Essay On Superheroes

Division and Classification

For as long as there have been comic books there have been superheroes. These are characters who usually have a power or ability not possessed by your average person. They might be able to fly, swing from building to building, or run very fast. Superhero stories and movies have seen a resurgence in the past decade thanks to the commercial success of the Marvel Universe. There seem to be countless superheroes, but many of them have origin stories which are similar. One method of classifying superheroes is by analyzing their origin stories to determine where their powers came from. By doing so, it can be shown that the character development of superheroes is based in large part on how they obtained their powers.

The first type of superhero is the superhero who receives their power through the intervention of an alien race. This category includes Superman, the comic book character who helped to establish the superhero genre originally. Superman’s powers stem from the fact that he is in fact an alien living on Earth. He is not really human but is instead from Krypton. Because of his alien heritage he possesses several superhuman abilities, such as the ability to fly, be exceptionally strong, and be impervious to bullets. Another character who falls into this category is Green Lantern, a test pilot who receives a powerful ring from a dying alien. In receiving the ring, he gains the ability to generate anything he can imagine.
The common thread that links this type of superhero is that they are the epitome of values that humanity is seeking to develop further. Superman stands for “Truth, justice, and the American Way,” a not-subtle nod towards the propaganda role Superman played back in the 1940s. Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, is chosen by the dying alien because he is “utterly honest and born without fear.” He then becomes part of an alien law enforcement agency. This focus on truth and justice is a defining characteristic of both superheroes, thanks in large part to the alien origin of their powers. Their powers come from a source, which is more morally and technologically advanced than humans are, and these characters act as the bridge between humanity’s current values and ideals.
The second type of superhero is the superhero who receives their power due to science or a science experiment gone wrong. There are dozens of superheroes who fit this category, but the most well-known are Spiderman and Captain America. Spiderman is created when Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider. As one would expect, instead of dying or becoming sick, he develops the ability to stick to walls, shoot webs from his wrist, and possess super strength, speed, and a spider sense which allows him to recognize danger. Captain America was a test subject for American scientists in World War II. He was given a serum which made him the perfect physical specimen, much stronger and faster than other people.
The theme that runs through many of these superhero stories is one of responsibility. In most cases, the superhero has a backstory in which they were weak and picked on. Peter Parker is a nerd who doesn’t have the confidence to speak to the girl of his dreams. John Rodgers is as small and weak as people come. They are zero-to-hero stories that ask the questions about what one should do when they receive powers and abilities not possessed by regular people. The most oft-quoted line from Spiderman is the phrase, “with great power comes great responsibility.” It’s a worthwhile question to ask of anyone given power, and how the characters react to their power is a large part of their mass appeal.
The final category of superhero is one who doesn’t actually possess superhuman abilities.

These characters are heroes who made themselves into superheroes. The best examples of this are Batman and Iron Man. Neither Bruce Wayne nor Tony Stark are themselves superhuman, but they both create superhero characters thanks to their financial wealth and innovation.

What defines these characters is that they have made a choice to be superheroes. In the cases of the last two categories of superhero, the ability was usually thrust upon the hero or they are born with the ability. Batman and Iron Man chose to be superheroes and could quit at any time. Without any special abilities they are just like the average person, which is a large part of their appeal. The best Batman and Iron Man stories deal with the consequences of the two men making the choice to put their lives at risk to be a superhero.

There are three main ways that superheroes acquire their powers: they may be of alien origin, they are the result of science, or they exist without special powers at all. How they acquire their powers plays an instrumental role in the type of character they are and why they have such broad appeal Superheroes, no matter what category they fall into, challenge humanity to be better than it is. They epitomize our values and help us to address our fears and dreams. Whatever the origin story, superheroes always have and will continue to inspire their

fans.