How would the worlds media real handle Superheroes

Okay, we all know that the modern media like to blow everything out of proportion, I mean, David Beckham gives a woman a peck on the cheek and all of a sudden he's having an affair. Sound familiar?

What kind of news headlines, scandals and other stuff would appear in the media (esspecially the newspapers) if a Superhero were to make his/her prescence known?

Any thoughts?

I imagine the paparazzi would have a field day with ripped costumes.

Hell, it doesn't even need to be ripped, some costumes are rather relieving anyway

They would want to know who he or she was behind that mask, interview with family members etc... Atleast they want to know more then their competitior papers/media. They would want exclusive interviews etc.
IF they find said hero just relaxing (if you are unable to hide who you are like marvels She-Hulk) they could take pictures like crazy and claim that they could cause the hero is a public person.

Hopefully they would not be as negative as Bugle vs Spiderman.

And insurance companies would make a new insurance if there was super villains: Super Damage insurance. But that is besides the point.

I think trying to find out secret identities would probably be the biggest thing they'd do - followed by relationship news

I think the Grocrey Store tabloids would be the worst. "Thunderman saves city from alien invasion. Two small kittens killed during the attack. Is Thunder Anti Cat?"

With the constant rating wars I am sure television news would have a field day pointing out that yeah Galazy Maid foiled an attempt to blow up the entire city but she destroyed a Mini-mart in the process. "Who is paying for all that collateral damage?" Let's face it the Police face the same problems... Detective foils a bank robbery and ends up suspended pending an investigation because during the pursuit the robbers did X million in damage to cars, building, etc. Never mind that it was them trying to escape after say killing two bank guards, injuring a teller who they assumed hit the silent alaerm, and wounding or killing a dozne other cops during their foiled escape attempt. We have businesses and private citizens threatening to sue... you are in big trouble mister! Of course if the same detective lets them get away he's in trouble with the bank and all it's customers because they did.

I'm sure they's all try for the "Who is he or she dating?" angle and the Paparazzi would be everywhere they went. then again what powers are we talking here? Sort of hard for a normal guy with a camera to keep up with say a superman that can FLY and is faster than a speeding bullet. Heck all Sue Richards would have to do is go invisible until she got to her boyfriend's house and they'd never even know she left her apartment. LOL

No secret identity would hold up to the relentlessness of the paparazzi.

Our media would get our super heroes and their loved ones killed dead rather quickly.

This question has already been sort of answered by The Incredibles.

Granted, an aspect of the question people are forgetting in the above responses is that yes, while the paparazzi would be irritating against the superheroes, there is the other assumed condition that there are super villains in the world as well. Anything cynical you would assume about our world's habits would have to be accompanied by "How would the habits differ when unrestrained, they might lead to New York being blown up, repeatedly?"

I think that new movie coming out, Kick-***, might provide some insight into this. We'll see soon enough I suppose.

But yeah, secret identities would be the most threatened by all the press. At least for the more public heroes like Superman (still fail to see how he could hide his identity with just a pair of glasses). As for the more behind the scenes heroes like say Daredevil, the press would definitely paint them in a negative light. "What are they hiding? Is the vigilante work simply a ruse?" etc. etc.

For anyone who hasn't read it, the 'Interviewing Leather' mini blog/story is AWESOME and gives an insight into what it could be like.

Unfortunately in real life the paparazi have shown a reckless disregard for celebrities safety (biting the hand that feeds them?) and, I'm sure, be tracking down superheroes looking to unmask them and reveal their civilian identities and every super hero would either be forced underground or end up living like recluses way out in the middile of the ocean or somewhere equally deserted. The propect of living a normal life as a Super would be remote.

Eventually, once paparazi learned (and it would take YEARS for some of them) that pissing off a Super who could be the one coming to stop you being mugged or saving you from some Supervillian who is planning to torture some Super's secret identity from you is a BAD IDEA you'd start to get endorsements, exclusive interviews, maybe even exclusivity deals preventing Supers from speaking to rival networks etc. The problem is, without suitable enemies to fight people would become bored quickly, much like they did with the Space launches and Shuttle launches until something bad happens. many media outlets would vilify Supers for collateral damage and problems caused by them and I'm sure the lawsuits would start pretty quickly, forcing some Supers to give it up. in short, it would be mayhem, chaos and pandemonium for a while until some understanding started between the Paps, the supers, local and federal giovernment and the court system. basically CoH has the history pretty accurately with it's lessons learned!

Hmm, if we mean the real world, it wouldn't take long for someone with powers to screw up, and supers get the Marvel Comics treatment. (Distrusting, jealous, hatred of mutants, et al)

It'd be nice to get DC treatment though. (Well-liked, respected, counted on)

It's always interesting to see how the two universes compare themselves when crossovers happen. (Assuming Quesada ever quits, so they can happen again)

Marvel Heroes about DC
Scarlet Witch: These articles, ads.....these people idolize their heroes.
Quicksilver: Not so much like at home, eh?

DC Heroes about Marvel
Superman: Is this a monument to something? Is this the respect their heroes earn? THIS?! (He is looking at a ruined statue of a hero fighting a villain that has been vandalized)
J'onn: (In Genosha): These people were bombed for being genetic mutants. For the crime of being different.

Again, it makes for rather good reading. In Superman's eyes, the Avengers failed to inspire the populace. In Captain America's eyes, the Justice League parades around like gods, demanding the adoration of the public.

I'd really like to see how the reactions would be in RL though.

