Meet the Superhuman Healthcare Agents
Which agents have your back?
Which agents have your back?
Lazarus Splendor Major Medical Ix Chel Trillium
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Many pop culture characters such as Superman and Wonder Woman are based on folk stories and myths. When first reinterpreted for a
1930s audience they were presented as the personification of the ideals, values and anxieties of that era. Today we are struggling with
issues surrounding healthcare cost, access and equity. The Superhuman Healthcare Agents are based on healing gods and goddess from
a variety of global traditions, but in an updated form, that embody aspects related to these important issues.
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Many pop culture characters such as Superman and Wonder Woman are based on folk stories and myths. When first reinterpreted for a
1930s audience they were presented as the personification of the ideals, values and anxieties of that era. Today we are struggling with
issues surrounding healthcare cost, access and equity. The Superhuman Healthcare Agents are based on healing gods and goddess from
a variety of global traditions, but in an updated form, that embody aspects related to these important issues.
Lazarus is based on Babalu Aye, a healing deity originating in the Yoruba religion of Western Africa and a powerful earth spirit in the Santeria culture of the Caribbean. Babalu Aye is associated with epidemics, infectious disease, and healing. In the Western hemisphere he is often merged with Lazarus the Catholic patron saint of lepers. In 1950s popular culture, Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz was known for his signature Congo drum-accompanied song, “Babalu Aye”. Superhuman Agent Lazarus is a biomedical engineer by day and musician by night. His genius for scientific research and ability to control sound waves to kill bacteria and viruses at the microscopic level make him ideally suited to work on cures for viral pneumonia, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
Beautiful in form, Lazarus’ emblem contains an antique microscope and sound waves with viruses, bacteria and parasites that cause disease in the background. Lazarus uses a high-grade biological compound light or scanning electronic microscope to conduct his research. |
Splendor is the earthly form of Beaivi, the Arctic sun goddess of the Sámi, the indigenous people of Sápmi (commonly called Lapland), which today encompasses parts of far northern Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. She assists those suffering from all forms of mental illness and depression.
In this version, she is radiant, surrounded by a halo of therapeutic lights used to treat seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), a type of depression associated with winter darkness. She wears a costume covered with micro-mirrors to better reflect and distribute these healing rays. The design for her emblem is based on the traditional Sápmi shaman’s drum, which creates a link between the physical and spirit world. The symbol painted on the drum represents the sun. Ice crystals and neurons mix in reference to long winters and the understanding that exposure to sunlight is essential to well being. |
Major Medical is based on Li Tie-guai, one of the eight immortals of Taoist philosophy. Traditionally he
has a disability and walks with a cane. The English translation of his name literally means “Iron Crutch”. Major Medical is a veteran of the Gulf Wars, a medical officer injured by a roadside bomb. He now has a high-tech prosthesis that actually makes him faster and stronger, and a utility belt with tools that cut through paperwork and insurance claim denials to help all those who need access to health care. In the world of health care, major medical is a type of insurance that covers medical expenses for injury or prolonged illness. Major Medical is always ready to drop in and help, so his badge is a blend of paratrooper and medic. The parachutes here and throughout the installation refer to medical rescue and relief aid. |
Ix Chel (esh-shell) is the Mayan goddess of fertility, midwifery, female sexuality, and healing. She has two aspects. As a young woman, she is the protector of women and children and walks the earth as a practicing midwife. As an old woman, she is a healer, the goddess of medicine and the keeper of female sexuality. Associated with the jaguar, serpent, the phases of the moon, rainstorms, and floods, she represents regeneration and rebirth. In this contemporary version of the goddess, Ix Chel is a champion for women’s rights to access reproductive health care. She is involved in preventative care, providing health care to pregnant women and their children, and ensuring women have access to birth control.
Her emblem is a combination of images related to the moon and female birth control. |
Trillium is inspired by Iaso (ee-ah-sho), the Greek goddess of recuperation from illness. Iaso was a daughter of the medicine god Asklepius (uh-sklee-pee-uhs) who is associated with the symbol of a snake wrapped around a staff. She had four sisters, each representing a different aspect of health and healing: Hygieia (preventative medicine), Aceso (the healing process), Aglaea (beauty in the service of good health), and Panacea (universal remedy). In this contemporary interpretation of her character, she is a caretaker. Sometimes a nurse, perhaps a home healthcare worker, her superpower provides both hospital and family caretakers with emotional and practical support. Her name comes from the wild lily (trillium), which symbolizes health, purity and healing.
The double triangular arrangements of the petals and leaves in her emblem reference the triangles of health and healthcare. The first is a teaching tool created by middle school students in the 1990s. The three sides are physical, social and mental health. The second is commonly used to represent the essential aspects of a healthcare systems, cost, quality and access. The hard part is finding balance. |