The Superheroic Journey, Part 4 of 8: The Rise to Greatness

Last week I mentioned the superhero’s reputation and the implicit consent granted to the superhero in their battles against evil on behalf of the public or greater good. The idea of “consent” and the superheroic journey is a complicated topic, since a) superheroes often cannot control the circumstances leading up to their transformation, although the choice to assume a superheroic status following transformation IS absolutely a matter of individual consent; b) the vigilante-protector roots of the superhero place superheroes outside of legally sanctioned law enforcement, bringing into question whether it is even possible for the public to give consent to superheroic protection, primarily because c) the superhero acts on the premise that legally approved entities are too slow, inefficient, or corrupt to act in time to save lives or handle villainy and threats before they result in destruction against the public good.

Nevertheless, there is undeniably a form of social, public consent given to the superhero, a collective agreement among those the superhero defends that the superhero’s actions will benefit the majority and only harm a small minority of evildoers. This public consent, however, is not automatically granted to superheroes. First, newly transformed heroes must prove their worth and humanitarian dedication through a series of good deeds and public victories, what I here call the “rise to greatness.”

Even the Dark Knight must “rise.” Bruce Wayne climbs out of The Pit. Film still from The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Image source: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-8CYlBnnZI4/hqdefault.jpg

What kinds of superheroic good deeds qualify as part of this rise?

1) The “neighborhood watch”: Superheroes such as Spider-Man, Catwoman, Daredevil, Batman, and The Arrow initially caught the (fictional) public’s attention by policing (or would it be “vigilanting”?) the streets of their home cities and locales. By catching “common” criminals, these superheroes eventually gained the public authority to serve as defenders against the “big bads” who, sooner or later, arrive to throw the city into chaos. (These villains – and their outsized egos – also arrive to challenge the superhero, raising the sticky question of whether superheroes actually bring about more harm than good to those they supposedly protect.) Start with the little fish, move on to bigger and bigger fish, the theory goes.

Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) tries to save the inhabitants of an apartment fire set by the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) – while fending off the Goblin himself. Film still from Spider-Man (2002). Image source: https://gradingfightscenes.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/s33.png

2) The “Superman complex”: Well, not that Superman complex. I mean the one where you can fly and shoot laser rays from your eyes and stuff and somehow, everyone just magically figures out you’ve got superpowers. Sometimes just having superpowers and showing them off, intentionally or not, in public is enough to get a superhero noticed and eligible for public approval. It’s kind of hard to not get noticed if you can fly or have laser eyes, right? Then there are some superheroes who just don’t care about concealing their real identity. (*cough*cough*…Mr. Stark, that would be you.) Characters including the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Flash, and The Hulk have all been “noticed” this way – because it’s hard to miss an enormous green rage monster.

It’s the old “It’s a bird! It’s a plane!…” trip. Difficult not to notice a brightly dressed man who can fly. Film still from Man of Steel (2013). Image source: http://eclipsemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Superman-Man-of-Steel-2013-Henry.jpg

But, on second thought, I guess the popular meaning of “Superman complex” kind of does apply here, since superheroes usually end up revealing their superhuman abilities because they feel they need to save everybody all on their own…

3) The “living legend”: Sometimes a character already has an impressive reputation before undertaking (or reassuming) superheroic work. They might have acted as a superhero in the past – such as Steve Roger’s World War II endeavors as Captain America, before being revived in present day – or the public reputation might even have come from a career as a supervillain, such as Elektra Natchios and Black Canary’s lives as assassins before their superheroic turns. Supervillainous deeds don’t give a character automatic superheroic approval, of course, but they do catch the public’s attention about as fast as Quiksilver can run! Vigilante superheroes such as The Arrow, Daredevil, and Batman (the “Dark Knight” name says it all) are especially vulnerable to being misinterpreted by the public as supervillains before people realize these characters’ true heroic nature.

America’s first super-soldier (and, according to Marvel lore, first superhero). Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Image source: http://wodumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Chris-Evans-star-as-Steve-Rogers-Captain-America-in-Paramount-Pictures-Captain-America-The-First-Avenger-18-960×1226.jpg

“Living legends” already have a superhuman legacy to lend legitimacy to their public actions, but certain of these superheroes – particularly those with a dark, shady past – may have to re-earn or justify themselves all over again before gaining the label of “superhero.”

