May 2 – “Avengers report”

Well, we got our first report on the highly touted new Avengers movie.  We were babysitting Kel and Christina’s kids so they could watch the movie and then go to a staff supper provided by a professional chef.  Yep.  Professional chef.  Sounded like quite the affair, too.  Several courses of food.  I heard the words “bacon wrapped” at one point and “filet mignon” at another.  Christina wasn’t all that impressed with the cauliflower, but I guess there has to be some sticking point.  From the sounds of everything else they had, I don’t think I would have noticed the cauliflower one way or the other. 

Kel did manage to squeeze in his opinion of the movie, though.  Well, actually, Chris had to ask specifically about the meal.  He couldn’t stop talking about the movie.  Now he was careful to avoid spoiler alert give-aways.  He always is.  But I have to say, he was highly impressed with … the villain.  Seems Ultron came across just as he was supposed to in Kel’s superhero-imprinted mind.  He made the comment that the Avengers characters were all fine, sure.  But it was the fact that the bad guy was such a strong character that gave them credibility as heroes.  And “that’s the way it should be.” 

Well, I never knew that was the “approved” way of looking at superhero characters.  I mean, when I was growing up in the “real” Superman universe, bad guys were just bad guys, and the superheroes were the good guys.  But then, that was a much simpler time.  A time before the insurgent Marvel seeped onto the scene with its flawed good guy characters.  Sigh.  The good old days.  But I think Kel may have hit upon something.  I saw a FaceBook post by a good friend, Kenny Humphries, the other day.  He had a conversation with one of his kids.  I confess, I cheated and went to his page to get the details.  Here’s how he posted it:

Kenny: “Leland, who was your favorite superhero?”

Leland: “The Joker.”

Kenny: “Really? Why?”

Leland: “Well, I really like Iron Man, and Spiderman, and Superman, and they came BECAUSE Joker stole the money.  So, he’s my favorite.”

So, there you have it.  When you combine the intellectual ponderings of Kel with the refreshing, irrefutable logic of Leland, you come up with the inescapable conclusion.  Without a super-villain, the superhero is, well, meaningless.  Wait.  I think I saw that movie.  Unbreakable, wasn’t it?  Hmm.  I reiterate.  “Sigh.  Ah, for the good old days.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Father, thank you for being all the superhero any of us will ever need.  And you certainly don’t need a super villain to give you credibility.  Amen.