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Superman was born Kryptonian, raised Methodist, and sketched into existence by two Jewish teens in 1930s Cleveland. Faith and morality are his DNA. There are no overt religious references in Superman comics. But over eight decades, hes been viewed as a divine entity, a savior figurehis sacrifice Christlike, his will to lead as strong as Moses parting the Red Sea, and his compassion akin to a bodhisattva, an enlightened being who guides Buddhists on the spiritual path. While scholars, comic book writers, and fans alike are struck by the religious undertones in Superman comics, they say what separates Superman from the ever-growing pack of superheroes is his singular ability to bring hope in a hopeless world. James Gunn’s Superman sparks conversation As fans celebrate Superman Day on Friday, marking the 87th anniversary of the original superheros birth, they are also eagerly anticipating James Gunns film Superman set for release on July 11. This version starring David Corenswet, the first Jewish actor to play Superman in a major film, promises a return to a version of a vulnerable Man of Steel who is rooted in values espoused by most faithsgoodness, compassion, and hope. The film has sparked a conversation about the place of Superman in the world and his personal code of ethics after several recent depictions of superheroes as antiheroes. Corenswet said in a recent interview to Fandango that what captivates him about Superman is how he chooses to see good in people and not dwell on the negative. Why think about all the terrible things when we can focus on the good things we did today? he said. In the same interview, Gunn said his Superman will reinforce the characters core value of preserving life at any cost. He believes that the sanctity of life is of the utmost importance, Gunn said, noting the contrast with Supermans archnemesis Lex Luthor, who values scientific advancement over life. Symbol of hope and positive masculinity It was precisely this benevolent, hopeful version of Superman that inspired Robert Revington, who teaches at the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia, to go skydiving in a Superman costume on his 28th birthday. And yet Revington, a Christian, balks at Christlike portrayals of his favorite superhero. I like Superman and I like Jesus, he said. I dont necessarily want to conflate the two. To me, the best depiction of Superman is as a symbol of hope. Revington also sees Supermans relevance today as an example of positive masculinity. Hes this version of strong, but compassionate masculinity, which several prominent figures dont necessarily embody, he said. Revington and many others beloved iteration of Superman appeared in All-Star Superman, a 12-issue series published by DC Comics between 2005 and 2008. The superhero saves a young person who is about to take their own life with the endearing message: You are stronger than you think you are. Grant Morrison, who wrote those comics, has said his view of Superman was shaped by Giovanni Pico della Mirandolas Oration On The Dignity of Man, which argues that humans ought to be more virtuous than angels. Superman speaks to our better angels Humans, Morrison said in a 2008 interview, become what they imitate, which is why he made Superman an inspirational character. We live in the stories we tell ourselves, he told Newsarama, a comic book website, and can choose to be the astronaut or the gangster. The superhero or the super villain. The angel or the devil. Its entirely up to us. As a result, said Matthew Brake, founder and editor of Pop Culture and Theology, Superman is an idea that can inspire us to be our best selves. Supermans character is also shaped by his upbringing as a Kansas farm boy, raised by kindly parentsJonathan and Martha Kent. They are portrayed as Methodists in the comics. Superheroes, in recent decades, have received less-than-flattering treatment. In The Boys, a comic book turned Amazon Prime series, the Superman-like character, Homelander, is a government-sponsored hero whose smiling exterior conceals the heart of a sadist. Invincible, a comic turned television series from Robert Kincaid, author of the Walking Dead, features Omni-man, a Superman-like character who turns out to be an alien invader bent on conquest. The main character, Invincible, is Omni-mans son, and must choose between protecting the Earth or taking his fathers side. Dune, the famed sci-fi book adapted into blockbuster movies, warns of superheroes’ frailty Heroes are painful, superheroes are a catastrophe, Dune‘s author Frank Herbert once wrote. The mistakes of superheroes involve too many of us in disaster. A relatable superhero But Superman has cemented his place in pop culture not just as a beacon of hope, but also as a character relatable to many, regardless of race or ethnicity. Gene Luen Yang, who has written several Superman comics, is best known for his 2020 graphic novel Superman Smashes the Klan, a story about a Chinese American family moving to Metropolis in 1946 and facing discrimination