The Multi-Layered Facets of Societal and Self Acceptance– Giant Size X-Men (1975) #1, “Deadly Genesis!”

By Null -- September 27th, 2024

            To begin, I wish to propose a question: does society enact standards in which “norms” are created, or are these “norms” subconsciously manifested into society by its own inhabitants? In simpler words, do the masses create normality, or do we subconsciously manifest it? In a way, both are true. Society cannot have such standards without the people within said society believing those standards to be just, but humanity is too complex for it to be so simple. Rather, the human psyche tends to rattle on and on about what it is to be “normal,” even when the individual themself is certain in their being. 

            I want to bring forth the example of Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler, from early X-Men comics. He’s a mutant with the looks of a blue, devilish beast, the ability to disappear into sulfur smoke and ash and reappear milliseconds later in a completely different position. His powers are less of what I’m focused on, though the science would be intriguing to explore. No, I’m more focused on his intense opening dialogues in Giant Size X-Men (1975) #1, “Deadly Genesis!”

            Kurt is the first new X-Man the audience is introduced to, but not pleasantly. During his opening scene, Kurt is being headhunted, his death a common desire amongst the non-mutants of Winzeldorf, Germany. The people want him dead because he is a beast unlike them, a beast they do not know. 

            Kurt himself is rightfully enraged by their violence, claiming that “it is they who are the monsters — they with their mindless prejudices.” Most of modern society would agree with Kurt’s frustrated outcries, disgusted by the way the people of Winzeldorf are treating him for merely appearing different. This disgust is led by the understanding that this is fiction, but for the people of Winzeldorf, this is reality. 

            But, I return to my question. I mentioned how society’s standards could be manifested by the psyche of the masses. In this case, I believe this to be true for the people of Winzeldorf. Led by ignorance (and obvious hatred), they choose to violently expunge Kurt from their town rather than try to understand his side. They write him off as a beast without considering the man he is within. 

            Kurt is clearly fine with being perceived as a monster, his rage boiling over into complete acceptance over such a fact. He performs terrifying, inhuman feats like scaling buildings and howling into the night, creating himself to be more of a monster than the people could have expected. They wish to burn him. They wish to send him back to Hell, where they suppose he came, to burn for all eternity. 

            Nearly accepting his fate after leaping into the murderous mob, Charles Xavier, the brains behind each X-Men operation, halts the people before the deed is done. When prompted to join Charles to a mutant school, Kurt only cares for one thing:

            Almost like a young boy, peeking over his shoulder, meek in the face of someone with authority. Power. Hope. An opportunity. 

“Can you help me be normal?”

            And yet, mere moments before, bashing and slashing to and fro within the mob, Kurt was ready to die as the beast they perceived him to be. So, why? Why now does he wish for “normal?” To be “normal?”

            Because Charles has now claimed the role of society, the people of Winzeldorf frozen in the flaming background. The one voice of reason is Charles’ alone, so Kurt is listening. My question is prompted again: was Kurt’s monster label purely manifested because he subconsciously accepted it to be so? Yes, even with a group of people out for his head, he didn’t try to fight the allegations they threw his way. He clutched to them steadfastly and cynically wrote these people off as hateful, violent things. But he became the same. 

Now, with Charles, he has a sparkle of humanity, a glimmer of hope, a taste of “normal.”

            But Charles cannot give it, and perhaps Kurt does not even want it. Perhaps he doesn’t even know what his “normal” entails. Though that is the whole point I’m trying to get at. 

            Societal standards are often a point of interest when discussing the current media climate. The standards pushed onto each individual from society to society often dictates exactly how everyone looks, acts, speaks, and thinks. They dictate how we treat each other, how we treat ourselves. Are these panels with Kurt any different? Aren’t they just the same thing we have all seen before? An individual being thrust into the spotlight of standards the masses have created?

