EDITORIAL: The Most Heroic Moments In CBMs

For most of us comic book fans, superheroes have been a big part of our lives. While I'm sure none of us have a shrine with a picture of our favorite superhero and say prayers to that character (at least I hope that's the case), these heroes have made an impact in our lives to a certain degree. Whether they got you through one of life's many challenges or changed the way you viewed life itself, superheroes have always been and always will be relevant in society and our hearts as they are in the comic books. We love these superheroes because they step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary. In a sometimes mundane world, these characters dragged us into a world where it's possible to for a man to fly or a scientist can turn into a monster whenever he is angry. This was a world many of us would kill to be a part of.

If you have a good memory, you probably remember the first time you picked up a comic book. It's one of those moments that stay with you forever.
I still remember the day when I first picked up my first comic book. It was the year 2000 and my mother took me along with her to the supermarket and only God knew how much I loathed going to the supermarket. It was my own personal hell! I love my mother but I could never understand how she could look at a piece of clothing for thirty minutes and not buy it in the end. Anyways, as my mother and I strolled through the market, I noticed a little comic book stand next to all the newspapers. Without blinking, I let go of my mother's hand and ran over there despite her pleas for me to come back. While there were many comic books on the stand, there was one comic book that caught my eye. By the time my mother caught up with me, I was eating up the pages of this beautifully crafted comic. This comic book was the very first to introduce me to the superhero who would later go on to be one my favorite superhero characters. It was... The Ultimate Spider-Man #3.

When I was little, I wasn't popular at all. I was weak, withdrawn and I had a huge crush on this girl who was way out of my league. So when I read the story of Peter Parker and saw how much we had in common; I was glued. We all love a hero and spider-man was the first hero I looked up to. The mere thought of someone jumping in to save the day intrigues us and gives us a sense of hope that we all crave. So it seems only right that whenever a superhero is brought to the big screen, the "hero" aspect must be present.

Up to this point in history, many superhero movies have been made. Some more successful than others. And while most of them included the hero or heroine saving the day, not all of them did something that would urge me to stand on my feet and applaud. It's the time when a character takes that extra step in a moment of crises.
I have listed below the moments which in my view, the superhero showed the true ingredients of being an ultimate protector.



(5)SUPERMAN LIFTS UP AN ISLAND (SUPERMAN RETURNS)

I know a lot of of people don't like this movie but I always thought that this movie was a good send off the the Christopher Reeve era. It includes one of the most amazing feats ever in Superman's cinematic history.
When Lex Luthor's island threatens the life of innocent people, a weakened Superman (who had just been stabbed with kryptonite) flies up into the sky, absorbs some energy from the sun and heads back down in order to lift up an entire island and throw it into space. Now, I've heard how some people find this to be completely silly and unbelievable. But we are talking about a movie where an alien can fly and shoot lasers from his eyes. Besides, this movie takes place within the Donner universe and we all remember when Superman flew around the earth until in order to reverse time.
What I loved about this scene is the after effect of his heroics. Instead of heroically flying back to earth to be greeted with cheers, he falls back into earth and hits the ground. To me, this was a truly intense scene and showed how far Superman would go to protect the people of earth.

(4)HAL JORDAN SAYS THE OATH IN FRONT OF PARALLAX (GREEN LANTERN)

Green Lantern wasn't a good film. Sure, it wasn't as bad as movies like Batman and Robin or Catwoman but it was a disappointing film that didn't live up to its full potential. But for all its faults, I believe they got something right... The oath. Now before I begin with this, I want to say something about the film. Just before the final boss fight, I was convinced that Hal Jordan didn't deserve the ring in this movie. But all that changed when he said the oath. I'm a big green lantern fan and judging from the comic books I've read, Green Lanterns usually say the oath to charge their rings. So I was surprised with the way they handled it in the movie. After a few failed attempts to defeat Parallax, Hal finds himself in a difficult situation when he is cornered by the enemy and with only a force field to protect him. Parallax then tries to get into Hal's head by saying, "I can feel your fear growing... you will be dead soon." So when Hal started muttering, "In brightest day, In blackest night", a huge grin appeared on my face. This was a big and heroic moment because Hal was using the oath for what seemed to be inner strength. It kind of reminded me of how some Christians use the 'The Lord's Prayer' for comfort and strength.
Fear is something we all experience in this life. We fear failure, danger and many other things. Hal was just like you and I; he was human. So he earned my approval when he looked into Parallax's face (The personification
of fear) and said with authority, "Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!"

