Heavenly Rights

Vigilante justice is not a new occurrence, at least in America. Since the pioneering days of the previous centuries, Americans have held a romanticized view of cowboys and other people who bring order into "uncivilized" regions. Eric, Matt, and Anakin could definitely be called vigilantes in their own right. Two of them willingly bring criminals and killers to justice, albeit their own form of justice, and another helps overthrow an entire Galaxy in order to bring order back. What is the appeal we hold for them, then, if they violate order and mercy in the name of justice? Is this true of all vigilantes?

In the Old West, vigilantes were the law. As the American frontier expanded faster than civilization could follow, order was maintained by a few brave individuals who took the law into their own hands. As a matter of fact,

In the frontier sweep of American history, the frontier produced the conditions that led to the rationale for the extra legal enforcement of the law. Indeed, organized law enforcement was often absent on the frontier. The deeply rooted American tradition of self-help seemed a practical response where settlement preceded the establishment of legal machinery of social control. (Skolnick 25)

But the Crow, Daredevil, and Lord Vader all exist in a world where order already exists, or at least has the tools to enforce the law (police officers, detectives, Jedi, etc). If these institutions exist, why are each of these vigilantes needed? The answer is that each of them seek justice beyond the system. They feel that the system has failed them in some way, so they seek to correct the problems themselves.

The Crow, Eric Draven, certainly never received any form of justice. Both he and his love were dead, and, as Albrecht later told him, "Come , you think any of those people in that building, even the ones that signed the petition, would talk after what happened to you?" No convictions, no evidence, and no witnesses, or at least any who were willing to talk. Eric and Shelly became another set of victims. The police were powerless. Eric, therefore, was given the authority to act on his own. James O'Barr, creator of The Crow, said, "My character Eric [sic] is able to return from the grave because some things just cannot be forgiven; and I believe that there could be a love so strong that it could transcend death, that it could refuse death, and this soul would not rest until it set things right" (O'Barr). Eric, then, is driven to desperate acts by desperate circumstances. His stint as an avenging angel is to simply do what must be done. He does, however, cross the line between justice and revenge. In another interview, James O'Barr said, "I don't believe Eric is a hero. He can be absolutely cold-blooded and ruthless at times. When he goes into a room to get one person, everyone else in the room is probably going to die as well. I think what he's doing is terribly romantic, but I wouldn't call him a hero" (Bird). This can be seen perfectly in one of the most famous scenes in the movie.

When he crashes Top Dollar's meeting and slaughters everyone in the room, Eric takes out many of the city's crime and gang lords. Few would argue that this is a bad thing, but the methods are clearly overkill. Given his situation, though, one cannot fault Eric with being angry and vengeful. Since he didn't suffer any consequences as a result of the dozens of murders in that single battle, then we can assume he was justified (click here for the explanation). If he is justified and is under a higher power than the police and other law enforcement, Eric Draven could hardly be said to be without authority. He is simply operation under a higher law.

While Eric may have died and come back with supernatural permission to exact revenge from the sinners of the world, Matt Murdock is another story. He has two justifications for his actions: the senseless, crime-inspired murder of his father, and the criminals he sees every day in court escape. As a victim, Matt feels it is his job to do what he does. While he recounts his early life, he says, "I would seek justice, one way or another." Vigilantes, as mentioned above, are created when the law fails. When Matt defends a woman who was beaten and raped and later sees the rapist escape, he dons the Daredevil suit and exacts his own justice.

When the rapist, Mr. Castada, tries to reason with Daredevil by saying that he was acquitted, Matt simply says, "Not by me." He then leaves Castada to die, cut in half by a subway train. Though the courts found him innocent, Matt could tell Castada was lying by hearing his heartbeat. Does Matt go too far? His behavior is reminiscent of police brutality, acts of violence committed by officers. Both "are willing to break the law to achieve what they see as a necessary and desirable social goal. Yet far from being 'criminals,' in their eyes they are brave and moral actors, willing to pursue the punitive activities that more timid and hesitant others are disinclined to undertake" (Skolnick 25). Matt, though, can see that what he does is wrong. While talking with his priest (who also knows he is Daredevil), Matt says that he does what he does because "I can, 'cause I'm not afraid." Matt went to the priest, constantly it seems by his reaction, in order to get permission for his activities, even though he could continue without a blessing. Though he may be a vigilante, Matt is aware of the consequences of his actions and their illegal, and possibly sinful, repercussions.

Anakin is, perhaps, the one who's vigilante activities cost him the most. After his mother's murder and his illegal marriage to Amidala, Anakin sought what he felt what taken from him. As a slave, he could at least love and be with those he loved. As a Jedi, he was taken from his mother and unable to help her when she was kidnapped. He was also unable to marry and be with Amidala, the only woman he loved besides his mother. When Senator Palpatine gave Anakin the opportunity to become the most powerful Jedi in the universe, he took it in order to right what he saw wrong in the world. Instead of making the world better, though, Anakin helped wipe out thousands of Jedi and bring about the Galactic Empire, an organization that, though defeated, remained a source of conflict for decades after the Civil War.

Unlike Eric or Matt, though, Anakin has power and influence that reaches more than just a single city or planet. As Darth Vader, he can command an entire fleet of ships, thousands of troops, and is second only to Emperor Palpatine. He therefore has more power to abuse, so even a slight overuse of authority could result in untold damage. Fort example, as Darth Vader, he stood by and watched as Alderaan, a rebel planet, was destroyed by the first Death Star. He could have easily overridden the order, but instead watched as billions were killed. A year later, as he pursued the Millennium Falcon after the Battle of Hoth, he ordered a small fleet of Imperial Star Destroyers to enter an incredibly dense asteroid field. After days or weeks within the field, several ships had taken heavy damage and one Star Destroyer even lost its bridge tower as a massive asteroid collided with it. In short, Vader held little respect for life except for whatever strategic value it might give to him. In this sense, Anakin embodies the worst of a form of police brutality. He is in a role designed to maintain peace, but he uses excessive force. Real police officers use subtle layers of force. First there appearance (the colorings on the car, the uniform, etc), then there is an increase in the volume of an order (like repeating "Freeze!" in a more forceful manner) (Skolnick 38-39). This can escalate until it reaches the use of deadly force if necessary. Anakin therefore, in his quest to achieve order and control, causes suffering in the process. His ideal drives him to commit the very acts he hopes to avoid.

Eric, Matt, and Anakin all cause their own share of suffering, but except for Anakin, they only cause suffering to those that deserve it. Each of them is a vigilante drive to extreme measures by extreme circumstances. They feel their cause is just, and we continue to pay attention to them because they methodical and thorough. The Crow, Daredevil, and Darth Vader all wish to accomplish a goal: a world where justice, peace, and order prevail. The most important, in their minds at least, is justice, since they seem willing to sacrifice the other two in order to achieve it.

Masks and Mirrors

The War in Heaven