Religions of Comic Book Characters December 21, 2007

Religions of Comic Book Characters

By Guest Contributor
December 21, 2007

Apparently there are comic book characters who are Jains, Hasidic Jews, Catholic (lapsed), and everything else you can imagine.

The list is thorough and extensive.

The atheist characters? Meh. Never heard of them.

Except for Spiderman’s “arch-enemy,” the Green Goblin.

(Even in fiction, we’re considered evil!)

***Update***: As Joel points out below, the superhero The Atheist is listed as an agnostic. Why is that? More information is here.

(Thanks to Joe for the link!)


[tags]atheist, atheism. Marvel, X-Men, comic book[/tags]

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  • Well, there’s Wolverine to some degree. Mystique has been on the good side on occasion. Batman is described as lapsed mainly because his parents were clearly Christian, but he seems to want very little to do with religion as an adult.

    Anyway, supernatural stuff happens quite regularly in comic universes. It’s natural that you’d find a lot less atheists there. (As opposed to, you know, the real world. 🙂 )

  • Shane

    Wolverine has always been my favorite: “raised Protestant; sometimes atheist; has practiced Buddhism; skeptical seeker”

  • You need to read the list more closely:

    Ant Man, Mr. Terrific, the Savage Dragon, Booster Gold, Quasar, Starman, Vivisector, Mystique (hey, who won’t atheist with her?), Supershock, the Nazarite, Sabretooth, Colossus, and Wolverine are listed as such.

    We agnostics have more to whine about. Green Arrow, The Atheist (yes, you read that right), and Mr. Terrific (well, he’s ours! Nyah!) are listed.

    Iron Man is listed as a “secularist”. We agnostics will take him, too.

  • Oh and Mr. Fantastic is a “humanist who believes in God”. Heck, we’ll count him for the other As as well. 😉

  • Milena

    Feminists don’t fare much better. They’re all grouped under Female Supremacist / Radical Feminist. At least atheism gets Wolverine and Mystique. Also, Lex Luthor is listed as “Episcopalian (lapsed); Nietzschean atheist”. Hey, he might be evil, but he’s pretty damn smart! 😀

  • Stephanie

    When exactly did veganism, environmentalism and feminism become religions?

  • I dunno, some vegans I know are pretty dogmatic about it. 😉

  • Vincent

    My favorite is that there’s category for “fictional religion.”
    Wouldn’t that be all of them?

  • Cecilie

    I’ll join Joel Sax in wondering why the superhero named ’The Atheist’ is listed as agnostic?!

  • what’s up with “Wiccan” being a reform Jew?

    Atheists also have Quasar and Ms. Marvel, 2 of my fave’s, so we win 🙂

  • Even “Goth” is listed as a religion.

    Professor X gets “religious” which is really quite vague.

  • ProudSinner

    There’s a second page of minor and non-superhero characters here.

    I’m quite alright with my favorite characters (Impulse and Max Mercury) being Zen Speed Force-ists. They have proof of the speed force, and a pretty nifty afterlife.

    This makes me want to catch up with my old favourite books…

  • stogoe

    In a world where there’s actual evidence of the supernatural, down to a literal hell and Norse gods, I’d say it’s hard to not believe in things that actually exist. Although “Christian God” does seem to be much more elusive than Odin or Mephisto (curse you, Comics Code!).

    Has Jesus ever shown up in a Marvel comic?

  • Robin

    I’ve always thought that Marvel Comic’s version of Thor–who, after all, really is the Norse Thunder God—should’ve had a cult of followers. Instead, they made him into a more traditional superhero. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, and I’m sure the Comics Code would’ve had a problem with it, but I think it would’ve been cool on a stick.

  • count d 20

    that is what the ultimate line is for.