Avengers and Philosophy: Earth's Mightiest Thinkers, The Read online

  CONTENTS

  Introduction: Earth’s Mightiest Philosophers

  Part One: What Would an Avenger Do?

  Chapter 1: Superhuman Ethics Class with the Avengers Prime

  The Utilitarian Iron Man

  Captain America: Duty above all Else

  Convicted Heroes

  Verily, a Fine Segue!

  Ethicists Assemble!

  Chapter 2: Shining the Light on the Dark Avengers

  Plato and the Ancient Greek Avengers

  Does Might Make Right?

  Are the Dark Avengers Evil or Simply Bold?

  No One Needs to Know

  Being Just

  Just How Dark are the Dark Avengers?

  Chapter 3: The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Family

  Of Father and Ultron

  Sometimes the Apples Do Fall Far from the Tree

  Journey to the Center of the Ant

  The Ties that Bind

  The Torch is Passed

  Sins of the Father?

  Let there be an Ending!

  Part Two: Who is an Avenger?

  Chapter 4: Superhero Identity: Case Studies in the Avengers

  It’s all about Bodies, Right?

  I like you for your Mind, Honest

  Unmasking the Mantle Theory of Superhero Identity

  Case Study 1: The Supersoldier

  Case Study 2: Pym Particles

  Are you the Next Goliath?

  Chapter 5: I am Made of Ink: She-Hulk and Metacomics

  What is a Metacomic?

  Your Cover is Blown, Jen

  “There’s a Reader Out There Now!”

  Gutter-Hoppin’ and More Amazing Stories

  Don’t Make the She-Hulk Angry . . .

  What are the She-Hulk’s Powers?

  Maybe Jen’s Reading this Chapter Right Now

  Chapter 6: The Self-Corruption of Norman Osborn: A Cautionary Tale

  Osborn’s Oratory and the Dark Reign

  The Split Osborn Identity

  Wag the Goblin

  Hoist by his Own Petard

  Part Three: Should the Avengers Do More Than Avenge?

  Chapter 7: Forgivers Assemble!

  Time Travel, Retcons, and Forgiveness

  Can Cap Forgive the Rest of his Kooky Quartet?

  Who will Forgive the Mutants?

  Forgive Me!

  Forgiveness in the House Of M

  The Paradox of Forgiveness

  Avengers, Forgive!

  Chapter 8: Gods, Beasts, and Political Animals: Why the Avengers Assemble

  Assembling for Necessity or Perfection?

  Elementary Greek Lessons (Approved by the Comics Code)

  Ms.-Sing her Friends

  Getting her Arête Together

  The Original Irredeemable Ant-Man

  Neither Gods nor Beasts But Political Animals

  Chapter 9: Cap’s Kooky Quartet: Is Rehabilitation Possible?

  Can an Archer Change his Trick Arrows?

  Finding a Balance with Hawkeye

  Maybe it Really is in the Blood

  Old Dogs and New Tricks

  Avenging or Saving?

  Hope for the Future?

  Avengers Rehabilitate!

  Part Four: Do the Avengers Ever Go Too Far?

  Chapter 10: Fighting the Good Fight: Military Ethics and the Kree-Skrull War

  Entry Point to the Kree-Skrull War

  There’s an Intergalactic War Going on and You’re Invited

  Was Ronan in the Right?

  Those Sneaky Skrulls

  Tortured Logic

  And the war Rages on

  Chapter 11: Secrets and Lies: Compromising the Avengers’ Values for the Good of the World

  Figuring out the Rules

  Occulting the Truth

  Sorcerer Supreme Emergency

  Shhhhh—Avengers Assemble (in Secret)!

  Being Wikileaked On

  “This is the Kind of Thing that is Going to Bite US in the Butt”

  Chapter 12: The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Problem with Proactive Superheroics

  The Ultimates, the Avengers, and Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D.

  Red and Gold Helicarriers?

  I Didn’t Mean it, Honest

  This Changes Everything (Until it Changes Back)

  But I Want to Help!

  Captain America’s mighty S.H.I.E.L.D. . . . Well, Sort Of

  Part Five: What Kind of World do the Avengers Live In?

  Chapter 13: Can Kang Kill his Past Self? The Paradox of Time Travel

  The Science of Bending Time

  Breaking Time

  Building a Time Machine

  Closed Timelike Kang

  Time to End

  Chapter 14: “No Other Gods Before Me”: God, Ontology, and Ethics in the Avengers’ Universe

  God, the One-Who-Is-Above-All—or “Stan,” For Short

  “Gods are a Bit Different”

  Ontology Comics #1

  Does Godliness Imply Goodness?

  Equal Opportunity—for Deities?

  Chapter 15: Love Avengers Style: Can an Android Love a Human?

  What is Love, Anyway?

