Are there any left-wing superheroes?

[worldwaster]

I think that it was Jesus, but not the Disnet version

 

[CharlieAddict]

hellblazer - the original and not the shit hollywood version.

the invisibles.

surprised x-men are seen as lefties...

surely, magneto was the revolutionary, the one pushing for change.

 

[selamlar]

I thought that the 'orthadox' view has the x-men as King and the NAACP, whereas the Brotherhood are more along your Black Panther/Nation of Islam road.

 

[andy2002]

The Authority

Left-wing anarchist (definitely the former, largely the latter) super-powered arse-kickers., and -as-fuck.


GS(v)

They certainly started out that way but then decided to take over the world which makes them anything but "left-wing anarchists" in my book. Warren Ellis, the bloke who created them, has pointed out on several occasions that The Authority weren't actually good guys.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

hellblazer - the original and not the shit hollywood version.

the invisibles.

surprised x-men are seen as lefties...

surely, magneto was the revolutionary, the one pushing for change.

Surely as Reno said, both 'halves' of the mutants are lefties to some degree or another, and they merely represent the schism between the hardliners and the fluffies?

 

[D'wards]

I bought The Essential Hulk, a sort of telephone directory size book with the first 40+ issues of the hulk, and Mr Lee takes every opportunity to swipe at the "commies" in that.

Very pro-american, anti-Russia, though i suppose it was the height of the cold war eh?

 

[Calva dosser]

This was Bosnia 1993

Corporal XXXXXXX (no names he's still in)

who on confronting a Serbian checkpoint took out 3 men by headbutting and punching, because they were - his words - 'Hitler licking fucking Nazi cunts'

I should point out that the men he felled were

a) armed to the fucking teeth

b) huge (well two of them anyway)

c) very much on their home turf and backed up by a tank ( a crap one though)

whereas he was

a) a shortarse

b) missing his rifle - it was in the landy

c) a Middlesborough fan.


Don't think I've ever been so impressed in my life.

Our officer (age 20, not the brightest) had no clue what to do.

Bit unfortunate that the Serbians fought against the Germans in WW2.

The Croatians were with the Nazis, and guess what, their present was to get to supervising the gassing of several hundred thousand Serbs.

No wonder the Serbs have a super-sized bag of fries on each epaulette.

And apart from a literary one, 'Andy' the ex marine in Iain Banks' 'Complicity' who goes around frying fat cats, can't really think of an actual superhero.

Superheros, are imo created by the sort of culture and mindset, that unable to deal with the real world, either puts it on film, or retreats into religious fundamentalism.

Perhaps this is why there are not too many caped-up Citizen Smiths.

 

[redsquirrel]

While Batman's always been anti-guns, he hasn't always had a "code against killing", that was Superman's thing. Batman's attitude towards killing varies a lot throughout the Golden, Silver and Modern ages.

He used guns in the early years of the comic too.

And Magneto has been both a mutant equivalent of Malcolm X and a proponent of mass killing, his personality varies on who's writing the comic.

Pat Mills has written quite a lot of "left" wing heroes - Purity Brown from Nemesis, Black Siddha, Finn, Savage, ABC warriors and even Slaine are all somewhat "lefty" (using the that word in a loose sense).

 

[Voley]

Eco-friendly tree-hugging saviours of the universe:

Name nicked by:

 

[Iguana]

And Magneto has been both a mutant equivalent of Malcolm X and a proponent of mass killing, his personality varies on who's writing the comic.

Originally the X-men where a representation of the more peaceful side of the American civil rights movement and Magneto a represention of Malcom X.

Ultimate Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch had were anti-globalisation activists in the early years of the Ultimate books. And Ultimate Thor is a big leftie who will only help out the Ultimates in return for Bush agreeing to double his annual international aid budget.

 

[redsquirrel]

Originally the X-men where a representation of the more peaceful side of the American civil rights movement and Magneto a represention of Malcom X.

No that isn't true at all. In the Stan Lee stories he's a pretty typical comic bad guy, there's no Malcolm X in the original incarnation. It wasn't until Chris Claremont started writing that Magneto before the Malcolm X thing took shape.

