Superhero
For the 2007 parody film, see Superhero! A
superhero is a character who is noted for feats of
courage and
nobility and who usually has a colorful
name and
costume and
abilities beyond those of normal human beings. A female superhero is sometimes called a
superheroine.
Since the 1938
debut of
Superman, the character who inspired the term and did much to define it, the stories of superheroes—ranging from episodic adventures to decades-long
sagas—have become an entire genre of
fiction that has dominated
American comic books and crossed over into several other media.
Although superheroes widely vary (see
Divergent character examples), a number of characteristics have become associated with the typical superhero: Some real people are a fine example of a modern superheros
*Extraordinary
powers and abilities, relevant skills, and/or advanced equipment. Although superhero powers vary widely, superhuman strength, the ability to fly and enhancements of the five senses are all common. Some superheroes, such as
Batman and
Green Hornet, possess no superpowers but have mastered skills such as
martial arts and
forensic sciences. Others have special equipment, such as
Iron Man's
powered armor suits and
Green Lantern's
power ring.
*A strong moral code, including a willingness to risk one's own safety in the service of good without expectation of reward.
*A motivation, such as a sense of responsibility (e.g.
Spider-Man), a formal calling (e.g.,
Wonder Woman), a personal vendetta against criminals (e.g.,
The Punisher), a strong belief in justice and humanitarian service (e.g.
Superman), or a family legacy of fighting crime (e.g.
The Phantom).
*A
secret identity that protects the superhero's friends and family from becoming targets of his or her enemies. Most superheroes use a descriptive or metaphoric code name for their public deeds.
*A flamboyant and distinctive costume, often used to conceal the secret identity (see
Common costume features).
*An underlying motif or theme that affects the hero's name, costume, personal effects, and other aspects of his or her character (e.g., Batman resembles a large
bat, calls his specialized automobile, which also looks bat-like, the "
Batmobile" and uses several devices given a "bat" prefix).
*A trademark
weapon, such as Wonder Woman's "
Lasso of Truth" and
Captain America's
shield.
*A
supporting cast of recurring characters, including the hero's friends, co-workers and/or love interests, who may or may not know of the superhero's secret identity. Often the hero's personal relationships are complicated by this dual life, a common theme in Spider-Man stories in particular.
*A
number of enemies that he/she fights repeatedly, including an
archenemy who is more troubling than the others. Often a nemesis is a superhero's opposite or
foil (e.g.,
Sabretooth embraces his savage instincts while
Wolverine tries to control his).
*Independent wealth (e.g., Batman or the
X-Men's benefactor
Professor X) or an occupation that allows for minimal supervision (e.g., Superman's civilian job as a
reporter).
*A headquarters or base of operations, usually kept hidden from the general public (e.g., Superman's
Fortress of Solitude, Batman's
Batcave).
*An
"origin story" that explains the circumstances by which the character acquired his or her abilities as well as his or her motivation for becoming a superhero. Many origin stories involve tragic elements and/or freak accidents that result in the development of the hero's abilities.
Most superheroes work usually independently. However, there are also many superhero teams. Some, such as the
Fantastic Four and X-Men, have common origins and usually operate as a group. Others, such as
DC Comics's
Justice League and
Marvel's
Avengers, are "all-star" groups consisting of heroes of separate origins who also operate individually. The shared setting or "universes" of Marvel, DC and other publishers allow for individual superheroes to form a group and for regular superhero "team-ups."
Some superheroes, especially those introduced in the 1940s, work with a young
sidekick (e.g., Batman and
Robin, Captain America and
Bucky). This has become less common since more sophisticated writing and older audiences have made such obvious
child endangerment seem implausible and lessened the need for characters who specifically appeal to child readers. Sidekicks are seen as a separate classification of superheroes.
Superheroes most often appear in
comic books, and superhero stories are the dominant genre of
American comic books, to the point that the terms "superhero" and "comic book character" are often used synonymously in
North America. Superheroes have also been featured in
radio serials,
prose novels,
TV series,
movies, and other media. Most of the superheroes who appear in other media are adapted from comics, but there are exceptions.
Marvel Characters, Inc. and DC Comics share ownership of the United States
trademark for the phrases "Super Hero" and "Super Heroes" and these two companies own a majority of the world's most famous and influential superheroes. Of the "Significant Seven" chosen by
The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History (1989), Marvel owns Spider-Man and Captain America and DC owns Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman,
Captain Marvel and
Plastic Man. Although, like many non-Marvel characters popular during the 1940s, the latter two were acquired by DC from defunct publishers.[
1]. However, there have been significant heroes owned by others, especially since the 1990s when
Image Comics and other companies that allowed creators to maintain trademark and editorial control over their characters developed.
Spawn,
Hellboy and
Invincible are some of the most successful creator-owned heroes.
Although superhero fiction is considered a subgenre of
fantasy/
science-fiction, it crosses into many other genres. Many superhero franchises resemble
crime fiction (Batman,
Daredevil), others
horror fiction (Spawn,
Spectre) and others more standard science fiction (Green Lantern, X-Men). Many of the earliest superheroes, such as
The Sandman and
The Clock, were rooted in the
pulp fiction of their predecessors.
