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The loneliness of superheroes
Why men love capes
I loved superheroes as a boy because superheroes are allowed to punch. Their fury is righteous. They spoke to me from the pages of comic books I would read, by myself, in the backseat of the family car, while it was parked in the driveway. No one ever thought to look for me there. I was safe from parents, siblings, and supervillains.
Superheroes explained the world to me at the same time it was being explained to me by uncles, coaches, neighbors, and men on screens, big and small. Fight. Do not cry. If you can’t be brave, get mad.
Life is pain, and the only way to avoid that pain is to scream and karate chop it right in the throat.
The best defense against complicated feelings is a snarling offense. Show your teeth. Attack! Do not share your dreams or joys with anyone. Do not trust anyone with your softness. Hide your joys behind barbed wire. Life is pain, and the only way to avoid loss and regret is to never love or risk happiness in the first place.
Superheroes speak the two languages all boys know. The first language is violence. The second is anger. These lessons have been passed down from father to son for generations. They are meant to make boys strong, and strength is a…
