Superheroes : Pop Fiction or Something More?
By: Rohit Gondhalekar
Tags: DC Comics, Superheroes, Marvel, Comics, Pop Culture

Comic Book Superheroes have inspired and entertained generations. With the advent of the MCU and DCEU the movies based on these characters rake in billions of dollars. Since my childhood I have been a huge fan of superheroes in general, comic book ones in specific. I have always been fascinated about the history of these larger than life heroes and their impact on the society in general. These superheroes have had a far substantial impact on the fabric of our society and vice versa than we can imagine.

It all began in 1938 with two Jew Boys Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster at DC Comics coming up with an idea of an alien from planet Krypton landing on earth with his family destroyed. He comes to learn the ways of the planet and takes on a persona of Clark Kent in Newspaper Daily Bugle during the day and fights crime etc. with his other persona Superman. This correctly mirrored the immigration of Jews and other minorities happening to America during the World War 2. Even Hitler and the Nazi Party condemned superman at that time saying he’s a Jew and should be destroyed.

Superman First Comic Issue

Bob Kane and Bill Finger at DC Comics wanted to create a more realistic superhero, one who was more Human. The street mobs and crime was prevalent in the aftermath of the Depression of 1929. This superhero saw his parents murdered through the hands of such criminals and vowed to revenge them. Hence, came Batman with a more realistic version of a superhero. One of the best specimen a human can ever be.

Batman First Comic Issue

Wonder Woman was actually created by Charles Moulton, an American psychologist who along with his wife invented an early prototype of the lie detector. Now you understand where the Lasso of Truth came into existence.

(Left) Charles Mouton & (Right) Wonder Woman First Comic Issue

Parallelly, Marvel Comics (then : Timely Comics) created the true personification of America and the values it represents with Captain America. Captain America even went to war with great gusto and led the American Army as well. Captain America and his sidekick Bucky stopped an unnamed Asian power destroying America’s pacific fleet of ships (mind you this was 7 months before the bombing of pearl harbor).

Captain America Punching Hitler

Thus these superheroes mostly became a source of propaganda and political prophecy for the governments. Ironically, they were actually depicting the exact ideology of the Nazism and Fascism that everything can be solved with and by the one with more power.

The superheroes in the 1960s were more counter culture and cutting edge. They were psychologically rich and more in tune with the society. Inspired by the Space Race during the Cold War with Russia, four people rush with a space craft to the Moon and end up having superpowers viz. Fantastic Four. With the advent of Nuclear Weapons there was always a danger of getting exposed to radiation and nuclear waste. One such scientist named Bruce Banner in the comics got exposed to the gamma rays and became the Angry Hulk.

Green Lantern and Green Arrow took a more bolder route and became emissaries of the marginalized communities like the Native Americans etc. They even criticized America going to the Vietnam War, the KKK and Racism.

Green Lantern and Green Arrow Issue commenting on social issues

The most successful Marvel Superhero of them all, Spiderman was a teenage superhero who even after getting all his superpowers was battling with maintaining a balance between his personal life and superhero fighting. It accurately depicted the everyday dichotomy we face.

Spiderman : More Like Us

While DC superheroes were more like Gods whom we can never reach but can aspire to be and give hope, the Marvel superheroes were one among us and like us who had realistic issues.

We in general, look at these comic book superheroes primarily targeted towards children. Even when we watch a super hero movie in the theatres there is a constant lingering thought that this is just fiction and entertainment. But as you have seen in the examples mentioned above, there are many layers to these superheroes and what they stand for and depict. Throughout history we have seen superheroes, prophets or avatars who came to rescue mankind for the evils of the society and left an indelible mark on the same. It makes me ponder whether centuries from now, our future generations would view these comic book superheroes in the same manner.