It's been a running discussion subject that classic Disney characters are so often orphans, or at least motherless, which enables a character who is often a child to face danger or go on adventures without supervision. But what about superheroes? They are also disproportionally orphans, or have been raised by adoptive parents. Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man come to mind, but there are plenty of others. A new exhibition at the Foundling Museum in London explores the reasons behind these superhero origin stories.
In some ways, the same reasoning as the Disney movies apply- without parents, a superhero has no one to answer to for the risks they take. Yet Superman has Ma and Pa Kent, and Spider-Man was raised by his aunt and uncle. Some believe it has more to do with a superhero's deep yearning for justice after a traumatic separation, as if they feel the need to right the wrongs of the world. Or it could be just writers trying to make a backstory more interesting. Read about superheroes' complicated family stories and the exhibition about them at Smithsonian.