More than Superheroes

Wonder Woman: Love Wins

I have to admit that heroes like Wonder Woman and Superman are not my favorite heroes. Personally, I find it more difficult to relate to these heroes because they seem so god-like with their powers. They are extremely powerful and can do just about anything. At times it also seems like they don’t have any character flaws. They are near perfect. It even seems like they don’t need anyone else. When the hero can win every victory entirely on their own, why would they need help? Why would they need a team?

In spite of these thoughts about a character like Wonder Woman, I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the new Wonder Woman movie. It is a good story and even though Wonder Woman is clearly one of the most powerful superheroes in the DC Movie Universe, they were able to give her a connection to humanity that gave good insight into the character. I’ll talk more about that as I analyze certain elements of this movie through the lens of my Christian faith.

Before I do that I just want to point out that it can be easy at times to compare Superheroes to Jesus by making the statement that Jesus is the Ultimate Superhero. I tend to shy away from that comparison because I think I can dig a little deeper with many of the characters portrayed in Superhero movies. However, with Wonder Woman there are some interesting and yet very different ideas when it comes to that comparison to Jesus. The comparison has to do with the fact that both Wonder Woman and Jesus save people. The difference has to do with the reasoning behind their actions

Here is my first example: Wonder Woman ends up saving people because she sees that they are worth saving.

In the film, Wonder Woman has many “fish out of water” moments. She grew up on the island of Themyscira and therefore does not understand the world around her. She had a sheltered upbringing. The Amazon women who raised her helped her to become a fierce warrior but she still has much to learn. She eventually leaves the island with Steve Trevor. She believes that she is going to fight and kill Ares – the god of war. She believes that if she kills him, it will end World War 1.

Along the way she discovers that human beings have done many atrocities. Innocent people have been killed during the war. She has trouble with this but ultimately believes that Ares is responsible. Toward the end of the movie, when she believes that Ares is dead, she realizes that human beings have committed these atrocities all on their own. She starts to wonder if they are worth saving. It takes the sacrifice of Steve Trevor for her to realize that there is good in people. She says that she believes in love. Because she saw that humans can show compassion and self-less care for others, she thinks that they are worth saving.

For many reasons, this is very different than Jesus. Wonder Woman is eventually revealed to be part god and she comes to walk among men. Jesus is true God from all eternity and he did come to earth to walk among men. But it was very different. From the moment of Jesus’ incarnation he became fully man. Jesus was true God and true man in one person. He fully understands us. He was tempted like us in every way but he did not have any sins.

As he was living as one of us, he experienced what he already knew since the fall into sin by Adam and Eve. He saw that we were not worth saving. Yes, people can do nice things for each other. We can make sacrifices and show compassion. But we are still thoroughly sinful. God speaks about people in Genesis 8:21 and says, “every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.” We are born sinful. Throughout scripture we are referred to as spiritually dead, spiritually blind, and enemies of God. Jesus doesn’t view us as worthy of being saved. He saved us because he chose to love us in spite of our sin.

Exercise online viagra and workout with improved blood circulation help you keeping away from the effect of depression. As such you will get an exciting opportunity to meet new people and make new discoveries. generic cialis no prescription It is a product which is completely safe for viagra buy uk your health too. Kamagra is very important as this medicine is a prescription drug, viagra without prescription usa they need to obtain a prescription from a doctor and such man-made drugs often have a number of side effects. Jesus and Wonder Woman saved people but for different reasons.

Another point is this: Wonder Woman is the good god who ends up defeating the evil god. However, her victory is temporary.

Throughout the movie, Ares, the evil god, has been stirring up evil thoughts in mankind to help them wage war and commit terrible acts against each other. In some ways he is like the devil. He is tempting people to do terrible acts. Wonder Woman and Ares are both children of Zeus. I suppose in the minds of some, Zeus could be compared to God the Father, Wonder Woman to Jesus, and Ares to the devil. I don’t like that comparison but I could see how people could get there.

Just like Jesus, Wonder Woman would be the good person who fights against evil. (In reality this comparison doesn’t work all that well since God the Father and Jesus are both God and they are both eternal. Also, the devil is a fallen angel and therefore a created being. Much could be said about this but that is not the main point here.) In the end, Wonder Woman defeats Ares and evil is struck down. However, the victory is temporary. Human beings still have the capacity for evil and there are other evil supervillains who can attack in the future.

Jesus victory is different. Jesus defeated evil but he didn’t do it in a physical battle. Wonder Woman had to use her strength and all the superpowers at her disposal to defeat Ares. Jesus won the victory in what appeared to be a very weakened state. Jesus freely submitted himself to the suffering and death of the cross. He wasn’t fighting with his fists. His hands were nailed to a cross. He didn’t fight back with a sword. He let himself be flogged. He didn’t work up a sweat through grueling battle. He hung on a cross for hours as the full weight of sin and hell fell upon his shoulders. Jesus died to win us the victory.

In our human minds, we usually picture a conquering hero to be like Wonder Woman – someone who can use brute force to destroy the enemy. Jesus is different. Jesus’ victory is not just a temporary victory. Jesus victory lasts forever. He has defeated sin, death, and the devil. We don’t have to do anything except to believe. Just trust in Jesus and his victory. He has blessed us with forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus love for us led him to save us. Let’s praise him forever.

As I said, Wonder Woman is a good movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would watch it again. She accurately depicts what a superhero should be. And yet, Jesus is so much more than any hero. That is why I don’t make that comparison too often when looking at these movies. Superheroes save people from physical danger. Jesus saves us from spiritual danger.

Wonder Woman History

I have to admit that I have not read many of Wonder Woman’s comic books. I have seen her in many animated versions. She was a main character in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited Animated Series. That version of the character is very well done. There is also an animated movie from 2009 that is a very good origin for the character. There are a number of similarities between that animated movie and the new movie. I would say that this new movie has made me interested in picking up some of her comics.

I am a Lutheran pastor who is currently serving at Trinity in Belle Plaine, MN. My wife is Megan and my daughter is Elizabeth "Libby". I have two dogs (Labradors) - Samson and Charlie. In my spare time, I train for and run in marathons, I cheer for the Green Bay Packers, and I love the Comic Book genre of entertainment.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.