Since a definitive superhero, Superman, debuted in 1938, the stories of superheroes - ranging from either episodic escapade to decades-long sagas - have get an entire genre of fiction that has dominated American comic books and crossed over into many more media.

Common traits

There is the range of attributes that come ordinarily a portion of a superhero's produce higher, although it is not by a long sight definitive (watch Divergent character examples). Virtually all superheroes have a pack of the ensuing features:

Extraordinary powers & abilities, mastery of relevant skills and/or advanced devices. Although superhero powers change widely, superhuman nature & severity, a ability to fly, sweetening of a senses and the ability to design energy of occasionally form come everthing green. Occasionally superheroes, like Batman and Green Hornet, possess no power however keep around mastered skills like martial arts and forensic sciences. Others use at times favorite devices, like Iron Man’s powered armor and Green Lantern’s power ring. the heavy moral code, including a willingness to chance of these's have safety in the service of expert while forgoing expectation of reward. A refusal to wipe out an opponent, possibly at a expense of one’s have safety. Since a late 1970s, there have been several exceptions to this standard (e.g., Wolverine, The Savage Dragon). the favorite motivation, like a feel of responsibility (e.g. Spider-Man), a formal vocation (e.g., Captain Marvel) or a family blood feud against crook (e.g., The Punisher) A secret identity that protects the superhero’s friends & personal from either becoming targets of his or even her enemies. Virtually all superheroes apply the descriptive or even metaphorical codename for their public deeds. A flamboyant & distinctive costume (understand Common costume features). An underlining motif or even theme that infects a hero’s title, costume, family results & more aspects of his character (e.g., Batman resembles a big bat, calls his headquarters the "Batcave" and his specialized automobile the "Batmobile") A trademark weapon (e.g., Wonder Woman’s “Lasso of Truth,” Captain America’s shield) A supporting cast of recurring characters including the hero's friends, co-colleague and/or even love interests, world health organization might or might not understand of the superhero's secret identity. Typically a hero's personal relation come complicated by his/her dual life. An archenemy or a number of enemies that s/he fights repeatedly. Typically the nemesis occurs as superhero’s opposite or even foil (e.g., Sabretooth embraces his savage instincts when Wolverine constantly battles his) Either independent wealth (e.g., Batman or even even Ironman) or an occupation that allow minimum superintendence (e.g., Superman's civilian job as a reporter). A secret headquarters or even base of operations (e.g., Superman's Fortress of Solitude). An "origin story" that explains the circumstances by which the character acquired his/her abilities as well as his/her motivation for fighting evil. Several back stories require tragical elements and/or freak accidents that effect in the development of the hero's abilities. Virtually all superheroes operate independently. Notwithstanding, there are likewise numbers of superhero teams. A few, like The Fantastic Four and X-Men, have most common origins & normally work en masse. Others, like Marvel Comics’s Avengers and DC’s Justice League are "all-star" groups consisting of heroes of separate origins world health organization likewise work singly.

Several superheroes, especially victims introduced in the 1940s, work sustaining the baby or even adolescent sidekick (e.g., Batman and Robin). This has be less park since extra sophisticated writing & older audiences keep close at h& lessened a require for characters that specifically appeal to immature readers and processed such visible child endangerment seem implausible.

Superheroes virtually all typically pop up inside comic books, and superhero stories come a dominant genre of American comic books, to a point that the terms "superhero" & "comic book character" come typically utilized synonymously. Superheroes keep around too been featured inside radio serials, prose novels, TV series, movies, and more media. Virtually all of the superheroes that come out inside more media come adapted from either comedian, however there are exceptions.

Marvel Comics Class action & DC Comics, Inc., part ownership of the United States trademark for the phrase "Super Heroes" when it applies to comedian, & these deuce corporations have the majority of the world’s best known superheroes. Still, throughout comic book history, there use at times been important heroes owned by others, like Captain Marvel, owned by Fawcett Comics (but late acquired by DC) & Spawn, owned by creator Todd McFarlane. Superheroes come largely an U.s. creation however there keep around been successful superheroes inside more countries, virtually all of which part numbers of conventions of the U.s. model. Japan is the only united states whose show biz nears that of the United States around output of superheroes. Ultraman and Kamen Rider have become popular within Japanese tokusatsu live-action shows and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and Sailor Moon are staples of Japanese anime and manga. Examples from either more countries include Cybersix from Argentina, Captain Canuck from Canada, Marvelman (known as Miracleman around North America) from a United Kingdom, and a heroes of AK Comics from Egypt.

