This the last week before finals, and like most students, I'm pretty scared. But anyways, this week we went over the final and we revisited what makes a super hero. I still remember how in the beginning of the year, we kept throwing out all these random traits that we believe superheroes have and need. Finally, we were able to narrow it down to about twenty traits. I believed it was a very good list that depicted what made a superhero.
In the different stories, I believe most of the main characters were superheroes. Take Beowulf for example, he was the very first superhero in literature. He came to the mead hall, representing his kingdom, and killed the monsters that were terrorizing the people. Another great hero was Gawain. There were many stories about Gawain, but the particular story we read was how he defended the honor of the entire kingdom. Even though he didn't fight gigantic monsters, he's known as the best of King Arthur's knights.
In class we also discussed what the difference between a hero, a super hero, and a superhero. Everyone had their own opinions, but this is how I see it. A hero is someone who shows courage and/or ability and uses it to help people. An example would be a police officer or a firefighter. A super hero to me is someone who has shown great courage and/or ability. A good example Professor Bahlmann made were the firefighters that helped the people during the 9/11 attacks.
Then there's superheroes, iconic people who had abilities that were so inhuman, they were able to save the world. Now in class, a lot of people regarded superheroes as only people who existed in comic books. Now I agree with them, but not 100%. I believe that a superhero is a person is a person that tried to make a difference. Someone who tried to save many people or someone who wanted to change the world for the better. Examples would include Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, the man who briefly stopped the tanks at Tienanmen Square, or even Moses from the Bible. In comics, the heroes are also making a difference; they're trying to save people.
In the comics, Batman is out every trying to save Gotham from all of these evil maniacs. Spider-Man is always out trying to save New York, even though he's still young. Superman tries to save the world with all of his powers. Even though these vigilantes are very iconic, we shouldn't forget about the superheroes we have in our world. So for my definition, a superhero is someone who goes out in the world, is unselfish of their own needs, and tries to make a difference.
WC: 457
