Superheroes

Just been to see the 'Avengers Assemble' film and thoroughly enjoyed it.  However, it did make me think.  Why are people addicted to stories of superheroes?  Because it is not a new phenomena.  The legends of Greece and Rome are littered with demigods that fight the hideous monsters.  The Hindu sagas have the same thing.  There are even oriental examples with the Peach Boy of Chinese legend and Tengu (the demon that, having been defeated by the hero, swears utter and undying loyalty to him) in Japanese.

I think it is because of a couple of things.  One, we humans want role models, beings who are far above us in physical power, thus giving us something to admire and aspire to.  We then want these beings to look at us small humans and see us as something worthy of being protected and guarded against the monsters out there, possibly because we want to know that no matter how badly we foul up, someone, somewhere is going to care about us.  Lastly, it is because we want stories where the good guys are going to win at the final curtain call and where the bad guys gonna get what's coming to them.  If these stories involve gods and demons and odds that seem impossible for the hero to overcome then all the better because that's even more existing and awesome!  Also, it is possibly because we want to believe that no matter how bad our life gets, someone else, somewhere has already faced worse and defeated it.

Superheroes also carry a message, beside the obvious one of good guys and bad guys. Superheroes have helped in the past to change popular ways of thinking.  The example that springs to mind is Captain America.  The first Marvel comic to feature him fighting the Nazis was published, as far as I know, during the Second World War because the writers of the Marvel Comics believe that America's stand of neutrality in the early stages of the war was not a morally acceptable decision.  Because of the comics popularity it helped change the public perception of the war.  Not bad for 'just' a comic book.