Because the fantastic nature of the superhero milieu allows almost anything to happen, particular superhero series frequently cross over into a variety of vastly different genres. In the 1980s series
The New Teen Titans, for example, the Titans battled a supernatural
cult leader in one story, participated in an intergalactic
space war in the following, and returned to Earth and became involved in an urban drama involving young runaways in the next. The content of each of these stories is quite different, yet the same principal characters are involved.
Common costume features
 |
Captain America's costume contains many features common to superheroes. Art by Gabriele Dell'Otto |
A superhero's costume helps make him or her recognizable to the general public, both in and outside of
fiction. Costumes are often colorful to enhance the character's visual appeal. Costumes frequently incorporate the superhero's name and theme. For example,
Daredevil resembles a red
devil, the design of
Captain America's costume echoes that of the
American flag, and
Spider-Man's costume features a web pattern. The convention of superheroes wearing masks and skin-tight
unitards originated with
Lee Falk's
comic strip creation
The Phantom.
Many features of superhero costumes recur frequently, including the following:
*Superheroes who maintain a
secret identity often wear a
mask, ranging from the domino masks of
Green Lantern and
Ms. Marvel to the full-face masks of Spider-Man and
Black Panther. Most common, however, are masks covering the upper face, leaving the mouth and jaw exposed. This allows for both a believable disguise and recognizable facial expressions.
*A symbol, such as a stylized letter or visual icon, usually on the chest. Perhaps the most recognizable are uppercase "S" of
Superman and the bat emblem of
Batman.
*Form-fitting clothing, often referred to as tights or
spandex, although the exact material is usually not identified. Such material displays a character's athletic build and heroic sex appeal and allows a simple design for illustrators to reproduce.
*While a vast majority of superheroes do not wear
capes, the garment is still closely associated with them, likely due to the fact that two of the most widely-recognized, Batman and Superman, wear capes. The comic book series
Watchmen and the movie
The Incredibles humorously commented on the sometimes-lethal impracticality of capes.
*While most superhero costumes merely hide the hero's identity and present a recognizable image, parts of some costumes have functional uses.
Batman's utility belt and
Spawn's "
necroplasmic armor" have both been of great assistance to the heroes.
Iron Man's armor, in particular, protects him and provides technological advantages, as well as keeping him alive (due to internal life support functions).
*When thematically appropriate, some superheroes dress like people from various professions or subcultures.
Zatanna, who possesses
wizard-like powers, dresses like a
magician, and
Ghost Rider, who rides a superpowered
motorcycle, dresses in the leather garb of a
biker.
*Several heroes of the 1990s, including
Cable and many
Image Comics characters, rejected the traditional superhero outfit for costumes that appeared more practical and militaristic. Shoulder pads,
kevlar-like vests, metal-plated armor, knee and elbow pads, heavy-duty belts, and ammunition pouches were common features.
Superheroes originated in the U.S. and most internationally popular superheroes are American creations. However, there have been successful superheroes in other countries most of whom share the conventions of the American model. Examples include
Cybersix from
Argentina,
Captain Canuck from
Canada and the heroes of
AK Comics from
Egypt.
Japan is the only country that nears the US in output of superheroes. The earlier of these wore
scarves either in addition to or as a substitute for capes and many wear
helmets instead of
masks.
Ultraman,
Kamen Rider,
Super Sentai,
Metal Heroes, and
Kikaider have become popular in Japanese
tokusatsu live-action shows, and
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and
Sailor Moon are staples of Japanese
anime and
manga. However, most Japanese superheroes are shorter-lived. While American entertainment companies update and reinvent superheroes, hoping to keep them popular for decades, Japanese companies retire and introduce superheroes more quickly, usually on an annual basis, in order to shorten merchandise lines. Japanese superhero franchises are also more closely connected to general Japanese science fiction/fantasy, containing more complex technological and mystical ideas than most American superhero stories. They also more often feature more lethal violence on the part of the hero.
British superheroes began appearing in the
Golden Age shortly after the first American heroes became popular in the
UK [
2]. Most original British heroes were confined to
anthology comics magazines such as
Lion, Valiant, Warrior, and
2000AD. Marvelman, known as Miracleman in
North America, is probably the most well known original British superhero (although he was based heavily on
Captain Marvel). Popular in the 1960s, British readers grew fond of him and contemporary UK comics writers
Alan Moore and
Neil Gaiman have revived Marvelman in series that display a jaundiced and cynical slant on heroism, an attitude prevalent in newer British heroes, such as
Zenith.
In
France, where comics are known as
Bande Dessinée, literally
drawn strip, and regarded as a proper art form,
Editions Lug began translating and publishing Marvel comic books in in anthology magazines in 1969. Soon Lug started presenting its own heroes alongside Marvel stories. Some closely modeled their U.S. counterparts, while others indulged in weirder attributes, such as the
shape-changing alien Wampus. Many were short-lived, while others rivaled their inspirations in longevity and are now the subject of reprints and revivals.
