Ever wonder what happens when superheroes and their powers get so plain? No, I’m not talking about the state of mass media. I mean capepunk, the genre that comments about how real people would act in that world. A world where superpowers are a commodity, to the point of needing regulations. The only problem is most series tend to focus more on the doomer side of things. Some of them are implemented well, others are just creators ranting. Today let’s focus on how such a genre gets its foundations.
Marvel’s Capepunk Backbones
In just Marvel’s side of things, Spider-Man and the X-Men go into why a world of superheroes isn’t ideal. Peter Parker’s struggle to balance his real life and Spider-Man tends to clash with everything. Despite his great power, the responsibilities that come with being a superhero can be emotionally crippling. As for the X-Men, their efforts as heroes for positive mutant representations get constantly undermined. Between all of the hate groups and infighting, no peaceful progress remains. It gets to such a degree that both franchises go through periods of self-parody.
Rage Against The Machine
It’s that part that fans tend to attach to capepunk. Or at least Marvel’s New Universe, Ultimate Universe, and Garth Ennis‘ The Boys gets this treatment. They all more or less start as trying to look at how superheroes would affect their world. But then creators tend to go out of their way to show their misery. In the respective cases of John Byrne and Jeph Loeb, they were going through downward spirals that seeped into the comics. What was Ennis’ excuse? He was frustrated with mainstream comics’ gimmicks, especially in superhero comics.
Then there’s how a lot of Mark Millar‘s bibliography goes into this territory. For example, the original Civil War starts off with a need to regulate superhuman activity. Only for it to indulge in wanton violence against a government willing to dominate superheroes. Wanted in the meantime is meant to be a critique of fans who indulged in such violence. …The only problem was, Millar still indulged in what he was criticizing. What’s the difference between Millar and the above? He did all of this for money and engagement.
We Need A New Definition
I believe Grant Morrison best states the problem with the capepunk genre.
Only a bitter little adolescent boy could confuse realism with pessimism.
The Hoaxer (from Morrison’s Flex Mentallo)
So yeah, most of the above examples that define this genre are the result of creators having issues. Or trying to profit off the misunderstandings of Alan Moore’s Watchmen.
The problem with Watchmen setting a new standard was that it wasn’t designed to be that. Watchmen was a noir, tragedy, superhero satire meant to reflect anxieties of the mid-80s. But… I think that’s what Capepunks should be, satire.
Examples of Good Capepunk
Marshal Law
My first exposure to a good Capepunk is the series, Marshal Law. Marshal Law was very much inspired by the satire of Judge Dredd. The only difference is how superheroes are the targets of ultra-violence. Most of them fought in an alternate Vietnam War with genetic augmentations, only to come home with emptiness. A lot of people are familiar with how the ‘Nam veterans experienced severe PTSD. Well magnify that feeling by several times with how a superhero’s example leads to feeling exploited. That’s what the title character blames the Superman stand-in, Public Spirit, for.
Unlike similar series like The Boys, the first series with Marshal Law has the most awareness. While it still satirizes the superhero market and public reactions to them, there’s a strong sense of self-loathing. Marshal Law connects to readers who have become disillusioned with superheroes. But what makes it so emotionally resonant is that these readers still love that genre. This series allows fans to come to terms with this sense of disenfranchisement.
Madame Mirage
The background of Marshal Law also appears in Madame Mirage. In addition to genetic engineering, the mega technology like jetpacks comes under fire. Why? Because most of the heroes lost direction in morality. Think of it like owning an assault weapon but not being able to use it. What’s the point of having all of that power if it’s just symbolic? So the government decides to crack down on mega-tech including the public mega-heroes. But as a result, the better resourced mega-villains become legitimately awful businessmen. White-Collar crime has a reputation of being hard to prosecute. Add supervillains to the mix when the people best equipped to handle them are behind bars, you get something special.
Invincible
Robert Kirkman’s Invincible in the meantime is arguably one of the more interesting capepunks. Aside from satire on the Superman archetype with its main character, it goes into psychological burdens. In particular, how the constant danger and events common in superhero stories affect people. As evidenced by Cecil Stedman and members of the Guardians of the Globe, it’s like being at war. This naturally leads to moral lines being crossed, especially where security and stability are concerned. Cecil and Robot are willing to push moral limits to get an edge over threats. The more moral characters meanwhile tend to burnout after so many losses. With Earth constantly under threat, there doesn’t seem to be room for judgment or morals.
Other Capepunk Series
There are a lot of comics that deal with the satirical side of superheroes. For example Mark Waid’s duology Irredeemable and Incorruptible have a world where the ideal Superman doesn’t exist. Without the fortitude to filter criticism and do good for its own sake; what’s the point of heroics? By satirizing these concepts, there’s a chance people find what they’re missing. In this case, it’s accepting the responsibilities for their direct actions rather than shouldering blames.
Capepunks should be about humanizing the aspects of superheroes through satire. One series I feel fills this niche without getting too heavy is Power Broker. This series deals with superpowers becoming commonplace among other genetic treatments. Unlike Marshal Law or Madame Mirage this series focuses on the checks and balances to prevent power misuse. The characters are human in the best of ways in their optimism and quirks. As for the villains, they want to work around these systems for profit. Worse, they have the means to be untouchable.
What’s My Ideal Capepunk?
A Capepunk in my opinion is not simply a deconstruction fleet of the superhero genre. It is a piece of the superhero genre cycle and a way to reflect the world around them. So some of my favorite capepunks are actually the kind nobody expects. The first is My Hero Academia, despite the pretty grim background threats, the optimism is a driving force. There are still heroes out there trying to do good and push themselves out of their comfort zones. Finally there’s Astro City, a celebration of superhero aspirations with layers of self-conscious, quirky, and humanity.
I don’t think the ink will ever be dry on this subject. There’s a lot that goes into superhero satire. I might even be missing something, but until then thanks for coming to the end. As always, remember to look between the panels.
[…] of the 80s. It was an attempt at showing superpowered people in a more realistic light. You know, a capepunk universe. There were plenty of titles to come out… but the most people remember are these. […]