Although superhero fiction is considered the subgenre of fantasy/science-fiction, it crosses into many more genres. Several superhero franchises resemble crime fiction (Batman, Daredevil), others horror fiction (Spawn, Hellboy), while others contain aspects of additional traditional science fiction (Green Lantern, X-Men). Numbers of of the earliest superheroes, like The Sandman and The Clock, were rooted in the pulp fiction of their predecessors.

However because the todays nature and severity of the superhero surroundings allows nigh anything to happen, a few superhero series cross all over into a kind of immensely different genres. In the 1980s series, The New Teen Titans, the Titans battled the supernatural infernal cult leader witharound 1 story, went hit to the second galaxy to participate in the space war in the resulting story, & so returned to Globe and became taking part in a gritty urban drama involving immature runaways. a content of both one stories is quite different, eventually the equivalent primary characters come required.

Common costume features
The superhero’s costume assists produce him or even her recognizable to the general public (each inside & outside of fiction). Costumes oftentimes incorporate a superhero's title & theme. E.g. Daredevil resembles a red devil, the project of Captain America's costume echoes that of the American flag and Spider-Man’s costume features a web pattern.

Several features of superhero costumes recur oft, including: Superheroes world health organization maintain the secret identity often wear a mask, ranging from either the little elastic of Green Lantern and Ms. Marvel to the full facemasks of Spider-Man and Rorschach. Usual, yet, come masks covering a upper face, allowing a extra undistinguishable jaw & neck areas studied. These include a masks of Captain United states of america, Batman and The Flash. Form-fitting vesture, typically known as leotards or even spandex, although the precise lesson is commonly non identified. Such poop displays the character’s muscular build. the symbol, like a conventionalised letter or even ocular icon, normally on the chest. Examples include Superman’s “S” and Green Lantern's lantern symbol. While the immense majority of superheroes don't get into capes, the garment is however closely associated using the 2, in all probability due to the fact that two of the virtually all widely-recognized superheroes, Batman & Superman, get into capes. When thematically appropriate, occasionally superheroes dress prefer population from either certain professions or even subcultures. Zatanna, who possesses wizard-prefer powers, dresses like the magician and Ghost Rider, who rides the extremely powered motorcycle, dresses in the garb of the biker. While virtually all superhero costumes just hide the hero’s identity and/or present a recognizable image, area of a bit of costumes use functional utilizes too. Batman’s utility belt and Spawn’s “necroplasmic armor” have two been of smashing assistance to the heroes. Iron Man, in particular, wears the kind of powered armor that protects him & will bring technical benefits. Several heroes of the 1990s, including Cable and many characters, rejected the traditional superhero outfit for costumes that appeared supplementary practical & militaristic. Shoulder pads, kevlar-such as vests, metallic plated armor, knee & elbow pads, & heavily duty belts were everthing most common features.

Character subtypes
Within superhero role-playing games (particularly Champions), superheroes are informally organized into categories according to their skills & abilities. Since comedian book & role-swimming fandom overlap, these labels have carried all over into discussions of superheroes outside a context of games: "Brick/Tanker": The character by having the superhuman degree of nature & severity & endurance and unremarkably an oversize, muscular person, e.g., The Thing, The Incredible Hulk, Colossus, Savage Dragon "Blaster": The hero whose independent power occurs as few feet away attack, e.g., Cyclops, Starfire, Static "Archer": The subvariant of this nature and severity world health organization utilizes bow and arrow-rather weapons that have a kind of specialised functions like explosives, mucilage, nets, rotary drill, etc., e.g., Green Arrow, Hawkeye "Mage": The subvariant of this nature and severity that is trained in the apply of magic, which partially or even altogether involves ranged attacks., e.g., Doctor Strange, Doctor Fate "Martial Artist": The hero whose physical abilities come mostly person like than superhuman however whose combat skills come fantastic. A select few one characters come actually superhuman (Captain America, Daredevil, Iron Fist) while others come normal person beings world health organization come pleasantly skilled & athletic (Batman, Nightwing, Black Widow) "Gadgeteer": The hero world health organization invents favorite devices that typically imitates great power, e.g., Forge, Nite Owl "Armored Hero": The gadgeteer whose powers come from either the lawsuit of powered armor, e.g., Iron Man, Steel "Dominus": The hero that utilizes the elephantine golem to combat villains, e.g., Big Guy, Roger Smith of Big O and members of the team Super Sentai; common around Japanese superhero series "Speedster": The hero possessing superhuman speed & inborn reflex, e.g., The Flash, Quicksilver. "Mentalist": The hero world health organization possesses psionic abilities, such as telekinesis, telepathy and extra-sensory perception, e.g., Professor X and Jean Grey of the X-Men, Saturn Girl of the Legion of Super-Heroes. "Shapeshifter": The hero world health organization could manipulate his/her possess immune system to lawsuit his/her needs, like stretching (Mister Fantastic, Plastic Man) or disguise (Changeling, Chameleon) "Substance oriented Bodychanger - A shapeshifter who can change his/her body into the equivalent of a mass of a substance that can have variable density such as sand or water. e.g., Sand, Husk. "Sizechanger": A shapeshifter who can alter his/her size, e.g., the Atom (shrinking only), Colossal Boy (growth only), Hank Pym (both).

