SuperHero

The previous generation revered movie heroes, and us? We love our heroes but idolize our Superheroes. Just go down the memory lane... When you were about five, do you remember any adult watching superhero movies or reading superhero comics? If you really do remember any such person, I'm pretty sure, he/she is currently your cool uncle/aunt. 

Who hasn't fawned over the Dark Knight Trilogy ? Or who isn't waiting for the next Avengers movie? Gone are the days when it was kiddish to discuss about stuff like Superheroes, Marvel vs DC, conspiracy theories etc.

We have been trying to copy our beloved superheroes ever since we learnt how to read the time on a clock. We've all tried using a towel as a cape, spoke in a coarse voice to utter "I'm Batman", tried being Tony Stark level of cool and what not. And this is not just limited to the DC and Marvel Universes. I vividly remember being envious of my cousin for having a Power Rangers morpher, having those epic verbal fights about Goku vs Vegeta that at times was on verge of getting physical and many more. Not just the fancy American and Japanese heroes, we showed love to our heroes nay superheroes back home. Shakthimaan was the costume that won almost all the fancy dress competitions, and how can we not love our own Krrish? Those days when we went to the gaming arcade and collected coupons just to exchange them for a Krrish mask !! (BTW, I have around 100 odd amoeba coupons if someone wants them :P ) Basically, what I want to say is we all adore and try to emulate our superheroes. 

Emulate ! That's an interesting word. We do try to emulate them don't we? But how? We try buying masks or morphers or capes and dress up looking like them. But that's not emulating. To emulate is to 

Ok, let's analyze a little. Why do we love our superheroes? Colourful costumes and Choreographed moves are fascinating, yes ! The superpowers that they [possess? Then tell me the reason why Batman is one of the most favorite superhero?  For an adult, something else seems enticing. That's the alter ego of Superhero, the actual man behind the mask. (I'm supposed to say woman also, but for some reason there seems to be not many charismatic female superheroes) It is the character and the story behind the mask or the cape. It is the story of the Bruce Waynes, the Clark Kents, The Peter Parkers, The Gangadhars and The Rohit Mehras.

One striking coincidence in all these back stories is the anonymity of the lead character. ( Please leave one particular Mr Tony Stark out of this) The heroics of the Dark Knight are not seen as those of the arrogant, rich and bratty Mr Bruce Wayne. So, why exactly do they do all this? All these are the stuff they can't put up on their resumes or brag about. They spend a majority of their time and almost the entire physical and mental strength fighting what is evil and they generally don't even care to stay back and enjoy their triumphs. They succeed at times and fail the rest ! A Gangadhar can't brag about Shakthimaan's victory but finds himself morally responsible for his defeat. He needs to come up with obscure yet believable fake stories regarding his absence and injuries. All of this for what?? Think about it, no one , other than an occasional someone like an Alfred will know about the other side of the story. The alter egos of the superheroes undergo a lot of ridicule, made fun of and need to have a running day job inspite of being a superhero who is capable of selling his services for a bounty. By choosing to be a superhero, he risks not just his life but that of his near and dear ones. This is almost like voluntarily writing their name in the Deathnote.

Coming back to reality, we have seen so many people, wait, why see elsewhere, if we look at ourselves, we are not willing to spend our time, money and effort on anything that wouldn't give us back something that we can add in our resumes or something that gives us materialistic gain or power or respect in the society.

Why do superheroes screw up their personal and professional lives to save a bunch of people they don't even know?  They save the very same people who give their alter egos hell. Why ? Why?
I probably cannot tell you why, because I ain't a superhero, I'm just another one who is on a eat-exist-sleep loop like the rest.

But, I believe a superhero need not necessarily be someone equipped with fancy weapons or an impenetrable shield. As told by Batman in Nolan's movie, anyone can be a superhero. I'll tell you who I consider to be a superhero. My dad. A normal bank employee. He works really hard the whole day and comes back late at night. He has bought the TV and doesn't even get to use it. He lets me watch whatever I want. He then does the dishes and takes care of other work. And more often than not, he has to bear my temper tantrums. He is my Superhero. Someone who does all the work and has to bear with our bullshit. My mom. Someone who prepares delicious food thrice( sometimes even more ) a day, takes care of the house, takes care of all us kids regardless of how she is. All this with an eternal smile. Always defends me even when I have done something wrong. She is my superhero.

You , yes you reading this, can also be a superhero. Let's try to do things not to just impress someone or get some benefit from it. Let us start thinking about the opposite person and not just about us all the time. I agree everyone is self-centered. It's the radius that makes a person a superhero in someone else's life.