Oliver Queen/The Arrow (Stephen Amell) has one of the darkest personal histories among superheroes on screen today. Image source: http://www.archery360.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ARROW_Green-Arrow.jpg

Just as they can rise to greatness, though, superheroes can easily fall from grace. Should superhumans commit unjustified acts against – or even for – the greater good (as The Arrow initially did upon his return to Starling City), they can lose their superheroic title and public consent. Also, if the superhero loses their powers or their faith in the superheroic mission, trouble may be ahead…

Next post on Friday 1/30/15. “The Superheroic Journey, Part 5 of 8: The Fall from Grace.” We’re officially halfway to the end of the journey! (If there is ever a real “end” to superheroes’ stories.)

Read the previous post, “Part 3: Find a Mask (or Cape),” or go on to “Part 5: The Fall from Grace.”

Welcome Back, Agent Carter

We’ve missed you, Peggy.

Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter. Image source: http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2015/01/06/agent-carter-03_612x380.jpg

One of the first Internet posts I saw following Agent Carter‘s two-episode premiere was this lovely post via BuzzFeed on “30 Gloriously Feminist Moments from Agent Carter.” (This is for the episodes #101 “Now is Not the End” and #102 “Bridge and Tunnel.”) I have to absolutely agree with the BuzzFeed post: Agent Carter as a series, and Agent Peggy Carter as a character, are indeed gloriously and refreshingly feminist.

The BuzzFeed list does a fantastic job of analyzing Agent Carter‘s premiere in detail, so I’ll stick to some more general comments here. It’s so wonderful, first of all, to see a superhero show – and, let’s face it, just any mainstream network show – taking a self-consciously aware feminist stance, not merely an accidental one that can be drawn out through analysis. Also, Agent Carter‘s feminism is more than just the occasional tip-of-the-hat moment to common “feminist” ideas like “girl power.” Agent Carter appears devoted to a consistent, deeply thought out vision of women, feminism, and female heroism.

I’ve written recently about superhero works such as Sucker Punch (2011), Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), and Elektra (2005) that can be viewed as feminist works but may not actually have been intended as such by their creators. Overwhelmingly, those works mostly seem to be picking up on elements of feminism that have been absorbed into mainstream culture; this “pop feminism,” as I like to call it, may not always be the most accurate or well-rounded vision of feminism. Pop feminism may include myths about feminism that do not reflect the goals of the contemporary movement as often as it includes goals and ideas that do accurately reflect feminist work today. So, it’s HUGELY satisfying to see Agent Carter wave its feminist flag proudly from atop the high, high hill of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Especially because Agent Carter actually has its facts straight about feminism, representing feminist concerns in an unprecedented, amazingly accurate manner for a show of its kind.

If you refer to the BuzzFeed list, #5 (“Agent Carter has a male ally in the office”) is actually exactly the ideal vision of male allies that contemporary feminists are promoting. Rather than acting like a “white knight,” a pseudo-ally who ignores a woman’s own needs, desires, and voice in order to be a savior figure, Daniel Sousa (Enver Gjokaj) listens to Peggy’s requests about how he can better help her and agrees to abide by those requests. Stay awesome, Sousa! Agent Carter, in fact, seems to be so boldly aware of and in tune with contemporary feminism that with just its two premiere episodes, the series has separated itself from just about every negative feminist critique I’ve ever read about the superhero genre. Where decades of films and series have fallen into the pit of unfriendly stereotypes and tired tropes, Agent Carter has finally done it all right – in less than two hours. Never thought we’d actually get a series or a lead character like this…

But it’s not just Agent Carter‘s awareness and active acceptance of feminism that makes me thrilled about the show. One thing (at least according to a lot of scholars and professional critics) that has plagued female-driven superhero films and TV series throughout the past fifteen years has been their (supposedly) inferior writing and production. Thus, despite casting such well known and respected leading women as Halle Berry (Catwoman, 2004), Jennifer Garner (Elektra, 2005), and Charlize Theron (Aeon Flux, 2005), female superhero films of the 21st century have largely become known as box office flops. Even Sucker Punch, Zack Snyder’s brilliant Inception-like female superhero team film, is considered a flop with a box office domestic gross of around $36 million, with an opening weekend domestic gross of just over $19 million. (That’s not even enough to pay for the film’s production budget of $82 million, though Sucker Punch has since paid for itself with a worldwide total gross of $89 million.)

