If Superheroes were real, would they be more of a benefit or a hindrance to humanity?

[AGXStarseed]

I was recently reading through Volume Four of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (written by Alan Moore) and came across something that I thought was interesting.
On a single page, we see a meeting between Mina Murray (from Dracula) and an elderly Sherlock Holmes in 1904 as Mina asks the aging detective if he would like to become the advisor to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (referred to as an "ensemble of exceptional individuals" by Sherlock).
For context, Mina's decision to ask Sherlock was due to his older brother Mycroft having held the position in the past; taking over following the revelation that the team's previous advisor was really Professor James Moriarty - the "Napoleon of Crime" having survived the events at Reichenbach Falls - and the team successfully defeating the villain for good.

However, Sherlock declines as he feels that such individuals are to humanity's detriment - using the bees in his garden's hives as an example of such. The following is the conversation between the two:

Mina: "Are you sure you won't consider advising my ensemble..."
Sherlock: "...of exceptional individuals? Quite sure. Increasingly, I suspect such personages are to humanity's detriment".
Mina: "How so?"
Sherlock: "Even when benevolent we often make matters worse...and then there are those like Professor Moriarty. Thank you for finally eliminating him forever, incidentally".
Mina: "You're very welcome. Surely we do some good?"
Sherlock: "Overall, I think not. Our very existence disrupts society. Consider my bees, their timeless, golden culture predicated on uniformity.
Even one uniquely empowered insect, individually motivated, would destabilize the colony. The hive would die, its surviving inhabitants compelled to flee in uncertainty,seeking another home...and what then, my delightful Miss Murray, in certain lights so reminiscent of dear Irene Adler? What then?"

Thinking this over, I was interested in what the rest of you may think about this - especially with the popularity of superhero movies nowadays thanks to Marvel and DC having some "big hits" in the past and in more recent times.
If superheroes were indeed real (whether they acted on their own initiative or were used by their nation's government), would they - in both the short term and the long term - be more of a benefit or a hindrance to humanity?

 

[Aspychata]

To me, super heros are the whistle blowers, the fighters for basic human rights, the inventors who come up with plans to save earth's resources, and even the counselors who listen and help those who truly need it, and many more come to mind. But this maybe a unconventional view of superheros.

 

[AGXStarseed]

To me, super heros are the whistle blowers, the fighters for basic human rights, the inventors who come up with plans to save earth's resources, and even the counselors who listen and help those who truly need it, and many more come to mind. But this maybe a unconventional view of superheros.

Unconventional, but not unappreciated.
I like your take.

 

[NB79]

in the real world people would use super powers to their advantage to gain something, that sadly is human nature, few people like to sincerely give and help.

 

[AGXStarseed]

in the real world people would use super powers to their advantage to gain something, that sadly is human nature, few people like to sincerely give and help.

Makes me think a bit of The Boys in that regard.

 

[Misery]

The problem with superheroes is that they would come with supervillains. You would never get just Superman without Lex Luthor, or the X-Men without Magneto. And some of them can get pretty darned nasty. Last thing the real world needs is freaking Darkseid.

And often, things would probably get more violent than a lot of superhero movies and such would have you realize. Particularly with the Marvel movies, they kinda have to tone the violence way down for the big screen. But that’s not how it’d really be.

Ever seen Invincible? That series? That one kinda illustrates that. Often.

 

[SpiltPaint]

Makes me think a bit of The Boys in that regard.

My thoughts exactly, I think that's why The Boys is doing so well, we all know it would be absolute carnage if such things were reality.

 

[AGXStarseed]

My thoughts exactly, I think that's why The Boys is doing so well, we all know it would be absolute carnage if such things were reality.

Outside of that, I'm reminded of the Superman story What's so Funny about Truth, Justice and the American Way? - which showed Superman matched up against a homage of the Authority known as "The Elite", with it questioning whether continually locking criminals up or just outright killing them with no regard for the legal system was the better option.

That story later got adapted into the DC Animated movie, Superman vs. The Elite, which was a very faithful copy and is often considered one of the best (if not the best) of the DCAU movies:

While I'm sure there would be "superheroes" who would be corrupt and use their powers for fame and fortune (as well as to bully/silence/kill anyone they don't like), I don't think it would be too unusual to see someone who is genuinely compassionate and wants to help people.
The flip-side of that is what happens if we became too dependent on superheroes. As Jeff Tracy said in the 2004 Thunderbirds movie, "It doesn't matter how hard you try, you can't save everyone".

 

[Metalhead]

We had a superhero when Freddy Mercury was alive.

 

[Thinx]

My main gripe with Superheroes is that they so often are using violent means, or strong arm tactics, they are physically superior, or really good at fighting, etc, and that's kind of their main way to Save the world.

But as we surely realise, the world's gonna be saved, assuming it is, by peaceful intellectual and communal means, which can be magical too.

Superheroes as portrayed in action movies and other stories, are not necessarily undermining us by being too good at stuff, they do so by being largely unaware of and irrelevant to what needs to change.

 

[Aspychata]

Agree about Freddy Mercury.

Some people may disagree with Obama's stint as a US president, however, he was superhero that had the cajones to run a campaign for president considering our poor past on treating blacks equally.

Now we see many different people running for office these days, where their values are more important then the color of their skin.

 

[SusanLR]

Superhero movies are great action films to view. Superman and the X-Men being two favourites.
In real life if such people existed with powers to do what humans can't,
I believe it would be more detrimental.
There is the desire to help and desires for control and self gain lumped together.

