How do you feel about male and female superhero bodies?

[Weapon77]

[Citizenkirk]

I think that overselling the tight spandex, 2 percent body fat to bulky muscle ratio index images of superheroes who have a million things on thier plates but have plenty of time to spare to deal with whatever relationship dynamic menute that manages to be relevant to saving the world or city from devastating whatever that some supervillain super genius character with nothing more profitable or lucrative to do with thier time is a oversold, played out character plot fiasco that has been oversold and overkilled to consumer market extinction.
I think King Kong came up with the right answer, when a Hollywood action star pointed at a fat, unattractive ship's hand with a rifle in hand, saying "that this is what a real life hero really looks like!' and that- "this actor," pointing to himself, "has lost his screenshot motivation." - in essence, the ordinary people who do extraordinary things when least expected, are the true heroes that life's contrasting distinctions in character and circumstance, are the shining hero's of reality as the average person sees's it.
Kick Ass had the potential to be a real life reflection of superheroes in progress if they didn't take such a 💩y attitude towards human nature.

[TheSpaceGnome]

I think they are fine the way they are, and the few who complain over it are overthinking this sort of thing.

When I'm reading comics or watching cartoons or cgi movies, my mind isn't even on this topic, it's on the lore, the story, the action, the characters, the suspense, the "what happens next?" And I think thinking critically about the way a given character looks (outside of story context/continuity or cool factor) is a sign the person is just boring and hates fiction/fantasy in general.

It doesn't have to be realistic, it shouldn't be realistic, the entire point of the superhero genre is to do the exact opposite of realism, to be and do what cannot happen in real life.

If you got hit with gamma rays in real life, you would die, not turn into the hulk, but that doesn't matter. In universe canon and whether or not the hulk is interesting is what matters, and as a character, he is interesting, and in marvel canon, thats what gamma rays do, and it's a fun fantasy, and thats that.

[KBird]

Frankly... I think that women's superhero bodies are overly sexualized, but so are the men, promoting the 'mega buff' body. I think its all part of the fun. It supports the "out of this world" action, including bodies that aren't really possible to attain, as well as the 'rippling' muscles that add to the drama. :) It creates that escape from reality.

I think where a problem can lie, and its the same for all other forms of media, is when we start to compare our bodies to theirs. It would be nice to see comics be more inclusive to all body types... but I dont have an issue with it. As mentioned in the other comments, Hero Academia is one of these comics that is somewhat more relatable (as it is supposed to be) through their inclusion of different body types. :)

[Sanamina]

Its an aesthetic of its own.

However if it's an action comic

U want those motion lines and muscle movements because that makes the entire cinematic experience better when it comes to super hero.

Its not like ur average disney prince or romantic comic or romcom anime guy is on steroids too since its just a romance so no need to compare because both are good at delivering the story that they were meant to deliver

[NamerOfStars]

They're generally idealized; but then, they're supposed to be. I have no problem with them.

[Weapon77]

Have you seen My Hero Academia? It has some interesting shapes for superheroes that are often less than ideal haha

In any case, that makes sense!

Do you think them being idealized negatively affects how relatable they are to an audience?

[NamerOfStars]

I haven't seen that, no. And I think that in terms of physique, they're supposed to be more inspirational; the relatability is more on the psychological side.

[Weapon77]

Fair enough! Why do you think it is that so many people find them inspirational, while others (possibly a minority) resent them?

[NamerOfStars]

I'd say because of the increasing prevalence of the idea that you can only relate to those who look like you. As Chesterton didn't say (but Neil Gaiman thinks he did), "Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist; children already KNOW that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.". A normal person will look at Superman beating up some invading monster and feel inspired to know that even a seemingly invincible enemy CAN be beaten; a person who's mentally more beaten down will say "sure, he can do it because he has superpowers; *I* am totally helpless".

[NamerOfStars]

One of the superheroes (using the term a little loosely) I most relate to is Buffy Summers. I don't have super strength, or endurance, or fashion sense, and I'm pretty sure that either one of my legs weighs more than Sarah Michelle Gellar, but that doesn't bother me because that's not the POINT. Her experience is what feels so familiar to me; struggling against enemies most people don't even acknowledge while trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life, and getting dumped on for failing to do so.

[Weapon77]

Good stuff! Very helpful. The psychology of people definitely seems to be the main factor. So do you think there is a way to use fiction to change the perspectives of those super negative or mentally down-beaten people and inspire them too? Or would they need counseling first?

