The Avengers, who some are saying is the best Super-Hero movie of all

time, shattered the box-office on its opening weekend. It is a highly

entertaining, action packed, funny, movie that brings together some hiprofile actors and some legendary comic-book characters.
The movies premise, as with most Super-Hero films, is global domination
by a dark villain. What makes it unique is not only its depth of characters
and depth in 3-D, but its depth in meaning. The movie is most meaningful
in dealing with the redemption of the characters, the effect that redemption
has on the entire world, and the community that is formed.
Nick Fury, played by the inimitable Samuel L. Jackson, draws from a team of
absolute misfits to help save the world from Loki and his army. The movie
begins with the voice of Nick Fury narrating: And there came a day, a day
unlike any other... when Earth's mightiest heroes found themselves united
against a common threat... to fight the foes no single superhero could
withstand... on that day, The Avengers were born.
When the actors were interviewed on the set last summer, almost every one
of them said the defining thing about their character is that he or she is
desperately lonely. Scarlett Johansson who plays the black widow admits:
Yeah, we all have a little bit of trauma. Chris Evans who plays Captain
America affirms that Everyone has their own baggage, and thats why it was
an uphill battle to try to marry all the conflict of all these individual
characters.i
Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr.s always hilarious and sarcastic character,
enters into a dialogue with Loki warning him of their team: The Avengers.
It's what we call ourselves, sort of like a team. "Earth's Mightiest Heroes"
type thing Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one
but, let's do a head count here. Your brother, the demi-god; a super soldier, a
living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-taking
anger management issues; a couple of master assassins, and YOU, big
fella The Avengers, much like the Christian community, is nothing more
nothing less than a group of saints and sinners.
The set-up is the classic scape goat theory with Loki as the scapegoat who
if killed will bring peace. However, as is true in our plan of redemption, what
ultimately brings people together is not the common enemy, but the
redemption of each individual heart, the way that one conversion can impact

many others, the healing that takes place in community which brings about
the salvation of the world.
Redemption of the Character
As Tony Stark so succinctly put it each hero embodies great potential but the
reality is it does take them a while to get any traction. Conversion is a
process and often a life-long one. Before they are brought together in
community their powers are unwieldy. They are each very broken
individuals. Iron Mans narcissism keeps him from any real intimacy with
love interest Pepper Potts. Thor is constantly fearful of his power to call
down the lightning. Captain America is still living in World War II. Black
Widow has very deep stuff going on in her past. Hawk Eye has become a
slave to Lokis staff and has lost his ability to think for himself. This leaves us
with The Hulk, whose wound is so deep and conversion is most evident.
The Hulk, as compellingly played by Mark Ruffalo, is a man at war with
himself. In one scene where mass destruction is evident Captain America
says to Bruce Banner (Hulks alter-ego): Doc... I think now is the perfect
time for you to get angry. Bruce replies: That's my secret Cap, I'm always
angry. Isnt this true for all of us? Our core sins are always present lurking
in the background. He alludes more and more to this throughout the movie
of what he describes as his other self. This phrase is actually used! Its
straight out of Saint Paul and so often referenced by the mystics.
St. Francis de Sales once gave the following advice to an aspiring nun: My
dear daughter, stir up your courage, arm yourself with the patience we
should have toward ourselves. Often rouse your heart so that it may be
rather on guard against a surprise attack; watch out for this other self;
wherever you go, youd do well to be aware of her, for this mean girl goes
with you everywhere, and if you arent thinking about her she will think up
something against you. But when she happens to attack you suddenly, even
if she causes you to totter and stumble, dont be upset; instead, call out to
our Lord and our Lady. They will reach out a blessed helping hand to you, and
if they allow you to go on suffering for a while, it will only be in order to have
you cry out again more loudly for their help. Dont be ashamed of all this, my
dear daughter, any more than St. Paul who confesses that there were two
men in himone rebellious toward God, and the other obedient. (Romans
7:15-23).ii As with St. Paul, the aspirant, the Hulk and ourselves we all have
this other self.

