Do superheroes have to have superpowers?
Are firefighters heroes? Are they superheros? Are superheroes only found in comic books? In the world, there are many examples of great deeds being done by people. But what is the difference between a hero and a superhero? People are bound to have different answers, and opinions to these questions, but a hero needs a superpower to be considered a superhero.
Not all heroes are fictional, but superheroes are, and can have any power in the author’s imagination. The dictionary definition a superhero is “a benevolent fictional character with superhuman powers.” These powers include extraordinary strength, the ability to fly, incredible speed, or any other exaggerated capability. Every superhero has to have a power because they are created to make fun, entertaining story lines for readers and movie-goers. The stories usually start with a regular person that wants to help the world in some way. Then something “happens” to the person, and they develop some kind of superhuman capability, and become a superhero. For example, Peter Parker is transformed into Spiderman after being exposed to radiation.
On the other hand, heroes are the men and woman fighting for our country. Heroes are bystanders becoming upstanders in a time of need. Heroes don’t have superpowers because they are ordinary people admired for their extraordinary efforts to help others. There are many heroes among us. They might not look like the people we see in comic books and movies wearing tights and capes, but they can still change many lives for the better. Some wear uniforms and badges, like police officers, while others wear plain clothes and go unnoticed everyday. They make the world a better place without expecting anything in return.
Sometimes however, extraordinary actions are taken by real people, and some may consider them superheroes. Some people consider courage in a time of need as a superpower. For example, the men and women firefighters who ran up the stairs of the World Trading Center buildings on 9/11 showed extreme courage in the face of a crisis. They are amazing heroes, but they aren’t superheroes because they don’t have an exceptional nonhuman power. Everyone has the ability to be courageous, and we should honor the people that chose to help. But courage isn’t a superpower because everyone can choose to be brave, which isn’t a fictional trait.
We have real heroes and villains in the world, but superheroes and supervillains are found in the fictional worlds we love to watch and read about. We should all do something nice for someone everyday. Be a hero that goes unnoticed, and make someone’s day a little brighter. Like Ghandi, who was famous for believing: “Be the change that you want to see in the world”
I’d recommend citing the dictionary from where you got the definition from to improve your credibility. Also I recommend checking the backstory of your superhero.
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I liked how your argument separated superhero from hero. Using the dictionary definition was a good use of logos. I also thought your argument represented the opposing viewpoint well. I thought you strongly refuted it by going back to the definition of superhero and tying it back into your earlier evidence.
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Thank you mgbarto1 for your feedback. I appreciate that you named a specific time I used logos affectively.
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I loved your comparison to “SUPERhero” and just a normal everyday “hero” that is not in comics and without a superpower, they are just human. The overall argument was great, and had a nice counterargument included. I really liked the article. As they said, I would cite the dictionary used for the definition for better credibility. Also, adding and naming more examples for a superhero than just spiderman would be helpful towards the arguement too. In the beginning, try not to ask so many questions as a hook. Using other techniques like a quotation, anectdote, interesting fact, simile or a metaphor would be better to make the hook a lot stonger. If you still wanted a question to start, using a rhetorical question would create a strong hook to intrest the reader and bring him/her in and grab their attention. (:
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Your commenters stated so many points I agree with. I was struck by how simple your writing was–it flowed well and showed attention to revision. So easy to read with no distractions or confusion! I’m impressed by this draft. ~Mrs. C
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