488 PROMETHEA
Promethea inhabited before; Act II sees Sophie on a mystical journey through the
10 sephiroths , or spheres, that comprise the conception of the universe as described by
the mystical teachings within Judaism known as Kabbalah; and Act III has Promethea
fulfi lling her cataclysmic prophesy to “end the world.” Moore makes the argument
that humanity’s notion of reality is inextricably entwined with human imagination,
and that stories and fantasy defi ne reality, as opposed to refl ecting it. Although not a
totally original postulation, Promethea is nonetheless noteworthy in the way it not only
manifests its core theme, but also serves as a meta-text that actualizes it, using a story
to comment upon the functions and signifi cance of other stories. It is also notable for
its particularly eff ective use of the combination of image and text to further its own
storytelling.
Superfi cially, Promethea corresponds to the conventions and expectations of the
superhero genre. Sophie, a relatively recognizable and relatable character, is bestowed
with remarkable powers through somewhat mysterious sources. Although these new-
found abilities beleaguer her personal life, she is nonetheless compelled to use them
for the welfare of others. Sophie is not the fi rst, or only, super-powered person in the
world of Promethea , and she occasionally allies herself with New York’s premiere “science
heroes,” Th e Five Swell Guys, whose powers and history go largely unexplained. Yet,
unlike most other superhero comics, Moore does not strive to represent a recogniz-
able reality. New York City in the year 1999, as depicted in the series, is similar to the
New York of the “real world,” yet has clearly been transformed by the presence of “super”
people and advanced technological progress: fl ying cars and “living” gels are seen as com-
monplace by the general populace. Whereas most superhero comics present fantastic
elements as intrusions into a world that otherwise refl ects our own, Promethea off ers a
world where verisimilitude and fantasy are inextricably, blatantly entwined.
Th e interconnectedness of fi ction with reality in Moore’s vision of New York City
points to Promethea ’s central concern: the roles of art, story, and imagination in human
understanding. According to Promethea , when a person dreams or engages in creative
thought, they enter the ethereal realm known as “Th e Immateria.” Th is land is comprised
of possibilities and thoughts, which can travel back to the physical plane; however, the
translation from notion to reality is not perfect—the idea of a chair is not the same as
an actual chair. Th e means to which these translations occur are stories, or more pre-
cisely, metaphors. Moore confi gures the indivisible relationship between imagination
and reality around the importance of metaphor, and uses the mystical representational
models of the Kabbalah and Tarot as means of illustrating how symbolism and story
create meaning and participate in constructing the human framework of existence.
Th e interrelationship of fantasy with reality is made explicit as Sophie prepares to
depart on her mystical tour through the Kabbalah’s map of existence, whose 32 paths
correspond to Promethea ’s number of issues. As she begins her journey, Sophie meets the
personifi ed Universe: a celestial woman entwined with a glowing serpent. When told
that the woman represents imagination and the snake indicates earthly, growing things,
Sophie asks if the snake’s head is at the woman’s feet to represent imagination “growing
