Page - 54 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 03/01

54 | Theresia Heimerl www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/1, 45–57 ercised by women against men, with the sole exception of kicks in the groin meted out during a fight. Conversely, evil women in both traditions opt for sexual seduction,24 which results in, or can result in, violence; however, the sexuality shown or alluded to always originates with male desire deliberately stimulated by female charms. such attempts at manipulation could at most be interpreted as covert psycho- logical violence to undermine the sexual integrity of the male character. the nexus between open physical violence, manifested as an actual assault on the body, and sexuality – in the sense that primary or secondary genitalia are touched against the other person’s will – is almost exclusively restricted to men assaulting women. reLiGiOUs NArrAtiVes? this section will limit itself to one single question: does the religious background of the comic’s narrative as part of the cultural background play a role in the de- piction of sexuality and violence as well as of sexual or sexualised violence? Let us look first at Marvel and DC comics. Much has been written about the religious connotations of various superheroes;25 even an unabashedly and openly Catholic superhero like Daredevil26 has recently met with great popular- ity. however, the question of relevance for this paper is whether the above-de- scribed way of dealing with violence and sexuality can be explained through a (or, the respective) latently or openly religious narrative. the cultural backdrop for all screen adaptations of Marvel or DC comics discussed here is provided by the Judeo-Christian tradition, which is characterised by highly ambivalent positions regarding violence: already as cast by saint Ambrose, the subversive- violent narratives of martyr legends tend to tip over into discreetly voyeuristic tales, to say nothing of the otherworldly, violence-drenched fantasies that we find not only in Tertullian or Saint Augustine, but also in such pious women as saint Perpetua.27 this was also the literary period that gave rise to the topos of the lecherous villain deprived of moral inhibitions yet unsuccessful in his lechery who resorts to sexualised violence to break his female Christian victims.28 Con- versely, the male Christian hero is quickly promoted from martyr to miles Christi, who – drawing his justification from Saint Augustine29 – is certainly permitted to exercise violence against the enemies of God in order to help good prevail and 24 see heimerl 2013, 160–171. 25 see seydel 2009, 25–51, regarding the “ethnic origins” of superman, cf. tye 2012, 65–80. 26 See episodes 1.3, 1.9 and 1.13, in which the hero defines himself a “good Catholic boy”. 27 see heimerl 2014, 234–238. 28 ibid. regarding the legend of saint Agatha. 29 Augustine, Quaestiones in Heptateuchum VI, 10, PL 34,781; De Civitate Dei I, 21, PL 41,35.