuff (Comic
Book Superheroes Unmasked. Needs to be looked up to make sure that quote is accurate
mike). While not as dramatic of a change of the superhero outlook of Alan Moore’s
work, it is however more direct a change, as the works are canon in the history of DC.
Another noteworthy revision was that of the Cyborg character Deathlok.
Deathlok’s origins begin in 1974 with a white male colonel of the U.S. military who,
after a fatal war injury, is transformed into a vigilante cyborg crusading against a corrupt
militant government who created him.(*Rivera) Then the nineties came about, and with it
a huge revision of the mechanical hero, right down to his very starting origins before he
became a cyborg.
In contrast to the 1970s incarnation, the 1990s Deathlok starts out as a black male
scientist, who is transformed into a cybernetic construct against his will, and the process
of which makes this character struggle more with his sense of identity rather than the
corruption of certain powerful groups (Rivera). The parallels between that of the struggle
for a self identity within cyborgs and within blacks in the U.S. is indicative of the author
working on the comic at the time, Dwayne McDuffie (Rivera).
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In this case the revision, or rather complete transformation of the character is a
means for the writer to convey the feelings and attitudes of being a black person and
trying to come to terms with one’s self identity and that which society has labeled you
(Rivera). While the alteration is drastic, there are reasonable assumptions we can take for
why McDuffie got away with it. For one, Deathlok was never, and still is not, an iconic
figure in the comic book industry, and thus the lack of attention paid to the character
could be how such a revision could go unnoticed. At the same time, it could also be
attributed to the social acceptance that McDuffie overall message, and method of
delivery, outweighed any concern fans or executives might have with the continuity of
the character.
Now we look at the more current age, of comics in the twenty-first century, and
one major event in particular: the cross comics event within Marvel Comics known as
Civil War. Yes, this event receives a double look into the views of revisionism. The
premise, more in depth, is that a botched attempted by a group of lesser known heroes to
capture a few villains goes awry and leads to the death of six hundred people, including
schoolchildren (Millar). This then leads to the United States passing the Superhero
Registration Act, which requires all superhero vigilantes have their aliases, powers, and
true identities registered with the government. That in turn leads to a division between the
superheroes with: Iron Man leading the pro-registration heroes, who believe that all
crime-fighters should be held accountable for their actions and be properly trained to
fight the forces of evil; and Captain America leading the anti-registration underground,
who oppose the idea of being conscripted into military service and feel divulging their
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identities as a major liability in the face of villains who can easily bypass Government
protection of information.
The resolution comes eventually when Captain America turns himself into
custody, but not before the death of a few superheroes and the lost lives of more innocent
bystanders. In this we can see a kind of commentary on the current social make-up of the
United States in the new century. We can also see the story playing out between the two
leaders of each opposed side, Captain America and Iron Man, as a representation of the
conflicting values and beliefs that are making up the new American identity. In Captain
America, we see the ideal that has lasted for nearly a century, the belief in personal rights
above all else, and the willingness to fight for those rights. In Iron Man, we see the
corporate realist within the American, who must contend with the fears and expectations
of the new century. Iron Man represents the side of America who is willing to give up the
personal rights for the sake of safety and ease.
Captain America’s surrender, which was brought on by the pleads of the
inhabitants of the current New York neighborhood turned battleground, could also
represent the rights we have already given up, through the passing of laws like the Patriot
Act. The final scene depicts Captain America poised to deliver a final ending blow on
Iron Man, only to be tackled by EMS and firefighters, who beg him to stop the
destruction. As Captain America looks around at the devastation, he comes to the
realization of it. This could symbolize how the needs and wants of the common masses
can sometimes outweigh the ideal, like much like how Herbert Hoover’s view of the
common man building himself from the ground up didn’t fit with the needs of a
Depression Era populace.
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The final pages give us this quote from the star-spangled hero: “…they’re not
arresting Captain America…they’re arresting Steve Rogers. That’s a very different
thing.” This may be the writer Mark Millar letting the reader know that is not the ideal
itself that is wrong, but that in this case the protagonist pursued it in the wrong way. It is
possible that Millar here is stressing how nothing can be done if the problem is
approached combatively, and that only a greater gap will occur between the opposed
sides if the ideal reaches out with a clenched fist rather then an open one.
