The Power of Myth: Why Some Fans Cling to Old Archetypes While Appreciating New Ones

The great power of fiction—especially mythological fiction—is how personal a story or character can become to its audience. That's because myths resonate and illuminate the 'human condition' through exaggeration, hyperbole, and metaphor—but especially through archetypes.

The characters in myths are archetypes. Whether they are modern mythological archetypes like Batman or James Bond or ancient mythological archetypes like Hercules or Abraham, they all have broad general appeal because they are simple and powerful ideas people can easily identify with. Because mythological archetype characters are so simple, it is easy for anyone of us to add nuances of our own—superimposing aspects of our own psychology on the character so they become our own. A good mythological archetype character is a framework on which each of us builds our own interpretation.

Personal Interpretation of Characters

Take Batman, for instance. The basic premise of the character is so simple that it adapts perfectly to a vast range of interpretations—from the gritty, serious treatment of The Dark Knight Returns and The Batman to the campy silliness of Adam West or Lego Batman. Every writer, artist, actor, and director brings their own interpretation to the character—just as does everyone in the audience! Swept up in the fantasy, the audience partners with the storytellers to create a keenly personal version in each audience member's imagination. Myths are a cooperative venture between the storyteller and the audience.

Attachment to Formative Experiences

If you are a fanatic, remember who read or watched a particular version of your favorite character or story at a formative time in your life. You are likely to become attached to whatever version or vision first engaged your imagination. Most of us who first encountered James Bond via Sean Connery, for instance, can't help seeing every successive actor who plays 007 as an ersatz Bond. I was introduced to Superman through George Reeves' gentle paternal portrayal on the 1950s television show— and that informed my interpretation through my whole Superman career!

Fandom as a Personal and Vehement Experience

Fandom can become so personal that it defines your life. When it reaches that level of vehemence, it can even become a religion. What is the Bible but a successful myth with so many devoted fans that they have been willing to go to war for it—to kill, burn, oppress, and persecute anyone who disputes their version of their favorite story? Some fans today have that same zeal. Dudes who freak out when the latest version of Iron Man or Thor is female or when a new Spider-Man is Black or a new Superman is bisexual express feelings of rage and hatred not dissimilar to jihadists or domestic White terrorists. They fail to understand what religious fundamentalists can't grasp: any myth that fails to change with the times eventually dies out.

Evolution of Myths and Religions

The existence of Zeus and Odin was once accepted as literal fact. The Bible, Torah, and Qur'an have all been edited and modified over the centuries but not enough to keep up with the growth in human knowledge. Despite the millions of rabid fans he still has, Jehovah/Jehovah/Adonai/Allah is gradually following Odin and Zeus down the path all gods before him have followed. Like all lost religions, the Abrahamic tradition is full of good, interesting, and even valuable stories and archetypes. But fans and True Believers can take some comfort in knowing that their version of whichever book they love won't ever completely disappear. Even after Humanity has moved on and stopped believing altogether or just found new stories to make religions out of, the old holy books will remain to be reexamined and enjoyed by scholars, new generations of mythmakers, and new fans.

Conclusion: Revisiting Old Favorites

It's the same with reactionary fans of superheroes. The comics and movies you loved still exist. These new versions are being made for the needs and tastes of new audiences—but you can always go back to your collection. Nothing new invalidates what you loved. Whatever new myth or religion replaces your favorite version, its success and survival will depend on whether it manages to bring with it whatever immortal truth the original had. For instance, whatever color or gender identity Superman has in each successive reboot or iteration won't matter as long as they are still a character whose greatest power is compassion and they use it to protect people and stand for Truth and Justice. If what makes Superman super is ultimately lost, the character will fade to obscurity. Even then, you can still go back and look at Joe Shuster's version or Curt Swan's or John Byrne's or mine.

But dammit! Sean Connery is the only 'real' Bond!