I believe this is true, because most heroes are made to defend, solve or represent a problem in a culture. For example, in Superman the Movie, Superman was representing the problems that were happening in our part of the world. One of such problems is the earthquake. Superman had to stop the earthquake and save our people. But ideally he represents America. His motto proves the statement: “Truth, justice, and the American way.” In the Odyssey, Odysseus represented some the Greek beliefs. Odysseus did this by praying to the Greek gods and goddesses. Other things that represented Greek beliefs were some of the characters in the book; Cyclops, Three Fates, Hades, Zeus, Amphitrite, and Athena, etc. Our heroes, Superman and Odysseus, have similar traits. In the following there will be an explanation of the heroes’ traits, definitions of the traits and a comparison of the two heroes and their traits.

Mysterious origins are when the birth of the hero is shrouded with mystery. This trait does apply to Superman, because his birth was a mystery to him for a long period of time. Superman was a baby he was removed from his home planet, was sent to Earth where he will be safe. Superman doesn’t remember his home planet at all until his adoptive father died. Therefore his is origins were unclear to him. As for Odysseus, he doesn’t have any mysterious origins. He was born and raised in Ithaca, his homeland, with his father. He was just another ordinary man. The difference between the two here is obvious. It is that Superman has mysterious origins and Odysseus knows all about his origins.

Extraordinary powers are reviled through supernatural means or crisis. Superman was predestined to have super strength, x-ray vision, and ability to fly, able to stand hot and cold temperatures, and be bullet proof. As for Odysseus he had no powers, but was borrowed the powers of the gods and goddesses. But he was predestined to defeat all the obstacles in he faced. Odysseus future was told by the Three Fates; Clotho, Lecheries, and Apropos. Superman and Odysseus were both predestined but not in the same way, that was a similarity. A difference is that Superman had powers of his own and Odysseus didn’t have any of his own.

Areas of vulnerability are limits that could be mental or physical. Superman’s limits are lead, love, and Kryptonite. He couldn’t see through lead was not a big issue in the movie, because Superman used his common sense to look for what he needed. Love was definitely an area of vulnerability. When his adoptive father died he couldn’t get over it, because he loved him very much. Then that led to finding the Kryptonite. The Kryptonite can hurt or kill Superman. Love again made Superman break a rule. He couldn’t turn back time to change history. But when Lois Lane died Superman changed time to save her. All these things didn’t stop Superman from saving people (but it gave a quite a struggle). These limits are physical and mental limits. In The Odyssey, Odysseus has much vulnerability. The biggest vulnerability is that he is just a human. But out of all vulnerability a human can have Odysseus are: too self a shored, and pushed the limits too far. For example, when Circe told him not to waste time putting on his armor, he did it anyway and lost all his men and boat. And he wouldn’t give his men time to rest, because he really wanted to get home. Superman and Odysseus vulnerabilities were different from each other, but are similar at the same time.

Rites of passage are the struggle for a trial or a deal where the hero is tested. Confrontation with evil is the battle between man and a destructive force. Or man verses man. Superman had to with go many struggles to help us (humans). In the movie, he had to struggle to stop the bullet and keep his identity secret. When Lex Luther put his plan to action superman was put to test. Odysseus had to face Charybdis, Scylla, Cyclops, Calypso and many others. Doing the confrontations his friends were killed, he lost all he owned, suffered from starvation, and was home sick. The difference between superman and Odysseus was that superman looked for danger and evil, while the danger comes to Odysseus. He never understood why things had to be taken over and how everything didn’t make sense about him having to defend his enemies, and how he ended up in this situation out of all heroes and all people.

The achievement of destiny is the heroes’ fate. In the end of the movie Superman defeats Lex Luther and saves all the people who were in danger. He achieved his destiny by saving truth, justice, and the American way. Odysseus achieved his destiny which is to return home to his wife, son and father without his boat and his men. Here Superman and Odysseus both achieved their destiny, but in very different ways. A difference between the two is that Odysseus had peace after he rejoined his wife, son, and father. But Superman didn’t get any peace at all, because there is always trouble afoot.

A hero needs to have some sort if specific qualities to help them in their journey. Superman’s qualities help him with his battle against Lex Luther. For example, Superman needs intelligence to outsmart his enemies. If Superman was intelligent Lex would’ve destroyed California and taken it as his own. Bravery is also needed, because without it he would be too afraid to face evil. Physical strength, mysterious powers, human love, love of adventure and commitment to good are also needed. When Lois Lane “died”, Superman turned back time to save her, even though it meant breaking a rule. Another scene from Superman the Movie is when he had to stop the dam from breaking, the earthquake. This showed that he has a commitment to good.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus had to counterfeit many problems, or struggles. The qualities Odysseus needed were intelligence (for the same reason as Superman), bravery, and love of adventures (though at times he didn’t). Sometimes he needed mysterious powers, but they weren’t his, to save his life. Odysseus did show physical strength when he was making a boat on Calypso’s island and when had to shoot the bend the bow and arrow. Human love. I think that this is the most important quality in The Odyssey, because without his love for his father, son and wife he would’ve decided that there is no point to return home. In Calypso’s island Odysseus show bravery (setting out in the sea alone, when he was leaving), intelligence (told Calypso that she was prettier than his wife, Penelope so he does not anger her.) He also shows one quality that gets him in trouble at times, his good looks. Odysseus should no commitment to good, but that doesn’t mean that he is a bad person. All Odysseus wanted to do is go home.

Author, like Homer, of epics use dignified language. Dignified language is serious, and often poetic, literary conventions. Alliteration, similes, metaphors, and epithets are examples of dignified language. Epithet is a short descriptive phrase emphasizing an aspect of a character. An example in The Odyssey is the pun Calypso said to Odysseus; “You are odd I see.” If you read it carefully and pay attention to the sound you can hear the word odyssey. In Superman’s epics you would have to look at the comics for one! A Homeric smile is an extended simile elaborated in great detail. An example of a Homeric simile in The Odyssey is; “Odysseus was sleeping like a smoldering brand, which has been buried under black ashes; he is a seed of fire.”

Epics, although serious literary work, it often shows humor. An example of humor in Superman the Movie is when Superman picked up Lex Luther off the ground and dropped him on the floor. In the Odyssey, I found that something the Cyclops did was funny. When Polyphemus (the Cyclops) although bigger and stronger than Odysseus went crying to his father asking for help. It was like a little eight year old boy going to his dad after someone took his toy car. Another part I found that reflected humor was when Odysseus told Polyphemus that his name was Noman. Then after Odysseus took out his eye, Polyphemus tells his friends that “Friends, Nobody is murdering me by craft. Force there is none.” So his friends thought that Polyphemus wasn’t getting hurt at all!

In culmination, both Superman and Odysseus are products of their cultural needs or ideals. In Superman the Movie, Superman reflects the America’s needs and ideals. America needed someone to stop the crimes, cease natural disasters, etc. But mostly America needed someone or something to depend on, someone or something to look up to. The cultural need The Odyssey shows is that people in that time needed a dependable law system, uncorrupt, and fresh. It also reflected the journey (or odyssey) every man takes to find the real good man they really are. Even though some men found themselves in a really weird way, like Odysseus. Well, the denouement is that both the men, Superman and Odysseus, found who they really are and became heroes doing it.