Panic and Prayer: The Christian Right Responds to Archie's Death

It's been a rough week for traditionalist comic book fans.

First it was announced that Captain America would sprout wings. Next, it was revealed on "The View" that the Norse god Thor would become a thunder goddess in upcoming issues. But reactions to those revelations weren't nearly as visceral as the Christian right-wing's response to the news that Archie, the beloved freckle-faced comic book icon, would die taking a bullet to save his gay friend.

Tuesday, the Associated Press reported Archie Andrews would meet his demise this week in an installment of "Life with Archie" when he intervenes in an assassination attempt on Kevin Keller, Archie Comics' first openly gay character. Andrews' death, which was first announced in April, will mark the conclusion of the series that focuses on grown-up renditions of Andrews and his Riverdale pals.

In "Life with Archie," Keller is a married military veteran and newly-elected senator who's pushing for more gun control in Riverdale after his husband was involved in a shooting."We wanted to do something that was impactful that would really resonate with the world and bring home just how important Archie is to everyone," said Goldwater. "That's how we came up with the storyline of saving Kevin. He could have saved Betty. He could have saved Veronica. We get that, but metaphorically, by saving Kevin, a new Riverdale is born."

Not everyone seems to share Goldwater's sentiments however.

Larry Tomczak writing for �ber right-wing homo hating panic machine Barb Wire had this to say about Archie's death.

This tragic example from Archie Comics is but one of many alarming developments in our society. We can either throw up our hands in despair or respond to the current wooing of the Holy Spirit to pray and get engaged in courageously bringing the gospel and truth to this generation.
Like those who partied on the Titanic, many Americans are unaware of the disaster looming ahead.

Naturally, message boards on conservative news outlets are blowing up over this news.

Readers on infowars.com wrote:

Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not Archie!!!!!!?I grew up with this comic. Now I really know it is the end of days.?Why does everything that was once just simple entertainment have to always be modernised and then used for political messages and preaching of some sort whether it be about the environment or about racism or the gay agenda. Bleugh @#$%?why can't they just leave things the way they were, the way you remember them being as a kid. I feel sorry for today's kids, there is so little simple pleasures left, everything has to be politically motivated. RIP Archie, and Betty & Veronica you really wasted so much of your lives fighting over this goof ball.

Quite frankly it's just another brick in the wall of the entertainment industry trying to 'pussify' America. They have killed off Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Archie, and announced yesterday, the hammer wielding SON of Odin, Thor has had a sex change and is now a woman. Since there have been 2 Thor movies in recent years, should make the next one interesting as to who will play him/her?

Readers of World Net Daily were similarly apoplectic. Comments to their posting of the Associated Press article included:

I am vomiting right now! This is gay social engineering at a whole new level. And considering it is about a comic book character.... shows the sickening depths that the gay-lesbian crowd will go to try and validate a sick, perverse and filthy lifestyle . God, help us.

In the only sense I could see this happening is Archie is saved by grace and knows his Homosexual friend is not. So he takes the bullet meant for his friend knowing he, Archie, is going to life everlasting to be with GOD while hoping that his Homosexual friend heard the messages Archie kept trying to give him on accepting Jesus into his heart and becoming Born Again through the Grace of GOD.

Talk about reading into things.

Perhaps Rev. Dan Vojir summed it up best in an opinion piece written for OpEd News:

It could be worse: Archie could be saving a single immigrant lesbian adoptive mother from Pastor Gary Cass.

Farah, Beck, Starnes and Bachmann may even sniff 'conspiracy'. ??Whatever the reaction, the next days may prove to be even funnier than the "funny papers" that generated Archie.