They make millions upon millions of dollars at the box office, move massive amounts of branded merchandise, and have managed to seep into nearly every facet of the entertainment industry today. Yet at one time, superheroes were once reduced to being nothing more than the fantasies and fodder of awkward nerds in the social realm, and were even blamed for violence in society. Being that it comes from such a niche and dark history, why is it that today we find ourselves virtually obsessed with them?
After sitting down to ponder on the question, I've come to the realization that there are many different answers to this, each with their own individual appeal that people will cling to for their own reasons.
To start, superheroes are often attached to a story that is fantastical, but contained within the structure of the real world. People who aren't as accepting of high fantasy stories and hard science fiction are more likely to take to superhero stories, simply because they are able to relate to a hero who resides in a similar universe to our own, and thus gives us more context to understand their situations. Sure, things might get a little more fantasy-heavy as they get into superpowers and villain motives, but ultimately, when an unfortunate being lives in a major city that mirrors those of New York or Chicago, we're instantly able to at least connect with them in ways that aren't necessarily found in other forms of fantasy. Think about it...many will be able to understand the predicaments of Peter Parker more than they will those of dwarves in a Lord of the Rings books, simply because there is an element of Peter that we can connect with. Nobody on Earth has ever lived in a fantasy world where dwarves have aided them on a quest to stop an evil being from reigning supreme over the planet. Not to my knowledge, anyway.
Superhero stories also play on some of our fears and give us fantasy-based explanations of what different pieces of our world might cause were they ever able to spread their influence. How many people have gained superpowers from toxic ooze? How many have stopped major catastrophes from harming our cities and our environment? One can look to Captain America as an example of how war time influenced storytelling and helped to spread pro-American feelings in a time of disparity by making real-life bad guys into exaggerated imaginings that only Cap himself can thwart. Heck, even the aforementioned story of Peter Parker plays on the fears of those who worry about spider bites.
These super-powered beings also give us a look at the endless possibilities that could be attached to a human. Super strength, super speed, laser vision, psychic powers...all of the elements that make a hero "super" are some of the most fascinating to consider. This is also consequently why we love origin stories so much. What is it about heroes that make them super? How did they get that way? How do they react? Was it a mutation in their DNA structure, alien influence, gear, or something more that helped them realize their full potential? No matter the case, we love to debate the powers of heroes and what we would do were we ever endowed with the same abilities. I would even say that we even use superheroes to consider our own potential and what "super" things we can actually do in our own lives.
There's also a level of humanity in many superheroes that draws us to them in a big way. Think of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark from the Iron Man films; he's cocky, and arrogant, but we still love him despite his faults and weaknesses, because they're faults and weaknesses that we've likely experienced in real life. He wrestles with anxiety issues and PTSD, much like many of those who have suffered trauma in our society today. Furthermore, he's enthralled with his abilities and revels in the acclaim that being Iron Man brings him, shrugging off the stoic attitude of "With great power comes great responsibility" that so many other heroes adhere to. This is refreshing, since so many of us would likely respond in the same way, being that we don't all have the same moral standards and maturity to handle something like this. Therefore, we like Tony Stark and heroes like him who break from the mold and present themselves in a way that has parity with reality.
But deep down, I believe we love superheroes because they are the perfect embodiment of hope. In a world where we are constantly told to be afraid, to fear violence, to fear death, to fear even life itself, there's something inspiring in the story of a superhero, in a story that promises us that, no matter how bad or terrifying things become, good will ultimately prevail. They allow us to distance ourselves from the fear, even if only for a moment, and their mythology creates them into godlike beings that we look to for this reason and the reasons above. Sadly, they don't exist in our real life. But their legacy does, and their stories matter more than I think many give them credit for. Are they entertainment? Yes. Do they expose us to fantasy worlds that could never feasibly be possible by our understanding of the sciences? Of course. But in our darkest times, when we're so afraid that all is lost, the victories of a superhero can ultimately lend us even a small grain of hope that might give us just the strength we need to overcome.