The inventive British novelist H.G. Wells contributed several conventions that have become mainstays in superhero comics — among them time travel, interplanetary warfare and, oh joy of joys, invisibility.
The concept of human invisibility is a wish fulfillment fantasy that probably predates recorded history. We can trace it as far back as the Ring of Gyges in Plato’s Republic (which was undoubtedly the model for Tolkien’s One Ring). Plato used the magic ring as a metaphor to explore the question of whether an intelligent person would remain moral if he did not have to fear capture and punishment.
Wells’ answer was a firm “no.” In the novella, originally serialized in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, Wells’ optical scientist Griffin decides to use his power of invisibility to become a national terrorist. Felled by an angry mob, the dying Griffin slowly turns visible again.
“By demonstrating the corrupting effects of the power of invisibility, The Invisible Man is a retelling of Plato’s myth of the ring of Gyges,” wrote Philip Ball in The Dangerous Allure of the Unseen. “It isn’t clear if this was Welles’ explicit aim, but that seems likely. He was deeply impressed by The Republic when it read it in his youth, not least for the alternative it offered to the stifling orthodoxy of Victorian society.”
In 1977, writer Doug Moench and artists Dino Castrillo and Rudy Messina adapted the story for Marvel Classics Comics. My late friend Roger Slifer was editor.
For an entertaining parlor game, ask your friends which super power they would prefer: invisibility or personal flight? The results will be telling, and generally spark an interesting discussion about expediency, ethics and life goals.
In the This American Life radio program, writer John Hodgman asked people that question. “He finds that how you answer tells a lot about what kind of person you are,” host Ira Glass noted. “And also, no matter which power people choose, they never use it to fight crime.”
Michael Sansonia:
ReplyDeletePersonal flight. No question.
Reason? I could be the highest paid entertainer in Las Vegas.
"How can he do those amazing trapeze feats?"
I replied:
I agree about flight, which is the symbol of personal freedom. But sneaky invisibility is probably more practical.
Alfred Walker:
ReplyDeleteSidebar: the use of a bandage wrap in "Superman's New Face" (from 1958, first encountered by me in 1961's Giant Annual #3) struck me as a riff on the Invisible Man.
Andy Sheets:
ReplyDeleteI would choose invisibility, but that's more because I don't like heights and would choose just about any power over flight.
I replied:
I don't think people would be afraid of heights if they could fly.
Mitchell ToddL
ReplyDeletehehe …those books help me pass english in high school doing book reports!!😄
Rich Hopkins:
ReplyDeleteSuper speed would be my power of choice, which would offer multiple opportunities, for good or ill.
Thom Young:
ReplyDeleteSix years before THE TIME MACHINE (1895), Mark Twain published "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1889). However, the first story involving time travel might be By Edward Page Mitchell's "The Clock That Went Backward" (1881).
There are, of course, much older stories involving time dilation—the oldest of which is probably the MAHABHARATA (circa 400 BCE) in which a king visits Brahma's realm for a few moments while centuries pass on Earth.
There is evidence to support the argument that Wells had the MAHABHARATA in mind when he wrote THE TIME MACHINE.
Johnny Williams:
ReplyDeleteWhen you consider that Wells published his famous science fiction novels, The Time Machine in 1895, The Invisible Man in 1897, and The War of the Worlds in 1898, the mind boggles! After all that was Still the era of ‘steam power’ for goodness sakes! Given the times he lived and wrote in his exploratory extrapolations were incredible!
Dan - The concept of human invisibility is a wish fulfillment fantasy that probably predates recorded history. We can trace it as far back as the Ring of Gyges in Plato’s Republic (which was undoubtedly the model for Tolkien’s One Ring). Plato used the magic ring as a metaphor to explore the question of whether an intelligent person would remain moral if he did not have to fear capture and punishment.
The original first edition of Classics Illustrated's The Invisible Man is Classics Illustrated #153, published by Gilberton in 1959, featuring H.G. Wells' classic tale in comic form, and is a key item for collectors, often sought for its age and distinctive cover art. While H.G. Wells' original novel was published much earlier (1897), the Classics Illustrated version is the iconic comic adaptation.
Susan Richards nee Storm, was considered the weakest member of the superhero family the Fantastic Four with (just) her powers of invisibility until her ability to generate and project invisible force field was developed.
The Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg, was a ‘quieter’ member of the Legion of Super-Heroes with a less flamboyant power than many other of the LSH members. Ironically he proved to be a surprisingly strong and effective leader (especially given the power levels of some of his fellows). After his death he was replaced in the Legion by a new Invisible Kid who had a different personality than Lyle but who also turned out to be a strong and capable leader.
I found Planetary comics approach to invisibility interesting. The villainous Kim Süskind, was blind while Invisible because light couldn’t register on her invisible retinas so she had to wear a special pair of goggles which enabled her to see when invisible. She was a member of the evil group The Four who were dark analogs of the Fantastic Four and the chief antagonists of the ‘Planetary’ team of heroes in the series of the same name.