The Big Book of Superheroes

by Bart King

  3. The X-Men c. Winghead

  4. Flash d. Shellhead

  5. Iron Man e. The Man Without Fear

  6. Captain Marvel f. The Big Red Cheese

  7. Thor g. Earth’s Strangest Superheroes

  The Name Game Leads to Fame!

  Names had a lot to do with Superman’s creation. See, the Man of Steel was co-created by a guy named Jerry Siegel. And when Jerry was a little kid, he got teased a lot. On the school playground, kids made fun of his name, yelling, “Siegel, Siegel, birds of an eagle!” (I know, it doesn’t even make sense.)

  So little Jerry wished he could just fly away. From an early age, he imagined a fantastic world where people could fly. And later, Jerry grew up and invented Superman. And then Superman became so popular, the superhero affected the ways people name their own kids.

  For example, actor Nicolas Cage named his son Kal-El. (That’s Superman’s original name back on Krypton.) And when a Swedish woman named Sara Leisten gave birth, her baby was born with one arm outstretched—like he was flying.

  So Sara named her baby “Staalman” (which is the Swedish name for Superman). But a judge rejected this name, saying the baby would get teased if his name was Superman. But you know what’s really weird? Sweden was already home to babies with names like Tarzan and Batman!

  * * *

  [16] b.

  [17] Answer: I invented Captain Unstoppable!

  [18] Answer: That’s right. They all know Superman!

  [19] Answers: 1. c; 2. e; 3. g; 4. a; 5. d; 6. f; 7. b.

  Dress Like a Superhero!

  “I must have a costume that is so bizarre that once I am seen, I will never be forgotten!”

  —Green Lantern

  You got your start in the superhero business long ago. It began with you tying a towel or blanket around your neck. And then you ran around the house like a maniac with your arms out in front of you and made “swooshing” sounds.

  I’m right, huh? After all, that’s how I got interested in superheroes just last year.

  But maybe you’re wondering if you still need a cape or a special costume. After all, why not just wear your regular clothes? Here’s why. Try naming just one superhero who wears T-shirts and shorts. See what I mean? And to explain how things got this way, it’s time for an...

  Origin Story!

  Superhero costumes look the way they do because of circuses. See, back in the early 1900s, strongmen traveled with circuses and carnivals. The strongmen usually wore tights or long underwear. And over these tights, they put on boots, capes, and colored underpants.

  So when superhero creators needed costume ideas, guess who they thought of? Circus strongmen! That’s why the very first superhero characters were nicknamed “long underwear heroes.” (Of course, circus strongmen also had gigantic mustaches—and luckily, almost no superheroes did.)

  Pop Quiz

  True or false: The law in Gotham City states that nobody can wear a bat costume except for Batman.[20]

  If you’re worried about feeling silly in a bright cape and leotard, think of it as your uniform. It’s what you wear when you’re out on patrol! So you’re no different from the police officer who wears special clothing.

  The right outfit can make you instantly popular!

  And speaking of special, it’s time to talk about...

  Underpants!

  Unlike the circus strongmen, you can wear your underpants under your pants. But for the love of Thor, make sure your underwear’s not a bright color, or we’ll be able to see it through your costume!

  Also, you may ask the classic question: boxers or briefs? Let me keep this short—briefs. Stuffing boxers under your costume will look really dorky. Your butt will look all bumpy and weird, and supervillains will mock you.

  You: Stop! In the name of the law!

  Villain (chuckling): More like “Stop in the name of lumpy underwear.”

  You (covering your boxers with your cape): Meanie!

  Oh, and please don’t let your underwear waistband stick out—unless you want to show off.

  Amateur Night

  Every Halloween, “normal” kids put on capes and masks and act like they have superpowers. So on October 31, you’ll find children jumping off slides trying to fly, or staring at trees with their “X-ray vision.”

  There’s a word for kids like these: posers!

  Fabrics!

  Pick your costume’s material carefully. With your active lifestyle, you want a fabric that breathes well and dries quickly. After all, someone like the Flash is running all the time. That means sweat—lots of sweat. So if the Flash’s costume doesn’t breathe, he’s really going to stink by the time he gets to a crime scene!

  Light-Speed Writing: A man named Gardner Fox created the Flash. He also wrote more than 4,000 comic book stories in his career. Writing that fast is hard work—which is why one person described Fox as “the sweatiest man I’d ever met.”

  Be sure to avoid wool, corduroy, flannel, and pleather costumes. Leather gives good protection, but wearing too much of it makes you look cheesy. So most superhero outfits contain synthetic fabrics like spandex.

  I suggest a 50-50-50 blend of spandex, Kevlar, and Nomex. Kevlar is five times stronger than steel, and can stop a bullet. And Nomex is a fire-resistant fabric. So firefighters wear it for protection.

  Wash and Wear: Get a costume that’s easy to wash. (Take it from me, it’s really hard to get bloodstains out of your cape!)

