How Superheroes Save Us

How Superheroes Save Us

                In the class, we have only examined the flaws of idolizing superheroes and stars for the most part. We have isolated all the negative aspects of them and forgotten about the power they have to lift the human spirit and condition. I am a strong believer that essentially people are good. Some may see this as a naive view but it is the one I choose to hold. Superheroes are for the children, for the romantics, for the dreamers and for those who choose to believe in the ability of humans to rise above misfortune and destruction. I think that somewhere inside everyone rests a child, a romantic, a dreamer and a believer.  Superheroes are for all of us. Even though many choose to focus on the issues they pose, they often forget that they too once donned a towel as a cape and “flew” around the living room. They forget that those people they idolized shaped them into what they are today. They forget all the virtues of role-models, distracted by the obsession with celebrity.  The superhero industry is a multimillion dollar business. People around the world seem to be fascinated with men in capes. Action Comic #1, the comic book “widely considered the beginning of the superhero genre” sold just two years ago for 2.16 million dollars (Sangiacomo 1).  This year Man of Steel made $116.6 million in the United States alone on its opening weekend (Sangiacomo 1). Superheroes capture hearts all around the world of both the young and the old, not because of the compelling action or the awe inspiring superpowers, but because of the superheroes themselves. The stories of superheroes offer so much more than action, they give us a reliable source of inspiration and hope.

Although Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan is generally a satire on superheroes, even it shows the virtues of superheroes and idols. In Jimmy’s case, his role-model/idol/favorite superhero is Superman. This is clearly shown in the opening sequences of the book when he goes to hear him talk at the car convention. Jimmy never had a strong father figure in his life growing up and Superman offered him some semblance of one; Superman is not a bad role-model to have. I doubt that when Jimmy thinks of Superman, he thinks of the satirized version of him, the man that slept with his mother at the beginning of the book or the man committing suicide, those men are not superheroes. He thinks of the true Superman, the one that lives within the pages of the comic books still lying on his floor. The one who repeatedly saves the world with an unbending sense of justice and incredible bravery. Not a bad thing for a young, fatherless boy like Jimmy to look up to. Superman is the one figure that is completely reliable to Jimmy. He is always there when disaster strikes and the superhero “always triumphs, sometimes learning and growing in the process” (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Our Selves 4). Superman, not his father, is the first thing Jimmy sees when he is hit by the car. Superman is even there to save Jimmy in a way. It seems that not much else in young Jimmy’s life is reliable to him. He does not know who his father is and the rest of the people in his life do not seem particularly stable. There is even an image of Jimmy and his mother eating Thanksgiving dinner at a rest stop on the side of the road. This does not paint a picture of constancy for young Jimmy. As tragic a character as Jimmy Corrigan is, Jimmy without Superman paints a much darker picture.  If you take Superman away from Jimmy you take away his only male role-model and his only savior. Superman cannot replace the real father that Jimmy needed as a kid, but he is the closest thing Jimmy had in his life. He looked up to Superman and without him who knows where Jimmy would be. Despite all his faults, I believe that Jimmy does have a clear sense of right and wrong, a clear sense of justice. You can tell that he feels empathy for the man committing suicide when no one else seemed to care. All the mistakes he made in the book, for instance leaving Amy at the hospital, are not a result of a broken moral compass but rather an inability to cope in social situations. Superman and other superheroes did their part in shaping Jimmy’s conscience. Superheroes “have clarity of purpose, and a moral compass that is usually enviable, even if we don’t agree with specifics” and they demonstrated that to Jimmy (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Ourselves 15). He effectively uses the shirt that Amy gets her father to represent the similarity between the roles of a father and a superhero. With the addition of the shirt, all the qualities of a superhero are then transferred to fathers as well.  To a small child, fathers seem amazingly strong and giant, and they use these powers to protect their innocent children. At least, that is the ideal situation. The reality can be quite different, as Ware illustrates in the novel. Jimmy’s father is nothing like the superman we all know and love. Jimmy’s father eventually tries to live up to what a father should be, and although it is too late for Jimmy, he effectively becomes an almost ideal father-figure for Amy. He even tried to amend his wrong-doing with Jimmy. That sense of responsibility represents why even though the perfect father or Superman doesn’t exist, he does play an important role in society. He demonstrates that the idea of Superman is not a reality but even so, he depicts how the idea of Superman still serves to better the world.

