Historyum
Divine Profile
First human created in God’s image, Giver of names to the animals (authority in creation), Bearer of free will but also the one who transgressed God’s command, Father of Cain, Abel, Seth, and all humanity.
Mythology
Origin story
According to the Book of Genesis (Old Testament), Adam was the first human created by God. God formed him from the dust of the ground (adamah in Hebrew) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, making him a living being (Genesis 2:7). God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard it, giving him freedom except for one command: not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
God created Adam and placed him in Eden. Seeing that it was not good for man to be alone, God made Eve from Adam’s rib. They lived in innocence until the serpent tempted Eve to eat from the forbidden tree. She gave the fruit to Adam, and he also ate. Their eyes were opened, and they knew shame. God judged them: Adam must toil by the sweat of his brow, Eve would bear children in pain, and both were exiled from Eden, separated from the Tree of Life. Through Adam’s disobedience, sin and death entered the human race.
Mythological Stories
The Expulsion from Eden:
After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve hid from God among the trees. God called, “Where are you?” Adam replied, “I was afraid because I was naked.” The covering of fig leaves could not hide their disobedience. Angels drove them from the Garden, and a flaming sword guarded the Tree of Life. This story, in Christian theology, explains humanity’s fallen condition and the need for redemption through Christ, called the “Second Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45).
Similar Deities & Modern Depiction
Movies/TV Shows
Mother directed by Darren Aronofsky’s (2017)
Adam is allegorically represented by Ed Harris’s character, “Man,” who arrives in a paradisiacal home and disrupts its harmony. His mysterious wound and rib imagery evoke the Genesis account, while the film critiques human ego, environmental destruction, and theological myth
Anime
Record of Ragnarok: (2021)
Adam is a divine rebel and ultimate human champion, chosen to fight the gods in a battle for humanity’s survival. He’s portrayed as serene, powerful, and deeply loving—especially toward Eve. His ability, Divine Reflection, allows him to mirror godly attacks, symbolizing that humanity, made in God’s image, can rival the divine. His fight against Zeus is one of the most emotionally charged in the series, emphasizing sacrifice, dignity, and defiance
Video Games
Dante’s Inferno: (2010)
Adam isn’t a direct character, the game’s descent through Hell reflects the consequences of original sin and the mythic weight of Eden. The imagery of temptation, fall, and redemption is central to the game’s narrative.
Comics
Neil Gaiman’s
The Sandman (1989-1996), Edenic themes and Adam-like archetypes appear in dreamscapes and mythic retellings. While Adam himself isn’t a central character, the series explores creation, fall, and transformation through allegorical figures and dream logic. Other myth-based comics often reimagine Eden as a psychological or metaphysical space, with Adam representing humanity’s confrontation with divine mystery and moral choice
Books
In Paradise Lost (1667): John Milton
Adam is portrayed as the rational and noble first man, created in God’s image and endowed with free will. His tragic flaw is his overwhelming love for Eve, which leads him to knowingly share in her disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. Milton’s Adam is a deeply introspective figure who, after the Fall, gains wisdom through suffering and dialogue with the archangel Michael, ultimately accepting his fate and embracing redemption
Similar Deities
Prometheus (creator of humanity in Greek myth).
Gayomart (first man in Persian/Zoroastrian cosmology).
Purusha (cosmic man in Hindu Rigveda).
Ymir (primordial giant in Norse mythology).
Enkidu (wild man from Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh)