Real Life Superheroes

[SoulBlazerFan]

I've seen on G4 a preview a long while back on a "Cutting-edge" investigative report on the "Real-life" superheroes. There is also a website for these people- a google search away found these people.

Now the question I need to pose isn't are these people mad- they obviously are- but more what's to come.

Has anyone heard of the Moriarty Syndrome? I'm not sure if it's something I came up with or something I heard or read once. Moriarty was a character created to combat Shirlock Holmes. Like the law of gravity, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, for every hero there is an equal and opposite antagonist. So the Moriarty Syndrome is, in essence, the need for a person to be the equal of another, good person, and be their antithesis.

Do you think there will ever be Super villians that come forward? I feel there's an innate need in human nature to have conflict. That's why we go to see super heroes in films. That's why we read comics. That's why we play video games- the people need conflict.

You can discuss either- the real life superheroes or the possibilities of villains- I'm interested in seeing everyone's thoughts on this subject.

[Jason Tandro]

Well, first let's address the psychological issues of your point here.

First, inside every man in a conflict between light and darkness. The darkness is much easier to succumb to, much more tempting (in the immediate sense) and therefore when people have committed to ending the conflict by choosing one side versus another, most will choose to succumb to darkness.

Speaking religiously, "the natural man is the enemy of God", which is to say that our mortal nature is to do that which nets ourselves the greatest reward with disregard (and even disdain) for the needs of others. Charity, kindness, and discipline are three "divine" traits, if you will that stray from this ordinary path of humans.

It may seem like I'm saying that all humans are basically evil with a few good tendencies, but rather I'm saying that people have to choose between living a life based in mortal desire or divine aspiration. It is a difficult choice, to be sure, and no mortal can be perfect, hence the conflict.

Now, getting onto the topic of the super-hero, super-villain appeal, both desires are cut from the same mold; a desire for greatness which exceeds the norm. This is a very dangerous psychology, in that based on the desires of this person, the darkness or the light could manifest.

Super-heroes would, for instance, be those who seek to help people. Those who would use their powers for the good of others. These people would generally wish for powers such as healing ability, the ability to survive dangerous terrain, and so forth. Abilities that don't immediately and always benefit them, but abilities which are useful when they are needed.

Super-villains, on the other hand, seek abilities which are more flashy, and generally more destructive. This comes from a "nobody will be better than me" complex and is usually shown in the standard super-hero powers: flight, invisibility, super strength, laser eyes, etc.

Dropping back into the realm of reality, and branching to my original point, let's again talk about the duality of man. That which drives us to do great good is a Messiah complex. The need to help as many people as we can before we die. This is a good thing, if controlled, but left unchecked it can be quite destructive on a personal level. If the person begins to value their own self-worth on a "how many people can I save?" level, then they will suffer from the crippling weight of the billions of people who need help and the realization that they are, in fact, mere mortals who can (if they are lucky) only help a scant dozen or maybe as much as a few hundred depending upon their profession.

But what draws people to the desire of evil is mainly pride. There is an undeniable mystique around the world of villains; highlighted by such games as Grand Theft Auto. The desire stems from a belief that one is invincible, above the law, or simply a disregard for the laws in question for the means of personal gain. For instance a person who shoplifts may be doing so to prove that he can, because he wants to see if he can get away with it, or simply because he lacks the funds to pay for the thing he wants (or he has the funds, but does not wish to spend them).

What draws people to these extremes of the spectrum is a very complex issue.

[tay120n64]

What draws people to these extremes of the spectrum is a very complex issue.

Greed.

[Jason Tandro]

What draws people to these extremes of the spectrum is a very complex issue.

Greed.

I was gonna say stupidity, but that works.

[EverPhoenix]

i think that most people want to experience power. whether it be for good or evil, its irrelevant. well i guess not so much irrelevant, moreso dependant on the person.

for some people, the idea of evil, conflict and having great destructive power is an attractive one. what draws them to this might be greed (ie wanting power in order to gain more power, manipulate people into getting what they want, etc), or it might be something else. the way theyve been brought up, other life experiences, or just an advanced case of pyromania... although most of the time this is unrealistic.

on the other side of that, theres the classic good/evil balance. for every evil there will be an equal opposite good (could say it is a corollary of the Moriarty Syndrome). this is often more impractical than the evil, because naturally, the good needs to be in the same place (or just be vastly more powerful) than the evil in order to do anything.

most of these actions would be unrealistic (or even impossible) in real life... but RPGs exist, in which people can immerse themselves in a world where they are the hero, where they get to save the world, and have all the awesome powers. plus they are damn fun to play too

[Freedan]

i think that most people want to experience power.

Definitely.

Some people are selfless, altruistic, etc. They're good people who devote their lives to helping others. The power they seek comes from other people. That is, they may not be actively seeking power, it's just a nice benefit, and they truly are selfless people. Or, maybe they are looking for power, and doing some good is the bonus. Either way, they're looking for power to do good with it.

Evil people actively seek power too, but they do it the easy way, which is by focusing just on themselves, collateral damage be damned. Forget anything else, power is all they want. And they're looking for power by any means, and for their own gratification.

There will always be people like that; who will kill to get what they want, and kill some more to hang on to it.