This summer on SCI FI Channel, legendary comic book creator Stan Lee (Spider-man, Hulk, The Fantastic Four, X-Men) capitvated our family with his show, Who Wants To Be A Superhero? The show did use a few campy reality show tactics, like taking cheap shots at overweight people and unnecessarily aggravating personality conflicts between contestants. I'm also worried about the direction Mr. Lee has taken over the past few years (recent partnerships with Hugh Hefner to co-create a show, for example, and Pamela Anderson's Stripperella series.) But this summer, Mr. Lee restored my faith in his storytelling abilities and gave us a way to underline some key biblical qualities for our sons. On the show, contestants were eliminated when they chose selfishness over service, and were rewarded when they behaved, well, sort of like Jesus:
... No one will be leaping over tall buildings in a single bound; our superheroes will be tested for courage, integrity, self-sacrifice, compassion, and resourcefulness — all traits that every true superhero must possess ...In every one of the six episodes, the now eighty-something Mr. Lee appeared on a large screen to interact with the contestants, issuing commands, rewards, and punishments like a deity. One of the most touching episodes showed him affirming the final three contestants, "Feedback" (pictured above), "Captain Victory," and "Fat Momma." As the legendary father figure described the nobility and goodness he had glimpsed in each of them, all three broke down in joyful tears, giving our family the chance to talk about how every human heart hungers for paternal acceptance and blessing. So here's a message to Mr. Lee from a grateful Mom -- stay away from Hefner and the temptation of even more big bucks, and stick to what you do best: telling stories about people who overcome weakness to demonstrate true character. Now that's a life-giving legacy.
