Martin, J., & Kapoor, H. (2021, May). It’s worse if Superman does it: Perceptions of moral transgressions committed by superheroes and supervillains. Paper presented at the third biennial Heroism Science Conference, Online.

• Relevant publication(s): U.S. and Indian Adults’ Moral Evaluations of Superheroes and Supervillains (2024)

Given the prevalence of superhero media and the general consistency between (1) increasing sociomoral capacities (as implicated in SDT-related findings)...and (2) the broadening of social life contexts inherent within the Washington State’s Grade Level Expectations for Social Studies…, films like Black Panther (2018) that readily portray characters expressing diverse viewpoints may assist educators in their goals of fostering the development of thoughtful, considerate, and respectful citizens.

If you have the powers to manipulate electricity, the adoration of a nation, and the backing of an international corporation, why would you ask for permission to do anything? And what type of society does this reflect or help create? I think these questions relate to an ironic feature of The Boys’s portrayal of the authority-accountability relationship, namely that—as indicated in the opening quote—it is someone like Frenchie, who is not part of the most powerful or elite in society, who feels the most remorse for not being held accountable for past actions.

Martin, J. (2021, February). The many ways of Wakanda: Viewpoint diversity and its implications for civics education.  Presentation for Spokane Public Library’s celebration of Black History Month, Online.

• Relevant publication(s): Black Panther (2021)

In essence, these studies show that youth can understand and articulate their experiences as perpetrator and victim, and as those who help and those who harm; especially as they get older. However, they sometimes have difficulty considering: (1) emotions associated with and (2) multiple perspectives within those experiences. Such findings present an opportunity for superhero content creators to rethink how they use characterizations and plot points to broach moral concepts for their audience, particularly children and adolescents. Parents may also use these superhero narratives as a potential aid with their youth’s development of these sociomoral concepts.

Martin, J. (2020, July). Comic Book Justice: Potential Associations Between Popular Culture and Developmental Psychology. Paper presented at the Conference at the End of the World, Online. [Website no longer active]

• Relevant publication(s): Superhero Justice (2025)

Dyson’s (1997) examination of the way children use superhero cartoons in their literacy practices to actively engage in their social worlds has implications for the potential use of superhero cartoons like X-Men to stimulate children’s sociomoral thinking. If we assume that children are capable of attending to various features of social interactions in ways that conceptually alter the meaning of events (Smetana & Jambon, 2018; Turiel, Killen, & Helwig, 1987; Wainryb, 2006), then cartoons like X-Men—with its myriad characters and multifaceted portrayals of harm (violence) and fairness (discrimination) issues—may be uniquely suited for such an endeavor.

...by analyzing Batman narratives through the lens of…the existence of distinct domains of social concepts and the importance of coordination to navigate situations with competing concepts or considerations…and centering Gotham as the primary unit of analysis, opportunities for reflecting on the relationship between understandings of God and understandings of the social world may become apparent.

...there are some parallels between the narrative Siddiq tells the community following the Whisperers attack, and the narrative represented by Christ’s resurrection. In both, narratives of hope offer alternative understandings of the world, each other, and our relationships. They also invite us to engage in a different set of relations with regards to (1) the features of the events we experience as well as (2) with one another.

Unlike his American superhero counterparts (such as Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man) who can operate solely as protectors and sometimes avengers of their e solely as protectors and sometimes avengers of their city, the country, or the world without also being responsible for addressing the various perspectives of its inhabitants, T'Challa does not have that luxury.

“While getting revenge on Thanos appears to be a strong motivation for at least one of the Avengers, I contend that overall their primary motivation is relational. Above all, they seek to repair the damage done due to the loss of relationships. The fallout does not focus on the fact that Thanos won and they lost as much as it focuses on the ways they grapple with the enormous amount of relationships that were cut short.”

“When it comes to socio-political discourse within a democratic society, I think it could do us some good to apply Smith’s (2018) approach to superheroes to our own conversations and debates about relevant issues. Just as Smith first specified an area of general agreement (i.e., an “ethical core”) by which an analysis of superheroes could follow, as participants in a democratic society, we should consider taking inventory of our areas of general agreement regarding an issue before articulating our areas of disagreement.”

...take some of the superhero media I have enjoyed this summer and the kinds of questions I ponder while watching them. What does the isolationist vs. interventionist debate in Black Panther (2018) say about our understandings of harm/welfare considerations as they pertain to those within and outside of our families, ‘groups’, and/or nations? What are the implications of the outcome of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) for our understandings of pride, purpose, and cooperation? Finally, how do the depictions of Harlem and Luke Cage’s relationship with Harlem in Luke Cage (2016–) relate to our everyday notions of criminality and civilian life?

Either we attempt to understand our differences in a way that accounts for our similarities or we continue to over-emphasize our differences to the point where the prospect of solving pressing problems together becomes increasingly unlikely. If you are interested in the former, then you may want to take a(nother) trip to Wakanda.

Children may be drawn to superheroes not just because of their powers, but also because of the behaviour they promote. Therefore, a way to learn more about a child or student may be to learn about which superheroes they identify with and why.