Black Adam: Hero of Antiquity?

[SilverWarriorWolf]

I was just thinking, people have commented that Black Adam believes himself the true champion and thus the hero in his own mind. And that’s when it dawned on me.

Mythological heroes tended to be jerks at best, and some could be downright murderous.

Theseus and his friend decided it’d be a great idea to kidnap a goddess. Perseus turned a bunch of innocent people into stone because of the actions of one man. Achilles spent a good portion of a war sulking in his tent because he couldn’t keep a woman he kidnapped.

Teth Adam technically is a hero of antiquity, of mythology, but that doesn’t mean he’s heroic, especially at the time he’s locked away. It’s just that he’s from a culture like that. At least, that’s how I see it.

[Lightning Rider]

Hmm maybe, but I feel like those ******* heroes still faced a power greater than their own and thus had that redeeming quality about them. They accomplished some monumental task or deceived the gods in some astounding way. Adam may be the hero in his own mind but his goals are actually pretty petty. He also rarely punches u and would rather rule over the meek. In my mind, at least at first consideration, he'd need a mission beyond himself (not necessarily a moral one) to compare to a hero of antiquity, even if he retains all of his villainous qualities.

Great idea though and it certainly got me thinking. I could see him in a story that turns him into one quite easily. Maybe if he went up against the Egyptian gods themselves.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Hmm maybe, but I feel like those ******* heroes still faced a power greater than their own and thus had that redeeming quality about them. They accomplished some monumental task or deceived the gods in some astounding way. Adam may be the hero in his own mind but his goals are actually pretty petty. He also rarely punches u and would rather rule over the meek. In my mind, at least at first consideration, he'd need a mission beyond himself (not necessarily a moral one) to compare to a hero of antiquity, even if he retains all of his villainous qualities.

Great idea though and it certainly got me thinking. I could see him in a story that turns him into one quite easily. Maybe if he went up against the Egyptian gods themselves.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I still consider him a villain. He’s not an actual hero, this was just theory to explain his cognitive dissonance (believes he’s a hero, acts like a villain.)

I do think he should have some bigger enemy before he fully embraces his more bloodthirsty side, and he should have some redeeming qualities.

I mean, in New 52, Amon cared enough for his uncle to share his new powers with him. Maybe he was close to Amon, which further makes that murder his Moral Even Horizon.

[Agent Z]

Many if not most heroes of mythology would be viewed as villains from a modern day context. That was the point of making Heracles a Wonder Woman villain.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Exactly what I’m saying!

[Adekis]

I'd take it a step further. I like the idea of a Black Adam struggling to both adapt to the contemporary world and to maintain and pursue his own values for the greater good. I'd firmly label him an "anti-hero" except that I don't think the actual way that term has evolved (anyone who doesn't abide by Silver Age rules, basically. James Bond would be an anti-hero by DC standards) is really that useful. In fact I believe Black Adam should be, you know, a hero, just a Gilgamesh style hero rather than a Captain Marvel style hero.

Occasional stories where he's just arbitrarily monstrous are fine here and there I suppose, but I'd kind of like the more thoughtful modern Black Adam to fight against the older conception of Adam with his basically Kid Marvelman level of morality.