  What else? Besides being bulletproof and flameproof, your costume should also be waterproof and laserproof. But no pressure. (Oh, your fabric should also be pressure-proof.)

  “You Want Pants with That?”

  Spider-Man once met a tailor named Leo Zelinsky, who didn’t like his costume: “The fabric, I’m guessing spandex....You overheat a lot in this thing, don’t you? You’ve got no weather-proofing, no proper ventilation...you could get athlete’s foot all over your body in a thing like this.”

  Zelinsky knew what he was talking about, because he was a supertailor. He made costumes for superheroes like Thor and Captain America. But Zelinsky’s grandson warned that every costume has limits: “Clothes don’t make the heroes. What makes a hero is what happens in your heart.”

  Two Things! 1. The Flash once caught a pair of criminals by running around them so fast the threads of their pants unraveled. 2. Before Stan Lee became the head of Marvel Comics, he was fired from his previous job—making pants.

  Colors!

  Don’t combine the superpowers of a god with the fashion sense of a preschooler. Let your costume announce who you are with bright colors! Red, orange, green, blue—these colors should be so brilliant people have to wear sunglasses to look at you.

  Know your costume’s safety information!

  Pro Tip: Gloves are handy (get it?) because they stop you from leaving fingerprints. And have you ever noticed that dishwashing gloves come in colors like yellow and green? I’ll bet that matches perfectly with your costume.

  Quick Changes!

  So who’s going to make your costume? If your superpower is crafting, just do it yourself. Your DIY attitude will impress others.

  Impressed Person: Wow, you made that costume yourself? How do you like it?

  Crafty Kid: It’s sew-sew.

  But many heroes leave “craftiness” to the supervillains. (Shazam!) So maybe you need someone else to make your costume. But who? Your butler or sidekick is a good choice. So is any other servant who’s hanging around—like one of your parents!

  Instruct your costume maker to include as many harnesses, pouches, straps, and buckles as possible.

  Oh, and remember that changing into a costume can take forever. So to speed things up, you might wear your costume under your regular clothes.

  Or just make your regular clothes reversible!

  Masks, Goggles, and Eyepatches!

  When it comes to concealing your identity, nothing beats a mask that covers your face. And think of all the varieties! You c
an go for the full ski mask style, like Spider-Man. Or maybe you prefer a half-cowl, like Batman?

  If you don’t like masks, try hiding your face with a hood, a handkerchief, or even a big hat. But I don’t suggest using a cardboard box with eyeholes cut into it. (Mine always gets spun around during fights.)

  Pro Tip: Batman covers the eyeholes of his mask with a one-way fabric. He can still see fine, but nobody can see his eyes. (Spooky!)

  Sunglasses and goggles can also give you a different look. So break out your ski goggles—or just make your own!

  Superpower Activity

  Supergoggles!

  Supplies: Pencil, paper, sharp scissors or X-Acto knife, duct tape, large colored plastic soft drink bottle.

  Sketch a real-size outline on paper of the kind of goggles you want. Remember, unlike glasses, goggles usually wrap around the head.

  Cut it out and hold it up to your face to make sure it’s about the right size. Redo if necessary.

  Tape the paper model around the soft drink bottle.

  Carefully cut around it. (Have an adult, butler, or sidekick do this.)

  Try it on! You may need to duct-tape the two arms together in the back to get the goggles to stay on. Or punch holes at the two ends of the goggles. Then tie and knot some string between the holes to help keep the glasses in place.

  One more thing—eyepatches aren’t very practical, but they do look cool. Just ask famous eyepatcher Nick Fury. He works for S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division).

  Years ago, I got a summer job at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. One day I was in the crime lab and I accidentally knocked over a glass beaker. At first I thought I’d be in trouble. But Nick Fury just turned a blind eye to my accident. (Shazam!)

  But in honor of Fury, I started wearing an eyepatch—and you may want to do the same thing.

  Accessories!

  There are an endless number of accessories available for today’s superhero. But choose ones that are fashionable and practical. For example, Wonder Woman’s bracelets. Sure, they look good—but those wristbands also save lives!

  Wonder Woman’s bracelets are made from a metal called “amazonium.” They can stop bullets, lasers, and even artillery. (Fun Fact: Wonder Woman’s tiara is made of the same stuff. Sometimes she throws it like a boomerang!) But amazonium is rare. So here’s an alternative way to get the same look!

  Superpower Activity

  Power Bands!

  Supplies: Scissors, toilet paper rolls, blue painter’s tape, bright paint, glue, glitter.

  Cut the toilet paper roll once, from top to bottom. Then cut it in half. You should have two pieces that look like the picture.

  Close the rolls and tape them shut on the inside.

  Stuff the rolls with newspaper. Also, lay down some newspaper on your worktable for the next part.

  Paint the power bands. Let them dry.

  Lightly add glue to the paint. Now add your glitter!

  Optional: After this dries, paint a glaze of two parts water, one part glue over the bracelets.

  If you have any power stones or precious gems, glue these to the power bands.

