Elements of super heroes

I used to read comic books religiously. I'd accompany my Dad on trips out to remote parts of Colorado and neighboring states. When he'd have to work, I'd dive into the world of super heroes and villains. I'm not sure when I stopped reading them, probably around 13. Now, thanks to my five year old son, I've been pulled, willingly, back into that world.

I've thought about why my son enjoys them so much and why there is such an attraction to these stories. Other "fads" have come and gone but the adventures of Spider-Man, Hulk, Batman and the others have remained popular for some time. As I experience the stories many, many years older I discover that the reason the both my son and I are attracted to these stories is not (just) because of the battles, the powers or even the flashy costumes, it's because of the core parts of these stories which more or less all have the same basic themes:

All heroes start from a point of weakness - Whether it's Peter Parker (Spider Man) being a high school geek or Matthew Stark (Iron Man) as a morally bankrupt billionaire, each person has personal weaknesses that he/she is facing.

Transformation is painful, difficult and life changing - The transformation to being super is a painful process that changes them not just physically but more importantly their outlook on life. Rather than focusing on their own problems, they begin to see the problems in the world around them.

Being super means pain, mis-understanding and hatred - Once the transformation is complete, the pain doesn't stop. In a world full of never ending problems, these heroes go from trying to fix one problem to another with little rest or recognition. Worst yet, in most cases the public hates them, wants to put them in jail or kill them and there is really no reward for their service and bravery outside of doint the right thing.

The appeal of these comics is that it's about good stories. Having these common themes, the stories that are told engage audiences of all ages over a lot of time. For us marketing folks, we could learn a lot from how Marvel has controlled the brand of these super heroes through the decades.

Some might say that it's a little much to have my five year old engaged in these often violent comics. For me, the things that he can learn about responsibility, helping without the expectation of reward or praise and sacrifice make it worth it. - Paul Herring