Tony, Steve, and Thor as Classical Heroes

[falsecaterpillar]

So I did more research about Tony, Steve, and Thor possibly representing three classical heroes from antiquity (Odysseus (the hero of The Odyssey), Achilles (the hero of The Iliad), and Aeneas (the hero of The Aeneid)): 

So, reading up on Odysseus, I did see something that is rather stunning. He’s often compared to iron–particularly in one passage where Eurylochus describes him: 

“You’re a hard man, Odysseus. Your fighting spirit’s stronger than ours, your stamina never fails. You must be made of iron head to foot.” - Eurylochus (The Odyssey)

And what’s really cool? In one alternative translation, offered by Lombardo, he’s even referred to as “iron-man”: 

“You’re a hard man, Odysseus, stronger / Than other men, and you never wear out, / A real iron-man” - Eurylochus

Like… what even is this? Iron Man? 

Outside of that very peculiar coincidence, Odysseus really does share a lot of commonalities with Tony Stark: both came from a wealthy upbringing; both were “good with the ladies”; both were extremely arrogant at the beginning of their stories only to become humble by the end; both are characterized by extreme wit and intelligence; both were trapped in a cave and had to use their craftiness to escape; both long for returning home; both have ride-or-die partners (Penelope and Pepper). 

With Steve and Achilles, they have very, very different personalities. Achilles is a hot-headed rage machine who has a penchant for the despicable (like desecrating a corpse isn’t even half of it), while Steve Rogers is essentially virtue incarnate. 

However–one thing important to note is that Achilles, to the Greeks, was the perfect hero. He was essentially the perfect solider. Immensely popular, he had a cult following (!!!). In his day, you could imagine he’d have posters, bed spreads, kids dressing up as him, the works. In this regard, Steve Rogers is kind of a modern equivalent of the Achilles myth–a perfect hero, idolized by many. He only exemplifies our ideals. 

Other similarities go into their powers. Achilles was dipped into the River Styx, which granted him almost near invulnerability and strength. In a way, this is similar to how Steve underwent the Super Soldier Serum. Furthermore, Achilles was granted a weapon of the gods–a shield–forged by Hephaestus himself. 

Another interesting thing to note about Achilles is that he had an incredibly strong bond with a fellow solider–Patroclus. It’s Patroclus’s death that leads, in so many ways, to Achilles’ downfall. This loss drives him into a rage, leading him to brutally murder Hector. In a way, this is similar to how Steve loses himself when it comes to Bucky Barnes. It’s one of his only weaknesses.

So, while Steve may not seem very similar to Achilles in character (as Steve is noble and good, while Achilles is vengeful and vicious), they’re both larger-than-life heroes who were idolized in their time for their accomplishments in combat. Both had magic shields. And both have strong friendships with a man that were a source of weakness.

With Thor and Aeneas, there’s a lot to dissect. Aeneas is one of the sole survivors of Troy after the Trojan War. He leads what is left of his people on a long journey, fraught with peril, losing many along the way, to found a new Kingdom for them–the Roman Empire. He’s characterized as having poor emotional impulse control, but such strong devotion to the gods that he is able to overcome this flaw. He believes very strongly in the idea of Fate. At one point, he even visits his father in the Underworld. Much of his story is about learning about to be a good ruler for his people. 

This is all similar to Thor. Being one of the last of his people, Thor sets out to find a new home for Asgard at the end of Thor: Ragnarok. He is a man with poor impulse control, but strong guiding principles–and we know Thor believes in destiny and prophecy. He sought out the Water of Sight in Age of Ultron, and also used his foreknowledge of Ragnarok to stop Hela. Part of Thor’s story has been about him learning about to be a King to the people of the Nine Realms. 

In all, these three heroes are often summarized as such:

Odysseus is the cunning hero who outsmarts his enemies. 

Achilles is the raging superhuman who isn’t afraid to fight those who wrong him. 

Aeneas is the pious hero who is focused on the needs of his people. 

It’s all very hmmmmm. 

Comments

[dendriteblues]

This is fascinating. Really amazing write up! Thank you for posting it. <3

[falsecaterpillar]

Thank you so much!

[runningondreams]

Oh, this is very cool. I would definitely love to see more of your thoughts on this.