Superman is also in Jimmy’s fantasies. If he can’t escape to a comic book fantasy where would Jimmy go? Superman often saves Jimmy from himself. In Superman Jimmy “can lose [himself] and temporarily forget [his] worries and woes, fears and foes” (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Ourselves 6). Doesn’t everyone need an escape once in a while? Jimmy is able to get away from horrible situations such as being hit by a car by imagining Superman saving him. Even as an adult, he still has a Superman comic book on his floor. Considering Jimmy’s mundane job and life practically devoid of any close relationships, he needs an outlet for his imagination and frustration, transporting himself into the world of Superman allows for that. Superman is a big part of Jimmy’s life. When Amy asks him about himself Jimmy turns to his comic books. They are, in a sense, how he defines himself. His escape is as much a part of his life as reality. This sense of escape is not just specific to Jimmy. Part of the reason that superhero movies are so popular is because they “provide us with both an escape and emotional engagement. We can lose ourselves and temporarily forget our worries and woes, fears and foes” just as they do for Jimmy in the story (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Ourselves 6). Even if your hero is not in the comics but rather on the football field or some other arena, this still rings true. For a few moments you are no longer worried about your issues but instead are totally engrossed the story of your hero. Sometimes everyone needs a bit of relief from the stress in their life and heroes, super or otherwise, allow for that. Jimmy is also able to get emotional engagement from the stories of Superman, something that is clearly not included in his own life. When we are young, our imaginations are at their most active, eventually though reality takes more precedence in our lives. Fantasies of turning into a superhero are “a metaphor for growing up, when one assumes the powers of the adult world – powers that are everywhere on display but always denied to a child who longs for safety and for justice for the ability to enforce them” (Wright 1). Jimmy has no ability to enforce justice or safety in his life so he persists in his fantasies.

          During Jimmy Corrigan a lot of emphasis is focused on the scene where the man dressed as Superman sleeps with Jimmy’s mother.  Even if you strip the first few pages of references to Superman, if the man that sleeps with his mother is just a man, that doesn’t serve Jimmy any better. The fact that the man is Superman to Jimmy shelters him from the true tragedy of the situation. Young Jimmy is guarded from the gravity of the situation. This is proven by his excitement over receiving the mask shown in the last panel of the page. Jimmy’s innocence and wonder in the world is preserved for just a bit longer. There is something to be said for the innocence of a child, it is precious and worth protecting. Superman protects Jimmy’s. Superheroes do the same for all children and the take adults back to a time “when we really believed we could fly or knock down the bad guy of save the city from disaster” (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Ourselves 4).

One cannot claim that Superman made Jimmy’s life perfect or even all that close to ideal but, without Superman, Jimmy’s story would be drastically more tragic than it already is. Superman is the one thing that Jimmy can count on. He is consistent in his accessibility and never fails to save the world. Part of the draw of superheroes is that they “are not likely to let us down…Superheroes don’t fall—at least not permanently. This is part of the unspoken promise of superhero stories” (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Ourselves 8-9). Jimmy can get attached to Superman in a way that he isn’t able to with other things in his life because at the end of the day, Superman will get back up and fight for justice; he consistently and predictably provides Jimmy with comfort, something that isn’t true for much else in Jimmy’s life.

            At the end of the book it is clear that Jimmy is contemplating suicide, yet he refrains and on the final page of the book, we see the picture of superman carrying Jimmy off and the words “The End”. Superman is literally there for Jimmy in the end. This suggest that he inspires Jimmy, picks him up and brushes him off. For all the trust and adoration Jimmy puts in Superman, this last image shows how Jimmy’s borderline obsession with Superman provides him with the strength to continue at a dismal time in his life.  While this might be a slightly childish fantasy in the eyes of some, it is what drives Jimmy.

