Someone wrote “ Superheroes are about breaking things with fists.” They either “trivialize problems or Christianity” or both. I would like to present a different way of looking at superheroes that are not just about breaking things with their fists or trivializing problems or Christianity. This was originally written in 1993.
First, we live in a universe created and sustained by a infinite personal God. God created man in His moral and spiritual image. The image of God in man is what separates man from the rest of His creation—whether plants, animals or whatever.
Second, man is fallen. That is he has fallen from his initial state of moral and spiritual innocence in which God had created him. Not only is man fallen, but God placed a curse on creation, because of man’s disobedience. Everything is in a state of running down, wearing out and growing old. The fall and curse is now the state of the nature of things. This is an unnatural state—not as God first created or intended. The message of the Bible is one of hope, one of redemption, one that the way things are not the way things always will be. Christ’s first coming is for the redemption of individual sinners. Christ’s second coming will set things aright in the whole of creation(the curse will be removed).
Third, before the second coming of Christ God has instituted human government to regulate the affairs of fallen man and to lessen the impact of the curse on society and on nature. Governments rule by law that is enforces by armed forces or police agencies.
What follows is a Biblically sound rationale for super-heroes doing what they do. They may be lawfully constituted adjuncts to military or police agencies. The military and the police are there to maintain order and enforce the law. These agencies are there as a check on the sinful falleness of man.
The fantasy world of superhero comics is not the world of reality. In our world we do not have human beings capable of the extraordinary things that routinely happen in comics. The only comparison would be the prophets of the Bible who performed miracles. These miracles did not derive from the prophet’s innate abilities, but their power came from God.
From Alpha-Omega #49, 1993
Introduction: So what distinguishes a Christian Comic from other comics? It is primarily the thinking or world view that underlies the basis of the story or series. In this six-part series we will discuss what makes up the Biblical World View. In this sixth and final installment we continue our discusion of the important features of a Biblical Worldview.
The Fall: In Genesis 3, while in a perfect environment, man is tempted by the serpent (identified as Satan in Revelation 20:2). The serpent's temptation was "You will be as gods (or as God) knowing good and evil". Man as God created him was innocent and pure. When man succumbed to Satan's temptation he experienced both spiritual and the beginnings of physical death. Spiritually, sin caused separation of fellowship between God and man. Physically, in order to cover man's nakedness, God killed animals and made coverings for man from the skins (Genesis 3:21). This foreshadowed the ancient Hebrew sacrificial system and the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Also, God placed a curse on creation (Genesis 3:17). Man would live by the sweat of his brow and physical death would come to his body (Genesis 3:19). This was not how it was meant to be. Death is an alien presence in creation. Looking again at the seminal Green Lantern #40 (October 1965) the Oan, Krona, broke the prohibition about looking into the origin of the universe. When he did that, "...evil was loosed on the universe! It swiftly spread from world to world where intelligent creatures lived who had not the gift of immorality like the Oans... Brother killed brother, Hatred and violence grew, flourished!" For a number of years this isolated statement of cosmology stood in the DC Universe. This scene was repeated in the History of the DC Universe though later revisions cast doubt on even that mild statement of theism.
Jesus Christ: How does the Bible bring resolution to the sin dilemma? I believe it comes in two stages, if you will. The first "stage" in the resolution of the problem of sin is the Incarnation, God becoming man in Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a morally and ethically perfect (or sinless) life. He fulfilled perfectly the Old Testament messianic prophecies and His death and resurrection provided the perfect substitute or sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Sin deals with the basic problem of man's alienation from God. In the fictional world of comic books, a super-hero (you insert name) can physically save the world, but he can't save his own soul much less anyone's else's soul. He is as morally flawed as any normal person. The Bible states "...there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name [Jesus Christ] under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Future Things: The final "stage" of the solution to the fallen world takes place in the future with the culmination of history. The book of Revelation tells of a time in the future where the devil, the unrighteous living and dead and death itself will be consigned to a lake of fire that burns forever. (20:10, 14) The present earth and heavens will be destroyed by fire (II Peter 3:12, 13). Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth where "righteousness" dwells (Rev. 20:14). The best the comic writers can come up with is something like Crisis on Infinite Earths where a myriad of comic book universes are destroyed or transformed into one. However, the same problems of sin and falleness are transferred to the new world (or universe).
