Leaving the theater after finally seeing Iron Man 3, a question popped up in my mind: why do we love superheroes so much?
I believe that deep down, we all know that this world is not all that different from Gotham City, and we could use a few superheroes to to help us out. With terrorism and political corruption running rampant in our society, it would be nice to have a set of Avengers able to combat crime and chaos. It would be reassuring to turn on the television and see Spiderman on-screen, assuring me that he’ll find the Boston bombers no matter what it takes.
Along with providing a sense of protection, superheroes are our inspirations and idols. Of course, I personally am not aspiring to be the Hulk, although my little brother’s goal in life is to be the next Iron Man.
Why wouldn’t a 12 year old boy want to be a popular, heroic, powerful, crime-fighter? Even though they are constantly thrown into danger by battling with insane villains, superheroes live the high life, and the rewards are worthwhile. Superheroes are equivalent to demi-gods in the eyes of the public –who wouldn’t enjoy that?
Superhero stories often include perseverance. Spiderman lost both his parents; Hulk was outcast from society for being so abnormal; Iron Man went through severe health problems because of his new powers; Batman’s parents were murdered right in front of him! Their endurance motivates us to become better people and struggle through our own problems until we reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
To overcome our human limitation is our dream. Superheroes exceed the limitations of mortal life and do things that we all wish we could.
