This is only one example of how something old can be manipulated into something new. Noteably they are found in the Hebrew bible and the Qur'an, as both condemned such worship because it was popular in other competing religions at the time ( Babylonian era, I'm told). Now, astrolatry (the worship of stars and heavenly bodies as deities) has very ancient links. He has been quoted as saying that he was inspired predominately by the saturn moon, Mimas ('That aint no moon,' - Well, actually it is). However, the Death Star did not just spring into the mind of a young George Lucas one day. This infamous construction is notorious for its immenseness power and almost single-handedly drives the plot of the last three Star Wars films. That's great, but critics have been quick to point out its similarity to another famous space orb… It's a huge metallic sphere that hovers above the earth and enables citizens to travel around the solar system. As we break it down, we are able to link between pieces of inspiration, all the way back to its native roots.įor example: One of the main plot devices in Destiny is The Traveller. Destiny is just the latest in a line of expensive and highly produced videogames (see, Mass Effect) that borrow and steal from the myriad of stories already out there. Science fiction has long been known to develop lengthy and complex lores, and illustrate reams of history for their respective fictional universes. There's plenty of food for thought here, but today we're going to stay on to the topic of lore that has been evolved to fit in to contemporary society. I mean, before Thor became a woman, he was still a man fighting crime – which of course is a far departure from his Nordic origins. It also means using ancient lore and reworking it to appeal to a 21st century readership. This means including things like new technology, such as mobile phone and the internet (If Superman was conceived today, a phonebooth would seem a bizarre place to change wouldn't it?).
What comics are doing, for better or worse, is evolving to fit in to the current generation of comic book readers. Perhaps this is just par for the course after all, the same criticisms that have been levelled at the Spider-Woman image could also apply to a range of Herculean men, whose bodies are far beyond the reaches (let alone, realistic expectations) of everyday Joes. Of these things, it seems that looking immaculate and attractive even in the midst of battle is one of them. As implied by the title, superheroes are not bound to the mortal laws of everyday people, they are extraordinary and can do impossible things. Marvel - the Muslim superhero) but we must also acknowledge that there is a line to walk for superhero writers and illustrators. It seems that small steps are being made (see, Ms. The real question here though, is how can a company seem to at once both empower and degrade its female heroes? Onlookers have wondered aloud whether such depictions pander to the implied salacious desires of Marvel's readership, which is not ok. The comic features an alternate cover in which the eponymous hero is bent over in a submissive pose.
These have largely been brought into the limelight because of the recent Spider-Woman publication.
This is the THOR of the Marvel Universe." - Jason Aaron (Writer for Marvel)Įlsewhere, Marvel comics have been facing criticism for the overt sexuality of female characters in their publications. The change is intended to bring a larger female readership to the comic behemoth by speaking directly to an audience 'that long was not the target for superhero comic books.' Following Marvel's recent announcement that Thor will now permanently be a woman in the superhero universe, there was some surprise from onlookers.