from the Klan. The story follows the Lee family as they confront the white supremacist group with Supermans help. Yang sees his own experience as a Chinese American mirrored in Supermans story. The idea that you have to hide who you are or that youre caught in between cultures, he said. Superman has two namesKal-El, his Kryptonian name and Clark Kent, his American name. I had a Chinese name at home and an American name in school. So even though Im a practicing Catholic, I was more drawn to his Jewish roots because thats where I could relate more. Yang sees Superman as the original superhero who inspired almost religious fervor in the geekdom, featuring cosplayers who reenact scenes as a Christian might reenact biblical episodes around Christmas or Easter. A trip to a comic convention is like a pilgrimage where followers collect original art and all kinds of relics. Stories in pop culture also draw from older storytelling traditions, often rooted in religions. In some ways, you can think of religions as communities that are built around stories that last centuries, Yang said. The idea of self-sacrifice, the idea that you do good deeds without the desire to gain recognition. Thats the whole point of secret identities. While his Catholic faith is an important facet of his life, Yang said he never forced religion into his Superman comics. I write more about my life and my lived experience of faith, with the doubts and the ragged edges, he said. Characters like Superman, while not themselves religious, provide a portal to the sacred through the profane, said A. David Lewis, a Boston-based graphic novelist and comic book writer. I love that people take something from popular culture and find some level of spirituality or find a greater connection to some divine source through it, he said. But I would never say Superman is just of the Jewish or Christian people. Like some of the best narratives out there, Superman gives us access to something transcendent. Superman’s strong Jewish roots Samantha Baskind, professor of art history at Cleveland State University, is Jewish; she sees numerous parallels between Supermans story and the history of Jews. Supermans solitary flight from Krypton in a little spacecraft is reminiscent of how Moses mother placed him in a papyrus basket and left him on the Nile, seeing it has his best chance of survival. Some also compare Superman’s backstory to the Kindertransport, she said, referring to a rescue program that transported nearly 10,000 children, mostly Jewish, from Nazi-controlled territories to Great Britain in 1938 and 1939. In Supermans Kryptonian name, Kal-El, chosen by his original Jewish creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the El in Hebrew connotes God. In DC Comics, Superman also frequents the Bottle City of Kandor, a Kryptonian city shrunk down and placed in a bottle, representing a fragmented piece of Kryptons history. Baskind said to her it is reminiscent of how diaspora Jews visit Israel. Theres also the thinking that Siegel and Shuster created Superman because they were these two, skinny, young Jewish men who couldnt go out and fight Hitler, but Superman fought Nazis on the cover of their comic books, she said. In some early editions, Superman held Hitler by his Nazi uniform as he begged for mercy. Appeal to the religiously unaffiliated Despite the religious undertones, Supermans appeal to those growing religiously unaffiliated remains strong, said Dan Clanton, professor of religious studies at Doane University in Nebraska. He says its because Supermans story truly encapsulates American civil religion. This idea that there are practices and beliefs that provide all, regardless of religious identity, with a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves, he said. Neal Bailey, a contributor for over a decade to Superman Homepage and an atheist, believes Superman at his best is a philosophical pragmatist solving the most complex problems with the least amount of harm. He actually goes beyond religion to see our commonalities, he said. Superman wouldnt care about people’s religious beliefs. He would care more about whether they are living up to their human potential. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Deepa Bharath of The Associated Press and Bob Smietana of Religion News Service
