You know, believe it or not, I see a lot of what would ultimately become "Cyberpunk" present in OMAC: soul-crushing totalitarian/corporate state, consumerism gone crazy.
There was one image from OMAC in particular that always struck me as being especially Cyberpunkish: it was a floating robot head of a girl, saying: "build me and I will be your friend." That's Cyberpunk's greatest fear: the belief that if given the choice between something real and something not real, people will choose the fake thing every time.
I should email Mark Evanier what Kirby thought of BLADE RUNNER. Ten to one he probably thought it was interesting.
I think you make a compelling argument for Kirby's possible inspiration/influence. Certainly, Chariots of the Gods was a huge influence upon pop culture of the time; and definitely inspired the Celestials. it was just everywhere-ingrained in the zeitgeist of the 70's. However, the "mythological beings are really technologically advanced aliens" schtick is nearly as old as sci-fi itself.
I'd agree with you, if there weren't
so many other similarities between LORD OF LIGHT and Kirby's work.
Except for the obsession with Hinduism, every idea in LORD OF LIGHT...yes, EVERY idea, somehow made it into Kirby's work somewhere: electric clone reincarnation (CAPTAIN VICTORY), "demons" having a "true" existence as shapechanging aliens, characters making semi-pretentious philosophical speeches as they fight, the pairing of a trickster/brainiac who fights with his mind and has powers over light with a partner that is a grim, red-clad bruiser with conflicted loyalties, "gods" living above the planet in a floating city because they deign to touch the earth...
It isn't just one concept in that book we see in Kirby's work, it was MANY. And LORD OF LIGHT came first.
I didn't know about the Kirby treatment for LORD OF LIGHT until this thread, or the movie either (it sounds fascinating), but I am not in the least surprised. It's like discovering Steve Gerber, creator of THUNDARR with his wookie and lightsaber, was a big fan of STAR WARS. Gee whiz,
you think?