Capes Abound

We're defined by our enemies. Look at superheroes from the four-colors. To have them apply their powers towards the everyday mundane is ridiculous. No, they need a threat worthy of their elevated skills. Otherwise, Batman is just some random jackass in tights. All of the educational superheroes came off as lame, because fighting illiteracy, while incredibly important, is just not that cool. Look at the fools Reader-Man might have had to combat. High School Dropout, you never learned how to read because the system used you for your athletic ability until you blew your knee out? Horrors!

We've all, at one time or another, wanted to be more. The problem is doing so in a fashion that highlights the depths of your neediness. You're in a costume, and you're telling people, on the Metro, to use the Metro? Shouldn't you be locked up in an asylum of some sort? It's not a matter of where the heroes went, but more why we don't recognize the people trying to make a difference. And part of the problem is using the word "hero" so freely. The definition is watered down and meaningless.

What is it these people want? A little glamour, the chance to make a difference, a little attention. But then, look at the things they're doing. You're cutting the wheel clamps off cars. That's useful, I suppose. In terms of impact, you can look at it from a quality or a quantity standpoint. Most of these people are doing neither, because this alter-ego they assume is a stand-in for their daily self, the one they felt was not strong enough to carry this message of theirs. The true heroes go unmasked, unrecognized by the masses, and woefully underappreciated. Theirs are the stories that fade away from the hearts and minds of most, and shimmer for a select few. People may think that what's going on is that becoming one of these costumed crimefighters makes them a better person, forgetting that in the comics, these people were already strong individuals.