Super id: Why Superheroes Fight Themselves

In today's most popular superhero movies, many of these caped crusaders fight different versions of themselves. Jon Schnaars investigates out why.

Quick, name the movie: an intelligent, talented guy creates a new technology that makes him more powerful than the everyday riff-raff; only that same technology falls into the wrong hands, and its creator must fight for the powers of good to set things right.

If you guessed Iron Man, nice work. And if you thought that sounded a lot like another recent Marvel Studios release, well,  you’re also right. In fact, both Iron Man and the The Incredible Hulk feature a final showdown that revolves around the protagonist confronting a bigger, meaner version of himself. For Tony Stark/Iron Man that means going toe to toe with a less-sleek but more powerful Iron Man-like suit worn by the reprehensible warmonger  Obadiah Stane. Bruce Banner meanwhile must establish order by dispatching with crazed super-soldier-turned-Abomination Emil Blonsky.

Choosing these specific story lines from the reams of options available in Marvel’s back catalogue to launch (or re-launch) new superhero film brands marks a very specific decision. In essence, Marvel has done its best to keep things simple, plot-wise, and to position these characters as approachable and relatable to the average moviegoer. Both these heroes are “super,” something the rest of us - even those intimately familiar with the source material - just might not be able to appreciate in all its nuance. But by choosing to do battle with virtual mirror images of themselves, both Iron Man and Hulk manage to stake out shared ground with regular-old humans like you and me. What we see in Stane and Blonsky is what could have become of Stark and Banner, were they lesser men. While their powers make them super, it's the protagonists' humanity that makes them heroes.

This, or course, is the real paradox of most superhero set-ups: The hero has unimagineable power at his disposal, but he’s thrust into outrageous, over-the-top, larger-than-life situations and asked to grapple with them as if they represent just another day at the office.

“There’s a giant, planet-consuming life form headed toward Earth, and he’s tying his lobster-bib? No problem!”
“A murderous cult, led by my former mentor, has poisoned the city’s water supply in hopes of causing a global depression and bloodshed? Let me get my jacket.”

In comics, this is routine. Every month finds heroes and super-groups confronting potential threats to the well being of entire cities, or even planets. When writers want to “go large,” they put things like the fate of the galaxy or the very existence of life as we know it at risk. Comic readers are comfortable with the genre's conventions, and thus they expect and draw pleasure from them. But superheroes are now big business in Hollywood (10 movies starring folks in tights have placed in year-end top 10 since 2000), and that means  Joe and Jane Moviegoer have to  be able to relate to comic book heroes, too.

Now, I wouldn’t argue that your average American is unfamiliar with the concept of a superhero — in fact, I’d wager more people could name Superman’s secret identity than could name our Secretary of State — but therein lies the problem. A new superhero film (of which we’ve seen 24 since 2000) must maintain a delicate balance between satisfying the comic reader and the layman. Progressive writers like Jack Kirby, Alan Moore and Grant Morrison, have toyed with, manipulated and subverted comic fans’ understanding and appreciation of superheroes to the point where your typical comic reader is a savvy critic of superhero lore.

Unfortunately, when most Americans lay their $10 on the barrelhead, they’re not looking for subversive explorations of a superheroe's personality; they’re hoping for some haymakers, some explosions and maybe an occasional witty rejoinder. Your everyday Hollywood action-adventure film with a superhero flavor.

The brilliance of The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man is everyone walks away happy. For comic newbies, there are all the goodies one could expect, while hardened fans of the characters can analyze the meticulously crafted details and engrossing story. Places where the narrative stays true to Tony Stark’s origin story provide depth to the viewing experience, as do the much bally-hooed hints by filmmakers at future Marvel Studios productions.

It’s the stories themselves, though, that allow us all to connect to these movies. When the Hulk stands astride the broken body of Blonsky-turned-Abomination and finds no other recourse but to run, we’re able to look through the beast to see Banner beneath. Similarly, Tony Stark, in accepting his role as a hero, emphasizes his humanity. He, Tony Stark, is Iron Man. Under the red and gold is a human being with human emotions and desires, so even when his abilities might take him to places beyond the scope of John McClane or Lowry and Burnett, his behavior will be driven by the same humanity that drives us all.

Jon Schnaars is a freelance writer for Giant Realm.

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