Everyone Has A Hero

To the public eye superheroes are seen as perfect people, non-relatable characters who's powers, life styles and adventures make it difficult for people to see themselves as. Delving deeper some would see that superheroes are not just catered to the straight white male, as heroes of different races, countries, religions, genders and sexual orientations have been conceived since the 50's. But there are another group of heroes the public doesn't take notice of, heroes who relate to those not as capable as most. These are the disabled superheroes.

One of the earliest superheroes with a disability is the vigilante Daredevil who fought crime despite being blind. DC Comics created a blind superhero known as Doctor Mid-Nite, a former surgeon who lost his sight in an explosion, causing him to be permanently nocturnal. SHIELD Director Nick Fury-and coincidently his son, Nick Fury Jr-both lack their left eye, making them partially blind. Deafness is a disability that has also been tackled as the Avenger Hawkeye has used a hearing aid twice in his career to make up for his occasional loss of hearing. In fact, Marvel Comics created a child superhero named Blue Ear in an effort to show deaf kids there was no shame in wearing a hearing aid. A member of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight known as Puck happens to be a little-person. Several mute characters in comics include The Inhuman Black Bolt, Legion of Superheroes founder Saturn Girl, and the third-also my personal favorite-Batgirl Cassandra Cain. Among other teenage superheroes with shortcomings, Mia Dearden-the second Speedy and sidekick to Green Arrow-is HIV-positive due to her imprisonment in a child prostitution ring. Captain Marvel's sidekick-Captain Marvel Jr-had a lame leg and was forced to use a crutch when he wasn't in his superhero form. Peter Parker's high school bully Flash Thompson had lost his legs in the military and has been seen using both prosthetic legs and a wheelchair. His time in the military turned him into a better friend to Peter and also won him control over the Venom Symbiot, allowing him to become the superhero Agent Venom. On the subject of wheelchairs, the second and most well known Batgirl-Barbara Gordon-was crippled and put into a wheelchair for 22 years in comic history. During this time she took the codename Oracle and provided support to The Birds of Prey, The Suicide Squad and The Batman Family. As Oracle she still took part in combat, but mostly did her best to provide her allies with behind-the-scenes intelligence. Circling back to the earliest paraplegic hero in comic books we have Professor Charles Xavier, founder of The X-Men. Charles was crippled during his travels in the Himalayas, forcing him to live the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Sometimes a hovering wheelchair. Also, although it seems minor capered to his condition, Charles Xavier's mutant powers became so strong they caused him to go bald. Forever.

All good comic book characters have something someone can relate to. No matter who you might be or how different you are, there exists a superhero who was created because of people like you. Because writers understand everyone is different, some people don't have the capabilities others have, and to keep the idolization of superheroes away from those people because of something they lack or something they are only builds more walls between people. I applaud any writer who can create a character for disabled youths to admire, because it is through these costumed crime fighters that those children find hope. Thank you for reading.