What is it about Superheroes?

[Ancalagon]

Why does Western culture seem to have such an affinity with Superheroes? Is there something in our psyche that makes us vulnerable without them? Do they serve to counteract the emasculation felt by Western powers?

Discuss.

[Rangerdave]

maybe people just like to see big burly men and lithe women in badly color coordinated spandex with capes and underwear on the outside.

We have a similar phenominon in Houston, its called the Gay Pride Parade. This parade is great fun, its like street theater. Even a completely straight (yet lecherous) guy like me can have a good time there.

RD


(note)
In now way was this post meant to be preceived as an attack or justification of homosexuality or gender based bigotry. Just funny.

[ReadWryt]

Older cultures have such things, they are just percieved as being "Supernatural Beings". The fact that the creators of "Superman" built upon the ancient Hebrew tale of the Golem is a great example.

It was not thought to be a "Superhero" or a "Super-villain", it was just accepted as being a magical being of supernatural origin and strength, and culturally it is quite ancient.

In America we have had such creatures, but not as many because of our "Young" state as a culture. Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox, Johnny Appleseed...two good samples of the "Superhero" of early America...were larger then life individuals embued with amazing powers. Had America been founded well before the waning of Magic to the pervasive influence of Science we may well have had more of the type of figure seen in much older cultures, but our culture and mythology(ies) were products of the emerging sciences and not religious or magic foundations.

By the time that the 1940's came along, with all the UFO sightings...Radiation Experiments and Scientific Advances that our culture was steeped in, the idea that a SuperHero would be "Magical" was much less believable to the public in general, and so Superheroes like "Captain Marvel", embued with the ability to present himself through the magical incantation of the word "SHAZAM!" fell to the Aliens and Alien Influence(Superman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern and such), Science Experiments gone awry (Spiderman, Swamp Thing, Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk and their ilk), science done right (Iron Man and others) and Ancient forgotten peoples like The Amazons in the case of Wonder Woman and the lost people of Atlantis in the cases of Aquaman and Submariner.

In a world and culture where Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and **** Tracey were using all manner of devices and technology to do good in the Newspaper Comic Strips there emerged in the Comic Book Industry a new means to the same end that had captivated ancient peoples with tales of Gods and Demi-Gods...Creatures of supernatural origin and Magic, and so the SuperHero was born...

I'm sorry to have gone on like this, but you can't hang out with these Comic Book nutbars for so many years and not hear ALL this tripe, but in it I feel there is a great deal of truth in this matter.

[Chymaera]

yeah emascualtion that thing there;)

And the realization that a bunch of nerdy artists
didn't have to work for a living(lucky stiffs:p)

I can't draw 'em but I can read 'em:p ;) :D

[Tyaronumen]

ReadWryt: Not all of us who read comic books are "nut bars", and not all of us ramble on endlessly about the origins of comic book heroes... ;)

In fact, I haven't read superhero or juvenile oriented comics since I *was* a juvenile. There is a vast selection of comic books available that are for mature audiences, and have extremely creative artwork and storylines.

Actually, my favorite work is by Harvey Pekar, who has been chronicling stories of his life in comic book form for 30 years, now. You may remember Pekar from Late Night with David Letterman, where he used to appear from time to time and dog General Electric. ;)

But Pekar's stories aren't for everyone, as they aren't action packed (necessarily), or superhero driven, nor do they have a plot where the hero and her/his mate live happily ever after... still worth checking out, if you ever have the chance.

[gate7ole]

Just some numbers to prove Superhero madness:
Some years ago the biggest opening for a film belonged to Batman with an amazing $50M the first weekend. It was broken by Batman Returns with another $50M+. Those were immense numbers.
Last year X-Men did pretty well and this year comes Spider-man with the amazing $114M. All these in North America.
And tto be continued (Daredevil, X-Men 2, Spidey 2)

[Lhunithiliel]

Would I be wrong if I say that "superheroes" appear in societies where life has become more...convenient, so to say. Meaning, that people's lives have become more boring, pople not having some strong cause to defend or/and to find for in their everyday life and/or everyday difficulties to overcome. When a society comes to this stage of satisfaction of the usual needs, people's minds become ...sort of "idle" and ANY action that is different in its cause is perceived as "heroism", therefore the man/woman who did it - becomes a superhero!

If you now say that Iam wrong about those actions that are different from the boring everyday life of peopel and say that crime actions are EXTRAordinary, but NOT considered as heroism - think twice! First, it takes courage of some kind and to some extent in order to commit a crime. Second - the names of those who have commited big crimes are spoken with a little bit of respect (often not admitted, though), Third - crimes unfortunately TOO has become part of our everyday life, therefore crimes cannot be considered as some "heroic" deeds, nor the ones who have commited them - "superheroes".

Said all that, I think that "superheroes" and the need in them start to apear only when human's mind finds no other challenge and what is a human mind without a challenge?! Challenge is the driving force for a human to improve.

(Here I'd wish to provide that quote from Tolkien speaking about the "special gift given to the race of Men, but my computer has been unstable lately and I'm afraid not to lose the line again as it has happened a few moments ago, which made me finish this post by the "edit"-option).

[Tyaronumen]

Lhun -- I'd disagree that superheroes appear only in societies where the challenge of life has diminished, etc...

There've been heroic figures, super-powered legends, in the tales of men throughout human history... heck -- a lot of Greek mythology experts think that the God myths originated as the recorded exploits of the Dorian conquest of Greece...! (NOT a time of complacency, comfort, or special wealth... :D)