In my last post, I talked about how the influence of super heroes on my development as a person, and much more importantly, gave a breakdown of the qualities of a real hero.

Working from that construct, I discussed why the new Spider-Man movie (unfortunately) sucked.

My arguments focused on everything from the importance of purity in an origin story to the need for character evolution, and even covered what it truly means to be a hero, with or without super powers.

In order to understand today’s piece, you don’t absolutely need to have read that one, but I do think that it would be helpful, particularly for the sake of both context and creating contrast.

So, again, check that out here.

Now that we’ve got that out of way, we can move on to something slightly more academic but exponentially more important, and discuss the importance of Super Heroes to modern society, as well as the importance of heroes across cultures.

Put slightly differently, I discuss comics as part of our modern mythology, and the true appeal of superheroes; that is, why societies need Hero Stories, and, resultantly, why it is that everyone wants to be a superhero.

Of course, that sounds like slightly weighty material, but I promise you it will be both easy to read and exceptionally useful. It’s about Super Heroes, after all!  So, to help allay your concerns and drive home the fact that I truly was (am?) obsessed with Super Heroes when I was a kid, here’s a picture of me at 6 years old, unwrapping Christmas presents in a Batman costume.

 

 

Now that I have overwhelmed you with my complete and utter cuteness, are you ready to get your learn on? Sweet. Let’s go.

WHY SUPER HEROES MATTER: Understanding the Mythology of Now

I’ll touch on this in terms of story telling, but I want to start here, and mention that superheroes accomplish something in this regard outside of following mythic structure—they augment mythology itself.

In other words, the creation of superheroes and the books in which they are found functions as part of our own modern mythology; just as folktales, fairy tales and ancient myths say something about the cultures from whence they spring, super heroes are part of a uniquely American mythology. While comics and superheroes are no longer solely an American property, the invention of these things says a lot about the culture and attitude of our culture.

Comic books are the American mythology, and, much in the same way Zeus and Poseidon and Perseus come down to us from the Greeks, Superman and Batman and the X-Men represent, in some way, the culture that birthed them. These are our Gods and Heroes, our stories—and, in a way, our commentary on our society.

The early days of comic books clearly show the aspiration and American idealism of the time in which they were written—the feel good resolutions, the perfect heroes, the general attitude of optimism. Comic books have chronicled our history, and touched on World War II, the War on Drugs, the current climate of terrorism.

Superheroes have changed with the times, as have their costumes and accessories—but not as much as their attitudes; and, in fact, that attitude of comics in general. No longer completely bright and shiny, comics and comic characters are sometimes cynical and sardonic, with the heroes themselves being presented as increasingly flawed.

 

A small sample of the evolution
that has taken place in comic books.

 

In other words, comics reflect the attitude and feeling of the society. This is our mythology, created and evolving decade after decade—and because of that, it’s our gift to the world, our mark on it.

If, like all great empires that have come and gone, America were to fall into the ashes, these stories and legends would still survive. Superman will be here long after any of us—the idea of him and who he was, the embodiment of the highest concentration of Idealism and Virtue will outlast the nation that gave him life, and perhaps even it’s memory.

With the representation of these heroes, this is the mythology that we give to the world years after we disappear.

That is one of the many reasons why I have always been completely fascinated by superheroes – one of the reasons I have loved them since I was a child, one of the reasons why my birthday cake was shaped like Superman, or Batman, or Wolverine every year. Because, even as a child, though I was incapable of processing their importance on a conscious level, my very human psyche recognized the need for them, and was inspired by them.

 

WHY WE (ALL) LOVE THEM: Understanding the Universal Appeal of Super Heroes

Going further with mythology, we can look at things in terms of storytelling, and how myths of Superheroes, like all

heroes, appeal to us on a number of levels; certainly, they excite us and delight us because they are cool, but that’s only the beginning. They also appeal to us on a deep psychological level, for reasons both obvious and subtle.

The subtle reasons are a bit beyond the scope of this post, as they primarily have to do with Mythic Structure and the
Hero’s Journey, as defined by Joseph Campbell.

To give you a very brief description, Campbell was a mythologist who looked at myths across cultures, and focused not on how or where they diverged, but how they converged; that is, looking at what the myths from various cultures had in common.

What he discovered is that regardless of when they are written or how far apart geographically, myths from all cultures tend to follow a particular structure. Campbell came to call this the Monomyth, and it’s the defining idea behind his work.

Again, a full discussion of the Monomyth is a bit too large for this writing—and I’ll be writing several pieces on this in the future—but the important thing is the impact of the idea.

The fact that nearly every culture tells stories in the same way says something about the collective mindset of humans as a whole: the structure satisfies something innate in us. The way that heroes emerge, evolve, and complete their journey is more than a story—it’s an emotional need that every person is attracted to on a level deep within the psyche of humanity itself.

In other words, we need heroes—super and otherwise—and we need their stories to be told in a way that satisfies us on levels beyond our understanding.