[NamerOfStars]

I think there probably is, but there are some bad actors out there trying to stir up division, and succeeding all too often. I mean, it's a bigger-context issue, but the shared elements of the human experience are a lot of what drives the feelings of human brotherhood (and sisterhood). I have no problem with putting in characters who are disabled or fat or what have you (provided that they're CHARACTERS, and not just tokens), but when you've got a culture that increasingly sees victimhood as a social virtue, there's only so much you can do.

There are certainly good stories to tell showing the falsehood of the victim-oppressor mentality, and even examining the nuances of good and evil in the context of insanely complex human activities, but that's only going to positively affect people if they let it. Then again, perhaps that's the point, since it's an attempt at inspiring them to solve their perspective issues themselves, since that's not something an outside source can do. Rather metapsychological.

[Weapon77]

All good points!

[NathanDavis]

which ones, there's hundreds and even thousands of them...

it does help to portray their actual super powers, but still... I quite often prefer when they look fairly normal and human, but then... that would not make much sense when they are other than just human with superpowers

[Weapon77]

It sounds like you are saying that it entirely depends on what kind of character they are, regardless of superpowers, what role those powers have in their lives, and what the powers actually are. Like, someone with stretching, shapeshifting, or invisibility could look normal and be believable, while someone with super strength would need to look pretty jacked. Is that correct?

[NathanDavis]

sure... and it is all part of their "Universe" and both are valid and interesting to me, strength in particular is one of those that are more noticeable... tremendous force and sheer power, you could look that or you could not

it all depends on how you acquired such powers, were you able to train and develop them through physical superablities, or is it magic, is it cosmos, is it ki... is it a bloodline and chakra, lol

in Naruto, you see plenty of both archetypes

[Weapon77]

Makes sense. Good points. Yes, Naruto has several examples.

I think the people who complain about superhero physiques are probably fat or lazy, and don't want to do any work to improve themselves, so imstead of being entertained or inspired, they get resentful.

[NathanDavis]

lmao... not sure about that

all I know is that if I am going for fiction and fantasy... I will get exactly that, someone's fictional and fantastic take

although, one thing I always hate to see... big gigantic enormous blossoms, awful design, in my opinion

[Weapon77]

Agreed on the giganto-busoms 😂 Even pro-athletes with large breasts have trouble with them and need special equipment. I get that it's fantastical, but it would make more sense to at least limit how many women have the bazookas, and then make sure the size can be explained and accomodated somehow like having anti-gravity powers or something.

[Weapon77]

Or make it a comedy and give all the men penises so huge that they get in the way of fighting lmao

[NathanDavis]

I bet they've done it already... lol

to me, as a former drawing and designer AMATEUR in animation, is all about the artwork, so anything out of proportion and ratio just does not resonate quite well with me, lol

[Weapon77]

I understand completely since I'm an artist! But some humans are disproportionate, and specifically, sometimes there are women with breasts that don't seem to belong to them. Surely there's a good way to depict them in art too. We just shouldn't draw them for EVERY female character lol Maybe just like 5% of them or something.

[NathanDavis]

yeah, my take has nothing to do with the real life... lol

I think you know exactly what I mean... when an artist decides that absolutely every single female will be 40% breasts, except one girl... that's just an artist with a fetish, or they are servicing a fetishist audience, lol

[Weapon77]

Yes, I know what you mean haha

[Snakeyes7]

They are supposed to be overly exaggerated because they are supposed to be superhuman. There is no reasonable way any human can have a body like that and I think dudes seem to understand this more than women (or at least feminists) do when it comes to fiction.

[Weapon77]

They definitely are supposed to be that way. I think the people you are talking about just act out because they are unwilling to do the work to improve themselves, so it makes them feel better to bash other people and characters who HAVE done the work and have healthier, more aesthetic bodies.

[Snakeyes7]

Agreed. Especially those who whine about "fatphobia".

[Weapon77]

Yeah, I mean the people who are fat should be the most afraid of it. They are the ones losing years or decades off their lives. I feel bad for them

[Snakeyes7]

Not to mention that they are one of the leading causes of the rising cost of health insurance since they are a huge risk.

[Weapon77]

Correct. As well as almost the sole reason COVID-19 was so bad for America. If we had a 10% or lower obesity rate like many countries, instead of a 35% obesity rate and 70% overweight rate, not nearly as many people would have died or been hospitalized due to COVID.

[Snakeyes7]

The media really doesn't like to talk about that though, along with Hydroxychloroquine (if I spelled that wrong, I don't care) and Ivermectin. They want everyone to be in full panic mode in order for them to swoop in and "save the day".

[Weapon77]

Bingo

[crossdressingrihno]

If it works then why change it?
I don’t really have an opinion on specific body types for all super heroes I just want people to stay true to the source material, obviously creative liberties can be taken here and there but they need to be done correctly.

