Super Heroes were born from a pop culture category of characters dating as early as the 1930′. Possessing super human powers or extraordinary talents, their stories were told originally and until this day in comic strips. Some of the earliest and most well known Super Heroes include Superman, Arrow, Batman, Cat Woman, Wonder Woman, and many more. The years 1930′-1950′ were called The Golden Age of Comic Books, as they gain popularity quickly. After WW2 their popularity waned, and started waxing again with the beginning of the Silver Age, from 1956-1970′.
What it Takes
Super human powers or abilities were not the only necessary traits to achieve such status. Iron clad moral code, a specific motivation (such as guilt feelings, childhood trauma, etc.), a secret identity, a specific theme (a red cape, a bat like outfit and gadgets, spider webs and more.) and an assortment of super villains to fight against.
The Appeal of Super Heroes
Super Heroes had few different roles throughout their long history. While the greater good has always been the ultimate goal, different characters have different paths. Batman fights corruption, some fight an super villains, some have one archenemy, some fought the Nazis, and one comic book even discussed the split of the atom. All of these fights help children negotiate and reconcile difficult situations and truths. Most of them were created also as dolls and play figures.
