It is undeniable that our culture is drenched in a unstoppable storm of superheroes. Movies, TV shows, enough t-shirts to clothe a medium sized nation. When will this madness end?
It won't.
Superheroes are the new paradigm of mythology. The desperate need for superheros is becoming more prevalent than ever. Yes, that is right. Our world NEEDS superheroes. It's not that our world lies on the verge of total destruction about every hour and needs Superman to swoop in and save the day. Yet we need these fictional characters none the less.
Heroes teach us something absolutely imperative and yet so simple: that we can stand up to evil and fight it.
Heroes teach us something absolutely imperative and yet so simple: that we can stand up to evil and fight it.
"And WIN!"
Captain America, Superman
These two characters are the respective pinnacles of Altruism. They are often labeled as boy scouts (which I think is a great compliment to any boy scout).They have an uncompromising, unflinching sense of right and wrong.
In the movie Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers, before he has powers, jumps on what he believes is an active grenade and yells at all his squad mates to get back.
In the comics, Cap is arrested after Marvel's Civil War. He is led to the court house in handcuffs for his trial. A laser sight appears on the guard in front of him. Captain America does what Captain America does. He pushes down his jailer and takes the bullet for him. Moments later, he is murdered on the court house steps by the woman he loves. Later, we have it revealed that in his dying breath he forgave her.
Supes is a bit unique as he arguably has the greatest powers of any hero. There are many stories that explore the concept that he could use his power to take over the world (Red Son, Injustice Gods Among us, Justice League: A Better World). Superman has the ability to be the greatest of villains. A man who could have anything and everything he wants. Yet what does he do with his crazy powers?
But seriously. He spends his time saving lives and helping people (many of whom seem to fall off of buildings at a irregularly high interval).
This altruistic desire is built into the marrow of man. Every boy wants to be the hero. Every boy wants to save the day.
What does it mean to be a hero? I'll tell you what it is not. It is not about playing sports well. It is not about singing a catchy tune that captures the world's attention for 3.5 minutes. Heck, it is not even about fighting bad guys. Bad guys fight bad guys all the time.
What does it mean to be a hero? I'll tell you what it is not. It is not about playing sports well. It is not about singing a catchy tune that captures the world's attention for 3.5 minutes. Heck, it is not even about fighting bad guys. Bad guys fight bad guys all the time.
It is about what you are fighting for.
Spiderman, Batman
Spiderman and Batman, who are my favorite heroes in each of their respective universes, have a strikingly similar background. As kids, they lose their parents and are faced with the moral quandary: "What do you do when you encounter pain?" Here at the crossroads they can take their tragedy and rage against the man, or they can decide to use their gifts - and more importantly, their will - to help the city that hates them.
They never beat the villain due to their exterior strength. They win because of the good that is inside them. The good they are fighting for.
This is how Spiderman and Batman stories typically work: Put the character through as much pain and suffering as possible, and then give them an easy out as long as they are willing to compromise their moral code.
Like in this scene
They don't, and therefore they go through more pain and suffering and just before all is lost they are able to take down the stronger, more merciless villain.
This is how Spiderman and Batman stories typically work: Put the character through as much pain and suffering as possible, and then give them an easy out as long as they are willing to compromise their moral code.
They don't, and therefore they go through more pain and suffering and just before all is lost they are able to take down the stronger, more merciless villain.
The reason these two characters are so beloved is that they truly portray what you get for being a hero. You get the Green Goblin pumpkin-bombing your aunt's house, and throwing the love of your life off of the Brooklyn bridge, You get the Joker beating Robin to death with a crow bar, and shooting Batgirl at point blank range.
Yet somehow, they rise above this tragedy, not due to their physical prowess, but a strength that comes from doing the right thing for the right reason.
3) Heroes teach us where our modern philosophies are going awry
Utilitarianism, materialism, and secularism cannot stand up to the self-sacrifice of our heroes, and they never can. There is no story in all of storydom where the utilitarian can be the hero and the altruist the villain; in attempting to do so we see the two change positions- the villain altruist turns into the hero.
I'm not saying utilitarian hero vs. the altruist villain hasn't been done. I'm saying it cannot be done. It is not possible to tell that story in any medium. The more altruistic one becomes, the more heroic. The more one slips away from altruism, the more the hero becomes the villain.
A perfect example of this is Harvey Dent in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. He started out as the proverbial white knight. The hero Gotham needed. Then his face gets burnt up, he snaps, and craves revenge on the corrupt system. He is batman's foil. When Bruce lost everything, he sought to save the city. When Harvey (in many ways Bruce's moral superior) lost everything he turned inward to himself. Fueled by wrath, he slips away from altruism and fulfills his own prophesy.
"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Another great example is X-men's Magneto. Both he and Charles Xavier want the same thing, to end the persecution of mutants, but there is one clear difference between the two. For Magneto, the ends justify the means. If humans need to die to stop the persecution of mutants, it is worth it.
Magneto begs the question that changes a hero into the villain: How far can one compromise morality for the sake of the greater good?
The Altruist's answer, Captain America's answer:
You can't.
Wolverine, Ironman, Hulk, Green Lantern (post Parallax)
And here we have the villains who became heroes. Ironman was a war profiteer who sold weapons to terrorists. He then has a literal change of heart. Wolverine is "the best at what he does." What he "does" is lacerate people in teeny tiny bits. Hulk is a monster who becomes a hero. Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) is possessed by the embodiment of fear and destroys a city and then casts the monster in the sun, dies, comes back in proper comic book fashion and seeks redemption for what the monster did while in control of his body.
*Breath*
These heroes were at one point bad people. But they don't stay that way. They learn to sacrifice themselves. They learn altruism. And we learn it with them.
There is a reason that we see Ironman make the sacrifice play in Joss Wheadon's Avengers. It is his story arc; he went from being the selfish jerk materialist to becoming the man willing to die for the city of New York. Notice something else about Tony Stark at this time. Not only is he less selfish in terms of heroic sacrifice. He is less selfish in terms of relationships. He is no longer the womanizer we meet in the beginning of Ironman, but has a faithful relationship. Altruism is seeping into all aspects of his life.
So yes, heroes are flawed, tragically human. Yet even though they make mistakes, they persevere. They stand up for what is right. This is what I want my son to know. Everyday you will make mistakes, yet everyday you get the chance to take a stand for what is good.
We need these stories. We need Captain America with uncompromising virtue. We need Batman to show us that a man can be more than a man. We need Ironman to demonstrate that no matter how bad we are, redemption is always possible.
When my son grows up I want him to be a virtuous man. A man who cares for others more than himself; a man who stands up for the poor and oppressed. And that is why I will fill his head with fictitious nonsense and stories of heroes. For I would much rather him learn that "with great power comes great responsibility" than whatever the opposite may be.
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