Spoilers THUNDERBOLTS* (spoilers I guess?)

[Paul Farquhar]

People want heroes to be special.

Special powers, everyone would like to have the power to set the world to rights.

No one relates to iron man

His constant wisecracks when uncertain give Stark at least one point of relatability.

or the hulk or Thor.

Probably why their solo films are so boring.

Or Superman or Batman.

Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are relatable.

 

[Zaukrie]

Special powers, everyone would like to have the power to set the world to rights.

His constant wisecracks when uncertain give Stark at least one point of relatability.

Probably why their solo films are so boring.

Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are relatable.

Bruce Wayne is relatable? U run in different circles than I do. I don't think we'll agree here. I'm ok with that.

I also didn't think the thunderbolts are largely all that super, which may be an issue for many? Unsure.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Bruce Wayne is relatable

Losing close family when young can really screw you up. I have a friend who went through that.

 

[jian]

I think we generally want heroes to be relatable. Superman is potentially highly unrelatable - he has all the power in the world, nothing to fear, nothing that can reasonably oppose him, and all the responsibility that brings to save everyone he can - but he can be made so, by showing that Clark is human, that he also puts his boots on one at a time, that he deals with his power and responsibility with respect and trepidation, that he screws up all the time but doesn’t let that stop him from trying to do better. The recent film did an outstanding version of this. Arguably, a less relatable and more angelic version of Superman (such as some versions in the comics or maybe even the 1978 version) is less inspiring because he’s infallible.

Batman isn’t honestly that relatable - he’s a billionaire polymath who refuses to get therapy about his trauma and beats people up instead - unless you lean on the more human parts of him. If you play Bruce more as someone trying to do good with his untreated trauma, or someone whose trauma gives him a deep well of compassion and human understanding (the JLU version), or someone running as hard as he can to keep up with literal gods, then he can be relatable.

 

[Ryujin]

Batman isn’t honestly that relatable - he’s a billionaire polymath who refuses to get therapy about his trauma and beats people up instead - unless you lean on the more human parts of him. If you play Bruce more as someone trying to do good with his untreated trauma, or someone whose trauma gives him a deep well of compassion and human understanding (the JLU version), or someone running as hard as he can to keep up with literal gods, then he can be relatable.

The usual meme would be about a billionaire who dresses up in costume beat up poor people, and assault an incredibly high number of PHD holders who want to do something good for society, the planet, or a loved one.

 

[jian]

The usual meme would be about a billionaire who dresses up in costume beat up poor people, and assault an incredibly high number of PHD holders who want to do something good for society, the planet, or a loved one.

it’s not entirely unfair and Batman is at his best when he’s not in this situation:

 

[Paul Farquhar]

it’s not entirely unfair and Batman is at his best when he’s not in this situation:

To be fair, killing the billionaire wouldn’t kill the company.

 

[kermit4karate]

To be fair, killing the billionaire wouldn’t kill the company.

In real life though? It certainly could. When Steve Jobs passed away, everyone including Jobs knew that his end was coming. Prior to his death, Jobs hand-picked and prepared Tim Cook to replace him at Apple. By contrast, if Musk, as one example of a very involved billionaire CEO, were to perish unexpectedly tomorrow, it would not be logical to assume that SpaceX would continue along the same growth trajectory.

The impact of someone's loss is generally less about whether they're a billionaire and more about how actively involved they are in day-to-day operations and the suddenness of their departure.

P.S. No, I am not an Elon Musk fan, but how I feel about him as a human has nothing to do with my analysis of SpaceX as a company.

 

[TiQuinn]

I think if you look at superheroes solely through the lens of their powers, they're not really relatable. But in their real identities, that's where they often are relatable. Bruce Wayne lost his parents, and is driven by one person's random, senseless act of violence that altered the course of his life. Clark Kent has an almost endless capacity for kindness, and just wants to help others - that's the same charitable spirit that many people can relate to. The best stories with Bruce and Clark have always been grounded in who they are, rather than just their powers.

 

[kermit4karate]

I think if you look at superheroes solely through the lens of their powers, they're not really relatable. But in their real identities, that's where they often are relatable. Bruce Wayne lost his parents, and is driven by one person's random, senseless act of violence that altered the course of his life. Clark Kent has an almost endless capacity for kindness, and just wants to help others - that's the same charitable spirit that many people can relate to. The best stories with Bruce and Clark have always been grounded in who they are, rather than just their powers.

Absolutely, no question about it. Vulnerability is what makes heroic characters relatable. Not their skills or powers.