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and Superman , two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. Art by Alex Ross and Jim Lee .]] A superhero is Fictional Character "of unprecedented, physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest.” ''National Periodical Publications v. Empire Comics'', New York Court Of Appeals , April 21, 1954. Since the debut of the Prototypal superhero, Superman , in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas — have dominated American Comic Book s and crossed over into other Media . The term "superhero" usually but not exclusively applies to those who are Male ; a Female superhero is sometimes called a '''superheroine'''. By most definitions, characters need not have actual superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes, although sometimes terms such as costumed crimefightersPer ''Lawrence Journal-World'' (March 17, 2006): "'V for Vendetta' is S for Subversive", by Jon Niccum , "The Dark Knight: Batman — A NonSuper Superhero" , Gamespot: PS2 Games: ''Batman Begins'' , ''Spotlight Comics Annual'' #2 (May 2002) ; "The Religious Affiliation of Comic Book Characters: Rev. Dr. Christopher Syn, the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (one of the world's first masked crime-fighters)" (no date) , and other sources. are used to refer to those without such powers who have many other common traits of superheroes. The term was once trademarked, and co-owned by DC Comics and Marvel Comics . SUPERHERO PHILOSOPHY The "philosophy" informing the superhero Vigilante ethos (especially as seen in The Punisher and Batman characters) was essentially formulated centuries ago by the famous Greek sage Aristotle : men possessing superior virtue and self-mastery necessarily transcend the external human bureaucratic-administrative framework: "There are men", wrote Aristotle, "so godlike, so exceptional, that they naturally, by right of their extraordinary gifts, transcend all moral judgment or constitutional control: 'There is no law which embraces men of that calibre: they are themselves law.'" (Hughes-Hallett, Lucy. Heroes. Alfred A. Knopf, 2004.) COMMON TRAITS '' vol. 2, #50 (April 2003), by J. Scott Campbell and Tim Townsend .]]
and Karl Kesel.]] Many 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 DC Comics ’s Justice League and Marvel ’s Avengers , are "all-star" groups consisting of heroes with separate origins who also operate individually. The shared setting or "universes" of Marvel, DC and other publishers also allow for regular superhero team-ups. Some superheroes, especially those introduced in the 1940s, work with a young Sidekick (e.g., Batman and Robin , Captain America and Bucky ). This has become less common since more sophisticated writing and older audiences have made such obvious Child Endangerment seem implausible and lessened the need for characters who specifically appeal to child readers. Sidekicks are seen as a separate classification of superheroes. Superheroes most often appear in Comic Book s, and superhero stories are the dominant form of American Comic Books , to the point that the terms "superhero" and "comic book character" have been used synonymously in North America . With the rise in relative popularity of non-superhero comics, as well as the popularity of Japanese comics ( Manga ), this trend is slowly declining . Superheroes have also been featured in Radio Serial s, Prose Novels , TV Series , Movies , and other media. Most of the superheroes who appear in other media are adapted from comics, but there are exceptions. , and Iron Man and DC owns Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and Plastic Man . Although, like many non-Marvel characters popular during the 1940s, the latter two were acquired by DC from defunct publishers. Benton, Mike. ''The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History'' (Taylor Publishing: Dallas, Texas, 1989), pp. 178-181 , reprinted at website Religious Affiliation of Comics Book Characters: "The Significant Seven: History's Most Influential Super-heroes" ' Captain Atom was an astronaut in his civilian identity. ''Strange Suspense Stories'' #75 (June 1965). Cover art by Steve Ditko .]] Although superhero fiction is considered a form of Fantasy / Adventure , it crosses into many genres. Many superhero franchises resemble Crime Fiction (Batman, Punisher ), others Horror Fiction (Spawn, Spectre ) and others more standard 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. Within their own fictional universes, public perception of superheroes varies greatly. Some, like Superman and the Fantastic Four, are adored and seen as important civic leaders. Others, like Batman and Spider-Man, meet with public skepticism or outright hostility. A few, such as the X-Men and the characters of '' Watchmen '' defend a populace that misunderstands and despises them. Common costume features A superhero's costume helps make him or her recognizable to the general public. Costumes are often colorful to enhance the character's visual appeal and frequently incorporate the superhero's name and theme. For example, Daredevil resembles a red Devil , Captain America 's costume echoes the American Flag , Wonder Woman 's costume also resembles an American flag with a "double w" often depicted on her chest, and Spider-Man 's costume features a Web pattern. The convention of superheroes wearing masks and skintight Unitard s originated with Lee Falk 's Comic Strip crimefighter The Phantom . Many features of superhero costumes recur frequently, including the following:
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Secret Headquarters Although not essential, many superheroes (and villains) have a base of operations. These secret bases are often equipped with state-of-the-art, and sometimes advanced technology. Bases like these are usually hidden in secret locations to avoid being detected by enemies or even by the general public, but some bases, such as the Baxter Building , are known to the public. To the heroes and villains who have a secret base, the base serves several functions.