            I believe it to be more complex than that. I believe that the anxieties of each individual on what the potential standards of society are dictate the standards of society themselves. It’s clear to see that Kurt looks different from the rest of the people in Winzeldorf, which likely caused a spark within one person, say, the first person to spot him, that he was a creature not of Earth, but of Hell. This sentiment likely spread from each new sighting of him. And, once they all realized they thought the same thoughts about Kurt, they massed together in an unrelenting force to squash the one singular outlier from their majority rule manifestation. 

            This, I argue, is how it always goes. Society as a whole doesn’t just one day decide that something is wrong or right and then continues to enforce such an ideal. These ideas are sparked from moments of confusion, misunderstanding, fear, and anxiety, an inner self confidence that has been shattered to pieces by past “non normal” things. So, we conform. 

            This is what Kurt’s character shows. It shows the effects of the human psyche on society and how, when introduced to a new society, that psyche changes and then grows to affect that new society. It’s a symbiotic relationship, at best, but it all is birthed from within each individual’s own mind. 

To answer the question I posed conclusively, we as individuals manifest what standards society applies to the generally accepted “normal.” In different societies, this “normal” changes because the people have changed. Kurt was a monster with the Winzeldorf people, but Kurt was a man with Charles. Individuals affect the societal standard, the widespread acceptance (or non acceptance) we have for one another, and, in turn, society affects the individual.

            In the end, this can not be solved. It’s impossible to destroy the inner anxieties of every person and to dismantle their view of what “normal” should be. What I propose instead is simple, far simpler than the question posed at the beginning: let us all accept each other and see each other as fellow human beings, as that is what we all are. We share the same blood, the same organs, the same necessities. We share the same aspirations, the same hopes, the same dreams, the same will to live, to breathe, to love. Let us accept each other because, then, we shall accept ourselves. 

-Null

 Astroboy, Japan’s Post War Hero! – Birth of Astroboy and Mad Machine (Tezuka)

by Null -- September 20th, 2024

By now, no matter what history you’re taught, there will be note of World War II along with the terrible bombings on Japan’s major cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This terrible moment was forever ingrained into Japan’s culture as it moved forward into the age of modernism. The mid to late 90’s for Japan was filled with new media in light of Japan’s identity and independence. This new age also drove forth the entire nation to unite in remembrance of the tragedies. All of these themes are evident in the media output at the time. Various manga, tokusatsu, and anime held themes of unity, identity, new age tech, and sufferings faced in Japan’s history written into compelling stories. One of these sensations was Astroboy! And, in my personal opinion, I believe Astroboy upholds all of Japan’s post war themes and ideals, making him the hero of post war Japan!

Not only does Astroboy represent Japan’s “apocalyptic” era right after the bombings, but also the widespread fear of technology falling into the wrong hands. Throughout the Birth of Astroboy and Mad Machine by Osamu Tezuka, the world in which Astroboy resides (a futuristic and advanced society) could be seen as apocalyptic. The world is filled with technology beyond modern standards, but it is overrun with robots and mad scientists that turn it into a garbage dumb of scrapped parts and circus freaks. This advanced technology is not only consistently tossed aside, but also misused. Tenma, Astroboy’s scientist father, made Astroboy to fill the void of his late son Tobio, but then sold his new robo son off to the circus when Astroboy did not fulfill his expectations. Later in the universe, Astroboy faces off against a villain who is determined to control all robots in the city with a super weapon. These instances highlight an important piece of Japan’s culture at the time, afraid of the future, tech, and total destruction.

Astroboy himself is also a depiction of the orphan epidemic that followed the bombings on Japan, many children growing up in a broken society without their parent’s to guide them. Astroboy was created to be someone’s son, but he failed and was thrown out for a hefty sum. Quickly, barely into life, he was abandoned and left to a world not made for him. This rings true for many children at this time. They had to pick up the pieces of their homes that the adults were no longer around to help with. Astroboy quickly succumbed to what life was, doing what he could to survive.

