SUPERHEROES 607
One can identify the three primary conventions of the superhero genre. Th e most
identifi able element of the genre is that the protagonist has superpowers— extraordinary
abilities, advanced technology, or highly developed physical and/or mental skills
(including mystical abilities). Second, the superhero has a selfl ess, pro-social mission,
which means that his fi ght against evil must fi t in with the existing, professed mores of
society and must not be intended to benefi t or further himself. Finally, the protagonist
has a specifi c superhero identity, which is embodied in a codename and iconic costume,
which typically express the superhero’s biography, inner character, powers, or origin—
the transformation from ordinary person to superhero. Often superheroes have dual
identities, the ordinary one of which is usually a closely guarded secret.
Th e identity element comprises the codename and the costume, with the secret
identity being a customary counterpart to the codename. Th e identity convention most
clearly marks the superhero as diff erent from his predecessors. Superheroic identities
externalize either their alter ego’s inner character or biography. Superman is a super
man who represents the best humanity can hope to achieve; his codename expresses his
inner character. Th e Batman identity was inspired by Bruce Wayne’s encounter with a
bat while he was seeking a disguise that would strike terror into the hearts of criminals;
his codename embodies his biography. Th e superhero costume iconically represents
the superhero identity—Batman wears a bat costume, Spider-Man a spider costume,
and Captain America an American fl ag costume. Th e superhero’s chevron—the shield
or emblem typically worn on the chest—specifi cally emphasizes the character’s code-
name and is itself a simplifi ed statement of that identity; Batman’s bat, Green Lantern’s
lantern, and Captain Marvel’s lightning bolt each indicates the source of the character’s
mission, powers, or identity.
Th ese three elements—mission, powers, and identity—establish the core of the
genre. Yet specifi c superheroes can exist who do not fully demonstrate these three ele-
ments, and heroes from other genres may exist who display all three elements to some
degree but should not be regarded as superheroes. Th e similarities between specifi c in-
stances of a genre are semantic, abstract, and thematic, and come from the constellation
of conventions that are typically present in a genre off ering. If a character basically fi ts
the mission-powers-identity defi nition, even with signifi cant qualifi cations, and cannot
be easily placed into another genre because of the preponderance of superhero-genre
conventions, the character is a superhero.
Th e Hulk can be said to be a superhero without a mission. During the Hulk’s
periods of low intelligence, his adventures do not arise from his attempts to fi ght crime
or to improve the world. Instead he wanders the planet primarily seeking solitude
while being drawn, or stumbling, into the plans of supervillains. He acts eff ectively as a
superhero but does not have the mission or motivation to do so. He clearly has super-
powers, and his superhero identity is composed of his codename—the Hulk—and his
body, which eff ectively acts as a costume, especially given the Hulk’s iconic green and
purple color scheme. His tales, though, are suff used with secondary conventions of the
superhero genre: supervillains—the Leader, the Abomination; superhero physics—the
