LearnHub

Superheroes are a lot more than capes and flashy outfits!

A lot of people (especially girls, for some reason) seem to believe superheroes are lame and shallow, an excuse for guys to see explosions and brain-killing idiotic stuff happen. But that's only the opinions of those who don't really understand anything. Superheroes and comic books actually have a lot of great, important themes and lessons to teach us all. The power blasts and action-filled battles are just a bonus.

The themes behind some popular superheroes

Superman and America

Starting with one of the world's most popular superheroes, Superman. Aside of being the Man of Steel, Superman was living representation of the American dream- the idea that everyone can make it to the top. Clark Kent was just a typical nerdy guy, alienated and with no friends. But then he discovered he can fly, and rest is history- from a nobody, Clark rose the becoming a heroic figure saving the world one day at a time and winning the heart of Lois Lane. If that guy can be a hero, why can't you?

Superman's villains also represent interesting themes, especially my favourite Lex Luthor. His battle against superman is not just a classic good vs. evil, it's brain vs. muscle. Lex Luthor is a smart businessman, and even though he lacks physical strength he's still Superman's most dangerous foe. And this one shows that sometimes, being big and powerful isn't enough- you need to invest in being smart as well.

Batman and justice

As far as Batman goes, things are really interesting. Not focusing on the obvious (avenging his parents, a guy with no superpowers manages to become a great hero), I'm going for the theme of justice. Batman is all about justice- putting bad guys where they belong. Whether it's Two-Face, who was an attorney turned into a nut, or the Joker who's really just insane but likes to make things more interesting by giving moral choices and proving justice can be obscured, his villains challenge justice all the way.

But the Dark Knight can take it. Even when everybody else seems him as a vigilante, he'll fight for justice. The question of what's moral and right is constantly raised within his comic books and movies, and it's quite an interesting question.

Woner-woman and girls

This awesome hero taught everybody a good lesson- the girls can do it too. In a world dominated by male heroes, along came Wonder Woman and battled big bad villains just as well as Superman, Batman, and the other guys. It's feminism at it's best, and it's a theme all girls should learn from. Wonder Woman stresses that it isn't just the nerdy guys who can become Super, and the genders are as equal as anybody else.

Spiderman and responsibility

"With great power comes great responsibility". No man knows this one better than Spiderman, who'll always remember the time when he didn't use his power responsibly, causing Uncle Ben to lose his life. Spidey is a great inspiration to lots of people who realize that there's power in everybody, and you should always make morla, ethical choices and give whatever you can to the less fortunate, helping others. It's a very important concept.

Other themes pop up in Spiderman as well, but none as clearly as the theme of using your power and doing the right thing. Venom, for example- trying to corrupt Spiderman with more power didn't work, because venom is evil. See, it's all about being a hero.

X-Men and diversity

The X-Men represent one of the most important themes you can think about- equality and acceptence of those who are different. The group encompasses people from all over the globe (Storm is African, Wolverine is Canadian, Sunfire is Japanese, Gambit is part French, Jubilee is part Chinese, Colussus is Russian, Nightcrawler is blue, etc.), and they all work together to make mutants accepted by humans who don't like them just because they're different.

Magneto is a great example of a theme- a holocaust survivor, he won't let mutants be treated the same way, and he'll go to great lengths to ensure humans won't hurt mutants (ironically, by hurting humans instead). But Prof X got it right- it's not about one group beating the other- it's about realizing we're all equal and we should all be living together in harmony. What a great dream!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and family

The TMNT may not seem deep at all, but even the 4 turtles represent something important- family. The brothers will always stand up for each other and their adoptive father Splinter. 4 are always better than one, especially when they value one another and work together as a team, which is something the evil Shredder will never understand. That's why the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles always win- they're a happy family.

And there's more

Superheroes work through great themes. The American Dream, the idea that anybody can make it big, as well as social responsibility and doing the right thing, are almost always present. But you can always find deep, interesting meanings in superhero tales and comic books.

So once again, to stress out the point- it's not mindless action. It's actually quiet sophisticated and even educational. So don't feel bad, read your comics, and be proud of learning such great values and morals!