A Quick Thought on Superheroes and Their Recuring Problems.

Superheroes come in a wide variety of types, and each of these types comes with their own set of problems. As of late, I find myself avoiding certain popular superheroes because I don’t want to have to live through another interpersonal drama problem.  It is a common trope of the superhero genre to make the hero face constant interpersonal difficulties stemming from the burden of maintaining a secret identity. Now, it is a classic element of the superhero mythos, and a character that doesn’t have this element sometimes feels like they’re missing something. Of course, some superheroes don’t have a secret identity and they must deal with the same issues that arise from having a ‘double-life’ anyway. An audience that has any experience with the superhero genre can see these problems coming, and unless they are used carefully, these problems can feel extremely cliché’. As I find them right now.

It is not hard to see a young superhero or heroine struggle with things like job requirements or relationship requirements, and then expect that there will be some confrontation in a few panels or the next issue. One popular character has suffered from this recurring theme for years now, and nearly the entirety of the audience is screaming at the writers to give this character a break and move past the old problems of strained romantic relationships and jobs where his bosses think he is lazy or unreliable. And then we have to watch the character grapple with this problem, again, and either spiral into depression (as they internalize these criticisms) or take the emotional hit, ‘keep trying’ and maybe salvage some portion of their personal lives by the end of the story.

I have begun to feel that some of these stories are unnecessary because I have seen them repeated over the decades. Since not everyone has, the argument could be made that there is a place for them. I would be open to having a story where these problems may loom (everyone usually lives with the possibility of some personal disaster), but then the hero manages to navigate and solve these difficulties. A story that could pleasantly subvert my more cynical expectations would be much more welcome than one where I can so easily see an unpleasant ending.

Because stories that disprove these dread predictions are so rare, I am drawn to those stories where I don’t have to think about these plot points at all. I prefer stories where the main hero has overcome these difficulties, either by accepting the sacrifice of a ‘normal life’ and no longer internalizing the labels of lazy, unreliable, or even selfish. Or the heroes have a community around them that understands their struggles and offers emotional support instead of ignorant judgment. I find examples of the latter to be especially refreshing, but I at least know that the narrative will not focus on them if the character has already decided not to fret about them.

Many different characters have had these problems, and many have found different ways to deal with them. Even characters outside the superhero genre deal with these kinds of issues. Spy thrillers are an example of a more grounded genre that can also exhibit this same plot. So, there are plenty of examples of how to deal with this problem. However, it is presented as an almost insurmountable obstacle until the character has gone through the prescribed amount of character development. Or for as long as the writers want to use it for easy drama.

I don’t think that I’m the only reader who avoids stories that I know will contain these kinds of personal dramas. Whether the resolve favorably or not is often up in the air, if they resolve with any definitiveness at all. Readers usually have at least one or two tropes that are advertised in a work’s synopsis and immediately signal them to move on and keep looking for another story more suited to our tastes and moods. While I enjoy the superhero genre, this particular story beat will turn me away the fastest.