These categories often overlap. For instance, Batman is a martial artist and a gadgeteer, and Superman is extremely strong and damage resistant and also has ranged attacks (heat vision, superbreath) like an energy blaster and can move quickly like a speedster. The Martian Manhunter excels in every category except martial arts and gadgetry.

Divergent character examples
While the typical superhero is described above, many break the mold: Wolverine of the X-Men has shown a willingness to kill and behave anti-socially. Wolverine belongs to an entire underclass of anti-heroes who are grittier and more violent than classic superheroes, often putting the two groups at odds. Others include Rorschach, Daredevil, Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Punisher and, in some incarnations, Batman.

Some superheroes have been created and employed by national governments to serve their interests and defend the nation. Examples include Captain America, who was outfitted by and worked for the United States Army during World War II, and Alpha Flight, a superhero team formed by the Canadian government.

Many superheroes have never had a secret identity, such as Wonder Woman (in her current version) and the members of The Fantastic Four. Others that once had a secret identity, like Captain America and Steel, have later made their identities public.

Spider-Man has been portrayed as an everyman hero, showing poor judgment and being overwhelmed by the combined responsibilities of his personal life and mission as a superhero.

The Incredible Hulk is usually defined as a superhero, but he has little self-control and his actions have often either inadvertently or deliberately caused great destruction. As a result, he has been hunted by the military and other superheroes.

Superman, Silver Surfer, Martian Manhunter and Captain Marvel (the Marvel Comics character) are extraterrestrials who have, either permanently or provisionally, taken it upon themselves to protect the planet Earth.

Alternatively, Adam Strange is a human being who defends the planet Rann.

The Mighty Thor and Hercules are gods of ancient mythologies reinterpreted as superheroes. Wonder Woman, while not a goddess, is a member of the Amazon tribe of Greek mythology.

Alternatively, Spawn, The Demon and Ghost Rider are actual demons, who find themselves manipulated by circumstance to be allies for the forces of good. Hellboy, on the other hand, is a demon who is heroic on his own accord.

The Gargoyles are ancient, almost mythological creatures who, despite their monstrous appearance, are a largely benign, intelligent species dedicated to protecting their territories.

Emma Frost, a member of the X-Men, was a supervillain for several years before she turned to the side of good. Other characters who have treaded the line between superhero and villain include Magneto, Catwoman, Elektra, Venom and Juggernaut.

Because the superhero is such an outlandish and recognizable character type, several comedic heroes have been introduced, including Super Dupont, The Tick, The Flaming Carrot, The Ambiguously Gay Duo, Superdude and The Simpsons’ Radioactive Man.

History of superheroes in comic books
Predecessors
The origins of superheroes can be found in several prior forms of fiction. Many share traits with protagonists of later Victorian literature, such as The Scarlet Pimpernel and Sherlock Holmes. The dime novel stories of Zorro and Tarzan also influenced superheroes. Pulp magazine crime fighters, such as Doc Savage, The Shadow and The Spider and comic strip characters, such as Dick Tracy and The Phantom, were probably the most direct influences.

By modern standards, characters like Doc Savage and The Phantom — normal human beings at or near peak abilities — could be considered superheroes in their own right, but the first appearance of Superman is widely considered the point at which the superhero genre truly began. Philip Wylie's 1930 novel Gladiator has recently gained attention as a prototype not only of the "classic" superhero, but also of its deconstruction. [http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue372/classic.html]

Golden Age
In 1938, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster introduced Superman, who possessed many of the characteristics that have come to define the superhero, including a secret identity, superhuman powers and a colorful costume including a symbol and cape. His name is also the source of the term "superhero."

