Superhero

A superhero is a fictional character who is noted for feats of courage and nobility, who usually has colorful name and costume and abilities beyond those of normal human beings.

Common traits

There is a range of attributes that are commonly part of a superhero's make up, although they are by no means definitive (see Divergent character examples). Most superheroes have a few of the following features:

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• Extraordinary powers and abilities, mastery of relevant skills and/or advanced equipment. Although superhero powers vary greatly, superhuman strength, the ability to fly, enhancements of the senses and the ability to project energy of some kind 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 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 refusal to kill an opponent, even at the expense of one?s own safety. Since the late 1970s, there have been many exceptions to this standard (e.g., Wolverine, The Punisher).
• A special motivation, such as a sense of responsibility (e.g. Spider-Man), a formal calling (e.g., Captain Marvel) or a personal vendetta against criminals (e.g., Batman)
• 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 codename for their public deeds.
• A flamboyant and distinctive costume (see Common costume features).
• A trademark weapon (e.g., Wonder Woman?s ?Lasso of Truth,? 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 his/her dual life.
• An archenemy or a number of enemies that s/he fights repeatedly.
• Either independent wealth (e.g., Batman or Iron Man) or an occupation that allows for minimal supervision (e.g., Superman's civilian job as a reporter).
• A secret headquarters or base of operations (e.g., Batman's Batcave).
• A backstory, called an "origin story", which explains the circumstances by which the character acquired his/her abilities, as well as his/her motivation for fighting evil. Many back stories involve tragic elements and/or freak accidents that result in the development of the hero's abilities.

Most superheroes work 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 Marvel Comics?s Avengers and DC?s Justice League are "all-star" groups consisting of heroes of separate origins who also operate individually.

Related Topics:
The Fantastic Four - X-Men - Marvel Comics - Avengers - DC - Justice League

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Many superheroes, especially those introduced in the 1940s, work with a child or teenaged sidekick (e.g., Batman and Robin). This has become less common since more sophisticated writing and older audiences have lessened the need for characters that specifically appeal to young readers and made such obvious child endangerment seem implausible.

Related Topics:
1940s - Sidekick - Robin - Child endangerment

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Common costume features

A superhero?s costume helps make him or her recognizable to the general public (both in and outside of fiction). 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.

Related Topics:
Fiction - Daredevil - Devil - Captain America - American flag - Spider-Man

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Many features of superhero costumes recur frequently, including:

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• Superheroes who maintain a secret identity often wear a mask, ranging from the small bands of Green Lantern and Ms. Marvel to the full facemasks of Spider-Man and Rorschach. Most common, however, are masks covering the upper face, leaving the more indistinguishable jaw and neck areas exposed. These include the masks of Captain America, Batman and The Flash.
• Form-fitting clothing, often referred to as tights or spandex, although the exact material is usually not identified. Such material displays a character?s muscular build.
• A symbol, such as a stylized letter or visual icon, usually on the chest. Examples include Superman?s ?S? and Green Lantern's lantern symbol.
• 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 superheroes, Batman and Superman, wear capes.
• While most superhero costumes merely hide the hero?s identity and/or present a recognizable image, parts of some costumes have functional uses as well. Batman?s utility belt and Spawn?s ?necroplasmic armor? have both been of great assistance to the heroes.
• When thematically appropriate, some superheroes dress like people from certain professions or subcultures. Zatanna, who possesses wizard-like powers, dresses like a magician and Ghost Rider, who rides a super powered motorcycle, dresses in the 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, and heavy duty belts were all common features. Iron Man, in particular, wears a variety of armored suits giving him increased endurance against damage and providing him with technological advantages.

Other general characteristics

• 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. Superheroes have also been featured in radio serials, prose novels, TV series, movies, and other media. Most of the superheroes that appear in other media are adapted from comics, but there are exceptions.
• Marvel Comics Group and DC Comics, Inc., share ownership of the United States trademark for the phrase "Super Heroes" as it applies to comics, and these two companies own a majority of the world?s most famous superheroes. However, throughout comic book history, there have been significant heroes owned by others, such as Captain Marvel, owned by Fawcett Comics (but later acquired by DC) and Spawn, owned by creator Todd McFarlane.

Superheroes are largely an American creation but there have been successful superheroes in other countries, most of which share many conventions of the American model. Japan is the only country whose entertainment industry nears that of the United States in output of superheroes. Ultraman and Kamen Rider have become popular in Japanese tokusatsu live-action shows and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and Sailor Moon are staples of Japanese anime and manga. Examples from other countries include Cybersix from Argentina, Captain Canuck from Canada, Marvelman (known as Miracleman in North America) from the United Kingdom, and the heroes of AK Comics from Egypt.

Related Topics:
Japan - Ultraman - Kamen Rider - Tokusatsu - Science Ninja Team Gatchaman - Sailor Moon - Anime - Manga - Cybersix - Argentina - Captain Canuck - Canada - Marvelman - United Kingdom - AK Comics - Egypt

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• Although superhero fiction is considered a subgenre of fantasy/science-fiction, it crosses into many other genres. Many superhero franchises contain aspects of crime fiction (Batman, Daredevil), others horror fiction (Spawn, Hellboy) and many are similar to "hard" 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.
• But because the fantastic nature of the superhero milieu allows almost anything to happen, some superhero series cross over into a variety of vastly different genres. In the 1980s series, The New Teen Titans, the Titans battled a cult leader in one story, went off to another galaxy to participate in a space war in the following story, and then returned to Earth and became involved in a gritty urban drama involving young runaways. The content of each of these stories is quite different, yet the same principal characters are involved.