You might not think that religion plays any part in the world of comic book superheroes. But those characters are people just like everyone else, and they have jobs, favorite movies, personalities and faiths. Religion doesn’t come up very often in comic books, but just like in any story, it can be a powerful narrative tool. Or it can just be a fun bit of trivia that fleshes out a character.

This is apparently a thing. Go Menorah Man!

And since tonight is the last night of Hannukah, let’s take a look at the Top 6 Jewish superheroes! Because I have been posting way too much Christmas stuff over the past few weeks.

6. Sabra – A superhero who takes her Judaism so seriously that she wears a Star of David on her chest.

She also races fighter jets!

Sabra, real name Ruth Bat-Seraph is an Israeli superhero from Marvel Comics, typically the X-Men franchise. She’s a mutant with enhanced strength, speed, durability and all the rest. Sabra is especially badass because she’s not just a superhero, she’s a secret agent! She works for the Mossad, the Israeli secret service. Sabra is one of those international characters who pop up whenever a superhero leaves America. In fact, she most recently appeared alongside Britain’s Union Jack in series about international superhero spies kicking ass.

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5. Batwoman – New to the Batman family of heroes, Batwoman is not just Jewish, but she’s paving the way for the LGBT community as well. Batwoman is one of the first homosexual superheroes to headline their own series.

It also helps that she looks totally badass

Introduced only a few years ago, this Batwoman is a revitalization of an old character from back in the Silver Age of comics. The old Batwoman was so out-dated that instead of a utility belt, she had a utility purse. She was originally going to be a new take on Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, but DC Comics instead decided to go with a brand new version of Batwoman. She was introduced as a ‘lipstick lesbian’, and has not shied away from being out and proud. She made her first appearance during the year-long series 52, and was part of the ‘Christmas’ issue, where it was revealed that she celebrates Hannukah and lights the Menorah. Since then, DC has been careful about not overusing her. Now Batwoman headlines arguably the best comic book of the new reboot.

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4. Magneto – The Master of Magnetism, arch foe of the X-Men, played by the great Ian McKellen in the movies; Magneto is a stone cold badass super-villain. And sometimes a superhero.

Though your average superhero isn't this cool!

Everybody remembers the opening scene of the first X-Men movie, right? With young Magneto in the concentration camp? Then it was lovingly recreated for X-Men: First Class, where Magneto became a Nazi-Hunter! All of that happened because Magneto was born Max Eisenhardt to a middle-class Jewish family in 1920s Germany. Max and his family tried to flee to Poland, but they were eventually found and the future Magneto was sent to Auschwitz. I doubt he truly has much to do with the Jewish faith in his super-villain life, but being discriminated against as a Jew is the basis for Magneto’s hatred of humanity! This man has suffered for his faith! And the Nazis have suffered for doing it to him.

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3. Ragman – You’ve heard of the Golem in Jewish lore? Well the Ragman is the human counterpoint to the Golem, and DC also uses him as a superhero with a pretty nifty costume.

A superhero who eats and imprisons souls!

Wearing a costume made from tattered clothes – where each rag is a different evil-doer’s soul – Rory Regan is the Ragman, the latest in a long line of Jewish defenders. Though Rory didn’t know it at first. He and his dad ran a shop called Rags’n’Tatters, and some hoodlums tried to take over. Dad got beaten to death, Rory became the Ragman seeking vengeance! A rabbi eventually came around and told Rory that the Ragman is a long line of heroes, dating back to the 1500s. In fact, Rory’s dad was the Ragman before him. Since those origins, and series or two to his name, Ragman is now part of the general magic community. Though I’m not sure what’s become of him since the reboot.

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2. Shadowcat – The adorable ‘little sister’ of the X-Men, Kitty Pryde is one of the most beloved mutants in all of comicdom. Except for her odd exclusion from the 1990s X-Men cartoon.

Also she has a purple dragon as a pet

Kitty Pryde has always been a bit of a Jewish sweetheart, even wearing the Star of David as a pendant in a lot of her appearances. It’s just another cute part of her already adorable persona. Kitty Pryde was introduced to the X-Men in the 1980, and has since served as a youthful, then young adult, then young woman member of the team. She’s bold, brash and brave, with the ability to walk through solid objects. Most often, she’s played the young sidekick-of-sorts to Wolverine. He even taught her to be a ninja. Nowadays she’s one of the lead X-Men, with administrative duties at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

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1. The Thing – The ever lovin’ blue-eyed thing, Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew, menace to the Yancy Street Gang and possibly the most beloved and respected superhero in the Marvel Universe. The Thing is everybody’s big brother and best pal. And he hosts a mean poker game.

And throws a mean punch!

The Thing, of course, is one of the founding members of the Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics’ premiere superhero team. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s got a Brooklyn accent. He’s just as likely to help a little old lady cross the street as he is to punch Galactus the Devourer of Worlds in the face! He’s a class act, even if he spends a lot of time moping about looking like a monster. Still, he gets the ladies from time to time. Ben Grimm’s faith was revealed in a 2002 story, in which Grimm has to save a Jewish pawnbroker from his old neighborhood from an exploding super-villain called Powder Keg. Grimm and the pawnbroker have a chat about his faith. Thing also has a chat with Powder Keg.

He looks Episcopalian, maybe?

Then in a Thing solo series by writer Dan Slott in the mid-00s, the Thing even had his Bar Mitzvah, sort of. I think it said that Ben Grimm never had a proper one as a kid on his 13th birthday. So a local rabbi in New York City suggested he have a Bar Mitzvah on the 13th anniversary of his becoming the Thing. To celebrate, the Thing threw a massive poker tournament with all of his superhero friends. Because even superheroes love to gamble!

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Honorable Mentions: Songbird, Colossal Boy, Doc Samson, Ambush Bug, Fathom, Grasshopper, Sasquatch, Prime, Justice, my girlfriend Alyssa and The Hebrew Hammer!