Superhero Ethics

How would the Batman story change, if Bruce Wayne lived in the late 19th century? What ideals would Superman fight for, if he landed in the Soviet Union, instead of the United States? What happens when stories take our beloved characters and break canon by placing them in totally different times, settings, situations, or tones? Paul Hoppe ( https://twitter.com/zenmadman) takes the reigns, leading...

We know the X-men of today, but what were there origins? What questions did they explore that still hold relevance for us today? And what in the world was happening on Batman 66? Jess Plummer joins us for part 2 of our dive into Comics History- The Silver Age.

How did Marvel change comics in the 60's? Who were Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and why did making superheroes relatable have such appeal? Jessica Plummer and I discuss those questions and more on the 3rd episode of our Comics History Series! Jessica Plummer lives in New York and loves Superman very very much. You can listen to just how much on her Superman podcast, Flights and Tights ( http://flights...

Dr. Doom is one of the most famous villains to grace the comic book page. But in some stories he plays the role of an anti-hero, a reluctant ally, or even sometimes a hero himself- all without losing the core of his identity and outlook. Special guest J. Scotty St. Claire joins me for a discussion of Doctor Doom, and what his numerous portrayals show us about the role that context plays in making...

When you do the right thing and bad things happen- does it mean you did something wrong? Paul and Matthew take the concept of results oriented thinking, and look at how Johnny falls into that trap with morality and consequences in Season 3 of Cobra Kai. We also talk about the consequences of violence, why no one gets therapy in the Miyagi-verse, and how a show that was an interesting critique of 1...

The new Wonder Woman movie is out, and Jessica Plummer and myself have opinions! What did we learn about WW and what questions do we still have? What is the importance of a final battle fought with words, not weapons? And did a movie set in the 1980's need to draw on so many of the sexist and racist tropes of that time?

What makes canon and continuity such a vital part of modern genre media? What are the dangers of becoming too focused on canon? MCUCast co-hosts Matthew Carroll and Jeff Randle join me to discuss these questions.

What is it like to read a book about a world ending pandemic in the time of Covid? How do we find grey in a tale of a final battle between good and evil? And can you tell a story where the characters have almost no agency, and the plot is the least important part of the book. A new limited series of The Stand is coming in December and to help get us ready (and prep for our episodes about it on Pan...

What did Supernatural have to say about found family & agency vs. determinism? Why did the ending of Castiel & Dean’s story cause so much controversy? And can Matthew, Jacob, & Ashley get through this episode without humming enough of “Carry on my Wayward Son” to get us all sued? Want to continue the discussion with us? Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts?...

What are the ethical responsibilities of a king? When do the ends justify the means? And what does it mean to create a relatable disabled character in a world of magic? Rob McKenzie returns to discuss these questions and more as we get ready for Rhythm of War, the latest book in the Stormlight Archives. Whether you’re a huge fan of the books, or never heard of them, there is lots in this discussio...

Alex Trebek has passed away and while trivia may not be a superpower, Jeopardy and trivia contests hold so much overlap with our various fandoms that we wanted to take this episode to explore the show and its importance in our culture. What is the value of objective fact? Why was a show about knowing facts so popular? And just how should we pronounce ‘genre’? To find Paul Hoppe’s stream, go to - h...

What does it mean to be a fan with a critical eye? How do we relate to the stories we loved as kids, as we come to see some of their problematic aspects? How do we balance our values with the desire to be entertained in an imperfect world? Logan Grendel returns to the podcast as we talk about these questions and more. Logan Grendel is a Dog guru, photographer, activist, urban gardener, magick prac...

Paul and I talk about tropes in our favorite movies and shows, using the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit as our launch point. What makes a trope annoying or problematic, and where can they be helpful to a story, especially a superhero one? How does Queen’s Gambit both embrace and subvert tropes in ways that make it such an engaging story? And is Chess a superpower? Want to continue the discussion...

Season 2 of The Boys has wrapped up, and we’re diving in to some of the ethical questions it raised. When superheroes are the product, who holds the real power? How did this season hold up a mirror to questions in our own world? And what will AOC... I mean Congresswoman Neuman be an anti-hero, or the new big bad in season 3? Want to continue the discussion with us? Agree or disagree with what we t...

In part two of our history of comic book superheroes, we round out the golden age with a discussion of the Comics Code Association, which tried to rescue America’s youth from the “10 cent plague!” Jessica Plummer lives in New York and loves Superman very very much. You can listen to just how much on her Superman podcast, Flights and Tights ( http://flightsandtights.libsyn.com/) . She also writes a...

‘Do not market a black character as important and then push them aside.’ - John Boyega, GQ Magazine https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/john-boyega-interview-2020 In a recent interview, John Boyega, the actor who played Finn expressed his frustration and anger at how the character was treated in the Star Wars postquels. Jared Sylva and Matthew Westfox use that interview as a jumping off...

Rob & Matthew’s excellent time travel episode! After months of ranting about the logical and ethical problems with time travel, Matthew invited OG Time Lord Rob McKenzie to explain it all. We look at different theories of time travel, and which movies and tv shows make the most sense. We look at moral questions such as human agency vs. a predetermined time line, who gets to decide what the timelin...

Mercy. Honor. Heroes. Bullies. Teen love triangles. 80’s music. Karate. Paul and Matthew dive into the Karate Kid ‘verse with hit TV show Cobra Kai. What does it mean to be a bully, or a hero, and how do we lock ourselves, and others, into those boxes? What happens when the victim gains enough power to become a bully themselves? Is physical violence an ethical response to verbal bullying? You can...

You’ve killed the evil queen - but what happens to the kingdom? Does the evil gang/company/movement just go away when you kill their leader? And if your goal is to kill that leader- is it your responsibility to come up with a plan for what happens next? Paul joins Matthew to dive into these questions and more. We use Avatar: Legend of Korra, as a jumping off point, and look at how the questions ar...

We don’t know when the movie is coming out, but we’re talking Black Widow! My cousin (to be) Ellie joins me to dive into questions like why this character is so important, to the team and to us fans, her death and how it was handled, our thoughts on the upcoming movie. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ellie McCreary is a senior at Creighton University studying psychology and philosophy. She...

Comics History - The Golden Age, Part 1- WWII When talking about superheroes, and the choices they make or how they do what they do, a favorite topic is to wonder where they started, and how they've evolved from writer to writer, and from page to screen and back again. Today we kick off a special series in which Matthew will be joined by superhero history whiz Jess Plummer, as we trace the history...

How do you value human life, when yours cannot end? What responsibility comes with the great power of (near) immortality. And is anyone left who is NOT in love with action star Charlize Theron? Special guest Fox Kaye joins Matthew for a discussion of the ethical questions raised by The Old Guard, on Netflix. Cleveland creative Fox Kaye spends most of their days as a data integration specialist, fa...

What happens when the revolution ends, and its time to give up power? Is their value to fighting with honor? And what is a robot society like, when they are the only form of life? Paul and Matthew dive into these questions and more. Their conversation starts with Transformers, War for Cybertron, but no matter how much or little you know about Transformers, the discussion has lots to explore. Want...

Who should Tony Stark answer to for Ultron? What about Scarlet Witch, for the events in Nigeria? Who should the Avengers be accountable to, and were the Sokovia accords reasonable? Paul and I discuss issues of accountability across many of the Avenger movies and wrestle with the age old question- Team Tony, or Team Cap. Want to continue the discussion with us? Agree or disagree with what we talked...

Matthew is without an internet connection and so he asked to have this episode to the new show Pandavision dropped in the feed! It's about Amazon's The Boys. Check it out and go subscribe to Pandavision!