Superhuman strength. Virtual invulnerability. Motivated to defend the world from evildoers. A secret identity. And a penchant for looking good in long underwear. These are the traits that define the quintessential superhero whose impossible feats graced the pages of comic books during comics' Golden and Silver Ages. They are Batman, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Superman, Wonder Woman, and dozens of others-with names like Ant-Man, Daredevil, Hawkman, the Human Torch, the Spectre, the Spirit, and Sub-Mariner-whose death-defying acts and altruistic motives have come to characterize heroism for generations of fans. By the end of the twentieth century the real world had become a darker place, necessitating a new kind of hero. Popular heroes of yesteryear were reinvented to meet the demands of a new age. The popular culture witnessed the rise of the anti-hero, the fresh breed of brazen, gritty adventurer that includes the likes of Elektra, the Punisher, and Wolverine.^ Heroes that aren't typically defined as super-Buffy, Hellboy, Sandman, and Spawn-became associated with the word because they possessed superhuman qualities. But they were often nearly paralyzed with angst,
For young readers
Book data: Open Library