Superhero Day

Did you know that April 28th was - and is - National Superhero Day?  Honestly, I had no idea until I heard the announcement on the news.  I wasn’t able to submit a post that day, but in honor of this event (and because “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is now playing!), I wanted to write a few words on the subject of superheroes.

When some people think of superheroes they think of their special, superhuman powers.  But in my opinion, that is secondary.  After all, Batman has no superpowers, per se.  Yet he is a legend among superheroes.  To me the most compelling superhero is the one who demonstrates that he/she has the character, heart, and valor with or without powers.

For example, in the film “Captain America: The First Avenger” we see that Steve Rogers is willing to sacrifice himself by lying on a grenade on the battlefield to protect others even before he became Captain America (the grenade wasn’t rigged to explode, but Rogers didn’t know that).  In "Spider-Man 2" (not to be confused with "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"), Peter Parker temporarily loses his spider powers.  But when he learns that someone is trapped inside a burning building, he runs into the inferno, and ultimately rescues this person, showcasing that he is a hero whether he has powers or not.

Another example of this is Hal Jordan.  The movie that first introduced me to Hal Jordan's valor is "Green Lantern: First Flight".  For a portion of the film, Hal fought the forces of evil without the special power ring that gives him the ability to be Green Lantern.  Jordan makes it abundantly clear that he is a man of bravery, heroism, and valor whether he has special powers or not.  In fact, just thinking about this film makes me want to watch it again!

I could go on and on.  But the classic example in this discussion has to be Superman.  The Man of Steel is incredibly powerful.  I think almost everyone knows the amazing powers he has, but these powers don’t define him.  In my mind, he is known more for his innate goodness.  Because of this, some think Superman is dull and uninteresting.  I disagree.  You don’t want to see an evil, narcissistic, bloodthirsty Superman.  It would be terrifying for everyone on Earth if Superman didn’t possess his morality.  Superman isn’t a hero because of his superpowers; he is a hero because of his virtue, integrity, and selflessness.

Kevin