SUPERHEROES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES was the hero of the original '' Kamen Rider '' series in 1971. This statue stands outside of Bandai 's Tokyo headquarters.]] There have been successful superheroes in other countries most of whom share the conventions of the American model. Examples include Cybersix from Argentina , Captain Canuck from Canada and the heroes of AK Comics from Egypt . Japan is the only country that nears the US in output of superheroes. The earlier of these wore Scarves either in addition to or as a substitute for capes and many wear Helmet s instead of Mask s. Ultraman , Kamen Rider , Super Sentai (the basis for Power Rangers ), Metal Heroes and Kikaider have become popular in Japanese Tokusatsu live-action shows, and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman , Casshan , The Guyver , and Sailor Moon are staples of Japanese Anime and Manga . However, most Japanese superheroes are shorter-lived. While American entertainment companies update and reinvent superheroes, hoping to keep them popular for decades, Japanese companies retire and introduce superheroes more quickly, usually on an annual basis, in order to shorten merchandise lines. Japanese superhero franchises are also more closely connected to general Japanese science fiction/fantasy, containing more complex technological and mystical ideas than most American superhero stories. They also more often feature more lethal violence on the part of the hero. In addition, Japanese manga often targets female readers, unlike U.S. comics, and has created such varieties as " Magical Girl " (eg. Cardcaptor Sakura) which is aimed at a female audience. In 1947, Filipino writer/cartoonist Mars Ravelo introduced the first Asian superheroine, Darna , a young Filipina country girl who found a mystic talisman-pebble from another planet that allows her to transform into an adult warrior-woman. She was the first solo superheroine in the world to get her own feature-length motion picture in 1951 and has become a cultural institution in the Philippines. comics magazines such as '' Lion , Valiant , Warrior ,'' and '' 2000AD .'' Marvelman , known as Miracleman in North America , is probably the most well known original British superhero (although he was based heavily on Captain Marvel ). Popular in the 1960s, British readers grew fond of him and contemporary UK comics writers Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman revived Marvelman in series that reinvented the characters in a more serious vein, an attitude prevalent in newer British heroes, such as Zenith . In and Photonik. In India , Raj Comics , founded in 1984, owns a number of superheroes, such as Nagraj , Doga and Super Commando Dhruva , that, while somewhat akin to Western superheroes, carry Hindu ideas of morality and incorporate Indian Myths . See Also: Manga Komiks Canadian comics History of the British comic TYPES OF SUPERHEROES In superhero Role-playing Game s, such as Hero Games ' '' Champions '', Green Ronin Publishing 's '' Mutants And Masterminds '' or Cryptic Studios ' online Massively Multiplayer game City Of Heroes , superheroes are informally organized into categories or archetypes based on their skills and abilities. Since comic book and role-playing Fandom overlap, these labels have carried over into discussions of superheroes outside the context of games: have often been used for humorous effect. ''Plastic Man'' #17 (May 1949). Cover art by Jack Cole . ]]
These categories often overlap. For instance, Batman is both a skilled martial artist and gadgeteer and Hellboy has the strength and durability of a brick and the mystic arts abilities of a mage. Wolverine also fits into a healing category(not mentioned above). Very powerful characters, such as Superman , Wonder Woman , Captain Marvel , Dr. Manhattan and the Silver Surfer can be listed in many categories, and are sometimes in a category all their own, known as "original," as they were some of the earliest heroes in comics. See Also: List of comic book superpowers CHARACTER EXAMPLES While the typical superhero is described above, a vast array of superhero characters have been created and many break the usual pattern: .]]