I stick to the position that these female superhero films are actually a lot better than most people give them credit for, but that doesn’t change the fact, unfortunately, that movie studios have taken female superheroes’ poor box office record as “proof” that audiences don’t care to see female-driven superhero films. That’s part of the reason why Joss Whedon’s Wonder Woman script never made it to film back in 2007. (Yep, we could have had a Wonder Woman film directed by Joss Whedon. But no. DC’s loss, Marvel’s gain.)

What’s beautiful about Agent Carter is that it doesn’t have these conventionally proposed “problems” for a female superhero work. Marvel has obviously given Agent Carter all the care and preparation they can to make the series a success, and it shows in the exciting and thought-provoking series premiere. Agent Carter can hold its own with the best of contemporary superhero works, Marvel and otherwise. When The Flash returns with new episodes to the CW tomorrow (1/20/15), maybe Barry Allen will finally have some Tuesday night competition.

ABC defended Agent Carter‘s so-so premiere ratings, but I’m not even attempting to be worried about those ratings, since the revised Nielsen TV ratings system – which will include all viewing online at sites such as Hulu and Netflix, in addition to DVR and traditional TV viewing – only goes into effect sometime this year. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t consistently watched any new programming on an actual television set since about 2008. (I watched the Agent Carter premiere, as I watch so many other things, curled up at my desk with my laptop and a mug of tea.) So I feel it’s a pretty good bet that there’s an enormous viewership for Agent Carter and a lot of other ratings-poor series out there online, a viewership that is invisible to the outdated ratings system that only measures viewing on actual TV sets.

So carry on, Agent Carter, and keep waving that superheroic feminist flag. (And teach Agent Thompson the alphabet, for heaven’s sake.) May HYDRA and foes of superwomen near and far live in fear from this day forward.

And to close, some quotes from my favorite book on female superheroes, Jennifer Stuller‘s Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors, for you to ponder over:

Like William Moulton Marston [creator of Wonder Woman] before him, [Joss] Whedon recognized the revolutionary power of using a popular medium to change societal ideas about gender roles. As he told writer Emily Nussbaum for a 2002 article in the New York Times, “If I made a series of lectures on PBS on why there should be feminism, no one would be coming to the party, and it would be boring. The idea of changing culture is important to me and it can only be done in a popular medium.” (77)

[Gail] Simone responded that the issue isn’t with the violence women would necessarily be expected to face as protagonists in an action/adventure story, but in the ways this violence was depicted; the issues arise when women are shown as only victims or hostages, when they are raped or murdered for cheap shock value, or for the effect their assault will have on the male character’s story. (145)

January 31, 2015: An 11-year-old girl writes to DC Comics about the need for more female superheroes. Post via CinemaBlend.

Next post on Friday 1/23/15. “The Superheroic Journey, Part 4 of 8: The Rise to Greatness.” Once appropriately costumed and prepped for action, how does a superhero actually make a name for themselves and win public acclaim?

The Superheroic Journey, Part 3 of 8: Find a Mask (or Cape)

If superheroes are to get their humanitarian work done, they need to find a way to visually distinguish themselves as superhuman warriors and protectors. This way, they will be easily recognized and gain a special status – along with special social permission – to fight crime and combat evil. A superhero’s super-persona (their codename, costume, and public “face”) serves many purposes: a codename protects the superhero’s real identity (if they choose to keep this a secret; some superheroes do, some don’t); the costume helps to disguise and protects them during their battles against foes, and both name and costume allow others to quickly identify a hero in the midst of disaster and chaos. For those the hero protects, the overall persona signals “help is on the way,” while for a hero’s foes, the persona is a challenge and answering call to battle.

Supervillains have their special personas, too, of course. Theirs, however, are meant to inspire terror in their victims and therefore represent chaos and destruction rather than order and stability. Often, this results in supervillains’ appearances literally being more haphazard, asymmetrical, or destructive, with costumes sometimes laden with guns, knives, and other visually threatening weaponry. A perfect example of this difference in costume style is Captain America and the Winter Soldier.