 

THE HERO HIMSELF AND THE HERO INSIDE: Understanding Super Heroes as a Reflection of Our Desire for Better Self

One of the reasons that hero stories—particularly those told in the Monomythic tradition—is that the hero is identifiable, immediately, as an extension of the Self. As a reader, you are inexorably drawn to the hero, learn things as he learns them, see the story from his perspective. Eventually, you identify with him.

We identify with the hero for a few reasons, not least of which is that, we want to be heroic: there hero is relatable because he stands for everything we would love to stand for, embodies everything we would like to see in ourselves.

However, most of us do not see ourselves as Superheroes, initially; and so it would be hard to identify with a hero if he starts off that way. This is where mythic structure becomes more important, because the Hero’s Journey is less about getting from Point A to Point B than it is about the changes that occur to the hero along the way.

Therefore, the identification happens in part, by virtue of the way we tell stories. We can identify with them at the beginning, and we grow as they grow, cultivating that identification and carrying that identification all the way to the end.

When we watch their struggles, we feel like it is us, and we can identify with them overcoming these challenges. In other words, we inherently want to experience the Quest and the growth it brings. Looking at heroes allows the reader insight into how they might react in extraordinary situations, if and only if they had already gone through enough struggle, and had evolved to become something more; looking at them shows what we would like to be – the best version of ourselves.

The addition of superheroes to our modern
mythology shows us that, like these gentlemen,
we all have something greater within us.

Culturally, these stories give us a greater understanding of and context for conduct within our society, as well as an idealized version of what that society can achieve.

Personally, following the Hero on his journey allows to realize the potential for and begin to fantasize about our own apotheotic moment: a moment wherein we become whole in the highest sense of the word; a moment wherein we could set aside fear and claim the ability to do what is right or needed.

And so, in a very trues sense, Hero stories are not only inspirational, but aspirational; they allow to to see the potential for change, first within ourselves, and in the world.

Or, perhaps better stated, these stories help us realize that striving for positive personal change places us in the best position to change the world for the better.

 

CLOSING THOUGHTS

If I had to summarize all of this in a single sentence, it would be this: Superheroes (and superhero movies)are universally appealing—and important—to us because, very simply, they inspire us to greater heights.

And being inspired is what it’s all about; superhero movies teach you to want to develop yourself so that you can help others; they encourage you to be a hero so that you can be heroic, for others. In the context of training, they encourage you to get better so that you can be better—for others.

I know that’s why I do it.

The single greatest joy I have ever gotten from being strong hasn’t been deadlifting 600 pounds, or benching four plates a side; it’s being strong enough to help where needed—to carry groceries for my mom, or help a friend move. It was the time a friend of mine was knocked unconscious at a music festival, and I had the strength to literally carry her, in my arms, nearly a mile to see a medic.

The biggest satisfaction that I ever had from having muscular endurance was not being fit enough to get through a workout without vomiting; it’s the ability to shovel cars out of snow for my neighbors without breaking down, and helping them get to work. It’s being able t to run a 5K for charity.

And although I currently have no reason to be truly fast, maintaining a high level of speed brings me satisfaction because I know that in the event I one day have to chase down a purse-snatcher, I’d be able to do it. (Perhaps unlikely, but, hey, I’d like to be ready.)

In other words, on a very real level, I train to be a superhero. That’s what I’ve always wanted to be. And of course, I’ve always trained to look like a superhero (I’d like to think I’d fill out a spandex costume very well, thankyouverymuch); but ultimately, I want to feel capable of great things. I want to know that I could help someone. I want to feel that, if called upon, I could save the day, save the girl, save the world.

Whatever it is, I would like to be able to perform in that moment—and I believe on some level, most of you do too. That is why superheroes speak to us.

And because they have always spoken to me, I have never been more excited than I am now, when I get to create things that will help people develop those qualities. When I get to take the knowledge that I have gained of training and nutrition over the last 10 years of my life, and marry them to everything that inspired me during the first 10 years.

Today, once again, I am happy to announce the union of those two aspects of my life, and the culmination of a quest to develop programs that will help people achieve a superhero body.

I’m happy to announce that this week, I will finally release my long awaited program – Super Hero Fat Loss. The obvious follow up to my smash hit, the superhero workout.

As you might imagine, this version focuses specifically on getting lean, but will also make you stronger, make you faster, and increase your endurance. It will allow you to perform in all situations. Whether it’s a game on Sunday, a charity run, or saving someone’s life.

And that is why I am so excited for you to get it. Because I know that so many of you want to be superheroes, and so many of you believe that you can be greater than you are now, and that you have it in you to achieve these things. And I know that when you read this program, the words will resonate with you, the workouts will inspire you, and in the end you will feel like you have accomplished everything that you have set out for.

Super Hero Fat Loss Is On Sale Now For 50% Off! Grab Your Copy Before The Price Goes Up Friday!

 

Get Your Copy Of Super Hero Fat Loss Here at 50% off – price goes up Friday at 11:59PM EST!. 

Okay! I hope that gives you a complete understanding of the true importance of Super Heroes. Now, let’s get into something FUN…

I want to know: if you could choose ANY Super Power, what would it be?

Let’s get 50 COMMENTS, and I’ll be back tomorrow with an awesome new post, completely detailing Super Hero Fat Loss.