The capacity to ignore animal instinct (i.e. the beast within) when making decisions is a mark of sentience. With free will comes accountability, but not responsibility. An individual picking up a gun does not automatically assume the duties of a police officer. A person’s actions carry consequences, but these choices are not predestined by an outside moral or ethical code. As an allegorical figure, the Elemental represents our potential to use and abuse power. Power becomes either a gift or a curse depending on the wielder’s perception.

The origins of the elemental lie in animism. The idea that everything in nature has a spirit occurs in many of the world’s belief systems. Ancient druids, tribal shamans and modern spiritualists mediate between the natural and supernatural realms. Whether called kami, numina or totems, spirits tend to be revered in anthropomorphic forms rather than as theoretical concepts. Similarly, allegorical figures, such as those in Pilgrim’ Progress or Lord of the Flies are the personification of the abstract. The alchemist Paracelsus applied the names of  folk creatures (gnome, salamander, sylph, undine) to describe the pure spirits of the four classical elements (earth, fire, air, water).

The most popular hero of Golden Age was a potent elemental, a magical champion (1939: Captain Marvel) with the superhuman powers of six mythological figures. In the Silver Age, three elementals decide to combat injustice, whereas many of their adversaries, who also happen to be elementals, pursue a criminal career. Rogues harness elemental forces (1957: Captain Cold; 1959: Mirror Master and Weather Wizard; 1963: Heat Wave) to slow down a scarlet speedster (1956: Flash – revision of 1940 character). An interstellar peacekeeper (1959: Green Lantern – revision of 1940 character) converts raw willpower into green energy, while his foes counter with yellow anti-matter (1961: Sinestro), magnetic fields (1962: Doctor Polaris) and draining anti-energy (1964: Black Hand). A troubled teenager (1962: Spider-Man) with amazing abilities faces off against a shape-shifting earth elemental (1963: Sandman) and a sadistic lightning elemental (1964: Electro).

In comics, an elemental’s characterization often mirrors the traits of that power. Ice elementals are cruel or pitiless; cat elementals manifest as mysterious loners or nimble acrobats. A Silver Age quartet (1961: Fantastic Four) exhibit the characteristics of the four classic elements: Mr. Fantastic’s elastic body stretches almost as far as his fluid intellect, Invisible Girl’s transparent force fields bend the physics of space and light; The Human Torch’s affinity for fire complements his hotheadedness and The Thing’s stony exterior reflects his rock-solid human soul.

African-American characters (1971: John Stewart; 1975: Storm; 1977: Black Lightning; 1981: Vixen) avoid racial and elemental stereotypes in the talented writing of the Bronze Age. Elementals in the Modern Age ascend into near godhood. A monster of the Louisiana bayous (1984: Swamp Thing – revision of 1971 character) discovers his true role as the defender of the Green, the spiritual community of plant elementals. The sandman of folklore (1988: Dream) escapes from imprisonment to reestablish his mastery over the Dreaming, the realm of reveries and nightmares.