In
India,
Raj Comics, founded in 1984, owns a number of superheroes, such as
Nagraj,
Doga and
Super Commando Dhruva, that, while somewhat akin to Western superheroes, carry
Hindu ideas of morality and incorporate
Indian myths.
See also: Manga, History of the British comicIn superhero
role-playing games, particularly
Champions, superheroes are informally organized into categories based on their skills and abilities. Since comic book and role-playing
fandom overlap, these labels have carried over into discussions of superheroes outside the context of games:
|
The shapeshifting abilities of Plastic Man have often been used for humorous affect. Art by Jack Cole. |
*"
Martial Artist": A hero usually whose physical abilities are mostly human rather than superhuman but whose combat skills are phenomenal. Some of these characters are actually superhuman (
Daredevil,
Iron Fist), while others are normal human beings who are extremely skilled and athletic (
Batman and
related characters,
Black Widow).
*"Brick/Tank": A character with a superhuman degree of strength and endurance and usually an oversized, muscular body, e.g.,
The Thing,
The Hulk,
Colossus,
Savage Dragon.
*"Blaster": A hero whose main power is a distance attack, usually an "
energy blast" e.g.,
Cyclops,
Starfire,
Static.
*"Elementalist": A hero who controls some natural element or part of the natural world, e.g.,
Storm,
Polaris,
Firestorm.
*"Gadgeteer": A hero who invents special equipment that often imitates superpowers, e.g.,
Forge,
Nite Owl.
**"Armored Hero": A gadgeteer whose powers are derived from a suit of
powered armor, e.g.
Iron Man,
Steel.
**"Dominus": A hero who controls a
giant robot, a subtype common in
Japanese superhero and science fiction media, e.g.
Megas XLR,
Big Guy, the
Power Rangers.
*"Speedster": A hero possessing superhuman speed and reflexes, e.g.,
The Flash,
Quicksilver.
*"Mentalist": A hero who possesses
psionic abilities, such as
telekinesis,
telepathy and
extra-sensory perception, e.g.,
Professor X,
Jean Grey,
Saturn Girl.
*"
Shapeshifter": A hero who can manipulate his/her own body to suit his/her needs, such as stretching (
Mister Fantastic,
Plastic Man) or disguise (
Changeling,
Chameleon Boy).
**"
Size changer": A shapeshifter who can alter his/her size, e.g., the
Atom (shrinking only),
Colossal Boy (growth only),
Hank Pym (both).
*"Marksman": A hero who uses projectile weapons, typically
guns,
bows and arrows or throwing blades, e.g.,
Punisher,
Rose Tattoo,
Green Arrow,
Hawkeye.
*"Mage": A hero who is trained in the use of
magic,
Doctor Strange,
Zatanna.
These categories often overlap. For instance, Batman is a both a skilled martial artist and gadgeteer and
Hellboy has the strength and durability of a brick and the mystic arts abilities of a mage. Very powerful characters, such as
Superman,
Captain Marvel,
Dr. Manhattan and the
Silver Surfer can be listed in many categories.
See also: List of comic book superpowersWhile the typical superhero is described above, a vast array of superhero characters have been created and many break the usual pattern:
*
Wolverine has shown a willingness to kill and behave anti-socially. Wolverine belongs to an entire underclass of
anti-heroes who are grittier and more violent than classic superheroes, which often puts the two groups at odds. Others include
Rorschach,
Green Arrow,
Black Canary,
The Punisher, and, in most incarnations,
Batman.
*Some superheroes have been created and employed by national governments to serve their interests and defend the nation.
Captain America was outfitted by and worked for the
United States Army during
World War II and
Alpha Flight is a superhero team formed and usually managed by an arm
Canadian Department of National Defence.
*Many superheroes have never had a
secret identity, such as
Luke Cage or the members of
The Fantastic Four. Others who once had secret identities, such as Captain America and
Steel, later made their identities public.
The modern Flash is a rare example of a "public" superhero who regained his secret identity.
*While most superheroes gain their abilities through accidents of science,
magical means or rigorous training, the
X-Men and related characters are
genetic mutants whose abilities naturally manifest at
puberty. Mutants more often have difficulty controlling their powers than other superheroes and are persecuted as a group.
*
The Incredible Hulk is usually defined as a superhero, but he has little self-control and his actions have often either inadvertently or deliberately caused great destruction. As a result, he has been hunted by the military and other superheroes.
*
Superman, the
Silver Surfer,
Martian Manhunter, and
Captain Marvel (the
Marvel Comics character) are
extraterrestrials who have, either permanently or provisionally, taken it upon themselves to protect the planet
Earth.
*
Adam Strange, on the other hand, is a human being who protects the planet
Rann.
*Some superhero identities have been used by more than one person. A character takes on another's name and mission after the original dies, retires or takes on a new identity.
The Flash,
Blue Beetle and
Robin are notable mantles that have passed from one character to another.
Green Lantern is a standard title for all the thousands of members of the intergalactic
Green Lantern Corps and several different characters have been the Green Lantern of Earth.
