What is a Superhero? Breaking Down the Different Types of Heroes

What makes a superhero? Is it the costume, the mask, the cape that flows behind them as the fly away to save the day once again? Is it the strength of ten men, the x-ray vision, the ability to regenerate within seconds of receiving a wound? Or is it the morality and empathy that drives them to put the well-being of an entire population above their own?

One could argue that it is all of these things. What is a superhero without powers, without a secret identity, without extraordinary strength? Obviously there are some heroes that don't have the powers, but are still "super" in their own right. Are their different types of superheroes? I believe the answer is yes, there are many types of superheroes. We are going to look at what makes each of them.

The Archetype
Superman, hands down, is a classic archetype superhero. He is, after all, "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". He can fly, he's incredibly strong, and he's got a kick-ass costume to top it all off. He also has the alter ego, Clark Kent, the passive, milquetoast reporter of Metropolis's Daily Planet. The secret identity is one of the main trademarks of a superhero. After all, if everyone knew that little Clark Kent was really Superman, well, he wouldn't be able to get anything done at the Planet, now would he? People would get to expect too much of him and he wouldn't be able to run off and anonymously save the world from mass destruction if he is constantly getting flagged down to save a cat stuck in a tree. Superman is considered the prototype for subsequent superheroes, although there are many that stray from this basic formula.

The Anti-Socialite
There's always that one hero that is kind of a loner, sort of dark and mysterious, brooding. Batman is a good example of an anti-social superhero. Actually, I take that back. I know there are some people out there that would dispute whether or not Batman is really a superhero. He does lack the superpowers, but he has got the costume. He does have a strong moral code and sense of justice, as well as the alter ego (Bruce Wayne) however. But after he's done kicking bad guy butt, he retreats to his mansion, kept company by his butler, Alfred, usually scanning the paper for more evidence of the destruction of Gotham City. If the fact that his love life is seriously messed up (the tryst with Catwoman, anyone?) just look at his estate. It's large and dark. His lair is a cave. Not very welcoming, is it? Anti-socialites may also be anti-heroes (see below), but this isn't necessarily always the case.

The Conflicted
Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, is the epitome of a conflicted superhero. He undergoes a brief descent into darkness when a symbiote attaches to him when he returns to earth in the Secret Wars. The symbiote takes control over his body until Peter is eventually able to free himself and the symbiote attaches itself to Eddie Brock, creating the villian Venom. But back to Peter's conflictedness. As Peter Parker, he's a science nerd, hopelessly in love with the girl next door, Mary-Jane Watson. He's a smart kid, a loyal confidante to his love interest, and a great nephew to his Aunt May. But as Spider-Man, he is stuck with great responsibility that comes from great power (yes, I took it out of the movie, sue me). He feels guilty about not being able to prevent his uncle's death, contemplates giving up his role as a hero to protect the ones he loves and going back to being a regular guy again. Lucky for the state of New York that he decides to keep his night job.

The Anti-Hero
Frank Castle is a U.S. Marine Captain, husband and father. But when his entire family is killed by a crime family (in the 2004 version starring Thomas Jane, his family is killed by money launderer Howard Saint's, played by John Travolta, men), Castle is the only survivor and vows to avenge them. His commitment to "vengeance" is best summarized by one of the better scenes in the movie (in my opinion): "In certain extreme situations, the law is inadequate. In order to shame its inadequacy, it is necessary to act outside the law. To pursue... natural justice. This is not vengeance. Revenge is not a valid motive, it's an emotional response. No. Not vengeance. Punishment.". He is not technically a superhero. He has no superpowers, he is not impervious to pain. He has undergone rigorous physical training, though, from being in the Marines. He is a vigilante, plain and simple. He punishes everyone who does some kind of evil, including but not limited to, the mafia, drug cartels, psychopaths, thieves, corrupt officials... you get the picture. This is strictly against the superhero code; they are supposed to protect the innocent, not punish the guilty. But give him a break, his entire family is dead, and he's got nothing to lose. Oh, and he doesn't have an alter ego. He's just bad-ass Frank Castle, the guy that walks around with a white skull on a black t-shirt. You've gotta be pretty hardcore to not be afraid to walk the streets as yourself knowing there are people that want to take you out at every turn.

The Mutated
Characters like the Hulk are kind of hard to define. He became what he is from the blast of a gamma bomb (same deal with Peter Parker, becomes Spider-Man after being bit by a radioactive spider). But he is also an anti-hero. When he is the Hulk (when he is angry, and you wouldn't like him when he's angry) he goes on destructive sprees, smashing up everything in his path with no kind of regard to the damage he's doing. Even as Bruce Banner, he's constantly being pursued by police. Superheroes aren't really supposed to have run-ins with the law, they're supposed to supplement it. Hmm...

The Reformed
In some cases, there is a villain who gets a conscience and becomes a hero, even if only for a brief time period. Catwoman is a pretty good example of this. At some points, she fights with Batman, at others, she is against him. At one point, she even saves him from the Joker, but then ends up getting catnapped herself. Then of course she decides that crime is more fun and goes back to being a super sexy villainess in a super slinky black catsuit. Meeee-oowww.

Well, that's just a brief breakdown of the types of superheroes. Most of these are open to argument, and will probably be debated from now until forever. Let's just recap what we've got:

1. An alter ego (this can be bypassed if you're a G like the Punisher).

2. A costume (again, bypassable if you're the Punisher).

3. A strict moral code and commitment to justice (ok, now I'm contradicting myself...)

4. A city in despair (damn you Punisher, you're exempt from these!)

Please keep in mind that everything written here is for entertainment purposes only, and is not meant to encourage this kind of activity in anyone who reads this article. Just trying to avoid a lawsuit, people.

Sources:
DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Catwoman)
Marvel Comics (the Hulk, Spider-Man, the Punisher)
Lions Gate Films, Columbia (The Punisher, 2004 film)
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spider-Man films)
Warner Bros. (Batman Returns, 1992 film)