We have tried to show briefly how to develop a Biblical world view and apply it with discernment to comics. We need to ask ourselves and God how close do the comics we read conform morally and spiritually to the Bible.
(Originally printed in New Creation #11. 1998)
 Introduction: So what distinguishes a Christian Comic from other comics? It is primarily the thinking or world view that underlies the basis of the story or series. In this six-part series we will discuss what makes up the Biblical World View. In this fifth installment we discuss the important features of a Biblical Worldview.
In the first column I discussed why a world view was important to our thinking and the importance of the Bible. Next we started to explore the Biblical world view. This time we will continue our brief survey of the Biblical world view (Creation, the Fall, Jesus Christ and Future Things) and how it relates to comics.
The Creation: Previously we mentioned that God created the physical universe with its plant, animal and human life and pronounced it ‘good’ and ‘very good.’ The invisible realities were also created at this time. Psalms 148:2-5 states that the angels were created at the same time as the sun, moon and stars. In scripture, angels are described as servants or messengers of God. These invisible realities distinguish the Biblical and materialist world view. The materialist worldview maintains that reality can be perceived only by the five senses. The Bible claims to be a revelation of spiritual realities beyond the abilities of the five senses. We accept this revelation by faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). However, this is not a blind faith. It is a reasonable faith based not on wishful thinking, but on solid evidence. Biblical faith and science are not mutually contradictory. A good case has been made that the modern scientific method sprang from and conforms to a Biblical view of reality. Much of modern science assumes a materialist worldview, which excludes God from its discussions.
In 1986, the History of DC Comics was published. It stated, “We know the universe was created more than ten billion years ago, formed of vapor and forged with fire. The single will which bought light to the dark, gave substance to nothingness, and created life from unlife, must have permitted itself a sigh of satisfaction when its children wailed in birth.” In the DC Universe “The single will” got the ball rolling by sending animated “seeds” throughout the universe. These seeds interacted with things like heat, sound, light, minerals and abstract concepts to produce life forms. Apparently something inherent in life caused it to evolve into “something greater.” After this the “God” of the DC Universe, with some exceptions, is strangely silent and uninvolved. As we have seen, this is not how the Bible portrays the creation of life. God, the ultimate life giver, gave life to all of the creatures on the earth. God was very involved in creating the different forms or “kinds” of life. God placed limits (reproduce ‘after its own kind’) on the variability of life forms.
(Originally printed in New Creation #11. 1998)
The Biblical World View and Comics Part 4
By Don Ensign
Evolution is the basis for the naturalist or materialist world view. This world view precludes any kind of God or outside creator. Natural processes within the universe itself are sufficient to account for all the complexity we observe from the simplest molecule to the human brain. While a number of theories have tried to harmonize the Biblical creation account with the theory of evolution—any straightforward normal reading of Genesis knows how incompatible the two are.. Natural processes within The theistic evolutionist says God used evolution as His method of creation. This idea comes up short for several reasons. First, the text of Genesis 1 states clearly that the plants and animals were created fully formed and were to reproduce “after their own kind.” Second, the character of God as revealed later precludes His using such a wasteful process in order to create living things. Christ says that God cares for the birds (Matt 6:26) and not one of them falls to the ground without Him knowing it (Matt 10:29). Would a gracious loving God use such a cruel method a evolution to accomplish His cretion? Several times in Genesis 1 we have the phrase, “And God saw that it was good.” (Vs. 10, 12,18, 21, 25, 31). How could God have pronounced such an awful method a evolution a “good” with its record of hundreds of millions of years of cruelty and death?
