Superpowers: A Blessing and a Curse

Design By: Margo Brunner

Design By: Margo Brunner

Almost every kid has dreamed of having superpowers. They imagine flying through the sky, shooting lasers out of their eyes and saving the day from the bad guy. 

This is the blessing of superpowers, the glitz and the glam of being the hero. What many fail to consider though, is what happens after the day is saved. The answer is less heroic than expected.

Start with the home life of a superhero. It is doubtful that these superheroes can enjoy the little time they have away from the limelight. 

The stress of being responsible for saving the entire world on a seemingly daily basis would eat away at even the strongest heroes, and not allow for any fun outside of the public.

On top of the stress of saving the world is the expectations placed on these heroes to do these things and succeed every time. 

Especially for heroes who derived their powers at birth or through science, such as Superman or Captain America, the expectation to be a hero and be perfect is placed upon these heroes the moment they step foot on earth. Good luck sleeping on that.

Finally, comes a sense of accomplishment. Almost all superheroes developed their powers overnight, and rarely ever had to work for them. 

Compare this to the accomplices of these heroes, who usually spent their entire lives perfecting their craft, in order to even have a chance to compete with their superhero counterparts. 

This sense that the heroes did not earn their powers or skills could place a sense of dread on the heroes and give them a sense of apathy in terms of saving the world. 

So while kids dream of flying high in the sky, the heroes who can fly may be dreaming of giving away those same powers.