Oftentimes comic book historians will talk about the variety of eras in comic book history. For example the Silver Age is said to have taken place from 1950s to the 1970s. In this era comics began to turn into hardcore science fiction stories. Stan Lee starting creating comics during this period and many of his creations, like the Hulk and Fantastic Four, are scientifically based. What were the conditions (socially and culturally) that led to the creation of this era? Both Marvel and DC should be discussed.
This is a topic that includes so many aspects that it could lead to some interesting discussions. I think one important reason for the use of science was the end of WWII going into the Vietnam War. People in a short amount of time saw the use of science to destroy the world. People felt the real trauma and pain that could be caused through experimentation. Art tends to blossom after tragedy because people need to understand it in some form. This plays a critical point in the focus on science in comics. There are many interviews with Stan Lee where he discusses this is exact point that are easily found. The world had seen the use of an atomic weapon. These comics struggled with the idea that we could create our own demise and what do we do with that information?
– Celeste Reeb9 years ago
This could be a really interesting topic. I mean the science in most silver age comics is fairly inaccurate but the intent was great. Most comics were for children so introducing them to science and thinking about how the world around them works (even through pseudo-science) is really great. – Edward Haynes9 years ago