*
Thor and
Hercules are
mythological gods reinterpreted as superheroes.
Wonder Woman, while not a goddess in her current incarnation, is a member of the
Amazon tribe of
Greek mythology.
*
Spawn,
The Demon and
Ghost Rider are actual
demons, who have been manipulated by circumstance into being forces of good.
Hellboy, however, is a demon who is heroic on his own accord.
*Some characters tread the line between superhero and villain because of a permanent or temporary change in character or because of a complex, individualistic moral code. These include
Juggernaut,
Emma Frost,
Catwoman,
Elektra, and
Venom. This change is often coincides with a
spin-off series in which the character must be a likable
protagonist.
*Because the superhero is such an outlandish and recognizable character type, several comedic heroes have been introduced, including
The Tick,
The Flaming Carrot,
The Ambiguously Gay Duo,
The Great Lakes Avengers, and
The Simpsons'
Radioactive Man.
The terms "Super Hero," "Super Heroes," and by association, "superhero"[
3] have been jointly
trademarked by
DC Comics and
Marvel Comics to describe entertainment on
television,
film, and
printed media (U.S. Trademark Serial Nos.
72243225 and
73222079).
According to former
Mego Toys CEO
Marty Abrams, the company owned toy licenses for both Marvel and DC characters in the early 1970s and released
dolls of both company's heroes in a series called "World's Greatest Superheroes," the packaging of which stated "Superhero is a trademark of Mego." Both Marvel and DC objected, as they had used the term for decades. Mego agreed to sell its alleged trademark of the phrase to both companies for one dollar apiece.
Marvel and DC have maintained the trademark since. Others have sometimes used "super-hero," with a hyphen, as a spelling covering all such heroes. In March 2006, DC and Marvel attempted to register "super-hero" as well. Some
bloggers have suggested using the term "underwear pervert" to describe the characters of Marvel and DC in protest[
4] [
5].
Antecedents
The origins of superheroes can be found in several prior forms of fiction. Many share traits with
protagonists of later
Victorian literature, such as
The Scarlet Pimpernel and
Sherlock Holmes.
Penny dreadfuls,
dime novels and other popular fiction of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries featured mysterious, swashbuckling heroes with distinct costumes, secret identities and altruistic missions. These include
Zorro, the
Scarecrow of Romney Marsh and
Spring Heeled Jack, who first emerged as an
urban legend. Likewise,
John Carter of Mars and
Tarzan were heroes with unusual abilities who fought larger-than-life foes.
Philip Wylie's 1930
novel Gladiator has recently gained attention as a prototype not only of the "classic" superhero, but also of its
deconstruction. [
6]
Pulp magazine crime fighters, such as
Doc Savage,
The Shadow and
The Spider, and
comic strip characters, such as
Dick Tracy and
The Phantom, were probably the most direct influences.
By modern standards, characters like Doc Savage and The Phantom—colorfully named, valiant adventurers at or near peak physical abilities—could be considered superheroes in their own right, but the first appearance of
Superman is widely considered the point at which the superhero genre truly began.
Golden Age
In 1938, writer
Jerry Siegel and illustrator
Joe Shuster, who had previously worked in
pulp science fiction magazines, introduced
Superman. The character possessed many of the traits that have come to define the superhero: a
secret identity, superhuman powers and a colorful costume including a symbol and cape. His name is also the source of the term "superhero," although early comic book heroes were sometimes also called "
mystery men" or "
masked heroes".
DC Comics, which published under the names National and All-American at the time, received an overwhelming response to Superman and, in the years that followed, introduced
Batman,
Wonder Woman,
Green Lantern,
The Flash,
Hawkman,
Aquaman and
Green Arrow. The first team of superheroes was DC's
Justice Society of America, featuring most of the aforementioned characters.
Although DC dominated the superhero market at this time, companies large and small created hundreds of superheroes.
The Human Torch and
Sub-Mariner from
Marvel Comics (then called
Timely Comics) and
Plastic Man and
Phantom Lady from
Quality Comics were also hits.
Will Eisner's
The Spirit, featured in a
comic strip, would become a considerable artistic inspiration to later comic book creators. The era's most popular superhero, however, was
Fawcett Comics'
Captain Marvel, whose exploits regularly outsold those of Superman during the 1940s.
During
World War II, superheroes grew in popularity, surviving paper rationing and the loss of many writers and illustrators to service in the armed forces. The need for simple tales of good triumphing over evil may explain the wartime popularity of superheroes. Publishers responded with stories in which superheroes battled the
Axis Powers and the patriotically themed superheroes, most notably Marvel's
Captain America.
After the war, superheroes lost popularity. This led to the rise of other genres, especially
horror and
crime. The lurid nature of these genres sparked a moral crusade in which comics were blamed for
juvenile delinquency. The movement was spearheaded by psychiatrist
Fredric Wertham, who famously argued that "deviant" sexual undertones ran rampant in superhero comics. [
7]
In response, the comic book industry adopted the stringent
Comics Code. By the mid-1950s, only Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman retained a sliver of their prior popularity, although effort towards complete inoffensiveness led to stories that many consider silly, especially by modern standards. This ended what historians have called the
Golden Age of comic books.