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Today, Apples streaming service, Apple TV Plus, has done something unheard of in streaming television. The company has now rereleased the final episode of the canceled sitcom Mythic Quest with a new, re-edited ending. The re-edit removes the original season cliffhanger and replaces it with a new ending that acts to resolve the shows lingering plot point, thus wrapping up the series by giving the show’s supporters, and characters, closure. But while the re-edit may please fans, it raises some interesting issues concerning the entertainment historical record. A first in TV streaming On March 26, Apple TV Plus released the 10th episode of Mythic Quest season four. Titled Heaven and Hell, this episode was initially designed to be the seasons finale, and, as most season finales do, it ended on a cliffhanger. However, after the season finale aired, Apple announced that it was canceling Mythic Quest. With no season five, the show’s cancellation meant that the series ended on a cliffhanger that would never be resolvedjust like so many streaming series that were canceled before it. But then Apple did something unexpected and unheard of in the world of streaming television. It allowed Mythic Quests producers to go back and re-edit the season four finale by swapping out the cliffhanger ending for one that better aligns with a series finalein other words, one that wraps up the shows loose threads. Mythic Quests creators and executive producers, Megan Ganz, David Hornsby, and Rob McElhenney, announced the unusual move last week, stating, Because endings are hard, with Apples blessing we made one final update to our last episodeso we could say goodbye, instead of just game over. And now, the re-edited Mythic Quest episode is available. How the original and re-edited endings are different If you navigate to the Mythic Quest listing on Apple TV Plus now, youll see that the episode shows a new original airdate of April 18, 2025, signaling that Apple has now released the re-edit. As the entertainment website Pajiba points out, the re-edited episode features a relatively small change. In the original episode, the show’s two main characters, Ian and Poppy, who have always had a platonic and professional work relationship throughout the shows run, kissed. The repercussions of that cliffhanger kiss ending were originally meant to be fully explored in Mythic Quests season five. Yet the re-edited episode now removes the kiss ending entirely. As Pajiba notes, Its the same episode, only this time, the two agree to repair their working relationship, but it remains platonic. They hug, and thats it. Its likely that since work had already ceased on the series, this new hugging scene had already been previously shot, which is what allowed the creatives to alter the episode so quickly within just weeks of its original release. Altering the historical record While fans of the show will no doubt be grateful that Apple gave the creatives permission to go back and change the final Heaven and Hell episode to provide closure for them and the shows characters, how Apple has handled it is worth pointing out. There are television shows that have been canceled before that were later brought back on a new network or revived on streaming, but never, to my knowledge, has there been a show that has had its last episode aired before cancellation, changed, and then re-released. But it seems like Apple has chosen to go about its fan-pleasing move by not caring too much about the entertainment historical record. Thats because there is nothing left on Apple TV Pluss platform that suggests the Heaven and Hell episode available now is anything but the one that originally aired. Mythic Quests season four finale has now been relabeled as the Series Finale in Apple TV Pluss show listing. Apple has chosen to make only the re-edited version of the show available to watch. (We’ve reached out to Apple to ask if it plans to also release the original version at some point.) Furthermore, its original release date has also been changed from March 26 to April 18, 2025. It is also not mentioned anywhere in the episode that the episode has been re-edited from its original versionnor is there an option to view the original ending. In other words, it seems like Apple has taken the George Lucas approach to changing the historical entertainment record. In the late 1990s, Lucas released a version of the original Star Wars trilogy with new scenes and effects inserted. Lucasfilm then essentially wiped the trilogy as it originally was from existence. To this day, Lucasfilm (and now its owner, Disney) only makes the re-edited version of the Star Wars trilogy available for consumption. When it comes to a less culturally relevant show like Mythic Quest (compared to Star Wars), is this that big of a deal? Probably notat least not to general streaming subscribers. But the wiping of the original episode highlights how, in this digital world of ours, anything can be altered at any timeand the original may not always be preserved for posterity.
