Why I’ve Always Loved Superheroes

Written By Desiree U. Angeles, Philippines

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Batman. I know it’s probably unusual for a girl to like this character, but I’ve always found the winged hero fascinating because he could defeat villains even though he didn’t have any supernatural powers.

Perhaps I loved Batman also because I was constantly bullied when I was in elementary school. Every time I was pushed around, I wished I had Batman’s indomitable will, intellect and physical prowess to fight back instead of running to a corner and covering my head in fear. I even tried asking my mom to enroll me in a self-defense class, but she didn’t.

So I became hooked on shows about superheroes. The more I watched, the more I hoped that one day, I would find a hero who could protect me from my oppressors—that is, if I couldn’t become a hero myself. My obsession with superheroes even started to drive a wedge between some of my friends and me. Many of my classmates just thought I was weird.

The bullying, however, didn’t stop, which made things even harder for me. I felt that nobody would ever love or accept me for who I was. Nobody could ever understand my feelings, and nobody would ever dare to love and accept a freak like me. So I clung onto my childhood fantasies and consoled myself with the thought that superheroes would bring me happiness.

That was until I got to know Jesus. I can still remember the day my mom and I were invited to attend a Sunday service at a local church near our neighborhood. There, I learned about a superhero that was not fictional (unlike Batman and the rest of the Justice League). This superhero was Jesus Christ, who came into this world as a man to live among us and bring us back to the Father. This hero was unlike any that I had seen on television. He cared for me deeply, knew me fully, and sacrificed everything to save me, even His own life (John 3:16).

This superhero also stands beside me and guides me every step of the way. Unlike the fictional characters from DC comics, He is alive and always close to me, protecting and loving me unconditionally. He accepts me in my brokenness, He loves me more than anyone else, and He can change me completely.

This truth blew my mind. Slowly, the grief I experienced during my days of getting bullied faded away. Just as Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted, and bandages their wounds”, Jesus healed my wounds.

Some of us like to search for superheroes, especially in times of trouble. We may even cling on to our friends and families and view them as our superheroes. But we have a true and living God—the ultimate superhero—who is far greater than any hand-drawn comic character or human being we know.

Photo credit: N. Feans / Foter / CC BY