We get it, you love Superheroes!
Written by Marissa BeatyPhotography by Noah Laroia-Nguyen It’s 1938. The United States is in a state of post-World War I, present-Great Depression, and future-World War II. America, as we know it, was in a state of recovery and anxiety. Its people, having lost their homes, their brothers and fathers, and facing another European crisis, were in disrepair. Their wounds were fresh, healing at the same pace as the recovering economy. Through these difficulties, however, someone, or something, came onto the scene with the intention of reinvigorating hope in a hopeless nation, or at least that’s what it turned into. And no, it is not Franklin Delano Roosevelt (although he deserves his credit), rather it is someone built through imagination and myth into a figure stronger than any man, faster than machine, and undoubtedly, wholesomely, good. This man is Superman. Though not the first superhero, he is a figure that quickly turned from an idea of two teenagers into a raved about phenomenon. Over the years, the popularity and desire for new superheroes grew with intensity. Soon came Wonder Woman, Batman, Spiderman, IronMan, and the collection only grew with age, to today we have an incredibly diverse and wide array of powerful, crime fighting, world saving, men and women greater than men and women. Regardless of cultural changes, political upheavals, social unrest, the popularity and fervor behind superheroes never faltered. The question becomes: why are we so in love with the super version of ourselves? What is it about superheroes that we find irresistible? Why do we flock to see men in tights hit each other over and over again until one is either injured or killed? The answer lies in us. We are inherently violent and competitive people. Think about it. Why do we fight wars? Why do we cheer for our favorite football teams and hate those who follow our rivals? Why do we shout at umpires of our six-year-old child’s baseball game? In truth, we love competition. We, as a nation, and as a people, feed off the thrill of the fight and the glory of the win. Most importantly, we believe in the dream: that somewhere, deep down, good will triumph over evil and love will reduce hate. Though it may appear we go to see the newest Avengers movie to feed our craving for the blood pumping, heart racing adrenaline, we are there because we need to believe in the dream. We need to believe that Captain America and Black Panther and all that they stand for from independence, to strength, to overcoming, well, we need to believe that they are real. That maybe, then, we too can be independent, strong, and overcome our own difficulties. For us, as a nation, superheroes are more than a franchise. They are far more than themselves, even. They are about each of us. They are about breaking boundaries and enveloping a new age of individuals. So as we immortalize the new era of Superheros, from Captain Marvel, encouraging young girls to be strong and intelligent; to Black Panther, breaking race and gender stereotypes; and The Hulk to proving that it’s possible to control one’s own demons, let us remember that, though they may be superhuman, they are an extension of us, and embody the beliefs and hopes that we can too.