What do super heroes wear?

 

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As I finished my last day of training, walking out of the hospital, I saw a sign stating: ‘not all superheros wear capes’; this phrase came to mean a lot during covid-- people used it to idolize some of the essential professions including: janitors, mail carriers, delivery servicer, doctors, nurses, grocery store workers, police officers, Etc.  I'll be honest, many days I don't and didn’t feel like a superhero and I don't want to be a superhero. But the thought that actually came to my mind when I saw this was: “then what do superheroes wear?”

Naturally, I first thought of Superman. Who maintains a separate life outside of being a superhero that of being the reporter, Clark Kent.  He provides knowledge and wisdom with proper objective information and articles. 

My next thought was of  Spider-Man, who has many obstacles in his life, one of which is that he works as a pizza boy and is a college student: working to improve him and his status by sacrificing some of the luxuries now for a brighter tomorrow. 

And then there are the financially established superheroes who do not need a second job, if you will, Iron Man, also known as the multi-millionaire Tony Stark, but is also a philanthropist, inventor and engineer. He provided scholarships, training sites and created opportunities for society improvement. 

Similarly, Bruce Wayne, or Batman and the Multi-millionaire Playboy. However, through his company, he worked and invested with his local community to improve and invest those for everyone. 

From more modern superheroes, Bill Farr or Mr. Incredible from Disney's Pixar. Working as an insurance adjuster, demonstrated honesty as he reported “their policy clearly stated it was covered”  also helping people navigate confusing situations by allowing them to know which forms to fill out and who to contact. 

What is the value of these different costumes? 

One purpose is to protect the identity of the superhero. As Helen or elastigirl,   instructed her daughter  

Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it. And if anything goes wrong, use your powers. 

However I think it is safe to say and demonstrated by these imaginary superheroes that it is hard to separate oneself from Who You Are. As practiced by these imaginary heroes; although they had a different-- non hero-- role they were still serving  and improving their communities and others. 

Another purpose may be to help others identify them as a superhero, allowing them to trust immediately and allow for quicker action.  As identified by Captain America: 

You know, it's kind of hard to trust someone when you don't know who that person really is.

 The last purpose may not be for the worlds to know, but for the hero themselves to have trust, to believe in who they are, and move forwards, as Barney Stinson states:

SUIT UP! Cause it’s going to be legend….. Wait for it ...ary 

So I think it's fair to say that these imaginary superheroes not only have their superhero victories for which they are famous but also in their own way maintain their superhero status in their day-to-day lives even when they are undercover. So it may be safe to say, but superheroes wear nerdy glasses  like Clark Kent, bicycle helmets  as demonstrated by Peter Parker, the latest  trendy fitness device by Tony Stark,  or 3-piece business suit as demonstrated by Bruce Wayne  and the white shirt and tie worn by Phil Parr.

I’ve often hear jokes about how minimal Clark Kent’s disguise was to fool those around him, and even those who thought they knew him the best.  But I have to wonder, how many superheroes are we missing because of their disguise?

 

Could it be they are wearing the overused scrunchie and sweatpants seen by an overworked mother staying up late to get a little needed ‘self care time’? 

Or a hand-me-down basketball jersey on the county rec team, showing fortitude and dignity by continuing to run and play, despite the evident hardships faced? 

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And what of those wearing name badges at reservation desks of hotels, greeting weary travelers with a smile and hope? Or in the grocery store providing direction and assistance in finding the anise star?

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And maybe some even wear fancy fashionable shoes as they walk through house after house helping others to find a home and shelter from the environment?

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Or maybe they carry a nine key in addition to a laptop to help others establish and maintain a bright financial future.  Why can we not see these as heroes?

And so, as I take off one costume, to don another I will try to remember to watch for all the other superheroes in glasses, scrunchies, shoes and bike helmets.

Picture credits:

Superman in Superman: Secret Origin #6 (October 2010). Art by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman

Tony Stark/Iron man 

Pat Loika, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/SDCC_2012_-_Tony_Stark_%287626726486%29.jpg

Batman

ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commonshttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Adam_West_as_Batman.jpg

Spiderman

Cristian Bortes / bortescristian, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons