The world of comic books as well as comic book movies and tv shows is fertile soil for Catholic themes and Catholish characters. Here are a few you have probably heard of, and maybe one you haven’t, as well as some interesting reflections on the Catholic themes they all present.
Daredevil has gotten a lot of attention from Catholic circles recently because of how prominently his faith has come up in the most recent Netflix (and soon to be rebooted by Disney) series. You can find a lot of articles outlining the Catholic elements of the comics and show across the internet. Here is one from Voyage: Daredevil and how seeking forgiveness unlocks his greatest qualities. Here is an interesting, extensive and surprisingly positive article about the prevalence of Daredevil’s Catholicism from a non-Catholic source.
Nightcrawler, a relatively less-popular character from the X-Men series, has gotten less attention for his Catholicism in his live action movie appearances. However, there is a comic storyline (albeit not universally loved) wherein he is a priest. Voyage has a post referring to this and Nightcrawler’s Catholicism more generally. You can also check out Nightcrawler’s Christian witness to Wolverine from the X-Men animated series here!
The Phantom Phoenix of course had to make this list! His character is not only inspired by two great Catholic Saints, but his symbol has Christian roots and the character himself is a practicing Catholic who seeks assistance from a priest throughout the series. You can purchase issues No. 001, No. 002, and No. 003 here!
Hellboy is perhaps the strangest of the “Catholic” superheroes because of his origin. Although, there is a recurring theme (Dare-devil, Nightcrawler looking like a blue demon thing, now a Hell-boy) in the, perhaps, holy irony in having a “devilish” figure be the most devoutly religious. His Rosary is almost always visible and he fights powers of spiritual darkness.
Honorable Mentions
Superman, Batman and Spider-Man: While these three are not technically “Catholic” in the confessional sense. All three characters evoke Catholic themes and imagery in their various iterations. You can read more about some of them here:
- Does Superman represent Jesus or Moses? Yes!
- What ‘Batman: The Last Knight on Earth’ teaches us about the dark side of suffering
- The Perennial Death of Supermen: Dying Gods Just Keep Popping Up!
- Spider-Man shows us in ‘No Way Home’ what it means to “Love thy neighbor”
…and FINALLY…
Jonah, Father Joseph Walijewski, St. Joan of Arc, Pope John Paul II, Blessed Carlo Acutis, Servant of God Rose Hawthorne & St. Kateri Tekakwitha: Also falling in the honorable mentions category because this group, while definitely Catholic, are not the conventional group of comic book superheroes (although, if we’re being honest, are not the Saints the *greatest* superheroes of them all????).
Mike Schramm teaches theology and philosophy at the high school and college level in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He earned his MA in theology from St. Joseph's College in Maine and an MA in philosophy from Holy Apostles College. He co-hosts the Voyage Podcast with Jacob Klatte.