The rise of the Anti- Hero

I recently started interning at a newspaper. Just thought I would post select articles on my pathetically denuded blog. I am carefully choosing which articles I publish online since I want people to get the impression that I am suave and intellectual. Even if I fail in my endeavour, I hope I succeed in entertaining some of you at least.

Comic book geeks must certainly be delighted. Hollywood has taken to the genre with such enthusiasm that they even put Pritam’s untiring efforts to plagiarise music to shame. This year has already seen the release of Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight with three other films slated for release in the months to come. It would be redundant to say that big studios have realised the veritable goldmine these movies are. However, we increasingly find superheroes becoming more human. Their characters go through moral dilemmas and have shades of grey. While some seem to be vigilantes with their own propaganda, others question their own right to uphold order in society. So why are superheroes in this new form, so phenomenally appealing to society?
When Superman first appeared on screen in the 1930s, he reflected the hopes and needs of society at that time. During the Second World War, people needed to feel that an invincible caped crusader, who was capable of stopping any enemy, was on their side. He was a symbol of patriotism and pure spirited heroism in a world betrayed by the vices of men.
Now however, we need our superheroes to have something more than just extraordinary abilities. “We find that characters are proving to be in close touch with the Zeitgeist, tapping into an overwhelming feeling of global self-doubt best exemplified by Tobey Maguire's take on Peter Parker,” says Finlo Rohrer of BBC News Magazine in his article titled, whatever happened to the superheroes of old. Even Batman, as interpreted by Christopher Nolan, is a superhero who doubts his role in society. In the dark night he constantly reiterates the need for Harvey Dent to become the real hero of the city, going as far as to sacrifice his reputation as Batman to save that of Dent’s.
The rise of this new hero is best illustrated by the popularity of Alan Moore’s dark graphic novel V for Vendetta that was released in 2005 and talks about a vigilante who fights against a totalitarian government in a post apocalyptic world in the future. Terrorism, homosexuality, religious freedom and the right to freedom of expression all find a mention in the movie and V, the protagonist of the film is a deconstructed form of the conventional superhero archetype. Watchmen, another book authored by Alan Moore, has been made into a movie and is slated for release this year. The protagonist of the novel is a character named Rorschach who is portrayed to be the pinnacle of moral absolutism. Says Wikipedia about him “He often treats radically different types of criminals in similar ways (for example, he executes both a serial rapist and a common mugger)”.
Apart from Moore’s comics, other comic book heroes are also revealing their human side. Termed as anti- heroes, they show human emotions of selfishness, anger and ignorance. We often find them bending or breaking the law, believing that the end will justify the means. They cuss and swear and sometimes reveal their helplessness in a world that is beyond their control. Wolverine of X-men, The Hulk and now even Batman from The Dark Knight are examples of this. Even super villains aren’t portrayed as being absolute evil anymore. They are often portrayed as being victims of circumstance who the audience can relate to. Magneto from X-men, Two face and Mr Freeze from Batman and The Green Goblin from Spiderman are all examples of anti- hero villains.
The face of danger has changed. The duality of human existence has come to the fore. On one hand we have the power to create and on the other, we can destroy everything. We have become our own greatest enemy. Thus, the movies we watch and the books we read all reflect this duality.

by Shivani Bail