Of Superheroes and Mere Mortals

taken from The Play Pen for My Thoughts:

Over dinner last night, we got into a discussion about how superheroes never got married. The ones that were married were married to other superheroes or were married before they became superheroes. But superheroes never seem to be able to stay married to mere mortals. Like Superman and Lois Lane. They got married but it crashed and burned and apparently she died. So that's depressing. And Bat Man just had a string of women.

The reason they don't marry, the conclusion we came to anyway, was that they couldn't save humanity as well as have to upkeep those marriage vows. Plus, what wife wouldn't feel a tad neglected by her husband when he drops everything he's doing everytime that Bat Signal came on. And she would spend the nights worrying that the Joker, Mr Freeze or Lex Luther or even Kryptonite got the better of their husband.

It is also often is the plot of many superhero stories. Save your love and let humanity die or save humanity but the Missus meets a painful and horrific death. So, to make it easier, they never marry. They often have women around, to heighten the sexual tension but often not many marriages. Even James Bond, only got married once in the 60's and I think she died too.

So the conclusion is that in reality, one can't do both. One can't be a superhero or do superhero things and be a good husband or wife at the same time. And it's sad that often one has to choose. The choice then is usually not the choice of the superhero himself but actually by a collective majority that harps on domestic obligation. The outcome then is a reluctant person, donning normal clothes and a normal job instead of being out there being where he is needed most of all. In the movies, it is always portrayed by an unsatisfied, unfulfilled character who finds some outlet to vent. Unfortunately, it's never as innocent in real life and it can be a recipe of disaster in itself.

And that, never bodes well for the mere mortal and unfortunately, that's what we all are.