Why Do We Need Heroes?

So the recent announcement of I Am Not Starfire from DC got me thinking about heroes, comic books, and how we treat our modern myths and legends. And well, it doesn't look too good. The question now is, why do we even need heroes?

[mmorpger]

I didn't know Starfire and Penguin had a daughter.

[Paulafan]

"Why doesn't Superman look like me?" asked no boy EVER.

[eeveeofalltrades]

Superheroes aren't supposed to be relatable, they're supposed to be inspiring

[jameslyons]

I asked my local comic book shop owner how many books he was selling on average from these “SJW” titles. He said “Single digits at best”. I think the comics business forgot it’s a business.

[Zack-xvyc]

"Human beings are strong, because we have the ability to change ourselves."

-Saitama

[iHaveTheDocuments]

No one would insert themselves into that character except the author.

[matthewbell]

"Because once you accept everything, then there's no need to strive for anything"

That is the one of the most profound pieces of wisdom I have ever heard.

[abhisardahiya]

"When you accept everything, there's no need to strive for anything"

Jesus I could wheep for hours at how good these words are.

No wonder the drinker is as successful an author as he is. This line makes me recontextualise all my struggles and failures and reminds me why I've been fighting and striving for something better. He's articulated something that I've known to be true deep down, but never found the words for.

Thank you.

[skoot]

Looks like starfire had an affair with the Penguin

[ProboscusMonke]

A good quote from The Incredibles of all places

"When everybody is Super"
"Nobody is"

[EricSmith-gxlu]

The Drinker's message is more inspiring than the comic book heroes we have now. Well done.

[BeskarDevil]

This is an incredible video. Heroes exist so we can build ourselves up to their ideals. You’re not supposed to see yourself as exactly like a hero, you’re supposed to see them and strive to become stronger, smarter, faster, more valorant and honorable.

[ChristianSteinheimer]

"Once you accept everything, there's no need to strive for anything" - the Drinker, 2020

[maxwellharris]

Me, wiping away a single tear:
“I will, Drinker. I will go away now.”

[sarahb.]

This reminds me of one thing I learned as an English major. I felt like a pariah at my college because my classmates were reading and writing and gushing over "experimental" or "literary" fiction that I found boring, confusing, or gimmicky; meanwhile, I loved reading and writing mysteries, thrillers, sci-fi--anything with an exciting plot. My story submissions to our lit journal were rejected time and again, our author visits rarely featured writers of my type, and I sometimes felt like everyone else saw genre fiction as inferior. One day, we were discussing Beowulf in class, and I reflected on the oldest surviving stories in various cultures: Beowulf, the Odyssey, Gilgamesh, etc., stories that were definitely not "literary, " but very plot driven and exciting. Perhaps there was literary fiction in ancient Greece or Mesopotamia. But the stories that survived hundreds, even THOUSANDS, of years, that people committed to memory, that people still recognize today, are stories of epic adventures, larger-than-life villains, and courageous heroes beating unimaginable odds. I think that says something about the importance of heroes.

[QodeMusic]

"Once you accept everything, there's no need to strive for anything." Damn, this one hits hard.

[DrFranklynAnderson]

“No one wants to look up to you anymore, Superman. They don’t want to strain their necks.”
—Lex Luthor, Marvel/DC: After Hours

[davefred]

"Once you accept everything, there's no need to strive for anything."

[egarza]

By the end of this video, I had tears in my eyes and wanted to give you a standing ovation man. My 68yr old father felt the same way too. The way you articulated everything about what heros represent was right on the head.

I've have been going to the movies with my family since I was little girl and I'm almost 40 now. Going to the movies was an escape from reality for me. I grew up with anxiety and depression. For those 2hrs, I was absorbed into whatever was happening and forgot about the cold cruel world. If I truly could go on epic adventures to Mordor or join starfleet, I would! I know these aren't real but if you told me I had a chance, then I would push myself to make my dreams happen.

Even now, I'm tired of working in corporate America and I want to purse a career in writing. I've gotten into writing the past year as a self taught writer and I want this to take off. I'm looking now into how to make this happen. It may take some time but I'm willing to see where this newfound hobby takes me because I love it.

I will not accept everything for what it is and because of this, I will strive to do better for myself.

Thank you for this video, I raise a toast to you!

[sparaxisblanc]

"They represent something fundamentally good about us, despite our mistakes..."

Considering how cynical I've become over the last few years, I really needed to hear this, especially as a discouraged author/artist.