Superhero Characters – Cultural Symbols That Reflect Societal Concerns

According to the Cambridge dictionary, a commodity is a product bought, traded or sold. Undeniably, superhero characters will always be commodities; assets of companies such as Marvel and DC. However, I disagree with the view that the importance of superhero characters is their status as commodities. Superhero characters are also icons and cultural symbols that reflect society and mean something to people around the world.

Superhero characters are important as cultural symbols that reflect societal concerns. Rebin attributed the development of comic books to the sociocultural context that surrounds the plot and characters as she mentioned that comic narratives are “expression of human life: society, values, religion, culture, behaviour, beliefs, aspirations”. Men were seen as more superior to women. Female character in comic books were rarely superhero characters as they held minor roles and were often damsels in distress. Even Wonder Woman was often depicted taking up more conventional jobs for females when she was not engaged in crime fighting. In one Sensational Comic issue, Wonder Woman was scripted to envy female who was wives and mothers. While more female superhero characters were created after the creation of Wonder Woman, most of them have similar attributes that was connected to the social image of women from the 1950s to 1960s - young, frivolous, beautiful and almost childish in some way.

In the 1970s, efforts were made for the women’s right in the United States where benefits were brought to women and reviewed their roles in society. However, the change did not include black women as they were still oppressed by white men and women, as well as black men. The sexual revolution created a new demand for characters that corresponded to the new reality. Marvel took the opportunity and created Storm in May 1975, one of the first female black superhero characters that was successfully recognised and a representative of black women in the US. Though Storm was created to include diversity, catering to other market segment and to attract international readers, the superhero character was a reflection of the society at that point of time where feminism was on the rise. Oliveria supports Reblin in her view of the importance of comic books in the social context where the development of a comic book corresponds to “a game of reinventing in which authors reappropriate representations to build an apparently new form of discourse, which... establishes ways of being in the world”. Storm was portrayed as a leader to different groups of people in her life - a group of children, villagers, X-Men, citizens of Wakanda and more. Her recurring status as a leader “contradicts the stereotype of subservience and the oppressive background experienced by a black woman”. She offered a new way for women to see themselves differently from the established social order. Therefore, Storm is an important representation of women’s independence as she carried traits that coincide with the feminist ideals - equality between the sexes.

Superhero characters function as icons with moral values. Superhero content dominated the comic industry during Second World War where superhero characters were used as propaganda to unite citizens behind the war effort and provide hope for soldiers fighting in the frontlines. Characters such as Superman and Captain America are dressed in the colours of the nation flag (blue, red and white) when they fight against external and domestic foes. DC aligned Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman with America’s war effort where Superman is framed as an ideal of the righteous triumph, a beacon of hope and strength, spurrinng on American soldiers. Timely showed its heroes as patriotic by having them to combat America’s enemies directly. Though one might argue that superhero characters only serve as icons during the war period, I would posit that they are still icons to people in today’s world. Superhero narratives are more than just entertainment for children. As mentioned earlier, comic narratives are “an expression of human life”. Comic narratives function as emulation of moral values for children. Furthermore, in the 21st century, superheroes dominate the pop culture. Children have greater access to superhero characters such as Superman and Captain America who fight injustice and help those in need. They admire and imitate behaviours of these characters, fighting imaginary foes as play.

In conclusion, though superhero characters will always be commodities, the cultural and iconic value of the superhero character is more important than their status as commodities. These characters are created to reflect societal changes along time, such as the feminism and anti-racism movement, as well as to spark hope within the hearts of the future generation.