Can You See What I See?

Ahhh.. a blog post inspired by a comment. Got to love it. (listening to: "Killing in the Name," Rage Against the Machine)

A very valid point was brought up after my last post, and I was very suprised that I hadn't thought of it myself first. The question is: Are the superhero/sidekick roles defined? or are they fluid? The example given was that if someone sees themselves as a sidekick, but to someone else they are a superhero.. who is right?

To that, I had no immediate response. I mean, that's an excellent question. Normally, I would just come right out and say, "Well, it's relative, I guess. If you see yourself as a sidekick, then that's what you are. If someone sees you as a superhero, then to them you are one." But that didn't seem so sit right for some reason. And then, today, I was scouring the internet for movie quotes, and I came upon a classic from Woody Allen, and everything made sense. Here it is: "I would never want to join a club that would have me as a member."

Of COURSE. THANK YOU, Mr. Allen. See, the simple nature of Superheroes is so unbelievably larger-than-life, that anyone who thinks of themselves as a sidekick can not possibly have what it takes to be a superhero. To fight for truth, justice, and the American Way, a person must believe inside of them that they're the ones who make the differences so that anyone who thinks its their job to assist, to be the mirror that reflects, is almost immediately disqualified.

Having said that, there are a few very rare cases. Superman himself grew up in Smallville as a young boy, raised by adoptive parents. I doubt very highly that he thought of himself running around in a red and blue spandex suit saving Ms. Lois Lane someday while walking the halls of Smallville High, no matter what the WB might tell me.

So, in these rare cases, it turns out that by having someone believe in them, by finding a sidekick to back them up, to always pick them up when they fall, to iron their capes on the off days; these superheroes become so BECAUSE of their sidekicks. That's irony.

So, to answer the question at hand, I would say yes. The roles are flexible, but only very slightly. And, as it turns out, with enough mirrors it becomes hard to tell which is the candle, and which is the illusion.