DC Comics (which published under the names National and All-American at the time) received an overwhelming response to Superman and, in the months that followed, introduced such superheroes as Batman and his sidekick Robin, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, Hawkman and Green Arrow. The first team of superheroes was DC's Justice Society of America, featuring most of the aforementioned characters. Although DC dominated the superhero market at this time, companies large and small created hundreds of superheroes. Marvel Comics’ the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner, Quality Comics’ Plastic Man and Phantom Lady, and Will Eisner's The Spirit (featured in a newspaper insert) were also hits. The era's most popular superhero, however, was Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel, who outsold Superman during the 1940s.

During World War II, superheroes grew in popularity, surviving paper rationing and the loss of many writers and illustrators to service in the armed forces. The need for simple tales of good triumphing over evil may explain the wartime popularity of superheroes. Publishers responded with stories in which superheroes battled the Axis Powers and the introduction of patriotically themed superheroes, most notably Marvel's Captain America.

After the war, superheroes lost popularity. This led to the rise of other genres, especially horror and crime. The lurid nature of these comic books sparked a moral crusade in which comics were blamed for juvenile delinquency. The movement was spearheaded by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, who argued, among other things, that "deviate" sexual undertones ran rampant in superhero comics. [http://art-bin.com/art/awertham.html]

In response, the comic book industry adopted the stringent Comics Code. By the mid-1950s, only Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman retained a sliver of their prior popularity, despite (or perhaps because of) an effort towards complete inoffensiveness that made their stories absurd by modern standards. This ended what historians have called the Golden Age of comic books.

Silver Age
In the 1950s, DC Comics, under the editorship of Julius Schwartz, recreated many popular 1940s heroes, launching an era later deemed the Silver Age of comic books. The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and several others were revived with new origin stories. While past superheroes resembled mythological heroes in their origins and abilities, these heroes were inspired by contemporary science fiction. In 1960, DC banded its most popular heroes together in the Justice League of America, which became a sales phenomenon.

Empowered by the return of the superhero at DC, Marvel Comics editor/writer Stan Lee and the artists/co-writers Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko launched a new line of superhero comic books, beginning with The Fantastic Four in 1961. These comics continued DC’s emphasis on science fiction concepts (radiation was a common source of superpowers) but placed greater emphasis on personal conflict and character development. This led to many superheroes that differed greatly from their predecessors with more dramatic potential. Some examples: The Thing, a member of The Fantastic Four, was a super strong, but monstrous creature with rock-like skin, whose appearance filled him with self-pity. Spider-Man was a teenager who struggled to earn money and maintain his social life in addition to his costumed exploits. The Incredible Hulk shared a Jekyll/Hyde-like relationship with his alter ego and was driven by rage. The X-Men were "mutants" who gained their powers through genetic mutation and who were hated and feared by the society they sought to protect.

By the early 1970s, the return of the superhero genre, the rise of television as the top medium for light entertainment and the Comics Code Authority’s effect on grittier genres obliterated western, romance, horror, war and crime comics. In the coming decades, non-superhero comic book series would occasionally rise to popularity but superheroes and comic books would be forever intertwined in the eyes of the American public.

Deconstruction of the superhero
In the 1970s, DC returned Batman to his roots as a dubious vigilante and Marvel introduced several popular anti-heroes, including The Punisher, Wolverine and writer/artist Frank Miller's darker version of Daredevil. These characters were deeply troubled from within. Batman, The Punisher and Daredevil were driven by the crime-related deaths of family members and were continually exposed to slum life. The X-Men’s Wolverine, on the other hand, was a mysterious character who was at odds with his own savage nature. The trend was taken to a new extreme in the successful 1986 mini-series Watchmen by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, which was published by DC but took place outside the "DC Universe", with new characters. The superheroes of Watchmen were emotionally unsatisfied, psychologically withdrawn and even sociopathic.

Another story, The Dark Knight Returns (1985-1986) continued Batman’s renovation. This mini-series, written and illustrated by Frank Miller, featured a future Batman returning from retirement. The series portrayed the hero as a madman on a brutal quest to mold society to his will.

