"Dr. Rosenberg explores the importance of origin stories and what they tell us about the characters and real people. She reveals the origins stories of seven superheroes, how those stories have evolved over time, and what they can tell us about ourselves"--

Where did Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and their super hero friends come from? How did they get their powers? Who were they before they were super heroes? Each origin story is a thrilling, self-contained bedtime story. Baby Kal-El makes a dramatic escape from the planet Krypton, arriving on Earth in a rocket ship. Wonder Woman and Nubia are shaped out of clay by their mother Hippolyta, and given their powers by the gods. Each Green Lantern—Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Jessica Cruz—came by their power rings in interesting ways. Young super heroes will love learning about how their favorite characters came to be.

Most readers think that superheroes began with Superman’s appearance in Action Comics No. 1, but that Kryptonian rocket didn’t just drop out of the sky. By the time Superman’s creators were born, the superhero’s most defining elements—secret identities, aliases, disguises, signature symbols, traumatic origin stories, extraordinary powers, self-sacrificing altruism—were already well-rehearsed standards. Superheroes have a sprawling, action-packed history that predates the Man of Steel by decades and even centuries. On the Origin of Superheroes is a quirky, personal tour of the mythology, literature, philosophy, history, and grand swirl of ideas that have permeated western culture in the centuries leading up to the first appearance of superheroes (as we know them today) in 1938. From the creation of the universe, through mythological heroes and gods, to folklore, ancient philosophy, revolutionary manifestos, discarded scientific theories, and gothic monsters, the sweep and scale of the superhero’s origin story is truly epic. We will travel from Jane Austen’s Bath to Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Mars to Owen Wister’s Wyoming, with some surprising stops along the way. We’ll meet mad scientists, Napoleonic dictators, costumed murderers, diabolical madmen, blackmailers, pirates, Wild West outlaws, eugenicists, the KKK, Victorian do-gooders, detectives, aliens, vampires, and pulp vigilantes (to name just a few). Chris Gavaler is your tour guide through this fascinating, sometimes dark, often funny, but always surprising prehistory of the most popular figure in pop culture today. In a way, superheroes have always been with us: they are a fossil record of our greatest aspirations and our worst fears and failings.

For untold years Norrin Radd has surfed the galaxy, exploring the darkness between stars, witnessing the rise and fall of vast civilizations. Now his ride is about to come to an end. It starts with a small spot - a blemish that will spread until he is no more. Until then, the Silver Surfer would undertake his final voyage - to the one destination that has always eluded him. His journey starts where it began. Guest-starring the Fantastic Four! Collects Silver Surfer: Requeim (2007) #1-4.

This full-color illustrated chapter book tells the origin of how Marinette and Adrien became the spectacular superheroes known as Ladybug and Cat Noir! Based on Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, as seen on Disney! It's the first day of school! Marinette, a clumsy but sweet girl, is dreading going back to class and seeing the girl who bullies her. Meanwhile, Adrien, a famous model, wishes he could go to school like every other teenager, but his overprotective father refuses to let him! When the two receive mysterious Miraculouses, magical jewels that give them super powers, it turns their worlds upside down. Adrien is thrilled to transform into Cat Noir and get the freedom he craves, but Marinette struggles with becoming Ladybug--she lacks confidence and doesn't feel worthy of her powers. Can the two learn to work as a team when supervillain Hawk Moth sends a rock-solid foe named Stone Heart steal their Miraculouses and destroy Paris? Miraculous(TM) is a trademark of ZAG(TM) - Method(TM).© 2022 ZAGTOON(TM) - METHOD ANIMATION(TM) - TOEI ANIMATION - SAMG - SK BROADBAND - AB INTERNATIONAL - DE AGOSTINI EDITORE S.p.A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

