Thoughts on Thoughts

As the team of mutants that is the X-Men has several telepaths (mutants with the power to read minds) the line between thought and reality is frequently blurred. This allows the writers behind the various X-Men comic book series to provide a subtle commentary on thought life, one that seems to very much fit with the Biblical ideas presented by Jesus in the New Testament.

While Professor Charles Xavier (the bald, wheelchair-bound leader and founder of the X-Men) is one of the most well-known X-Men in addition to being the strongest telepath on the planet, it is his students and successors who take center stage in this discussion. The two telepaths that are relevant here are Jean Grey (aka Phoenix, originally Marvel Girl, one of the original X-Men) and Emma Frost (aka the White Queen, former adversary and current co-leader of the X-Men). These two characters are likely the two most powerful telepaths after Xavier (though Jean Grey, as Phoenix is one of the most powerful mutants on the planet...but that's a different story) and have played a vital part in the lives of the X-Men over the years. Aside from their exploits as heroes and occasional villains, these two women manage to have very complex personal lives. Over the years Grey and Frost have been involved in very complicated relationships, the ones here making up what can best be described as a "love-square" (a love-triangle has three sides...so it makes sense that a love-square would have four participants).

Allow me to describe for you this tangled web that seems like it belongs in an episode of some tv show about high school drama (don't get me wrong, I absolutely love all things X-Men, but seriously...this is THAT crazy): Things started out quite simply back in the 1960s when X-Men was first published. Scott Summers (also known as Cyclops, the leader of the X-Men) fell in love with Jean Grey...she returned the feeling. The only real obstacle at this point was Summers' inability to voice his feelings, though he eventually overcame this and initiated the relationship.


When the series was re-launched in 1975, one of today's most popular (if not the most popular) mutants joined the team: Wolverine, the man with the healing factor, animal senses, adamantium claws, and no memory of his past. He quickly developed an attraction for Grey, one that was not returned. That was the way things stood for many years, Scott and Jean together (only interrupted by Grey's death on several occasions, but again, another story...) with Wolverine eventually moving on to others, all the while harboring secret affection for Jean. Then, in the 1990's (keep in mind, that time in the comic book world does not operate in the same way it does in real life, as such the characters are not currently 30-40 years older than their first appearances) things got interesting. For one the White Queen decided to stop being a vilain and joined the X-Men. As yet another telepath on the team, when Cyclops was troubled, he turned to Frost for telepathic therapy...this lead to a 'mental affair' between the two. Years later Jean found herself in a similar situation with Wolverine (most recently detailed in the new series X-Men Forever). Neither Scott nor Jean physically engaged in any adulterous acts, yet the writers of these stories imply that this fact does not excuse them at all.

When Jean finds out about Scott's mental infidelity, their relationship almost ends in divorce. Though the consequences where far less severe upon Scott finding out about her telepathic relationship with Wolverine, he is deeply hurt and the two put much emotional distance between themselves (or at least that is all that had happened before my budget ceased for the allowance of my continued reading of X-Men Forever). However, things likely would have been more serious if Cyclops had not found out in the wake of Wolverine's death. What is admirable about the writing in regards to this issue is that no excuses are made, the sins in thought are treated as they would be in the physical realm. The scenario here regarding characters that are telepaths allows for a clear parallel between the situation in these comic books and Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:28 Jesus says that "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart". All sin has its origins in our thoughts, and this is no exception. Jesus makes it clear in this passage and others that our thoughts are important, and we should do our best to guard them. Purity of thought leads to purity of action, and therefore the reverse holds true. The path Christians should take in regards to this matter is two-fold as explained in 2 Timothy 2:22, which states "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." We should A. avoid sinful thoughts and B. dwell on pure thoughts. This is the only real way one can avoid walking the line that often leads to falling into sin's abyss. As Jesus said, and as the X-Men's telepaths illustrated, there is not enough of a line between thought and action to make one any better than the other.

