Attributes+of+Superheroes

toc = = Welcome to Attributes of Superheroes! = = = = =Overview= The superhero story has solidified as a genre in the past hundred years, drawing on similar stories throughout history the genre has created a new popular, knowingly fictional, mythology.

**Superheroes In History**  The superhero genre is timeless. Humans have been telling the stories of men and women who have abilities beyond that of others for thousands of years. The oral traditions of god men stretch back to the earliest of cultures. Early examples include Gilgamesh and Anu from the Epic of Gilgamesh. The demi-gods of Greek and Roman culture, including Hercules, Perseus and Achilles. These children of gods and men had abilities beyond those of normal people. Hercules was immensely strong and enduring. Achilles was invulnerable, except on one of his heels. Perseus was given a collection of magical artifacts and companions who aided him in his quests. This connects directly with the stories told by Marvel and DC today.

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 * Qualities of a Superhero **

Superheroes are fictional individuals with specialized skills beyond what is capable or feasible by “normal” people. These characters use their abilities to advance an agenda that is considered by their society at large to be good. Often, they are needed by this society to oppose similarly powered forces that struggle to break down the general order and do “evil.” The genre of the superhero focuses on a few attributes that are similar between all heroes, powers, origin, motivation and weakness.

Powers/Abilities
media type="youtube" key="JPtGqkgio2k?fs=1" height="385" width="480" These powers and abilities take many forms, including but not limited to advanced physical abilities, flight, mind powers, control over elements or the weather, the use of advanced technology or magic. Some heroes, like Batman, are normal human beings who use martial skills and intelligence to be super.

**Origin Stories **
 An important and oft remembered quality of superheroes is where their powers originated, which is often coupled with what causes them to become crime fighters. This is usually a question of maturity, destiny, accident/event or decision.

 Superheroes who gain their abilities through maturity had some thing about their biology that gave them these abilities. Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton who is sent to earth as a young child, the yellow sunlight gives him powers which he grows into over time. The X-Men are humans who carry a mutated gene that expresses itself when they become adolescents. media type="youtube" key="txaaSuc-Vjs?fs=1" height="385" width="640" Superheroes who are ‘destined’ to gain their powers are granted them usually by a higher authority who chooses them based on birthright or they have already through some twist had said powers. Thor is a great example of this, being the mortal embodiment of the Norse god of thunder who was eventually supposed to regain his strength. Characters like the Spectre, Witchblade, Ghostrider and the Green Lantern are chosen by a system that selects new individuals to “wear the mantle” of the superhero. media type="youtube" key="4YOuuuMi4CI?fs=1" height="385" width="640" Accidental power gains include the Hulk, who was irradiated with Gamma rays during a failed experiment. The Fantastic Four were accidentally exposed to the fictional cosmic radiation. The Joker fell into a vat of chemicals. Spiderman was bitten by a radioactive spider during a school trip to Doc Connor's lab. media type="youtube" key="Tjo6uavYpb0?fs=1" height="385" width="640"

Superheroes can be normal people who use their resources for crimefighting (Batman, Green Arrow),

**Motives and Focuses** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since most superheroes can’t be everywhere at once, there being some notable exceptions, they often choose a particular kind of crime or territory on which to focus.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Territorially focused heroes deal with an area have come to consider their protectorate. Batman is dedicated to stopping organized crime and super villains in the fictional Gotham City. Spiderman has a similar focus in New York City. Superman used is powers primary in the fictional Metropolis, but unlike the first two, his superspeed allows him easy access to the entire world and he will travel around solving problems. These heroes are not bound to their area and will adventure outside of it (as part of superhero teams) but tend to be sympathetic to the specific concerns of the city or area they are in.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Other characters are focused on dealing with particular types of issues. Zantanna and Dr. Strange deal <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> with enemies of a magical nature. The Green Lantern protects earth from extraterrestrial enemies.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Weaknesses
=<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Violence In Superhero Stories** = <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Violence is a continuum in the superhero narrative, in much the same way that it appears in the hero cycle. Superheroes face difficult opponents who try to stop their intervention. This often causes direct physical combat using superpowers. Historically, heroes like Hercules and Perseus killed thousands of enemies often as a footnote. Their battles with foes like Medusa or the Hydra were longer tales that were more documented and exceptionally bloody.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Modern heroes have diverse philosophies on the use of violence, which give different tones to their. Superman has a number of powers that could be lethal instantly be he has a personal code against killing his opponents, believing that there is always another solution. This is not to say that he is not violent, because he will cause grave injury to opponents in order to subdue them. When facing opponents that were never alive, such as robots, or are not sentient creatures, like monstrous animals, Superman has no problem tearing them apart. When villains die fighting Superman, it is often an accident related somehow to their own misdeeds. The video below is a great example of this superhero methodology. media type="youtube" key="Mb8iYqIVBzQ?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> On the other hand, an anti-hero like the Punisher or the Darkness may have a different point of view. The Punisher shoots to kill anyone or this who he feels is a menace to society. Believing no one is above the laws, characters traditionally considered to be heroes have been his targets. The Punisher does not take prisoners. Frequently, characters that take this route are considered to be rouge heroes who come under fire by heroes who disagree with their moral codes.