  Friends, Lovers, and Significant Others

  Unreciprocated Love

  “No Sister of Mine May Become Involved with a—a—a Robot!”

  Love: American Style

  Chapter 16: The Way of the Arrow: Hawkeye Meets the Taoist Masters

  Don’t Try So Hard, Clint

  When is a Butcher Like an Archer?

  Hawkeye, Humble?

  The Life and Death of a Hero

  The Way of the Archer

  Appendix: Why are there Four Volumes of Avengers?

  Contributors: Avengers Academy

  Index: From Jarvis’s Secret Files

  The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

  Series Editor: William Irwin

  South Park and Philosophy

  Edited by Robert Arp

  Metallica and Philosophy

  Edited by William Irwin

  Family Guy and Philosophy

  Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

  The Daily Show and Philosophy

  Edited by Jason Holt

  Lost and Philosophy

  Edited by Sharon Kaye

  24 and Philosophy

  Edited by Jennifer Hart Weed, Richard Davis, and Ronald Weed

  Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy

  Edited by Jason T. Eberl

  The Office and Philosophy

  Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

  Batman and Philosophy

  Edited by Mark D. White and Robert Arp

  House and Philosophy

  Edited by Henry Jacoby

  Watchmen and Philosophy

  Edited by Mark D. White

  X-Men and Philosophy

  Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski

  Terminator and Philosophy

  Edited by Richard Brown and Kevin Decker

  Heroes and Philosophy

  Edited by David Kyle Johnson

  Twilight and Philosophy

  Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski

  Final Fantasy and Philosophy

  Edited by Jason P. Blahuta and Michel S. Beaulieu

  Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy

  Edited by Richard Brian Davis

  Iron Man and Philosophy

  Edited by Mark D. White

  True Blood and Philosophy

  Edited by George Dunn and Rebecca Housel

  Mad Men and Philosophy

  Edited by James South and Rod Carveth<
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  30 Rock and Philosophy

  Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

  The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy

  Edited by Gregory Bassham

  The Ultimate Lost and Philosophy

  Edited by Sharon Kaye

  Green Lantern and Philosophy

  Edited by Jane Dryden and Mark D. White

  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy

  Edited by Eric Bronson

  Arrested Development and Philosophy

  Edited by Kristopher Phillips and J. Jeremy Wisnewski

  Inception and Philosophy

  Edited by David Johnson

  The Big Lebowski and Philosophy

  Edited by Peter S. Fosl

  Spider-Man and Philosophy

  Edited by Jonathan Sanford

  The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy

  Edited by Dean Kowalski

  The Hunger Games and Philosophy

  Edited by George Dunn and Nicolas Michaud

  Game of Thrones and Philosophy

  Edited by Henry Jacoby

  This book is printed on acid-free paper.

  Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved

  Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

  Published simultaneously in Canada

  Chapter opener design by Forty-five Degree Design LLC

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  The Avengers and philosophy : Earth’s mightiest thinkers / edited by Mark D. White.

  pages cm. — (The Blackwell philosophy and pop culture series; 46)

  Includes bibliographical references and index.

  ISBN 978-1-118-07457-2 (paper); ISBN 978-1-118-22253-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-23645-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-26138-5 (ebk)

  1. Avengers (Fictitious characters) 2. Comic books, strips, etc.—Moral and ethical aspects. 3. Superheroes in literature. 4. Superhero films—History and criticism. 5. Philosophy in literature. 6. Philosophy in motion pictures. I. White, Mark D., 1971- editor of compilation.

  PN6728.A9A93 2012

  791.43’652—dc23

  2011043329

  INTRODUCTION: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST PHILOSOPHERS

  If you like superheroes—and you wouldn’t be reading this book if you didn’t—you love superhero teams, and the Avengers are the preeminent team in the Marvel Universe. The best thing about the Avengers is that not only do you get to see all your favorite heroes banding together to defeat formidable threats against incredible odds, but you also get to see them interact both as superheroes and as people. Whether they’re cooped up in Avengers Mansion or exploring the deepest realms of space, you get to see how they work together and play together, both when they get along and when they don’t. That’s what we love about the Avengers, whether in the comics, the animated series, or the feature film—it’s equal parts superhero epic and soap opera.

  Just as the Avengers assemble to confront threats no single hero can handle himself or herself, the contributors to The Avengers and Philosophy assembled to discuss a range of topics so broad that no single philosopher could possibly handle it all. Have you ever wondered how the “big three” Avengers—Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor—compare in terms of their moral philosophies? Has the Kree-Skrull War ever made you consider the ethics of war itself? What about the Avengers’ peculiar tendency to welcome former criminals into their ranks, such as Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch? We didn’t forget to ask questions about the great Avengers villains: Can Kang actually go back in time to kill himself? Do we actually admire Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers? And finally, speaking of soap opera, can the Scarlet Witch and the Vision truly love each other?