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This is an unedited copy of a short essay I wrote yesterday detailing why I think that Batman is the greatest superhero. While you may disagree, and probably do, I think this is pretty correct. All of this comes from my head too, so don't take everything as inexpleciable fact.
Intrinsic in the human spirit is the will to be better. Humans are constantly seeking to better themselves in one form or another. College, for example, is purely designed to better a person. Self-destructive behaviors such as alcohol and drugs are also seen as betterment by those who do them. The high caused by these substances are seen as a better alternative than reality by the users. This drive to be better is epitomized by superheroes. A hero is a person who does great things, which generally entails making many things better for many people. A superhero is exactly that except on a much grander scale. A superhero is often the savior of all mankind. A superhero is the greatest possible human being. When the debate of greatest superhero ever dreamed up comes around, the nerds quickly divide into three broad factions. The general population, or the small part of it which discusses such things, generally support Batman, Superman, or Spiderman as the greatest superhero. While Spiderman and Superman are great heroes, Batman is the greatest.
Superman is what the majority of average (read: non-nerd) Americans think of when they think of the superhero. This fact alone should make Superman the greatest superhero according to some. This is not enough. When people think of science, they often think of the show CSI. While CSI is a good show, it does not accurately portray science. The same goes for superheroes. Superman is not the greatest superhero for a single reason, but that single reason is the most important reason possible. First off is the fact that his powers keep him from being the greatest hero. Millions of flabby arms are screaming aloud reading this. It is, contrary to popular belief, true. Superman is nothing more than his powers, which are admittedly great. He has a weakness; a singular weakness. No other hero can claim that kind of superiority. That invulnerability is exactly the thing that keeps him from being the greatest hero. He is not human. Superman is an alien. Unlike humans, which have myriad weaknesses, Superman is invulnerable to everything except kryptonite. Superman can not possibly be the greatest hero because he does not have to deal with being human. He is just an average member of his society that has emigrated from his planet to Earth. He is above such things as reality, and is therefore not the greatest superhero.
Spiderman is often cited as the greatest superhero. He is the light-hearted youth fighting crime that so many see as the greatest possible hero. He deals with many horrible things, but manages to retain his innocence and juvenile nature. This seems to be the greatest possible thing. He manages to retain his identity without sacrificing his abilities. He is the best of both human and superhero. What could possibly be wrong with that? Well, just like Superman, Spiderman is not the best because of the thing that makes him best. Spiderman constantly sees the bright side of things. He never seems to realize that the world really sucks. He fights crime every single day that would cause most of America cringe, yet seems to always have a witty one-line joke to break the tension. He lacks the ability to identify with real people. Any real person would be horribly affected by seeing and doing the things that Spiderman has to do. Spiderman is only a superhero because he let his Uncle die. A normal person would be devastated, but Spiderman goes on as if it did not actually affect him. In short, Spiderman is not mature enough and not real enough to be the best superhero.
Batman is usually the third choice of those arguing over which superhero is best. He seems a logical next step. He has a mask, a cape, a cool car, and he fights crime. That seems like almost every other superhero, but it is not. Spiderman is a superhero—without a cape!—because of a radioactive spider. Superman is a superhero because he is an alien. Batman, unlike nearly every single superhero ever, is completely human. He is not part bat. He is not an alien. He is just a wealthy American citizen who wants to fight crime. He has to struggle with human paint, human emotion, and human fear. He has to deal with the real world too. He, unlike Spiderman, is affected by everything that happens. As is illustrated by Batman: The Dark Knight, Batman feels the consequences of what he does. He understands what it means to be human. Spiderman tries, for a brief time, to forego his abilities. He tries to be a normal person but fails. Peter Parker wanted to be rid of his abilities. Peter Parker feels that his abilities are detrimental to those around him and tries to get rid of them. Batman feels the same at one point, but for a slightly different reason. Spiderman feels that abilities should be cast aside because they are causing him personal agony. Batman, on the other hand, feels that his abilities are hurting the entire city of Gotham. He thinks that Batman is no longer a useful crime-stopper. He is completely self-less in his decision to stop being Batman. Thanks to Batman’s entirely human nature, he is able to make the transition seamlessly between human and superhero. Because Batman is a mature and average human, albeit a rich one, who manages to retain his own identity, fight crime, and embrace his abilities to help humanity, he is the greatest superhero ever.
Batman is the greatest superhero because he is a hero on a scale that is grander than anything set by either Spiderman or Superman. Spiderman expresses neither enough human emotion nor enough maturity to be the best superhero. Superman is not human enough to be the best. Batman finds the perfect balance of everything. He is a human yet is a superhuman. He is a hero, yet maintains his identity. Because of Batman’s many fine qualities he is the greatest superhero, and he epitomizes what it means to be a superhero.
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