  After they’re dry, remove the newspaper and painter’s tape from inside the rolls.

  Slip on the power bands and go fight crime!

  Utility Belt!

  Superheroes carry a lot of gadgets. So you need a wide nylon belt with containers called a utility belt. Think of it as a fanny pack with lots of packs. (That’s better than lots of fannies!)

  So, what should you keep in your utility belt? Good choices include:

  Flashlight

  First aid kit

  Swiss Army knife

  Binoculars

  The Ultimate Gadget

  What’s that? You’ve never heard of the Ultimate Gadget?

  Superpower Activity

  The Ultimate Gadget!

  Supplies: Old cell phone, silver or gold spray paint, glitter (optional).

  If you carry just one gadget on your utility belt, it should be this one. Here’s how to make it:

  Get an old cell phone.

  Spray paint it silver. Or gold. Feel free to stick glitter on it, too.

  Let it dry.

  Now, what do you do with this thing? Hey, the only limitation to your gadget is your imagination! Use it as a communication device, weapon, prop, or even toothpick! (Okay, maybe not a toothpick.)

  Don’t worry about your belt running out of storage space for your gadgets. I mean, Batman’s utility belt holds an amazing amount of stuff. Just try to guess which item Batman doesn’t keep in his belt:

  Crayons

  A tiny blowtorch

  Shark repellent

  Nylon ties (used for handcuffs)

  Kryptonite

  An extra Batman costume

  A makeup kit

  The Batcopter

  Batarangs

  Did you guess the Batcopter? Good job! All of the other items really are in Batman’s belt. (He even keeps Kryptonite in case Superman messes with him.) But of all Batman’s gadgets, the batarangs are my favorite. These small metal weapons shaped like bats are designed for throwing. They’re sort of like combination throwing stars and boomerangs.

  Batman also has specialized batarangs. These include a Seeing-Eye batarang (with a camera), a fire-prevention batarang (loaded with fire-extinguishing chemicals), and even a bomb batarang (ka-boom!). How great would it be to have your own “-arangs”? Let’s just say that I always carry my own Bart-arangs: small metal boomerangs shaped like me.

  And now you’re probably wondering if I drive a car called the Bartmobile. Of course not! (That would just be silly.)

  Four Fantastic Costume Problems from the Fantastic Four!

  The Human Torch and His Flaming Underwear: If the Human Torch’s skin is covered with fire, how come he still has a costume on when the flame goes out?

  The Invisible Girl and Her Disappearing Costume: One of Sue Storm’s superpowers is turning invisible. Fair enough! But why, oh why, does her outfit turn invisible too?

  The Fantastic Mr. Stretch Pants: Mr. Fantastic can stretch and stretch and s-t-r-e-t-c-h...and his costume can too! Reed Richards explains that he did this by making the costume out of “unstable molecules.” (This is a good catchall excuse: “Why did you spill the milk?” “Unstable molecules!”)

  Wild Thing: Actually, the guy made of bricks has the most realistic costume of the bunch: Blue short shorts!

  Capes!

  “No capes.”

  —Edna Mode, The Incredibles

  You know why capes are forbidden, right? They’re dangerous. After all, who wants to get sucked into a jet aircraft engine? But despite that, there is one really good reason to wear a cape:

  It looks cool!

  See what I mean? A cape may not be practical, but it will bring you respect. Plus, if you’re a little skinny or chunky, it can help hide that.

  But what size should your cape be? It should hang down to the back of your knees. But not any longer, or you’ll trip on it. And no shorter than your beltline, or it’ll just look silly!

  You also want the cape to be roomy—but not so big that it looks like you’re wearing a tarp. BTW, I know what you’re thinking: that you’re too cool to make a cape by stuffing a blanket under your collar. But are you kidding? Capes made from blankies are the best kind!

  Atomic Wedgie!

  The Atom is a superhero who shrinks down to a tiny size. When the Atom shrinks, his normal “street clothes” vanish and his superhero costume appears. Then, after the Atom grows back to his usual size, his everyday clothes cover him again—but his superhero costume stays small! So according to scientist James Kakalios, that means “the Atom is the only superhero who deliberately gives himself a wedgie whenever he returns to his secret identity!”

  Exoskeleton

  Exo- just means “outside.” So an exoskeleton is something you wear on the outside of your body. It might be a costume with lig
ht armor, like Batman’s batsuit. Or it can be an actual robot that you wear. For example, Tony Stark puts on a full-body, robotic exoskeleton to become Iron Man.

  Famous Exoskeleton User: Doctor Doom.

  There are lots of good reasons to wear an exoskeleton. It can give you defense against fists, bullets, and even explosions. And a good exoskeleton can actually make you stronger and faster! But it does have drawbacks.

  Three Exoskeleton Problems

  Your batteries can run down awfully fast! (Tony Stark has crawled around looking for an electrical outlet to plug into when his suit’s power got low.)

  An exoskeleton gives you two skeletons to worry about—the one inside of you and the one outside of you. (That’s just weird!)