Casual chain argument PDF

Preview

Summary

Causual chain argument...

Description

1

What Makes Wolverine a Superhero

Andrea Martinez Department of English, Grand Canyon University ENG-106 Dr. Santos October 17, 2020

2 What Makes Wolverine a Superhero The Wolverine, also known as James “Logan” Howlett, has died at least 15 times in the comics. Heroes give their life for the good of society over and over again. They give themselves to society by putting their own life at risk. A superhero is a fictional character who has abilities, follows a moral code, and has something that identifies them; therefore, Wolverine is a superhero. A superhero is a fictional character who has abilities that are beyond those of a normal being. This ability is so exceptional that it can shape the fate of an entire planet—or even a universe. This ability can be seen as a mental or physical ability. In an article, What is a Superhero?, written by Stan Lee, states “…to be a superhero, you need a power that is more exceptional than any power a normal human being could possess, and you need to use that power to accomplish good deeds” (Lee, 2013, para. 1). In other words, Stan Lee states that a superhero needs to be a hero first, but they must have a superpower to classify them as a superhero. A hero-scenario can be seen as a police officer catching a thief, but they would not be considered a superhero due to the lack of a superpower (Lee, 2013). A hero is someone who is admired or idealized, some examples include a police officer, fireman, or a parent figure. A superhero is someone who is admired by society, who has a genetic or physical ability and can use those power to change fate. Genetic abilities refer to the ability to fly, shoot things out of their body, mental abilities, or transform into something else. An ability attained physically refers to the extensive training that no ordinary human can attain—this intensive training takes years to master and has the possibility of death during training. Physical abilities are also referred to as complete mastery of physical skill. An example of this would be archery—it involves mastering precision and handeye coordination.

3 Next, a superhero is someone who has a moral code, which acts to fight evil, regardless of the rules made by man. Yogerst’s states that “these characters accomplish good deeds that are important enough to qualify them as heroes...on a scale so large that they are acting on a level above normal humans” (Yogerst, 2017, p. 4). In other words, Yogerst states that the deeds they accomplish must be “important”, as in it has a direct effect on society, in which a normal person cannot achieve (Yogerst, 2017). This deed is so important that the rules of society do not affect them, such as killing. For example, the Hulk has killed at least 15 people, mostly strangers and unintentional, as seen in The Incredible Hulk (2008). Citizens have died due to the collateral damage from the Hulks rampages causing buildings to fall and gas lines to explode. But due to his actions, such as saving the universes in Avengers (2012-2019), he will not go to court and get trailed for this, unlike a normal human, even if it were an accident and unintentional, you will see this person pay for their crimes. With Hulk’s powers and moral code, society sees him more of a superhero than a threat, therefore, crimes seem meaningless to them as long as they’re bringing justice and keeping the peace in society. A superhero has to have a good moral compass, one that ensures the safety of others. Sometimes, these morals clash with the rules of society and, therefore, superheroes break these rules. These fictional characters’ deeds have to be incredibly important to break the law. Man-made laws cannot apply to these superheroes since man-made laws are made for man-made chaos such as burglary and murdering. Supervillains do not fall under the same level as a thief; therefore, the same rules cannot apply in which a superhero then has to break that rule. These rules that are broken result in fate changing for the better. Although superheroes are to be examples to normal citizens, the greater good of a planet is much more important.

4 Finally, a superhero has something that identifies them, a symbol that makes them stand out from the rest of society. Fandom states that superheroes have “a distinctive costume [and personal effects], often used to conceal the secret identity,” (“Common Traits (Hero)”, n.d., para. 6). In other words, superheroes wear a certain outfit or attribute that allows citizens to recognize them as a superhero instead of an ordinary citizen (“Common Traits (Hero)”, n,d.). A superhero needs a symbol to identify them whether being a logo or physical attribute. They need this symbolic representation because a superhero symbolizes peace and hope, a human being does not due to the imperfection that they are. Superman wears a suit and cape that allows citizens to know who he is without revealing that he Clark Kent, a small-town farm boy living in Smallville. His red and blue suit with an “S” on his chest makes him stand out. Robert Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk changing his physical appearance, making him appear stronger, aggressive, and assertive which makes him stand out. These appearances display that they are different from the rest of society, leading society to see them as important because these superheroes can do things that they cannot do. Wolverine is a superhero because he is a fictional character who fits all three criteria of what a superhero is. Wolverine, also known as James “Logan” Howlett, is a human with an active Xgene. This X-gene is what makes a “mutant” as seen in the X-Men films (2000-2020). Wolverine’s abilities involve enhanced strength, speed, regeneration—knowing as the healing factor— having indestructible bones, and retractable claws (“Wolverine”, 2020, para. 64-72). He has fought in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Vietnam, which is made possible due to the healing factor which causes him to age very slowly. He has used his powers to help increase the chance of winning each war (Donner, Winter, Jackman, & Palermo, 2009). With experience in being in wars, Wolverine can successfully lead a team. In X-Men: Schism,

