Yes, compare Dr. Shivana from Captain Marvel/Shazam to Barry Allen or Doctor Solar and there's quite the contrast

At the time the Golden Age books were first coming out there was still a lot of "science meddling where man shouldn't go".  America was also still viewed in an agrarian sense where there was a lot to be suspect in the big city (I fully recognize that the vast majority of comic writers and artists of the time were from New York City).  The bad scientist trope began to change in SF with what is now termed the Golden Age of Science Fiction as Campbell and Gold started running more stories about the benevolence and hope of science in conquering the stars.  

By the time of the Silver Age we were in the space race with the Soviets, science was conquering polio and smallpox, science was a national priority and scientists were becoming media stars.  

That's hardly "beyond the comprehension of man".  They made dinosaurs, dinosaurs ate them.  Easily comprehended.

This is a continuation of a discussion that seemed off topic from the "what comic have you read recently".

First off Hoosier I want to draw your attention to the bolded part of my above comment. It is what I get for not proof reading my post. :-) I am not that well versed in politics.

To answer your questions; it's mostly the latter. I usually don't see Candidate A necessarily making any long lasting change than Candidate B. Sure both A and B have their pros and cons. And people weight out how they feel those pros and cons will make a better candidate for the benefit of themselves and/or others too. But even in the case of homosexual marriage, it's now been the law for, what, over a year? But are the homosexual people, outside of the legal document themselves and the benefits of that, being treated better or differently because it's legal? I see news articles posted in other forums I visit of their continued mistreatment. States trying to enact their own laws to try and circumvent this so that they can continue to discriminate against homosexual people. It's really more a lack of faith in our species. The very fact that we had to take the time we did, and fight for the law to be passed, is proof for me that it's not president A or president B, or congress or the house, it's us as a species, and/or us as a country (since I have never been outside of the US, I don't want to speak for other citizens of other countries) that is holding ourselves back from any kind of equality and dignity in how we treat people around us. Laws may deter some from acting on their prejudices or inclinations, but it doesn't stop them all.

I think that it is important that all people are allowed to live a full, peaceful and happy life. But I don't have faith in my lifetime, or even a very distant future that it will happen. So it's not necessarily blaming president A or B for it. But blaming us as a species that we need laws with harsh consequences to get us to treat people humanly and fairly. Though I realize that my stance may come off to people as negative; ie if you're not helping, you're no help at all. And it helps I come from a demographic that doesn't have much to fear in the way of discrimination. But I feel more helpful in my day to day life of treating people fairly and no matter what race, skin color, gender, or sexual preference they are. I just treat them as humans equally. I know it's very defeatist, but maybe my outlook on life will change at some point. But at the moment, I let my wife's voice speak for the family in the political scene.

Oh and if you are curious ... that quiz that was posted in the community forum political thread, where you would answer questions to see which party you leaned towards; most of my opinions on policy were conservative and liberal on social issues.

Adam, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't presidents only have the power to sign or veto a bill? I've always been under the assumption that it's the congressional senate that holds all the "keys to the kingdom" as it were

That's always been tbe case, pretty much all over the world, I think, and it isn't just comics. Thing is, the general public measures success (which they somehow equate with quality) with how recognizable something is to them, nothing else. Everyone watches TV and movies, but many people these days don't read, not just comics but anything. Harry Potter was a movie series, Game of Thrones is a TV show. Half the people who consider themselves fans of them are completely oblivious to the novels, best sellers though they are. The X-Men are a movie franchise; "wait, there are X-Men comics? Really? Wow, didn't know that. Guess they're based on the movies".

Britain has a proud theatrical tradition stretching back centuries. Many of our most distinguished actors have spent most of their careers on stage, and seldom been out of work in several decades. But the general perception is, if they're not showing up on TV, they're probably long term unemployed. Or dead.