superhero, a fictional hero—widely popularized in comic books and comic strips, television and film, and popular culture and video games—whose extraordinary or “superhuman” powers are often displayed in the fight against crime and assorted villains, who in turn often display superhuman abilities as well. In many respects, superheroes are like the gods of classical mythology and other mythological traditions, some of whom, such as the Norse god Thor, figure in the modern comic pantheon. Indeed, where some superheroes rely on advanced technology and knowledge to outwit their foes, other superheroes have near-divine powers, from the ability to fly to immortality.