Some critics believe that this trend is tied to the cynicism of the 1980s, when the idea of a person selflessly using his extraordinary abilities on a quest for good was no longer believable, but a person with a deep psychological impulse to destroy criminals was. Regardless, both series were acclaimed for their artistic ambitiousness and psychological depth and led to numerous imitations.

Struggles of the 1990s
By the early 1990s, anti-heroes had become the rule rather than the exception, as The Punisher, Wolverine and the grimmer Batman became very popular and marketable characters. The X-Men’s Gambit and Bishop, X-Force's Cable and the Spider-Man adversary Venom became some of the most popular new characters of the early 1990s.

In 1992, Marvel illustrators Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld — all of whom helped popularize anti-heroes in the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises — left the company and founded were wildly popular but were criticized as over-muscled, excessively violent and lacking in unique personality. A boom in the comic book industry lead to a glut of new titles, from companies large and small, and many followed the trend of gritty anti-heroes.

To keep ahead of new competitors, Marvel and DC made drastic changes to beloved characters. The hugely successful "Death of Superman" found the hero killed and resurrected, Batman was physically crippled in the "KnightSaga" storyline, and a clone of Spider-Man vied with the original for the title. While these stories drummed up publicity, often in the mainstream media, fans complained that the essential elements of the franchises had been diluted and they ultimately lost interest. Throughout the 1990s, several creators deviated from the trends of violent anti-heroes and sensational, large-scale storylines. Notable talents like Kurt Busiek and Alan Moore, himself, tried to reconstruct the superhero genre with acclaimed titles like Busiek’s Astro City and Moore's Tom Strong, which combined artistic sophistication and idealism into a superheroic version of retro-futurism. Painter Alex Ross became wildly popular for his photorealistic work on mini-series, such as Marvel Comics’ Marvels (written by Busiek) and DC’s Kingdom Come, which examined the classic superhero in a more literary context, as well as satirizing the anti-heroes (Magog, one of the main antagonists in Kingdom Come is an obvious Cable parody.)

By the beginning of the 2000s, a majority of classic superheroes had returned to their roots. However, the comic book industry’s most acclaimed writers could make drastic changes and gain general fan approval, as was the case with Grant Morrison's New X-Men series and Brian Michael Bendis's “Avengers Disassembled” story arc.

As of 2005, a decline in the comic book industry has cut the surplus of anti-heroes, but a revival of superhero films and a rise in the sale of trade paperbacks have kept the superhero genre healthy.

Growth in diversity
Female characters
From their birth until the early 1960s, superheroes largely conformed to the model of lead characters in American popular fiction in the first half of the 20th century. Hence, the typical superhero was a white, middle to upper class, heterosexual, professional, young-to-middle-aged man. An important exception was DC Comics’s Wonder Woman. Introduced in 1941, she was the first female superhero and is arguably still the most famous.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, DC debuted female versions of their most prominent male superheroes, such as Supergirl, Batgirl and Hawkgirl, as well as female supporting characters that were successful professionals, such as Superman’s love interest, Lois Lane, who starred in a spin-off series aimed at young female readers.

Meanwhile, Marvel Comics introduced The Fantastic Four's Invisible Girl and the X-Men's Marvel Girl, but these characters were physically weak and were portrayed primarily as romantic interests of their teammates. The 1970s saw these characters become more confident and assertive and the launch of several series starring female heroes, including Spider-Woman and Ms. Marvel. Initially, some characters were preachy feminist stereotypes, like Ms. Marvel and DC's Power Girl, until writers grew more accustomed with society's changing attitudes. In subsequent decades, Elektra, Catwoman, Witchblade and Spider-Girl became stars of popular series. Non-Caucasian characters
In the late 1960s, superheroes of other racial groups began to appear in Marvel Comics. In 1966, the company introduced the Black Panther, the first serious black superhero. In 1972, Luke Cage, an African-American "hero-for-hire," became the first black superhero to star in his own series.

Marvel introduced the Batman-like Red Wolf, the first Native American hero, in 1971 [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/redwf2.htm]. Shortly after, he starred in a short-lived eponymous series.

In 1974, Shang Chi, a martial arts hero, became the first Asian hero to star in an American comic-book series (the last Asian title character, the 1950s’ Yellow Claw, was a villain, although his main opponent was an Asian-American himself.). [http://www.toonopedia.com/yeloclaw.htm]

Comic book companies were in the early stages of cultural expansion and many of these characters played to specific stereotypes; Cage often employed lingo similar to that of blaxploitation films, Native Americans were often associated with wild animals and Asians were often portrayed as martial artists. Subsequent minority heroes, such as The Teen Titans’ Cyborg and the X-Men’s Storm, would avoid the patronizing nature of the earlier characters as the comics industry became more mature and diverse.