Silver Age
In the 1950s,
DC Comics, under the editorship of
Julius Schwartz, recreated many popular 1940s heroes, launching an era later deemed the
Silver Age of comic books.
The Flash,
Green Lantern,
Hawkman and several others were
recreated with new origin stories. While past superheroes resembled
mythological heroes in their origins and abilities, these heroes were inspired by contemporary
science fiction. In 1960, DC banded its most popular heroes together in the
Justice League of America, which became a sales phenomenon.
Empowered by the return of the superhero at DC,
Marvel Comics editor/writer
Stan Lee and the artists/co-writers
Jack Kirby and
Steve Ditko launched a new line of superhero comic books, beginning with
The Fantastic Four in 1961. These comics continued DC's use of science fiction concepts (
radiation was a common source of superpowers) but placed greater emphasis on personal conflict and character development. This led to many superheroes that differed from predecessors with more dramatic potential. Some examples:
*
Spider-Man was a teenager who struggled to earn money and maintain his social life in addition to his costumed exploits.
*
The Incredible Hulk shared a
Jekyll/Hyde-like relationship with his
alter ego and was driven by rage.
*
The Fantastic Four was a superhero family of sorts, who squabbled and even held some unresolved acrimony towards one another.
*
The X-Men were "
mutants" who gained their powers through
genetic mutation and who were hated and feared by the society they sought to protect.
While the superhero genre underwent a revival, the rise of
television as the top medium for light entertainment and the effects of
Comics Code Authority obliterated genres such as
westerns,
romance,
horror,
war and
crime . In the coming decades, non-superhero comics series would occasionally rise to popularity but superheroes and comic books would be forever intertwined in the eyes of the American public.
Deconstruction of the superhero
In the 1970s,
DC Comics paired
Green Arrow with
Green Lantern in a ground-breaking socially-conscious series. Writer
Dennis O'Neil portrayed Green Arrow as an angry, street-smart
populist and Green Lantern as good-natured but short-sighted authority figure. This is the first instance in which superheroes were classified into two distinct groups, the "classic" superhero and the more brazen
anti-hero.
In the 1970s, DC returned
Batman to his roots as a dubious vigilante and
Marvel introduced several popular anti-heroes, including
The Punisher,
Wolverine and writer/artist
Frank Miller's darker version of
Daredevil. These characters were deeply troubled from within. Batman, The Punisher and Daredevil were driven by the crime-related deaths of family members and continual exposure to slum life. The
X-Men's Wolverine, on the other hand, was tormented by his own uncontrollable savagery.
The trend was taken to a new extreme in the 1986
mini-series Watchmen by writer
Alan Moore and artist
Dave Gibbons, which was published by DC but took place outside the "
DC Universe", with new characters. The superheroes of
Watchmen were emotionally unsatisfied, psychologically withdrawn, sexually confused, and even sociopathic.
Another story,
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1985-1986) continued Batman's renovation. This mini-series, written and illustrated by Frank Miller, featured a future Batman returning from retirement. The series portrayed the hero as an obsessed fanatic on a brutal quest to mold society to his will and concluded with a symbolic slugfest against
Superman, now an agent/secret weapon of the U.S government.
Some critics believe that this trend is tied to the cynicism of the 1980s, when the idea of a person selflessly using his extraordinary abilities on a quest for good was no longer considered believable, but a person with a deep psychological impulse to destroy criminals was. Regardless, both
Watchmen and
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns were acclaimed for their artistic ambitiousness and psychological depth and became watershed series, leading to numerous imitations.
Struggles of the 1990s
By the early 1990s, anti-heroes had become the rule rather than the exception, as
The Punisher,
Wolverine and the grimmer
Batman became popular and marketable characters. Anti-heroes such as the
X-Men's
Gambit and
Bishop,
X-Force's
Cable and the
Spider-Man adversary
Venom became some of the most popular new characters of the early 1990s. This was a financial
boom time for the industry when a new character could become well-known quickly and, according to many fans, stylistic flair eclipsed character development.
In 1992, Marvel illustrators
Todd McFarlane,
Jim Lee and
Rob Liefeld â€" all of whom helped popularize anti-heroes in the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises â€" left Marvel to form
Image Comics. Image changed the comic book industry as a haven for creator-owned characters and the first significant challenger to Marvel and DC in thirty years. Image superhero teams, such as Lee's
WildC.A.Ts and
Gen¹³, and Leifeld's
Youngblood, were instant hits but were criticized as over-muscled, over-sexualized, excessively violent, and lacking in unique personality. McFarlane's
occult hero
Spawn fared somewhat better in critical respect and long-term sales.
