Life has changed, and I choose to grow from it.

[SH_]

Listen up true believers.... wow SH, another comic book nerd like myself. Not a big surprise, introverted self, and the idealized concept of larger than life heroes go hand in hand.

Like Phoebe, I read every word (you had me at Hulk, and Phoebe, your reply was as amazing as they come). Interesting choices of heroes SH. About the Hulk, so being a true comic nerd, I have sought to nerd up my son. Comics gave me much restitution a a kid, I hope they do for him. When I was still having serious anger control issues, around when s5 was s3/s4 he first asked me why I "had the Hulk in your blood". This shook me to the core. A kid that young, saying so much with so little.
As I reviewed myself, Hulk was a true modern day Jeckyl and Hide. The well intentioned under the radar Banner who can transform into an illogical reptilian minded animal when releasing rage. That was how my son chose to describe me in those times. My son saw me as a loving, caring man, who once provoked, could turn into a monster which had no relationship with anything sensible or caring. Wow, that cut me to the bone. You saw the Hulk inside you? More like my Demon, and your "Darkness".
And now Logan - the impenetrable bastion of introverted justification. Wants to be left alone so that he may have time to reconstruct himself. Capable of love and love entire, but looses them all, usually to some horrifying event of supernatural happenstance which becomes yet another log to fuel his reasons for remaining inside his own mind. When the Wolverine fights, his concern is not of right or wrong, but of issuance of pain and suffering to those he feels earned it, driven by his own pain and suffering which he feels he does not deserve, but knows he somehow earned via the guilt of why the women he loves are continually lost in a way that he knows deep down relates back to him. The Wolverine's sentence, he cannot be killed, he can feel pain and hurt, but it goes away, Stan Lee titled this power "the healing factor", but it really isn't. Wolverine's body heals, but his mind remembers-and thus perpetuation.

The beauty of Lee's creations and life's work are that all of these superheroes poses inherent flaws. All of them, Dr. Strange got into a car accident and it humbled his conceit at being the world's greatest surgeon, Silver Surfer was condemned to a life of following a mission he did not always believe in so that he may protect the love of his life via not letting their planet get consumed, Northstar of Alpha Flight was the worlds best skier living in fear all may find out he uses his mutation for speed and flight to dominate. All of them have inherent flaws. But what makes them super heroes while we read their journey? The action panels excite us, but the reading in between reveals a quest of self - who am I and where did I come from - Logan. How can I control this rage inside me - Banner. They all examine the cards they were dealt, they all see understanding about their lives, and then they try so hard to use these pains and talents to do the right thing while always feeling like there is still something wrong.

SH, Phoebe raised the idea of simple human. Is this not unlike Banner, who had a life altering event which he had to spend the rest of his life learning to comprehend, or Logan, who was born into being just slightly different, but passable when he could cover it up? Pain and difference is a normal part of the human experience. It is how we seek to understand ways which we may channel pain and difference that have the potential to make us heroes, it is our acknowledgement that the pain and difference will never go away so we choose to learn how these can turn us into a force for good which makes heroes "super".

This was just the nerdiest post perhaps ever written into the world of DB forums, but I don't care as long as you heard the message sir. May I suggest, if so bold, Semper Heros - latin for always a hero. Secret identity revealed, the CT in my name here is for Cum Triumpho, Latin for "with triumph", I knew from the start what my end game was, just not how to get there. You're a better man for knowing who your heroes are, now who are you a hero to? Like many here in DB world, you are one of my heroes, because your effort, integrity, and insight on your self for the sole sake of understanding why you sir are you, and how you can not only do, but be better, fulfills my definition of superhero.

I was just stopping in to read tonight, but saw your post and it prompted. I could take my WAS position and blame you for costing me 20minutes of livid brain dump onto your thread when I could have been working on my classes, but instead I will thank you for giving yet another beautiful honest look at you which offered me a chance to look at myself. This is the entire point of DB in MHO and the definition of heros - helping others while unknowingly advancing ourselves. Be well to night my friend.

CT.....
Where do I begin...
I have read your post at least a half a dozen times....
The passion...
The sincerity..
The insight...

I am truly touched at the message you share here...
And the gratitude that you provide me....

You very eloquently share much of my thoughts and you know what....
If anyone finds it nerdy....
Well, then they miss out on the message....

My parents chose not to have a TV in our home when growing up, so much of my "entertainment" was in the form of comic books and science fiction novels.
I used to be somewhat ashamed of being the comic book, cartoon, science fiction guy....
But not any more....
Not sure when I stopped caring what folks thought, and now many ask me questions and thoughts about it...
Hollywood has made it a bit more mainstream...

But I like you, actually looked more at the driving story between all of the "action".
Stories that are bigger than life have always been part of human history...
I mean lets look at greek mythology, roman mythology, the old west outlaws and hero's, heck even many stories about armies in war are built up...

One of my favorites is the Watchmen. It is focused so much more on the story than any actions...and it really focuses on the flaws of the stories SuperHero's....
Yet the nobleness of the choices that were made.

But anyway, my point is not to convince, it is to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sharing...
I know I will read it a dozen more times at least....

Thank you my friend.
My DB brother
I tip my hat
and I give you a big manly (comic book nerd) virtual hug (((CT)))