Marvel characters and their religions

[Hybrid]

Just wondering, what are all the known religious beliefs that the characters of the Marvel Universe have? Some are more well-known than others, and I think religion isn’t used too much so as to avoid alienating audiences, so it can be tricky.

To be fair, in a world as crazy as the MU, you do wonder how religion is affected, but that’s another topic.

What comes to mind:

Captain America - Christian
Daredevil - Christian (Catholic)
Falcon - Christian
Iron Man - Atheist
Kitty Pryde - Jewish
Madrox - Buddhist
Magneto - Jewish
Monet - Muslim
Moon Knight - Jewish (non-practicing)
Mr. Fantastic - Atheist
Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) - Muslim
Nightcrawler - Christian (Catholic)
Punisher - Christian
Shang-Chi - Buddhist
Spider-Man - Atheist

Anyone else of note?

[WebLurker]

Seems like Spider-Man is vaguely Christian, depending on the writer.

[Londo Bellian]

Matt Murdock was established as Christian (Catholic?), since he used to visit a priest.

Kurt Wagner was a devout Christian (and studied for the priesthood at one point), and Kitty Pryde was pronouncedly Jewish in her youth. But as Nightcrawler and Kate Pryde of Krakoa, apparently they have become atheist (or if Magneto can have his way, they'd worship themselves, each other, and their fellow mutants).

[Ravin' Ray]

I used this website in the past and at the end it has a very long table of superheroes' religions. There may be errors here and there.

https://www.adherents.com/lit/comics..._religion.html

[GenericUsername]

Scarlet Witch is pagan. It was somewhat revisited again in her solo. But she converted sometime in the 80s. Before that I'm sure it was whatever Roma beliefs she was raised with (although they never really showed that, and it'd clash with Roma beliefs).

[Silvermoth]

Seems like Spider-Man is vaguely Christian, depending on the writer.

He always struck me more as Jewish

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Just wondering, what are all the known religious beliefs that the characters of the Marvel Universe have? Some are more well-known than others, and I think religion isn’t used too much so as to avoid alienating audiences, so it can be tricky.

In a storytelling sense, it's important that Matt Murdock is a Catholic (either lapsed or doubting but someone who takes religion seriously), it's important that Ben Grimm be a practicing Jew, as well as Kate Pryde, and Kamala Khan be a practising Muslim (not sure if she's Sunni or Shi'a).

But for everyone else, religion is not really very important or relevant.

Spider-Man - Atheist

Spider-Man is Secular rather than Atheist. He doesn't have an identity pertaining to that.

He always struck me more as Jewish

Religiously? No.

The first openly Jewish Marvel superhero is Katherine "Kitty" Pryde. Whereas Ben Grimm was the first Marvel hero, and first real superhero, coded as Jewish (by his creator and alter-ego Jack Kirby, a real-life observant Jew).

Spider-Man was never either of that.

Ethnically speaking, Spider-Man can only be Jewish if his mother Mary Fitzpatrick Parker, is Jewish. And there's no evidence anywhere that is the case.

[Phoenixx9]

Jean Grey Christian (Presbyterian)

Been Grimm Jewish

[chamber-music]

The Punisher is a former Catholic
Firebird is a devout Catholic
Legion is Jewish (non-practicing I think)
Wolfsbane is Scots presbyterian

He always struck me more as Jewish

I think he is written sometimes to sound a little culturally Jewish which isn't unheard of given New York's multicultural vibe in certain areas.

[Michael Watkins]

Eric O'Grady - catholic
Henry Pym - atheist

[Ultimate Captain America]

Black Panther, Shuri, Okoye and the other Wakandans have a fictional religion.

Namor is a pagan, he worships Neptune (god of the seas in the Roman religion)

Thor, Hercules and Loki are pagan gods (or whatever) in themselves.

Dr. Doom worships himself.

[U.N. Owen]

Sue Storm is catholic although as Infinity Crusade points out, she's pretty quiet about it. Still, she does things like pray to saints and visits St. Patrick's Cathedral.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Thor, Hercules and Loki are pagan gods (or whatever) in themselves.

Thor and Loki worship Odin so they practice ancestor-worship.

Of course, after the events of Gorr the God Butcher/Godbomb, Thor had a real crisis of faith and now calls himself "the god of the unworthy" so I don't think Thor believes that he and other gods are anything other than alien beings who constantly have to earn and live up to the faith of those who believe them.

Dr. Doom worships himself.

Dr. Doom has become God (twice), so that's kinda warranted.

[mugiwara]

Beta Ray Bill and Quasar (Wendell) are atheists.

[Digifiend]

That makes sense - you'd think all cosmic heroes would be, as the existence of aliens definitely contradicts the old testament. Of course, so does the real life existence of dinosaur fossils! In the Marvel Universe, the Christian/Jewish/Muslim God isn't real (though people still pray to him), but the Norse and Greek/Roman pantheons are (the same goes for DC I think). Of course these days, religion is more about the moral lessons than about actually believing God made the Earth in a week.