What is a Superhero?
A superhero is a character, who through one reason or another, has special abilities,
powers or skills that make him or her more advanced than ‘normal’ people. In some
cases, superheroes are given their powers or abilities, like in the case of Spiderman who is
plain old Peter Parker until he is bitten by a genetically enhanced spider, or Green Lantern
who becomes the superhero when he wears a special ring. In other cases, the superhero
is born with their powers, like Superman or Wolverine (although his powers only developed
during puberty or times of emotional stress).
A superhero is committed to saving the
public - at some point. This can be their
city, as in the case of Batman or Kick
Ass, or the world, like Superman or Iron
Man. They thrive on doing the right thing
and standing up for honest and good
morals.
Some superheroes are anti-heroes and,
like Hancock, need to be taught how to
use his/her powers as a force for good,
rather than destruction. Wolverine, for
example is a very reluctant hero. He has
been born with a superpower - the ability
to heal himself when injured and bone
like claws - which allows him to undergo an extensive surgical experiment where metal is
grafted to his skeleton. Throughout his story though, Wolverine is reluctant to use his
claws and does not like to be identified as a superhero.
Some superheroes have an ‘alter ego’ - a normal person they can be when they aren’t
being Super. Superman, for example is Clark Kent, who is a nerdy, hapless news reporter.
Batman is Bruce Wayne. Part of a superhero’s challenge is to keep his real identity a
secret as villains and evil forces could use it to their benefit, targeting the superhero’s
family and friends. Some superheroes do not hide behind the alter ego and disguise.
Wolverine for example is known for who and what he really is. Tony Stark at first hides the
fact that he is Iron Man and then embraces his identity.
What makes superheroes more than just a hero protecting others, can be the superhuman
powers or abilities they have. If they do not have an innate super power, they will have
superhuman ability, like Rorschach in The Watchmen who has super ‘skills’. Many people
argue that Batman isn’t a superhero at all, as there is nothing special or super about him.
However, his wealth allows him to develop his suit and gadgetry which allows him to
become ‘more’ than regular civilians. In this sense, he is super.
Alternatively, they are considered costumed crime fighters. In 1930s comic book lingo,
these were also known as ‘mystery men’. They are also considered stock characters; a
fictional character which relies upon stereotypical qualities (speech, costume and
personality for example) and cultural types. This allows superheroes to both fulfill and
subvert the codes and conventions of stock characters.
Superheroes look to establish an
equilibrium of lawfulness. This is either to
combat criminals themselves or to go
beyond the law (and what police can do)
in order to fight crime.
This is where the Supervillain comes in.
They have similar powers / abilities and
are the polar opposite of the hero/ine.
Without the supervillain, the superhero
would have no one to defeat.
Interestingly, the supervillain is the one
who really tests and stretches the
superhero and forces him or her to
become even better than they were in
the first place. The Joker for example in
The Dark Knight pushes Batman to his
limits and forces him to question how he goes about defeating him and saving the civilians.
More often than not, the supervillain at first is seen as more powerful or stronger than the
superhero and it becomes part of the narrative that the superhero has to learn how to
defeat the superhero. After all, if the superhero was invincible and undefeatable, where
would the excitement of the film come? Think about Iron Man’s struggle against Aldrich
Killian in Iron Man 3 - at first it seems that there will be no stopping Aldrich and it is this
that drives and pushes the narrative on.
Audiences can expect both psychological and physical battles, between the archenemy or
nemesis and the superhero/es.
Superheroes are associated with Western culture
and can demonstrate political and social issues of
the day, just as much as they display a positive
and idealised messages for the audience.
Captain America is the best example of this. He is
held us as the ‘American hero’ and is meant to be
the embodiment of everything America stands for.
His costume and shield proudly displays the stars
and stripes of the American flag. As he fights for
right, justice, honour, truth, freedom and victory,
the audience will see the stars and stripes and be led to connect what Captain America
fights for and what America stands for.
This can be for example, national identity (Superman), representations of disability (X
Men) and gender (Wonder Woman).
Revision Questions:
1. Describe in your own words what a Superhero is.
2. How are some superheroes different from others?
3. Explain the importance of the supervillain.
PTO for next question
4. How are superheroes and culture linked?