UMGC historian examines comics, culture, and 9/11’s legacy
In the days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, even superheroes seemed powerless.
Cord Scott, PhD, a University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) faculty member and historian of military-themed comics, remembers reading about Marvel Comics' response to the attacks while beginning his doctoral studies.
"They were talking about how they were releasing the Amazing Spider-Man ... the all-black cover," Scott recalled. "All the big wigs at Marvel were like, we felt like we couldn't do anything because … we talk about superheroes and we're watching all this stuff come down, we can't stop it."
An interest transformed
Scott was a fan of comic books from an early age, long before he became a scholar and historian of the medium.
Like many Americans who vividly remember where they were that morning,9/11 became a pivotal moment in his life. He had just begun a doctoral program at Loyola University Chicago.
"9/11 occurs and it just kind of throws everything into absolute chaos,” Scott said.
In the weeks that followed, as the nation mourned those who lost their lives and grappled with the attacks' lasting impact, Scott became increasingly intrigued by how comic book creators responded. The black-covered Amazing Spider-Man issue was particularly poignant, given that the comic is largely set in New York City. The issue relied largely on imagery of the wreckage with few words, conveying widespread feelings of uncertainty and loss. Reissuance of Captain America storylines dealing with terrorism raised additional questions about how comics reflect contemporary events.
Such questions ultimately became part of Scott’s dissertation and helped shape a scholarly focus that has spanned decades. Today, his research focuses on the intersection of comic books, military history, and culture.
Comics as a record of history
In the aftermath of the attacks, comics and other graphic works offered a way for artists and readers to process what seemed incomprehensible.
"Comics tend to reflect the events and attitudes of their time more than they predict the future or attempt to shape a particular viewpoint," Scott said.
Superheroes known for defeating impossible threats suddenly confronted a real-world tragedy beyond their powers. In the Spider-Man issue, superheroes stood back and watched as emergency responders did their work. The scenes mirrored the helplessness many Americans felt as they watched events unfold.
Rather than offering easy answers, many creators documented shock, grief, and uncertainty. Others raised money for relief efforts through special editions and anthologies. The medium became a record of how a significant number of Americans made sense of a dramatically changed world.
"The term ‘comic book’ is always loaded because people think that it's nothing more than, ‘Oh, it's just meant for little kids.’ No, especially not now," Scott said.
Rather than offering easy answers, many creators documented shock, grief, and uncertainty. Others raised money for relief efforts through special editions and anthologies. The medium became a record of how many Americans made sense of a dramatically changed world.
Teaching 9/11 to a new generation
The passage of time is never far from the conversation about 9/11.
Scott said he now often teaches students who were born in 2001 or thereafter and have no personal recollection of the attacks that reshaped the United States. For Scott, that only underscores the importance of helping students understand how popular culture can offer insight into major historical events.
As 9/11 increasingly shifts from lived experience to history, institutions such as the 9/11 Memorial & Museum are finding new ways to engage audiences.
Penelope Ray is director of exhibition development at the museum in New York City. Scott served as an advisor during development of the exhibition, helping the team interpret the role comics and graphic narratives played in documenting and understanding the attacks and their aftermath, and the experiences of those affected by them.
A large and solemn space, the museum is situated within the footprint of the original Twin Towers. Among its many exhibits is the recently opened Responding in Ink, which Ray noted is composed of comic books, graphic novels, and their connection to 9/11.
Preserving the stories of those who lost loved ones, responded to the attacks, or experienced them directly remains a central part of the museum's mission. She emphasized the importance of comics and graphic novels as “meeting people where they are” and “one of the first mass media to respond” to the day and times that followed. She also explained the process of creating such an exhibit.
"We don't do anything by ourselves here; it's always a giant team effort," said Ray. "Dr. Scott was a big part of the team, particularly early on when we were making sure we were telling a story that didn't just make sense to us, but to somebody who has spent years studying this."
Ray said graphic works can also serve as educational tools. In that light, comics can turn into historical documents, showing future generations about the events surrounding that dark day.
“As we get further away, graphic novels are a really important way that young readers learn about history,” Ray said, while also noting that the official 9/11 report was later converted to a graphic adaptation for a similar purpose.
How culture helps preserve memory
Institutions like the 9/11 Memorial & Museum help preserve historical memory. Comics can play a similar role, capturing the emotions, questions, and uncertainties of a moment as events unfold and long afterward.
Scott believes there is a reason that comics have remained relevant to historians and educators despite changes in the industry.
"There are always elements that touch on aspects of society," he said. "You can always find a relationship somehow, or how it relates back to cultural history."
Twenty-five years after the attacks, that connection between culture and history continues to offer insight into a moment that reshaped the nation.
For Ray, preserving those individual stories remains as important as documenting the historical event itself.
"This isn't just a museum of an event. It’s more than that. It's a museum of human lives and human stories," she said.
Read more from other UMGC faculty members: How 9/11 Changed Public Safety, Homeland Security, and Our Society.