When Is a Superhero Not a Superhero?

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I got into a fierce debate with some other science fiction fans recently on just what superheroes (and supervillains) mean. For many the term superhero is so tied to the characters of the Marvel & DC Comics universes as to be virtually exclusive to them. Superman, The Hulk, Wonder Woman, etc., are seen as beings with super-human abilities, whether those powers are scientific (Spiderman was given his powers by a radiation laboratory accident), extra-terrestrial (Superman is from another planet), or supernatural, as with Dr Strange, or The Scarlet Witch. Some characters designated a superheroes have no real powers at all. Batman and Iron Man both depend on gadgets and weapons, while having no actual physical, mental or occult powers at all. The costumed vigilante is not a superhero. They are often treated as such though. The root of the word superhero tie back to Nietzsche’s concept of the Ubermensch, or Overman. In recognizing that there is no God, the Ubermensch recognizes that he can be a supreme individual, leading by sheer will and intellect. The Nazis seized on the idea of the Ubermensch to create their ludicrous idea of the Master Race, but an entire race of Ubermensch is a contradiction in terms. We can’t all be individual and all alike moving as an army. Much literature deals with characters trying and failing to become the Overman. Dostoyevsky’s Raskalnikov has that ambition when he commits his murders in Crime & Punishment, but his inability to overcome his old established values brings him to justice. In reality, murderers Leopold & Loeb really did kill to prove they were Overmen, but left so much forensic evidence at the crime scene that their efforts to transcend current morals similarly failed. Characters with extra-human powers have existed since the dawn of the 20th century. An Argentinian comic book hero called Patoruzu had superhuman strength, due to dining on a rare soup that gives him the strength of his entire ancestral bloodline. He was around from 1928 to 1977. Popeye is also strictly speaking a superhero, fuelled by spinach, though in most stories he restricts his powers to saving his girlfriend Olive Oyl from running off with Bluto. He has little interest in loving crimes or saving the planet. Superman’s arrival in 1938’s comics opened the floodgates on all manner of costumed human avengers and outright superheroes / villains. Comics also draw on the same influences and also on horror movie ideas. Early high powered movie beings were using their powers for evil, Nosferatu, and the early cinematic portrayals of the Frankenstein Monster. Had Superman been born of that medium he would be a threat to the World rather than its defender - the comics gave the conventional human quest hero a gimmick, either a super power or some magical artefacts and weapons and explored how well or badly they fared using it - with villains as challenges to overcome on the way. The villains are those who use their powers and artefacts badly or for evil ends. In the 1960’s the term superhero was so associated to Marvel & DC that they tried to trademark the term and its variations. Where I get into trouble with fandom is in stating that literary and movie characters outside the Marvel / DC realm or directly inspired by them, still count a superheroes. Examples I threw provocatively into the mix include Merlin, Gandalf, Jesus, Buddha, and Godzilla. If Dr Strange can be seen as a magic-powered superhero, then why not Merlin and Gandalf too? Human characters in fantasies see wizards as a heavy artillery advantage, especially if the opponents don't have one - they are a bit like any war where the enemy suddenly has some more advanced weaponry, as with the early use of tanks in WW1. Super-powers are just high advantages - (or sometimes an obstacle as in the prejudicial fears faced by the X-Men) The addition of Jesus is not mine - I'm referring to Joseph Campbell's work there. He wrote an influential book called The Hero With A 1,000 Faces, reasoning that heroes like Hercules and Odysseus have totally independent counterparts in other World myths and cultures. The same stories surface independently around the World. Campbell’ work has been drawn into question by some scholars but it remains very influential despite its flaws. It is no accident that Marvel’s Thor is drawn directly from the same Norse myth roots as the operas of Richard Wagner. Comics also draw on the same influences and also on horror movie ideas. Early high powered movie beings were using their powers for evil, Nosferatu, and the early cinematic portrayals of the Frankenstein Monster. Had Superman been born of that medium he would be a threat to the World rather than its defender - the comics gave the conventional human quest hero a gimmick, either a super power or some magical artefacts and weapons and explored how well or badly they fared using it - with villains as challenges to overcome on the way. The villains are those who use their powers and artefacts badly or for evil ends. Jesus fights evil, performs miracles and even comes back from the dead, demonstrating that he is divine rather than merely human. Compare this to Superman, extra-terrestrial, mysterious birth, miraculous ability to defy the laws of physics, fights evil, and even returns from the dead. Just that most people would think firstly of Superman, Spiderman etc. should not rule out the broader spectrum. The marvel-DC efforts to trademark the very term superhero seems to be a failed attempt to restrain the market and the definition. Dr Who can be seen as a superhero - without his regenerative powers he died off when Hartnell quit. Of course he did get to meet a more traditional comic book superhero, The Ghost, with the Doctor himself briefly designated as ‘Doctor Mysterio’, with much fun at the matches and conflicts of the two throughout. Lord Of The Rings isn't a superhero story overall, - it has a wider scope - but it has superheroes in it. The point is that in the titanic battle for victory between the wizarding folk/elves and men, (with the very human Boromir wanting the ring to use for victory over its creator) it is the little forgotten folk who still win the day. Sauron is a powerful supervillain - he'd be as formidable to the Fantastic Four as Galactus - despite the arrival of tanks, the rifleman still makes a difference in the outcome of a battle. Gandalf is Merlin in all but name. Some of the names recited in his honour after his death by balrog are names linked to Merlin. In any case, Gandalf is ultimately only a supporting character. The true heroes are Bilbo, Frodo and Sam: ordinary people who triumph against all the odds. Supporting characters can be heroes too, Han Solo is a support character, as is Obi Wan (another Merlin figure facet of the hero with a 1,000 faces). With ensemble comics like The Avengers, who is hero and who is support? Everyone has a part to play or they have no business being in the story. There are more heroes than just the central protagonists. The sidekicks, the Robins and Ron Weasleys are just as heroic as the front-runners they assist. They like to think so anyway. In a WWF bout between Gandalf, Dumbledore, Dr Strange, Scarlet Witch & Mr Norrell, etc. they would all have a chance regardless of source of origin or the genre restrictions imposed on them. Where I really angered some fans was in suggesting Godzilla is a superhero / villain. The rebuke to this was ‘No, he’s a monster’. As shown, several superheroes are not human, including Superman. Godzilla was first introduced as an ancient monster, Awoken from centuries of sleep by nuclear explosions, and angrily trashing Tokyo before being killed or going off to sleep again, depending which movies you see. Godzilla is essentially a giant fire breathing dinosaur-dragon entity. After a spell of movie where he is just a destructive force, he becomes more of a saviour, coming to protect Tokyo from the rampages of other monsters, (sometimes man-made, and frequently extra-terrestrial or supernatural). Though he has limited intellect or sentience, Godzilla does serve as a protective saviour figure, especially when he has his son, Godzuki in tow). That Godzilla ends up trashing half of Tokyo himself to get at the villain-monsters, he is in effect playing the super heroic role. I have been criticised for peeling the lid off the restricted definition of what a superhero is allowed to be. One fan just told me I am very much alone in the World in my views and refused to discuss the matter further with me. It was like watching someone taking his ball back and going home. For me however, Godzilla and Popeye are right up there with the Hulk and Thor, as fully fledged superheroes. Youtube – A very funny superhero spoof cartoon, The Tick Arthur Chappell