By Ashley Mekin, Raha BagherNiakan, and Aubrey Hunt

Born in Queens, New York, Peter Parker lived with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May after being orphaned as a child when his parents were killed in a plane crash by U.S. government spies. Peter was an academically gifted child who excelled in science and became a high honors student which in turn often made him a social outcast and a target for bullies.

While attending a public science exhibition at the age of 15 years old, he was bitten on the hand by a radioactive spider which had been irradiated by a beam from a particle accelerator used in a demonstration. Peter was walking home from the exhibition when he was nearly hit by a car; yet, he managed to jump out of the way! It was then that he discovered his incredible strength and his ability to cling to walls, much like a spider.

Ever since that night, Peter started noticing a variety of changes to his body and learned that he had acquired super powers. Spider-Man’s super powers consist of the ability to cling to walls, a “spider-sense” that alerts him to danger, perfect balance and equilibrium, and superhuman strength and agility. Though Spider-Man has cool powers, he isn’t necessarily invincible. Punch him and he bleeds, shoot him and he goes down–his victories are hard fought through guile and effort. However, he is stronger and faster than any normal person and has those amazing webs!

But why do we look up to Spider-Man? What is it about him that makes him different from your every-day human (besides his special powers)? Superhero actor Christopher Reeve once stated, “What makes a person a hero is not the power they have, but rather the wisdom and maturity they have to use the power wisely.” Spider-Man has the opportunity to show everyone all of the powers he has; yet, he decides to put himself in the shoes of the “average” human. For Spider-Man, it is not about receiving high status or gratitude.

He works as a reporter and never uses his abilities to get out of unfavorable situations (that do not have to do with evil, of course!) Furthermore, Spider-Man always has his mask on when saving the world, which further emphasizes his humility. It is not who he is under the mask that is important to him, but rather the idea that the mask represents that is bulletproof. Instead of boasting about the heroic acts he performs every day, by leaving his mask on, Spider-Man demonstrates that what is important is not who saves the world but who is out there doing the best they can do, with what they have, in order to make the world a better place.

Heroes not only do great things, but they also give back by inspiring us and giving us the confidence and motivation to do the same. We are all links in a chain and it is our duty to pay it forward– and that is what will truly change the world.

Many may assume that just because Spider-Man has super powers, he is automatically a hero. However, powers are not what make the hero–the mindset is. What makes someone a hero is how they use their knowledge and natural abilities to improve the world, thus giving others the courage and inspiration to do the same. To be a hero is not just performing one heroic act — it is a journey one chooses to explore. Imagine a world where every human chose to nurture their inner hero.

To quote Christopher Reeves, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Spider-Man began as an ordinary man. He fought crime even when he had no powers. He made the decision to help those in need, knowing that he would receive nothing in return. He proves his courage every day and he never gives up, even when his opponent is much more powerful than himself. Like Bob Riley said, “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the hero within us is revealed.” We all have a hero inside of us– sometimes, we just need a boost of confidence or someone to help us unleash it, to whisper in our ear and say “Go for it. You can do it. You will prevail.”

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Ashley Mekin, Raha BagherNiakan, and Aubrey Hunt are undergraduate students at the University of Richmond. They wrote this essay as part of their course requirement while enrolled in Dr. Scott Allison’s Social Psychology class.

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By Scott T. Allison and George R. Goethals

It actually seems strange that so few of our blogs here have been devoted to superheroes.  By definition, they are the perfect representation of the way people think about heroes.  They have all the key personal attributes.  In our book, we reported the traits that research participants used to describe heroes.  We called them the Great Eight.  And Superman, the quintessential superhero, illustrates them better than almost anyone.  The “Man of Steel” who “fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way” is Strong, Smart, Selfless, Caring, Charismatic, Resilient, Reliable and Inspiring.  Perhaps Superman’s most obvious heroic characteristic is Strong, but he does pretty well on all the others.

So it would seem that there would be little need to embellish the myth further, and make Superman a Transfigured Hero.  Yet one of the most interesting recent portrayals of Superman does exactly that.  In the 1991 music video by the band Crash Test Dummies, Superman’s Song is a dirge sung at the Man of Steel’s funeral, with some aging superheroes in attendance.  One of them appears to be a slightly overweight, middle-aged Wonder Woman and another might be an elderly Green Lantern.

The song’s chorus emphasizes Superman’s selflessness:  “Superman never made any money, for saving the world from Solomon Grundy.”  That characterization is not particularly new.   But a twist on the selflessness theme suggests that Superman had to overcome temptations to stay on the straight and narrow.  Heroic narratives recount the ways our heroes struggle to overcome obstacles, both internal and external.  There weren’t many external obstacles that really tested Superman, but resisting such deadly sins as Greed and Sloth suggests overcoming internal ones.

Regarding greed, the song claims that Superman “had a real job, even though he could have smashed through any bank in the United States, he had the strength, but he would not.”  Regarding sloth, we hear “sometimes when Supe was stopping crimes, I’ll bet that he was tempted to just quit and turn his back on man.”  But not Superman.  He “stayed in the city, kept on changing clothes in dirty old phone booths €˜til his work was through.”

