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A Brief Introduction to Superheroes

Superheroes are cool. While everybody knows Superman and Spiderman, the world of superheroes is much deeper and richer. Here we'll try to explore some of the basics that should get you going on being a comic-book lover… or at least you'll be able to know what serious comic book nerds are talking about. Watch out though, those guys can be freaky.

What's a superhero?

Superheroes, or using a much politically-correct term costumed crime-fighters, are fictional characters that fight bad guys in the public's interest. Superheroes usually have super-powers, but they can replace these with skills, gadgets and abilities. Superheroes primarily belong in comic-books, although they can also be found in regular literature, film, and other forms of creative arts.

Superheroes generally possess:

• Superpowers, abilities, skills or equipment that allows them to stand out from regular people. For example, Superman has super strength, speed, flying capabilities, and more, while Iron Man has a multifunctional power armor.
• A "driving force" that causes them to pursue the acts of superheroism. For example, Batman has a personal vendetta against bad guys, while Spiderman has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility.
• A cool, flashy costume.
• A secret identity to allow them to live a separate, relatively normal life, including a profession and relationships. For example, Superman is Clark Kent while Spiderman is Peter Parker.
• Bad guys to fight, and usually a personal nemesis. Batman has his Joker while Professor x has Magneto.
• Good guys in support roles and love interests. Lois Lane, Alfred Pennyworth and Mary-Jane Watson are prime examples.

Superhero world 1- DC Comics DC is the original world of comics. The DC Universe is home to many of the most well-known heroes you can think of. A few include:

Superman, the original, prototypical superhero. Coming to Earth as a baby alien, Superman discovered his powers as a teenager and eventually sprang to battle the evil-doers of the world using powers that range from flight and super strength to x-ray vision and ice breath. When he's not battling Lex Luthor and other crazy bad guys, Superman spends his life as Clark Kent, working as a journalist and flirting with Lois Lane. If you're looking for a classic superhero, Superman is the one and only.

• Batman. The Dark Knight is indeed dark, using nothing but the skills and gadgets of Bruce Wayne to fight the evil doers and avenge his parents, who were murdered before his eyes as a kid. Batman comics are generally regarded as darker and more complex than Superman ones, featuring psychotic and scary villains like the Joker and Two-Face as well as support staff like a rotating cast of Robins and Bat-Girls.

• Wonder Woman, or Princess Diana, is an Amazonian who utilizes superpowers as great as Superman's as well as some cool equipment like a magic laso and bracelets. Wonder Woman is the original superheroine, but she's definitely as tough as the male versions, battling various criminals and villains (as well as villainesses).

• Others: The various Green Lanterns and Flashes are popular DC characters, as are characters like the Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow. The DC Universe also features the Justice League, a team encompassing most superheroes to fight big threats.

Superhero World 2- Marvel

The main competitor of DC, Marvel Universe proclaims rich and interesting characters that are extremely popular. Some of these include:

• Spider Man. Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider and with great power came great responsibility. He became Spider Man, a young hero dealing with growing up while fighting crime at the same time. With a rich support cast and complex villains, Spider Man has always been one of the most popular comic books, ever.

• The X-Men, a group of superheroic mutants that includes popular characters as Wolverine, Cyclopes, Storm and Ice Man. Fighting crime while protecting themselves from prosecution by mutant-haters, the X-Men revolved around real world themes of discrimination and racism while providing characters that are both interesting and cool.

• The Fantastic Four, the original family of superheroes. The relationships between Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and the Thing is realistic and amusing, but these guys also like to fight crazy criminals like Dr. Doom, all while maintaining a public image of self-sacrificing heroes for the good of the public.

• Others: Including Captain America (recently diseased), the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and several others, the Marvel cast doesn't lack great characters. You should also catch them as The Avenger, the great Marvel super group. And don't forget to check out the Ultimate Universe, a modern take on the classic heroes.

Finally, the others

While these 2 giants dominate the market, there are a lot of successful independent superheroes:

• Spawn, an awesome anti-hero who battles both supernatural enemies and ordinary criminals using a nocroplasmic armor.
• Hellboy, a demon who grew up on Earth and is a member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, investigating and defeating supernatural threats.
• The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a group of 4 turtles transformed into mutants and trained as ninjas to combat the evil Shredder and other threats.

Superheroes are cool!