Batman: An Unusual Super Hero

Batman is one of the worlds most famous and favored superheroes, but he is also once 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 both his parents murdered in front of him and vowed to revenge their deaths by fighting crime.  Undergoing a journey for both physical and mental excellence, Wayne transformed himself into the dark hooded and caped Batman.  Batman's transformation into a hero is unique as it is relatively realistic and 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 who's personal drive and rigorous mental and physical perfection allow him to achieve superhero power.  Batman's foremost qualities include wealth, physical strength, intelligence, and obsessive passion.  Void of fictional circumstances or characteristics, Batman is admirable, inspirational, but most of relatable as 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 super strength, 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 criminals like the Joker, Two-Faced, Catwoman, and the Penguin, head on.  More importantly however, Batman fights crime by standing as a symbol of hope for ordinary citizens that they do not need to be afraid.  As identified by Joseph Campbell in his novel "A Hero with a Thousand Faces", individuals who refuse their call to adventure or heroism do so because 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 society to do the same.  As a superhero, Batman continues to be unique as he is a very dark figure.

Often referred to as the masked vigilantly, Batman is frightening and intimidating in the manner befitting a villain.  Frequently accused of being a criminal himself by the citizens of Gotham, Batman is not afraid to break the law 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 by bestowing 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.  Society is supposed to see 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 with this faith inspire them for change.

Below is the trailer for Batman Begins which describes the origin of Batman:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7dapUWHykw