The Superhero Invasion

Comic superheroes are competing on the big screen for profits and survival. As of Friday, Captain America has joined the fray.

He never achieved the global fame in like Superman or Batman. However, he is without a doubt the most patriotic hero, and while his uniform and shield can give that away, his tireless struggle for freedom and democracy is the most important testament of his love for his country.

Captain America was born at Marvel in March of 1941. He was supposed to be the answer to Superman, the star of the rival D.C. Comics. As opposed to Superman, he had no superhuman powers. Captain America started out as an ordinary boy, who only after a special serum turned into a super soldier. Fighting against the Nazis and the Japanese, he quickly became a star.

The Death of Superheroes

Back when Captain America made his debut, it was much easier to garner the support of ordinary citizens. Copies of Captain America comics went out in the millions. He was an example for the thousands of Americans deployed overseas.

The world of superheroes has become increasingly crowded. The rival Marvel and D.C. Comics created an ensemble of superheroes worthy of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Much like the gods of old, the fans of these heroes slowly melted away. The formula of caped and costumed heroes became stale. The comic lost ground to other entertainment sources, most notably the Internet. If Marvel and D.C. Comics can sell 300,000 copies of a comic issue, it is regarded as a success.

Superheroes are in danger of totally fading out and the cinemas have become their last hope. Marvel has recently come out with a movie chronicling the exploits of Captain America called “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Viewers can see the transformation of Steve Rogers and his epic clash with Red Skull. The result? Over $170 million in the Captain’s bank account so far. Such a sum of money can never be generated by any comic book. Fame today can be acquired only through Hollywood super-productions. Marvel has realized this a long time ago and has been releasing a stream of superhero movies. Last year they found a real cash cow with the second Iron Man movie ($622 million in profits). Before Captain America, Thor became a super hit ($447 million). These movies are only a prelude to the expected releases next year, such as the new Spiderman movie. How much will the movie make? The Spider trilogy made $2.5 billion between 2002 and 2007.

Hollywood Mascots

D.C. Comics is not giving up to Marvel, and has movies of its own. They have already released “Green Lantern” this year. The story of the pilot with superhuman powers grossed only $154 million, which is truly a miserly sum. DC Comics, it seems, is holding off this year, in preparation for 2012. The company’s two biggest stars, Batman and Superman, are expected to make their comebacks.

D.C. Comics has another trick up its sleeve to insure superhero longevity. They have planned for a reset of most of their superhero stories, which is expected to occur in September. The move is expected to garner more fans. The new stories will also be available in digital formats.

For now, it seems that the lives of Captain America, Superman and others will be played out on the big screen. The two comic publishers have been owned by cinema giants. In 2009, Marvel was acquired by Disney and DC Comics has been owned for years by Warner Bros. Both companies are trying to use superheroes as marketing tools.

That is the fate of heroes. Seemingly superhuman, they have been reduced to mere marketing tools.