by Bart King
The Big Book of Superheroes
Bart King
Illustrations by Greg Paprocki
The Big Book of Superheroes
Digital Edition 1.0
Text © 2014 Bart King
Illustrations © Greg Paprocki
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.
This book refers to a number of superhero-related names, words, and character designations. These references are for identification only. All designations belong to the proper holders of their trademarks. Further, this book is not an official publication for any superheroes (except the ones I made up!).
Also, while reading the following pages, you may decide to fly through outer space to battle the Menace of Kendor. That’s great, but I can’t and don’t guarantee your safety as you engage in any of this book’s activities. In fact, I expressly disclaim liability for any injury, damages, or fatalities resulting from the use of this book. So read it at your own risk.
But I’m sure you’ll probably be fine, just fine—hey, look out for that tractor beam!
Gibbs Smith
P.O. Box 667
Layton, Utah 84041
Orders: 1.800.835.4993
www.gibbs-smith.com
ISBN: 978-1-4236-3398-3
This book is dedicated to the greatest superheroes I’ve ever known: My parents, Janet and Michael King
The Big Book of Superheroes
Table of Contents
Welcome to the World of Superheroes!
Superpowers!
Acting Like a Superhero!
Becoming a Superhero!
Letting Your Parents Know!
Superhero Training!
Fighting Like a Superhero!
Zingers and Battle Cries—Speaking Superhero!
Rugrats—Your Most Dangerous Foe!
The Lamest—and Most Underrated—Superpowers!
Your Supername!
Dress Like a Superhero!
What’s This “Right vs. Wrong” Stuff?!
Supervillains and Other Ethically Challenged People!
The Supervillain Halls of Shame and Fame!
Super Sidekicks!
Animal Superheroes!
Secret Lairs!
Superhero Teams!
The End Is Near!
Super Pop Quiz!
Appendix: Early Superhero History!
Selected Bibliography
Answer Key
Acknowledgments
Welcome to the World of Superheroes!
I have good news. By reading these words, you just became an honorary superhero. Yay!
But maybe you’re wondering, “What is a superhero, anyway?” It’s simple—a superhero is anyone who wants to fight evildoers and right wrongs. These could be small wrongs, like:
“Who used up all the toilet paper?”
Or it might be a big wrong, like:
“Who used up all of the toilet paper in the Secret Lair?”
Of course, you can do things your way. Instead of fighting evildoers, you might want to argue with them. (I’m pretty sure this isn’t as successful, though.)
Some people say that any good-hearted outsider is a superhero. (So that could include everyone from Luke Skywalker to Daffy Duck.) But however you think of it, being a superhero can be hard. Your superpowers might spin out of control. Supervillains want to clobber you. And even nice people can grow jealous of all the attention you get.
Plus, take it from me: it’s easy to get a wedgie in a superhero costume!
Superheroes got their starts in our imaginations. See, in ancient times, people told stories about gods, heroes, monsters, and villains. And many of these characters have been recycled into superheroes. For example, Thor was taken right out of Viking mythology. And when the Flash appeared, his costume was a total copy of Hermes’ (a.k.a. Mercury), the speedy messenger of the Greek gods.
The Very First Hero Was a Girl: Ancient Greek myths tell of Hero, a girl who tragically drowned. Hey, too bad that Hero didn’t have the superpower of immortality. She’d have lived, and “Hero worship” might have been popular!
Some of our superheroes combine different mythical figures. For example, Captain Marvel was a popular superhero in the 1940s. His secret identity was as a boy named Billy Batson. And when Billy said “SHAZAM!” he transformed into Captain Marvel, a crime fighter with the powers of heroes and gods:
S for the wisdom of Solomon
H for the strength of Hercules
A for the stamina of Atlas
Z for the power of Zeus
A for the courage of Achilles
M for the speed of Mercury
Another hero with origins in myth is the Amazon warrior called Wonder Woman. She’s “stronger than Hercules and swifter than Mercury,” and her archenemy is Mars, the god of war. Unlike the ancient Greeks, Wonder Woman flies around in an invisible jet. (Although cool, this does raise the risk of midair collisions!)
Are there any mythological characters who are actual superheroes? Maybe! For instance, Hercules usually did the right thing. He also had superstrength and wore a special costume. (It was the impenetrable hide of the Nemean lion.)
But superheroes usually have secret identities—for example, Batman’s secret identity is Bruce Wayne. And as a wise man once said, “Hercules was always Hercules.”
It Took a While to Catch On: People didn’t actually start using the word superhero until the 1940s.
