Throughout the history of civilization, heroes have been the center of literary attention. The greatest literary epics of each civilization – such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, Odyssey, Ramayana, Aeneid, Beowulf, and King Arthur – are by definition inspiring tales about heroes. However, each society has had different expectations of how heroes behave. The lovesick infidelity of Odysseus is extremely different from the chivalrous self-denial of Sir Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Modern society has created a multitude of new heroes (Marvel claims over 9,000 by itself) that has resulted in major deviances from the traditional noble-born hero whose greatest enemy is himself. For example, there are heroes with every imaginable power, from laser vision to teleportation, and a new genre of a self-made hero whose claim to fame is incredible martial art skills. It may seem like the traditional hero has been forgotten and supplanted by a new type of self-made hero, but he still survives, albeit with different clothes and accents. One of the best examples of the traditional hero with a new wardrobe is monster-slaying Beowulf under the guise of Professor X from the X-men series. Although the two are separated by a vast period of time and differ in their powers, they are fundamentally the same character with similar faults.
In their youth, Beowulf and Professor X both embody the ideals of the traditional hero. The son of Ecgtheow and thane to Lord Hygelac of the Geats, Beowulf is born into the warrior aristocracy of his Germanic tribe and blessed from birth with extraordinary strength and skill in combat (Greenblatt 29). As “the mightiest man on earth, highborn and powerful,” Beowulf undertook many daring challenges and dangerous deeds, such as swimming through the sea in full armor and slaying sea monsters (Greenblatt 35, 42). He is the undisputed leader of a group of soldiers that he brings along on his adventures, but does not truly rely on them for anything. The greatest challenges of his youth are his fights against the demon Grendel and the mother of Grendel, a troll hag. In these battles, he stays true to his society’s values, upholding his formal boasts to defeat each opponent single-handedly. Grendel terrorized the country ruled by King Hrothgar of the Danes for years, killing all those who dared to feast and remain in the great drinking hall of Heorot after dark. At last, Beowulf arrived and easily defeated Grendel, and ripping the arm off of the fleeing demon to prove it. Consequently, Grendel’s mother sought revenge, and Beowulf was forced to kill her to bring peace to the land. The troll hag, however, was Beowulf’s greatest challenge. She was a match for Beowulf in strength and cunning, and Beowulf admits, “I barely managed to escape with my life,” (Grennblatt 76). Similarly, Professor X is born into a wealthy family and receives an excellent education. However, Professor X is a mutant with the power of telekinesis, not strength. After graduating from Oxford University, he becomes involved in a plot by evil mutants to bring about a nuclear apocalypse so mutants can take over the world (It was more of a kill-all-the-humans-and-then-figure-things-out type of plan). In response, he forms an opposing group of mutants (the X-men) and leads them in battle against the malicious mutants. They defeat the leader of the evil mutants, but then split into two factions: one set on mutant domination and the other on peaceful coexistence. Both overcome their initial adversaries, but find a more formidable enemy in themselves.
Although both overcome their adversaries, they almost lose their lives to their fatal flaw of hubris. Rather than seek the help of his comrades, Beowulf fights the troll hag alone and almost loses his life. King Hrothgar, whom Beowulf has freed from the burden of Grendel and the troll hag, recognizes this flaw and councils Beowulf: “O flower of warrior, beware of that trap. Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride. For a brief while your strength is in bloom, but it fades quickly…death will arrive, dear warrior, to sweep you away,” (Greenblatt 68). Likewise, Professor X’s sudden decision to uses his telepathy to make someone launch a missile without alerting his teammates almost kills them. The idea that the greatest danger is the hero himself serves to solidify the similarity between Beowulf and Professor X.
Despite the modern shift away traditional heroism, close analysis reveals that the Gilgameshes, Ramas, and Beowulfs of ancient lore still exist. They have simply been redrawn with modern attire and supernatural abilities while retaining the age-old struggle against their pride. The traditional hero is truly timeless, with his honor and his hubris.