It's easy to name a superhero--Superman, Batman, Thor, Spiderman, the Green Lantern, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rorschach, Wolverine--but it's not so easy to define what a superhero is. Buffy has superpowers, but she doesn't have a costume. Batman has a costume, but doesn't have superpowers. What is the role of power and superpower? And what are supervillains and why do we need them? In What is a Superhero?, psychologist Robin Rosenberg and comics scholar Peter Coogan explore this question from a variety of viewpoints, bringing together contributions from nineteen comic book experts--including both scholars in such fields as cultural studies, art, and psychology as well as leading comic book writers and editors. What emerges is a kaleidoscopic portrait of this most popular of pop-culture figures. Writer Jeph Loeb, for instance, sees the desire to make the world a better place as the driving force of the superhero. Jennifer K. Stuller argues that the female superhero inspires women to stand up, be strong, support others, and most important, to believe in themselves. More darkly, A. David Lewis sees the indestructible superhero as the ultimate embodiment of the American "denial of death," while writer Danny Fingeroth sees superheroes as embodying the best aspects of humankind, acting with a nobility of purpose that inspires us. Interestingly, Fingeroth also expands the definition of superhero so that it would include characters like John McClane of the Die Hard movies: "Once they dodge ridiculous quantities of machine gun bullets they're superheroes, cape or no cape." From summer blockbusters to best-selling graphic novels, the superhero is an integral part of our culture. What is a Superhero? not only illuminates this pop-culture figure, but also sheds much light on the fantasies and beliefs of the American people.

This full-color illustrated chapter book tells the origin of how Marinette and Adrien became the spectacular superheroes known as Ladybug and Cat Noir! Based on Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, as seen on Disney! It's the first day of school! Marinette, a clumsy but sweet girl, is dreading going back to class and seeing the girl who bullies her. Meanwhile, Adrien, a famous model, wishes he could go to school like every other teenager, but his overprotective father refuses to let him! When the two receive mysterious Miraculouses, magical jewels that give them super powers, it turns their worlds upside down. Adrien is thrilled to transform into Cat Noir and get the freedom he craves, but Marinette struggles with becoming Ladybug--she lacks confidence and doesn't feel worthy of her powers. Can the two learn to work as a team when supervillain Hawk Moth sends a rock-solid foe named Stone Heart steal their Miraculouses and destroy Paris? Miraculous(TM) is a trademark of ZAG(TM) - Method(TM).© 2022 ZAGTOON(TM) - METHOD ANIMATION(TM) - TOEI ANIMATION - SAMG - SK BROADBAND - AB INTERNATIONAL - DE AGOSTINI EDITORE S.p.A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, the Avengers, the X-Men, Watchmen, and more: the companion volume to the PBS documentary series of the same name that tells the story of the superhero in American popular culture. Together again for the first time, here come the greatest comic book superheroes ever assembled between two covers: down from the heavens—Superman and the Mighty Thor—or swinging over rooftops—the Batman and Spider-Man; star-spangled, like Captain America and Wonder Woman, or clad in darkness, like the Shadow and Spawn; facing down super-villains on their own, like the Flash and the Punisher or gathered together in a team of champions, like the Avengers and the X-Men! Based on the three-part PBS documentary series Superheroes, this companion volume chronicles the never-ending battle of the comic book industry, its greatest creators, and its greatest creations. Covering the effect of superheroes on American culture—in print, on film and television, and in digital media—and the effect of American culture on its superheroes, Superheroes: Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture appeals to readers of all ages, from the casual observer of the phenomenon to the most exacting fan of the genre. Drawing from more than 50 new interviews conducted expressly for Superheroes!—creators from Stan Lee to Grant Morrison, commentators from Michael Chabon to Jules Feiffer, actors from Adam West to Lynda Carter, and filmmakers such as Zach Snyder—this is an up-to-the-minute narrative history of the superhero, from the comic strip adventurers of the Great Depression, up to the blockbuster CGI movie superstars of the 21st Century. Featuring more than 500 full-color comic book panels, covers, sketches, photographs of both essential and rare artwork, Superheroes is the definitive story of this powerful presence in pop culture.

Peter Coogan's 'Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre' unravels the evolution of superheroes. Discover the history, powers, and hero-villain dynamics in this concise, engaging read for comic fans and scholars.