Consider the Comic Book as Morality Play

Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia and information source, has this to say about Morality Plays: “Morality plays (15th-16th c.): a type of theatrical allegory where the characters, in the form of personified moral attributes, must validate the virtues of Godly life by prompting the protagonist to choose such life over evil.”

During my impressionable youth in the 1960s, most of the comic books I read could have been considered to be a type of Morality Play; they certainly had the requisite qualities. While perhaps not overtly representing themselves as having “Godly virtues”, the comic book heroes I followed certainly displayed the principles that the major religious faiths all agree are important: humility, mercy, patience, self-control, love of neighbor, fortitude and courage. The hero always triumphed over his/her enemy without ever sinking to the enemy’s level, usually against impossible odds and hopelessly outnumbered, the victory being all the sweeter because the hero stuck to his/her moral values. And I knew, without having to be directly told, that all this reflected the comic creators’ personal beliefs, shining through in seemingly innocuous bits of dialog and action.

One such example that has always stuck in my mind was from a Fantastic Four story, when the Silver Surfer, former herald to Galactus, having been exiled on Earth for his rebellion against his master, decided that the only way to unite humanity and stop us fighting with each other was to give us a common enemy: himself. The incredibly misnamed Watcher (who was always interceding in matters on Earth, much against the creed of his kind), alerted the Fantastic Four, actually halting the train on which the newly-wed (and newly pregnant) Reed and Sue Richards were traveling. As Reed sped away to join the Thing and the Human Torch in battle against the Surfer, leaving Sue in the relatively safe company of the Watcher, Sue cried out, “But what can they do against the all-powerful Silver Surfer?” To which the Watcher calmly replied, “There is only One who deserves that description, and His only weapon is love.” A small thing indeed, even considered just against the background of that one story, but one that made a large impression on my mind. There are innumerable other instances, so many that they would probably make an encyclopedia in themselves.

In the fullness of time (I’ve always loved that phrase), I grew to adulthood, married and had children, and watched as my son started reading comic books. Rediscovering an old fascination, I read many of his comics and was glad to find that while the stories were edgier and some of the characters less ethically defined than in my day, overall, the moral certainty of the hero still shone through. The death of Superman, battling the nearly-unstoppable Doomsday, defeating him with the last breath and strength in his body. Wolverine becoming a father-figure and protector to the young, emotionally vulnerable and sometime reckless Jubilee. Batman getting hooked on the strength-enhancing formula called Venom after his failure to save a young girl from drowning, and his subsequent physical and mental struggle in overcoming his addiction. Nightcrawler, a devout and selfless Catholic, in spite of the persecution he has received because of his demonic appearance. All examples of choosing the welfare of others over one’s own, of protecting and nurturing children, of overcoming the consequences of bad choices, of keeping faith when everything else seems against you. As in the stories I read as a boy, there are countless other illustrations that support my point.

Do all comics exemplify the idea of the Morality Play? Of course not. As with all genres of entertainment, there is the good and the bad, the positive and the negative, the edifying and the outright waste of time. But I think that by and large, children, adolescents, and yes, even adults who read comic books are exposed to good and morally healthy ideas. The whole idea of the hero, the individual who puts him or herself at risk for the greater good, who does the right thing even when it is difficult and problematic, who sacrifices his or her life to save others, is key to the entire concept of the Morality Play. Jesus said to His Disciples, “Greater love hath no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends.” A comic book hero doesn’t have to be a practicing Catholic like Nightcrawler to embody the words of Christ; the actions speak louder than words ever could.