The Timely Planet

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 10:26 – King James Version

Fear comes in many shape and sizes, from the irrational fears of heights and clowns, to every day anxieties, and to fears of losing a loved one. Courage is often associated as the antithesis of fear. One is courageous, brave, if they can face their fears or act without fear at all. But what does it mean to be courageous? How does one overcome great fear? What does it mean to be one without fear?

Here, we’ll take a look at two characters, Matt Murdock from Marvel Comics and Hal Jordan from DC Comics. One is often touted as “the man without fear” and the other is known to “overcome great fear.” Each of these characters’ approach to fear and courage overlap, but also come from different in their source.

“God’s plan is like a beautiful tapestry. And the tragedy of being human is that we only get to see it from the back. With all the ragged threads and the muddy colors. And we only get a hint at the true beauty that would be revealed if we could see the whole pattern on the other side…as God does.”

Matt Murdock, Marvel’s Daredevil Season 3

Matt’s approach to fear is an external one that comes from on high. Matthew “Matt” Murdock is a blind lawyer from New York who moonlights as the “the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.” Ironically, a core ethos of Matt’s character is his devotion to God. In all religions, not just Catholicism, there is power in prayer. Prayer can be done formally at shrines or churches, through hand gestures, or intricate signs, or merely feeling the presence of one’s god and speak with an open heart and mind; absent of worldliness and open to grace.

In Catholicism, evangelists and prophets talk about the power of prayer, especially its ability to help brave through adversities. James 5:13 for example, says “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.” Psalms 18:30 says “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” These are all different variants, permutations, of the same key teaching — through God, nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37). In relation to overcoming fear and adversities, prayer is always present. Catholics hold masses in times of calamities or tragedies; we see Churches take prayer requests; faith healers are popular because the power of prayer and the people who seek that power.

In Season 3 of Marvel’s Daredevil, Matt disavows God, claiming that “Job is a pussy” and that he’s seen the true face of God. Matt finds himself in a place of Misotheism, or a hate of God after his life crumbled in front of him and evil seemingly triumphing through the Kingpin. However, in the end, Matt returns to the light of God after seeing the sacrifices of those around him. In his reconciliation with God, he provided a eulogy for his fallen father figure, Father Paul Lanthom. There, Matt said “ If Father Lantom had an enemy, I’d say it was fear. For me, personally, he spent many years trying to get me to face my own fears. To understand how they enslaved me. How they divided me from the people that I love. He counseled me to transcend my fears. To be brave enough to forgive, and see the possibilities of being a Man Without Fear. That was his legacy, and now it’s up to all of us to live up to it.” That lesson carried Matt forward and helped him rebuild the life he’s lost, and find a way to be born again.

God’s got no choice but to watch. Okay? He’s got to have that moment over and over. That’s forever part of him. That he couldn’t stop it. That had to let it happen. But, you have to see, that’s what makes him different than me or you. Everything he does, it’s all necessary. It has to be. He has to be who he is. He has to do what he does. But not us, right? See, a god, a god doesn’t have what we have. It’s our will. It’s our own will. The free will that he gave us.

Hal Jordan, Justice League Darkseid War: Green Lantern

Hal Jordan’s approach to fear is not through devotion in a god, but inward, through the power of the self. Hal Jordan, as a Green Lantern, fights using the green light of willpower. Only those who can overcome great fear can wield the green ring. Back in the day, the Green Lantern Corps had 7,200 lanterns, two to each sector. That number has risen and dwindled since the New 52 in 2011, but despite all the lanterns coming and going, especially those from Earth; among the ranks of the Green Lanterns, no one’s willpower is stronger than Hal Jordan’s.

Willpower is the same as faith in many sense. It is metaphysical. Ethereal and non-corporeal. It is hard to describe exactly what willpower is, but you know what it is when you feel it. A way that it can be describe is that, unlike prayer which entails faith in the divine, willpower is faith in one’s self and one’s abilities. Perhaps in the place of evangelists and prophets with their verses on prayer, willpower’s counterpart is motivation and cheers. Rather than drawing strength from up high, willpower draws strength not only from within but from around.

In the 1993 story Emerald Twilight, Hal Jordan’s willpower is tested when his greatest fear comes to life, the death of thousands and the complete and utter destruction of his home town of Coast City. Hal stumbled and succumbed to fear, even so far as taking the name of the entity of fear itself, Parallax. But, eventually, in 1996’s Final Night, Hal Jordan finds his way back into the light, sacrificing himself and reigniting the Earth’s dying sun.

However, we see with both men, that one approach is not better than the other. In fact, one approach is never enough. Prayer alone was never enough for Matt. Matt draws power from his friends and family. Matt was raised by his father, a former boxer named Battlin’ Jack Murdock. Fittingly, when Matt is at his lowest, and his father comes to mind, Matt uses boxing terminology that we are all too familiar with. When you’re down, you get back up. You keep going until that bell rings. Conversely, for Hal, willpower is never enough. Or rather, his willpower is not simply one that comes from within himself. The willpower that empowers the Green Lanterns comes from a godlike entity named Ion. Ion’s light is housed in the Central Power Battery on the planet Oa where robed aliens known as the Guardians tend to its care. To draw from Ion’s power, a lantern must recite an oath. However, despite being characterized as an oath akin to one taken by officers, it is more like a prayer; one often said when a lantern is at their lowest. In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might. Beware my power, Green Lantern’s light.

Although we can name and put a face to our fears, the way to overcome it is often ethereal and difficult to define. However, there’s comfort in that. Overcoming fear is difficult to explain because of the power it posses. It can be the power of prayer or the power of the self. It can come from above, all around us, or from within. Because that’s what bravery is, that’s what courage is, it’s the belief that things can be better and the action to make things better. Where you draw power to make that happen depends on you.