So what world view do comic portray? As one example, when I was a teenager I came across a fascinating comic book scene of a giant hand clutching a starry nebula a “renegade Oan” named “Krona” tried to observe the origin of the universe (Green Lantern #40, 1965). The result of this forbidden behavior was an explosion which unleashed evil on the universe. In GL #43 one reader wrote, “In Krona’ seeking of the secrets of the origin of the Guardians I found some similarity between the story and the Bible....Could that have been the hand of God as He created the universe?” The editor’s response: “The author did indeed intend his tory to be taken as you took it.” As a young Christian I was happy to have this supposed validation of my comic book reading habit. However, there are important differences between this (and most) “comic cosmology” and the Biblical world view. Evolution usually taken as a given. And while in this particular story, there was a “God” that created the universe and “life” it was not the caring and personal God of the Bible but more like that of the deists, who believe God created the universe and then was not involved further with it—unlike the God of the Bible.
In summary there are different views of reality or world views that compete for the modern mind. The pantheist (or New Age), the materialist and the Biblical are three of the most important in today’s society.
Originally printed in Christian Comics & Games Magazine #1 1996
Introduction: So what distinguishes a Christian Comic from other comics? It is primarily the thinking or world view that underlies the basis of the story or series. In this six series we will discuss what makes up the Biblical World View. In this third installment discusses how the Biblical World view differs from other world views.
Last time we explored a few introductory topics including the use of our minds in discerning between what is good and bad and why the Bible I our measuring rod or guide for determining truth.
This time we will discuss the importance of developing a Biblical worldview. A world view is simply the way we perceive how the Earth and universe came to be, how it functions, and the purpose of existence. A world view determines how we look at reality and deeply influences our daily life. A world view, whether consciously or unconsciously, is our foundational belief system. It influences not only our thinking, but our actions as well.
The Biblical world view begins in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” several things should be mentioned here. First, the universe is not infinitely old; it had a beginning. Second, the universe had a Creator— it did not come into existence by itself. Third, the Creator is greater and separate from His creation (the universe). This is important for two reasons. Many eastern religions and much of the New Age movement are based on the concept of monism and pantheism. Monism states that everything is interconnected or interrelated. There is no difference between God, man, a vegetable, or a piece of granite. Pantheism states since “all I one” then “all is god.” All things—including fish, people, trees and rocks— are said to take on the same divine essence. This is why Shirley MacLaine exclaimed, “I am God.” She accepted the concepts of monism and pantheism. The very first words in Genesis leaves no room for such notions. The Creator and the creation are separate and distinct. Fourth, the earth is given special mention from the rest of the universe. Fifth, if God has the power to create the heavens and the earth then He has more than enough power to perform any of the miracles in the Bible. These include the worldwide flood of Noah, the plagues of Egypt during the Exodus, the virgin birth of Jesus, the healings and miracles of Jesus and the New Testament apostles and the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Further in Genesis 1, God is involved in forming specific aspects of His creation. He created light, water, dry land, the sun and stars, plant, animals and man on different days of the creation week. He commanded the plants and animals to reproduce after their own kind. God created man (both male and female) in His own image. This is important a it precludes evolution from occurring. The modern concept of evolution states that somehow over the course of billions of years organic molecules organized themselves into replicating systems. These systems evolved into single cell organisms, then to primitive multicellular organisms, then to fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and finally man. Man is the highest rung on the evolutionary ladder. All of this was accomplished through natural selection (survival of the fittest) and beneficial mutations, with competition, struggle, bloodshed and death being the means of creation.
Originally printed in Christian Comics & Games Magazine #1 1996
Introduction: So what distinguishes a Christian Comic from other comics? It is primarily the thinking or world view that underlies the basis of the story or series. In this six series we will discuss what makes up the Biblical World View. In the second installment what it means to be a Christian is discussed.
