The Incredible Hulk ‘probably a Catholic’
HE is big, he is green and he is sometimes mean. The Incredible Hulk is also probably a Roman Catholic, according to the Vatican’s daily newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
Yesterday, it devoted a full page to looking at the Catholic identity of popular comic-book superheroes — and questioning the religious affiliation of some of the most popular.
Headlined “Was the Hulk really a Catholic?”, the article was accompanied by scenes from popular comic strips — Batman, showing his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, as a boy saying his prayers by his bed, and the Hulk depicted with rosary beads in his hands.
“Is it enough for a person to have a rosary in his hand to be defined a Catholic?” asked journalist Gaetano Vallini. Nonetheless, he said, there was plenty of evidence to indicate the Hulk was a Catholic. “Bruce Banner, the incredible green man, in fact married his beloved Betty Ross in a church and a Catholic priest presided at the ceremony.
“There are other indications dispersed among the hundreds of comic strips dedicated to him that are said to unequivocally reveal his faith.”
The writer said there was evidence to suggest Bruce Wayne’s mother was Catholic, whereas the character Nightcrawler from the X-Men films explicitly refers to his Catholic faith.
Vallini said the release of the new Superman film, Man of Steel, had also reignited debate about the religion of the main protagonist, Clark Kent, even though he apparently admits to being a Methodist.
The US’s mega churches have been urging the faithful to see the film. A review published in L’Osservatore noted many similarities between Superman and Christ, but said the film was no threat to the gospel. —