Superheroes may seem like a modern invention but they’ve been saving the world since ancient times, most notably the gods of Greek mythology. Their longevity is not a coincidence. Our fascination with superhuman beings is written into our DNA by aliens according the H2 Ancient Aliens episode “Aliens & Superheroes
“We’re always looking at mythology as a basis for our story telling,” acknowledges Dan Didio, Co-Publisher of DC Comics. “A character like Wonder Woman is immediately established in Greek mythology. She’s built on the story of the Amazons. There’s Hercules. There’s Zeus. The Olympian gods play into every aspect of who she is.”
Ancient aliens theorists believe ancient people witnessed real superhuman feats accomplished with aid of alien technology. They hypothesize that Hercules used a exosuit for super strength, Hermes used a jet pack for flight and Zeus used electric coils to produce lighting. The iconic symbols worn by Superman, Batman, Spider-Man are a representation of the source of their powers similar to the Arc Reactor in Iron Man’s chest. They note that gods are often depicted with symbols near their heart.
These aliens were not a monolithic group. They warred with each other, giving rise to the supervillain archetype. Sumerian texts tell of two warring planets Marduk AKA Nibiru AKA Planet X and Tiamat, which was destroyed and created the asteroid belt. A fate similar to Superman’s home planet Krypton. In season 7 premiere “Forbidden Caves,” they suggest the crystals in caves store information like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.
The gods frequently took on human form to walk among us not unlike the Transformers. It’s even suggested that the Mayan serpent god Kukulcan was actually an alien mistaken for a shapeshifter when it emerged from its spaceship.
Not all superheroes use gadgets, some have actual superpowers like the mutant X-Men, the Gamma irradiated Hulk and Spider-Man, who was bitten by a radioactive spider.
“Radiation was very much in the news at the time,” explains creator Stan Lee. “And I figured well let’s let him get his power through radiation.”
However, aliens have been genetically engineering human as far back as the time of the Neanderthal according to ancient alien theorists. Furthermore, they argue that current genetic engineering is a subconscious effort to become like the aliens who created us.
Ancient Aliens “Aliens & Superheroes” next showing at 1 AM Tuesday, September 23 on H2.