In 1993, Milestone Comics, an African-American-owned imprint of DC, introduced a line of series that included characters of many ethnic minorities, including several black headliners. The imprint lasted four years, during which it introduced Static, a character adapted into the Cartoon Network series Static Shock.

Gay characters
In 1992, Marvel braved a fair amount of controversy by revealing that Northstar, a member of Alpha Flight, was homosexual after years of implication. Although some secondary characters in Watchmen were gay, Northstar was the first gay superhero to have a permanent presence in a continuing, mainstream series. Since then, a few other semi-prominent gay superheroes have emerged, such as Gen13's Rainmaker, The New Mutants’ Karma and The Authority's gay couple Apollo and Midnighter.

Diversified teams
In 1975, Marvel revived the X-Men, introducing a new team with members culled from several different nations, including the German Nightcrawler, the Russian Colossus, the Canadian Wolverine and the Kenyan Storm (the first black, female superhero). The X-Men, which became comic books’ most successful franchise in the coming decade, continued to have a radically diverse roster and an underlining message of tolerance and unity. Ethnic diversity would be an important part of subsequent X-Men-related groups, as well as series that attempted to mimic the X-Men’s success, such as DC’s Legion of Superheroes and Teen Titans.

Treatment in other media
Film
Superhero films began as Saturday movie serials aimed at children during the 1940s. The decline of these serials meant the death of superhero films until the release of 1978‘s Superman. Several sequels followed in the 1980s and now even in 2006. A popular Batman franchise lasted from 1989 until 1997, then began a new string of films in 2005.

In the early 2000s, blockbusters such as 2000’s X-Men and 2002’s Spider-Man have lead to dozens of superhero films. The improvements in special effects technology and more sophisticated writing that emulates the spirit of the comic books has drawn in mainstream audiences and caused critics to take superhero films more seriously.

Live-action television series
Several popular but, by modern standards, campy live action superhero programs aired from the early 1950s until the late 1970s. These included The Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, the psychedelic-colored Batman series of the 1960s starring Adam West and Burt Ward and CBS’s Wonder Woman series of the 1970s starring Lynda Carter.

In the 1990s, networks attempted several unconventional uses of the superhero genre in live action shows, including the exceptionally popular Smallville, which reinvents Superman’s origins as teen drama. Other examples include Lois and Clark, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Alias.

Since the 1960s, Japanese, “tokusatsu” action/science fiction/superhero shows, including Ultraman, Spectreman and Kamen Rider, have displayed another culture’s distinct take on the superhero genre.

Animation
In the 1940s, Fleischer/Famous Studios produced a number of groundbreaking Superman cartoons which became the first examples of superheroes in animation.

Since the 1960s, superhero cartoons have been a staple of children’s television. However, by the early 1980s, broadcasting restrictions on violence in children’s entertainment lead to series that were extremely tame, a trend exemplified by the series Super Friends.

In the 1990s, Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men lead the way for series that displayed advanced animation, mature writing and respect for the comic books on which they were based. This trend continues with Cartoon Network’s successful adaptations of DC's Justice League and Teen Titans.

Radio
In the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s, Superman was one of the most popular radio serials in the United States. Along with Green Hornet and The Shadow, the series helped popularize superheroes during their earliest years. By the early 1950s, the rise of television ended radio serials, including superhero shows.

Prose
Popular superheroes have occasionally been adapted into prose fiction, starting with the 1942 novel Superman by George Lowther. Elliot S! Maggin also wrote two popular Superman novels, Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday, in the 1970s.

Juvenile novels featuring Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Justice League have also been published from time to time, often marketed in association with popular TV series.

George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards novels, launched in 1987, were a non-comic book-based science fiction series that dealt with super-powered heroes.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Marvel and DC released novels based on important stories from their comics, such as The Death of Superman and the year-long ''Batman: No Man’s Land.

Computer Games
While many popular superheroes have been featured in licensed computer games, up until recently there have been few that have revolved around heroes created specifically for the game. This has changed due to two popular franchises: The Silver Age-inspired Freedom Force (2002) and City of Heroes'' (2004), a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, both of which allow players to create their own superheroes.