THE NAME

A superhuman’s codename is nearly always linked to their unique powers or related attributes. Ant-Man can shrink to the size of an ant; Spider-Man has a spider’s skills; The Flash can run so fast that all you see is a flash of crackling light; Hawkeye has incredibly keen powers of observation; Arsenal is The Arrow’s backup during their shared missions, while The Arrow himself has a codename linked to his remarkably accurate bowmanship. This name category is a popular one for supervillains, as well: The Joker, The Riddler, the Winter Soldier, Bane, Poison Ivy, The Penguin (also costume/appearance-related), Deathstrike, Mystique, Scarecrow, Shrapnel (an explosives expert, in case you were wondering), etc.

Some superhumans choose a name more closely related to their costume or the symbolic image they wish to project: Batman, Black Widow, Iron Man, Captain America, Catwoman (who, in some story versions, does also possess cat-like skills). Yet other superhumans do function under their given names: Elektra, Gamora and the other Guardians of the Galaxy (possibly excepting Peter Quill/Star Lord), Charles Xavier (who does have the affectionate nickname “Professor X” given him by his students), and Jean Grey (who sometimes goes by her X-name Phoenix or Dark Phoenix).

Professor X disguised as Patrick Stewart. (Or something like that.) Image source: http://cdn.hitfix.com/photos/2338973/patrick_stewart.jpg

THE COSTUME

Costumes, too, reflect the superhuman’s unique attributes and desired image. Batman’s costume resembles, of course, a bat, while The Arrow is a symbolic throwback to Robin Hood. Costumes are often both disguise and stylistic flair as well as protection; the Iron Man suit is a perfect example. (Because Tony Stark is usually so discrete…what were you thinking, Jarvis?)

The Arrow/Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and his partner Arsenal/Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) from season 3 of the CW’s Arrow. Image source: http://gothamtvpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Arrow-Season-3-Episode-1-Poster.jpg

The Iron Man suit. Image source: http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/12/129055/3204803-9047143209-220px.jpg

Others have pointed out that superheroes often wear costumes consisting of primary colors (red, blue, and yellow); red, white, and blue are also common, as so many superheroes hail from the American comic book tradition and its attendant mid-20th-century American patriotism. Supervillains, in contrast, tend to wear secondary colors (purple, green, and orange). This is often, but not always, true. There are plenty of red, white, and blue superheroes, most prominently among them Superman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and Iron Patriot (who may be a superhero or supervillain, depending on the storyline you’re following), along with characters who use only one or two of these colors: Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor, Daredevil, Elektra, and others. Black and darker shades (along with silver and gold) may be used by some superheroes, usually vigilante or secret agent types (especially regarding black), but black is, not surprisingly, a great favorite among supervillains. (Color symbolism, yay!)

A chart of common color symbolism in modern Western culture. Image source: http://jasonathen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/color-meanings.gif

Supervillains do sometimes favor secondary colors – Loki, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Deathstrike (orange and black in his Arrow season 2 incarnation), Green Goblin – but there are plenty of secondary-colored superheroes out there, too: The Thing, Hulk, She-Hulk, Arrow, Green Lantern, Gamora. Likewise, there are supervillains who wear primary colors (or have primary-colored skin): Nebula, Ronan, Red Skull, Yellowjacket, Reverse Flash.

Some in primary colors, some in secondary – yet all are heroes. (From left: Thor, Captain America, Professor X, and Green Lantern.) Image source: http://media4.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/110504-superheroes-hmed.grid-6×2.jpg

In terms of color, there’s no absolute rule on who wears what color; the important point is that a superhero or supervillain’s costume is distinctive, easily noticeable and recognizable; that it offers protection and disguise if needed; and that it connects symbolically to the character’s name and mission.

THE PERSONA

All together, the character’s name, costume, and public personality/reputation combine to create their superhuman persona. This is, I suppose, something along the lines of a superhuman “street cred”; the persona is what justifies to others the superhuman’s involvement in matters affecting everything from the safety of one city to the survival of entire worlds. Vigilante superheroes tend to have a darker, rougher persona than superheroes who stick more closely to the rules and accepted moral codes – the vigilante hero’s authority and right to superhero-dom may be questioned, while other superheroes have consistent consent from the public regarding their right to engage in superhuman activities. Think of the differences, for example, between vigilantes like Batman and The Arrow and more upright superheroes like Captain America and Superman.

