Atomic Bomb (Superhero) Cinema?:Nuclear Threat and Apocalyptic Tradition in Kingdom Come

In his analysis of what he terms “Atomic Bomb Cinema,” Jerome Shapiro examines a wide variety of films, from traditional Hollywood productions to Japanese films rarely seen (at least in their original incarnation, in the case of Gojira) by American audiences. His study assumes the presence of recurring themes in popular culture, yet Shapiro never truly addresses any other popular media, many of which feature similar apocalyptic narratives. This is not necessarily a slight against Shapiro’s work, as he could not be expected to discuss such an exhaustive range of texts; instead, the very limitations of Shapiro’s study suggest possibilities for further study, examining other texts and other media through the lens of the Judaic apocalyptic tradition.
In this essay, I will attempt to illustrate the apocalyptic tropes within the comic book Kingdom Come, a 4-issue series originally released in 1996 by DC comics. Written by Mark Waid with art by Alex Ross, Kingdom Come is one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed books (while originally released as 4 separate issues, it is usually found in graphic novel form) DC has ever published. The series presents a dystopic future in which familiar superhero figures (including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and many other DC characters) must contend with their ‘replacements,’ a new generation of ultra-violent ‘heroes.’ The conflict between the two groups of superpowers culminates in an ultimately destructive battle that jeopardizes America (and to a lesser extent, the entire world).
Kingdom Come is very clearly intended to reference literary and cultural traditions of the apocalypse. The book begins with an extended quote from the Book of Revelation, and like the Biblical text, Kingdom Come is narrated by a man who receives a series of visions – in this case the preacher Norman McKay. Norman has been tasked with witnessing these future events (and will also be responsible for a final judgment, which I will discuss later), and repeatedly see parallels between the descriptions of Armageddon in scriptures and what he sees, seeing the “thunders, lightning, and earthquakes” during a climactic battle between two super-powered fighters, or describing the seven members of Superman’s powerful peace-keeping as the “Seven Thunders” or “Seven Angels” from Revelation.
While the text explicitly references biblical apocalyptic traditions, Kingdom Come also clearly ties this apocalypse to the threat of nuclear destruction. It is not the first work to connect superheroes and superpowers with the awesome power and destruction of the atomic/nuclear bomb. While several of the well-known “Golden Age” superheroes of the 1940s, such as Superman or Wonder Woman, were created well before the existence and popular knowledge of the atomic bomb, they were soon connected with its existence. In nearly all of the retellings of the Superman origin[1], for example, the explosion of the planet Krypton is at least partially connected to a nuclear detonation, and the visual trope of the exploding planet clearly alludes to the familiar mushroom cloud. The most popular Superman allegory, Marvel Comic’s Hyperion, extends the connection by replacing the familiar “S” logo with the equally-familiar three-pronged symbol for radioactivity. Additionally, most of the “Silver Age” heroes from the 1960s, were inherently tied to the bomb (or at least ‘harmful radioactivity’). The best-known example is Marvel’s Incredible Hulk series, in which a meek nuclear scientist becomes a rampaging monster after being caught in the blast of a Trinity-esque bomb test; the destructive capabilities of the bomb were given form in the Hulk’s uncontrollable rage and unstoppable demolishing of entire cities.
In the future world of Kingdom Come, the narrator Norman McKay introduces the heroes in a Biblical context: “According to the word of God, the meek would inherit the Earth…Someday…But God never accounted for the Mighty” (20-21). These words are framed by a skirmish between two groups of superpowered beings, a familiar sight in most comic books. However, unlike the usual scene, it is not only impossible to ascertain who are heroes and who are villains (a fundamental aspect of superhero comics is the clear distinction between the two), but it is not even clear who is fighting whom, as it appears to be a free-for-all melee rather than any struggle between good and evil. Alex Ross’s art clearly illustrates the ‘collateral damage’ caused by the fight, as cars and busses are hurled through the air, combatants are thrown through the sides of buildings, and stray blasts rain debris down on bystanders. Norman continues, “They no longer fight for the right [morals]. They fight simply to fight, their only foes each other” (22); the terrifying truth to this early scene is that these destructive forces all consider themselves ‘heroes,’ fighting for the side of good, laughing as they destroy buildings and endanger the lives of those around them. “I tell myself that this, too, shall pass,” the narrator concludes, “that humans still have a chance to reclaim a world…that in the face of superhuman might and superhuman odds…time has not yet run out for humanity…I am wrong.”
