Why I love... Superheroes

Yeah I know I said this would be posted yesterday. Well, I ended up going to the theater to watch "Iron Man", which gave me the inspiration to write about superheroes. (By the way, I did enjoy Iron Man, it is worth watching if you like movies with some cool action, and some good laughs too).

Ever since I was a young kid, I was fascinated by superheroes. Watching old cartoons portraying an unbeatable Superman, defeating the forces of Lex Luthor or Brainiac. Seeing the incredibly rich Bruce Wayne turn into Batman, and use new and interesting gadgets to defeat the likes of Joker or the Riddler. I could go on and on, with no end in sight. As I grew up, some would think that this fascination would go away. On the contrary, it continues to fascinate me. Call me childish or just crazy, I don't care. I love it. Let me explain.

I always love to hear stories about the never-ending fight between good and evil. Two powerful beings stand against each other, representing so much about each side. On one side, the morally right. Fighting for someone other than themselves, representing a perfect ideal about how life should be. On the other side, the morally wrong. Fighting for themselves, they only care about ruling over all and oppressing everyone to their will.

In a similar way, there is always a human aspect to the heroes, both physical and emotional. Superman has kryptonite. Iron Man has his special heart. Most superheroes are simply men, that can be killed in the same ways you or I can. But even more telling is their emotions. Spiderman is never sure of himself. Superman sometimes feels awkward around people. Many lose loved ones, making it very difficult for them to move on. Despite all these things, they continue to fight for all that is good.

Why does this matter so much? Because I see this fight happening all the time today. Maybe we aren't seeing someone fly around fighting another behemoth. But there are clear battles between powerful adversaries. Ultimately, there is a huge war between the superheroes and the villains. The question is, which side will I fight for? Who do I see myself as? The best answer I have for you is that I'm like Wolverine, from the X-men. Wolverine, although basically good, is not perfect in the least. He often lives on the edge, which makes for a good story. But it doesn't make for a good role model.

Despite my faults, God has still allowed me to stand with the superheroes instead of fighting against them. I try my best to live that way, but it still is a struggle. The good news is, there are others fighting beside me in the same way. And all of them are growing, even though none are perfect. And the most encouraging thing, that continues through all this is simple.

Somehow, someway, good will defeat evil in the end.