What is your favorite superhero?
This may seem to be a strange wonder at first glance. However, this is something I was asked recently in an interview and got me thinking about the question. I feel a person's favorite superhero can tell a lot about their personality and what they would do with their life if they weren't limited by any constraints. I think a proper introduction to the question would be to give background on superheroes and how they came to play such a prominent role in today's culture.
The modern superhero can trace its origins back to ancient mythology, which features gods and goddesses with superhuman powers. The people of these times looked to these stories to try and understand and escape the nature of humanity. This is still true to day. Today's superhero culture began in the 1930s, during the great depression when America needed an inspiration and outlet for their frustrations. Beginning with the Superhero comic strip published by DC comics, the golden age of the superhero began and has flourished ever since. As an example of their prominence in today's culture, according to Box Office Mojo, three of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time are superhero films.
As to specific characters, the genre today is dominated by two companies, Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Marvel owns the rights to the characters from The Avengers (Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and others) plus Spiderman, and Wolverine. DC Comics controls the characters of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Justice League (Flash, The Green Lantern, Aquaman, and others). Together, these two enterprises make up 80% of the comic book market.
But more importantly, we need to get back to the question at hand. According to Wikipedia, superheroes share one or more of these common traits: superhuman capabilities, a solid moral compass, a hidden persona, a unique outfit, and a sense of responsibility to thwart criminals. When pondering this question, one must look within and align themselves to one of these traits to a specific character. Whether you're passion is flying (Superman), spiders (Spiderman), bats (Batman), lassoing (Wonder Woman), there is a superhero for you.
The modern superhero can trace its origins back to ancient mythology, which features gods and goddesses with superhuman powers. The people of these times looked to these stories to try and understand and escape the nature of humanity. This is still true to day. Today's superhero culture began in the 1930s, during the great depression when America needed an inspiration and outlet for their frustrations. Beginning with the Superhero comic strip published by DC comics, the golden age of the superhero began and has flourished ever since. As an example of their prominence in today's culture, according to Box Office Mojo, three of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time are superhero films.
As to specific characters, the genre today is dominated by two companies, Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Marvel owns the rights to the characters from The Avengers (Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and others) plus Spiderman, and Wolverine. DC Comics controls the characters of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Justice League (Flash, The Green Lantern, Aquaman, and others). Together, these two enterprises make up 80% of the comic book market.
But more importantly, we need to get back to the question at hand. According to Wikipedia, superheroes share one or more of these common traits: superhuman capabilities, a solid moral compass, a hidden persona, a unique outfit, and a sense of responsibility to thwart criminals. When pondering this question, one must look within and align themselves to one of these traits to a specific character. Whether you're passion is flying (Superman), spiders (Spiderman), bats (Batman), lassoing (Wonder Woman), there is a superhero for you.
Activities
1. READ: While watching superhero movies are entertaining, they undoubtedly do not fit within a classroom time frame. The best way to learn about each superhero is through reading their comic strips, which can be found online with the power of the internet. These old strips provide history and a background of the characters that can't be found in the movies.
http://www.brooklyneagles.com/ - Superman dailies
2. Take a quiz: As I said earlier, this is a valuable exercise in learning both about modern pop culture but also about yourself! There are various personality quizzes out there that will align you with a superhero, so you don't have to make a decision yourself.
http://www.matthewbarr.co.uk/superhero/
3. Create your own superhero comic: Using www.Toondoo.com, create your own superhero comic strip. It can be based off a unique superhero or your favorite superhero. Be creative and have fun!
http://www.brooklyneagles.com/ - Superman dailies
2. Take a quiz: As I said earlier, this is a valuable exercise in learning both about modern pop culture but also about yourself! There are various personality quizzes out there that will align you with a superhero, so you don't have to make a decision yourself.
http://www.matthewbarr.co.uk/superhero/
3. Create your own superhero comic: Using www.Toondoo.com, create your own superhero comic strip. It can be based off a unique superhero or your favorite superhero. Be creative and have fun!