D.C. Comics (Time Warner), too, utilized mythology and stories of Biblical proportions to entrain, energize and excite generations of teenagers, kids and adults from the 1940's to present. 

Some characters such as Superman, Atom, Flash, Batman, Green Lantern, JLA  and others & even D.C.'s version of Capt. Marvel may have been inspired by spiritual literature which told of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and even Biblical personages who could stand in fire etc.  

Scripts & Wit

Super Heroes:  originating through human imagination and from literature, mythology, religion.  

Though probably comic creators just made up their wondrous stories.  

Once when I interviewed Gerry Conway for the Comics Journal he admitted to me that he had researched some of the comics he wrote.   Conway's friend partner Roy Thomas no doubt researched Conan and Thor and other material while writer & editor at Marvel.  They worked together on the great animated Fire and Ice film.  (Ralph Bakshi/Frank Frazetta).  

And initially Thomas got the Conan property over to Marvel from Edgar Rice Burroughs in Tarzana, CA.  (Tarzana--Tarzan...get it?  Yep, it too is a comic.)

Older folk know and love the countless Films and TV shows and serials featuring these and other favorite colorful characters:  Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Commander Cody (which may have inspired the Rocketeer comic and film).

COMIC BOOKS!:  Born by the sheer exhurberance of the Universe itself through the vehicle of the Human Being.

The Comic Industry is a metaphor for life. A cosmic drama unfolding. But not to put old wine into new bottles: Many times in the past Marvel and D.C. have teamed to do specials that benefits the play of creativity. I first met Stan Lee while I was the manager of a Comic Book Store in Studio City, California in the 1970's.

Or, more accurately, I met him through his works at Marvel Comics--his extraordinary scripts & wit in 1961.

Very clever interaction with the fans through clubs and letter columns in the good old days made onefeel as though one was a part of something.  With Merry Marvel "we belonged."

Stan Lee's stories contained real life character's, complete with dilemmas and the germ of great new ideas and principles for living a good life.

As when Spider-man didn't stop a Burglar -- the same Burglar who later killed his kind Uncle--Peter Parker (Spider-man) got the message--serve mankind. With great power comes responsibility.

And responsibility is the ability to respond.

Exciting fictional stories full of adventure and excitement with morals. Illustrated profusely.

Marvel Super characters were at first looked on by society as bad guys.  Even after saving human butt thousands of times.

J. Jonah Jameson (cheap Editor of the Daily Bugle newspaper) has hated Spider-man for over 30 years.    Jameson actually tried to destroy Spider-man by becoming a super villain. 

Golden Age & Silver Age  Human Torches battle!

Daredevil (blind Attorney yet Batman-esque in abilities & physical strength and agility--but with heightened senses) the Man without fear was often branded a villain too at first.

As was the ever popular Incredible Hulk--first immortalized as a comic book during the 1960's.  Who ranged from dull and stupid to near genius depending on the decade in which this enduring character is read.

What we fear we often regard as evil.

These days Comics are motivated especially by financial profit and  by their own survival (of the comic series, the Publisher & his company & the creator's).

Nothing wrong with making money to pay the rent. But Comics have tried to teach us that the means are as important as the ends they produce.

What we do along the way determines the end result we will get. Comics are published because a word sounds good to the publisher. But some of these new young independent publishers need to know more about the meaning within these words (and so do their customers).  But more power to these enterprising youngsters.  DC/Marvel need a little competition.  What is Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi, Mantra? What is Zen? (One young upstart publisher of "Zen-- intergalactic Ninja" had never heard of Alan Watts --great promoter of

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