I’ve been thinking a lot about evil and redemption lately. The first principle of Catholic Social Teaching affirms every human being is deserving of life and dignity because they are made in the image and likeness of God. Nothing can take that right away, not even their own destructive actions. So there is always a line, theologically, between sinner and sin. While the idea of redemption is theologically vital, we often struggle with it in the face of real world evil. At least I know I do. This cognitive dissonance begs the question is there a line, an evil act or actions we can’t return from? Doctor Doom is a character uniquely suited to explore this question. For decades he was the most evil villain in the Marvel Universe. But over the last few years, in both Invincible Iron Man and Infamous Iron Man, Brian Michael Bendis put a newly reformed Victor Von Doom inside Tony Stark’s armor in an attempt to atone for all he’s done. Now Fantastic Four has returned to the comic shelves and Doom’s future is a question mark once again. Can someone like Doctor Doom ever truly be redeemed? Continue reading
My Comic Relief 