Bruce Banner begins to come to terms with his other self when he and Thor
are in the middle of melee Seeing who is better and they are interrupted
by a fighter jet. Hulk was beginning to lose it and endanger everyone around
him when Thor says to him: We are not enemies try to think.

Thor is giving the same advice that St. Francis gave to the young postulant.
Try to think be aware. This is a moment of spiritual direction that brings
about conversion. Hulk who has been so ashamed and tormented by his
other self is now learning, not simply to bury it, but to allow it to be
redeemed and transformed. In his own personal moment of salvation, it
leads to not only the salvation of those around him, but to the salvation of
the world.
In the square outside of a concert hall in Germany Loki takes over a crowd.
He threatens and demands that they worship him. Kneel before me. I
said... KNEEL! Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the
unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of
freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity.
You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel. An elderly
man with a German accent is heard from the fearful, kneeling crowd: Not to
mention to men like you. Loki responds: There are no other men like me.
The elderly man stands and says with sad strong eyes: There are always
men like you.
This frail, elderly, weak man stands up and refuses to kneel to a god.
Courage begins to stir and there is a dialogue between Black Widow and
Captain America about standing up to Loki. Black Widows alter eagle
Natasha says to Captain Americas alter ego Steve Rogers fearfully: But hes
a god! Rogers responds confidently and boldly: Ma'am, there's only one
God, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't look like that. As Saint Paul once
declared: We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29) When we
renounce our idols and futile attempts to be God and allow ourselves to be
redeemed it will bring about the redemption of many around the one God.
The conversion of each character benefits the others

The personal redemption that is happening in each one of them is not solely
for their own good, but it is for building up the gifts of the community.
There is a shift in the Avengers when Hulk begins to use his rage for good. In
this buildup there is comic relief when Hulk and Loki are fighting there is a
moment of absolute stillness and Loki declares: I am a god! I am not going
to be bullied by a... [Hulk, interrupts grabbing him by the legs and in classic
Hulk style smashes him side to side back and forth leaving him stunned and
confused clearly defeated and lying on the ground] Hulk struts away and
mumbles Puny god. (The theater bursts with laughter).
What seemed to be his greatest weakness and kept him in such shame and
isolation had actually been set free through the care and direction of others.
It never would have happened without this team that had been formed.
These vigilantes who were hell bent on destroying themselves and each
other had come to know their true selves, accept their weaknesses, and be
nurtured to master their vices and shape their virtues. One by one they all
begin to become transformed by the others individual conversions.
Community is formed
Director, Joss Whedon, explains that The Avengers is about bringing all of
these isolated characters into community. The way to work their problems
out is to give themselves to something that matters more There was an
idea to bring together a group of remarkable people so that when we needed
them they could fight the battles that we never could Its about the idea
which is very old-fashioned of community, of people working for each other.
Thats gone away. The Avengers, for me, is about bringing that back.
Whedon goes on to describe that the characters, who are so ego driven,
must put aside their individual interests and objectives. The first half of the
film is about them trying to fulfill their own goals, and that doesnt work out
too well. They end up destroying things and each other. Any community or
family cant be defined by an individual. Its by the actions of the group.
What is revealed is that in the end, maybe its not so much about evil being
conquered or being destroyed, but community being formed. There is
conversion of each character and that redemption is not only for their good
but benefits the greater good and out of this community is formed. And here
is where we have the moment of truth it is in that community that
redemption is fostered.

Isnt this what the prophets, mystics, saints and martyrs have proclaimed
over the years? Jesus invites us into this redemptive plan and into the
community that is formed around the Eucharist. Our redemption is found in
the love and the support of the community. Though we may be tempted to
hide our weaknesses, dwell isolated in our shame, mask what most disgusts
us, it is only when it is brought to light in community that we can be healed.
This healing is not only for ourselves but for the salvation of all and the
salvation of all is found in the community that is formed around the Altar of
our Lord.

Entertainment Weekly Interview with the Director and the Cast

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/05/06/avengers-exclusive-roundtable-interview/
i

St. Francis de Sales, Jane de Chantal, Wendy M. Wright and Joseph F. Power.
Paperback - Sep 1988. P. 165
ii