What was the source of Samson's strength?
"revival project from Alex Ross and Dynamite Entertainment also announced in 2007, also features a character that is ostensibly the Fox Features Samson, though the visual design seems to have been inspired by the Gold Key Comics character Mighty Samson. Samson (he had no secret identity, although he was called ""Sam"" the few times he was shown wearing street clothes) was a direct descendant of the biblical figure. Like his ancestor, Samson had immense strength and endurance, but could lose his powers when his hair was cut. Samson only learned about his heritage when he was a grown man, after"
"Despite this, he became a college professor and psychiatrist. After Bruce Banner was temporarily cured of being the Hulk by siphoning off the gamma radiation that caused his transformations, Samson, who had been working with Banner/Hulk in his job as a psychiatrist, exposed himself to some of the siphoned radiation, granting him a superhumanly strong and muscular physique and causing his hair to turn green and to grow long, reminiscent of his biblical namesake. Initially, Samson's physical strength depends upon the length of his hair, though his gamma mutation eventually stabilized, making the length of his hair no longer a"
"Rather, it means that he had the ability to carry a burden 60 cubits wide (approximately 30 meters) on his shoulders). He was lame in both feet but, when the spirit of God came upon him, he could step with one stride from Zorah to Eshtaol, while the hairs of his head arose and clashed against one another so that they could be heard for a like distance. Samson was said to be so strong that he could uplift two mountains and rub them together like two clods of earth, yet his superhuman strength, like Goliath's, brought woe upon its"
"resistance to physical injury. Samson can withstand falls from great heights, extremes of temperature, high-caliber bullets, and tremendous impact forces like being repeatedly struck by the Hulk without sustaining injury. Due to his highly advanced musculature, his muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a normal human, granting him superhuman stamina. He has demonstrated sufficient stamina to battle a mindless incarnation of the Hulk for more than six hours. The discovery of a new persona within Leonard's psyche, which he calls ""Samson"", (later referred to as ""Dark Samson"") reveals that Doc Samson is capable"
"hair length irrelevant. Samson's strength is equal to that of the Gray Hulk, a.k.a. Joe Fixit, while the latter is in a calm emotional state. Unlike the Hulk, however, Samson's strength does not increase due to adrenaline surges while angry. As a result, Samson is less powerful than an angered Hulk. Samson is able to leap great distances vertically and horizontally, though not nearly as far as the Hulk or the Abomination. Aside from granting him more muscle mass, Samson's bodily tissues are fortified and are considerably harder than those of an ordinary human, granting him a high level of"
"found in the Book of Judges. The name ""Samson"" is derived from the Hebrew word ""šemeš"", which means ""sun"", so that Samson bore the name of God, who is called ""a sun and shield"" in ; and as God protected Israel, so did Samson watch over it in his generation, judging the people even as did God. Samson's strength was divinely derived (Talmud, Tractate Sotah 10a). Jewish legend records that Samson's shoulders were sixty cubits broad. (Many Talmudic commentaries, however, explain that this is not to be taken literally, for a person that size could not live normally in society."