So far in this column we have assumed that mot reader are Christians. We realize that there are some reading this that do not know what a Christian I. If so, please read on.
What does it mean to be a Christian? For some it means living a good life. It means living by the golden rule and helping others. For other it is identifying with the culture in which one was raised. If I am an American, then I am a Christian. For others it mean going to church twice a year (or more) and doing other acts of piety. However, according to the Bible, all of these definitions fall far short of what it mean to be a Christian.
The Bible states that God love each one of us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten on, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God has good plan for us. “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Before an individual can know God’s love and plan for his life he must realize that he is sinful and separated from God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Roman 3:23). “The wages of sin is death (separation spiritually from God) (Romans 6:23). To overcome this separation from God we must realize that Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.’” (John 14:6). We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, before we can truly know God’s love, forgiveness and plan for our lives. “But as many as received him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12). “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Jesus Christ said, “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any one hear my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him (Revelation 3:20).
If you have not already received Jesus Christ a your Savior and Lord we invite you to do so right now. You can do this by praying and thanking God for His forgiveness of your sin and asking Jesus Christ to become your personal Savior and Lord.
(If you have jut made the wonderful dicovery of knowing Christ personally, please write us and we will be happy to give you suggestions for growth in your Christian life. Also if you need questions answered concerning the validity of the Bible or other things that have been mentioned in this article please write for a free resource list.)
Originally printed in Christian Comics & Game Magazine #0 1995
Introduction: So what distinguishes a Christian Comic from other comics? It is primarily the thinking or world view that underlies the basis of the story or series. In this six series we will discuss what makes up the Biblical World View. In the first installment dicernment and the Bible are discussed.
So you read comic books?! And you are a Christian!
Some say comic books are totally worthless junk and we should steer clear of them. Others say we are completely free to read whatever we want. This writer would chart a course between these two pole. The abilities to write stories and draw pictures are God-given talents and we shouldn’t disallow the comic book medium entirely. However, we should be discriminating about what we read. What we read can influence our attitudes and actions. They are good and bad thing in the marketplace.
The purpose of this series is to help you discern the difference between the good and the bad—what can encourage you and what isn’t worth your time. In order to discern the good from the bad, the wheat from the chaff, we must know what we believe. The Bible speaks of discernment in at least two ways. One it is a gift that God gives to some Christian (I Cor. 10:12). Two, it is the ability all Christians should exercise by using their minds to determine what is true and what is false (Acts 17:11, 2 Tim 1:17).
Christian faith is satisfying to the whole person. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Christian faith is not only satisfying emotionally and spiritually, but also emotionally. The Bible encourages Christians to use their thinking abilities in several ways. First, we are to study the Bible in order to understand it properly ((2 Tim 2:15). Second, we should be ready to give answers for our faith (I Peter 3:15). Third, we are to earnestly defend our faith (Jude 3). Fourth, we are exhorted to cast down evil thoughts and everything that is against the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:5). A note of caution is in order. We must note make a god of our minds or our reasoning abilities. Man is not just a mind, he has emotions (soul) and a spirit. Also, while we can mentally apprehend much of what is in the Bible we cannot totally comprehend God or His Word (the Bible). A finite mind cannot fully comprehend an infinite being (Isaiah 55:6-9). It also should be stressed that the Christian receives spiritual discernment from God in order to understand the Bible (I Cor. 2:10-16).
The Bible is our measuring rod for discerning and good from the bad. The Bible claim to be the inspired word of God (2 Tim 3:15). It says we have not followed cunningly devised fables concerning Jesus Christ and the rest of scripture (2 Peter 1:16). The scriptures came by holy men who wrote under the direct influence (inspiration) of God (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible claims this about itself, but it also claims to be a historical book. Its historical assertions can be tested by evidence outside itself (i.e., historical research, analysis and archaeology). The Bible also touche on areas of science and other areas of human endeavor. If the Bible is that it claims (i.e. the word from the infinite-personal, all-knowing, creator God), what it says about history and science should be correct. While it I beyond the scope of this series to delve deeply into the specifics of Biblical apologetics (the reasoned defense of the Bible and Christian faith) much has been written in this area.