Progression of Story
We’ve seen examples of how revision can stem from a change in demographic,
and also from an author wanting to say something to that demographic, now we look at
examples of revision that were primarily for the sake and pursuit of good storytelling.
Carol Tyler, a professor at the University of Cincinnati who teaches classes on comic
books, asserts that, on the subject of comic book storylines, “all change should come
through internal necessity.” (Tyler) With that, we will take a look at a few revisions that
have occurred as either publicity stunts and/or evolution of the characters and their story.
The first three examples all come from one source, Superman, which include his
marriage, death, and the election of his arch-rival, Lex Luthor, as president. These
publicity stunts were strung across issues to keep readers during the lull in the midnineties, after the comic book economic bubble had burst, nearly destroying the industry
(Kroopnick). Superman’s death is the greatest example of a stunt considering that he not
currently dead anymore. While some of these did work to boost sales, this era also did
result in other revisions to the superman mythos that weren’t so popular with readers. An
example of which, the Superman Red and Superman Blue story-arch, actually split the
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alien benefactor into two entities, which was so unpopular with fans and writers alike that
it was purposely forgotten, and Superman was once again made whole (Wandtke).
The validity of these types of revision, the purpose of which appears solely as
shock value, brings us to a question of greater good and/or the lesser of two evils. On the
one hand the industry is a business, and its writers and artists human, and both have the
goal of surviving and thriving within their fields. Sometimes this requires adding in a
seemingly unexpected addition to current mythos, in the hope to keep the series from
stagnating. On the other hand such revisionism, while it wards of stagnation within a
storyline, risks diminishing the overall quality of the myth. It comes down to the supplier
guessing what the demander wants: an ending to a good story; or an extension to the tale
which might keep the story alive but overall make it less interesting.
The next example to look at is the death of Captain America, a much more recent
example. While one could call it a stunt, much in the same way that the death of
superman is a stunt, but the story still goes on even after the protagonist is gone. In the
issue that this occurs, and the issues that come after, we follow three of Steve Roger’s
(aka Captain America) close friends: his crime-fighting partner from the streets, Red
Falcon, his current love interest and partner within the secret organization known as
S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent 13, and his old partner from WWII turned ex-soviet assassin Bucky
Barnes (aka Winter Soldier) (Brubaker).
This kind of revision, while most definitely spectacle in fashion, is also an
example of the evolution within the story. It was hinted at in the series we repeatedly see
the villains responsible up to and after the assassination, and it is always hinted that there
is something being planned (Brubaker). While it is unexpected, it certainly isn’t out of
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place for the fictional realm of the hero, which does give it a form of distinction from
other spectacle revisionism, if not merit.
Final Words to the True Believers
It is more than apparent that revisionism is everything but avoidable in the case of
longstanding comics. The fact that such changes can be good or poor, accepted or
rejected, is not so much important as understanding why they occur. By doing so one can
empathize with the writers and artists of this fine blend of art and literature. One may see
what they thought was a bad change in a comic book with new light, or see previously
unknown deeper meaning resonating within the evolution of their favorite character. Such
understanding can diminish outrage against some alteration and amplify appreciation of
others.
It is also important to see and recognize this genre for the social mirror that it is.
Comic books act as a sort of Rosetta stone for our culture, translating to us the values of
both our past and present. Flip open an issue of X-Men from today, and compare it to an
issue of X-men from the 1970s, and one will perceive a difference in more than just
quality and fashion.
There are many, many more examples of revision in the comic book genre out
there. There are most likely even better examples of revision than the ones brought to
scrutiny here. I freely admit this, and I simultaneously invite the reader to explore the
genre to find them, in the hopes that one might get a better understanding and
appreciation of the art form. The artisans of this form of expression make myth out of our
lives, and one owes it to themselves to see what stories are birthed from their generation.
Just by being apart of the world as a hole, one has the power to shape these stories of
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gods and men, and as a fairly famous old codger loved to put it, “with great power, comes
great responsibility.” So take the initiative, see what part people are playing in shaping
these make-believe worlds. Chances are, it will be a pretty good reflection of what’s
going on in the real one.
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