[inhua]

nothing wrong with them. it's an ideal we should want to strive for instead of being complacent. people treat you better when you have something nobody else has which is hard to obtain i. e. big arms, wide chest, 6 pack abs etc.

[MoniqueTLC]

Their bodies fit in with being a superhero I guess. That amount of physical exertion and activity, it's inevitable your body is going to be that of an elite athlete.

[exitseven]

This guy had the perfect superhero body

I'm Batman

[Jamie05rhs]

Um, they're superheroes. Why should their bodies NOT be super?

[Weapon77]

There is an argument that it makes them too hard to relate to as characters. But I argue that can be made up for my characterizing them well by giving them flaws, personal struggles, dreams, etc.

What would you think if you saw a superhero who didn't look super? Like picture Danny Devito fighting a villain in the next big Marvel or DC movie? Laughable? Would that stuff only work as comedy? Afterall, Adam West did NOT look super as Batman.

[Jamie05rhs]

@Weapon77 We're not supposed to "relate" to them. We're supposed to be awed by them. (Hence the term "hero.")

[Jamie05rhs]

Yes; Danny DeVito as a superhero would be quite laughable.

[Jamie05rhs]

And there's a reason why Nacho Libre was a comedy.

[Weapon77]

Makes sense! Good point on Nacho Libre haha

Have you seen One Punch Man? It's a superhero satire/comedy, and it still includes mostly awe-inspiring physiques.

So why do you think some people resent the way superheroes look?

[Jamie05rhs]

Thanks lol.

No, I have not seen that!

Because they're jealous.

[Weapon77]

I definitelt recommend trying One Punch Man and My Hero Academia. Interesting takes on superhero shows. They have darkness in them but don't go ultra-dark like The Boys does. And it's a different vibe from Invincible.

[Jamie05rhs]

Cool. Thanks for the tips!

[Koefan4eva]

Why tf the men always huge and the woman is a tiny sliver next to him? And let’s not forget the mostly unrealistic bodies on both, thinks mrs incredible for example, wth are those proportions

[Weapon77]

Well, Mrs. Incredible is elastic, so those proportions are whatever she wants to be fair. Also, they changed her design in the 2nd movie for ridiculous reason, especially given that the moive might've taken a decade to be made but the story continued from where the last one ended only moments before.

But yeah, there is a lot of dimorphism in superheroes normally. Would you prefer to have super huge superheroines who look like bodybuilders or powerlifters?

[bubblegunnn]

Whats about them? They are mostly hot right especially for female superhero

[Anonymous]

They're fine, I find them somewhat visually appealing. Obviously they're unrealistic for most people except for hardcore bodybuilders and stuff, but in a fun way I'd say.

[Anonymous]

Cartoons are for kids and should never be taken seriously.

[Agape93]

Unrealistic and not very appealing to me

[Weapon77]

We all know they are unrealistic because that's the whole point lol It's mythology. They are meant to exaggerate pro athlete physiques.

Why are they unappealing to you? Do they not make sense for their characters or something? Or would you rather them have physiques like pro athletes instead of being exaggerated?

[Agape93]

I like things that are natural, real. These physiques are decidedly not, they are essentially meta humans. Above natural and normal.

[Weapon77]

Right, and that's the whole point of many of those characters: to be above natural and normal. That's why they are called super- heroes.

So it sounds to me like you just don't like fantasy and speculative fiction very much, which is fine! I'm guessing you prefer realism like dramas, romances, and mysteries, right?

[Agape93]

I do enjoy it, I just don't find their bodies appealing.

[Weapon77]

Hmmm. Well pardon my questions, but I'm doing research for my own superhero story, so I'm getting whatever data I can.

You mentioned liking Squirrel Girl, and she has the same kind of body as all the others. So what makes her body not appealing to you, yet you still would date her?

[Agape93]

Her personality. I love quirkiness and overall playfulness. I find that quite endearing. Not some hypermoral, judgmental meta humans with bodies closer to DBZ than anything remotely normal.

[Weapon77]

Ok, so the main takeaways are that personality and morality matter a lot to you, and you prefer realistic moral perspectives to idealistic ones. Noted.

So live-action superheroes might seem better to you because of having more realistic physiques than the exaggerated art styles of comics and such. But since the whole point of superheroes is to be "super," and artists need to create distinct silhouettes that anyone would recognize and not confuse with other artists' work, how would you accomplish that while using more normal bodies? And would you not be afraid of them looking too normal and not being able to suspend disbelief in that character having superpowers?

[dustybiker]

Unattractive.