City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Super Heroes of other countries

EnigmaBlack

By EnigmaBlack,
Posted on: 2012-06-18 23:46 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture

 

Posted

Nope, not the ones in DC or Marvel. I mean heroes created in countries outside of the U.S.

Super Heroes are usually seen as a mostly American thing, but I have have always wondered what super heroes were created in other countries. (Other than Japan, though I am aware that they have some characters that I have yet to discover.)

I came across this link for those who are curious:

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/

Also included are american creations, but these characters are lesser known, if at all.

I kinda expected the Luchadores of Central America to be on the site. I wasn't disappointed.

Anyone else heard of any of these characters?

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-anim.php
Can't come up with a name? Click the link!

 

Posted

I love Godzilla and all but why is he on that page?
Edit: also, that site is way less informative than a Wiki page, or a TV Tropes page.

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Posted

I guess, at a sufficiently broad definition of "superhero", the question eventually becomes: "name some non-american comic book characters."

Zorglub is, perhaps, the greatest comic book villain of all time. But he's hardly a superhero. I find very few european comic book characters to qualify (IMHO) as super heroes, unless specifically created to spoof american comic books.

Thought for the day:

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment."

=][=

 

Posted

You want to make a list?

I nominate Asterix the Gaul. He has superhuman strength and speed, an "origin story", he appears in comic strip form, he fights evil, and he is definitely not American.

I really should do something about this signature.

 

Posted

I'll nominate two then! Because the first is a 'maybe'.

* The Scarlet Pimpernel: No powers, as such, but he does have a bit of a "disguised superhero" shtick, much like Batman.

* Benedict Ironbreaker (Benoît Brisefer): A kid with super strength. Though the common cold make him lose all his powers (this happens a lot). His arch nemesis is a sinister army of evil robots disguised as little old ladies.


Also, I have Modesty Blaise as a runner-up. I'm on the fence about whether she qualifies, since I see her as more of a James Bond kind of protagonist.

Thought for the day:

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment."

=][=

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Premonitions View Post
I love Godzilla and all but why is he on that page?
Edit: also, that site is way less informative than a Wiki page, or a TV Tropes page.
He has superpowers. He's saved the world. He's got his own rogue's gallery of villains. Sure, he's gone on a rampage and destroyed some stuff, but the Hulk's a superhero too.

Godzilla and the Doctor are my two favorite non-American superheroes.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
Hercules.

Oh wait... were there ancient Greek comic books?
They called them 'tragedy books'. There wasn't a lot of pictures in them.

Thought for the day:

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment."

=][=

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperFerret View Post
He has superpowers. He's saved the world. He's got his own rogue's gallery of villains. Sure, he's gone on a rampage and destroyed some stuff, but the Hulk's a superhero too.

Godzilla and the Doctor are my two favorite non-American superheroes.
In that case the concept of superhero really has lost all meaning.

Anyone Who wants to argue about my usual foolishness can find me here.
https://twitter.com/Premmytwit
I'll miss you all.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Premonitions View Post
In that case the concept of superhero really has lost all meaning.
Superhero - A fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers;
also : an exceptionally skillful or successful person

I don't think it's lost any meaning, tbh. By definition Godzilla fits, as he's a hero who has extraordinary powers. He's just a different culture's kind of hero. Much like Goku is Japan's Superman, Godzilla is their Hulk.

 

Posted

I'd much rather see the Indian Spiderman than the reboot. Bollywood FTW!!!

Who do I have to *&^% around here to get more Targeted AoE recipes added?

Arc Name: Tsoo In Love
Arc ID: 413575

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xzero45 View Post
Superhero - A fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers;
also : an exceptionally skillful or successful person

I don't think it's lost any meaning, tbh.
That's really only proving my point that at this stage Super heroes are no longer a Genre or Archetypical character and has devolved into a catch-all term for "Strong dude". And if we include "Mentally or emotionally strong" so that characters like batman and such can fall under the umbrella then pretty much every Main Character in any story is now a "Super hero"(which that dictionary definition, does in fact, do by stating that being successful makes one a superhero) And I just think that dilutes a good concept.