There’s a bit of the vigilante in every superhero, of course, since nearly all superheroes function separately from governments and official law enforcement bodies, but there’s a definite category of self-labeled vigilantes and superheroes who refuse this morally gray reputation.

Next post on Monday, 1/19/15. Marvel’s Agent Carter has finally arrived (YES!), and now that I’ve had some time to gather thoughts (both mine and others) on the new series, it’s time for some analysis of TV’s newest (and potentially most awesome) female hero. Then, on Friday 1/23/15, expect “The Superheroic Journey, Part 4 of 8: The Rise to Greatness.”

Read Part 2: “Transformation,” or go on to Part 4: “The Rise to Greatness.”

The Superheroic Journey, Part 2 of 8: Transformation

Now that we know who most superheroes are before becoming superheroic – they are individuals who are unusually compassionate and are marked out from average people by unique traits, skills, or other attributes – we can address the event that begins this character’s journey from “ordinary” to extraordinary. An important pair of questions to keep in mind is how the superheroic transformation begins (the method of becoming a superhero) and why this transformation occurs: is it fate or choice that creates a superhero?

Christian Bale as Batman in Batman Begins (2005). Image source: http://johnleescomics.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/batmanbegins2.jpg

So, let’s jump right in with the “how”…

The catalyst to superheroic transformation takes many forms, but I bet we can find a common element present in all. (You might already have a good guess as to what this common element is, or maybe you’ve thought of one I haven’t.) For Bruce Wayne, the transformative catalyst is the horrific murder of his parents. For fellow DC vigilante Oliver Queen, the catalyst is five years marooned on a remote island full of vicious foes and constant threats. For Natasha Romanoff, the catalyst is Clint Barton’s refusal to kill her on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s orders, proving to her instead, through the strength of his conviction and faith in her, that she can follow a different path. Steve Rogers encounters his superheroic transformation based on his own will to do more than anyone (except Dr. Erskine) would ever have believed he could.

These four examples alone offer us some pretty wide-ranging catalysts for beginning the superheroic journey:

1. Murder, criminal wrongdoing run amok (Bruce Wayne)
2. A sustained, threatening social and emotional, life-changing experience (Oliver Queen)
3. Interpersonal faith/esteem, an “intervention” (Natasha Romanoff & Clint Barton)
4. Self-conviction, a will to “do more” despite others’ doubts (Steve Rogers)

Catalysts #1 and #2 are external factors, existing outside and beyond the control of the characters they affect. Other external factors like this include Peter Parker’s bite from a genetically modified spider, Bruce Banner’s subjection to and survival of intense gamma radiation, and River Tam’s (this is Firefly, just in case you’re unfamiliar with the awesome River) being experimented upon by Alliance scientists. Catalyst #3 is partly external and partly internal, consisting of the interactions between certain individuals/entities and the internal, personal responses to one another and the circumstances in which they find themselves. This category includes Thor’s banishment from Asgard and his journey of redemption on Earth (which starts with Odin and involves interactions with many other people), as well as Tony Stark’s captivity at the hands of Ten Rings terrorists and the moral inspiration he receives from fellow prisoner Yinsen. Finally, catalyst #4 is deeply internal, consisting of an individual will power and strength of conviction that is in itself superheroic. Steve Rogers, Clark Kent/Kal-El, and Wonder Woman (these three come easiest to mind here) achieve superhuman and superheroic status because they are willing to persevere, to go farther, even when everyone else tells them they might as well give up, go home, do something else. (Usually, though, there’s at least one person, such as Dr. Erskine, who offers their own conviction and support to the future superhero’s endeavors.)

Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) makes an announcement as the supersoldier procedure is about to commence in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Image source: http://www.filmedge.net/capt/images/FB-FX-0009.jpg

The catalyst of personal conviction and will power is probably the most important one, common to all emerging superheroes: it’s what gets them all through their transformation, telling them they can do and be anything if only they reach that much further.