The first of Norman McKay’s revelations is a nuclear explosion that obliterates Kansas and most of the Great Plains states. This is not caused by any outside attack, but rather by an act of ‘superhero’ hubris. Desperate for villains to fight, a rash mob of superpowered vigilantes, calling themselves the “Justice Battalion” (a hyper-militarized version of today’s “Justice League”), corners a “weathered” and “panicked” super-villain, even refusing the villain’s surrender (the new generation of “heroes,” unlike the Golden-Age Superman, readily dispatch their opponents with lethal force). Accidentally, the superhero known as Captain Atom[2] is “split open” releasing a massive wave of nuclear destruction, annihilating the entire Midwest.
This cataclysm appears to be solved by the timely arrival of the ‘traditional’ superpowers, including Superman and the Justice League, but Norman McKay realizes that “the threat of Armageddon hasn’t ended…it’s just begun” (55). The two groups of superpowers literally face off in the wastelands of Kansas. The United Nations, fearful of the powers outside of their control, drop thermonuclear bombs onto the battlefield. Norman McKay is told to choose,[3] to either stop the bomb and allow the conflict to continue, or allow the bomb to fall and destroy all of the ‘heroes’ – McKay refuses, as he is “not a god,” while Superman likewise refuses to choose, noting that he is “not a man,” and the decision is given to the character of Captain Marvel[4], who is simultaneously an innocent, traumatized child and “Earth’s mightiest mortal.” Marvel chooses to sacrifice himself, detonating the bomb in the atmosphere.
Shapiro notes that the Jewish tradition of the apocalypse is not as concerned with the final disaster as it is with the rebirth and recovery that follow the revelation. After Captain Marvel detonates the bomb in a massive mushroom cloud ringed with Marvel’s signature magic lightning, we see several scenes of utter destruction, a gray wasteland of scorched skeletons and body armor – the smoke clear to show Superman, his eyes glowing with rage as he flies off to confront the United Nations leaders. Yet, Norman McKay steps in to remind Superman of all that he has been shown – that violent responses are not the answer, rather all must be forgiven (most importantly, McKay notes, Superman must forgive himself, as the hero holds himself culpable for both Kansas catastrophes). It is soon noted that the second explosion has not changed anything – while many superpowers were killed, enough remain “to leave us with the same problems as before” (194). Yet, the state of grace is recovered, as the superpowered are united with humanity, and the individual problems of each hero are resolved – Superman literally returns to his Kansas farm, where he strips away the radiation and begins to pull a giant plow across the land. In the epilogue, not only is his humanity restored (as he once again dons the spectacles of Clark Kent), but the promise of regeneration and rebirth is shown in the announcement of a child between Superman and Wonder Woman, the two most powerful heroes of the Golden Age (with Batman as a godfather, of course).
While Waid and Ross clearly intend Kingdom Come to serve as a critique of more[5] than just nuclear politics, their allegory reveals a noteworthy ideology – in a post-Cold-War America, where there are too many nuclear weapons and not enough enemies, we are in danger of self-destruction. Out hope lies in resurrecting the values of the past in harmony with present beliefs, a common enough theme in Atomic Bomb Culture.


[1] When the character was first introduced, there was no mention of the destruction on Krypton (or of any connection to a rural upbringing in the heartland of Kansas). These elements were incorporated in the late 1940s.
[2] Captain Atom was a character introduced in 1960, a being of nearly-limitless atomic energy held in a containment suit (which would often either rupture or break, requiring the Captain to flee to a safe distance and explode); in the 1980s and 1990s, the character was redefined and his role as an active military officer was emphasized – Captain Atom literally served the whim of the President/Chiefs of Staff, often contrary to the rest of the superheroes.
[3] Just as John the Revelator is guided through his visions by an angel, Norman McKay is accompanied by the Spectre, an “angel of vengeance” (and Golden-Age superhero) who has lost his connection to humanity.
[4] When Captain Marvel’s series outsold Superman’s Action Comics in the 1940s, a copyright lawsuit forced Fawcett Comic to cease publishing the hero, who was later bought by DC and brought into the DC ‘canon.’ In the copyright trial, Fawcett claimed that Captain Marvel was original precisely because he was actually a human being, a theme Waid emphasizes in Kingdom Come.
[5] Mark Waid, in interviews, has claimed that he intended the series as a criticism of the trend of ‘postmodern’ (post-1986) comic book superheroes, which were hypermasculine, hyperviolent, and frequently immoral.