by Aleggs Sander

Created on: December 12, 2009

Oh how I love heroes! And when they are super that makes it even better. Heroes are the human aspirations that they will be able to withstand any negative event or circumstance that may arise to adversely affect human life and enjoyment. And heroes in the American social and literary scene are the positive expressions of the irrepressible American spirit and good will.

            Superman, the grandfather of our modern heroes, has changed from the emotional, mental and spiritual figure he originally was seventy years ago. As the brain child of two Jews, Superman embodied Jewish hopes of a messiah. Indeed, Superman is quite like the Christ child who has decided to stay and deal with human wickedness. Superman is from beyond the stars, he is dedicated to truth, justice and everything noble. Superman did not even seriously contemplate an affair with Lois Lane; he was such a noble man. A superhero is the embodiment of all the ideals we hold dear.

            But everyone is not Superman (Jesus). What can poor ordinary people do? Well, they can become a Batman, a Robin, any number of other individuals who lack “super” powers, but who can train themselves, and develop themselves to become better than they are without total dedication to their self improvement. Bruce Wayne took a tragic event and recast himself to become the greatest detective in the DC world. His anguish at losing his parents opened his heart to helping a young man who lost his parents also (Dick Grayson), and thus the “Dynamic Duo” was born.

            The years of American idealism lead to the birth of those characters. America had a fresh faced innocence as they faced the world and a belief that hard work and discipline could lead to overcoming anything. America lived its ideals in its heroes. But reality set in, and the Civil Rights movement, The Vietnam war and America’s criminal underbelly led to a revolution and evolution in our heroes. People are all unique, different from each other. And we all have different problems, and handle them in different ways. The Xmen, created by one of the greatest comic corporations, Marvel, was a product of that era and mentality. Racial tensions, poverty, and crime laid the foundation for the mutant heroes. The human predilection to destroy that with which it is

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