Bio
Justin F. Martin is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Whitworth University. His research explores the intersection of moral development and superhero and dystopian media. His superhero scholarship highlights superhero media as a context for generating pedagogical and research activities that examine the relationship between moral and nonmoral social concepts.
Recent publications explore Black Panther, Luke Cage, Mr. Freeze, Bishop, Jean Grey, Daredevil, Superman, and The Walking Dead. He is the co-editor of Arkham’s Souls: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of Batman’s Villains and Villainesses (Lexington, 2023) with Marco Favaro. He teaches courses in statistics, research methods, developmental psychology, moral development, and morality within the Marvel Universe.
Select Publications Interests Select Appearances
Daredevil and Vigilantism (2025, Popular Press Article)
Social Superheroes (2024, Book Chapter)
Batman’s Villains and Villainesses (2023, Edited Book)
Black Panther and Civics (2021, Journal Article)
Moral Development
Social Development
Christian Philosophy/Theology
Superhero Media
Dystopian Media
Comics
Black Panther, Moral Development, and Comics (2022, Sectarian Review Podcast)
How Black Panther can be a template for a psychologically sound civics education for kids (2022, Inlander Magazine)
Drawing on Faith (2018, Whitworth Today Magazine)
Whitworth’s “super” professor (2017, KXLY News)
Media Appearances
Martin, J. F. (2022, August 11). Black Panther, Moral Development, and Comics (No. 190) [Audio podcast episode]. In Sectarian Review.
“How Black Panther can be a template for a psychologically sound civics education for kids”, Inlander, 2 June 2022.
“Drawing on Faith”, Whitworth Today, 5 June 2018.
“Whitworth’s ‘super’ professor”, KXLY News, 30 November 2017.
“The ageless appeal of superheroes: What effect do superhero stories have on audiences?”, Deseret News, 24 March 2016.
Media & Scholarly Inquiries
For interview requests, media outreach, or academic correspondence, please complete the contact form below. All serious inquiries will be reviewed and responded to in a timely manner.
