Chapter 13: Hero's Journey pt. 1: Superheroes, Origin Stories, and the F*cking Heart Ring
It's from those cartoons and movies like Star Wars (the original trilogy), Superman, the Indiana Jones trilogy, The Princess Bride, and Batman (1989) that I became fascinated by the "hero's journey". Popularized by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he discusses the journey of the archetypal hero who goes on an adventure, undergoes several obstacles, triumphs in the end, and returns home changed from the experience. Despite some of the legitimate criticisms about his theory for it's ethnocentric, masculine-centric, privileged, and being too simplistic as a "monomyth", there are still quite a few helpful takeaways I derived from it.
What is it about the hero's journey and specifically superhero mythology that resonates with so many people? Is it the hope that we were made for something bigger than ourselves? Like Luke Skywalker being raised by moisture farmers in the outskirts of Tatooine and dreaming of something more for his life. Or Superman being sent to Earth as a baby and raised in Smallville after his ship was discovered by the Kents. There was an element of destiny with those type of heroes, their call to adventure was essentially their birthright. Is it a desire to experience power beyond our wildest imaginations? Wonder Woman is a literal god created out of clay by the Queen Hippolyta in Themyscira, a fictional island inhabited by Amazonian women. Thor is a literal god based on Norse mythology. What else were they going to be besides superheroes? The same with Superman or the X-Men who are born with superhuman abilities and emerge as they mature (a metaphor for puberty). If you can shoot lasers from your eyes or control the weather, I don't imagine you aspire to be a CPA or an Uber Driver. You're meant for bigger things.
Or do we identify with the change a hero undergoes as a response to personal trauma and obstacles? Many of the heroes who resonate with me began their hero's journeys as responses to personal traumas. Beloved characters like the Hulk and Daredevil received their powers and inevitable call, as side effects to horrific accidents. Tony Stark had to build his Iron Man suit after succumbing a near fatal injury to his chest by his kidnappers. Bruce Wayne saw his parents murdered (as portrayed in every f*cking movie, TV, animated, and comic version of Batman. I'm relieved that Matt Reeves in The Batman elected to skip this flashback) and through survivor's guilt and PTSD was singularly driven to wage a one man war on crime. Granted he was extremely privileged to be born into affluence and inherited billions to wage this war on crime. Imagine a scenario if Bruce Wayne was left penniless after his parents were murdered and had to become Batman while broke? Similarly when Peter Parker blamed himself for the murder of his Uncle Ben by a petty criminal, Spider-Man adopted the mantra that "With great power there must also come great responsibility".
On a related note, for some heroes their gifts can be a source of their trauma. Adolescent me had a crush on Rogue from the X-Men and the cartoonishly buxom way the character was drawn (you can definitely tell what kind of audience comic book artists were catering to in the 90's). But the very nature of her powers, the ability to absorb people's memories and strength through physical touch, severely limited her ability to have physical contact with others. For someone who's dealt with loneliness for much of his life and yearned to feel love and acceptance, I identified strongly with the powers Rogue was cursed with. And for someone like a Rogue, her call and personal happiness appeared to be incompatible with one another.
... And there are heroes who's call doesn't come from birthright or trauma, but as a response to something that's going on externally. An example of this is Steve Rogers, a frail young man who joined the military because he was compelled to join the war efforts in WWII. The origin of his powers and abilities with the "Super-soldier serum" was a response to his personal weakness, it allowed his physical abilities to match his strength of character and unwavering moral goodness. But as depicted in Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve already possessed heroic qualities of a Captain America when he jumped on top a grenade to protect his fellow cadets and proved himself worthy of receiving the serum.
"Heroes are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with." - Brodi Ahston, Everneath
If we look at our lives and our hero's journey, what is your origin story? How did you receive your call to adventure? Unfortunately I was not born a prodigy, nor have I any unique, practical talents that would make my call a birthright. I am unremarkably average, the reluctant hero who struggles with his own self-image, impostor syndrome, and unworthiness. I've been fortunate to have a mentor and few close friends who championed my worth and didn't allow my "failures" reflect negatively on my inherent value. While I've not have experienced any significant external tragedies, most of my traumas are internal. I know that my call to bring empathy and healing to others is a direct response to the abandonment, isolation, and loneliness that I experienced growing up. I know what it's like to feel rejected, an outsider, and struggle with mental health. And if I can help another person feel seen, heard, and less alone, then I'm serving a purpose to save as many people from that mental abyss as possible. And like Steve Rogers, minus the patriotism; don't ever let me wear the team colors of the MAGits who champion oppression, inequality, and white nationalism. Sometimes that call to adventure comes from witnessing injustice, inequalities, and wanting to make a difference and you're willing to dive on a grenade for it.
I might have been gifted a lame heart ring instead of the more desired "super-solider serum", but I am making the most of the powers I was given.
"I can do this all day".
Portrait Photography: https://www.zacharyleeportrait.com
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