TRADEMARK STATUS Most and not limited to the characters of any particular company or companies. However, the terms "Super Hero," and "Super Heroes," have been jointly Trademarked by DC Comics and Marvel Comics (U.S. Trademark Serial Nos. 72243225 and 73222079). According to former Mego Toys CEO Marty Abrams , the company owned toy licenses for both Marvel and DC characters in the early 1970s and released Doll s in a series called "World's Greatest Superheroes", in packaging that stated "Superhero is a trademark of Mego". Both Marvel and DC objected, as they had used the term for decades. Mego sold its alleged trademark to both companies for one dollar apiece. Marvel and DC have maintained the trademark since. Others have sometimes used "super-hero," with a hyphen, as a spelling covering all such heroes. In March 2006, DC and Marvel attempted to register "super-hero" as well. America's Best Comics , originally an imprint of Wildstorm , used the term Science Hero , coined by Alan Moore . Warren Ellis has suggested that the term "underwear perverts" may be applied to superheroes; Cory Doctorow and other bloggers at Boingboing frequently use the term as a way to point out what they see as Marvel and D.C.'s unreasonable trademark. {Link without Title} The terms "superman" and "superhero" originated in English translations of Friedrich Nietzsche 's book '' Thus Spoke Zarathustra '', such as the 1909 translation by Thomas Common . HISTORY OF SUPERHEROES IN COMIC BOOKS Antecedents .]] The origins of superheroes can be found in several prior forms of fiction, dating to at least the superhuman exploits of the warrior-king Gilgamesh in the Babylonian Epic Poem " Epic Of Gilgamesh ". Many share traits with with more historically recent Protagonist s of Victorian Literature , such as The Scarlet Pimpernel and Sherlock Holmes . Penny Dreadfuls , Dime Novel s and other popular fiction of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries featured mysterious, swashbuckling heroes with distinct costumes, secret identities and altruistic missions. These include Zorro , the Scarecrow Of Romney Marsh and Spring Heeled Jack , who first emerged as an Urban Legend . Likewise, John Carter Of Mars and Tarzan were heroes with unusual abilities who fought larger-than-life foes. Pulp Magazine crime fighters, such as Doc Savage , The Shadow and The Spider , and Comic Strip characters, such as Hugo Hercules , Popeye and The Phantom were later, more direct influences. Many historians consider the first appearance of Superman the point at which superhero literature began. Golden Age See Also: Golden Age of Comic Books '' #1 (June 1938), the debut of Superman. Cover art by Joe Shuster .]] In 1938, writer , superhuman powers and a colorful costume including a symbol and cape. His name is also the source of the term "superhero," although early comic book heroes were sometimes also called "mystery men" or "'''masked heroes'''". DC Comics , which published under the names National and All-American at the time, received an overwhelming response to Superman and, in the years that followed, introduced Batman , Wonder Woman , Green Lantern , The Flash , Hawkman , Aquaman and Green Arrow . The first team of superheroes was DC's Justice Society Of America , featuring most of the aforementioned characters. Although DC dominated the superhero market at this time, companies large and small created hundreds of superheroes. The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner from Marvel Comics (then called Timely Comics ) and Plastic Man and Phantom Lady from Quality Comics were also hits. Will Eisner 's The Spirit , featured in a Comic Strip , would become a considerable artistic inspiration to later comic book creators. The era's most popular superhero, however, was Fawcett Comics ' Captain Marvel , whose exploits regularly outsold those of Superman during the 1940s. '' #2 (February 1940), the first appearance of Captain Marvel . Cover art by C. C. Beck ]] During World War II , superheroes grew in popularity, surviving paper rationing and the loss of many writers and illustrators to service in the armed forces. The need for simple tales of good triumphing over evil may explain the wartime popularity of superheroes. Publishers responded with stories in which superheroes battled the Axis Powers and the patriotically themed superheroes, most notably Marvel's Captain America as well as DC's Wonder Woman . After the war, superheroes lost popularity. This led to the rise of Genre Fiction , particularly Horror and Crime . The lurid nature of these genres sparked a moral crusade in which comics were blamed for Juvenile Delinquency . The movement was spearheaded by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham , who famously argued that "deviant" sexual undertones ran rampant in superhero comics. ''Amazing Heroes'' (issue # unknown; 1987): "Fredric Wertham: Anti-Comics Crusader Who Turned Advocate", by Dwight Decker. Revised version reprinted at website The Art Bin: Articles and Essays In response, the comic book industry adopted the stringent Comics Code . By the mid-1950s, only Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman retained a sliver of their prior popularity, although effort towards complete inoffensiveness led to stories that many consider silly, especially by modern standards. This ended what historians have called the Golden Age Of Comic Books . '' #4 (Oct. 1956) introduced the Second Flash and the Silver Age . Art by Carmine Infantino & Joe Kubert .]] Silver Age See Also: Silver Age of Comic Books In the 1950s, DC Comics , under the editorship of Julius Schwartz , recreated many popular 1940s heroes, launching an era later deemed the Silver Age