The Superhero I really didn't know a lot about was Spiderman. I've never actually seen any of the Toby McGuire movies, but I saw the new one right before I came back to school this semester. It's kind-of what sparked my interest. Then I went to New York with Chorale and saw the Spiderman musical Turn Off the Dark. I really enjoyed it. His origin story is the one that I most enjoy. I like that he stops the bad guys because you never know what could happen if you just let them go. He learned that the hard way. He's also the easiest to relate to. We all have times that we feel that we don't fit in and Spiderman can help us get through it.
I always though Superman was kind-of annoying. Like he was too perfect to actually be beaten. He always won. Reading Earth-1 definitely changed my thoughts on Superman. I knew he was from another planet, but I never actually though about what it would be like to live in a place where you don't belong. In Earth-1, we actually see him struggling to figure out his purpose in life, which we all really do. I'm very excited to see Man of Steel this summer. It looks like it will finally show some bigger struggle in Superman's life.
I have learned what I really admire in life. I admire those who act as superheroes. Not with the costumes or anything, but those who put others first and will stand up for those who need the help are the ones I admire. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I never realized that I like the Superhero attitude so much. Having so much passion to help others is something I really look up to.
I would've liked to talk a lot more about Wolverine. I know we talked about the X-Men, but I think having discussions about Wolverine specifically would be really interesting. Maybe we did have them. I was gone in New York during almost all of the X-Men discussions. I think there's a lot to learn from Wolverine. To not remember your past or where you came from at all would be incredibly difficult. I can't even imagine how I would cope with something like that. It would be hard trying to figure out your past as you're trying to live your life.
I'm trying to think of what superhero is the best model for a good citizen, but it depends on your definition of "good citizen." If we're talking about the government's definition, I would say Captain America. Everything he does is for the people and the government. He takes care of things outside the country and protects us. When it comes to my own definition of "good citizen," I would say that Batman matches that perfectly. He works with the police, but outside the law. He genuinely cares about his city and will do anything he can to help protect it. To me, he is the perfect citizen because he fights to make his city better.