Quote:
By definition Godzilla fits, as he's a hero who has extraordinary powers. He's just a different culture's kind of hero. Much like Goku is Japan's Superman, Godzilla is their Hulk.
I would think of Ultraman more as Japan's Superman, personally, and that's really stretching the comparison. Goku is only like Superman in two very superficial areas,(barring that he is heroic in nature, like most heroes) He's an alien and he's strong. He was orginally designed as, and continued to be a Fantasy/Sci-fi adventurer and martial artist who went on grand quests much like Frodo or Hercules. Ultraman was designed to be a normal man who defended his home from catastrophic threats by taking on a different identity and using unique abilities. While also possessing the "Alien and Strong" aspects.(this can vary from one Ultra series to the next but I'm not as big on Ultraman as I am on Kamen Rider)

Godzilla didn't save the world because he was heroic, and he wasn't really the "hero" of the movies he "Starred" in, it was always the random dude or dudette who carried the plot. Further, Godzilla evolved as and more often than not continued to be a Sci-fi monster more than anything resembling a "hero"(granted I never considered The Hulk to be a superhero, either, but he at least was the protagonist of his stories.) It's sort of like saying King-Kong was a superhero because he fought those dinosaurs.

Anyone Who wants to argue about my usual foolishness can find me here.
https://twitter.com/Premmytwit
I'll miss you all.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Premonitions View Post
I would think of Ultraman more as Japan's Superman, personally, and that's really stretching the comparison. Goku is only like Superman in two very superficial areas,(barring that he is heroic in nature, like most heroes) He's an alien and he's strong. He was orginally designed as, and continued to be a Fantasy/Sci-fi adventurer and martial artist who went on grand quests much like Frodo or Hercules. Ultraman was designed to be a normal man who defended his home from catastrophic threats by taking on a different identity and using unique abilities. While also possessing the "Alien and Strong" aspects.(this can vary from one Ultra series to the next but I'm not as big on Ultraman as I am on Kamen Rider)
Goku and Superman have died before, fly, and can shoot energy from a body part. So physically, Goku and Superman are similar, but mentally, you might be right in Ultraman being Japan's Superman.

The first step in being sane is to admit that you are insane.

 

Posted

In the Philippines, Darna has the iconic status of Superman and Wonder Woman combined:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darna

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/d/darna.htm

She's been in comics, tv shows and films over there since 1950. In fact, there's a healthy comic book industry over there complete with all the genres you can imagine.

Needless to say, the last two actresses to play her on TV have both been smoking hot, so here's some blatant eye candy:

Marian Rivera:

http://www.watchpinoytv.info/wp-cont...rnamarian6.jpg
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/phot...55-371-500.jpg

Angel Locsin:

http://s3.hubimg.com/u/272530_f260.jpg
http://niceyfemme.com/wp-content/upl...maximmay08.jpg

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by starphoenix View Post
Goku and Superman have died before, fly, and can shoot energy from a body part. So physically, Goku and Superman are similar, but mentally, you might be right in Ultraman being Japan's Superman.
"Physically"(In terms of what abilities they have on paper) Batman, Superman and Spider-man couldn't be more different, yet they are the three most recognizable Super heroes in America., and the ones most readily recognized as super heroes. The things the have in common are much more numerous and much less superficial than the things Goku and Superman have in common. By the same metric,The Ultramen, Kamen Riders, and the Super Sentai have more in common amongst each other(and with American Superheroes) than they do with quite a few of their animated Japanese contemporaries. All six have more in common amongst each other than Goku shares with any of them.

Anyone Who wants to argue about my usual foolishness can find me here.
https://twitter.com/Premmytwit
I'll miss you all.