Introduction: “Unmasked at Last!”
Introduction: “Unmasked at Last!”
Death, Disability, and the Super-Body
This chapter provides a brief history of the superhero genre. Since its inauguration in 1938's Action Comics #1, the superhero genre has served as a disability and death-denying representational practice which privileges the healthy, hyper-powered, and immortal body over the diseased, debilitated, and defunct body. Canonical Golden Age heroes—such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America—all advance a corporeal archetype—strength, control, and unboundedness, flourishing fully equipped bodies “ready for anything.” Launched on the eve of World War II, the superhero genre represents a rich “mirror universe” of American society. This book studies the Silver Age of DC and Marvel Comics for its increasingly complex depiction of disability and death.
Keywords: superhero, Action Comics, superhero genre, Golden Age heroes, mirror universe, American society, DC Comics, Marvel Comics
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