Why do we need the Superheroes?

They belong to the child's world. To keep it occupied with stunning animations, improbable stunts and out of this world characters. Tricking it into spending endless hours in front of the idiot's box. We, as children didn't have the luxury of all the cartoon channels surfed by today's little ones. We grew up devouring books, instead. I remember taking a passing interest on a TV serial on Superman after Amma's colleague mentioned to her that I had a striking resemblence to the handsome guy who was playing the young Superman :-) Other than that I was never a great fan of the superheroes.

Do they serve any purpose, other than just fooling around, fishing for some invented trouble and fighting the imaginary demons?

Sometimes they do!

I realize that now, after one of them had turned up to rescue an autistically challenged eight year old in Bangkok, who had climbed onto a third floor ledge for fear of attending his first day at school. When the desperate efforts of his teachers and parents to beckon him back to safety were failing, the Spiderman suddenly appeared on the scene and told him:

"Spiderman is here to rescue you, no monsters are going to attack you. Walk slowly towards me as running could be dangerous."

The young one immediately stood up and walked into his superhero's arms!

Now that's one of the best comic strips I had ever read :-)

As Ms. May Parker says in Spider Man II:

"He knows a hero, when he sees one. Too few characters out there, flying around like that, saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people. Setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they will tell how they stood in the rains for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams"

Everything in this world has some purpose.

Even giving up one's dreams!!