Eighty-four years ago, a pair of comic book creators had a brilliant idea. The publishers of All-Star Comics had a pair of popular superheroes in Green Lantern and the Atom. Meanwhile, the company had just merged with rival National Periodical Publications that had their own staple of superheroes – including the Flash, Hawkman, and the Sandman. Writer Gardner Fox and editor Sheldon Mayer thought it would be fun if all these heroes banded together to fight crime in their own comic book. The Justice Society of America, the world’s first superhero team, was born.
Of course, super villains everywhere were greatly alarmed, but comic book fans were delighted. Rival publishers quickly jumped on the idea and put together their own teams. Many of them, like the Crime Crusaders Club and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents have faded from public memory; others, like the Avengers and the X-Men, have become a part of our cultural fabric.
Superheroes and saints
Now, I have been thinking about the phenomenon of the superhero team in relation to Catholic saints. Before you roll your eyes (again), hear me out, please!
We each have particular saints that we turn to regularly for intercessory help, and for guidance and inspiration. I imagine that most of us, in fact, have several saints who are important in our lives. Most of the time, we think of these saints in isolation from one another. I might read a book about St. Therese and reflect upon her life, then later in the afternoon ask St. Joseph for assistance, and still later stop at a statue of Padre Pio in my parish to say some prayers.
All those things are great, but I am thinking that I may have been missing something important: St. Therese, St. Joseph, Padre Pio, and all the rest of the elect belong to the communion of saints – that is, they dwell in eternal friendship and unity with Christ.
In a certain sense, I never have an isolated relationship with an individual saint. Whether I realize it or not, there is a host of holy men and women who are trying to help me spread the love of Christ and eventually make it to heaven. There is, in other words, a whole team of saints at work in my life.
My own super team
That’s where my fascination with super teams comes in (at least that part of me that will always be ten years old). Just like Fox and Mayer conceived of the Justice Society, might it be helpful to conceive of the saints in my life as a kind of personal super team? Would that be helpful?
Of course, the saints who help me are much more powerful and unified than any band of superheroes could ever be. And while the outfits they wears are certainly as varied as those worn by the heroes of the Justice Society or Avengers, they are also much more dignified.
Anyway, you can view the gallery below to see some of the saints on my own super team. And just for fun, I invite you to share your own saintly super team – in the comments section below, or on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
And today we celebrate...