Super Similarities

This week I will be discussing the alter-egos of whom I like to call the "three greats". By the three greats, I mean the most well known people of all of superherodom- Batman, Superman, and Spiderman. All three of these prominent protectors of justice have some similarities and even more differences. This week I will be focusing on their similarities. All three of these gentlemen are portrayed as youthful and intelligent males throughout their heroic appearances in their rightfully named superhero movies. Clark Kent (Superman) was reporter for "The Daily Planet", while Peter Parker (Spiderman) was a photographer for the "Daily Bugle". Both of these individuals were portrayed as somewhat nerdy and in the movies and fall way short of the "oh so debonair” Bruce Wayne (Batman) . Bruce Wayne is portrayed as the billionaire whose job is professional philanthropy, even though he wasn't really connected to the newspaper industry; I'm sure he sold alot of them when he or Batman made the headlines. They all have one distinct commonality, which was their childhoods. They were all raised by people other than their parents. Peter Parker was raised by his uncle Ben and aunt May. Bruce was raised by his faithful butler, Alfred, after his parents' untimely death. Clark, on the other hand was raised by his "earthling" parents Jonathan and Martha Kent. I feel that these stand- in parents deserve a pat on the back for raising these heroic figures and instilling in them their strong moral standings. Another feature that each of these characters share is, that they all have the ultimate accessory... their own personal "damsel in distress". These ladies "just so happen" to find themselves caught up in some rather precarious situations and in need of saving. Peter Parker chases Mary Jane Watson throughout the Spiderman trilogy, saving her and getting his heart broken on several occasions. Clark Kent had his Lois Lane, that he too rescues and eventually falls in love with. Last but not least, the notorious play boy, Bruce Wayne becomes smitten with the elusive Rachel Dawes.... and they say that superhero movies are all explosions and cheesy lines. There are so many more parallels between these three superheroes that I can't fit them all in this one blog. It is amazing that these three characters could have so many similarities, even when they are so notably different. It isn’t their jobs, childhoods or love interests that unite these characters, but what they stand for. These superheroes are fictional, but we too share commonalities with them. These heroes are the guardians that embody all the good qualities that most of us have and strive for, even if they are buried way deep down and don’t show all the time. I am not saying that we all have the ability to save the world, but we all have the ability to make it just a little bit better for those around us. So go ahead this week, release your “inner-superhero”, you may be surprised at what you can achieve.