'Nuff Said!
-Cable

The Ethics of Consolation

For Colossus, in response to the situations I discussed in the last post, solace was found in the form of a tattoo (I'm still kicking myself for not having the issue this appeared in on hand to scan and include a picture of) or in the mindless fighting that bordered on deadly. For Wolverine it is often, surprisingly enough, found in a Japanese garden while meditating. Scott Summers (Cyclops), as seen in the third X-Men movie, attempts to find comfort in his sorrow by shutting himself off from the world. Spider-Man turned to his friends after the loss of a loved one. And Tony Stark, the hero known as Iron Man...usually just drowns his pain with alcohol.

Everyone deals with loss and pain in different ways. Superheroes are no different, and it is in times of pain that they demonstrate the humanity that so often seems hidden from us. Heroes behind masks often seem inaccessible to the masses (almost none of the adults I talk to, adults who got to live during the golden age of comic books understands what is so very real about these characters), yet when they are encountering loss it is easy for us to see ourselves in them. Mark Millar has recently taken a spin on the comic book hero we are accustomed to. In his acclaimed series Kick-Ass (soon to be a major motion picture...get excited...maybe) Millar brings us the tale of Dave Lizewski, a very ordinary high school student who chooses to become a super hero. After all, how hard can it be? He's read the literature (comic books of course), and his heart is in the right place...what else is there to the business of heroism? Lizewski dons a mask and steps into the night to fight crime...he gets beaten to a pulp and barely escapes the ordeal alive. Yet he persists...and eventually finds some degree of success as a hero. Now I'm sure there will be plenty of failure to come, but I have been unable to read the recent issues of the story as I am a poor college student and am waiting for the trade paperback to be released so I can afford it. Still, there is much to be examined in this story.


Consolation for Dave Lizewski comes in the form of a mask. While he is not dealing with loss per say, he is dealing with pain. The pain of being ordinary, pain of discontent. Lizewski is just an average student, if that, the girl he likes barely notices him, and his single dad is barely around. He retreats behind the mask because it makes him something more, something that people take notice of. The problem involved with this, and many forms of consolation, is that it can become an idol, and I think in the case of Dave Lizewski this is the case. Is the point here that heroism is wrong? Of course not, nor am I saying that seeking out friends or family or any other form of consolation is wrong. However, that should not be our first and only option.


As the Bible says, God is a comforting God. Take Isaiah 40:11 for example, "He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." Exodus 20:3 commands us to have no other gods apart from God. In regards to idolatry, I don't mean to say for a second that when we find comfort outside of God it is wrong, however this is often what happens. Idolatry is defined as "blind or excessive devotion to something", in Lizewski's case, a mask that allows him to do heroic deeds. God is to be our comfort, but if we take comfort in other things I still think that is perfectly fine. However, we should not place our trust and devotion in these items of solace. Our hope should not rest in people or things, it should remain with God.

'Nuff Said
-Cable

Love Throws No Stones

Kurt Wagner can’t even say the word ‘gay’. As his best friend (or now it seems his ex-best friend) points out, this homophobia is highly ironic. Kurt, or Nightcrawler as he is known by many, is a mutant, an advanced species of human, Homo superior if you will (as opposed to Homo sapiens). His mutant power is that of teleportation, with a puff of smoke he can disappear, only to reappear somewhere else. In addition to this, he also is blue, furry, and looks like a demon (complete with a tail). Yet he is still human.

In spite of this strange dichotomy, Wagner is quick to judge those who are different, in this case, homosexuals. Following Nightcrawler’s introduction in Ultimate X-Men he became fast friends with the X-Man known as Colossus (Peter Rasputin). The two were constant companions in missions and life in general. However, upon realizing that Colossus is gay, Nightcrawler makes every attempt to cut Peter out of his life completely.