Of Comic Books . The Flash , Green Lantern , Hawkman and several others were Recreated with new origin stories. While past superheroes resembled Myth ological heroes in their origins and abilities, these heroes were inspired by contemporary Science Fiction . In 1960, DC banded its most popular heroes together in the Justice League Of America , which became a sales phenomenon. Empowered by the return of the superhero at DC, Marvel Comics editor/writer Stan Lee and the artists/co-writers Jack Kirby , Steve Ditko and Bill Everett launched a new line of superhero comic books, beginning with The Fantastic Four in 1961 and continuing with The Incredible Hulk Spider-Man , Iron Man , Thor , The X-Men , and Daredevil . These comics continued DC’s use of science fiction concepts ( Radiation was a common source of superpowers) but placed greater emphasis on personal conflict and character development. This led to many superheroes that differed from predecessors with more dramatic potential. For example, the Fantastic Four were a superhero family of sorts, who squabbled and even held some unresolved acrimony towards one another and Spider-Man was a teenager who struggled to earn money and maintain his social life in addition to his costumed exploits. While the superhero form underwent a revival, the rise of Television as the top medium for light entertainment and the effects of Comics Code Authority obliterated genres such as Westerns , Romance , Horror , War and Crime . In the coming decades, non-superhero comics series would occasionally rise to popularity but superheroes and comic books would be forever intertwined in the eyes of the American public. Deconstruction of the superhero In the 1970s, DC Comics paired Green Arrow with Green Lantern in a ground-breaking, socially conscious series. Writer Dennis O'Neil portrayed Green Arrow as an angry, street-smart Populist and Green Lantern as good-natured but short-sighted authority figure. This is the first instance in which superheroes were classified into two distinct groups, the "classic" superhero and the more brazen Anti-hero . ' '' Watchmen ''. Promotional art by Dave Gibbons .]] In the 1970s, DC returned Batman to his roots as a dubious vigilante and Marvel introduced several popular anti-heroes, including The Punisher , Wolverine , and writer/artist Frank Miller 's dark version of the longtime hero Daredevil . Batman, The Punisher, and Daredevil were driven by the crime-related deaths of family members and continual exposure to slum life, while X-Men 's Wolverine was tormented by barely controllable savage instincts. The trend was taken to a higher level in the 1986 Miniseries '' Watchmen '' by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons , which was published by DC but took place outside the " DC Universe " with new characters. The superheroes of ''Watchmen'' were emotionally unsatisfied, psychologically withdrawn, sexually confused, and even Sociopathic . Another story, '''' (1985-1986) continued Batman’s renovation/reinterpretation. This miniseries, written and illustrated by Frank Miller, featured a Batman from an alternate/non-continuity future returning from retirement. The series portrayed the hero as an obsessed vigilante, necessarily at odds with official social authority figures, illustrated both by the relationship between Batman and retiring police commissioner James Gordon, and by the symbolic slugfest between the Dark Knight and Superman , now an agent/secret weapon of the U.S government. Both ''Watchmen'' and ''The Dark Knight Returns'' were acclaimed for their artistic ambitiousness and psychological depth, and became watershed series. Miller continued his seminal treatment of the Batman character with 1987's (Batman issues #404-407) and 2001's The Dark Knight Strikes Again (also known as DK2). DK2, the long-awaited follow-up to Dark Knight Returns, contrasts the traditional superhero-crimefighter character with the more politically conscious characters that evolved during the 1990s (perhaps epitomized by The Authority and Planetary, both written by British author Warren Ellis). In DK2, Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor is the power behind the throne, controlling a tyrannical American government, as well as Superman himself. Superman's submission to Luthor's twisted power structure, in the name of saving lives is contrasted with Batman's determined attack against the corrupted institutions of government; the message is that crime can occur at all levels of society, and the heroes are responsible for fighting both symptoms and causes of societal dysfunction and corruption. Struggles of the 1990s By the early 1990s, anti-heroes had become the rule rather than the exception, as The Punisher , Wolverine and the grimmer Batman became popular and marketable characters. Anti-heroes such as the X-Men ’s Gambit and Bishop , X-Force 's Cable and the Spider-Man adversary Venom became some of the most popular new characters of the early 1990s. This was a financial Boom Time for the industry when a new character could become well-known quickly and, according to many fans, stylistic flair eclipsed character development. |
In The Mid-2000s, Some Characters Were Revealed Gay In Two Marvel Titles: The
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Ultimate_Marvel" class="copylinks">Ultimate Marvel incarnation of the X-Men ’s Colossus and Wiccan and Hulkling of the superhero group Young Avengers In 2006, a new incarnation of Batwoman was introduced as a " Lipstick Lesbian " to some media attention BBC NEWS Entertainment Batwoman hero returns as lesbian TIMEcom: Caped Crusaders -- Jun 12, 2006 -- Page 1 |
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