Superhero: Encyclopedia II - Superhero - Common traits

Superhero - Common traits

A range of attributes are commonly part of a superhero's make-up, although they are by no means definitive (see Divergent character examples). Most superheroes have a few of the following features:

• Extraordinary powers and abilities, mastery of relevant skills, and/or advanced equipment. Although superhero powers vary widely, superhuman strength, the ability to fly, enhancements of the senses and the ability to project energy of some kind are all common. Some superheroes, such as Batman and Green Hornet, possess no superpowers but have mastered skills such as martial arts and forensic sciences. Others have special equipment, such as Iron Man’s powered armor and Green Lantern’s power ring.
• A strong moral code, including a willingness to risk their own safety in the service of good without expectation of reward.
• A special motivation, such as a sense of responsibility (e.g. Spider-Man), a strong sense of justice (e.g. Captain America), a formal calling (e.g., Wonder Woman), or a personal vendetta against criminals (e.g., The Punisher).
• A secret identity that protects the superhero’s friends and family from becoming targets of his or her enemies. Most superheroes (but not all) use a descriptive or metaphoric codename for their public deeds.
• A flamboyant and distinctive costume (see Common costume features).
• An underlining motif or theme that affects the hero’s name, costume, personal effects and other aspects of his character (e.g., Batman resembles a large bat, calls his headquarters the "Batcave" and his specialized automobile, which also looks bat-like, the "Batmobile").
• A trademark weapon (e.g., Wonder Woman’s "Lasso of Truth," [[Captain America’s shield).
• A supporting cast of recurring characters, including the hero's friends, co-workers and/or love interests, who may or may not know of the superhero's secret identity. Often the hero's personal relationships are complicated by his/her dual life.
• An archenemy or a number of enemies that s/he fights repeatedly. Often a nemesis is a superhero’s opposite or foil (e.g., Sabretooth embraces his savage instincts while Wolverine battles his).
• Independent wealth (e.g., Batman or the X-Men's benefactor Professor X) or an occupation that allows for minimal supervision (e.g., Superman's civilian job as a reporter).
• A secret headquarters or base of operations (e.g., Superman's Fortress of Solitude).
• An "origin story" that explains the circumstances by which the character acquired his/her abilities as well as his/her motivation for fighting evil. Many back stories involve tragic elements and/or freak accidents that result in the development of the hero's abilities.

Most superheroes work independently. However, there are also many superhero teams. Some, such as the Fantastic Four and X-Men, have common origins and usually operate as a group. Others, such as DC Comics’s Justice League and Marvel’s Avengers are "all-star" groups consisting of heroes of separate origins who also operate individually.

Some superheroes, especially those introduced in the 1940s, work with a child or teenaged sidekick (e.g., Batman and Robin, Captain America and Bucky). This has become less common since more sophisticated writing and older audiences have lessened the need for characters who specifically appeal to young readers and made such obvious child endangerment seem implausible. Sidekicks themselves are often seen as a separate classification of superheroes.

Superheroes most often appear in comic books, and superhero stories are the dominant genre of American comic books, to the point that the terms "superhero" and "comic book character" are often used synonymously. Superheroes have also been featured in radio serials, prose novels, TV series, movies, and other media. Most of the superheroes who appear in other media are adapted from comics, but there are exceptions.

Marvel Comics Group and DC Comics, Inc., share ownership of the United States trademark for the phrase "Super Heroes" as it applies to comics, and these two companies own a majority of the world’s most famous superheroes. However, throughout comic book history, there have been significant heroes owned by others, such as Captain Marvel, owned by Fawcett Comics (but later acquired by DC) and Spawn, owned by creator Todd McFarlane.

Although superhero fiction is considered a subgenre of fantasy/science-fiction, it crosses into many other genres. Many superhero franchises resemble crime fiction (Batman, Daredevil), others horror fiction (Spawn, Hellboy), while others contain aspects of more standard science fiction (Green Lantern, X-Men). Many of the earliest superheroes, such as The Sandman and The Clock, were rooted in the pulp fiction of their predecessors.