The writers of Ultimate X-Men bring to mind John 8:1-11 in regards to the course that Nightcrawler’s life takes after his shunning of Colossus. After a fellow X-Man is put in a coma following a fight, Nightcrawler waits day and night at her hospital bed, transforming an unrequited crush into a full-blown obsession that culminates in his kidnapping of her once she awakes from her coma. This crazy development with Nightcrawler emphasizes his own faults, recalling Christ’s words of “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone…” (speaking of the woman caught in adultery, John 8:7, ESV). Wagner is quick to judge his friend for his homosexuality, yet he is not without sin himself.

The story of the X-Men has always been about prejudices, even since its conception in the early 1960’s. The X-Men stood as an allegory then for people of different race, they were still human but were judged because of the way they were born (in this case, not with different skin color, but with powers that set them apart from the rest of humanity). Now this group of often outlaw superheroes represents any group that is different, be it diverse races, religions, or sexualities. This has been made more explicit of late by the inclusion of X-Men who are members of all these groups: there are Hindu X-Men who fight alongside Christian ones, there are African-American and Asian mutants, and there are gay heroes as well.

I see a lot of media that includes characters of different sexuality, and to me it seems to be a sell-out in order to please every demographic. However, there seems to be rhyme to the reasoning behind the ‘all-new, all-different X-Men’. In a recent issue of Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine approaches Jean-Paul Beaubier (Northstar, a mutant with the power of super-speed), about joining the X-Men. Northstar, who is openly gay, is about as wary of the proposition as I was at first.

The scene pictured above (click the picture if you are unable to read the text) addresses my skepticism about using those that are different as nothing more than a publicity stunt. While I’m sure that the inclusion of diverse characters probably does help circulation of the comic books, I do not believe that is the primary reason they are in the series. Instead, characters like Northstar simply assist the writers behind the various X-Men series in spreading their gospel of loving those who are different. Jesus points out in Matthew 5:47 that “if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” It says nothing about our character if we accept those that are the same. However, those who write about the X-Men put us in the position where we have to differentiate ourselves from the Gentiles so to speak. I find it refreshing that in spite of the bigotry I witness so often in real life (racism is disgusting for so many of the people I am around, yet they have no problem spitting out purely hateful comments about homosexuals) the comic book world encourages us in adopting a Christian approach towards loving others, regardless of their differences.

Of course the Bible says that homosexuality is wrong, and the fact that it is sinful cannot be argued. Various passages refer to acts of homosexuality as ‘detestable’ and ‘an abomination’ (Leviticus 20:13 and 18:22 respectively). Clearly, we as Christians should not compromise in this matter, homosexuality is against God’s will and that is the simple fact. However, Christ commands us to love our neighbors without exception. Somebody pointed out in the discussion board this week that the definition of a neighbor that Jesus provides in the parable of the Good Samaritan centers around mercy. The lawyer that is engaging Jesus in conversation, upon being asked who was the neighbor to the injured man in the story, responds that the neighbor was the one who showed the man mercy. Jesus then tells the man to go and do likewise. The definition of mercy as I understand it is when a person does not receive what they deserve. Of course sin deserves negative consequences, but as sinners ourselves it is not our place to dole out this negativity. Instead we are to show mercy to other sinners.

A recent issue of X-Factor, ended with a kiss between two gay characters. A few issues later the letters page included a very hateful and disgusted response to this. The writer of the letter detailed how he tore up the issue of the comic and sold the rest of his collection on ebay, complaining that the inclusion of gay and lesbian characters is ruining his dreams for ‘a better comic book world’. Peter David, the writer of X-Factor wrote a response to this, saying essentially that we should respect others, regardless of their sexuality and continuing to say that his idea of a better comic book world is one where diverse characters can be explored without it having to be a big deal. To some this will always be a big deal, but I am glad that the writers who tell the tales of the X-Men can acknowledge that the world is not made up of heterosexual white males. It’s not an agenda, it’s a portrayal of the world as it is. As for me, I think we should hate the sin, but love the sinner. After all, no matter what good we may do, as 1 Corinthians 13 points out, if we don’t have love, we are nothing.

‘Nuff Said!
-Cable