To keep ahead of new competitors and continue to the financial boom, Marvel and DC launched headline-grabbing, large-scale storylines that made drastic changes to iconic characters. The "
Death of Superman" found the hero killed and resurrected, Batman was physically crippled in the "
KnightFall" storyline, and a
clone of Spider-Man vied with the original for the title. Company-wide
crossovers, such as DC's "
Zero Hour" and Marvel's "
Onslaught," were also financial successes. While these stories drummed up publicity, fans complained that the essential elements of the franchises had been diluted and they ultimately lost interest.
Throughout the 1990s, several creators deviated from the trends of violent anti-heroes and sensational, large-scale storylines. Painter
Alex Ross, writer
Kurt Busiek and
Alan Moore himself tried to "reconstruct" the superhero genre. Acclaimed titles such as Busiek's, Ross' and
Brent Anderson's
Astro City and Moore's
Tom Strong combined artistic sophistication and idealism into a super heroic version of
retro-futurism. Ross also painted two widely acclaimed
mini-series,
Marvels (written by Busiek) for Marvel Comics and
Kingdom Come for DC, which examined the classic superhero in a more literary context, as well as satirizing anti-heroes.
Magog, Superman's rival in
Kingdom Come was partially modeled after Cable.
By the beginning of the 2000s, most classic superheroes had returned to their roots. However, the comic book industry's most acclaimed writers could make drastic changes and gain general fan approval, as was the case with
Grant Morrison's
New X-Men series and
Brian Michael Bendis's "
Avengers Disassembled" story arc.
As of 2006, a decline in the comic book industry has cut the surplus of anti-heroes, but a revival of
superhero films and a rise in the sale of
trade paperbacks have kept the superhero genre healthy.
Until the 1960s, superheroes largely conformed to the model of lead characters in American popular fiction in the first half of the 20th century. Hence, the typical superhero was a white, middle- to upper- class, heterosexual, professional, 20-to-30-year-old man. A majority of superheroes still fit this description but, in subsequent decades, many characters have broken the mold.
Female superheroes
History
The first significant female superhero was
DC Comics'
Wonder Woman, co-created by psychologist
William Moulton Marston and his wife
Elizabeth Holloway Marston. Debuting in 1941, she was the only widely popular female superhero for two decades and is arguably still the most famous.
Starting in the late 1950s, DC introduced female versions of prominent male superheroes, such as
Hawkgirl,
Supergirl,
Batwoman and later
Batgirl. In addition, there were female
supporting characters that were successful professionals, such as
the Atom's lawyer
Jean Loring and longtime
Superman character
journalist Lois Lane.
Marvel Comics' teams initially developed during the early 1960s usually included at least one female member. Examples include the
Fantastic Four's
Invisible Girl, the
X-Men's
Marvel Girl, and the
Avengers'
Wasp and later
Scarlet Witch.
In the wake of
second-wave feminism, the Invisible Girl became the Invisible Woman and new, distinctly feminist characters, were introduced such as DC's
Power Girl and Marvel's
Ms. Marvel.
In subsequent decades,
Elektra,
Catwoman,
Witchblade, and
Spider-Girl became stars of popular series. Also,
Chris Claremont, writer of the hugely popular
Uncanny X-Men included as many females on the team and as males and gave them vital roles.
Storm,
Shadowcat, and
Rogue became prominent "X-Women" during his run [
8] and superhero teams in general featured a closer-to-even male to female ratio.
See also: List of superheroinesControversy
The representation of women in comic book fiction is controversial. In many pre-1970s storylines, Lois Lane was portrayed primarily as Superman's love interest and
damsel in distress [
9]. This was also true for female members of superhero teams during the early 1960s, such as the Invisible Girl and Wasp, although this lessened in later years as most became well-respected members of their respective teams. [
10] [
11].
Although male superheroes are usually muscular and wear form-fitting clothing, the exaggerated physiques and sometimes scanty costumes of female superheroes has led to accusations of
sexism [
12], [
13].
The website
Women in Refrigerators, named for the grisly demise of a
Green Lantern's love interest, argues that female characters are often killed, injured or meet with some other misfortune as a
plot device in storylines showcasing male heroes [
14].
Non-Caucasian characters
In the late 1960s, superheroes of other racial groups began to appear. In 1966,
Marvel Comics introduced the
Black Panther, the first non-
caricatured black superhero. In 1972,
Luke Cage, an
African-American "hero-for-hire," became the first black superhero to star in his own series while
Red Wolf became the first
Native American [
15]. In 1974,
Shang Chi, a
martial artist, became the first
Asian hero to star in an American comic book series.
Comic book companies were in the early stages of cultural expansion and many of these characters played to specific
stereotypes; Cage often employed lingo similar to that of
blaxploitation films, Native Americans were often associated with wild animals and Asians were often portrayed as martial artists. The
Hanna-Barbera-created heroes meant to add ethnic diversity to the DC all-star cartoon series
Super Friends are considered especially awkward, if not offensive. [
16][
17]
Subsequent minority heroes, such as the
X-Men's
Storm (the first black superheroine) and
The Teen Titans'
Cyborg avoided the patronizing nature of the earlier characters as the comics industry became more mature and diverse.
