The mysterious antagonist of the Amazon series I’m a Virgo, directed by Boots Riley, is Jay Widow, also known as The Hero. Portrayed by Walton Goggins, The Hero captivates viewers with his unique and darkly humorous endeavors. Hero, whose journey is motivated by severe loneliness and a desire to escape the routine, intertwines fake heroism, disappointment, and the search for a meaningful connection in his life. Let’s delve deeper into his psyche to get to know him better.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did The Hero’s Perception Of Fake Heroism Get Shattered?
The Hero, also known as Jay Widow, was once a renowned comic book author who wanted to break free from the pages of a comic book and decided to bring his superhero alter-ego to life. Donning a superhero costume with a drone attached to it, he soared through the city. He intended to challenge what was regular and mundane, yet his method was unusual, frequently suicidal, and dismal. As a result, in his efforts to inspire, he occasionally irritated others. Still, The Hero’s character was a fascinating addition to the plot; he appeared to be an antagonist, but we occasionally sympathized with him and laughed aloud at his eccentric antics.
At first, the Hero’s appearance raised curiosity and intrigue in our minds. While giving an interview, he pointed a gun at his head, setting the bizarre mood of the story as well as unabashedly revealing his weird persona. At first, the people of the town marveled at his abilities and the unique spectacle he created. However, as time went on, his behavior began to take a darker turn. His sad approach to life—hiring an assassin to kill himself or setting bombs in his room—was enough to establish that his self-confidence was decaying inside. These actions unsettled the public, raising concerns about the Hero’s mental state. Meanwhile, Cootie, the “Twamp Monster,” became a sensation, gaining fame and adoration from the masses, and having witnessed it all, the Hero started to feel left out. He felt overlooked and lost in his own pain and misery. In moments of solitude, he would slap himself and then suddenly dance to country pop music.
As we get a glimpse of an entire day in Hero’s life, we see how depressed he was as evidenced by his lack of motivation to wake up every day. His AI alarm jolted him to wake up, but after waking up, he could only feel the emptiness consuming him slowly. It’s not due to his lack of desire to play his role as a Hero. We have even witnessed his genuine concern for his town and his commitment to upholding the law to protect its people. But, unwittingly, he just became another instrument used to bolster capitalism. His Cannon Comics company, where his employees trembled in fear of his anger, was just another flag bearer of capitalism that instilled terror in workers regarding their job, finances, and security. Despite his status as a hero, he failed to actively address poverty or corruption in the town; instead, his capitalistic approach exacerbated these issues. Hero, who claimed himself to be the defender of justice, showed his indifference to Cootie’s individuality and portrayed him as a villain, which was far from Cootie’s characterization. He portrays Cootie as a giant in his comics and builds a colossal prison cell to capture him. Even though a worker in the office engaged in a discussion, suggesting that their comic portraying Cootie as a giant might have connotation of propaganda, Hero responded by claiming that all art is propaganda, regardless of whether it portrays nature or mundane subjects. This viewpoint instilled fear among the workers, preventing them from sharing their own ideas, as Hero adamantly believed that he alone held the correct perspective within the office. Nevertheless, all these pursuits that Hero immersed himself in were driven by his profound loneliness. He wanted to escape the utter loneliness and boredom of his regular life.
His assistant, Edwin, goes on a date with a woman named Sasha in order to assess her compatibility with Hero. Sasha was also hired by Hero for an assassination attempt on himself, but this weird way of committing suicide was a mere excuse because Hero actually wanted to spend time with her. However, his roundabout approach instead of straightforward communication didn’t quite impress Sasha, leading her to leave his apartment. And he again immersed himself in the darkness of his solitude.
Furthermore, he displayed a mix of cruelty and kindness when he met a prisoner on the verge of execution and shed a tear at his imminent demise. The convict desired to see The Hero for the last time, trying to inform him that The Hero had shown people cheap magic tricks through his creation. At this moment, Hero recognized the illusion of power he had perpetuated through his comics. He realized that while he entertained people, he also instilled in them a false belief in unattainable power—a power that only existed within his fist. Yet, despite possessing this power, Hero was leading a monotonous and mundane life in his skyscraper. Desperate to break free from this existence, Hero tried to engage himself in an altercation with Cootie. However, just as he captured Cootie, communist Jones intervened, imparting her wisdom and forcing Hero to confront his own reflection. Jones gave him a chance to see himself for who he truly was—an unwitting contributor to the world’s destruction rather than its savior.
Moved by this realization, Hero released Cootie and fled the scene, donning his drone suit. At that moment, he broke free from the shackles of his disillusionment and set out on a path of self-discovery. The hero’s character here represents the complexities of human behavior. He embodied the struggle between light and darkness, sanity and madness, heroism and self-destruction. However, the larger-than-life appearance of Hero was just a disguise because inside, he was a lonely man looking for a real connection in this crowded city. He lacked the courage to explore his own flaws, leading him to avoid breaking free from the illusions within his mind. He believed himself a true Hero, but in the end, he was corrected by Jones, who taught him a new way to see life, embracing each person’s individuality, and respecting the common people’s blood and sweat.
