Last night I had to draw giant comic strips for a backdrop in the sanctuary for the upcoming series we’re doing in church labeled “Heroes.†When I heard this, I of course got extremely excited, ideas whizzing through my mind. The rest of the Creative Team just sat there, while I (the only woman) was spewing out ideas and obviously giddy. One of the guys asked me how I knew so much about super heroes. Yeah. It’s kind of sad. And yet, I felt more sorry for him not knowing, since the super hero sub genre of science fiction may be my favorite aspect. And one of the reasons I love the new show Heroes (and The 4400) so much… ordinary people having extraordinary abilities.
Anyway, this got me thinking about…
Thirteen Reasons Why I love Super Heroes:
1. Super Powers and Special Abilities. What’s a super hero without cool powers? (No, Batman doesn’t have super powers, but he does have a powerful mind and cool gadgets.) My favorite powers are usually the most useful ones like flight, telekinesis, or teleportation.
2. Fun Adventures and Fights. What good are heroes without a story?
3. Character and Morals. People joke that Superman is a Boy Scout, but he’s the ultimate role model. Some people may like super heroes that are fallible, but I want my heroes to have a higher moral code.
4. Ordinary People with a Higher Calling. At the heart of each hero, they’re still just people. And each as chosen to help people instead of using their gift in a selfish way. This really hits home with me. I need to be using my gifts for other instead of focusing on myself so much.
5. Costumes. Come on. What’s a super hero without a cheesy costume?
6. Secret Identity. A lot of heroes don’t have one, but I find it gives the hero a more human quality. And it gives them a feeling of safety when enemies are around.
7. Super Villains. The more powerful the bad guy, the more exciting the situations become.
8. Immortality. In the world of super heroes (and most of science fiction), no one stays dead forever.
9. Love Interests. Mary Jane, Lois Lane, Steve Trevor… most great stories have a great romance. And who can’t admit to having a crush on a super hero?
10. Origin Story. Every story has a beginning. And the origin stories are what shape the hero into who they become, and why they do what they do.
11. Theme Song. Spider-Man, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (heheh)… theme songs always give me a sense of excitement, as well as a feeling of nostalgia.
12. Merchandise. From t-shirts, posters, and novels, I have to admit… I crave it sometimes.
13. Attractive. That’s right. Just about every super hero is attractive and at peak physical condition. I mean, who would want to watch a slovenly, old man running around in tights? Not me. I’ll take Colossus and his bulging biceps any day.
What do you love about super heroes? And which is your favorite?
Great list! 🙂 I love superheroes! Years ago, I would have never imagined I’d be reading superhero comic books, but my husband, a lifelong comic book reader and collect, finally convinced me to try some.
What do I love about them? The adventure, I guess, and the triumph over evil. Right now, my favourite superhero books are Birds of Prey by Gail Simone (great, strong female characters that are so well written) and Runaways by Brian K Vaughn. Hubby also has me reading some older books, like Claremont/Byrne’s first run on X-Men and Perez’s relaunch of Wonder Woman. Great stuff.
Happy TT. 🙂
omg yeah i love watching heroes! yeah! it’s an awesome show. i also like x-men so…yeah they’re kinda the same…but this one is more dramatic and emotional and very very interesting and it’s gonna be a loooong show. can’t wait for all of ’em to meet up. great great list. if i can have some sort of power…i’d want to be like jean grey from x-men. mind power is like…wow. and she’s sexy too and i guess most of ’em are just physically fit and sexy and have sexy costumes. oh i’d love to have my own sexy costume >:) i’d make it realllly sexy. anyway…my TT is up, drop by if u can =)
Ooh, that’s an easy one: Batman. Nothing was cooler than the Bat Cave, the Bat Mobile, the Bat Phone, all seen in black and white on the Batman series in the sixties. POW! ZAP! Cheesy? Yes, but not to a seven year old. I grew up thinking girls just naturally turned into the likes of Cat Woman. Best of all was the cliff hanger at the end of every show; you wondered if the villians would really get away with it this time.
Plus, I’d love to fly.
Caylynn & Nikki – Thanks for visiting!
Bellezza – Yes, that original Batman tv show will always hold a special place in my heart.. lol.. I loved Batgirl.. had the underoos too!
Now, see, where I used to be a Superman/Clark Kent kind of girl, I’m really more of a Wolverine/Logan kind of gal now. I really like the superhero with the haunted past, the superhero who’s tempted but overcomes the urge to use his powers for naughty. I think it makes them more human in a way. It shows that power corrupts but that it’s possible to choose not to be corrupted.
This is a great list! I’m going to put you on my RSS list!
Happy TT!
Hey! Why am I not surprised… 😉 Anyway, I’m glad I found your website. Let’s get back in touch!
Yeah! Heroes! I just saw X-Men 3: The Last Stand last night so this post is so totally appropos!
Thanks for commenting on my blog!
Camy
Wow, you’ve sold me on superheroes now. 🙂
Amy! I miss you! I wondered if you had a blog.. we definitely need to catch up!
I love the number and variety of the super heroes in both Heroes and X-men. I also like the feeling of unity involved in the school and the anticipation of the Heroes uniting.
On Heroes, I find it interesting that several of them WANT to be heroes and are willing to say so. This seems counter to most contemporary attitudes about heroes. Can you imagine anyone in conversation saying they feel they have a higher purpose or they want to be a hero? In a societ that celebrates the mundane, the average–I find that encouraging.