But the most interesting element of the song presents Superman as a refined gentlemen, in great contrast to another fictional hero, the crude Tarzan.  After lyrics claiming that “Tarzan was no ladies’ man” and that he would just “scoop €˜em up under his arm like that, quick as a cat,” we hear:  “Clark Kent, now there was a real gent.”  While the King of the Jungle “could hardly string together four words, I Tarzan, You Jane,” Superman “would not be caught sittin’ around in no junglescape, dumb as an ape, doing nothing.”

Thus this song not only mourns the death of Superman – “the world will never see another man like him” – but adds a new element to the narrative, one describing a cool, kind, sensitive, almost feminist strong man, who though weary remains true to the “never-ending battle.”  While sometimes he considered escaping the pressure of being our rock solid superhero, to “join Tarzan in the forest,” he stayed Resilient and Reliable to the end.  No wonder he is so Inspiring.  And a real gentleman to boot.

Below is a clip of the Crash Test Dummies video of  Superman’s Song.

By Scott T. Allison and George R. Goethals

Every summer seems to have its share of movies featuring superhero protagonists, and the summer of 2011 is no exception.  This year we have Captain America and his fight with World War II Nazis.   There is also the Green Lantern's battle with the awesome power of Parallax.  Perhaps topping them all is the Norse God of thunder, Thor, who must overcome the Frost Giants and the treachery of his own brother.

Movie studios are releasing more and more superhero movies with each passing decade.  Over the past few summers, ultra-successful films have been made featuring Batman, Iron Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, to name but a few.  We appear to be enthralled by tales of people who possess superhuman powers, who are confronted by evil, and who overcome formidable obstacles in triumphing over the direst of circumstances.

Why do we identify with super beings with magical powers?  One reason is that the creators of superheroes endow them with a crucial flaw or limitation that makes them very human in their vulnerability.  Almost inevitably the superhero's flaw jeopardizes his life and the lives of those he wishes to save.  With a small assist from a sidekick, often a mere human, the superhero is able to overcome his shortcomings and vanquish the enemy.

Quite early in the movie Thor, we encounter the superhero's three flaws:  pridefulness, impulsiveness, and blindness to the manipulations of his evil brother.  These shortcomings of Thor lead to his banishment to earth, where he must live as a mere mortal.  As with most superheroes, Thor receives help from a variety of sidekicks, including a beautiful scientist named Jane who becomes his love interest.  She falls in love with two very important characteristics of Thor which are typical of a superhero:  his chiseled body and his mysterious origins.

The greatest source of Thor's superpower is the hammer Mjolnir which, after his banishment, is only accessible to him if he proves himself worthy to receive it.  After Thor has lived for some time as a mortal human, his arrogance begins to soften and he gradually acquires compassion and wisdom.  At the film's climax, Thor is engaged in a great battle with a seemingly indestructible automaton sent to earth by his disloyal brother.  Battered and near death, Thor offers to sacrifice himself to save others, a proclamation that affirms his worthiness to wield the hammer and defeat both the automaton and his brother's evil rule.

To ensure a sequel, the movie ends with a few loose ends.  Thor is separated from Jane, and not all the villains have been defeated.  We look forward to seeing what happens in the next installment of Thor.

One final caveat:  Phil Zimbardo, a social scientist and expert on heroes, has lamented the fact that most people's default image of a hero is the classic superhero with superpowers.  According to Zimbardo, this mindset prevents people from recognizing that the most important heroes in our society are average, everyday people who lack superpowers but who do the right thing when called to do so.

Zimbardo may have a point.  We should indeed see ourselves, with all our puny human limitations, as potential heroes who can make a positive difference in people's lives.  At the same time, we see no harm in escaping into fictional worlds in which extraordinary beings such as Thor are able to transform entire societies with their super-strength and super-morals.  These superheroes may be just the right elixir for those of us who need an entertaining refuge from the dark realities and mundane routines of daily life.

Below is the trailer for Thor.

The following blog post finished 2nd in our recent contest for a free autographed copy of our Heroes book.  Each week we have been posting a hero profile from the top 5.  Next week we will post the winning entry.  Congratulations to all five of these excellent submissions.  — Scott Allison and George Goethals

By Mila Buckner

Batman is one of the world's most famous and beloved superheroes, and he is also one of the most unusual.  Appearing in comics, television, and major motion pictures, Batman hides behind the identity of Bruce Wayne, a playboy billionaire and industrial tycoon.  As a child, Wayne witnessed the murder of both his parents and vowed to avenge their deaths by fighting crime.  Undergoing a quest for both physical and mental excellence, Wayne transformed himself into the dark hooded and caped Batman.  Batman's transformation into a hero is as unique as it is purely self-motivated.

Unlike Spiderman, who was bitten by a radioactive spider, or Superman who was secretly an alien from another planet, Batman is a regular human being whose personal drive and rigorous mental and physical conditioning allow him to achieve superhero power.  Batman's foremost qualities include wealth, physical strength, intelligence, and obsessive passion for justice.  Void of fantasy circumstances or characteristics, Batman is a hero worthy of our admiration, inspiration, and identification; he is a man at his greatest.  As quoted in the 2005 film Batman Begins, "If you make yourself more then just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become something else entirely."

