Superheroes
The older we get, the less we want to become them
When we were children, who didn’t want to be a superhero? Superheroes are awesome. My favorite hero is Batman.
I remember when I was in 1st grade in elementary, I was given batman’s costume as a birthday present. I was ecstatic. Even though I looked ridiculous wearing that black costume; it was fun pretending that I am Bruce Wayne fighting Joker and Penguin.
I don’t know where that costume is now. And no, I don’t have any photo of me wearing it.
Over the last decade, we are blessed with what I might call ‘the golden age of superhero films’. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), owned by The Walt Disney Company, produced superhero films adapted from Marvel Comics, all set in the same universe. I don’t know exactly how many films MCU has produced, but I am sure it is so many. We were blessed with at least one MCU movie every year. From another studio, Warner Bros also made DC Extended Universe, producing superhero films adapted from DC Comics. The period between 2010–2020 was littered with superhero movies.
I don’t understand what makes these companies want to make so many superhero movies. The most plausible explanation is they are profitable. Four out of 10 highest-grossing movies of all time are superhero movies (three Avengers movies and one Spider-Man movie). These movies appeal to wide audiences, not only kids. And the merchandise accompanying the release of these movies also sells a lot. The other reason perhaps the CGI and visual effects that are available nowadays enable them to make superhero movies that are actually enjoyable and not look ridiculous.
Now I am not going to do an economic analysis of the superhero film franchises, nor I am going to complain about the prevalent superhero movies in the last couple of years. I do not think superhero movies have a substantial negative impact on society. On the contrary, they seem to provide pretty good quality entertainment for large audiences, and gave a cultural impact in the digital realm (re: memes).
Superhero movies are fun to watch because it ignites our childish soul inside about having superhuman abilities. Who hasn’t imagined themselves flying like Superman? Or swinging from buildings like Spider-Man? The power does not even have to be illogical. One might imagine what is it like to be so rich you can spend your life fighting bad guys in badass suits (re: Batman and Iron Man).
Even though it would be cool to have such powers, the possible reality for it might be not the one we are hoping live in.
The worst job ever
Must be suck to be a superhero. Even though it is fun to imagine having superpower abilities, the responsibilities (and risks) that come with it are just not worth it.
There are a couple of reasons I can give you. First, your life (and your loved ones) are always in danger. The bad guys will not stop looking for you until you are dead. Second, you do not get paid for your service. Many popular superheroes have to live separate identities to protect their loved ones; like Clark Kent (Superman) working as a journalist in Daily Planet, or Peter Parker (Spider-Man) working as a reporter for Daily Bugle (jeez what is with superheroes and newspapers).
Imagine that you are an invincible alien, capable of reducing humankind into pulp with a single stroke, but you chose to keep working as an employee at a modest wage with horrible bosses. Ha!
Yeah, there is some heroes who are open about their identities. But I do not think that is a wise move. Last time Tony Stark revealed his home address to the press, the very next day his house was blasted with missiles (Iron Man 3).
Third, you may get recognition and praise from the public, but it is futile. People yelling “oh it’s Spider-Man!” won’t pay Peter’s rent (he will only pay it if the landlord fix his damn door anyway).
Nobody knows the real you. And worse, your superhero persona only invites dislike from the bad guys who are able to hurt you. You can’t put the title ‘superhero of Gotham’ on your LinkedIn. But you can be sure at any time someone will come to you — not to ask for an autograph or take a picture with you — but to end your life for good.
Economist Andrew Clark in his paper tried to determine what constitutes a good job. He then divided it into six dimensions: Pay, hours of work, future prospects, hard work, job content, and interpersonal relationships.
Now let’s do a count for the job as a superhero, shall we?
Pay? Nada.
Hours of work? Long and unpredictable. “Joker has just held multiple hostages at 2 AM, gotta get to work!” Bruce from Gotham.
Future prospects? My identity as a superhero literally prevents me to get into my dream college.
Hard work? Well duh if I don’t, people die.
Job Content? To be fair it must be emotionally rewarding to know your job is saving society.
Interpersonal relationships? “Green Goblin killed my aunt in 2 different universes goddamnit!” Peter Parker, probably.
So it only fills 1 out of 6 dimensions. Say again that you want to be able to shoot spider web from your fingers. I dare you
What makes a superhero
Superhero is not ‘super’ because of their powerful abilities only. The bigger power is the mental strength and self-control to not abuse it for their own gain — moreover to use it to help others. I remember the scene from Man of Steel when Clark Kent (working as a waiter) was ridiculed by some random trucker.
He didn’t fight back, even though he is damn sure he can whoop his ass to teach him a lesson. One comment from this video sums it up perfectly:
“He is Superman not because he could fold the man in half; but because of the fact that he didn’t.”
That kind of self-control is really admirable and unrealistic, almost more unrealistic than his actual power.
So I think superhero stories actually possess two kinds of power: the superhuman abilities (flight, teleportation, strength, regeneration, etc.) and supermoral abilities (to fight for a good cause, keep others safe, be willing to put one life in danger, etc.).
This duality of power is becoming more apparent if we watch more ‘realistic’ superhero movies/series like Watchmen; Invincibles; or The Boys. The realistic component doesn’t come from the superhuman abilities (the heroes still have them). What they don’t have is the moral integrity to use their power wisely. They ended up becoming corrupt, unhinged monsters who risk the lives of millions of people. The superhero theme that originally revolves around hope and goodwill immediately shifts into grotesque and dark. A superhero story with a hint of reality can turn utopia into dystopia.
What I understand too is that the superhero concept might be used originally to teach kids about morality. It simplifies the complexity of human character (to ease the understanding), into a bunch of good guys with superpowers against bad guys with superpowers. It delivers the message: “if you grow up and have substantial power and authority, please use it for good cause.”
And we know the world is not that simple. There is nuance (which I will cover in my future stories). Many popular superhero films incorporate this nuance to enrich the story, making it more appealing to adult audiences. For example, General Zod’s (Superman’s nemesis in the film Man of steel) motive was actually noble from the Kryptonian perspective — to ensure the continuity of their people. But the plan to do that is at expense of Humankind, which Superman dearly protects.
The real superhero
Most superhero stories teach us about using powers wisely and responsibly. And the characters who were given such powers are the ones who are ready to bear enormous responsibilities and do the worst job in the world. Superheroes (with their powers) are not real. But it doesn’t mean there are no people whose traits resemble superheroes. They do not possess any superhuman abilities, but they have super moral tendencies. They are real and they are around us. A man who works an honest job every day to bring livelihood to his family is a superhero.
Our world could be better with superheroes. But for the risk it may cause (if the power land to the wrong person), regular people doing super actions are what we need more.