I mean lets remember that his group was originally called the "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants"

 

[Iguana]

No that isn't true at all. In the Stan Lee stories he's a pretty typical comic bad guy, there's no Malcolm X in the original incarnation. It wasn't until Chris Claremont started writing that Magneto before the Malcolm X thing took shape.

I mean lets remember that his group was originally called the "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants"

They were called Evil long beyond Claremont's original run. It was also a comic book aimed largely at children.

Stan Lee has always stated that the X-Men and Magneto were an allegory for Luther King and Malcom X. I can remember my uncle explaining this to me when I was about 8 and him telling me how he read it when he was a kid.

 

[redsquirrel]

They were called Evil long beyond Claremont's original run. It was also a comic book aimed largely at children.

Yes I know that was the point I was making. And I've got those early comics - there isn't any Malcolm X in that character, he's basically the same as any of the other comic book villians at the time. Claremont totally changed the comic making it much more adult and giving all the charcters more depth.

 

[camouflage]

Apart from what's already been mentioned, I remember an issue of 2000AD featuring a Slaine story, where we follow Slaines journey to the status of the Horned God, and how he and his friends took on the evil Sun Hero's (frenchies I think) who were all for the Light and the Defeat of Darkness and Mastery over Nature etc. Basically the Sun Hero's came across as Republican Christians from Texas, into human sacrifice and intolernace of all difference. The Horned God was all 'celtic' and mystic and on the side of the Earth Mother, the life force, all accepting tolerant etc. So I think Slaine's pretty 'leftsist'.

I dunno what Leftist means anyway, seems you can be an out and out capitalist but if you're against racism, that makes you lefty, or you can be all into The Land and Back to Nature and that makes you stamped Lefty too (before your vile and dodgy poilitics is discovered by the casual observer). And if you think black people are just like mutants then that also makes you a lefty.

It's all meaningless drivel really, isn't it.

ps- Serbs defining characteristic is their hatred of and victimisation by the nazi's during WW2.

 

[kropotkin]

Tintin

http://tintinrevolution.free.fr/pages/image001.html

 

[nosos]

The anti-registration side in Marvel's civil war

(ish)

 

[andy2002]

The anti-registration side in Marvel's civil war

(ish)

Even though they were arguing that unelected, unappointed vigilantes with the power to level whole cities should be allowed to go about their incredibly dangerous business without being brought to book in any way?

I was rooting for Iron Man!

 

[nosos]

Ok well they were at the very least liberals and some of them were explicitly resisting the assimilation of autonomous power structures into a reactionary state acting in response to a populist backlash from an event orchastrated by big business (wolverine: civil war).

 

[andy2002]

Ok well they were at the very least liberals and some of them were explicitly resisting the assimilation of autonomous power structures into a reactionary state acting in response to a populist backlash from an event orchastrated by big business (wolverine: civil war).

Actually, that's a very reasonable take on it too. Who'd have thought something as cynical and disappointing as Civil War could have so many layers after all?

Just out of interest, do you read Ed Brubaker's Captain America?

 

[nosos]

I don't read the comics any more (spent way too much money on them) but I buy the graphic novels when I can afford. I've got the first three (I think) in Brubaker's run. I fucking love it so far, though ret-conning captain america (even when done well) seems a bit off. Is he writing the death of captain america run (which I knew about months before I could buy the graphic novel thanks to the fucking media )? If so it could be awesome but I'm slightly sceptical otherwise. They seemed to be hinting at the Punisher putting on the costume which could be amazing or dire, depending on who is writing it.

Speaking of the man, do you read Punisher MAX? They are far and away the best thing Marvel have done in ages imo.

 

[andy2002]

Yeah, Brubaker's doing the Death of Captain America storyline too. From what I can gather, there isn't going to be a "new" Cap for quite a while which is probably just as it should be. Maybe he'll focus on The Winter Soldier for a bit...

I love Ennis' Punisher MAX series too, although I'm a few issues behind. Really enjoying the Baracuda mini-series as well.

I tend to pick up the monthly titles because I hate having to wait for the collections and sometimes they don't appear at all.

Have you read Vertigo's DMZ?

 

[skyscraper101]

Superman Red Son was pretty lefty, in a Soviet kinda way.

