The run on superheroes these days seems to have run out. This means the substitute idols of extraordinary powers and bold and courageous actions wearing Halloween costumes may no longer satisfy as stand-ins for the real thing. If Iron Man came to your door, you’d hand him a Snickers and wave him on.
Old-fashioned heroes generally represented good vs. today’s evil, a refreshing change from the relative morality vs. alternative facts. Judging from the successes of the movies and games that depict them, there seems to be an unflagging, worldwide hunger for creatures of super strength, super speed, invulnerability, regenerative power, sharpened senses, shape-shifting, telepathy, flight, atomic vision, super hearing and tight pants
So, where did all this superhumanity come from?
Almost everywhere. Especially in ancient history, when gods and mortals were often indistinguishable, many of them disguised as animals, same as today.
But notably, the first American superhero, who could answer the online check, Are You a Human, was a Mexican. No, not Mosquito Man or SuperKatrina. Over 100 years ago, the first superhero movie hit the theaters: Zorro.
Zorro, a character from an American short story, became the subject of a hit silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks in 1920. The flick went on to become one of the biggest and most influential cinematic franchises of all time; and, I confess, these swashbuckler flicks were the reason I became a flashy fencer at an international level. (Yeah, great sport. Great fantasy satisfier.)
Anyway, our masked Mexican Robin Hood was inspired by a real California swashbuckler, Joaquin Murrieta. Murrieta became legendary as a cunning swordsman and dashing figure who rode mysteriously into the night decked out in a mask and an all-black outfit. It was a dazzling lifestyle choice, but often scared the bejesus out of women he was dating. He spoke with a Mexican accent… or an American accent. It was never explained, only that he shouted “arriba” a lot when he rode off into the shadows of the night.
Historians argue that men like Joaquin Murrieta were not actually heroes, more likely the leaders of bandits, who kept all of the booty for themselves. The only thing that was real in these tales was the hyperbole and the fact that they never needed Xanax and never sat down with friends to ask, “What the hell are we trying to prove?”
All the Robin Hood characters from world history are but beloved fables of humanitarianism and justice, because the world is forever in search of egalitarian fairness, that is, Heroes. Sensations of wished-for powers of governance that might one day really care about the aggrieved and avenge them.
Ancient heroes, gods, saviors and champions were honored, no matter how badly or mysteriously they behaved. Interestingly, today, we are obsessed not with the pure honoring of our admired leaders and champions, but with their “feet of clay.” We can’t wait to find out the dirt on every admired functionary who -- national leaders, sports figures, entertainers, tech and science geniuses and sometimes even newspaper writers.
This can actually be demoralizing and oddly self-defeating, because we need our heroes. History has proved it over and over. That’s why Murrieta becomes Zorro. And Johnny Depp will always be Captain Jack Sparrow. Forget Depp’s reality.
So what do we do? We have turned our worship to comic book law enforcement. It’s not just a dumbing down, it’s that ages-old desire for fairness and justice missing in the real world. Comic books! Where our heroes are perfect, technologically invincible and entirely understandable in their cute sturm und drang costumes.
And now, that ridiculous surge in these superduperhero fantasies, where these wondrous creations are immune from iniquity or shortcomings, seems to be over. Rarely are any of them seeing marriage counselors or neurologists, although much of their lifestyle suggests maybe they should be.
What’s it tell you?
“Being a hero is about the shortest-lived profession on earth.” -- Will Rogers
But never forget that as laughable as much of this fantasy world is, it appears to be as vital to human psychological health as that second tequila. And we’re always in pursuit of our next idol, wherever he or she flies in from. All because the world isn’t fair, and we need to see somebody or create somebody who makes it fair.