Why the world needs superheroes

I've been trying for a long time to avoid the DC comics vs Marvel Cinematic Universe clash of films. Partly because my heart lies in the Star Wars direction of escapism and partly because I was never a comic geek.

Sure I have enjoyed the Rami directed spiderman and the 4 80's& 90's Batman series. But that's as far as my knowledge went, well till last year. I knew my green goblin from my joker, but no interest in superman of any era and as for the fact the Avengers and X men were in the same world and never heard of Guardians of the Galaxy. But now it's drowning the cinema and partly due to boredom and partly due to curiosity I began to read a bit of the links between characters etc.

Now despite my fondness of Tim Burton's Batman, I will call it now I'm team Marvel. This is no disrespect to DC and the characters as big as Harvey Quinn, the Joker and so on. For me it's just I find Marvel more complicated and thus more comfortable for my brain. I like complicated and messy it's like life itself and sorry DC but Superman is just too good to be valid.

Now that's out the way I will get to the point. The sudden surge of these world's into our lives. Why now? Well there's an answer I can come up with and ask the great Stan Lee if I'm right, and that is we need them. We, the world's society need the hope they offer and to believe in the power of good and bad, in the same way we needed them in comic books during their original outings. For our American readership what is more patriotic than Captain America, the perfect citizen even before the serum he wanted to serve his country for the greater good. For us British there is actually  a Captain Britain and his sister Psylocke. For European audiences there are Thor and the Black Widow and so on. There is multiracial characters sexuality ambitious characters and just plain fantastical characters, silver surfer anyone? What I am saying is there is a hero and or anti hero and quite possibly a villain for everyone. It's a complex cultural study. To be honest I can see many a creditable thesis of cultural reference being able to be written on what is basically and originally childish entertainment and moral propaganda.

Before you think I am being dismissive of this I am not . I am the person who wrote an a level paper of the religious undercurrent of ET in relation to the crucifixion and got a decent grade for it, even if I can never watch the film ever again. I also believe in years to come Star Wars is in the future going to be viewed in the same way we now see the brother Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson moral fairy tales. So I went into these films open minded. But I knew very little and have to play a lot of catch up. Even now I would say my knowledge is a Grade 3 on a 10 point scale but there is a limit to how much will go in, especially when I keep cheering for Harry Osborn over Spiderman, I know I'm warped. I also hold a little reserve when like my beloved Star Wars of see the dam stamp of a mouse over it now. So I do refer to ink rather than film at times. No offence Disney, but it's going to take me years for you to be forgiven for Frozen and that reached song.

Anyway the MCU and comics do hold true to the basic good versus evil story and morals but with one healthy dose of realism, some of the characters if not all of them are flawed beings. The first person who tries to tell me Tony Starke is a good role model will see my flaws. I may be a bit mean picking on him, but he is the most clearly flawed character. However each and everyone one has a touch of humanity in them. Be it wisecracking Deadpool, emotional detachment issues  in Rogue, arrogance of Thor and Loki or just plain anger issues in Hulk. Sure some are hammer up for entertainment purposes as are the construction of the abilities. I mean if there was really a way to turn yourself into a green testosterone wrecking ball via gamma radiation or a gymnast capable of shooting website from a spiders bite then there really would idiots in this world doing so. So the characters are always just that fraction exaggerated to become fiction. However in certain  characters like Iron Man, Falcon, Black Widow and even Professor  X there is that what if factor. Keeping it just on the realms of plausibility in the future evolution. And it is that reason that keeps grown adults hooked as much as children.

By capturing this element the purpose is complete. To give hope and positive propaganda in the source of entertainment without getting completely political with the message. Although anyone who can't see what hydra starting out representing needs a history 101 refresh. DC did get blatantly political with  The Watchmen and I'm sure if I dig deeper into will find the same with Marvel, but hopefully the mouse in their house will limit that on screen. But I digress, they are both a tidy little bundle of hope and inspiration wrapped up in often Lycra and garish colour taste. Although even the colour palette is very carefully constructed of primary colours mixed with metallic and black and white leaving the viewer under little doubt whose is what. With the exception of green, if a character is green or wearing green all bets are off as they can go either way. Green Goblin and Hulk for Marvel and the Riddler or poison Ivy. Black isn't the colour of bad or white the colour of good, but more a definition of a characters inner demons and driving force. It's all very political correct with making viewer aware of just how perfectly they are constructed. It's a way of working via the subconscious.

And that is the reason we need these films more than ever. We need these pedals tool idols to not so much believe in but to reassure us there is a way forward. By not realising just how much they can relate to our real world problems strengthens our addiction to them and by adding that touch of cute and ahh factors with the introduction of characters like baby groot, it is sure to capture even the more resistant of us all. So the reason we need superheroes in our lives is quite simple, for as long as we are struggling in times of darkest desperation we need hope and for some reason hope looks good in Lycra and or armour plating . So matter how old you are or who is your favourite it's ok to love a superhero(s) or in my case anti heros because anything that can offer entertainment and moral compass yet still looks good in tights and makes you laugh, well there is always a need for that.