But, like any good story, there is always a happy ending and hope for the future. Astroboy delivers on such a future, becoming a hero to the city that was prejudiced against robot kind, a savior for the humans that showed him no kindness. He put it all on the line and used his life experiences and his advanced technology to become a hero, a symbol for the hope of tomorrow. This greatly represents Japan’s climb back to the top of the world’s greatest nations list, the new generation that was left alone after the World War II tragedies uniting together to build a better tomorrow, not just for themselves, but for their country, for their future.

Astroboy encompasses all of these qualities that we now see as Japanese nationalism: a united front against all trials and tribulations of life, strong and steadfast against any challenge, and hopeful for better tomorrows. He is really Japan’s greatest hero, post war and beyond!

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                            -Null

 Distressing Beginnings For The Most Fantastic of Four– Fantastic Four #1 (1961)

by Null -- September 13th, 2024

It is well known by now that the new age of heroes that took over comic books in the sixties were born from the historical events that happened fifteen-ish years prior. The fallout from nuclear radiation in Japan from America’s bombing was inspirational (kind of cruel) for many American media companies, especially in the comic book industry. The Fantastic Four, consisting of Dr. Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm, were some of these inspired creations. Each individual within Marvel’s mutant universe started off as normal, important people, but then were made into beings that held unimaginable powers that changed their human physicality for life. But this transformation was not sunshine and rainbows – it was framed as a tragedy that destroyed the humanity of the four.

Even at the start, when we are first introduced to the characters for their heroic backstory, they were at each other’s throats, fighting over a journey to space to best Communist Russia. Ben is arguing against the mission, saying it’s too dangerous due to cosmic rays (aka… radiation), and Susan calls him a coward, using insults on the already frustrated Ben to force him into doing the mission. 

            So, the group embarks, now all in agreement for what has to be done. Tensions are high, though, and even as they ascend into the atmosphere their chatter is filled with coldness. Each mile closer to the cosmic field has tensions growing and, when things start to go south for the very reason Ben was afraid, everything falls apart. 

            The team argues as they feel immense discomfort from the cosmic radiation, Johnny actually starting to burn alive. They descend back to Earth in a fiery ball, crash landing in a dense forest. More of their abilities start to show as they rage at each other. 

            Ben basically yells about how right he was, Reed argues back, sick of the insulting words being thrown around. Susan makes things worse by, once again, egging Ben on. Johnny is off on the side, boiling… literally. Susan ends up turning invisible, freaking out as she reappears. Ben, engulfed by his rag, becomes a beastly creature of stone and rock, attacking Reed. Reed, in retaliation, captures Ben by stretching out like a string. Johnny lights the entire forest on fire as he bursts into flames, the four of them watching it turn to ash from afar. 

            In this moment, they agree to disguise their abilities and their identities with superhero names and morals, dedicating their abilities to good. But this isn’t the tragedy. Each individual lost a piece of themselves, a piece of humanity. Of course, some abilities are arguably worse to have than others out of the four of them, but they each still gained a monstrous quality. All the while, arguing away into the cosmos. They weren’t even in good company as their lives got ruined. It makes it all the more upsetting to imagine these people, living regular lives and having regular goals and dreams and futures, now stuck in something bonded from trauma. They can never get help. They can never be who they once were. “And so was born ‘The Fantastic Four!!’ And from that moment on, the world would never again be the same!!” (The Fantastic Four #1, 1961).

               It’s upsetting how this parallels the tragedies that befell Japan after the WW2 nuclear bombings by America. People were killed and changed, catastrophic damage done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These characters, The Fantastic Four, mirror the tragedy of wars with newfound nuclear weapons, but they also parallel the way America viewed the tragedy on the opposite end of the spectrum. They became heroes, using the mutations they sustained from radiation as powers for the greater good. This is unlike the way Japan’s culture reacts to radiation, viewing it as something terrifying and murderous. 

    These parallels are still seen today in modern news stories, because that’s just how the world operates. One person’s tragedy is another person’s muse. One person’s failure is another person’s success. One person’s hero is another person’s villain. The Fantastic Four are indeed fantastic, demonstrating the life altering qualities of radiation as well as the way it feels to be ripped from normality. These parallels are an interesting new concept in this new age of comics, bringing forth more deep thinkers in readers and more possibilities for future heroes. 