Originally printed in Christian Comics & Game Magazine #0 1995
 Osvaldo Pestana Montpeller (Montos) was born in Cuba on September 13, 1985. Ever since he could remember his passion has always been to draw comics. Montos became a born-again Christian in 1993. Since that time when he gave his talents to God his deepest longing is to glorify the Most High through comics. Montos is working as a freelancer for the Crucial Crisis Comixs, and as a cartoonist for the Cuban press. In addition to other creative unertakings, he is doing the illustrations for the J.R.R.Tolkien´s second Lord of the Rings book "Two Towers" (Cuban edition). Osvaldo Pestana Montpeller's work that we have titled "The Portrait " is currently featured under our New Visions webcomics . Up coming project will feature his intricate inks on Ragged Capes and The Footsteps of Matthew Cross: Faith Walker. His work has been published in Cuba, Spain, USA, Mexico and Argentina.
El BLOG de Montos:
www.historietamontos.blogspot.com
Actualizaciones cada semana!
Updates every week!
(Note: "Part One" of this article was a direct reprint from the original New Creation newsletter. The second part has been revised and expanded specifically for the NCE blog.)  New Crew Copyright © 2008 Kevin Yong . All rights reserved.
Welcome back to part two in our look at superhero universe "world building" from a Christian perspective. Last time, we looked at a few of the challenges in taking the typical elements of a comic book universe -- superheroes, aliens, etc. -- and fitting them together with a Christian worldview. This time, we'll look at a few possible ways of dealing with the challenges.
Like many comic fans, I used to invent my own superheroes as a kid. First, I'd invent my own characters, then stories about the characters, then whole worlds where all the stories tied together. Soon, I had entire unwritten comic book "universes" floating around at the back of my mind.
However, as I grew in my Christian faith, I began to take a second look at the fictional worlds I had created, and I soon realized the challenges I would have in trying to integrate the two. I wanted to avoid any fantasy elements or fictional histories that would conflict with what was recorded in the Bible. The last thing I would ever want to do would be to take an "Everything You Know Is Wrong!" approach to redefining the scriptures to make room for my fantasy stories. (When the Bible mentions XYZ, it was really space aliens and mutant superpowers!) And so, I had to decide what kind of universe the stories would take place in, the source of the fantasy super-powers that defined the stories, and also an explanation for space aliens and other fantasy creatures that would somehow remain consistent with a larger Christian worldview. I came up with a wide range of options to choose from. (And please note that this list is not exhaustive):
What kind of universe?
-A "realistic" universe: This is a world which more or less matches the real world we're familiar with. This could be anything from a historical romance to a crime drama, but whatever twists and turns you add to the plot, the reader would know not to expect something completely outside normal human experience. (The romantic heroine won't suddenly be abducted by aliens, or the cop won't solve the crime by using his x-ray vision). If supernatural elements exist in the story, it stays close to the kind of supernatural elements we already accept as Christians: perhaps spiritual warfare between angels and demons, or a prophet receiving a supernatural word of knowledge -- but not something absurdly fantastic like a modern pastor gaining the power to fly and bounce bullets off his chest due to inheriting the apostolic mantle of a time-traveling android replica of Saint Augustine.
-A "non-earth" universe: This is what C.S. Lewis used for his Narnia Chronicles. This creates a fictional universe that exists independently of the normal human world, with it's own history and spiritual laws by which it operates. When God intervenes in Narnia, it looks different from how He intervenes in our normal human world, and thus the "magic" and other supernatural elements of Narnia have no bearing on the historicity of the Bible or the doctrines of Christianity. The two worlds are separate, even as the human characters may cross between them for occasional adventures.
