Phoenix from the wasteland

Originally posted by myself at Sidekick Comics

Not so long ago I visited a comic book shop for the first time in a long time. One thing jumped out at me, or I should say, one man. Wolverine. His image seemed to be on almost every shelf. In 2008, Wolverine was ranked #1 out of "Wizard Magazine's Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time" and was ranked #4 of "Empire Magazine' 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters". His popularity has reached such a level that he is used on the front of comics in which he hardly features.

Wolverine is a character created by Marvel over 30 years ago. He is a member of the X-men team and is one of the few of them to be included in every media adaptation of the X-men franchise, including film, television and computer games. Too popular to be left out he is featured in both the New X-Men and the Uncanny X-men teams. He is the only one to have starred in his own computer game and is now the subject of his own, soon to be released, big budget movie. Marvel recognized how much they used him when Wolverine appeared in an issue of What The?! where he is just trying to have a quiet day fishing and going insane because of all the other characters keep appearing and trying to get him to guest-star.

It is easy to dismiss his popularity as being a product of his no-holds-barred attitude and savage ferocity. However, I believe that there is a deeper and subtler reason...

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I just finished watching Skellig on Sky one. It is based on a book of the same name written by David Almond. It is a tale of mystery and redemption. The basic premise is that a young boy, Michael, discovers what appears to be an angel, Skellig, in his garden shed. It was well produced and Tim Roth is excellent in the title role.

I imagine angels to be manifestations of the acausal forces in the universe that can protect you until you can live out your cosmic destiny. Michael tells Skellig he believes in him and makes a leap of faith off a tower. Skellig catches him. This resonates with my belief that when you decide to believe in a divine presence within you then you open up a possible channel of communication with it. This relation metaphorically gives us wings and allows us to to soar into the timeless realm.

To me Skellig at the beginning when he is weak, dirty and hidden in a dark shed is a great symbol of the state of faith in these times. Cast out. Away from the glaring rational lights of modernity.

At the end Skellig tells Michael that he is "A bit like him, a bit like a bird and a bit like an angel". It is hinted in the story that Skellig is either an evolution of humanity or a species that we evolved/devolved from. I think this is also a great metaphor for the future of faith. I believe that any future mythology will incorporate both evolution and religion.

We can take great heart from the story's message that feeling your wings, knowing your unique nature, following your dreams, letting yourself fly, is something that no one can take from you, unless you let them.