Yesterday was Easter and we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story of the Messiah is the central story of the universe, which is why there are so many messianic figures in all of our narratives. Below are some nerdy messianic figures and how they stack up against Jesus.
|
|
Jesus |
Gandalf |
Vader |
Jean Grey |
Spock |
|
Means of Death |
Cross |
First-degree burns |
Lightsaber wounds |
Radiation |
Radiation (How unoriginal) |
|
Killed By
|
Romans |
Balrog |
Obi-Wan Kenobi |
Damaged shuttle |
Warp core |
|
Tomb
|
Cave |
Mountain top |
Cybernetic suit |
Underwater space cocoon |
Photon torpedo |
|
Resurrected By |
Holy Spirit |
I didn’t read the Silmarillion |
Emperor Palpatine |
The Phoenix Force |
The Genesis Device |
|
Powers Gained through Death |
None. Already omnipotent. |
White wizard powers |
Underwater breathing |
Everything |
Role in new Star Trek |
|
Circle of Friends |
Disciples |
The Fellowship |
Robocop and WALL-E |
The X-Men |
Crew of the Enterprise |
|
Positive Results |
Salvation |
Victory at Helm’s Deep |
Emperor’s death |
Awesome storyline |
Star Trek IV |
|
Negative Results |
Sunrise Service |
Too many gray robes |
Jedi deaths |
Dark Phoenix |
Star Trek V |
So many of our books, comics, movies and television shows will always have threads of the Jesus’ narrative. Even without messianic figures like these above, we can still find Jesus’ story everywhere we look. We just need to open our eyes and be willing to look.
In what other narratives have you seen Jesus’ story?
For some reason I always expected God to look like Gandalf…
I see Jesus’ story narrated in the Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. With puppets. It was awesome.
I love the good results/bad results on Spock! Totally agree. Just had an amazing experience with II-IV and quite unwisely followed with V, confirming my eternal hatred of that film. (Except for a few great moments.)
As to where else I see Jesus, definitely in Data (TNG) and Benjamin Sisko (DS9). Also in Harry Potter. 🙂
I haven’t read enough of Harry’s story to see his messianic qualities yet.
Sisko is an interesting messianic figure since he fought it for so long.
I find that aspect of Sisko’s character interesting as well. It’s a great picture of the internal struggle that Jesus had to overcome, if it’s perhaps more drawn out over time.
When you get done with Harry, let me know. My dear friend is a Harry Potter expert. I’ve written two articles interviewing her on her views of Harry as a Christ figure. Beautiful stuff. 🙂
Buffy jumped into a multidimensional portal to save the universe and was resurrected the next season by Willow, who later became somewhat of a Goddess. Spike also returned to life (or the vampire equivalent) after sacrificing himself to close the Hellmouth. A character even compares him to Gandalf.
John Crichton from Farscape dies more times than I can recount, but the most notable was in The Peacekeeper Wars. What’s interesting about that time is that when he’s resurrected, he actually loses a power instead of gaining one.
The Doctor does this every couple of years and Jack Harkness seems to die at least once an episode.