IS IT A BIRD? NAAM HAI SHAHENSHAH!

That Superheroes will save the world is very obvious thing to say. It is the ‘how’ that makes them so worth all the money you have spent as a kid on posters and action-figures and teeshirts, queuing up at Comic-cons and dressing up on Halloween. Some of us cut up ugly red swimsuits and wore them over blue salwaars and pretended to be supergirl, careening through the house with the red dupatta flying behind us getting snagged in all sorts of corners. I was thrilled to hear Edna in The Incredibles tick off Mr. Incredible by saying, ‘No capes!’ because they get in the way. Remember what she says when Bob is attempting to get himself suited up again?

‘Do you remember Thunderhead? Tall, storm powers? Nice man, good with kids...November 15th of '58! All was well, another day saved, when... his cape snagged on a missile fin!’

‘Stratogale! April 23rd, '57! Cape caught in a jet turbine! E, you can't generalize about these things... Metaman, express elevator! Dynaguy, snagged on takeoff! Splashdown, sucked into a vortex!’

‘No capes!’

A big hoo haa was made when Batman’s suit was designed with nipples for Val Kilmer. Die Hard fans of Micheal Keaton grumbled when the change was made, and snickered when Christian Bale reappeared as the caped crusader with a nipple-less torso. But it’s as much about the outfit as it is about the power. Green Lantern has a freaky other worldly glowing powersuit and Spiderman as Venom has a creepy crawly dark side to him. The sequence in Iron Man 2 where the suitcase is literally a case that turns into a suit sought claps from kids as well as the grown ups who figured out the elaborate pun.

BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!

Whether it is Superman who rejuvenates in the cave of icicles or Batman in his elaborate underground lair, Superheroes will always be shown to have a place they call their own. Phantom had the house on top of table mountain, and the skull cave (with the treasure rooms). Mandrake had a talking gate that let you in...

But when comic book heroes come alive on the big screen, you yearn for a ride in the batmobile as much as Arthur does! Or to be able to hold hands with Superman and fly through the clouds (don’t talk about breathing that high up in the air or how cold it might get... logic doesn’t work with fans)

The Avengers is being made as you read this, and I can’t wait to see the headquarters of the S.H.I.E.L.D

DC vs Marvel is a topic of many arguments and for us, extra fodder for formulae.

WEAK MOMENTS AND LOVE

Superman, Batman, Hulk, and even Spiderman (to name the popular ones) all go through really really low moments when the dark shades of their character appear and you are made to wonder how flawed they are going to be. That is where the adults begin to enjoy the movies despite the popcorn flying in the theater.

And notwithstanding the boos from kids, the grown ups enjoy the fleeting romances they see on screen. I liked the repartee between Pepper Potts and Tony Starck in Iron Man more than the soppy romance Superman and Spidey got into with their girls. But no one beats the hurt Batman feels when he puts duty before his darling... Sigh!

KYA POWER HAI BOSS!

Superman flies (and he is the one of the few superheroes who is born with the powers, and has to camouflage his identity as Clark Kent. The Incredibles come close). But most of the others Thor, Shahenshah, Wonder Woman, Fearless Nadia, Phantom, Batman, Green Lantern and even Ben Ten have objects or gadgets that make them superheroes.

Hulk and Spiderman become heroes because there’s stuff running through their veins. Catwoman was brought back to life by cats. Even our desi superhero Krishh has some sort of blessing (ashirvaad!) from an alien that helps him transform (God forbid if they had even suggested an inter-species chromosomal exchange in a Hindi movie!) into a super-fast saviour of Singapore (and the rest of the world!)

With Rajinikant, the director Shanker offered us a Superhero Chitti who turns into a bad, bad Robot and earned the praise for bringing International standards of SFX to Indian movies. Ra.One promises to unleash the power that is similar.

We would like you to add your own favourite costumed Superhero while we delve into the world of almost ordinary guys who save damsels in distress and earn their eternal love.

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