When the word superhero is used, the image that comes to mind is usually capes, masks and colorful suits. It's villains with maniacal plots and damsels in distress waiting for their hero to save the day. But like the person beneath the mask, the genre goes deeper than the time-honored tropes so popular in superhero fiction.
To understand the genre and the way it continues to evolve, one must look at the start of it. Beyond comic books, there are the myths of old heroes like Theseus and Hercules. Stories of those with exceptional abilities who took on the evils of the world. It was in these stories that we first see some of the themes that have remained to this day.
The hero's journey for example, is a big part of many characters' story arcs, both in the physical and psychological sense. It can come from the quest to save someone—a lover, a friend, or even the world—or it can come in the form of the hero's search for closure, meaning, and their true identity. From Theseus' journey to slay Medusa to Superman's quest to find his place in the world, the core of the hero is always the journey they must take, and so one could say the modern superhero is modern mythology.
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From the Golden Age of comics—from which the present day superhero originated—to the present time storylines, superheroes can be seen as a reflection of the state of the world. One of the best examples of this is Captain America. With his origins in WW2, Captain America is the symbol of what America should be—noble, strong, and always protecting those in need. During the years, though, Captain America has shifted along with the current state of the country. From his time as Nomad, to his death, Captain America has taken on many roles just as the country he is named after has shifted with the changing of the times.
Much in the same way, Superman—the cultural icon and first costumed superhero—represents the optimism of the American people in a time when the country was still recovering from the Great Depression. His first villains were not maniacal geniuses nor were they otherworldly beings, but instead took the form of corrupt politicians, crooked businessmen, and those who sought to discriminate others. Then came Batman, who concerned himself with inner city crimes similar to those growing in propensity in the rapidly expanding cities. His very origins are an example of the type of tragedy occurring all too often at the time, something people could identify and relate to. Something that made them see themselves in that character despite his flaws and the stark contrast he made to traditional heroes.
