CHAPTER 16: THE GOLEMS Part 1: The Avengers

1. From where does the term “golem” come from? The term “golem” comes from Jewish mysticism.

2. What is the legend of their creation? Legend has it that Jewish rabbis fashioned Golems out of clay and animated them using magic. The Golems protected the Jews.

3. What negative aspect of the golems is implied in their legend? It is implied that there is a certain danger for those people the Golem protects.

4. The Golem in comics is often an… … Antihero.

5. What needs to Golems frequently act from? They act from a need for revenge.

6. How are Wolverine & Punisher described differently from Batman? Wolverine and Punisher are described as berserkers whose rage causes them to kill almost indiscriminately. Batman does not rage in the same way.

7. What is usually used to change a Golem’s nature? An artificial component or something as simple as a disguise.

8. What is the risk of being protected by a Golem? A Golem is liable to do harm to those he is supposed to protect.

9. What are Golems the expression of? The Golem is an expression of rage.

10. Of what is the Golem a byproduct? The Golem is a byproduct of insecurity and wounded pride.

11. Why was Robin introduced into the Batman comic? Robin was introduced as a character to whom young readers could relate.

12. What year did the cheesy Batman TV show come out? 1966.

13. As what kind of a “god” does Frank Miller describe Batman? Frank Miler describes Batman as a god of vengeance.

14. What epidemic was sweeping through cities during the rise of the Dark Knight Comic? A crack cocaine epidemic was sweeping through cities and gun crime was on the rise.

15. Daredevil is considered a hybrid of which two characters? Daredevil is considered a hybrid of Batman and Spider-Man.

16. What event changes Matt Murdock into a Golem figure? Nuclear waste blinds Matt Murdock and his father is killed by gangsters. This takes him on the path to becoming Daredevil.

17. What story of Daredevil helped legitimize the industry during the 80’s? The storyline “Born Again”. Murdock’s former secretary sells his identity to Kingpin in exchange for a cocaine fix.

18. Both characters deal with deaths of their parents – how do Batman & Daredevil do it differently? Batman constantly wants revenge, but Daredevil struggles against those feelings by trying to be compassionate.

CHAPTER 16: THE GOLEMS Part 2: Death Dealers

1. What was unsettling Americans in the 1960s? Social unrest was unsettling Americans in the 1960s.

2. What 1971 film featured a modern day Golem? Dirty Harry featured Clint Eastwood as a modern day Golem.

3. What kind of justice did Dirty Harry exemplify? Dirty Harry exemplified street justice, or, vigilante justice.

4. What two comic book characters did The Punisher blend? The Punisher blended Batman and the Shadow.

5. What “epidemic” gave Punisher new popularity after the 1970s? The crack cocaine epidemic gave the Punisher new popularity after the 1970s.

6. What kinds of villains did the Punisher target? The Punisher targeted crack dealers and drug lords.

7. To what kind of audience did the Punisher appeal? The Punisher appealed to the same scared urban kids who worshipped Batman.

8. When Wolverine first appeared what kind of character was he? Wolverine first appeared as a minor villain in an issue of The Incredible Hulk.

9. What kinds of heroes did Wolverine’s immediate popularity inspire? Wolverine inspired the Lethal Heroes of the 1980s.

10. In the Marvel Universe, what are mutants? In the Marvel Universe, mutants are a new race of people born with innate superpowers.

11. What kind of character did Frank Miller reinvent with the creation of Elektra? Frank Miller reinvented the concept of the comic book Amazon.

12. What was so new and notable about Elektra? There had never been a female character so ruthless in comics and certainly not a protagonist.

13. What is the definition of “nihilism”? Nihilism is the rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless.

14. What does the creation of Elektra represent in comics? Elektra represents a new and radical blurring of gender boundaries in comic books.

15. What are the five films that were inspired by new “death dealer women” like Elektra? Aliens, Terminator 2, La Femme Nikita, Kill Bill, and Point of No Return