Comic Book Tragedies: When Superheroes Fall To The New Normal
What happens when Superman, Batman, and other mighty superheroes fall prey to the pressures of our modern-day dystopia? Find out in these classic comic spinoffs that take a turn for the worse.
Savings Man
Fears of economic collapse cause the Man of Steel to focus on saving money instead of people. As his need for financial security eventually devolves into a thirst for financial gain, the superhero finds himself ignoring hundreds of cries for help in order to grow his investments. After amassing a large fortune, he blows it all one evening when he falls for a meme coin scam called Cryptonite, run by his nemesis Lex Luther.
Captain Global
A powerful billionaire cabal offers Captain America a prestigious position as a “young global superhero,” serving its “humanitarian agenda.” Seduced by the offer, Captain America decides to abandon his country and pledge allegiance to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Bat Flu
The Joker, disguised as a healthcare professional, convinces Batman to take an experimental vaccine to protect himself against a deadly strain of “bat flu.” Soon after his inoculation, the dark knight becomes riddled with side effects, leaving him confined to his cave, while scores of criminals run rampant through Gotham City.
‘X’ Men
Professor X, Wolverine, and other members of the mutant superhero team become addicted to the online platform X. Instead of harnessing their unique individual powers to fight for peace, they spend their days following the latest trends and trashing other users on social media.
Spyder-Man
The gifted teen with spider-like abilities caves to a lucrative offer from the CIA, helping the agency spy on ordinary citizens. Spyder-Man sneaks into dozens of homes each week, snatching files and bugging private conversations. When he catches his girlfriend, Mary Jane, talking smack about the government one night, he doesn’t hesitate to turn her in to the authorities!
Lasso of ‘Truth’
In an increasingly polarized world, Wonder Woman latches onto a political ideology and refuses to let go. When an old friend comes back into her life and reveals some hard truths that conflict with what she believes, she uses her lasso of “Truth” to force him to tell her what she wants to hear, protecting her brain from cognitive dissonance.
The Unacceptable Hulk
Shamed for his “toxic masculinity,” the powerful green superhero comes to believe he has serious issues that need to be fixed. Following the advice of his critics, he switches to a vegan diet, takes hormone blockers, and enrolls in behavioral therapy to correct his persona. In the end, he permanently transforms back into a meek, impotent scientist named Bruce Banner.
poor bruce is gonna get all messed up by those spike proteins when he gets that heart rate up beating down bad guys
Do you older readers remember The Phantom - the ghost who walks? After the jab he sadly became 'the ghost who limps'.
And then there's the mighty Tarzan who was infected by the monkey virus (or course) and can no longer swing around the jungle. Even his loincloth no longer fits.
As for Mandrake the Magician - well he decided to trans and is now known as Femdrake the Magician.
And then there's all the Disney characters - Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Uncle Scrooge, Goofy - their lives were also changed by the virus and now they have really deteriorated and become the government of the usa.