Cartoon Heroes
Posted: 22 September 2009
We all need heroes. They inspire, captivate and influence us; and give us someone to look up to and admire. As a kid growing up, I was always addicted to cartoons and comics. Some characters are just unforgettable.Today I am 21 years old, but I'm not ashamed to admit I'm still as addicted to superheroes as any 10-year old. I think part of their appeal is the fact that try as we may, we'll never be able to do what they do. This I realized listening to Aqua's 2000 hit single Cartoon Heroes: "We learned to run at speed of light / And to fall down from any height / It's true, but just remember that / What we do is what you just can't do". As children, who hasn't played make-believe? Who hasn't tied on a blanket-cape and a worn a paper mask while jumping from one bed onto another? I can see you blushing.
So without further ado, I'm going to recapitulate my favorite superheroes. Some I grew up with and some I discovered as a grown-ass man. It don't make no difference, here they are - in alphabetic order:
Deadpool
I came across Deadpool and his infamous idiocy in the 2009 animated film, Hulk vs. Wolverine. I was laughing my ass off for his every line. As a die-hard fan of Marvel comics (I count one Marvel character for every letter of the alphabet), I can say with surity: there is no character like him in the Marvel universe. Hilarious just doesn't describe him enough. My favorite scene in the animated film is the part where he asks Omega Red if he wants to help him "kill all those floating babies"! He is portrayed rather accurately by Ryan Reynolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, as in when he remarks how the "green of the elevator" brings out the seriousness in General Stryker's eyes.Doctor Manhattan
This guy isn't even a superhero, he's a man-god. If there's one character any kid would choose to be for a day, I think it would be Doctor Manhattan (barring his costume, of course). Possessing potentially limitless capabilities, he was a quantum physicist before he was accidentally disintegrated in an intrinsic field subtractor. In the 2009 film Watchmen, he lives without time and space and performs feats ranging from seeing into the future to teleporting himself and other objects to Mars and back. He also creates copies of himself, he atomizes anything by merely thinking it -- simply put, he can do anything. Period. His only defect is his apparent lack of concern for humans and their world.The Martian Manhunter
I came across J'onn J'onzz aka Martian Manhunter in the Justice League cartoon that used to air on Cartoon Network between 2001-2004. He was part of the Justice League alongside Superman, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Hawk Girl and Green Lantern. I thought his ability to phase through matter was pretty cool. Apart from this, he could also see through solid objects using a beam of energy from his eyes. J'onn's character comes across as wise, experienced and very cool even under pressure -- something which is often overlooked by his Justice League team mates.The Mighty Thor
Another god, Thor is the Lord of Asgard and also its mightiest warrior. The earliest thing I associated with the Thor was his Hammer. Yes, the mighty Mjolnir that very few objects in the Marvel universe can withstand (in my knowledge, only Captain America's shield and Wolverine's claws). And who can forget his control over thunder and lightening. My respect for Thor only increased after watching 2009's animated movie Hulk vs. Thor, in which he even defeats the Hulk, the incredible Hulk. That was one epic battle. Whew!Wolverine
Inspite of my alphabetic ordering, the best remains for last. Few kids haven't grown up with Wolverine. While other superheroes have skill and strength, Wolverine has raw power. He is the without doubt, the star of all the X-Men films so far. The thing I find most interesting about him is his shady past and his inability to remember it clearly. His adamantium claws and healing factor make him something of a perfect soldier. The famed claws are supposedly indestructible and effortlessly cut through all known materials. The same adamantium also fuses with his exoskeleton and makes him unkillable, apart from causing him to age very slowly. I think that's all you'll need to know, bub!What Are Superheroes Without Supervillains?
Among these, only Deadpool can be considered a villain. That doesn't me I'm all goody-goody. Some supervillains I admire include Apocalypse (the alien entity from X-Men), The Joker (seriously) and Magneto (also from X-Men). Well, what can I say; where there's good, there's always evil.
On a concluding note, I must say the most anticipated superhero movie in the near future will indoubtedly be The Avengers. Set to release in 2012, the line-up includes Iron Man, The Hulk, The Thor and Captain America. It's every comic-book-geek's dream film.
You must have your favorites too... Don't be shy: let me know. Leave a comment.