 

[elevendayempire]

Captain Planet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Planet

I will see you that and raise you:



SG

 

[DotCommunist]

Superman Red Son was pretty lefty, in a Soviet kinda way.

want!!

 

[gorski]

This was Bosnia 1993

Corporal XXXXXXX (no names he's still in)

who on confronting a Serbian checkpoint took out 3 men by headbutting and punching, because they were - his words - 'Hitler licking fucking Nazi cunts'

I should point out that the men he felled were

a) armed to the fucking teeth

b) huge (well two of them anyway)

c) very much on their home turf and backed up by a tank ( a crap one though)

whereas he was

a) a shortarse

b) missing his rifle - it was in the landy

c) a Middlesborough fan.


Don't think I've ever been so impressed in my life.

Our officer (age 20, not the brightest) had no clue what to do.

WOW!!!!

 

[gorski]

Bit unfortunate that the Serbians fought against the Germans in WW2.

The Croatians were with the Nazis, and guess what, their present was to get to supervising the gassing of several hundred thousand Serbs.

No wonder the Serbs have a super-sized bag of fries on each epaulette.

And apart from a literary one, 'Andy' the ex marine in Iain Banks' 'Complicity' who goes around frying fat cats, can't really think of an actual superhero.

Superheros, are imo created by the sort of culture and mindset, that unable to deal with the real world, either puts it on film, or retreats into religious fundamentalism.

Perhaps this is why there are not too many caped-up Citizen Smiths.

"Serbians" did not fight the Germans in WW II. Some Serbs fought the Germans and some have fought with them!

Not "Croats" [again, as a whole] but the Croat Gov at the time and some groups in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina! Similarly, then, some Croats fought the Germans in WW II, some with them. The problem is when it's organised by the state, of course, which in Croatia at the time was the case... But then again, when Serbia was occupied she, too had its Quislings...

The Croat Gov [Ustashi] didn't exterminate, butcher and torture etc. just the Serbs but also other non-Croats! But more importantly: any Croat anti-Fascist/Nazi, too!! The Nationalist paradigm in the end turns inwards, towards the ultimate cleansing to homogeneity...

Makes in no way "understandable", let alone justifiable [not saying you said that, btw - just making it clear, 'tis all] what the Serbian military and para-military's have done in Cro and Bosnia, Kosovo recetly...

Mind, the "others" there also did some horrific stuff, as soon as they got their hands on some... well, power...

===================================================================================

Superhero shit is, for sure, an expression of individualism at its weakest, when solidarity and mutuality are seriously omitted from the scene altogether and then...

Plus, loadsa projection, escapism, venting out of the frustrations and so on: everything that the "industry of dreams" is there for...

It is, by default, an expression of just how deeply fucked up the West, in its Social Darwinistic parts, is...

 

[yield]

"Serbians" did not fight the Germans in WW II. Some Serbs fought the Germans and some have fought with them!

gorski, Good to read your opinion on this. My sister-in-law is Macedonian and got to hear a lot of shocking stories when I visited Skopje in 2005. It was (obviously) not black and white.

Superhero shit is, for sure, an expression of individualism at its weakest, when solidarity and mutuality are seriously omitted from the scene altogether and then...

Plus, loadsa projection, escapism, venting out of the frustrations and so on: everything that the "industry of dreams" is there for...

It is, by default, an expression of just how deeply fucked up the West, in its Social Darwinistic parts, is...

For sure. Continuation of the "Great Men of History" theme isn't it. Still damn entertaining though.

Have you read Vertigo's DMZ?

Excellent suprisingly thoughtful series. Not superheroes though.

They certainly started out that way but then decided to take over the world which makes them anything but "left-wing anarchists" in my book. Warren Ellis, the bloke who created them, has pointed out on several occasions that The Authority weren't actually good guys.

Mark Millar's run on The Authority was definitely revolutionary left wing up till September 11th when DC started to interfere.

Robbie Morrison and Ed Brubaker continued in the same vein but their writing wasn't quite so good.

 

[JoePolitix]

 

[JoePolitix]

Consistant anti imperialist

 

[JoePolitix]

Comrade Lenin (pbuh) sweeping the world of kings, priests and capitalists.