"narrative, the intended marriage was shown to be part of God's plan to strike at the Philistines. According to the biblical account, Samson was repeatedly seized by the ""Spirit of the Lord,"" who blessed him with immense strength. The first instance of this is seen when Samson was on his way to ask for the Philistine woman's hand in marriage, when he was attacked by a lion. He simply grabbed it and ripped it apart, as the spirit of God divinely empowered him. However, Samson kept it a secret, not even mentioning the miracle to his parents. He arrived at"
"is because the work or duty of that person has been achieved. The Christian Bible, Old and New Testaments, has five accounts of suicide recorded. One account is that of Samson. Samson had been blessed by the lord with great strength but had lost this blessing. He was then imprisoned by the Philistines. Samson was brought before the Philistines to entertain them and leans against the support pillar of the temple they were all in and prayed to God for strength and God answered his prayer. With his newfound strength Samson knocks down the pillar causing the temple to fall"
"Samson is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant, which, coupled with his physical attributes, has allowed him to engage the Hulk for extended periods of time, and he briefly held his own against the combined forces of Iron Man, Wonder Man, Sub-Mariner, and Hercules, after they had first fought the mindless Hulk. He sometimes uses psychology as a tool to get through a more powerful opponent's guard, such as an Infinity Gem-empowered Titania. Unlike the Hulk, Doc Samson originally did not suffer from dissociative identity disorder, and retained his genius intellect. However, in recent years, he has developed a split personality:"
"was a Hebrew hero known for fighting the Philistines. Having fallen in love with Delilah, who has been bribed by the Philistines, Samson tells her the secret of his great strength: his uncut hair. Without his strength, Samson is captured by the Philistines. Rubens portrays the moment when, having fallen asleep on Delilah's lap, a young man cuts Samson's hair. Samson and Delilah are in a dark room, which is lit mostly by a candle held by an old woman to Delilah's left. Delilah is depicted with all of her clothes, but with her breasts exposed. Her left hand is"
"that he was given immense strength to aid him against his enemies and allow him to perform superhuman feats, however, if Samson's long hair was cut, then his Nazirite vow would be violated and he would lose his strength. The first instance of this is seen when Samson was on his way to ask for the Philistine woman's hand in marriage, when he was attacked by a lion. He simply grabbed it and ripped it apart, as the spirit of God divinely empowered him. After the philistines burned Samson's wife and father-in-law to death, Samson, in revenge, slaughtered many more"
"wife. During the journey he killed a lion, and on his return past the same spot he noticed that a swarm of bees had formed a comb of honey in the carcass. Samson later turned this into a riddle at a wedding: ""Out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness"".() While no one is sure why this particular quotation was chosen, it has been suggested that it refers either to the strength of the Lyle company which delivers the sweet syrup or possibly even to the trademark tins in which the syrup was"
"the fact that the biblical text does not state that the two had a sexual relationship, while midrash state that Delilah harassed Samson verbally and physically during sex to get him to tell her the source of his strength. Midrashim on Delilah reveal negative attitudes toward non-Jewish women and are supposed to ""demonstrate the havoc that a foreign woman could wreak"". The midrash says that Samson lost his strength because of his relationship with Delilah, a foreign woman, and not because his hair was cut, and that the angel who foretold Samson's birth to his mother knew that Delilah would"
"Mighty Samson Mighty Samson was a comic book series published Gold Key Comics. A post-apocalyptic adventure, it was set in the area around New York City, now known as ""N'Yark"", on an Earth devastated by a nuclear war. The series was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Frank Thorne. ""Mighty Samson"" ran for 32 issues between 1964 and 1982. Its initial run lasted 20 issues (cover-dated July 1964 - 1969). Issues #7–20 each had a back-up story with the large-headed character Tom Morrow. ""Mighty Samson"" returned in 1972 with issue #21 and ran through #31 in 1976. The first"
"Samson afterwards marks his decline and downfall. This might explain why Samson eventually told Delilah of his weakness, even though she repeatedly betrayed him before. It is possible he was not fully aware that cutting his hair would cause God to allow him to lose his strength; since it was actually the decline of his spiritual state that caused him to lose God's favor. Late aggadah say that Samson and Delilah had sons together who were strong like their father; Eldad ha-Dani claims that their sons resided in the land of Havilah and each had voices as ""triumphal...as a lion’s"