The superhero would have to have the super desire of no self gratification.
Only the desire to help.
And even with that, one path chosen might result in the wrong result
even with the best of intentions.

But, then the question becomes WHO does he want to help?
Which faction of mankind's different powers?
What the hero might find helpful to some, could be harmful to others.
Even if the superhero was robotic, it is still under someone's command until it
developed individual emotions and it's own idea of ethics.
Then it would be as humans who have both good and bad.
Which would the hero follow?
We don't know.

It's a wild world as is.

 

[AGXStarseed]

The problem with superheroes is that they would come with supervillains. You would never get just Superman without Lex Luthor, or the X-Men without Magneto. And some of them can get pretty darned nasty. Last thing the real world needs is freaking Darkseid.

And often, things would probably get more violent than a lot of superhero movies and such would have you realize. Particularly with the Marvel movies, they kinda have to tone the violence way down for the big screen. But that’s not how it’d really be.

Ever seen Invincible? That series? That one kinda illustrates that. Often.

Yeah, you could say it's almost like Mother Nature "restoring the balance", as it were - making sure neither side has a permanent advantage or an "easy ride".
Metaphorically speaking, it's like how carnivores have the necessary tools to kill herbivores - simultaneously getting the food they need while keeping the herbivore numbers in check - while herbivores have defenses of their own (be it their size, having natural weapons like horns or tusks, safety in numbers, etc.) to stop carnivores from having an easy time of it.
This is indeed effective as, in the words of the late John Hurt in Planet Dinosaur, "Even the best predators fail more often than they succeed".

Going back to the "superhero" idea, it would make sense that once Superheroes become a thing, suitable rivals/threats would eventually emerge - and not all of them would be something that a hero can defeat by simply punching them hard enough. Another issue with government mandated superheroes (even if the hero is a good person) might be the legal/paperwork side of things.
In the 2015 superhero parody film Superbob - which is about a socially awkward British postman who becomes a government mandated superhero after he gains powers from been hit by a meteor - it's shown that every time Bob does a heroic act, he has to give the people he saves multiple forms to fill in that he then gives back to the M.O.D to prove that he's "effective", which both Bob and the people he saves hate having to do.
The film itself is pretty dull in my opinion, in case you're curious, although I've seen a few people who like it:

 

[PlaysVideoGames]

I think this is a very interesting topic. I think it would depend on many factors.
1. The values and morale of the hero.
2. How their super power is used.
3. (i think someone previously mentioned corruption)
4. how they handle a crisis situation

there are probably a lot more then what I have listed. I enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on this.

 

[AGXStarseed]

I think this is a very interesting topic. I think it would depend on many factors.
1. The values and morale of the hero.
2. How their super power is used.
3. (i think someone previously mentioned corruption)
4. how they handle a crisis situation

there are probably a lot more then what I have listed. I enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on this.

Indeed; it is curious to imagine how well or how badly this could turn out.
Additionally, here's the page in question that I talked about at the beginning - with Mina Murray talking to an elderly Sherlock Holmes about it.
(On a more comical note, Winnie the Pooh makes a cameo in two of the panels. )

 

[Wolfnox]

I think we will actually see a reality like your describing.

Current reality. Hero or villain. Humans gaining super powers. Would likely be overwhelmed or crippled by them. Resulting in reduced lifespans. Due to massive stress on mind and body. Unable to understand or handle such power.
Those who survived will probably go crazy. Due to stress on body and mind.
Resulting in massive damage to mankind and life bearing land.
Again current reality.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I think it depends on their powers and what their power sources are. Someone with the power to talk to animals could be useful for understanding why a pet is suddenly acting oddly or if danger is coming towards everyone. Superhuman strength could be useful for moving large objects and demolishing condemned building but it can also cause a lot of destruction.

 

[Alaric593]

Humans are susceptible to Learned Helplessness when dealing with the concept of protection.

Parents can and often do create it in their children, friends in their friends, siblings in siblings, spouse in spouse, and government on everyone so it follows it would happen with superheroes as well.

When we seek to protect someone there is a line that once we cross it, it's no longer about protection but rather control. This was a serious conundrum in Afghanistan. We were trying to help people when many didn't want our help hence the violence to achieve the ends.

If superheroes were to exist, that they're Übermensch, isn't going to remove the propensity for narcissistic corruption of their humanity.

The battle in X-Men between Xavier's and Magneto's "mutants" is analogous to how I think it would play out in that respect. Then the propensity for idol worship in people would spring many cults worshipping them as gods and unleash that upon the world as well.

"The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it. Power is what all messiahs really seek: not the chance to serve. This is true even of the pious brethren who carry the gospel to foreign parts" H.L. Mencken

I'm not nearly as cynical as Mencken but it holds true more times than not.

 

[AGXStarseed]

I think it depends on their powers and what their power sources are. Someone with the power to talk to animals could be useful for understanding why a pet is suddenly acting oddly or if danger is coming towards everyone. Superhuman strength could be useful for moving large objects and demolishing condemned building but it can also cause a lot of destruction.

Agreed.
Imagine a TV show where you have a young teenager with some psychic abilities - such as telepathy, telekinesis, remote viewing (that kind of stuff) - and they used it to help people stuck in bad situations (the kind that are often hidden away) and/or bring justice to those who have been wronged; not in the superhero "dress-up-in-spandex-while-wearing-my-underwear-outside-my-pants" kind of way, but more as an aid to the police while they effectively act like an informant.
After all, it's one thing knowing when something horrible is going on (the kind of bad things you'd see in an NSPCC PIF among others), while it's another thing to prove it when you can't just "punch" the problem to make it go away.