-Null

 Superman, A Man Who Is Super Good At Committing Many Crimes - Action Comics (1938)

by Null -- August 30th, 2024

Everyone is aware of the legendary Superman, man of steel, “champion of the oppressed,” (Action Comics #1, 1938), a man filled just as much with kindness as he is with super abilities. That’s the modern Superman, a standup guy that everyone loves. Though, while reading through the original Action Comics, I was quite appalled at how different that Superman was from the modern Superman. Described as “The physical marvel who had sworn to devoting his existence to helping those in need” (Action Comics #1, 1938), this Superman was built from the same foundations as the modern Superman, but was immediately shown to be quite the criminal.

Immediately upon flipping the pages in Action Comics #1 (1938), the reader witnesses Superman flying through the air, seemingly kidnapping a woman he gagged and tied up (who turned out to be a murderer, but it was still a weird way of handling her), on his way to the Governor's Estate. Upon his arrival, Superman proceeds to force his way into the home after being denied entry by the Butler by punching the door down. He threatens the Butler and promptly kidnaps him. 

After ascending the stairs and up to the Governor’s room, Superman is met with a locked, sealed, vault-like door that guarded the Governor inside. He quickly punches down that door as well, all the while making snarky, witty comments directed towards the Butler. The Butler, fearing for the Governor’s life, pulls a gun on Superman, who is literally breaking and entering into the estate. After this, Superman just mocks the Butler’s gun and allows the Butler to shoot him. After all of this insanity, Superman eventually achieves his goal of speaking to the Governor about that murderer woman while simultaneously proving another woman innocent of a crime. It’s a lot to sum up in a few words, but the main focus is how Superman committed like… four crimes.

Continuing on with more “startling adventures,” the insanity of Superman’s schemes grows in size as the comics progress. In Action Comics #21 (1938), Superman is trying to stop the villainous mastermind Ultra from gaining access to a matter-erasing superweapon, leading to him trying to save his scientist friend, Curtis, who came up with the tech from Ultra. After some mild terrorism by Ultra (bombing a building, threatening the city on a live broadcast, kidnapping, etc etc), Superman manages to track her and Curtis down, cutting a deal with Ultra to get her the crown jewels to trade for Curtis. So, Superman agrees to rob a museum, basically.

While attempting robbery, Superman…

Taunts the police and National Guard,

Sprays police with water from a fire hydrant.

Taunts police and National Guard (again) for shooting at him,

Threatens their lives in order to get his way,

And continues to steal the crown jewels anyways.

All of this being a ploy by Ultra to try and get rid of Superman and make him an enemy of the public. But Superman does each law-breaking task successfully, proudly, with a few chuckle-worthy quips thrown in there. Then, at the end of the comic, after destroying Ultra’s hidden volcano base with a giant volcanic eruption, Curtis and Superman just have a little chat about never doing any of that craziness ever again. As if people didn’t die, as if property wasn’t damaged, as if nothing was stolen, as if nothing ever happened and it all was, just like Curtis says, a nightmare.

There are more instances where this early Superman causes more criminal chaos (like when he steals chemicals for a scientist who has been banned from using those chemicals in Action Comics #19 (1938)), but then I would be going on and on about these crimes for forever. 

Now, of course, without a lot of given context for why Superman does all of these illegal things it may make his actions seem a lot worse. To be honest, though, even when reading the whole comic I was left flabbergasted over how Superman was just a continuous crook. The good things he did do while committing crimes do not weigh in comparison to every law he broke in the process.

Despite the shock, the comics were wildly entertaining. So, all in all, I can’t be too upset about the absurdity of everything. The outrageousness of past Superman’s shenanigans makes the modern Superman kind of mellow and boring in comparison. Why be ‘the bringer of justice’ Superman when you can be ‘the bringer or many, many, many injustices’ Superman? Which sounds more entertaining to you?

-Null