Saturday, March 16, 2013
Comic Art
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union rose to power after the Russian Civil War of 1918-1921. The official communist state was established on December 30, 1922 as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), otherwise known as the Soviet Union led by Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. After Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin gained control of the party and ruled with an iron fist."Fascinating," I thought. The "National Socialist Party" (Nazi's) are not listed - nor are more modern, though equally deadly, political entities. The Nazi exclusion is especially interesting because superheroes were born in the crucible that lead to WWII. The prototype, Superman, was born specifically of two young Jewish lads contemplating the horror that was to come and the Nazi ideal of the Ubermensch.
Stalin turned his attention toward America and saw the presence of super powered beings. Deciding to have his own superhumans he appoints a Soviet man to become the Union's champion giving him the codename Red Guardian. Noticing the rise of the Nazi Party, Stalin signed a nonaggression pact with them in 1939 hoping to avoid a war. But in 1941 the pact was broken when the Nazi's started to invade the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union then joined the United States, England, and their allies. Enraged Adolf Hitler summoned Thor and ordered him to attack Stalin. However the attack was foiled by the Invaders and Stalin proceeded to the Teheran Conference to meet with Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Soon after the conference Hitler was killed by the Human Torch and the war ended.
Soon after the war ended tension began to rise between the Union, England, and America leading to the Cold War. However in 1953 Stalin died and years later the Cold War ended in 1989. Following those events the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991.
Of course, "wiki's" are the products of the contributors and there are few left alive that remember the horrors or Nazism. And in this political correct age would we ever demonize even a genocidal regime? I wonder if this inclusion contemplates the horror of the Soviets or thinks they have been reduced to some sort of joke? My natural cynicism would lean towards the later.
I constantly remind people that comics reflect culture, they do not establish it. But I wonder if in this case they should not attempt a bit of leadership. Evil political regimes are real - from Hilter to Stalin to Mugabe. It is not something we should ever forget.
Sorry for the bummer Comic Art, but one in a while....
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