So after reading Watchmen, I was thinking about superheroes. In general, we think of superheroes as flying around, helping innocent people, doing kind acts, etc. According to dictionary.com, a superhero is 'a figure endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting crime or evil.'
Well, in this case, couldn't a 'villain' be considered a 'superhero'? Many happen to have superhuman powers. They consider their own plans as being right or justified and superheroes as being the evil ones. It actually reminds me of a show that was made during the time of the writer's strike. It's called Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long blog (my brother was the one who found it, I swear). It's the same old story of someone trying to take over the world (except with some jokes included along the way). However, it portrays the 'hero' as being this meat head (who cries at the end after experiencing pain for the first time in his life). It also puts the 'villain' in a brighter light.
Also, the terms good and evil are extremely broad as it is. Even 'superhuman' could be interpreted differently (ie Batman and Nightowl). We all have it drilled into our minds by now that such abstract words have a different meaning for everyone. It's all about perspective. So what do you think? Can't everyone be a 'hero' in their own way? (which is one of the songs of the show, by the way).
Mary Quien
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7 comments:
It reminds me of a discussion that we had in Euro about the general will. If generally people agree that something is wrong, than it is considered evil. For example, running a plane into the twin towers is considered wrong by the majority of the world, but whoever drove the plane into the twin towers obviously thought that what he was doing was the right thing. In this situation, since the general agreement is that such an action is horribly wrong, it is "wrong", even though it doesn't have to be "wrong" to everyone. That person is therefore not a hero, no matter what a small group believes, since the majority of the world does not agree.
Does that make sense?
(Arvind Kalidindi)
Definitions are certainly key in this area, and in the end I think its really a matter of personal opinion/perspective. But, one thing that the question of "what is a superhero" brings to mind is, what's the difference between a hero and a superhero?
Most of us have probably have heard or been asked the question, "who is your hero?" If someone were to ask me who my hero is, I would probably say my dad, or Jesus, or something along those lines. Why wouldn't I say Batman? Is a superhero, by definition, not real?
It kind of makes sense, because how could a human have superhuman powers? So, are superheroes automatically fictional?
Emily Thompson
By scientific rules superheroes are definitely fictional. But besides entertainment, superhero stories are written to get a point across, whether it be about the human race and society, or making choices that you won't regret.
This may sound a little naive but I think a fictional superhero could be your hero. If you appreciate the way that he/she handled a situation, why not try to follow their thinking and apply their morals to your own life? Like Bruce Wayne embraces his fear of bats and uses it to bring justice to the moral-deficient city of Gotham by becoming an alter ego: Batman. Apply this to your life by not letting your fears hold you back.
(Kelley Volosin)
I really, really, really don't mean to offend someone with the following example, but it is something that I relate to and feel will demonstrate my point.
The question has been posed: is a superhero necessarily a fictional character? If you think back to the Bible, Jesus descended upon the earth as a human. He, however, portrayed powers beyond human ability. The same applies to his disciples during the Pentecost (the immediate ability to converse in all tongues). Yes, I understand that not everyone acknowledges the existence of God, but if you view Him as a superhero through faith, then He is non-fictional. My answer to this question would be no.
Don't forget, also, that we may not have discovered EVERYTHING out there. Possibilities exist.
(Sam Maliha)
Well, certainly the definition of a superhero can vary. What distinguishes a superhero from a villain? Often we can tell if someone is a superhero or a villain due to his set of morals and the ultimate purpose of his actions. But of course, certain figures blur the line. What about antiheroes? They certainly are not superheroes, but they are not necessarily villains either. One such example is the Punisher, who uses vigilante methods to bring about what he considers "justice."
Furthermore, as Emily asked, what is the difference between a superhero and a hero? I'm sure that we can agree that numerous heroes can be found in our daily lives. But do the powers and the costume truly make that much of a difference, changing a "hero" to a "superhero"?
-Eric Wei (PS Mary, I've seen some of Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long blog as well. It's funny!)
In my perspective, superheroes are fictional. This is because I automatically associate "superheroes" with fictional actions drawn in comics and graphic novels or acted out in movies. For me, the definition of the word includes fiction, but for others, the definition may certainly differ.
Based on my own definition, I would answer Eric's last question with a "no." I think that superpowers and a costume do not make ANY sort of difference changing a "hero" to a "superhero" because, in my perspective, a hero is non-fictional and a superhero is fictional, and therefore, the former could never become the latter. I'm sure this only makes sense to ME, though, so don't worry about making any sense of it. (In no way am I imposing my definitions upon you.)
Eric brings up the idea of the "antihero," which I had actually mentioned a while back in response to a different post. I personally believe that antiheroes are closer to superheroes than they are to villains, since they may still be protagonists. My perception, however, is far from unbiased because I am quite fond of various antiheroes, including but not limited to Batman, V, and Rorschach (I actually prefer antiheroes over superheroes because of their complexities). What are your thoughts on antiheroes?
(Janet Lee)
This may be slightly off topic..but it may somewhat respond to Eric's correlation between superheroes and costumes, etc..
Spiderman would have been able to excercise his ability with or without the costume. The same applies to Superman. This seemingly insignificant detail makes it difficult for me to draw the line between a "hero" and a "superhero"...hmm.
(Sam Maliha)
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