Our Catholic faith is intertwined with pop culture in all aspects of life. From fashion to movies to comic books! Matt Murdock who is the comic book hero Daredevil was raised Irish-Catholic by nuns in a Hell's Kitchen orphanage in New York. His storylines frequently center on guilt, confession, church visits, and his moral refusal to kill.
Kurt Wagner, one of the iconic X-Men known as Nightcrawler, is a devout Bavarian mutant who frequently prays the rosary in German and seeks refuge in churches.
But we aren’t talking about Catholic characters made up in the mind of Stan Lee, we’re talking about real life Catholic heroes whose lives were adapted into Marvel comics in the height of the comic book era, the American 1980s - where you had a lot of hairspray, a lot of leg warmers, a lot of neon and a lot of comics.
St. Francis of Assisi
It’s St. Francis of Assisi’s 800th anniversary of his death this year, declared the Franciscan Jubilee Year by Pope Leo XIV! And, while his year is wrapping up, it’s only fair to note how providential everything is… The 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ birth was back in 1982, and to commemorate it, Marvel produced a comic book about the life of St. Francis.
The idea began with Father Campion Lally, a priest in Tokyo who approached Marvel representative Gene Pelc about bringing Francis’ story to readers beyond the Church. His mission: “take St. Francis out of the birdbath.”
Stan Lee liked the idea, but Marvel executives needed convincing. Interest from Catholic publisher Paulist Press in buying 250,000 copies helped secure their approval. Marvel writer Mary Jo Duffy then worked with Franciscan Father Roy Gasnick to bring the saint’s life to the page.
Then the artists at Marvel did their magic and produced the comic titled “Francis: Brother of the Universe,” which hit stores in September of 1980. It proved to be a hit, both critically and commercially, selling over a million copies.
St. John Paul II
A year later, Pope John Paul II arrived in Japan as the first pope to visit the country.
“The pope's visit galvanized Pelc, who was still riding high on the success of the St. Francis comic. He began looking into the possibility of producing another religious-themed comic for Marvel,” EWTN News explains.
The comic was written by Steven Grant, a young freelance comic book artist who worked for Marvel in New York.
The team at Marvel encountered numerous obstacles during production, one being the 1981 assassination attempt made on the Holy Father.
Political turmoil in Poland at the time made it hard to communicate with their liaison Father Mieczyslaw Malinski, a friend of John Paul II and consultant for the story.
But, in 1982, the comic book hit the shelves.
The resulting comic, "The Life of Pope John Paul II," followed Karol Wojtyła from his childhood in Poland to the papacy—and through the 1981 assassination attempt that nearly took his life. At the time, it brought a contemporary pope’s story to readers through Marvel’s dramatic, full-color storytelling.
It was another huge success, selling millions of copies worldwide.
St. Teresa of Calcutta
Continuing to ride on the success of influential Catholic figures being featured in Marvel comics, in 1984 Mother Teresa of Calcutta became the latest hero. The 52-page comic book told the real-life story of the saint, covering her childhood in Skopje, her call to religious life, her time with the Sisters of Loretto, her work in Calcutta with the poor and sick, her care for lepers, and her 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.
By 1987, it had sold approximately 350,000 copies, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Marvel also featured other Catholic saints such as the Apostle Paul in the comics. And while the ‘80s are behind us, we can all still agree.. Not all heroes wear capes, some wear habits, cassocks, or even papal white! These saints didn’t need radioactive spiders or super-soldier serum to change the world. Their stories remind us that the greatest adventure is answering God’s call to holiness.