Marvel terminates Indonesian artist’s contract over hidden religious messages in X-Men Gold comics

Reading Time:2 minutes

Published: 6:08pm, 12 Apr 2017Updated: 9:46pm, 12 Apr 2017

Marvel has fired Indonesian artist Ardian Syaf after controversy over the politically charged hidden messages in the first issue of X-Men Gold.

“Marvel has terminated Ardian Syaf’s contract effective immediately,” the company said in a statement that also explained that Syaf’s work will still be seen in X-Men Gold Nos. 2 and 3 because the next two issues of the biweekly series have already been shipped to the printer.

“Issues No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 will be drawn by R. B. Silva and issues No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 will be drawn by Ken Lashley,” the statement continued.

“A permanent replacement artist will be assigned to X-Men Gold in the coming weeks.”

Syaf placed the numbers ‘5:51’ into panels of the comic, referencing a current controversy surrounding Jakarta’s governor. Photo: Marvel

Featuring superheroes fighting to save humanity despite the fear and bigotry they often have to face as mutants, “X-Men” has always been political. But Marvel found their latest comic unexpectedly thrust in the conversation around the complicated religious and political reality of Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.

Readers pointed out that it seemed Syaf had included some anti-Christian and anti-Semitic messaging within the pages of X-Men Gold No. 1. Others more attuned to Indonesian politics said the messages seemed to be referencing the current tensions around Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who is facing accusations of blasphemy against Islam and is currently up for re-election.