So, now we know how superheroic transformation comes about: a promising character is thrown into some sort of life-altering circumstance, to which they respond with extraordinary strength of will and motivation to not only survive their unusual trials, but to emerge stronger and “more than” they were before.

As for the question of why this event takes place, we’ve seen that some transformative experiences are beyond the character’s control: Bruce Wayne did not choose that his parents be murdered; Thor did not choose to be banished from Asgard; Natasha Romanoff did not ask Clint Barton to save her from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s assassination order (I assume – we still don’t know what happened in Budapest). Were these events fate? I suppose the answer may depend on your personal, philosophical view of the world (fictional as well as real). Maybe the (fictional) world was destined to need a Batman, so some divine force or other higher power (the Almighty Bob Kane?) selected Bruce Wayne to fulfill that need. (As for the real world’s predestined or chosen acquirement of superheroes, there are some excellent sources, such as M. Gregory Kendrick’s The Heroic Ideal, out there on the socio-political and historical factors that gave rise to heroic tales.)

Or maybe fate has nothing to do with it. All of these transformative events arguably involved a huge instance of choice for the characters concerned. Rather than fighting back against rampant crime in Gotham, Bruce Wayne could just as easily (more easily, perhaps) hidden himself away in Wayne Manor for the rest of his life. Tony Stark could have given up on escape and submitted to imprisonment (and, most likely, eventual death) by the Ten Rings; he didn’t have to build the original Iron Man suit. And instead of accepting Clint Barton’s offer of joining S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha Romanoff could have refused and forced him to kill her. Steve Rogers could have stayed home and collected scrap metal with Little Timmy to help the war effort, instead of joining the SSR and undergoing Erskine’s supersoldier procedure.

All of these less heroic choices could have happened – but they didn’t, owing to that oh-so-strong personal conviction pointed out above. In fact, I believe this conviction is actually what makes superheroes such appealing and inspiring characters: they are never going to give up, no matter what kind of trouble and how much of it appears in their path. To face life (even a fictional one) in this manner requires and exhibits remarkable courage and strength of will, something nearly all people wish to have in real life.

But let’s talk for a moment about supervillains, since “Transformation” is an enormously important stage of development for them as well. After all, supervillains undergo the same kinds of transformative experiences, both external and internal, as superheroes: Bane’s imprisonment in The Pit and his interactions with Ra’s Al Ghul’s young daughter (if you’re following the The Dark Knight Rises version of Bane’s story); Loki’s discovery of his being abandoned in a temple on Jotunheim and rescued by Odin; Norman Osborne’s experiments with biochemical enhancements and Red Skull’s use of Dr. Erskine’s incomplete supersoldier serum; Bucky Barnes’s capture and subjection to the mind control procedures that turn him into “the new fist of HYDRA,” the Winter Soldier.

Supervillains confront the very same experiences as superheroes, but their responses to these trials and twists of fate are the polar opposite of a hero’s. Whereas the hero seeks to make good out of their life-changing circumstances, the villain reacts with anger, destruction, and vengeance upon the world. A clear example is this: Thor finds his way to acceptance of the responsibility his godly powers give him, while Loki places himself and his own desires/needs above the welfare of others – despite the fact that Loki, like Thor, was born to be a king. (And a king or queen, in the superheroic realm, is always bound by honor to place others above themselves. Otherwise they are labeled as tyrants and fall into the category of supervillain.)

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in Thor (2011). Thor’s about to have a really bad idea about how to deal with Jotunheim… Image Source: http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/280/0/4/thor_loki__thunderfrost_wall___manip_by_nephilim_phoenix-d6pnnbg.jpg

Again (leaving the fact that this is all fictional aside), it’s hard to say whether some characters are destined to become supervillains rather than superheroes, or whether supervillains are simply characters that make bad choices while superheroes make good ones. (Harvey Dent/Two-Face, a would-be hero turned supervillain, would suggest we flip a coin to find the answer.) Whatever power (aside from that of Stan Lee) drives the personal journeys of superheroes and supervillains, the two character types emerge from their transformative experiences on very different sides of the line between Good and Evil.