In addition to his exceptional strength and intelligence, Batman is a superhero because of his unwavering moral compass.  Batman lives in the fictional American town of Gotham city, a metropolis plagued by crime, greed, and corruption.  Within Gotham, Batman fights crime by combating menacing criminals such as the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, and the Penguin.  More importantly, however, Batman fights crime by standing as a symbol of hope for ordinary citizens who need not show fear in the face of danger.  As noted by Joseph Campbell in his classic book A Hero with a Thousand Faces, individuals who refuse their call to adventure or heroism do so out of fear.  As an ordinary man who chooses to step up and fight crime, Batman overcomes this fear at an individual level, and his example encourages other members of society to do the same.  As a superhero, Batman continues to be as unique as he is a very mysterious figure.

Often referred to as a masked vigilantly, Batman is frightening and intimidating in the manner befitting a villain.  Batman is accused of being a criminal himself by the citizens of Gotham because he is not afraid to break the law in minor ways to achieve a higher goal.  As depicted in the film The Dark Knight, Batman also allows himself to be hated by the society he serves.  Foregoing all self-aggrandizement, Batman does not look for the love and admiration given most super heroes.  Instead he claims that by not being a hero he can be something more.  Living like an outcast, Batman is the €˜Watchful Protector', a benevolent godlike force looking out for society.

Unconcerned with glory or recognition, Batman is purely motivated to bestow a boon on his fellow man.  Batman believes society is capable of justice and this motivates him to fight crime. When Gotham is overrun with corruption and greed, Batman still sees the potential for good in people and refuses to let society consume itself.  Ideally, society sees the good in the hero, but with Batman, he sees the good in society.  Batman symbolizes a hero's most important role:  the ability to believe in others when they have stopped believing in themselves, and the faith to inspire them for change.

Below is the trailer for the last Batman movie The Dark Knight (2008):

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By Scott T. Allison and George R. Goethals

In our previous blog on Joseph Campbell, we noted how the stories we construct about heroes tend to reflect both our deepest fears and our dreams of conquering them.  Heroes demonstrate for us how the best attributes of humanity can overcome the most daunting challenges that life throws at us.  As Campbell observes, nearly all hero stories follow a general structure that involves the hero's call to adventure, a set of hurdles for the hero to overcome, and a transformation of both the hero and the society in which he or she lives.

The new ABC television series, No Ordinary Family, borrows the key elements from all the classic tales of heroism throughout ages.  In the show, the Powell family is portrayed as an average American family, slightly dysfunctional but also likeable.  Their "average-ness" is crucial; it enables us to relate to them and to whimsically entertain the notion that what happens to them could also happen to us.  As with many superhero tales, the Powell's adventure begins with a traumatic event.  For them it is a plane crash in a remote South American lake that exposes them to an unusual, magical substance in the water.

The show's fun lies in how each member of the family gradually discovers his or her individual superpower.  Jim Powell, the father, finds that he now has the reflexes to catch a bullet fired from a gun.  Humorous scenes feature him discovering other super-skills such as the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  His wife Stephanie, while rushing to make an appointment, discovers she can run at the ludicrous speed of over 700 miles per hour.  Why do we resonate to heroes with super powers?  According to Joseph Campbell, a central part of the hero archetype is the idea that our heroes have supernatural aids.  Superheroes, by definition, can do magical things that ordinary people cannot.

In contrast to the two adult Powells, who have acquired physical superpowers, the two Powell children discover that they have developed superior mental acuities.  Daphne, the teenage daughter, realizes that she can read people's minds, and the son, J.J., is transformed from a below-average student into a super genius.  In keeping with stereotypical superhero tradition (e.g., Iron Man), Jim Powell's sidekick is an African-American, a friend named George.

In almost all superhero stories, the hero's superpowers are necessary to fight extraordinarily powerful criminals.  No Ordinary Family is no exception.  Jim Powell encounters a series of villains who also possesses extraordinary physical powers, making the fight between good and evil a suspenseful undertaking with (at first) no clear victor.  All superheroes also possess a vulnerability.  It turns out that the Powell family members are fallible humans in most ways.  Moreover, having only recently acquired their superpowers, the Powells are unaware of the limits their super-skills and how to best use them.

The proliferation of superhero stories, in comic books, movies, and television shows, is staggering.  What is the allure of the superhero?  At the end of the first episode of No Ordinary Family, Jim Powell tells us that "the problems we face may not be ordinary. But then again, neither are we."  With this line, Powell has precisely captured the universal appeal of superheroes.  An inescapable reality of life is that we often must face fearful circumstances beyond our control, circumstances that require remarkable courage and strength for us to prevail.  Extraordinary problems require extraordinary solutions.  Superheroes are exactly the tonic we dream of when life punches us in the gut.

Below is the trailer for the pilot episode of No Ordinary Family.