(3)SILVER SURFER DEFIES GALACTUS (FANTASTIC FOUR:RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER)

Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer is considered as an improvement from the first installment mainly due to the Silver Surfer's presence in the film. Say what you want about the movie but you can't deny the fact that the Silver Surfer was awesome in it. He was the most interesting character there; which is weird considering he is a pretty silent alien and all. His heroics were extremely touching; especially when you remember why he was serving Galactus in the first place. He felt as if he had no other choice but to serve Galactus otherwise his world and one he loved would be destroyed. However, he later sees that he does in fact have a choice and flies into space to confront his master. As he stood face to face with the the monster he served all those years, he said "I will no longer serve you. This is the end... for us both." He then self destructs, taking Galactus with him.


(2)STEVE ROGERS BRINGS THE PLANE DOWN TO SAVE THE DAY:CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

I really enjoyed Steve and Peggy's relationship in this movie. It felt very organic in my opinion. It's amazing how they managed to convince us that Peggy cared for Steve before he became the famous Captain America. So it was rather sad for their time together to be cut so short.
After defeating the Red Skull, Captain America was left with the task of making sure that the plane crashed in a place where nobody could possibly get hurt or killed; the cold Arctic. Just before he crashes, Steve and Peggy have one last conversation which involves them planning a date. Chris Evans rocks the role and Captain America is a real hero in my books.

(1)BRUCE BANNER JUMPS OFF OF A HELICOPTER (THE INCREDIBLE HULK)

The Incredible Hulk is one of my favorite superhero movies ever. In fact, this movie turned me into a full blown Hulk fan.
One of the highlights of the film is Bruce and Betty's relationship. Edward Norton and Liv Tyler pull it off beautifully. Everything just feels so right. From the get go, you know Betty is one of the sole reasons why Bruce is trying to get rid of the Hulk. This is evident in the way Bruce sets up a newspaper with Betty's picture on it whenever he is working on a cure. I I applaud Edward Norton for being able to show Bruce's yearning for Betty without overacting. Like when he sees her for the first time in years and you can almost hear his heart melt.
Bruce Banner's heroics are shown at the end of the film when Emil Blonsky transforms into the hideous 'Abomination' and begins to wreck havoc on Harlem in order to lure out the Hulk. Bruce, who for most of the film was on a mission to get rid of the Hulk, realizes that the beast within him is the only one who can save the day. What makes Bruce Banner's jump so heroic is the uncertainty of his plan. You might wonder why I didn't add Mark Ruffalo's 'I'm always angry' but you have to remember, Bruce had just taken a supposed antidote made by Doctor Sterns. Some say Bruce was stupid to jump but let us put ourselves in Bruce's shoes for a second. Innocent people were being murdered and police officers were getting swatted to death like insects. I vividly remember the quick scene where the Abomination throws a car at distressed woman or the scene where the Abomination smashes a car on a group of soldiers.
Nowadays, civilians are used as mere excuses for action. But we all know how it feels to witness a tragedy. There have been many in history such as 'The columbine massacre' or 'The 9/11'. Those were the moments where we wished Clark Kent was real. So we must understand how a normal guy like Bruce Banner must have felt to see such carnage. He had to do it.
Despite Betty's attempts to discourage him from taking such a risk, Bruce looked into here eyes and said, "Betty, I have to try. I'm sorry." They share a final kiss, he lets go of her hand and jumps off. Thankfully, his plan succeeds and the Hulk saves the day. Now that was truly heroic.
Bruce and Betty's relationship is one the best in the MCU. I found the video below and I think it really captures the beauty of their relationship.

Well there you have it. To set the record I love all superheroes. But these are the heroic moments that really effected me as a fan. Comment below!