> The US just isnt old enough to have mythical kings and gods.
Mostly because US-tradition has killed the concept of nobility.
US-based folklore and myth is on stuff like John Henry (wielded two sledgehammers to beat out a rail-engine at building railroads).
Modern-US folklore is about beings like "Spiderman" or "Batman". Mythical beings who roam the streets to try and make the world a better place.
I find it fascinating that the heroes of modern myth and legend are relatively small scale. US heroes / legends need to be about the people. Spiderman is always saving that old-lady who's crossing the street. Even Superman is mostly concerned about keeping "Metropolis" working. Batman may be rich, but he's a celebrated hero because he's otherwise an unexceptional person (compared to Superman or Wonder Woman anyway).
The US-based myths and legends are about the "every-day man". Its more about "you too can be a hero" sort of thing, as opposed to a literal being chosen by the gods to save and/or conquer the world (god-kings like Gilgamesh or even King Author: charged by the Christian god to find the Holy Grail... Jesus's cup from the Last Supper)
That sort of thing doesn't fly in the US. If you are an "ascended being" of some sort, you have to have humble beginnings as an every-day man (ex: Clark Kent was born and raised on a Farm... originally without any powers and therefore understands the issues facing normal men).
Indeed, the ascended god-king trope is almost a villain trope in US culture.
But America does build temples dedicated to past presidents. These hold relics. The faithful go on pilgrimage to be near these relics. Ive seen people pray at these temples, but i assume for the dead president rather than at or to them. Nobody has yet suggested to me that they are literal saints. Important aspects of political life use these temples as backdrop, to imply that the dead president approves of the procedings. This is rather unique in the western world. The line between secular museum and religious temple blurs.
This isn't even limited to particular president-saints. I was amazed to see the presidential debate last year held in front of a larger-then-life backdrop of the US constitution. It felt like watching a cross-over between a pious ritual, and 'Better Call Saul's' sleazy law office on Breaking Bad.
We might as well just erect anthropomorphic statues of Truth, Liberty, Justice, and Columbia. Put 'em in a Charlie's Angels posed silhouette, and have a huge bald eagle flying over the lot.
It would be way better as a backdrop than an unsexy, non-badass old parchment.
But superheros are touched by the gods: they are blessed or cursed with magical powers, and then we read about their adventures. That's what makes them super. Their stories are human stories filtered through literally superhuman powers, in almost exactly the way that the myths of the old gods were. Some superheroes are the old gods!
It's also interesting to look at the stories about ordinary humans (although calling Bruce Wayne, a ludicrously wealthy and powerful financier even before he became super, 'ordinary' is a bit of a stretch): not so much today, I'll concede, but back in the 70s and 80s, US soap operas were things like Dynasty or Dallas, and were firmly set in the US nobility, i.e. the financial ruling class.
Meanwhile, back in the UK, a country where we still have a reigning monarch who is the head of the official state church, soap operas were things like Coronation Street and The Archers, about working class people doing frankly boring things...
> But superheros are touched by the gods: they are blessed or cursed with magical powers, and then we read about their adventures. That's what makes them super. Their stories are human stories filtered through literally superhuman powers, in almost exactly the way that the myths of the old gods were. Some superheroes are the old gods!
There's a gross difference between Gilgamesh (2/3rds god, 1/3rd man from his mother) and Superman.
Gilgamesh was a god-king who set of on adventure. He took what was his (aka: everything) and came back as a king.
In contrast, Superman was born into an adopted farm family and lived ~15 years without any superpowers. He's never seeked political power (and often when he does, its to his detriment. Like the time he got rid of all the nukes through the UN and then Doomsday attacked)
Even Bruce Wayne had to go through the period as a "normal joe" through the recent 'Dark Knight' movies. He gives up on his wealth and becomes a ninja... essentially. When he comes back to wealth-and-power, he's in better control over his own emotions and his fortune.
Green Lanterns are literally just normal dudes. Hal Jordan and John Stewart get rings from space aliens... but their connection to Earth and "normal people" is what make them exceptional Green Lanterns.
All of the popular American Superheroes are basically competing with each other to be more of the "average joe" than each other. Capt. America, Spiderman. Even Thor loses his powers and is forced to wander the Earth until he learns humility (aka: from being a normal person)
The only popular character I can think of as "Greek-god classic" is basically Wonder Woman. Everyone else is relatively unpopular (Aquaman, Nemor, Martian Manslayer) or even an underclass! (Mutants may have superpowers, but they are treated as a "lesser class" of people in virtually every X-men storyline).
Only in America would superheroes would the "underclass" get blessed with superpowers. Just saying.
Iron Man and Wonder Woman are the only exceptions I can think of. Iron Man is basically a counterbalance to the rest of the market however... being the rich asshole.
Mostly because US-tradition has killed the concept of nobility.
US-based folklore and myth is on stuff like John Henry (wielded two sledgehammers to beat out a rail-engine at building railroads).
Modern-US folklore is about beings like "Spiderman" or "Batman". Mythical beings who roam the streets to try and make the world a better place.
I find it fascinating that the heroes of modern myth and legend are relatively small scale. US heroes / legends need to be about the people. Spiderman is always saving that old-lady who's crossing the street. Even Superman is mostly concerned about keeping "Metropolis" working. Batman may be rich, but he's a celebrated hero because he's otherwise an unexceptional person (compared to Superman or Wonder Woman anyway).
The US-based myths and legends are about the "every-day man". Its more about "you too can be a hero" sort of thing, as opposed to a literal being chosen by the gods to save and/or conquer the world (god-kings like Gilgamesh or even King Author: charged by the Christian god to find the Holy Grail... Jesus's cup from the Last Supper)
That sort of thing doesn't fly in the US. If you are an "ascended being" of some sort, you have to have humble beginnings as an every-day man (ex: Clark Kent was born and raised on a Farm... originally without any powers and therefore understands the issues facing normal men).
Indeed, the ascended god-king trope is almost a villain trope in US culture.