Because the fantastic nature of the superhero milieu allows almost anything to happen, particular superhero series frequently cross over into a variety of vastly different genres. In the 1980s series The New Teen Titans, for example, the Titans battled a supernatural cult leader in one story, went off to another galaxy to participate in a space war in the following story, and then returned to Earth and became involved in an urban drama involving young runaways. The content of each of these stories is quite different, yet the same principal characters are involved.

Superhero - Common costume features

A superhero’s costume helps make him or her recognizable to the general public (both in and outside of fiction). Costumes frequently incorporate the superhero's name and theme. For example Daredevil resembles a red devil, the design of Captain America's costume echoes that of the American flag and Spider-Man’s costume features a web pattern.

Many features of superhero costumes recur frequently, including:

• Superheroes who maintain a secret identity often wear a mask, ranging from the domino masks of Green Lantern and Ms. Marvel to the full facemasks of Spider-Man and Black Panther. Most common, however, are masks covering the upper face, leaving the more indistinguishable jaw and neck areas exposed. This allows for both a believable disguise and recognizable facial expressions. These masks include the those of Captain America, Batman and The Flash.
• Form-fitting clothing, often referred to as tights or spandex, although the exact material is usually not identified. Such material displays a character’s muscular build.
• A symbol, such as a stylized letter or visual icon, usually on the chest. Examples include Superman’s "S" and Green Lantern's lantern symbol.
• While a vast majority of superheroes do not wear capes, the garment is still closely associated with them, likely due to the fact that two of the most widely-recognized superheroes, Batman and Superman, wear capes. The comic book series Watchmen and the movie The Incredibles humorously commented on the impracticality of capes.
• Probably because most comic book illustrators and readers are male, many superheroines wear revealing costumes.
• When thematically appropriate, some superheroes dress like people from certain professions or subcultures. Zatanna, who possesses wizard-like powers, dresses like a magician and Ghost Rider, who rides a super powered motorcycle, dresses in the garb of a biker.
• While most superhero costumes merely hide the hero’s identity and present a recognizable image, parts of some costumes have functional uses. Batman’s utility belt and Spawn’s "necroplasmic armor" have both been of great assistance to the heroes. Iron Man, in particular, wears a variety of powered armor that protects him and provides technological advantages.
• Several heroes of the 1990s, including Cable and many Image Comics characters, rejected the traditional superhero outfit for costumes that appeared more practical and militaristic. Shoulder pads, kevlar-like vests, metal plated armor, knee and elbow pads, and heavy duty belts were all common features.

Superhero - Superheroes outside America

Superheroes are largely an American creation but there have been successful superheroes in other countries, most of whom share the conventions of the American model. Examples include Cybersix from Argentina, Captain Canuck from Canada and the heroes of AK Comics from Egypt.

Japan is the only country that nears the US in its output of superheroes. The earlier of these wore scarves as a substitute for capes and many wear helmets instead of masks. Ultraman and Kamen Rider have become popular in Japanese tokusatsu live-action shows, and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and Sailor Moon are staples of Japanese anime and manga. These franchises are closely connected to general Japanese science fiction/fantasy and contain more complex technological and mystical ideas than most American superhero stories.

British superheroes began appearing in the Golden Age shortly after the first American heroes became popular in the UK [1]. Most original British heroes were confined to anthology comics magazines such as Lion, Valiant and 2000 A.D..

Marvelman, known as Miracleman in North America, is probably the most well known original British superhero (although he was based heavily on Captain Marvel). Popular in the 1960s, British readers grew fond of him and contemporary UK comics writers Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman have revived Marvelman in series that display a jaundiced and cynical slant on superheroism. This attitude is also prevalent in newer British heroes, for example Zenith.

In India, Raj Comics runs a number of superhero titles that place thinly disguised versions of Marvel/DC characters in an Indian setting. Character such as Nagraj, Doga and Super Commando Dhruva, while superficially akin to Western superheroes, carry Hindu ideas of morality and incorporate Indian myths.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Common traits", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki