I think of Iron Man’s armor as being more like his *emotional* armor. The guy’s primary weapon is a “repulsor”, which literally pushes people away.

I was really thinking about weapons, and the Hulk doesn’t have any. I think the Hulk is (at least since the 1970s) more about this notion that there’s a “primal” self that society suppresses.

As for Captain America — for me it’s a bit more than just a dichotomy between attacking and defending. After all he does use the shield as an offensive weapon (somewhat unbelievably) and does use guns. I’m suggesting that a shield is the natural “mythological” weapon for Captain America, because a shield can represent the shelter afforded by the USA’s Bill of Rights, shelter for refugees, and so on.

This is an excellent observation and question, I think.

I don’t think it’s too obvious to write about, but it has been written about before (though I can’t point to any source). Your comments are on the nose, I think, though the classic interpretation is slightly modified:

Captain America is a “defender”. The shield is clearly his symbol and his weapon: he protects the weak. That’s his schtick. He’s the blindingly obvious one.

Thor is an “attacker”. His hammer is from legend (Thor, with Mjolnir, kills Jormungander [my namesake] at the end of time). Thor acts; he does not react; in the Marvel mythology, that’s his tragedy.

Tony Stark, Iron Man – his iconography is more complex. His heart, physically, is totally fucked up. And the suit is his life support. In the comics, he always wears the chest bit because he’ll die if not. They touch on this in the movies – how the generator keeps him alive. Stark is a weakling, and the Iron Man suit is his shell that allows him to interact with the world (in more ways than one: his flamboyant personality is an artifact of the armor). Tony is a fuck up, and the armor protects himself and his pals. And he knows it.

So, your thesis has merit:

Captain America defends others. Thor attacks his enemies. Iron Man protects himself and that he cares about.

Now, add in The Incredible Hulk. Where does that fit in your idea? (I have my own thoughts, but I’d like to hear what you think is his “elemental” power).

I have a post brewing about superheroes and mythological weaponry. Like, why does Captain America have a shield? Why does Thor have a hammer? Why does Iron Man have armor? I don’t think it’s random. There certainly are a lot of totally random heroes in comics, but I believe the ones that make sense to our mythological imaginations are the ones that become popular. In other words, when the power matches the character.

Cap not only hates bullies, he represents American ideals like liberty and fair play — which are well-represented by a shield. Just as Athena (knowledge) wears the mantle of Zeus (power). Except, Steve Rogers doesn’t get his power from a god; in his story, the qualities of America (government, the military, human rights, openness to immigrants and refugees, technology) take a weak person and turn him into a superman.

I haven’t seen anyone else write on this theme, but it seems really obvious to me… is it just too obvious to write about?

What do you think?