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Mephisto, Neron, Malebolgia, Etrigan, etc.
The Devil in Comic Books

Discussion

From: "List of Superhero Religions" discussion board, started 14 March 2006 (http://s8.invisionfree.com/Superdickery_Forum/ar/t2607_0.htm; viewed 24 April 2006):
Kristogar Velo - March 14, 2006 09:09 PM (GMT) I see Lucifer from Gaiman's Sandman has an entry, but Mephisto(Marvel) and Neron(DC) do not. I didn't see Malebolgia or Etrigan anywhere, either. I think somebody needs to give the devils their due.
From: Michael, "No Sunday School In Smallville", posted 12 June 2006 on "Tales to Mildly Astonish" blog website (http://talestomildlyastonish.blogspot.com/2006/06/no-sunday-school-in-smallville.html; viewed 15 June 2006):
...There are precious few heroes of faith in comics, mainstream or alternative, and the more I think about that, the less I like it...

Religious-themed villains are another thing. Marvel has no end of devil-analogues -- Mephisto, Hades, Cloot, Satannish -- but they balk at letting the cloven-hooved one himself make an appearance. (There is one exception: an issue of the '70s Ghost Rider where Johnny Blaze's soul is rescued from Satan by a robed, bearded figure who identifies himself only as "a friend." There was a retcon not long after, but the issue's writer, Tony Isabella, has confirmed that he intended the "friend" to be Jesus Christ.) DC gets away with Neron by using the excuse, so handily provided them by Neil Gaiman's Sandman, that Lucifer himself has abdicated Hell's throne...

From: "Any Christian Superheroes?" thread began 22 April 2004 on rec.arts.comics.dc.universe newsgroup (http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.comics.dc.universe/browse_thread/thread/4e5839f075fecf76/8821b5db671e7ce1; viewed 20 June 2006):
From: Gustavo Wombat
Date: Thurs, Apr 22 2004 12:03 pm

I can't think of any major superheroes that strongly believe in any real faith, and that surprises me. Certainly not in the DC Universe. I think there are more minority superheroes than religious ones...

From: Brian Doyle
Date: Thurs, Apr 22 2004 3:24 pm

Strange how many villains are seemingly empowered by demons, and how few heroes are seemingly empowered by God (Well, not in the same, "Hands on" approach as say Sabbac or Mephisto.)

From: "Sacreligious amd anti-Christian Comic characters" forum discussion, started 28 February 2007 on official DC Comics website (http://dcboards.warnerbros.com/web/thread.jspa?threadID=2000107545&start=45&tstart=15; viewed 20 July 2007):

stevemitchell
Posted: Mar 1, 2007 3:19 PM

Hey! Let's not forget the Demons Three, Shuma-Gorath, Dormammu, Umar, Mephisto, the Supreme Satanish, Satana, Eclipso, Blackheart, Witch Woman, Lilith, Set, Damballah, Brother Voodoo, Bloodwynd, Felix Faust, Faust, the Enchantress, Prince Ra-Man, Taboo, Doctor Glitternight, Diablo, the Gargoyle, Belasco, Baron Mordo, Zom, the Black Knight, Fate, the Endless, and the list goes on and on!

DC and Marvel can both proudly proclaim: Our comics are all sacrilegious, all the time!

See also:
http://z8.invisionfree.com/Superdickery_Forum/index.php?showtopic=4252&st=75


Webpage created 24 April 2006. Last modified 20 July 2007.
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