An "alternate" universe: This is where you set your story on Earth, but the story premise includes some drastic change from the world we're familiar with. This could be anything from a world where the Germans won the first World War (alternate history) or where Aristotle invented anti-gravity rays (alternate scientific laws). In either case, the further back in history the premise is changed, the more the world of the story would end up being very different from our own.
-A present day "divergent" universe: This is similar to the above example, but instead of the fictional world diverging from ours in some remote point in history, it matches ours up to some sudden event the present day. This could be anything from the sudden discovery of a serum that gives super-powers, to scientists accidentally waking up hibernating dinosaurs. A "future" universe: A common setting of science-fiction, it sets the story in the future, showing what the world may or may not be like depending on what changes and new inventions are created. Could be anything from a post-apocalyptic wasteland to a bright and shiny future of robotic space exploration.
Source of super-powers:
Supernatural: Since a Christian worldview excludes the possibility of "neutral" or "white" magic powers of the occult, the supernatual source of any super-powers would thus either be directly from God (such as Samson's strength or the miracles of Elijah) or ultimately from demonic sources. The challenge when using this as an explanation for superheroes is having to explain why God would suddenly break with all previous examples of bestowing spiritual gifts for the sole purpose of spreading the Gospel and building the Church, and instead give these amazing super-powers to a hero to dress in costume and fight crime from rooftops. (I'm not saying it can't be done. Just that it can be hard to write consistently with scriptural tradition.) "Realistic" science: Think Bat-Man or James Bond. They have tools and gadgets that are obviously exaggerated for dramatic effect, but not as wildly "sci-fi" as (for example) a Star Trek transporter. "Imaginary" science: This can either be a literally something new invented for the story (secret engine X can travel faster than light and create time-traveling force shields), or real scientific terms applied to impossible super powers just for the sake of making them sound plausible. (This is part of the willing suspension of disbelief required for the superhero genre to work. There's no possible way gamma rays could really transform anyone into an invulnerable super-strong green-skinned monster. But by putting a scientific label on it, it's code for the reader that the source of the powers is due to a quirk of the natural world and is not a divine prophetic gift or a "magical" curse from demonic sources.)
Aliens and other non-human creatures:
Aliens are demons in disguise: This explanation is that there is no life on other planets. UFOs and the visitors who appear from them are actually demons on a mission to distract and deceive mankind from seeking spiritual truth. Aliens are unfallen: Alien life exists as a separate creation from God on other planets, and they avoided the mistake Adam made on Earth and have not fallen into sin. (This is the premise used by C.S. Lewis in his "Space Trilogy". The rest of the universe is unfallen and continues to live as God designed it. It is only Earth that is home to sin and thus cut off from the rest of the universe.) Aliens had their own fall: This assumes that aliens exist as a separate creation from God, and that they had their own version of the Fall. The thorny theological question then becomes, how can they be saved? Can an alien who doesn't share in Adam's sin still be saved by Christ's sacrifice? Or do they need a separate means of salvation that applies only to them? This might make for an interesting story, but expect a lot of debate among Christians about the theology. Aliens are related to humans: In the distant past, the aliens (or goblins or whatever other fantasy creatures you might care to use) were actually part of the human race before being lost in time/space/hyperspace/whatever, but because of genetic changes over millennia, they now bear little outward resemblance to us. However, as part of the human family tree, they share in the sinful nature of Adam, and can likewise share in the redemption by Christ.
What I used:
When building my own superhero universe, I decided to use imaginary science to explain the super-heroes (a mix of genetic engineering, alien technology, and the broadly undefined catch-all explanation of "hyperspace"), and I explained aliens (and elves and vampires and any other not-quite-human super creatures) as being a long lost distant branch of the human race. This required that I set my story in an "alternate universe" where aliens and humans branched off in different directions long ago in prehistoric times (before the Flood) and only recently came into contact again. Those were the overall options I chose in defining how to explain the details of the universe; the real work was in hammering out all the specific details as they involved my particular stories. But that's another story for another time.