Next Friday, 1/16/15: “The Superheroic Journey, Part 3 of 8: Find a Mask (or Cape).” Our superhuman characters have confronted life-changing circumstances and made it through, for better or for worse. Before they can begin their rise to greatness as renowned heroes or dreaded villains, they need to find a way of visually and symbolically identifying themselves and each other, of signaling to one and all their superhuman status. To the tailor!

Read Part 1: “The Ordinary Mortal,” or go on to Part 3: Find a Mask (or Cape).

The Superheroic Journey, Part 1 of 8: The Ordinary Mortal

Peter Parker struggles through his days at school, bullied mercilessly by the other, popular kids. A young Bruce Wayne watches helplessly as his parents are murdered in a dark alley. Elektra Natchios and Barry Allen, too, watch as their mothers are killed right in front of them. Natasha Romanoff trains as a ballerina and spy for the Soviets. Bruce Banner is a meek scientist researching gamma radiation. Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy, doing what he wants with little regard for others. A woman codenamed the Canary works as an assassin for the League of Shadows. Steve Rogers, a skinny and health-challenged kid from Brooklyn, dreams of enlisting in the U.S. Army to help the Allied effort in World War II.

What do all of these individuals have in common? One day, they will be superheroes.

But what makes an individual suitable to become a superhero? What are these fictional people like before becoming superhuman? What traits and roles predict a future superhero? Who is the “ordinary mortal” before the extraordinary happens? Is it destiny or choice that brings about their rise to greatness?

Steve Rogers before his transformation into Captain America. Film still from Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Image source: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130927104518/shipping/images/c/cf/Avengers_-_Steve_Rogers_Skinny_(Captain_America_The_First_Avenger).jpg

The most common aspect of all “pre-superheroes,” as I’ll call them, is compassion, a deep and sincere concern for others and sympathy – even empathy – for those who suffer loss, cruelty, or other preventable misfortune. (It’s important that the suffering is preventable, because this clues the pre-superhero in to the fact that someone needs to intervene to prevent the suffering from continuing.) Even before they become superheroes, most of these characters care about the welfare of others more than their own. There are exceptions, of course, like Tony Stark and Oliver Queen, selfish and morally oblivious protagonists who stumble onto the superheroic path from an unlikely direction. In a majority of superhero stories of the past several years, though, compassion is already a guiding value for the future superhero.

These characters also tend to be on the fringe socially: “nerd” characters like Peter Parker, Barry Allen, and Bruce Banner; quiet loners like Steve Rogers and Elektra Natchios; secret agents and spies like Natasha Romanoff and James Bond, and so on. (I think people sometimes forget that, despite his suave comportment and glamorous lifestyle, James Bond has a very lonely personal history, something that Skyfall brings forward more strongly than any other Bond film.) And, although they have money and material wealth, even Tony Stark and Oliver Queen are lonely characters, existing on a different, albeit privileged, type of social fringe.

Pre-superheroes are “ordinary,” but not so ordinary that they can be accurately described as “average.” There’s always something rather more (or sometimes less) than average about these characters to begin with: intellectual brilliance, unusually strong compassion, unique resources (financial, skills-based, mental, physical, etc.) that will enable the character’s later transition to superheroic status, special knowledge or abilities (possessed naturally or acquired through training), and so on. Many of the superhero origin stories on film today might claim that their protagonists are just “average” (generally human) beings at the start, but that’s not exactly right. True, Peter Parker and Laurel and Sarah Lance, even Steve Rogers and Oliver Queen, are close enough to average for this to be believable, but then we have characters like Thor, Kal-El, Sif, and Gamora – none of whom could believably be referred to as “average” even before acquiring superhero status. Pre-superheroes are already a little apart from the rest of humankind before they begin their superheroic journey in earnest.

So, to paraphrase Dr. Abraham Erskine’s (Stanley Tucci) eloquent explanation in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), when a superhuman comes into being, “Good becomes great, bad becomes worse.” The superheroic transition doesn’t simply change an individual – it enhances traits that are already present. Good becomes superheroic, while bad becomes supervillainous, since a supervillain comes into being just like a superhero, only with the inverse of qualities and personality.

As for the question of superheroic status being destiny or choice, we’ll deal with that next Friday 1/9 in “The Superheroic Journey, Part 2: Transformation.”

Read Part 2: Transformation.