Storm and Cyborg were both part of superhero teams, which became increasingly diverse in subsequent years. The X-Men, in the particular, were revived in 1975 with a line-up of characters culled from several different nations, including the
Kenyan Storm,
German Nightcrawler,
Russian
Colossus and
Canadian Wolverine. Diversity in both ethnicity and national origin would be an important part of subsequent X-Men-related groups, as well as series that attempted to mimic the X-Men's success. In the
modern age, minority headliners are still rare but almost all teams feature at least a few minority characters.
In 1993,
Milestone Comics, an
African-American-owned
imprint of DC, introduced a line of series that included characters of many ethnic minorities, including several black headliners. The imprint lasted four years, during which it introduced
Static, a character adapted into the
WB Network animated series Static Shock.
|
Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87, the first appearance of John Stewart. Art by Neal Adams |
In addition to the creation of new minority heroes, publishers have filled the roles of once-Caucasian heroes with minorities. The best known example is perhaps
John Stewart who debuted in 1971 in the socially conscious series
Green Lantern/Green Arrow. Stewart was a black and somewhat belligerent
architect who
Green Lantern's alien benefactors chose as
Hal Jordan's standby, an idea that initially discomforted Jordan and was meant to discomfort some readers. In the
1980s, Stewart became the Green Lantern permanently, making him the first black person to take the mantle of a classic superhero. The creators of the 2000s-era
Justice League animated series selected Stewart as the show's Green Lantern, boosting his profile.
DC has recently passed some other long-established superhero mantles to ethnic minorities. These include the new
Firestorm (an African-American),
Atom (an Asian) and
Blue Beetle (a
Latino). Alternatively, an acclaimed 2003
limited series revealed that the "super solider serum" that empowered
Captain America was first tested on
an African American.
See also: List of black superheroesReligious minorities
Perhaps to prevent alienating readers of any faith, the religious attitudes of superheroes are rarely discussed. Generally characters' religious backgrounds are common to their regional origins, e.g. the
Midwestern Superman is a
Methodist, the
English Captain Britain is an
Anglican and the
Kenyan
Storm practices a vaguely defined
African religion—although, like a majority of superheroes, they are rarely seen practicing.
A few superheroes, however, proudly show themselves as members of minority faiths in their nations of origin. The
X-Men's
Shadowcat was one of the first recognizably
Jewish superheroes, followed by the
Justice League's
Atom Smasher. The
Fantastic Four's
Thing was raised Jewish as well.
Daredevil,
Nightcrawler and
Hellboy are all practicing
Catholics, contrasting the demonic attributes or appearances of each. The first
Captain Canuck was a
Mormon and
Wolverine practices
Buddhist meditation.
See also: Adherents.com has a large database exploring the religious affiliations of comic book characters |
Newspaper headline from Alpha Flight #106. Art by Mark Pacella |
Non-heterosexual characters
In 1992, Marvel
revealed that
Northstar, a member of
Alpha Flight, was
homosexual, after years of implication. This ended a long-standing editorial mandate that there would be no gay characters in Marvel comics. Although some secondary characters in
Watchmen were gay, Northstar was the first openly gay superhero to have a permanent presence in a continuing series. Since then, a few other semi-prominent gay superheroes have emerged, such as
Gen¹³'s
Rainmaker, the
New Mutants'
Karma and
The Authority's gay couple
Apollo and
Midnighter.
Recently, a few characters were revealed gay in two Marvel titles, the
Ultimate incarnation of
Colossus in
Ultimate X-Men and
Wiccan and
Hulkling of the
Young Avengers. Meanwhile, the new
Batwoman has been unveiled as a "
lipstick lesbian" to some media attention. [
18] [
19]
See also: List of gay and bisexual people in comic fictionFilm
:Superhero films began as Saturday movie
serials aimed at children during the 1940s. The decline of these serials meant the death of superhero films until the release of 1978‘s
Superman which was a tremendous success. Several
sequels followed in the 1980s. A popular
Batman series lasted from 1989 until 1997. These franchises were initially successful but later
sequels in both series fared poorly, stunting the growth of superhero films for a time.
In the early 2000s, blockbusters such as 2000's
X-Men, 2002's
Spider-Man, and 2005's
Batman Begins have led to dozens of superhero films. The improvements in
special effects technology and more sophisticated writing that both respects and emulates the spirit of the comic books has drawn in mainstream audiences and caused critics to take superhero films more seriously.
Live-action television series
:Several popular but, by modern standards,
campy live action superhero programs aired from the early 1950s until the late 1970s. These included
The Adventures of Superman starring
George Reeves, the psychedelic-colored
Batman series of the 1960s starring a portly
Adam West and
Burt Ward and
CBS's
Wonder Woman series of the 1970s starring
Lynda Carter. The popular
Incredible Hulk of the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, had a more somber tone.
In the 1990s, networks attempted several unconventional uses of the superhero genre in live action shows, including the exceptionally popular
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, adapted from the
Japanese
Super Sentai. Other shows targeting teenaged and young adult audiences, included
Lois and Clark, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias and
Smallville, which retooled
Superman's origin as a teen drama.