5 Wolverine plays a crucial role in leading the X-Men, which determines the X-Men’s future (Aaron, 2011). Wolverine will disobey any rules or orders to save someone. In the first X-Men (2000) movie, Rogue, a mutant, runs away from Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. She runs away on a train where Logan ends up retrieving her (Donner & Winter, 2000). Before retrieving her, Professor Xavier (Professor X) specifically told him not to go because Magento (the villain) wants him and Rogue. During this scene, there is chaos. Cyclops’ beams of energy that come out of his eyes tear apart the train station, Storm bring lightning into the building, and Wolverine tears apart the Statue of Liberty as well as the museum inside (Donner & Winter, 2000). As seen in the comics and movies, there are no consequences. Considering the situation between mutants and humans, there are no consequences that Professor X has to deal with since all these people work and go to school under him. Wolverine will not think twice about helping someone in need. He has an instinct to fight for the weak, this fight can also lead to many other consequences since it goes against many laws in the X-Men universe. His claws and his bright yellow and blue costume symbolize him in the X-Men comic universe. These claws are seen as heroic to the mutant community since he saved them from the prison made by William Stryker, a covert operations specialist and military scientist. This prison was made to take the powers of all mutants and make the ultimate weapon X (Donner, Winter, Jackman, & Palermo, 2009). Wolverines claws make an impact in the mutant community since he fought for them in the end. Although Wolverine is a superhero, some believe he is not a superhero due to his basic instinct to kill. The Wolverine has animal-keen senses; therefore, he has the characteristics of a wolverine. Wolverine’s kill livestock such as small animals, they are strong and aggressive creatures, hence this is part of Logan’s personality. In X-Men (2000), Wolverine is having a nightmare about his lost memories, Rogue came to him to see if he was okay, he woke up startled

6 and clawed himself to Rogue, almost killing her (Donner & Winter, 2020). He also attempts to kill Mystique, who transformed into Storm, without hesitation. When in doubt, Wolverine will always go for the kill. Superheroes tend to find an alternative to killing a villain such as talking to them. When it comes to superheroes, they think about others before themselves. In the case of Wolverine, he believes justice is being served as he is taking out the bad guys who want to only cause chaos and destroy society. Wolverine has what is called the healing factor, in which a bullet to the head will not kill him. Wolverine has given his life for the sake of society many times, making him a hero. He is a superhero because of the extraordinary abilities he possesses, a moral code to fight for justice regardless of the rules, and he has a symbolic representation among his community. Wolverine is not perfect, he is just like any normal person, which is what makes him a well-known superhero.

7 Reference (2011). X-Men: Regenesis. X-Men: Schism, (issue #1-5). New York City, USA: Marvel Comics Aaron, J. (2011, July 13). X-Men: Schism. Donner, L & Winter, R. (Producer), & Singer, B. (Director). (2000-2020). X-Men. [Motion Picture]. Canada & United States: 20th Century Fox. Donner, L., Winter, R., Jackman, H., & Palermo, J. (Producer), & Hood, G. (Director). (2009). X-Men origins: Wolverine. [Motion Picture]. Canada & United States: 20th Century Fox. Fiege, K. (Producer), & Whedon, J. (Director). (2012-2019). Avengers. [Motion Picture]. United States, Scotland, & England: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Lee, S. (2013, November 17). Stan Lee on what is a superhero. Oxford University Press’s Academic Insights for the Thinking World. https://blog.oup.com/2013/11/stan-lee-onwhat-is-a-superhero/#:~:text=A%20superhero%20is%20a%20person,power%20to %20accomplish%20good%20deeds Yogerst, C. (2017). Superhero films: A fascist national complex or exemplars of moral virtue? Journal of Religion and Film, 21(1), 1-34. http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol21/iss1/37...