Superheroes and their colorful adventures have been called modern mythology, or even uniquely American inventions, but neither is really true. If anything, today’s superheroes, whether in comics, video games or movies, are just the latest iterations of an archetype whose existence stretches back millennia, appearing in the myths and legends of virtually every culture on the planet.
But why superheroes? Why weren’t “regular” heroes, champions and leaders enough for a culture’s mythos? Psychologists and anthropologists have offered many different theories about this over the decades. One view is that tales of superhuman beings provide powerful allegories for humans. Such myths “offer symbolism of the hidden powers residing within each of us, powers that emerge only after dramatic situations coax them out of hibernation,” as one study put it.
What’s more, even though none of us are likely ever to gain mutant powers, or the abilities of a spider, or leap tall buildings in a single bound, superheroes are surprisingly relatable to ordinary mortals. They teach us something about ourselves “especially when we focus on psychological attributes. Because most superheroes — even the ones who aren’t human — function psychologically as humans,” notes psychologist Robin S. Rosenberg in her book Our Superheroes, Ourselves. So, we can identify on some level with their struggles and apply what we’ve learned to our own everyday challenges.
