There may be many heroes in the world, but the ones we most look up to are the fictional superheroes. A superhero mostly appears when society really needs him or her in times of catastrophe, when people have lost hope and are waiting for a miracle to happen. That’s when a superhero comes in.

So what makes a superhero a superhero, besides his superpowers? Obviously, he has to be honest, courageous, selfless, worthy, caring, respecting and patient. These heroes are actually hardworking, energetic, responsible, organised and erudite (knowledgeable).

The following attributes of superheroes explains how I perceive them, your opinion may differ. Let us have a look at how some of the superheroes portray these qualities.

Hardworking

The best example of a hardworking superhero female is Wonder Woman. She is a demi-god and role model for many girls around the world. She is as beautiful as Aphrodite, as wise as Athena, as strong as Hercules is and as swift as Hermes. Her true calling is to be the protector of mankind and for this she uses her fighting skills to overcome evil.

Her dedication to what she does is incomparable to any other hero. A hardworking hero must have a pure sense of consciousness. Wonder Woman did what she was meant to do. Her goal was to lead by example and motivate people to fight for their freedom from evil.

Energetic

When you think of the word energetic, the first one you think of is Jay Garrick, also known as The Flash. He flies by like a hurricane. His passion for chemistry led to his powers — super speed. He chose to use them for a better cause and channelised his powers to saving the day and fighting crime.

He pursued his passion and is an individual who has accomplished his tasks; I also believe that he has the ability to energise people around him.

Responsibility

Being responsible is to accept your fault (if you have done any), it is something many of us are not able to do. We can learn to be responsible from Peter Parker, or Spider-Man, who takes responsibility for his actions. He even thought that he was responsible for his uncle’s death and he did not stop until he found the murderer.

As his famous saying goes, “With great power, comes great responsibility.”

He’s shown to have made important choices in life and has always been responsible towards his goals and obligations.

What we can learn from him is the core of leadership, which are:

• The ability to take important decisions,

• Learn from one’s mistakes and

• Take charge of the situation to make a change.

Organised

The most organised super hero is Professor ‘X’, also known as Xavier. He has a peaceful affirmation towards his role. He is also respected and highly regarded in society. He has a systematic approach towards his duty. He is process-oriented, methodical and a great leader.

Erudite

Erudite means knowledge and to use it in the correct way. Tony Stark or Ironman, for example, is ahead of most of the world and his opponents because of his intelligence and inventions.

He is also known for his wisdom and is the owner of the greatest weapon company. He says that knowledge is limitless and is always your best ally.

Self-starter

Batman can be a great example of being a self-starter. He has trained himself physically and mentally, with some help from his family butler. He is a classical example and has all the characteristics of any successful entrepreneur.

Like the Dark Knight said ‘a hero can be anyone’ but not anyone can be a hero. Being a hero means taking an oath to serve and protect society. It is a great deal of responsibility, as well.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 9th, 2019