One word: Marvels

There was a story a while back in Daredevil where some FBI agent for some money told a reporter friend of his Daredevil real identity. .. I can't remember what it called at the moment.

What press coverage? The powers that be right now would find him/her/its weakness, exploit it, frame them, capture them, then keep them powered down for study on how to make more of them.

It would be a very short story.

Headlines you could count on seeing...

* "Statesman Over 100 Years Old! We have his secret for staying young! Now you can too!"

* "Happilly Married? Not even a year and a half into their marriage and Manticore spends most of his day with another woman! How will Sister Psyche react to his Swan Dive?"

* "Religious Community Protests Desdemona and Infernal's Inclusion Among the Ranks of Heroes! 'They are demon summoners... abominations in the eyes of God! How can we trust them?!'"

* "The Newest President of the United States of America has been determined. Nemesis insists he had nothing to do with it."

* "A hole in the O-Zone layer... Global Warming... and now Blue Steel is sporting a new tan? Coincidence?!"

* "Thousands of College Students go to Spring Break and disappear without a trace! In unrelated news the ranks of the Carnival of Shadows seem to have swollen dramatically."

* "The gods of the Banished Pantheon grant their worshippers powers. The Well of the Furies prove that at least some of the ancient Greek Myths are true! Magical powered super heroes and villains perform what might be called Miracles on a daily basis! Today at a press conference the Pope put his fingers in his ears and started saying 'LA-LA-LA-LA!' very, very loudly."

* "Despite the evidence of Anti-Gravity power suits, personal-sized fusion reactors and similar amazing technological advances, the leaders of the Automotive Industry today announced they see no reason to switch from fossil fuels in the near future."

* "Today the Olympic Committee, NFL, NBA and every other professional sporting organization in the world added another 25 chemicals, substances, genetic markers, alterations and mutations that are considered banned."

* "Zombie invasions have been traced to the creation of new hero costumes. Although the connection is an obscure one suspects are being rounded up by the police. Serge of Icon has been brought in for questioning."

* "Synapse signs deal with Nike. Sports stars complaining that without advertising deals; they need higher salaries to maintain their egos... er... lifestyles."

I think that it'd be likely superpowered people would have to register with the government, so there might be some kind of privacy law to protect the identities of any of them who were going to be fighting crime.

Some good replys

I'm not too sure about the rest of the world, but here's a few 'headlines' that would be published by British papers, the tabloids esspecially.

CRUSADER BLASTS MoD ABOUT STATE OF SOLDIER'S EQUIPMENT
"Criminals are issued better equipment!" says the patriotic pounder ((Tanker))

SPEED DEMON RUNS LONDON MARATHON IN TEN SECONDS FLAT!!
London born supersprinter raises £10m for local charities

SUPERHEROES? NO LONGER PC
Government officials now say we have to call our champions 'Genetically Gifted'

KISS AND TELL QUEEN DID NOT SPEND NIGHT WITH MONARCH
"Royalist Mutant was foiling Ram raid, CCTV footage prooves it, Hero groupie makes a 'convenient retractment' of previous claim.

Last and not least

SUPERVILLIAN WINS 'MOCKING NAME CASE' AGAINST SUPERHERO
Legal action ruling that Dr Dread the mad scientist recently released from prison after serving five years for acts of terrorism can no longer be called 'The Crimson Chav' because it was labled as derogatory. The 45 year old mad scientist was given the nickname by Crusader after the hero arrested the mad scientist who in disguise wearing a red hooded top and matching tracksuit trousers. CCTV footage of Crusader and public witnesses laughing at the poncy professor as he was being apprehended was shown to the jury, hand picked by Labour MP Harriet Harman.
Crusader yesterday said 'I don't care what his name is, I'm still going to keep on arresting that mad git everytime he steps out of line!' Dr Dread was unavailible for comment.

I don't know if I believe heroes would be harassed by the paparazzi. I think it entirely depends on their method of doing things -and- their method of travel.

For Example!

Batman style hero: Always in poor lighting, uses alleyways and rooftops to travel around stealthily, strikes hard and retreats out of sight. Also: Has no problem crushing cameras. Assuming the Paparazzi could even -find- him to take the pictures or question-assault him, he's a vigilante. Broken cameras, destroyed film, and late night intimidation visits of a Dark knight standing at the foot of your bed, glowering down at you with the hate and pain of all of your nightmares! "Don't. Do it. Again. I know where you live. I know where you sleep." Sure there'd be bad press... But would Batman give half a damn?

Superman-powered hero; Heat vision, super-speed, flight. The Red Blue Blur is actually a good description of what the Paparazzi would get of a superman-powered hero in real life. Follow him home? HOW?! Man flies cross-country faster than the human eye can follow. Most people would be aware of the general direction he was flying, but so long as he was careful he'd be fine... And with super-hearing, super-smelling, and Automated Super-Hypnosis from putting on his glasses: We can be sure he'd be fairly careful.

Martian Manhunter: Change Form. Done. This works for most form-changing heroes.

And -then- you have heroes like my Hero in the Isles SG Leader. People who just -don't- take off the mask. She's been wearing it since ""Hardcastle" was created. Even wears it in the shower!

How about Rorschach, Spiderman, The Shocker, and other characters who wear full-face masks over features noone knows anything about?

Ultimately whether they're revealed or not depends on their reactions to the paparazzi, their powers, their methods, and their attitudes toward their status as a hero.

-Rachel-