Superheroes and Their Masks

by Paula Reyes

31 January 2013
Discussed Text: Levinas, "The Face," Ethics and Infinity

People hide their faces when they are usually covering something they do not want others to see, like a seemingly overgrown pimple unfortunately located at a visible spot or even conceal themselves when they do bad things like rob a store or vandalize public property. People only hide when they are ashamed or when they refuse to be vulnerable and open but what about the superheroes in the comic books and tv shows? Why do some superheroes (Batman, Spiderman, etc) chose to wear a mask and along with it conceal their identity when what they intend to do is for the greater good of man?

Their masks protect their identity and with it kept secret, their loved ones remain safe and free from the grasp of villains. They are given the freedom to still live their "normal" lives and blend in with people. Their being-superheroes comes with responsibilities and matters that if spilled over to their normal life, will provide consequences for everyone within the parameter of the hero. Villains usually capitalize on the heroes' weakness (usually loved ones if not a specific weakness to a certain element) if given the opportunity which is why superheroes always try to appear super. Strong and unbeatable is how they need to be perceived but sometimes, people do not always understand them.

People who look up to these heroes place them on pedestals and with this, distancing them from the rest of ordinary non-powered people. They see them as extraordinary but sometimes fail to remember that they are humans too.
Disclaimer: this contains spoilers on the comic issue

The comic The Spectacular Spider-man # 14, focuses on a guy named Joey Beal, who is a cripple with cerebral palsy. Basically, his only fully functioning sense is his sight. He was saved by Spider-man. In the end of the comic, after saving him, Spider-man does his usual lively chatter and tries to make sure Joey is okay. He could not stay longer because he had some much more responsibilities, being a hero but before he left, he took off his mask and tried to give Joey a smile.

 In Joey's eyes, he sees a powerful super-hero in a vulnerable state. Spider-man's smile cannot hide the pain seen in his eyes. Joey caught this, and saw not someone who was extraordinary, but another human person, not so far from himself. After having this comic, I have realized that people a tendency to only view the surface of others– only seeing the masks. This attempt at understanding others is not as accurate as we think. We need to be more sensitive to what lies under the cover. It's natural to form impressions on people but to truly get to know them, we must dig deeper and even for a moment, experience the face. It is true that we will never truly and completely understand others but that does not mean we should not try.