Superheroes

When I was a kid, I loved reading comic books and the people I looked up to the most were fictional characters dedicated to saving the world. All sorts of (super)humans possessing all manner of powers. I would get lost in the stories and plots and no matter how hard I closed my eyes and attempted to wish their existence into reality, that world vaporized whenever I closed the book and I was rudely used back into the real world.

Trends come and go in cycles and the past few years have seen a major resurgence of the whole comic book hero genre. The silver screen is once more churning out reincarnated versions of old heroes and iconic figures are coming out of retirement to entertain old fans while captivating new ones. Movies offer us a form of escapism, a way to immerse ourselves into a different universe for a few hours. And superhero flicks allow us to imagine a world where evil is confronted by amazing (but often flawed) people who are doing their best to resolve difficult situations in less than 2 hours.

I think one of the defining moments when our adolescence becomes a little less childlike is when we stop believing in these types of heroes. Something changes in us when we admit that no one is going to ride in and save the day; Gotham is vulnerable and we are saddened by the memory of saviors who never really existed in the first place. We realize if this world is going to be saved then we are the ones who need to do it.

And doesn't that really make US the superheroes?

As I grew older, my heroes began to evolve into people who held much less glamorous roles. Wolverine was replaced by food bank workers and Spider-Man took a back seat to the volunteers at the homeless shelter. The men and women I know working in social services truly deserve the accolades I once lauded upon the characters from my comic books. They are heroes because they are affecting change in a world mired in a stagnant state. They don't wear capes or masks or have retractable claws, but they go to battle every day on behalf of people who need help.

And that is the gist of the superhero mythology, right? Seemingly normal people who take on monstrous tasks to assist others. In a way, all of us can take a turn or two at living this lifestyle. Whether we volunteer or donate money or simply fill a specific need we see in our community, we can truly change people's lives.

And that is a super thing.