The Fine Line

In comic books there are two kinds of people: Heroes and villains. But, if you look closer you'll find a third group, those who take the law into their own hands and use their resources to either help the innocent or terminate the target. These people are known as Anti-Heroes, individuals who's alignments either change naturally or are forced to change.

What makes a superhero an anti-hero? It's not too complicated, there are examples of what districts them from our usual cowls and capes. For one thing, anti-heroes kill their enemies. Sometimes out of justification, sometimes out of insanity, most often the latter. But, wait. Wonder Woman and Captain America kill their enemies, does that make them anti-heroes? Not exactly, the difference is the context of killing. If Cap is being shot at, he'll shoot back. However, a character like 

The Punisher will not only shoot back, but he'll torture any surviving enemies to get intel on the man who sent them. Another thing that separates anti-heroes from heroes is public appeal. Superman gets attention and applause from people because of his friendly personality and compassion. Public appeal on a darker character like Moon Knight is focused on his madness. Sometimes anti-heroes have no public appeal at all just because the public never sees them. A lot of anti-heroes are mysterious vigilantes talked about on the street as if they were folktales, not known in detail by the public.

Anti-Heroes are just as interesting as heroes or villains because of their duality. What makes them consider something to be good or bad? Why are their opinions and morals the way they are? Most of the time their way of thinking is driven by personal experience. In some cases these moments define them, and in others these moments leave them empty surrogates who either fight for what's right, what's fair or what they want. Regardless of what they're aiming for, you can be damned sure they won't miss.