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Morningside Park, a beloved neighborhood park in Miami with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, will soon pilot an innovative approach to coastal resilience. BIOCAP tiles, a 3D-printed modular system designed to support marine life and reduce wave impact along urban seawalls, will be installed on the existing seawall there in spring 2025. BIOCAP stands for Biodiversity Improvement by Optimizing Coastal Adaptation and Performance. Developed by our team of architects and marine biologists at Florida International University, the uniquely textured prototype tiles are designed to test a new approach for helping cities such as Miami adapt to rising sea levels while simultaneously restoring ecological balance along their shorelines. The project receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency. Ecological costs of traditional seawalls Seawalls have long served as a primary defense against coastal erosion and storm surges. Typically constructed of concrete and ranging from 6 to 10 feet in height, they are built along shorelines to block waves from eroding the land and flooding nearby urban areas. However, they often come at an ecological cost. Seawalls disrupt natural shoreline dynamics and can wipe out the complex habitat zones that marine life relies on. Marine organisms are crucial in maintaining coastal water quality by filtering excess nutrients, pollutants and suspended particles. A single adult oyster can filter 20-50 gallons of water daily, removing nitrogen, phosphorus and solids that would otherwise fuel harmful algal blooms. These blooms deplete oxygen levels and damage marine ecosystems. Filter-feeding organisms also reduce turbidity, which is the cloudiness of water caused by suspended sediment and particles. Less water turbidity means more light can penetrate, which benefits seagrasses that require sunlight for photosynthesis. These seagrasses convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and energy-rich sugars while providing essential food and habitat for diverse marine species. A robotic 3D printer extrudes concrete in layered, intricate channels. [Photo: Sara Pezeshk] Swirling shapes, shaded grooves Unlike the flat, lifeless surfaces of typical concrete seawalls, each BIOCAP tile is designed with shaded grooves, crevices and small, water-holding pockets. These textured features mimic natural shoreline conditions and create tiny homes for barnacles, oysters, sponges and other marine organisms that filter and improve water quality. The tiles swirling surface patterns increase the overall surface area, offering more space for colonization. The shaded recesses are intended to help regulate temperature by providing cooler, more stable microenvironments. This thermal buffering can support marine life in the face of rising water temperatures and more frequent heat events driven by climate change. Another potential benefit of the tiles is reducing the impact of waves. When waves hit a natural shoreline, their energy is gradually absorbed by irregular surfaces, tide pools and vegetation. In contrast, when waves strike vertical concrete seawalls, the energy is reflected back into the water rather than absorbed. This wave reflectionthe bouncing back of wave energycan amplify wave action, increase erosion at the base of the wall and create more hazardous conditions during storms. The textured surfaces of the BIOCAP tiles are designed to help diffuse wave energy by mimicking the natural dissipation found on undisturbed shorelines. The design of BIOCAP takes cues from nature. The tile shapes are based on how water interacts with different surfaces at high tide and low tide. Concave tiles, which curve inward, and convex tiles, which curve outward, are installed at different levels along the seawall. The goal is to deflect waves away from the seawall, reduce direct impact and help minimize erosion and turbulence around the walls foundation. A collection of 3D-printed concrete BIOCAP tiles. [Photo: Sara Pezeshk] How we’ll measure success After the BIOCAP tiles are installed, we plan to assess how the seawall redesign enhances biodiversity, improves water quality and reduces wave energy. This two-year pilot phase will help assess the long-term value of ecologically designed infrastructure. To evaluate biodiversity, we will use underwater cameras to capture time-lapse imagery of the marine life that colonizes the tile surfaces. These observations will aid in documenting species diversity and habitat use over time. To assess water quality, we have developed a specialized prototype tile with sensors that can measure pH, dissolved oxygen levels, salinity, turbidity and temperature in real time. This data will provide insight into how the tiles affect local water conditions. Finally, to measure wave attenuation and the reduction of wave force, we will mount pressure sensors on both the BIOCAP tiles and the adjacent traditional seawall sections. This comparison will allow us to quantify differences in wave energy across varying tidal conditions and storm events. As coastal cities confront the dual challenges of increasing threats from climate change and environmental degradation, the BIOCAP project offers what we hope will be an example of a resilient, nature-based solution that benefits both humans and the environment. In the coming year, well be watching with hope as the new BIOCAP tiles begin to welcome marine life, offering a glimpse into how nature might reclaim and thrive along our urban shorelines. Sara Pezeshk is a postdoctoral fellow in architecture at Florida International University and Shahin Vassigh is a professor of architecture at Florida International University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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