mere mortal super heroes: Part II

Last time, I told you a little about my fascination with super heroes, comic books, and action figures. Today, I’m going to tell you a little about why my fascination has remained intact for all these years. You see, like most kids, I was drawn to super heroes at a young age by the brightly colored costumes and the really cool powers. But as I have gotten older I have realized that there are certain super heroes that I actually respect as an example of what my life should be like. I noticed back a few years ago, that a lot of the characters to whom I seemed to be most drawn (Batman, Robin, Green Arrow, Arsenal, and my all-time favorite, Nightwing) all had one thing in common……they were actually mere mortals. They did not have any super, meta-human, or mystical powers. They were just plain old average joes who decided that there was a need for them to be more. These people had to spend countless hours, days, months, and years developing and honing the skills they needed to make a difference in the world. They had to spend time training their bodies and minds to be at a level where they could fight alongside the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash. They actually had to work to become heroes, unlike the ones who were born with phenomenal powers or attained them as a result of some sort of freak lab accident.

As I mentioned before, Nightwing is my all-time favorite super hero. For those of you who aren’t familiar with his story, let me bring you up to speed. Nightwing is actually Dick Grayson, who was the very first Robin. Much like Bruce Wayne (Batman), Dick had a very traumatic childhood. He watched his entire family be murdered by a maniacal villain when he was a young boy. After he was orphaned, Bruce Wayne took him in as a ward and began to train him to become a sidekick for Batman. Dick worked hard and became known as Robin aka “the Boy Wonder”. He spent many years living and fighting crime in the shadow of Batman. He also spent many years dealing with and overcoming the personal demons that had emerged because of his early life. Finally, when he became an adult, he decided it was time to step out of the shadow and become a hero in his own right. Thus, the persona of Nightwing was born. In the time since, Nightwing has become one of the most beloved and respected heroes in the DC Comics Universe. He is not only well-liked and respected by the DC Comics fans and comic book geeks the world over, he is well-liked and respected by the other characters in the DC Universe. As a matter of fact, many people consider him to be the glue that holds the DC Universe together. Since leaving the shadow of Batman, Nightwing has proven himself to be a true and capable leader during stints with the Teen Titans and the Outsiders (two of the largest super groups in DC Comics). He has also stepped up as a leader of the largest and most powerful DC super group, the Justice League of America. He was even chosen to take over the mantle of Batman last year when Bruce Wayne was supposedly killed. When you stop and think about the impact Batman has had not only on the DC Comics Universe but on the world and pop culture as we know it, it says a lot that Dick Grayson was chosen to fill those boots. Even though he is just a comic book character, Dick Grayson (who will always be Nightwing to me) is a shining example of what a true super hero should be: someone who overcomes the adversities and obstacles that life puts before them. Someone who digs deep inside themselves and finds the strength, courage, and determination to step out of their comfort zone and fight with everything that is within them to make a difference in the world. Someone who manages to do all of these things with grace, dignity, and character. Someone who stands as a shining example of what it means to be a hero. So you see, most people may think it’s crazy (or maybe even a little sad) for a grown man to read comic books and be fascinated by super heroes that are really just fictional characters. But the reason these fictional characters are important to me is that I see in them an example of what I want to be in my life. I want to be a man who strives to make a difference. I want to be a man who combats injustice. I want to be a man who helps people who don’t have the means or are incapable of helping themselves. I want to be a man who stands for justice, character, and what’s right. I want to be like Nightwing.I want to be a mere mortal super hero.