Herioc

Superheroes are the best representation we have of the characteristics we wish we had. If we take the movie Thor for example (no mystery it was the inspiration for this particular train of thought), here is psychological display of an individual with an ego problem and the means to control and destroy just about everything, but stripped of his power he is left to dig deep within himself to figure out what is important and what is worth sacrificing for.

First of all, we should perhaps examine the fact that the actor they found to play the Mythical God of War is just about the biggest human I’ve ever seen. There is no shame in saying that the man is handsome, he is a pretty man, and when they put him up on the screen with Natalie Portman drooling over him, not only does he tower over her, he compels even the most respectable and naturalistic among us heterosexual males to seek out some shady peddlers of anabolic steroids. Who wouldn’t want to be this guy? Moreover, I don’t even feel sorry for him when he is banished to earth and loses his hammer for being headstrong and bloodthirsty. Hell if the whole golden city in the sky thing doesn’t work out he could probably get a gig as an actor and take up a side job as a mercenary for thrills, while throwing little Natalie over his shoulder and taking her home with him. Wait. . .

I love the 3D thing by the way. I don’t know about wearing some goofy glasses to watch movies at home, but on the massive projection screen at your local cinema it is just downright impressive, and they will no doubt streamline the necessary spectacles in short order. If you have not been to see a 3D movie, seriously, get over your distaste for all that is new and innovative. Occasionally the technological advancements of the human race are not geared towards destruction and do actually make things that much more awesome . . . sometimes both.

Our beloved characters are highly complex and extremely simplistic and idealistic at the same time. Comic books came from myths, legends, and eventually developed into a portrayal of beings (not always human) that have humanistic flaws, enacting impossible feats and conquering forces of evil beyond our capabilities.

The modern day superhero, aside from being a never-ending source of screen-plays, is an embodiment of human emotion and virtue, with more self-awareness and a higher sense of purpose than most of us possess. To take away the required powers we all fantasize about: a means of quick travel (flight, web slinging, super speed, etc.), an ability to disappear (invisibility, stealth, a cloak, etc.), incredible strength, and heightened perceptual and sensational ability, we find ourselves looking at merely a hero. We tout actual heroes in libraries and museums, monuments and statues. To look past a superhero to the fundamental difference between a hero and a villain, we find that the ability to take decisive action in the best interest of humanity is the pivotal ingredient. Selflessness, sound judgment, compassion, courage, and the ability to persevere reveal themselves as the characteristics of every hero, super or monumental.

Notice that none of these individuals operate well under someone else’s authority, they act the most purposefully on their own deduction, and it is this quality in particular that is common among the human and extraordinary heroes alike. Take David Banner’s effort to channel the rage induced Hulk for example, it is his self-awareness and the recognition that he must control his anger in order to do the right thing that really makes him both phenomenally human and unquestionably heroic. Batman is a deontological character, refusing to cross certain moral boundaries with regards to punishing criminals, because he sees actions of this manner as placing him on the same level as those he hunts (a stance oddly similar to that taken by those opposed to capital punishment). 

I guess the point is this: we enjoy watching the struggles and triumphs of these characters because deep down we want to believe that the ability to make these choices and take these stands against the things we see as unjust exists also within us; the ability to do the right thing by our own determination and against all odds. Fortunately for the superheroes, their choices and struggles might be complicated, but their battles and purpose are simple. It is harder to be human, and our thought process has to account for many more factors. I watch these movies not only because I like the dazzling images and special effects, but because there is honesty to the superhero that our lives out here make complicated to possess. Complicated, but not impossible; doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and doing the right thing for the wrong reasons often become convoluted in our own plot lines.