Question for the marvel fen about Eli Bradley

[fightingarrival]

I'm fairly certain that it's never mentioned in canon whether Eli Bradley practices any particular faith, if at all. But considering his family, it's always been my head canon that he's muslim - though I'm not positive about which branch. I'm fairly split between the Nation of Islam and Sunni Islam, but there are of course other branches and off-shoots... (Is it ever elaborated on in canon what branches Faith Shabazz and Josiah X belong to? The name changes imply Nation, but I'm not sure if it's ever actually outright said. This is what I get for not having read The Crew yet.)

What's your opinion? Do you have head canon regarding other characters religious affiliations (or lack there of)? Share!

Legalese: from Dark Reign: Young Avengers because it still remains awesome always and forever.

Comments

Re: I inferred that his people were Nation

[fightingarrival]

Exactly! As a point of characterization, I don't think he keeps up enough with his faith to pray 5 times a day or go to mosque every week, but I think the culture of the faith sticks with him. (I like to think his grandmother side-eyes him into fasting for Ramadan.)

Do you think, Tony Stark's faith varies by universe? I mean, I think all of them have the Catholic guilt down pat (I haven't read any Ultimates), but I've always sort of read 616!Tony as kind of WASPy.

Yeah, this.

[jazzypom]

Like the Muslims where I work (a whole lot of 'em) are pretty much secular, except for the various Eids, and they do fast for Ramadan but they are so secular in everything else.
(I like to think his grandmother side-eyes him into fasting for Ramadan.)

LOL, I can see grandma faith doing that, too.

Do you think, Tony Stark's faith varies by universe? I mean, I think all of them have the Catholic guilt down pat (I haven't read any Ultimates), but I've always sort of read 616!Tony as kind of WASPy.

In Ultimates Tony's mother was Hispanic (a scientist, too). I don't know man, in 616 Tony's a guy who seems to luxuriate in his guilt at times. That's very Catholic to me, whereas Episcopalian (Anglican or an off shoot of C of E) doesn't really have that sort of outlook at all (my dad's Catholic, my mum Episcopalian and their attitudes are... different. I also attended Catholic school and did mass and flirted with confirmation, so).

Re: Yeah, this.

[fightingarrival]

my dad's Catholic, my mum Episcopalian and their attitudes are... different.

Thanks for the perspective. I was raised full-stop Catholic in a heavily Catholic area, so Protestantism is... well, not so much a foreign country to me as it is a series of nonadjacent state - like the midwest of religion. I probably universalize some aspects of Catholicism to all of Christianity that don't necessarily hold true.

Re: Yeah, this.

[dorothy1901]

In Ultimates Tony's mother was Hispanic (a scientist, too)

Do you have any more details on this? In my head canon, (616) Tony Stark's mother, Maria Carbonell, is Cuban by birth (although according to the Internet, "Carbonell" is as likely to be English as Spanish).

Re: Yeah, this.

[jazzypom]

Oh, don't make me go back to Orson Scott Card! But in Ultimates, she is the second wife of Howard Stark (the first wife didn't take so well. Um). Her name is Maria Cerrara, and she died during some random experiment (that stuff that makes Tony... blue, I guess - Millar and the Ultimates verse at large has ignored Scott Card's version) and Tony's father named him after her brother, Antonio (because the mum was in a coma at that time).

I know that it's an unpopular opinion, but I liked some parts of Orson Scott Card's Iron Man. OSC can be a USDA primo arse**** but he had some good ideas, and I liked the Asian scientist he had in the series. She didn't like kids, was agonstic (iirc) and sharp as a scapel.

Re: Yeah, this.

[dorothy1901]

Thanks!

that stuff that makes Tony... blue

Blue? I don't want to know.

Re: I inferred that his people were Nation

[lilacsigil]

I think Tony's dad is WASPy, but his mother has an Italian name, and Tony is often drawn looking quite Mediterranean. I suspect early Catholicism inside a very WASPy mainstream, so probably a Protestant or non-religious school.

Re: I inferred that his people were Nation

[arilou_skiff]

Yeah, I always assumed his mother was catholic.

OTOH, I have a hard time seeing Tony as a believer. (feeling guilty for not believing, sure!) But I just don't think he has the mindset to believe.

Tony doesn't believe, no

[jazzypom]

But like a few of us recovering Catholics, he still knows the prayers. For instance, during Civil War when Pepper asks him to kill Happy (because Happy was in a coma and she knew that Happy would have rather been dead than a vegetable), Tony says The Father's Prayer.

I haven't been to a Catholic mass in years, but best believe, I still know the rituals.