"his mother revealed his ancestry. While in college, his friend Professor Brun showed him a new invention, an ""iconoscope"", which allowed the viewer to watch remote scenes without a transmitter. The iconoscope picked up the image of an eastern holy man, who was praying for a higher power to send someone to battle evil. Samson used his superpowers to visit the holy man, and agreed to be that champion. In issue #10 of ""Fantastic Comics"", Samson gained a young side-kick whom he named David (his real name was unrevealed). David had no apparent superpowers yet was the sole survivor of"
"Philistines approach Delilah and induce her with 1,100 silver coins to find the secret of Samson's strength so that they can capture their enemy. While Samson refuses to reveal the secret and teases her with false answers, he finally wears down and tells Delilah that God supplies his power because of his consecration to God as a Nazirite and that if his hair is cut off he will lose his strength. Delilah then woos him to sleep ""in her lap"" and calls for a servant to shave his hair. Samson loses his strength and he is captured by the Philistines"
"x. 13), was a member of that clan (comp. I Chronicles iv. 3). The name ""Samson"" is derived from ""shemesh"" (""sun""), so that Samson bore the name of God, who is also ""a sun and shield"" (Psalm lxxxiv. 12 [A. V. 11]); and as God protected Israel, so did Samson watch over it in his generation, judging the people even as did God. Samson's strength was divinely derived (Sotah 10a); and he further resembled God in requiring neither aid nor help (Genesis Rabba xcviii. 18). In the blessings which Jacob pronounced on the tribe of Dan (Genesis xlix. 16-17) he"
"Samuel to live devout lives, yet in return they received extraordinary gifts: Samson possessed strength and ability in physical battle against the Philistines, while Samuel became a prophet. Some believe that Samson broke his vow by touching the dead body of a lion and drinking wine () However, the divine terms for not touching a dead body, listed in Numbers 6, refer to the body of a human--not that of an animal. Also, the feast held by Samson for his marriage does not indicate that Samson drank wine. In addition, the supernatural strength that Samson was given would have been"
"for her own. Mighty Samson Mighty Samson was a comic book series published Gold Key Comics. A post-apocalyptic adventure, it was set in the area around New York City, now known as ""N'Yark"", on an Earth devastated by a nuclear war. The series was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Frank Thorne. ""Mighty Samson"" ran for 32 issues between 1964 and 1982. Its initial run lasted 20 issues (cover-dated July 1964 - 1969). Issues #7–20 each had a back-up story with the large-headed character Tom Morrow. ""Mighty Samson"" returned in 1972 with issue #21 and ran through #31 in"
"of much higher powers than previously observed. Like others who have gamma-induced powers, Doc Samson is immune to terrestrial diseases. Unlike the Hulk, Abomination, or even She-Hulk, Samson has not demonstrated any accelerated healing powers. Samson is said to be one of the most renowned psychiatrists on Earth. He is often called on to counsel various superhumans, such as the members of X-Factor. He has a M.D. in psychiatry, and is a skilled theoretical technician and inventor of various medical devices. His extensive study of the mind also permits him a significant degree of resistance to telepathy and telepathic attacks."
"of Gwent, daughter of Meurig ap Tewdrig, King of Glamorgan and Gwent. His father's brother married his mother's sister so that their son Saint Magloire was Samson's cousin twice over. Due to a prophecy concerning his birth his parents placed him under the care of Saint Illtud, abbot of Llantwit Fawr, where he was raised and educated. Samson later sought a greater austerity than his school provided, and so moved to Llantwit's daughter house, the island monastery of Caldey off the coast of Dyfed (Pembrokeshire), Wales, where he became abbot after the death of Saint Pyr. Samson abstained from alcohol"
"favor due to the superficiality of supporting evidence. An interpretation far more popular among current scholars holds that Samson is a Hebrew variant of the same international Near Eastern folk hero which inspired the earlier Mesopotamian Enkidu and the later Greek Heracles (and, by extension, his Roman Hercules adaptation). Heracles and Samson both slew a lion bare-handed (the former killed the Nemean lion). Likewise, they were both believed to have once been extremely thirsty and drunk water which poured out from a rock, and to have torn down the gates of a city. They were both betrayed by a woman"
"to his knees. She appeals to Samson as a beautiful woman, and Samson is immediately taken with her. They begin the relationship of two passionate lovers, and Delilah convinces Samson of her love, ultimately seducing him into telling her the secret of his strength. Samson is thus at last captured by the Philistines, who blind him and make him into a slave, forcing him to grind grain at a millstone. At the celebration of his and his kingdom's defeat, he is brought in chains to be both an example and entertainment to his captors. Unbeknownst to them, his strength has"
