This article proposes a hermeneutical approach to François Bourgeon’s series of comic strips Les Passagers du vent. Based on the concepts of memorial and cultural benevolence, we show that the three heroines successively staged (Isa, Zabo and Klervi) allow a critical reading of the history of Western modernity, in particular with regard to the relationships between civilizations and between genders. The advent of democracy is also questioned.