Saving the day from the evil that comes this way, heroes fight for what is right.
Everyone needs a hero sometime. Artwork by Cody Anderson
A dramatic pose. A cape flapping in the wind. An over-the-top entrance. These are all images that seem to be stuck in my head when I think of what makes a hero. Comic books give plenty examples of a caped crusader in tights. But why do we love the hero? What makes a hero someone who people dream about one day becoming? To understand the appeal of the hero, first the types of heroes must be examined. From the base idea of hero, someone who saves the day, two types branch out from the main idea: the classic hero and the anti-hero.
The classic hero is the basic spandex and cape hero. These heroes tend to be very close to law abiding, or they choose the good of the many over the good of the one, no matter who that one is. This group of heroes breaks down into four sub-groups. There are the heroes that are born, the heroes who are made, the heroes who are transformed and the heroes who reluctantly come forth.
The first type of heroes under the classic group is the hero who is born. This basically means that they are born with their abilities. These heroes tend to have the powers that come with many flaws. A prime example of a hero who was born is Cyclops, of the X-Men. He was born with the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes, but he has to cover them because they are always firing. The key thing about these heroes is even though they were born different, they still fight to save the day no matter what the world thinks of them, because of their powers.
Next in the classic hero section comes the hero that is made. Heroes who are made tend to involve mechanical adjustments to their body to boost their power, and fire projectiles. These heroes usually have gained their parts either by suffering an accident and having the problem fixed with machines, or the hero is a robot made to save the day. One of the most common examples of this type of hero is Iron Man, who happens to be a billionaire who created the iron man suit. The suit gives Iron Man super strength, the ability to fly, and the ability for fire of many different projectiles. He suffers from a couple of mental problems, such as narcissism. The key part of these heroes is that they fight for what is right, but are able to do this through the use of expensive equipment and through rigorous training and testing to be able to become the heroes they are, instead of honing a special ability.
Not all heroes are born that way, some are made. Artwork by Cody Anderson
The heroes who are transformed come next in the types of heroes. These heroes begin as normal citizens, with a high set of morals driving them to do the right thing. Then, through some kind of experiment and/or accident, the heroes gain some kind of power that allows them to be above the average citizen. Then, the hero dons the spandex tights and flowing cape, and fights for what is right. An excellent example of this type of hero is Captain America. He was a normal man who wanted to fight for his country during World War II, but couldn’t because of health conditions. After being rejected multiple times, a group of scientists have the Captain test out a drug that would vastly amplify his normal abilities, allowing him to become a super soldier. The key thing about these heroes that separates them from heroes who were born with powers is that these abilities were received through an experiment or accident.
Following the hero who was transformed is the hero who reluctantly steps forth. These heroes do not necessarily need powers to be a hero, but the major marker of this group is that they do not choose to be the hero; they have their hand forced in some manner. Whether it is a moment of peril with their life in danger, or a person who is important to them is being held captive, this hero waits until it is almost too late to come forth. Probably the most famous example of this kind of hero is Harry Potter. He did not choose his fate, and he put off actually fighting Voldemort, an evil wizard trying to rid the world of all who stand against him, along with many non-wizards, until he was forced to stand against the Dark Lord. The big thing about this type of hero is that they do what is right, but they hold back from saving the day until the last moment due to their internal conflict.
After the Classic hero group comes the Anti-hero group. These heroes, while still saving the day, usually are a good deal less of an example of integrity. They have some part of their history that causes them to be different from the rest. Whether it is how they got their powers, the lack of self-imposed limits, or their history, these heroes are the kind of hero who always comes with a grain of salt.
First in the sub-groups of the Anti-hero is the former villain. The former villain is the cackling baddie who saw the error of his/her way, either because of an epiphany, a moment where amends are made, or the full consequences of their actions are revealed to the soon-to-be hero. A prime example of the redeemed villain is Darth Vader. He is evil and destroying planets and killing people up until his son is almost killed, causing Vader to have an epiphany of his wrongdoings. Then Vader helps Luke take down The Emperor and save the day. One big fact about the villain turned hero is that they do die a fair amount of the time after they have changed their ways.
Not all heroes enjoy their powers. Sometimes they fear them. Artwork by Cody Anderson
The other sub-group of Anti-hero is the ones that appear to have no rules. These heroes fight to save the day in their own way and don’t care what others have to say about it. A great example of this kind of hero is Batman. He fights crime in the dark of night instead of the bright of day; he uses questionable methods to obtain his information; he saves the day, but not necessarily in the friendliest and legal of ways. These heroes always play the part of the savior without reservations.
The non-rule based heroes have one group within it that has its own special features that should be mentioned. This group is the transformed hero with side effects. The heroes of this grouping receive their abilities through some kind of accident or test, but with the mutations brought with these tests or accidents leave the hero with some kind of uncontrollable side effect. These side effects are the kind that leaves the heroes haunted and afraid of themselves. A perfect example of this is The Hulk. The Hulk has powers that he got from a lab accident, and they only trigger when he is angry. The side effect of his powers is the lack of control he has. When Bruce Banner is the Hulk, he has almost no control over what he is doing. This immense side effect, the thing that makes these heroes so dangerous to everyone is what makes this group of heroes so special.
Even with all the different types of heroes there are, they have one thing in common. They all save the day. The hero will continue to fight for what’s right until the very end. Every hero stands to inspire different ideas in each person. Some heroes bring patriotism, others bring a connection to a person’s own life. Whether or not the hero has super powers is irrelevant, it is the sense of right and wrong, the moral compass within everyone, that the hero shows what can be great about mankind. No hero is absolutely better than all others, because they all reach the same means, maybe they take different paths, but the day is saved in the end.
In the end though, what makes the hero the one we look up to? What makes them something that every child at one point dreams of? Maybe it is the over-the-top sense of justice. Maybe it is the cool abilities and moves. Maybe it is strength and courage they show. Just as the villain brings out the bad, the hero brings out the good. So maybe instead of all the other things, the hero is the one who brings out the hope people have for the world. Maybe everyone is just holding out for a hero.
