Batman, Spiderman and Violence (Spoilers)

The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spiderman are the two major superhero films this year. Appealing to all ages, the comic book heroes of Batman and Spiderman have become iconic figures in popular culture. They stand up for what is right, defeat dangerous opponents and are involved with various beautiful women. No wonder a lot of boys and girls look up to such characters as role models, allowing their identities to be shaped by the core messages of the plots and stories they read and see at the cinema. In this article, I want to analyse one key theme of all superhero fiction, the problem of violence, and its interaction and portrayal in these two latest films.

The real driving force of any superhero is the desire to see justice done. In a world where crime is rampant and innocent people suffer, a character like Batman tries to use his special skills and resources to benefit others. He does this by using his advanced fighting skills to contain and catch wrongdoers, thus limiting the amount of injustice for others. This resonates with our deepest desires, as we all want to live in a fair world, where the people that are 'good' are rewarded for it, and the people who are 'bad' are punished. This selfless act to help others less able to thwart unjust acts is the basis of our affection and love of superheroes, and as such there overarching aim is to applauded.

However, Batman and Spiderman's desire  for justice is always tainted by their quest for vengeance. Bruce Wayne becomes a superhero in response to his parent's violent death. This nearly leads him to kill their murderer. Likewise, in The Amazing Spiderman, Peter Parker only becomes a superhero in response to his uncle's violent death. He then goes on a hunt to track down the criminal responsible, probably with the intention of beating and killing him. In both cases, their drive for justice is shrouded in a desire for vengeance, which is epistemic of most superheroes.

This in turn leads to their preferred method of distributing justice: violence. Continually, Spiderman and Batman beat the hell out of crooks, round up robbers and aid the police against supervillains, like Lizard or Bane. Their superpowers, such as being able to crawl up walls, and their access to advanced technology, like the Batmobile, make it all the more easier to overpower their adversaries and distribute justice accordingly. It would appear that both heroes believe that violence is the solution to the problem of violence, and so far there has not been a villain capable of halting their mission for vengeance.

However, note that neither hero never solves the problem. There is always a new wave of violence, a new villain rises up and no matter how many thugs Spiderman and Batman defeat, their will always be more. The reason for this is that violence feeds on itself. Whilst it may be a temporary act to hold it back, fighting violence with violence will only give rise to a new cycle of violence. This can be seen in the parallels both Batman and Spiderman have with their respective villains, Bane and Lizard. Batman and Bane are not opposites, but are more like reflections of each other. They are both disguised figures, exiles from the league of shadows and are violent. Similarly, Spiderman and Lizard are both hybrid species, law breakers and are violent. Now there is a relative difference, in that both Bane and Lizard are insanely violent, with an motivation which will lead to harming others, whereas Batman and Spiderman are trying to contain them. But they both engage in the same type of struggle, one of violence.

The attempt to solve the problem of violence with violence will only lead to an escalation in the force used. This point was brought out well at the end of Batman Begins, when Lieutenant Gordon is talking to Batman about potential new threats:

'We start carrying semi-automatic weapons, they buy automatics. We start wearing Kevlar, they buy armour piercing rounds... and if your wearing a mask, jumping off rooftops... take this guy. Armed robbery, double homicide, gotta taste for the theatrical. Leaves a calling card (Joker calling card).'


The resulting escalation leads to the Joker, a man of no rules, bringing Gotham to its knees and destroying the good man who is Harvey Dent, Gotham's brightest hope for justice. Batman didn't solve the problem by terrorising the 'mob'. He just made it worse.

We see this all the time in the real world. In the past ten years, US and British forces have been involved in conflicts all around the world, most notably Iraq and Afghanistan, to help provide a just society for the people living their. This was done by attempting to depose Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, seeing them as unjust rulers. However, at the time of invasion, it appeared that politicians and generals thought that a military assault would solve the problems in these regions, which after they would go and help someone else out, just like a superhero. Instead, violent terrorism still pervades in these countries, with a number of bombings taking place in Iraq only a few days ago. These western powers, like the characters of Batman and Spiderman, never really solved the problem, they just, at best, held it back temporarily.

Where these characters and nations have gone wrong is thinking fighting violence on its own terms will solve the problem of violence absolutely. This is where Christianity needs to be brought in. Jesus, like Spiderman and Batman, is also trying to solve the problem of violence and implement a just world. He too is taking on hate, suffering and the most powerful weapon of violence, death. His approach is not to fight violence on its own terms, but by taking the worst it can do on the cross and taking it away by the divine mercy of God. Whilst Jesus is crucified he says 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke 23:34). This is an amazing statement, as Jesus is perfectly innocent, yet does not give into vengeance and ask God to smite them all. The triumph of forgiveness over sin, violence and death is only possible with the sacrifice of the Messiah, and Jesus' subsequent resurrection was the final defeat of violence and death. It is an assurance that no matter how bad the injustice is on earth, death is not the end, and man will be made accountable for his acceptance or rejection of mercy. Rising from the dead destroys the most powerful weapon of violence, for death is no longer the end. Jesus, in his suffering, truly solves the problem of violence through forgiveness, and that is where Batman and Spiderman go wrong.

I want to make clear I am not calling for pacifism. The world requires force, militarilies and violence to secure the natural rights of life, liberty and estate for every individual. Without it, anarchy would ensue. However, violence is never the final solution, it can only be a temporary measure to hold back the tide of injustice. What we really need are peaceful, well thought out solutions which act in everyone's best interest. Forgiveness is key to this cycle. An illustration from history will help: after the first world war, Britain, France and the USA held a conference at Versailles to decide how they were going to deal with Germany, the losers of the war. They decided to punish them, forcing them to pay large reparations, stripping them of a military, giving parts of their lands, such as Alsace and Lorraine, to other nations and making them accept guilt for the war. This had a devastating effect on Germany, leading to hyperinflation, widespread unemployment and anger at the state the once mighty country was in. This was a major factor in the rise of the radical political party called the Nazis, who were led by Adolf Hitler. He subsequently gained power and implemented a dictatorship over Germany, remilitarised her and followed a foreign policy which would provoke the second world war. He was also responsible for the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jews in concentration camps. The point is, a forgiving and positive treaty at Versailles could have prevented this further horrific cycle of violence. However, the desire for vengeance and a perception that the destruction of the first world war had solved the problems at hand tainted a noble quest for justice. If only the world was a bit more like Jesus, and less like Batman, that we may see the problem of violence solved.


In conclusion, whilst superheroes have good intentions and ideals regarding the distribution of justice, they ultimately fail to implement such concepts because they fight violence with violence, which feeds on itself. Superheroes and villains are just mirror images of each other, and thus neither Spiderman nor Batman can deal absolutely with violence. However, Jesus had a completely different approach: rather than blasting violence away, he absorbed it too its highest degree and forgave. This is what we should consider when trying to bring about a just world, not force. 


I encourage you all to join with me in sending your best wishes for the shooting victims in Aurora. May our thoughts and prayers be with them.