Flaws

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I tend to pull for underdogs. I'm more interested in flaws than perfection. Superheroes bore me unless they have a chink in their armor, which, to be fair, most do.
 
 One of the iconic cartoons in my childhood's Saturday morning repertoire was Underdog, the alter ego of Shoeshine Boy. It was, admittedly, chauvinistic in its portrayal of the female (Sweet Polly Purebred) as the weaker individual always in need of saving. Still, I like to think that the underdogs of this world can be heroic. You don't have to be from another planet (Superman) or fabulously rich (Batman) to make a difference. Back then I imagined even a nine-year-old like me could have heroic potential. 

I recently reflected on some of the more iconic DC and Marvel comic superheroes and their flaws. 

Superhero Lament

Superman has a lame disguise,
Batman's just a sad, rich guy.

Robin's tired of second fiddle,
Catwoman feels a hairball tickle.

Captain America fears rejection,
Aquaman's prone to ear infections.

The Shadow can be so naive,
Hulk fights incredulity.

Spider-Man weaves a tangled web,
Iron Man can't quite get out the lead.

Black Panther misses Wakanda's food,
Wonder Woman contemplates finitude.

Ant-Man's picnic trashes the park,
Thor gets hammered,
Green Lantern goes dark.

DC or Marvel, for better or worse,
It's true throughout the universe.

While heroes always have appeal,
Even Achilles had his heel.


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