What I wanted most in creating this project was a universe filled with those exciting elements of the genre I loved as kid: amazing heroes and strange creatures in thrilling adventures. A world with superheroes. A world with aliens. A world where the Bible is still completely true. A world still plagued by sin and in need of the forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ. A world where Christians struggle with living out their faith, whether in the context of an alien invasion or the quiet doubts of normal everyday life. In short: it's a Christian superhero universe. (One way of doing it, at least.)
Here at New Creation, our writers have taken multiple approaches for our various stories. Some are "realistic", and the only supernatural elements are in the form of invisible spiritual warfare regarding our individual moral choices. Some combine elements of spiritual warfare set in a divergent near-future world with superhuman technology. Others, like myself, may create complex alternate histories to explain the settings of their superheroic science-fiction tales.
In creating these fantasy worlds, what we are doing is changing some external details of reality (such as finding monsters on Mars, or access to a parallel universe of talking animals, or a man being able to gain the proportionate strength of a spider) and then trying to logically show what else would result from that divergence from the real world. The point is not to say "This story shows how the world really is", but rather "Just imagine if the world as we know it was like this instead. Here's what it might look like! And here's what might happen next!"
And if these impossible tall tales we tell of amazing heroes doing incredible deeds happens to not only entertain you as a reader, but to also reflect the spiritual worldview and moral values that we ourselves hold as the writers of these stories, then we're doing the job we set out to do here!
SUPERHEROES ARE A UNIQUE and deeply ingrained genre of the comic book medium(so much so that there are many who would be surprised to discover that there are other kinds of comicbooks besides superheroes.) Because o this, I’ve always been puzzled as to why there have always seemed to be so few superheroes in Christian comics.
Personally, I grew up reading superhero comic books. I liked them. I still do. And the stories I want to write involve thebasic traditions of that genre: superheroes, supervillains, monsters and aliens. A story’s drama comes from the responsibilities and consequences of the choices the characters make; the more powerful someone is, the more far-reaching their responsibilities and consequences can be. That’s why I want to tell “superhero”stories. There’s a lot of dramatic potential wrapped up in these kinds of characters.
However, I wanted the stories I wrote to reflect a Christian worldview. Soon after I began writing my stories, I realized
why I hadn’t seen many other Christian superheroes— it’s hard to get such bizarre fictional elements to fit together with spiritual truth. This article will deal with the basic problems I encountered while trying to build a “Superhero Universe” from a Christian worldview. Next issue will deal with my attempts at solving those problems.  Are Christian Superheroes Even Possible? Some people might object that, since the Bible doesn’t mention superheroes,no story with a superhero in it could be “Christian”. I disagree with that
line of argument. I believe that it’s possible to reflect the reality of Christian truths even when the “outer details” of a fictional
world are unrealistic. For example, C.S. Lewis wrote various fantasy and science-fiction novels containing fictional details never mentioned in the Bible. The scriptures never state that God created life on Mars or in a parallel world named Narnia. We have no reason
to believe that God has appointed angels to rule over the planets of outer space.
These stories were not records of what God has actually done (we have the Bible for that). Rather, they are stories of what
might have been if God had done things a little differently. And in the stories of make-believe worlds of Narnia or Mars, Lewis powerfully communicated Christian truths and spiritual realities.
“Reality” is the key word here. “Reality” is the key word here.
Many comic books nowadays use “realism” as an excuse for all sorts of stories. On the surface, many of these stories do seem realistic, but if you dig deeper, you find a morally hollow world without any spiritual foundations. It’s easy enough to copy the exterior details of the world around us—crude language, immoral sex, and senseless violence are very evident in our society. However, that’s hardly a full picture of “reality”.
The authors of this kind of “grim and gritty realism” have copied the external appearance, but left the inside blank. The things which give the “real world” meaning and significance—things like right and wrong, sin and forgiveness, and most of all, God—don’t seem to have a place in most modern comics.