Their backgrounds are in myths, but almost all of today’s famous superheroes got their start in comic books. One exception is the Green Hornet, who first appeared in a radio show back in 1936. Another one is the superhero family known as the Incredibles: Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, Jack-Jack, and Mr. Incredible all got their starts at the movies.
Before we go any further, I need to warn you about something: being a superhero is awesome, but there are a few drawbacks. Here are some now!
The Five Most Embarrassing Things That Can Happen to a Superhero
Your sidekick pees his pants.
Just as you start battling a supervillain, your mom calls out, “I love you, honey!”
You come out of the bathroom with your cape stuck down the back of your underwear.
You fly over your school (“Hurray!”), then get motion sickness and barf on your friends (“Boo!”).
You show up at a crime scene wearing the same costume as another superhero. (Awk-ward!)
But Why Be a Superhero?
What, fighting evil isn’t enough for you? Fine. If you’ve ever thought you were meant for better things, become a superhero. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood by the world, become a superhero. If you’ve ever wanted to strike a blow for justice, become a superhero.
Or if you’ve ever just felt like wearing your underpants on the outside—become a superhero!
Still not enough to convince you? How about this: being a superhero will make you happier! Most people work for power, money, or fame. But experts think the happiest people are the ones whose jobs have meaning. And what could be more meaningful than saving the world?
And while you’re thinking about that, think about this: how many superheroes actually quit, and go back to living normal lives?
Almost none.
And finally, just between us—remember, this is a secret—becoming a superhero is a great way to get payback. Did someone trip you in the hallway last year? Let’s see how he likes dangling from a skyscraper. Or how about that kid who made faces at you on the bus? He might find himself dropped off at your zoo’s Monkey Island if he’s not careful!
As a certain superhero o
nce said: “As Peter Parker, I was just a helpless, confused kid! But as Spider-Man, things are gonna be a lot different!”
The more you know, the less you don’t! During World War II, a superhero named Miss Victory fought the Nazis. One of her best lines was, “Heil your grandmother!”
Why Am I the Right Person to Write This Book?
Look, I don’t want to brag, but I’m a superhero. In fact, I’m wearing a colorful costume while I’m typing this. Ooh, hang on—I’ve got trouble!
*shifts in chair*
Whew, that was a close call. (I told you it’s easy to get a wedgie in these things.)
I admit that I’m not the greatest American superhero. But at least I’m better than lame heroes like Fraction Man and his sidekick, Decimal Girl. In fact, I’m better than any of...
The Nine Most Unhelpful Superheroes!
Mud Boy: Using only water and dirt, this superhero can make...mud.
Twitter Woman ruthlessly peppers her foes with one insulting tweet after another.
Calendar Man: This superhero is doomed. After all, his days are numbered. (Get it? Get it?)
The Exaggerator: “The fate of this cookie—I mean, the universe—is at stake!”
Dumb Idea Lad’s name pretty much explains everything about him.
Sudoku Girl uses her superpowers to quickly solve number puzzles and...zzzzz.
Shoelace Man can tie shoes very tightly and quickly. Want double knots? No problem! (His archenemy: Velcro.)
Missile Toe fires his toes as missiles. Then he has to awkwardly run around to collect them.
Unhelpful Hero Hall of Fame: Rock Gal!
Superpowers!
Hey, did you know you already have a superpower? No? Then it sounds like we need to work on your self-esteem.
So imagine you were reading this sentence six hundred years ago. That would’ve been a superpower. No, not because you traveled through time. It’s because six hundred years ago, almost nobody could read!
And anytime you can do something most people can’t, that’s your superpower. For example, I can brush my teeth with either hand. Not bad, huh? And I bet you have unusual skills too.
So are you feeling better about yourself? Good! Now let’s see about getting you another superpower. After all, it’ll make fighting crime a lot easier. And having a superpower doesn’t hurt—unless you have the power to feel pain better than anyone else. Then having a superpower would hurt. A lot!
Pop Quiz
The Superpower King!
This character has more superpowers than any other superhero. He is:
Superman
J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter
Spider-Man
(See answer below.[1])
Not Very Amazing Fact! You may be wondering how to pronounce a crazy Martian name like J’onn J’onzz. Well, it sounds like this: John Jones. (Yeah. Real crazy.)
Now keep in mind that even “good” superpowers can have drawbacks. Look at the Thing. Sure, he has superstrength, but it came at a cost—the Thing looks like a pile of bricks!
As Spider-Man once said: “My powers! What a joke! I sometimes think they’ve proven to be nothing but a curse!”
What was he talking about? To find out, take a look at the pros and cons of—
The Fifteen Most Popular Superpowers!
At this year’s Comic-Con, I asked hundreds of people what superpowers they wanted most—and these were their top picks!
