The Superhero genre may have origins in Neitzsche’s Overman, a vision of the Superior Being transcending human moralities (twisted into support of their political agenda by the Third Reich); Philip Wylie’s “Hugo Danner” (created in 1907), and then “Gladiator,” which may’ve inspired the creation of Superman; American teenagers Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster, who created the first superhero comic as we know it in 1933; And other comic book publishers who hurriedly copied their idea to profit from the explosive success of DC’s new Action Comics spin-off title, Superman. The Superhero genre then expanded and further defined itself in comic strips, early television and movies, starting with Superman, reflecting and feeding upon the commercialism, sexism, militarism and racism of the time.

Superhero films/television series we are most familiar with include: Superman ( ) X-men (2000, 2002, 2003) Spiderman (2002 & 2004) Wonder Woman (1976) Hulk (2003) Smallville (2001-present) Batman ( ) Daredevil ( ) Unbreakable (2000) Hellboy (2004) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) Others: Captain America (1944 & 1991), Punisher (1989 & 2004), Crow (1994), Catwoman (2004), Vampirella (1996), Supergirl (1984), Mystery Men (1999), and many more.

THE GENERIC SUPERHERO Superheroes are usually male, white, with extraordinary powers and an occasional vulnerability; live a relatively solitary life in an urban setting, devote themselves to fighting crime or evil, and are alone capable of defeating whatever criminals or forces of evil are presented. GENERIC MAIN CHARACTERS Like most genre, the Superhero genre is peopled by predictable characters: a hero with extraordinary powers, dedicated to fighting crime, a sidekick (Robin), a villain or two (Joker or Penguin), a damsel in distress (sometimes Vicki Vale); and secondary, usually ineffectual characters (criminals, police, press, public).

GENERIC ELEMENTS OF PLOT The Superhero genre’s plot-lines usually involve: a normal person who becomes a hero, often with extraordinary powers; a romantic interest rescued by and/or endangered by hero but seldom learning the truth; a powerful villain planning to do evil but temporarily thwarted by the hero; a hero forced to choose between extraordinary obligations and a need for love and a normal life; the villain learning the hero’s secret identity; and forcing a decisive confrontation and the hero’s triumph.

The genre’s thematic and moral discourse, which supports the action and conflict, may include: the possibility of transformation beyond what most of us are capable of; endowment with extraordinary powers, including a sometimes fatal weakness which prevents hubris; a story establishing a myth of origins, legitimizing the exercise of one’s powers; unavoidable dilemmas wherein the hero must choose between a normal life and the heroic role; tensions between reality’s complexities and a comics vision that is usually black-and-white, good-and-evil; facing the injunction that “with great power comes great responsibility,” which poses questions about the extent of one’s power and one’s responsibilities; living the phenomenon of the misunderstood outsider, sometimes driven by a passion to better the world; the necessity of lies, secrecy, secret or dual identities, costumes, significant symbols, to make the heroic role easier to realize and an occasionally “normal” life possible. GENERIC ELEMENTS OF THEMATIC & MORAL DISCOURSE

Superhero stories often make similar assumptions about the nature of our world. Here are two examples of the types of assumptions they make: Assumptions about the Nature of our Problems: Our fate is in the hands of a single, heroic individual. We lack supernatural powers, so we cannot solve our own problems. Women, in particular, are weak and require saving by the superhero. Assumptions about Morality: Everyone – even superheroes – have to obey moral rules and responsibilities. Although some rules can be violated (lying about identity) in pursuit of higher morals (saving the planet). Some people, like the villains, are pure evil. Physical confrontation is the only way to deal with such villains.

The previous assumptions provide some insights into limitations of the genre: It plays into our fascination with crime and evil However, it offers no realistic messages about how to deal with our problems given that we don’t actually have supernatural powers. For example, negotiation or compromise cannot solve the problems in the story. (Image if they could: you’d have characters with skills like “supernatural negotiation skills” – that would not fascinate or sell!) It commonly perpetuates stereotypes about women and minorities. Oversimplifies problems of crime and good vs. bad.

Like any genre, the Superhero genre changes as the times change: (note: these could each get a slide with pictures of each comparison case maybe?) Early adaptations to television were much less violent than their comic book equivalents. For example, the “Justice League of America” became “Super Friends.” By the 1990’s television adaptations such as Fox’s Batman was more dark, complicated and geared towards older audiences as well. Early televisions adaptations of Batman and Superman featured superheroes who looked like men with plain, ordinary bodies in brightly colored tights. Later adaptations, such as the Batman movies of the 1990s, featured a muscular character dressed in a darker costume and environment. In recent years, film adaptations such as The Hulk and Spiderman have tried to incorporate more elements of the comic book into the movie. Technological advances have helped spur these efforts.

TWISTS Of course, there are many variations to the generic superhero story outlined above: Sympathetic Villains – (Villains in Spiderman) “Normal Guy” superhero – Unbreakable Women as superhero – Catwoman, Wonder Woman Anti-heroes – The Punisher, Wolverine, Hellboy Out-of-control Superhero: The Hulk

TEACHING IDEAS Fan Fiction. Discuss changes over time, tying them to social context. Analyze & critique values, morals, themes in one particular comic.