For me, the concept of Christian superheroes isn’t any more impossible than Christian science- fiction or fantasy. All it involves is changing one or two external details of reality(such as aliens, or elves, or guys who can bounce bullets off their chests) and then trying to logically show what kind of world would result from that.
What kind of World?
Other comic books have tried to show what would happen if superheroes and aliens were to suddenly appear in the “real world”. How would we react? What changes in society would take place?
However, trying to create a fictional world based on a Christian view of reality adds certain theological questions as well. How would we account for the existence of superheroes or aliens in a world specially created by God? How would the origin of their powers and the role they’ll play in God’s plan for history be explained?
 I want to write stories with aliens or superheroes or monsters in a world where the Bible is true. A world where the moral standards of good and evil don’t change according to public opinion. A sinful world in need of salvation through Jesus Christ. These are some essentials that define a Christian world, no matter what weird details we may toss into it (such as superheroes or aliens).
Weird Detail #1:Space Aliens
I’ve really liked the roles extraterrestrials have played in comic books as heroes, villains, and monsters.
However, fitting them into a Christian worldview takes work. If God created intelligent life on other planets, how does this fit in with Biblical theology? Were they corrupted when Adam sinned? If they sin, can they be saved through what Christ did on earth, or would God have to make a different plan of salvation for them?
It’s possible God created life elsewhere in the cosmos and hasn’t told us about it simply because it’s none of our business. But if I write a story about it, then I put myself into the position of having to answer these questions.
C.S. Lewis wrote stories with the idea that God created many alien races, but the human race is the only one that has fallen into sin. It worked well for his stories, but morally sinless aliens can be somewhat... well, boring...as major characters in an ongoing comic book series.
Weird Detail #2: Superheroes
The origin of super powers in a Christian universe needs a lot of thought. In Marvel or DC’s universes there is a fictional world of aliens, evolution, mutants, “gods”, magic, and abstract cosmic beings. It’s easy to explain a superhero’s origin when there’s so many possibilities to chose from. Trying to explain it in terms of a Christian worldview takes more effort.
One explanation could be that a latent quirk of DNA cause some people to suddenly develop super powers when exposed to something like a radioactive spider bite. A problem with this explanation is that this piece of “Super DNA” would have been present throughout history. While it’s possible to totally rewrite the history of our fictional world, I wanted one that was at least generally consistent with our own. The Bible is the record of God’s involvement in history, so if our fictional world’s history is drastically changed, then the Bible would have to be changed for this world as well... and tinkering with sacred scriptures(even “fictionally”) is something I’d rather not attempt. Also, if superpowers were as common back then as they are in today’s comic books, then miracles performed by God’s prophets—and even Christ’s resurrection—wouldn’t seem all that unique or special.
Another explanation is that superheroes are “mutants” representing the next step in evolution...except that such evolution would not fit a consistent Christian view of all life(including humanity) being a special creation by God.
An advanced futuristic technology could be able to explain super powers, but that won’t work if all your stories are set in the present. Alien technology could work, but first you’d have to explain the aforementioned problems with aliens. And of course, if such technology existed, it would probably be kept “top secret” for use by the military, not handed to some guy in tights and a cape to play superhero.
There’s also obvious problems of giving heroes their powers supernaturally. Captain Marvel is a fine hero in his own little fictional world, but the power of Shazam wouldn’t exist in a Christian world where supernatural power comes only from God or the devil. Evil demonic forces would never give people powers to fight evil. And as far as I can tell, God has only given supernatural powers to His prophets and apostles... and they normally have duties to perform other than dressing in spandex and leaping from rooftops to fight crime.
These are a few of the problems faced when trying to make fictional “comic book universes” fit in with a Christian worldview. These problems are difficult to resolve. Difficult, but not impossible.
Join us next time as I share my attempts at doing so.
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