Fallen Angels

The archetypal hero is someone who is honorable, decent, and helps their fellow humans in a quest for knowledge, love, or another lofty goal.

Real life doesn't work that way.

Speculative fiction recognized long ago that either real heroes did not exist or they took some form we would not normally associate with heroism. Most people have their own agendas and usually do not look out for others. Though there are certainly those who risk their lives in order to protect the innocent, like police officers and firefighters, the super heroes of our idealism are just that: ideals.

Heroes, therefore, are not recognized as heroes because they sometimes walk a line between light and shadow. The also make for some of the most interesting and metaphorical characters ever to come out of speculative fiction.

Three of these "fallen angels" are Matt Murdock, Eric Draven, and Anakin Skywalker, also known respectably as the Daredevil from Daredevil (2003), the Crow from The Crow (1994), and Darth Vader from the Star Wars (1977, 1980, 1983, 1999, 2002) movie series. At one point, all three were in some form of paradise or lived a way of life that would certainly label them as innocent or virtuous. Something happened, however, that made them fall from grace.

This site will explore the worlds and motivations of each character, as well as the psychology and metaphors that make up their lives.

If you need to contact me with any questions or suggestions, email them to:

mmartindelca@depauw.edu