1. Superstrength
Advantage: A tight lid on the pickle jar will never stop you again!
Disadvantages: People will constantly ask you to help them move furniture. (And just try playing Jenga without losing.)
Superstrength: You Already Have It!
One of my favorite superheroes is Asterix the Gaul. He lived in the time of the ancient Roman Empire. Before going into battle, Asterix drinks a magic potion created by a druid named Vitamix. This gives Asterix the power to defeat the Roman soldiers. (They were meanies!)
You actually have something like Vitamix’s magic potion in your body. Really! That’s why news stories like this come out all the time:
Tracy Boggins, 17, was making sandwiches when she heard a cry from the garage. There, she discovered her father being crushed beneath the family’s minivan. (He was changing the van’s oil when it slipped off its car jack.) The teenaged girl then grabbed the edge of the car and lifted it enough for her father to escape.
So isn’t it impossible for a teenaged girl to lift a car? No! Humans can lift about seven times their own body weight if they have to.
Most of us never try using our superstrength for two reasons: First, we don’t think we can lift very much weight. And second, we’re afraid of injuring ourselves. But all that changes in an emergency. Then you don’t have time to think, “I’d lift this van, but I probably can’t and I might break a nail.” You just do it!
In an emergency, your body releases a hormone called adrenaline. This increases your rates of blood circulation and breathing. So your muscles get an extra boost, and you’re stronger! (This is sometimes called the “fight-or-flight response.”)
At the same time, your body releases other things into your bloodstream, including substances called endorphins. These squelch pain and make you feel good. So endorphins allow you to try harder than you normally would.
What kind of crises can give you this amazing strength? Sadly, they are very rare. So if you’re squeezing out the last bit of toothpaste from a tube, see if the danger of a cavity makes you mighty!
Adrenaline and endorphins kick in when our friends or family are in peril. For instance, if you see innocent animals in a death trap like this, your hormones will spring into action!
2. Superbreath
Advantage: You know when you’re camping and those little bugs fly around your face and drive you crazy? Not anymore. Just blow! Now those bugs are at someone else’s campsite.
Disadvantage: This superpower is tough on the people around you. (“Did you have garlic last night? And onions? Ugh!”)
3. Superspeed
Advantage: You could play Ping-Pong against yourself.
Disadvantages: You’re going to wear out a lot of shoes. And no matter how fast you run, people are always going to say the same thing to you!
The more you know, the less you don’t! To make the Flash’s comic seem real, his writers based the stories on science. So if the Flash did something amazing, there was a reason: “The Flash can run across water because he never broke the surface tension of the liquid.” Totally believable!
4. Flying
Advantage: This is the most eco-friendly way to travel ever. So, go green! (Wait, you’re not afraid of heights, are you?)
Disadvantages: Bugs on the teeth and chapped lips aren’t much fun. But flying’s biggest problem is altitude sickness. See, if you fly more than 1.5 miles (about 8,000 feet) above sea level, you’ll probably get a headache and start feeling dizzy. That’s because the air is thinner up there, and there’s less oxygen.
So be sure to fly at lower altitudes. In other words, don’t fly in thin air, fly in fat air.
Fun Flying Fact: Superheroes who use flying machines (like the Fantastic Four’s Fantasticar and Iron Man’s suit) have a problem. They must check in with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) every time they fly. But superheroes who fly on their own power (like Superman) don’t use aircraft. That means they can take off anytime they want!
Discussion Question: Green Lantern uses a ring to fly. Would he have to check in with the FAA before takeoff?
Superpower Activity
Jetpack!
Supplies: Two empty liter bottles, duct tape, red plastic cups (example: Solo cups), red or orange crepe paper or spray paint.
Anyone can have the superpower of flight with a jetpack! Here’s how to make your own:
Crumple your crepe paper into small, colorful wads. Then stuff these into the bottles. Or paint the bottles silver or gold. Metallic spray paint looks e
specially good on these.
Screw the bottles’ lids back on. Now cut out the bottom of your plastic cups and duct-tape them to the lids as shown. (The beauty of silver duct tape is that it looks space age!) You may want to tape or glue “flames” of colored crepe paper coming out the ends of these cups.
If you’re ready to wear your jetpack, duct-tape your two bottles together. Continue to wrap the tape either over your shoulders or around your chest.
Danger: When taking off with your jetpack, remember to keep your legs straight. (Otherwise, you’ll get scorched ankles!)
5. X-ray Vision
Advantage: No more having to pay for expensive X-rays at the hospital.
Disadvantage: The temptation to cheat on tests would be hard to resist.
Superpower Marketing: A school cafeteria once labeled its carrots as “X-ray vision carrots.” After that, carrot sales rose by 50 percent!