“Superheroes inspire us. They are engaged in a never-ending fight against crime and villainy.  They fight the good fight, even when they’re tired, burned out, or have crises in their personal lives” (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Ourselves 14). Superheroes are powerful tools of inspiration, not just for Jimmy but for society as well. Superheroes embody who we want to see in ourselves. Superheroes are a departure from reality and the shining example of valor, courage, strength, and bravery.  But they have a unique combination of traits that makes them readily relatable. Superheroes are even used in therapy for young children because “a superhero action figure can not only be identified with but can also help a child to modify his or her story to fit inner psychic needs” (Rubin 146). This is because superheroes are both the little guy and the powerhouse, the nerd and the guy that gets the girl, awkward and poised. A large part of the magnetism of a superhero is their alter egos. Clark Kent is as much a part of Superman as fighting crime, same goes for Peter Parker and Spiderman and all of the other superheroes. Secret identities make superheroes more readily accessible. Especially to people like Jimmy or children who are dealing with psychological issues, who see themselves in the introverted, awkward secret identity.

What Jimmy misses is that the alter egos of superheroes also have other qualities that make them admirable, those that are more important than the ability to fly or having super strength. Peter Parker, for instance is “generous, funny, self-sacrificing, courageous, humble, and persistent” and possesses “an overwhelming sense of optimism” (Rosenberg, Psychology of Superheroes 68, 72). What makes superheroes most unique is not just their super powers but also other traits that are perhaps more important. Characteristics present in their alter egos, totally independent of their superpowers. Jimmy may see himself as the awkward Clark Kent but he lacks the qualities that make Clark heroic outside of Superman. It is these qualities that make superheroes most enviable and beneficial to society. People are drawn to their favorite superhero “not because of those heroes’ strength and power per se but because they appreciated the moral passion plays and the superheroes ability to maintain a moral stance” (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Ourselves 49). It is not the superpower that matters most but rather the content of their character and they set an example for society in that respect. They show us “metaphors for overcoming obstacles, defeating enemies – both internal and external, and mastering seemingly insurmountable challenges” (Rosenberg, Our Superheroes, Ourselves 43). They teach young and old alike not because of their superpowers but because of their amazing moral fiber.

Even before we enter kindergarten, people ask us who our heroes are. The answer often changes based on our passions, goals and experiences that have affected us. Everyone has a hero, someone they admire, and aspire to be like, whether they admit to it or not. In kindergarten the answers are often Batman or Captain America, or Superman as in Jimmy’s case. As we grow older the people we name become specific to our passions and goals.  “Thomas Carlyle wrote, ‘Show me the man you honor and I will know what kind of man you are, for it shows me what your ideal of manhood is and what kind of man (or woman) you long to be’” (Cantwell 1). If you think of the person who is your hero, you probably think of someone who has achieved what you wish to. A runner might name Paula Radcliffe, marathon world record holder and anti-doping crusader. A doctor could point to Dr. Paul Dudley White who “was President of the American Heart Association, editor of a major textbook in cardiology, and cardiologist to President Lyndon B. Johnson” (Cantwell 1). Heroes begin to reflect what we want to accomplish in our own lives. Heroes offer “us a measuring stick as to what we can strive for, even if we fall short of the mark” (Cantwell 1). Jimmy never develops a true passion for anything so he is stuck naming Superman as his hero like young kids do, rather than the titans of a chosen field. Jimmy’s idolization of Superman is different than that of a runner’s for Paula Radcliffe. What it lacks in specificity it makes up for in timelessness and universal truths. Superman is the embodiment of the ideal human, Radcliffe the ideal runner. The reason we eventually switch over to a more specific hero is because we realize that Superman status is not attainable. That does not mean we should strive for it but instead set attainable goals to head in that direction. Starting with the ideal runner perhaps and moving in the direction of Superman. Jimmy does not narrow his focus at first, so he does not excel in any aspect of his life. Just as shown in the pages where the giant Superman plays a hand in killing Jimmy’s son, this idea of superman is so giant and powerful that is gets in the way of Jimmy having a real life. He is so overwhelmed by the prospect that he never begins. But superheroes, when used correctly as a role model act in a sense behind the scenes, in trying to achieve what our “real-life” heroes have we take steps in the direction of a superhero.

