A thing that fans of superheroes say a lot is that superheroes are the modern equivalent of ancient mythology. But is that so?
I’ll start it off by saying that, yes, I do consider Superman and superheroes in general to be examples of modern mythology. But I don’t think that makes them special, because I’d also say that ALL stories that have been repetitively retold over the years are our mythology. Not just the ones about colourful figures getting into fights.
Mythology is the way we, as people, use stories to explain the world around us. That may come in the form of etiological tales that explains how the world came to be as it is, but for the most part that isn’t what superheroes are doing*. But myths and stories also explain and teach us about the world as it is now, they’re the blueprint we use to build out own lives. Young people watch shows and movies about bigger kids going to high school or university and they think that’s what life is gonna be like when they get there. Adults watch a movie where some chump goes from rags to riches and they believe that lie is right around the corner for them. Someone watches an action movie and decides that the way the protagonist behaves is the way “real men” are supposed to act. We base our entire lives on the stories we tell. A large portion of my generation can quote early Simpsons like scripture because it had a quote relevant to every situation. The Simpsons are definitely mythology. What is Bugs Bunny shorts if not the tales of an El-ahrairah-esque trickster god? And yes, Superman is an example of how we feel about people with power and what they should do with that power.
Superheroes are modern myths, sure, but all of our popular culture is.
I get it, though. Really I do. Fans of superheroes have generations of embarrassment as a result of their beloved genre being mocked. Biff! Bam! Pow! Comics may not just be for kids anymore, but the scars remain. They cling to anything that gives the genre respectability. At least this isn’t as painful as when they grasp for relevance by demanding everything be dark and “mature” or whatever. The most childish kids are the ones who most loudly declare how grown up they are…
* Yes, there are things like the time in All Star Superman where Clark kinda created our universe, but I’m not counting it.
