Superhero

A superhero or superheroine is a character who typically possesses superpowers or abilities beyond those of ordinary people. These characters are often dressed in special costumes that hide their real identities, and they play the role of a hero. Their main goal is usually to help the world become a better place by protecting the public and fighting crime.

Superhero fiction is the genre of stories centered around these amazing characters. It began in the 1930s with American comic books and later expanded into Hollywood films, film serials, television, and video games. It also appears in Japanese media such as kamishibai, tokusatsu, manga, anime, and video games.

Superheroes come from many different backgrounds. Some, like Superman and Spider-Man, have superhuman powers because of their unique biology. Others, like Batman and Iron Man, use advanced technology they have invented. Still others rely on magical items, mystical forces, or alien powers, such as Green Lantern and He-Man, or practice magic like Doctor Fate and Doctor Strange.

These heroes often fight everyday crime and also face big threats from supervillains, who are their evil opposites. Sometimes one of these supervillains becomes the superhero's biggest enemy, known as their archenemy or nemesis. Some of these popular supervillains even become important characters in their own stories.

History

The idea of superheroes has roots in ancient stories. Characters like Heracles and Odysseus had amazing abilities, much like modern superheroes. Tales from places like England also inspired costumed heroes.

In the early 1900s, stories like The Scarlet Pimpernel introduced the idea of a hero with a secret identity. By the 1930s, comic books began to popularize superheroes. Characters like Superman and Batman became icons, showing heroes with amazing powers and secret identities.

The 1940s brought many new superheroes, including Captain America and Wonder Woman. These characters often fought evil during difficult times. In later decades, more diverse heroes appeared, including characters from Japan like Astro Boy and Kamen Rider. Today, superheroes continue to evolve, with new stories and characters appearing in many forms of media.

Trademark status

The words "super hero" were first used in 1917 to describe someone with great accomplishments. In 1967, a company called Ben Cooper, Inc. registered the phrase for Halloween costumes. Later, Mego Corporation tried to register a similar trademark but faced legal challenges. As a result, in 1977, Mego gave its rights to two big comic book companies, DC Comics and Marvel Comics. By 1981, DC and Marvel officially owned the trademark for "superhero" for their comic books.

Today, DC and Marvel jointly own many trademarks related to "superhero" for various products like movies, toys, and games. They protect these trademarks strongly. For example, they asked a person to change the title of his book because it used the word "superhero." There is ongoing debate about whether the term "superhero" has become too common to remain a trademark. Some believe it now simply describes any character with amazing powers, not just those from DC or Marvel.

Minority superheroes

Superheroes have often been shown as young, healthy, and usually white males. However, starting in the 1960s, more superheroes from different backgrounds began to appear. This included black superheroes, followed by others from various ethnic groups. By the 1980s, diversity and inclusion became important themes in superhero stories.

Main article: Portrayal of women in American comics

Female superheroes have been part of comic books since the 1940s. Over time, their portrayals have changed, sometimes focusing too much on their appearance. Today, there is more effort to show women superheroes in stronger, more respectful ways.

See also: Ethnic stereotypes in comics, African characters in comics, List of black superheroes, List of Asian superheroes, List of Latino superheroes, List of Native American superheroes, List of Jewish superheroes, List of Filipino superheroes, and List of Russian superheroes

Many superheroes from different ethnic backgrounds have appeared over the years. For example, the Black Panther was the first prominent black superhero, and others like Luke Cage and Monica Rambeau followed. Characters from Native American, Asian, and other groups also became part of superhero stories.

Main article: LGBT themes in comics

See also: List of LGBT characters in comics

In the 1990s, the first openly gay superhero appeared in comics. Since then, more superheroes have been shown as LGBT, including characters who are lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. This has helped make superhero stories more inclusive.

In 2017, Sign Gene introduced a group of deaf superheroes whose powers come from using sign language. This film highlighted Deaf culture and helped represent this community in superhero stories.

Subtypes

Superheroes come in many different types and forms. One popular group of superheroes includes metahumans, who often appear in stories from DC Comics. These characters usually have special powers or abilities that set them apart from ordinary people, and they use these powers to protect others and fight against evil.

Main article: [List of metahumans in DC Comics]