Marvel and Milton: We Need Better Heroes

What do Marvel movies and Paradise Lost have in common? The villain is a way better character than the hero. One reason villains are so stereotypically attractive is because they know what they want, they have a plan, and they don’t stop until it happens (or they die). The evil plot is usually much clearer than the “good guy plan.”

Modern heroes, on the other hand, are just reactionary — janitors cleaning up the villain’s mess. The villain is inspiring because he’s independent. He’s not fighting so that he can work through childhood guilt and win the woman (looking at you, Batman), he’s fighting because he has a vision (however twisted) and wants to make it happen.

The Joker is Nolan’s most terrifying villain because he *doesn’t* have a plan — he’s pure chaos. Frodo and Aragorn are good heroes because they have a purpose beyond defeating Sauron — they want to protect the Shire and restore Gondor. Remember all the flashbacks to Maximus’ farm and wheat fields in Gladiator? Maximus was driven by something positive — he wanted to live in peace with his family. Captain America is a weak hero because his heroic identity is negative — it isn’t developed beyond “killing bad guys.”

Life is pretty messed up. We need heroes and we need to be heroic, but we need to be the right kind of hero. If we get our energy from hating the “other side” (the ‘libs, the racists, the socialists, the Trumpers) then we might win enough battles to take out the “bad guys” but we won’t have anything better to replace it with — we need plans and visions of our own. A good doctor doesn’t just fight disease, he helps the patient live a healthy life. Weeding isn’t needed unless we have crops to protect.

Who’s your favorite villain? Is he/she more focused than the hero?