Untold Origin -- A Comic Book History Podcast
Untold Origin is a podcast that explores comic books through the lens of American history. Hosted by a historian and lifelong comic book fan, each episode traces how the funny books we read reflect the real world conflicts, triumphs, philosophies, and flavor of the real world we inhabit. From Cold War fears to Civil Rights debates, from psychedelic trips to board room villains, we reveal historical forces that shape the stories, and heroes, that shaped us.
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Instagram: @untoldorigin
Untold Origin -- A Comic Book History Podcast
By Any Means Necessary: Magneto, Professor X, and a Complex Vision of Justice
In our first episode, we revisit some familiar ground: Professor X and Magneto are often described as reflections of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, but the reality is more complicated. Historian Al Miller traces their origins and examines how these characters and their philosophies evolved from rough Civil Rights metaphors into more nuanced icons of Marvel Comics. We explore how the struggle for justice and safety in America is never simple, with no single vision of what justice should look like or how it is achieved. And we see how these characters continue to reflect that complexity over time.
Show image: Bagel Boy Arts -- https://bsky.app/profile/bagelboyy.bsky.social
Music:
Track: Last Warrior by VensAdams
Track: No Surrender by Ostin
Track: The Last Fight by MelancholicBird
Media sourced:
X-men Film
X2 Film
X-men '97 Cartoon
"Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes
Social Media:
@untoldorigin on Instagram
@untoldoriginal.bsky.social on Bluesky