We all have things in our lives that are out of our control: other people, companies, governments, natural events. Superheroes provide us with a fantasy of regaining at least some of that control. They captivate the imagination of kids everywhere, and provide an appealing dream world for people to escape to. Here is a list of 20 infographics about superheroes.
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- Superheroes’ powers are the real key to why they capture our imaginations. The Illustrious Omnibus of Super Powers categorizes all the different superpowers that different superheroes have used.
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- Not all superpowers are created equal, though — and some have gained much more popularity than others. The World’s Most Popular Superpowers breaks down the popularity of some powers and shows which heroes have them.
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- It’s not likely that you’ll be able to get any of those superpowers, but there are ways to get close. The Real Superhero Power of Technology shows how you can get as close as possible.
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- Instead of futilely trying to become a superhero, it might be a good idea to just move in next door to one. New York City is packed full of superheroes and should be one of the safest cities on the planet.
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- In a world of superheroes, it only seems natural that there would be lots of relationships between them. They can identify with each other, and the child of two superheroes would likely have superpowers of some sort. Because of this, The X-Men Family Tree is especially connected.
If you really step back and look at it, the superhero “family tree” thing is wild. Each added relationship, each new child or distant cousin with powers, somehow ups the stakes but makes everything a little more convoluted, too. Maybe it’s because each writer has the urge to add their own pearl to the tapestry, to connect or twist the lineage in an unexpected way—something that, at times, feels less like a tree and more like a knot. But that’s half the fun of comic book universes: the ability to suddenly unveil some long-lost relative with laser vision and a tragic origin gets everyone talking again.
And then there’s the fandom side of all these connections. Anyone who’s spent five minutes on internet forums knows that fans dissect every relationship and backstory, piecing together timelines with a devotion usually reserved for cold case detectives. It’s probably never been easier to get lost down a rabbit hole about which siblings or couples produced which new characters, only to realize two hours later you’ve been reading about the romantic history of Scott Summers. Not saying that’s happened to me, but… let’s be real, it probably has to all of us at least once.
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- Get out your super language skills, The Long Life of Superheroes is in spanish, but it covers the history of superheroes through the ages.
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- Avengers Assemble shows the powers of each of the bunch, and lets you pick your favorite based on their top skills.
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- For a more simple look at superheroes, Minimal Superheroes distills them down to their essential recognizable components.
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- Most kids love to role-play as superheroes, but what would it be like to actually be one? What’s Batman Thinking? takes a look at what it would feel like to be Batman.
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- All superheroes have a backstory that explains how they got their superpowers. The Green Lantern’s backstory is covered in Science Fiction Superhero.
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- Batman is one of the only self-made superheroes, and many of his powers come from the suit he wears. The History of the Bat Suit shows how it has evolved over time.
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- Spiderman isn’t exactly self-made, but his story shows how accidents can often turn out to be good things. He’s over 50 years old now, and 50 Years of Spiderman commemorated that half-century mark.
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- The Transformers are unique. They evolved on another planet to look like cars and trucks. The Decepticons Vehicles takes a look at what the bad guys from the Transformers universe turn into.
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- Ironman might be the most expensive superhero that exists. The Cost of Being Ironman shows just how rich Tony Stark must be.
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- The Avengers are an unlikely group of heroes, and they’ve gone through quite an Evolution.
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- Perhaps the most famous superhero of all is Superman. He has a long history, and has helped to shape the superhero genre.
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- Superheroes started out in comic books, but it wasn’t long before they made their way into movies. The Evolution of the Superhero Movie shows how they got their start and turned into what they are today.
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- Today, superheroes make some of The Most Anticipated Movies, with Ironman 3 being at the top of that list.
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- These movies do incredibly well at the box office, with Marvel doing especially well. Marvel and DC have always been in competition, and their film profits are one way to compare them.
- Marvel’s win over DC Comics can be largely attributed to Profit from the Avengers and their backstory.
Drew Skau is Visualization Architect at Visual.ly and a PhD Computer Science Visualization student at UNCC with an undergraduate degree in Architecture. You can follow him on twitter @SeeingStructure
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