Many claim that we put our heroes on too high a pedestal. They cite that glorifying certain figures lead to the worship of false idols. That we raise heroes up so high only to have them crash down when they make a mistake. They turn out to be something different from our expectations. Ware plays on this in Jimmy Corrigan with the depiction of the man dressed in a cape jumping from the building.  While reality might not always live up to our expectations, it still serves an important purpose by giving us something to shoot for. Our expectations of both the superhero and personal hero provide “an inspiring example of a person who rises to challenges on a consistent basis, and flourishes because he has the opportunity to use his greatest talents and strengths. He inspires all of us to harness our virtues”, even if they are not perfect in reality (Rosenberg, Psychology of Superheroes 74). Heroes do not need to be perfect, just as no human being is perfect, so long as they have qualities that people can seek to emulate. Having a hero does not mean that you want to do everything exactly as they do, but we need heroes to show us what is possible,  usually in a certain area. A person can admire Tiger Woods’ golf swing without imitating his personal life. In general, heroes are not chosen based on the fact that they are perfect, because they most likely are not, but rather due to the fact that they are extremely successful in area we are passionate about. We strive for their near perfection in one area.

We learn as much from the mistakes of our heroes as we do from their successes.  “We need heroes, even as we realize that they have feet of flesh” (Cantwell 1). By watching the consequences and criticism they go through, young children can learn not to make the same errors. No one can make every mistake themselves so watching others make theirs helps to avoid making those same mistakes in the future. Having heroes that sometimes make blunders also helps society realize that nobody is perfect. When a hero does something wrong, it does not undo all of the good things they have done, as some seem to believe. It only serves to strengthen the truth that everyone makes mistakes, even the seemingly untouchable. Everybody has something they can improve upon, something to work towards. Nobody is Superman, but everyone can strive to be more like him.

Superheroes are who we want to see in ourselves. They possess some of the most admirable traits in humanity. Children are taught to value these traits and treat superheroes as a sort of idol. Usually adults grow out of this and recognize Superman as an actor putting on a mask, but Jimmy never truly sees this. He idolizes Superman until the last page of the novel. During his childhood Superman serves Jimmy very well but as he grows older his obsession begins to have more harmful effects. As a child, Superman provides us with reliability and an escape from reality. He also illustrates the model human, representing the traits we find most valuable. To Jimmy, he is also responsible for protecting his innocence. Most people grow up and recognize that a true Superman cannot exist, but still strive towards his ideal, replacing superman with someone like Paula Radcliffe as their role model. Jimmy never develops a true passion and therefore never has anyone take the place of Superman in his life. Superheroes are a powerful source of inspiration and motivation when used correctly. They allow for us to grab hold of the child, romantic and dreamer inside of us, even just for a few moments.

Works Cited

Cantwell, John D. "Heroes." American Journal of Cardiology 94.2 (2004): 169-171. Science Direct. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

Rosenberg, Robin S.. Our superheroes, ourselves. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.

Rosenberg, Robin S. (Editor). Psychology of Superheroes : An Unauthorized Exploration. Dallas, TX, USA: BenBella Books, 2008. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/pitt/Doc?id=10298263&ppg=117 Copyright © 2008. BenBella Books. All rights reserved.

Rubin, Lawrence C.. Using Superheroes in Counseling and Play Therapy. New York, NY, USA: Springer Publishing Company, 2006. p 41.http://site.ebrary.com/lib/pitt/Doc?id=10265313&ppg=41 Copyright © 2006. Springer Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Sangiacomo, Michael. "10 Facts about the Comic and Superhero Movie Industry: Journey into Comics." Cleveland.com. N.p., 26 July 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.

Ware, C. (2003). Jimmy Corrigan the Smartest Kid on Earth. Pantheon.

Wright, Lawrence. "Children: Flights of Fantasy." The Washington Post 29 July 1983: D5. Pitt Cat Plus. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.