"ghetto. Although she argues passionately, Samson's emotional strength inevitably inspires her to accept her fate as a Jew. When Samson is bruised and exhausted, lying on the ground, he is encouraged by a close friend who says, ""one man can suffer such blows and rise again."" For Wajda, this is the greatness displayed in Jewish history. Samson is a scrawny, haggard young man, who says very little and might almost border on boringly average; but he has the ability to rise again despite any blow, proving his strength of spirit. Of ""Samson"", Wajda wrote, Georges Sadoul ""Les Lettres Françaises"", Paris,"
"– unlike Pyr, who was killed when he fell down a well while drunk. As a cenobitic and later an eremitic monk, he travelled from Caldey to Ireland, where he is said to have founded or revived a monastery. There is one fairly certain date recorded of Samson's life; that he was ordained bishop by Bishop Dubricius on the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (22 February) at the beginning of Lent, which can be calculated to have fallen in the year 521. If, as is usual, he was 35 years old at the time then he would have"
"to help her seduce Samson. Samson falls for her charms in spite of the warnings of a chorus of Israelites. He reluctantly leaves for battle again, after swearing his love for Delilah. The High Priest urges Delilah to find out the secret of Samson's extraordinary strength. Samson enters; he is prepared to make peace with the Philistines in return for Delilah's hand in marriage. He overcomes his initial reluctance for the wedding to take place in the Temple of Venus. Delilah says she will only marry him if he reveals the source of his strength to her and Samson tells"
"Goliath, he was strong and chosen for a leadership role at a young age. He leads a small group of gargoyles and humans in a resistance against an alien threat that has invaded the Earth. Little else is known of his character or similarities to his Biblical counterpart, as the series never came to fruition. Within the Marvel franchise, there is a character known as 'Doc Samson' (born Leonard ""Leo"" Samson), who was exposed to gamma radiation and gained incredible strength. As with most comic book heores there are multiple versions of this, however, a common trait seems to be"
"factor. Shortly afterward, his flirting with Betty Ross causes a jealous Banner to re-expose himself to radiation, becoming the Hulk once more to battle Samson. Samson learns that his power decreases when he cuts his green hair, but he loses his powers due to a bombardment of intense gamma radiation. Feeling guilty about his role in his patient's return to being the Hulk, Samson would spend much time working with Banner over the years. Samson eventually regains his powers in a gamma ray explosion. He joins the Gamma Base staff. Alongside S.H.I.E.L.D., he battles the Hulk. He shrinks and projects"
"Samson in rabbinic literature Allusions in rabbinic literature to the Biblical character Samson, the ancient Israelite hero who fought the Philistines with supernatural strength, contain various expansions, elaborations and inferences beyond what is presented in the text of the Bible itself. Samson is identified with Bedan (I Sam. xii. 11); he was called ""Bedan"" because he was descended from the tribe of Dan, ""Bedan"" being explained as ""Ben Dan"" (R. H. 25a). On the maternal side, however, he was a descendant of the tribe of Judah; for his mother, whose name was Zelelponit (B. B. 91a) or Hazelelponit (Numbers Rabba"
"god as Samson, blind and in chains, bewails his fate. Samson's friend Micah, allowed to visit on this special day, is appalled by how low their once invincible hero has fallen, seeing in Samson's humiliation a symbol of Israel's defeat, but Samson insists it is all his own fault for having been unable to keep the secret of his magical strength from the woman who betrayed him. Samson bitterly laments his loss of sight. Samson's father Manoah finds Samson and is shocked by his transformation. Samson longs for death, but is comforted by the Chorus of Israelites that he will"
"hair"" (lines 58-9). The Chorus discusses Samson's background and describes his various military accomplishments: Although he is great, the Chorus points out that, through his blindness (actual and metaphorically), he is a prisoner: Samson reveals how he lost his power because of his desire for Dalila, and, through this act, betrayed God: I yielded, and unlocked her all my heart, Who with a grain of manhood well resolved Might easily have shook off all her snares: But foul effeminancy held me yoked Her bond-slave. O indignity, O blot To honor and religion! Servile mind Rewarded well with servile punishment! However,"
"lean against the supporting pillars to rest. He prays for strength and God gives him strength to break the pillars, causing the temple to collapse, killing him and the people inside. Academics have interpreted Samson as a demigod (such as Heracles or Enkidu) enfolded into Jewish religious lore, or as an archetypical folk hero. According to the Book of Samuel, Saul and the Israelites are facing the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, comes out between the lines and challenges the Israelites to send out a champion of their own to decide the outcome"