Superhero fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction depicting the adventures of costumed crime-fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals called supervillains. It occupies a space between hard fantasy and soft science fiction and frequently blends into science fantasy, and while it remains most closely associated with comic books, the genre has expanded across numerous entertainment formats through both adaptation and newly created stories.
Facts
Place of OriginUnited States: the first masked crime fighter created for comic books was George Brenner's the Clock, debuting in Centaur Publications' Funny Pages number 6 in November 1936. 1 Notable ExampleSuperman, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, whose debut in Action Comics number 1 in June 1938 is credited as the start of the comic book superhero archetype. 1 Defining TraitA subgenre of speculative fiction depicting costumed crime fighters called superheroes, who often have superhuman powers and battle similarly powered supervillains. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Superhero Fiction (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)History section, Prototypes subsection
Historians point to the first appearance of Superman, created by Jerome "Jerry" Siegel and designed by Joseph "Joe" Shuster, in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) as the debut of the comic-book archetype of the superhero.
Lead section
Superhero fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction showcasing the adventures of costumed crime-fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as supervillains.
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