The tragedy of being a superhero :)

So you want to be a superhero? Think again!

Most of us have grown up idolizing superheroes. Guys like Superman, Spiderman and others were always in a league of extraordinary folks who fight all that is wrong with powers to kill for. But are they really as invulnerable as they seem?

An oft concealed aspect of our superheroes is their personal lives. Most of these uniformed crusaders have a sad/tragic personal life behind them and it almost seems like their respective alter egos offer a chance to escape from it all. Take Spiderman for instance. In spite of having powers for a good length of time, the dude is yet to come to terms with his transformation from a normal college dude to spidey. His best friend hates Spiderman and holds him responsible for his dad’s death. Spidey is also unable to understand his relationship with MJ and seems to be suffering from a mild bout of schizophrenia.

For superman, the world is his enemy. A failed and wavering relationship with his girlfriend and lack of true friends form the core of his not so super existence. He doesn’t have any real buddies and all his relationships revolve around his status as the man of steel. He seems to be overburdened with his stretched role and probably wants to leave it all, and settle down with Miss. Lane, if the world weren’t so demanding.

Batman is constantly weighed down by a sense of remorse for not being able to save his parents during his childhood. He is often seen sitting around the fireplace trying to figure things out on gloomy evenings. Though he fights for peace in Gotham city, he is unable to find this elixir within himself. He is unable to see his reflection in a mirror for fear of being swamped by a cluster of negative emotions. Unlike spidey and suppie, batty’s sorrows are more apparent since he operates only in the graveyard shift and his thoughts are often amplified for the audience to hear and react.

Phantom, Mandrake and He man also share similar problems. Superhero psychologist Dr. Hammerschmidst feels that the superdudes are reeling under the increasing load of pressure exerted by us. “At the end of the day, these people are also human – they are also hurt, feel pain and need a bit of understanding from us. That’s the least that we can do for them,” he says.

So next time you feel the urge to don a cape, wear your langot on the outside, jump from tall buildings and fight crime, just pause for a moment and think. The world seems to be quite at ease with the phony superheroes pixelating our television and motion picture screens. Unfortunately, the world is not yet ready for you…