The following is a list of the first known appearances of various superhero fictional characters and teams a superhero also known as a super hero or superhero is a fictional character of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derringdo in the public interest. Here are some of the most famous superheroes of all time ranked by how great and epic their origin stories are. Our world in the age of the superhero by grant morrison isbn. The cultural saturation of superheroes may have reached its zenith. The origin of captain marvel remains the weirdest in comic book history. On the origin of superheroes by chris gavaler is a free netgalley book that i read during a dinner party in late october. Counting down the biggest and best superhero origin films of all time you might be surprised at the films that didnt make the cut. We trace back the history and origins of your favorite superheroes. This book is a conglomerated comics history popculture nerds dream. How ancient legends gave birth to modern superheroes. In other words, if the only powers in your world comes from magic i. On the origin of superheroes is a quirky, personal tour of the mythology, literature, philosophy, history, and grand swirl of ideas that have permeated western culture in the centuries leading up to the first appearance of superheroes as we know them today in 1938. Superhero comics are one of the most common genres of american comic books. Secret origins of the super dc heroes dennis oneil, carmine infantino on.
The psychology behind superhero origin stories arts. A little boy is led by a stranger into an an anthology of the original origin stories for the core dc comics superheroes, both the golden age versions from the 1930s and the silver age updates of the 1960s. Since the debut of superman in 1938 by jerry siegel and joe shuster, stories of superheroes ranging from. Batmans origin is one of the most tragic in all of comic books, and set the stage for countless copycats using the trope of a hero who. Each year, hollywood continues to release more bigbudget superhero movies from the marvel universe and beyond, earning billions of dollars. Comic book tales of masked dogooders now dominate cinemas, but these stories are not new in fact, they have their origins in antiquity, writes natalie haynes. Comic book superheroes unmasked documentary the origin. The images that pop up in most peoples heads when they think about superheroes can be traced back to the 1938 debut of superman and the genre evolution that followed. On the origin of superheroes university of iowa press. So which superherosuperpower do you think has the laziest origin. An unconventional analysis of the cultural phenomenon of superheroes that goes far beyond comic books. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. I dont think they mean no magic based heroes though.