Animation
|
Superman as he appeared in the Fleischer cartoons. |
:In the
1940s,
Fleischer/
Famous Studios produced a number of groundbreaking
Superman cartoons, which became the first examples of superheroes in
animation.
Since the
1960s, superhero cartoons have been a staple of children's television, particularly in the
U.S.. However, by the early 1980s, US broadcasting restrictions on violence in children's entertainment led to series that were extremely tame, a trend exemplified by the series
Super Friends.In the
1990s,
Batman: The Animated Series and
X-Men led the way for series that displayed advanced animation, mature writing and respect for the
comic books on which they were based. This trend continues with
Cartoon Network's successful adaptation of DC's
Justice League.
The comics superheroes mythos itself received a nostalgic treatment in the acclaimed 2004
Disney/
Pixar release
The Incredibles, which utilized
computer animation.
Radio
In the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s,
Superman was one of the most popular
radio serials in the
United States. Along with
The Green Hornet and
The Shadow, the series helped popularize superheroes during their earliest years. By the early 1950s, the rise of
television ended radio serials, including superhero shows.
Prose
Adaptations
Popular superheroes have occasionally been adapted into prose fiction, starting with the 1942
novel Superman by
George Lowther.
Elliot S! Maggin also wrote two popular Superman novels,
Last Son of Krypton and
Miracle Monday, in the 1970s.
Juvenile novels featuring
Batman,
Spider-Man, the
X-Men, and the
Justice League have also been published, often marketed in association with popular TV series.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Marvel and DC released novels based on important stories from their comics, such as
The Death of Superman and the year-long
Batman: No Man's Land.Original characters
The 1930
novel Gladiator, by
Philip Gordon Wylie featured a man granted super-strength and durability through prenatal chemical experimentation. He tries to use his abilities for good but soon becomes disillusioned, making him an early example of both the superhero and its latter day deconstruction. DC Comics' Superman is commonly thought to be based partially on the novel.
Robert Mayer's 1977
Superfolks tells of a retired hero who has married and moved to the
suburbs being drawn back into action. It was a precursor of efforts to 'deconstruct' superheroes, and was a direct influence on writers
Alan Moore and
Kurt Busiek; its most recent edition carries an introduction by
Grant Morrison.
The
Wild Cards books, edited by
George R. R. Martin launched in 1987, were a non-comic book-based
science fiction series that dealt with super-powered heroes.
Science fiction author
Michael Bishop parodied superheroes in his 1992 novel
Count Geiger's Blues in which a
pop culture-hating art critic plunges into a pool of toxic waste and transforms into a costumed superhero and gains an allergy to high art.
Computer games
While many popular superheroes have been featured in licensed computer games, up until recently there have been few that have revolved around heroes created specifically for the game. This has changed due to two popular franchises: The
Silver Age-inspired
Freedom Force (2002) and
City of Heroes (2004), a
Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, both of which allow players to create their own superheroes.
Internet
In the
80s and
90s, the
Internet allowed a worldwide community of
fans and
amateur writers to bring their own superhero creations to a global audience. The first original major
shared superhero universe to develop on the Internet was
Superguy, which first appeared on a UMNEWS mailing list in
1989. In
1992, a cascade on the
USENET newsgroup rec.arts.comics would give birth to the
The Legion of Net.Heroes shared universe. In 1994, LNH writers contributed to the creation of the newsgroup
rec.arts.comics.creative, which spawned a number of original superhero shared universes. The Internet has also helped with distributing superhero
fan fiction to a massive audience.
The
World Wide Web has also given writers and artists the ability to display
webcomics and webanimation of their superhero creations. Because of the ability to post original works of superhero prose, comics, or animation cheaply on the Internet it has given traditional superhero works in other
media more competition and new challenges ahead in the marketplace. The Internet also has given artists and writers a vast
canvas in which to chart new possibilities and opportunities for the superhero
genre that other traditional mediums can or will not take advantage of.
*
Supervillain*
List of Superpowers*
List of superheroes*
List of superhero teams and groups*
List of superhero and supervillain hideouts and bases*
List of actors who have played superheroes*
Superhero Chronology*
Elseworlds/
What If - a popular type of superhero story
*
Real-life superhero*
USPS selling DC Superhero stamp sheets starting July 21, 2006*
Superheroes Lives Live action movies based on comic characters or just superheroes movies
*
Superhero Database Growing the biggest database of Superheroes
*
Reason for superheroes Article on what makes a superhero.
*
ComicBookReligion.com: The Religious Affiliation of Comic Book Characters*
Duke University exhibit on the development of superheroes*
Modernism and the Birth of the American Superhero, an article by Robert Emmons, Jr.
*
Guardians of the North! a virtual museum tour through the history of Canadian superheroes, hosted by the National Library and Archives of Canada.
*
The World's Worst Super-Heroes Extravaganza! on The 7th Level
*
International Superheroes, an index of superheroes from around the world.
*
Be Real Life Superheros Real life superhero training manual and club
*
Super Zeros - Mocks of all the well known superheros
