The Garden of the Blind

People have been asking this for some time, and I don’t really want to retread all of their work. I ask this because I was talking to a coworker and discovered that he doesn’t like the superhero movies that have come out in the last decade or so, from Batman to Spiderman. He makes a few exceptions, but that was for more classic superheros, like Pixar’s The Incredibles.

His point was that superheroes used to be exceptional. In addition to their super powers, they would be flawless representations of Truth, Justice, and The American Way. Today’s heroes are much darker. They are played by relatively weak and flawed individuals who are struggling with personal demons and not always winning. While I appreciate the qualities of a flawless hero, I believe that the darker heroes of modern lore can be just as inspiring.

Consider a few examples. Batman used to be a (sometimes silly) fun, goofy, boy scout. What wasn’t in that utility belt? Now, he’s a Dark Knight, haunted by his troubled past and trying each night to atone for a multitude of sins, not all his own. As a wealthy man, he has the means to carry out his own personal war, and we are inspired by the way he selflessly puts himself in danger to protect a city that gives little in return. We can believe that, had we the means, we would do the same.

Spider Man, in the recent films, is a good kid trying to use his unwanted gift to make a difference. Driven often by guilt, he manages to improve the lives of many, but he is always held back by the multitude of challenges in his own life. Amid his nearly crushing poverty and otherwise crumbling personal life, Peter Parker is a hero that we all can identify with. Aside from having a series of powerful enemies, we all face challenges like Spider Man’s. With his great power, he reminds us all of the great responsibility that we have to all of humanity.

Superman was a perfect Man of Steel. He was incorruptible (except by tainted Kryptonite). He saved kittens and airplanes, all in a day’s work. Today, you can watch a young Clark Kent struggle with his newfound powers, often becoming more evil than young Lex Luthor.

One challenge with modern heroes is moral ambiguity. When they were perfect, you could count on them to be good, and the villains to be evil. Modern heroes all have a potential for evil, even if it is inadvertently so, while their enemies have some good in them. Sometimes they even are capable of acts that in some small way help to atone for their other misdeeds. In some cases, their actions seem entirely justified from some reasonable point of view, and their conflict arises less from the inherent morality of their situation, and more from the specific conflict between two parties.

In a way, I do agree with my coworker. A good hero stands for something. While modern heroes may no longer be paragons of virtue, they should still make significant progress towards overcoming their failings and becoming their best selves. It is that conquering of one’s weaknesses that makes many heroes. I watch Superman, and I see a Greek statue, but I watch Spider Man, and I see a guy like me who chooses to make a difference, and it inspires me to be better than I have been.

Since September 11, 2001, we have been quicker to identify with regular people who engage in extraordinary, heroic acts. Few people would wish to enter a burning building, only to have it collapse on them, or to force their own plane to the ground to prevent a greater catastrophe. How many of us would have acted as bravely if we had been there? I believe that, faced with extraordinary circumstances, that many, many people would stand up and fight for a greater good. While recent events have stirred this resolve in many, it was likely already in place to some degree among most people.

That is why we love to watch heroes. In them, we see a little of the nobility that we may carry deep inside, or that we hope we could show if called upon to do so. That these icons are not perfect, we are allowed to get a little closer to them and to their struggles, which we ourselves would likely feel, were we in their shoes.