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10 Important Life Lessons Learnt from Marvel Superheroes
Adam We
Self-Proclaimed Potterhead, Game of Thrones Fan & All Round Charming Irish Chap
Marvel-ous Lessons From Our Marvel Heroes
It’s fair to say that a good few of us grew up either reading Superhero Comics or watching our Supers on TV, whether it was after a long hard day at school or on weekend mornings with bowls of cereal perched on our laps!
Perhaps what draws us in to the world of these fantastical characters even as we grow older, is that we can often imagine that they aren’t all that different from us.
With some luck and Supernatural circumstance, “that could just as easily be me!”, right? There’s nothing wrong with indulging in a bit of far-out fantasy in order to spice up our sometimes very ordinary lives.
Through some seriously super storytelling and complex characteristic moments, Marvel has imparted a wealth of life lessons over the years and perhaps has made us question our own value systems, leading us to judge how we would tackle different situations had we encountered them ourselves.
Let’s explore 10 important lessons learnt from the most popular Marvel Superheroes of late – something light and fluffy to ponder over whilst eating your cereal, maybe!
1. You Don’t Have to Be Super to be a Hero
Some Marvel Superheroes have achieved wonders through sheer hard work and determination, not necessarily through having any special powers at all.
Take Hawkeye for instance; as one of the founding members of SHIELD, Hawkeye is renowned for his skills with a bow - no doubt a talent that took plenty of practice!
It is known in the MCU, that Hawkeye recruited Natasha Romanoff (AKA Black Widow) who aside from being a kick-ass Spy and Assassin, had no Superpowers to speak of.
Now, not all of us have a skill set quite like that of Hawkeye or Black Widow, nor have we received our training in the “Red Room” (and for that we should be thankful!), but that doesn’t mean that we can’t aspire to be Super and embody the characteristic qualities of a Superhero.
Of course, we’re referring to the aforementioned character’s qualities ‘post-Russian Spy/ Assassin’ days – i.e. their work with The Avengers.
Each of us should find something that we are uniquely qualified for or talented at and use this for the greater good. We can be the Heroes of pretty much anything… just remember, practice makes perfect!
2. Heroes Come in all Shapes and Sizes
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, looks can be deceiving, n’ all that Jazz! Marvel Superheroes are as diverse as they come – I mean just take a look at Rocket Racoon, Groot, Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp after being shrunk down!
These guys are true heroes and yet don’t conform to the stereotypical ‘Superhero’ image! Nobody is exactly the same, and that’s what makes life interesting. Embrace your true self and let your inner Superhero burst forth!
3. Friendships Can’t Always Last a Lifetime… and That’s OK
Marvel Superheroes don’t just fight crime, sometimes they fight amongst themselves as well! Iron Man and Captain America were best of friends but were not immune to their falling out over idealistic differences.
Real lifelong friends fall out over a lot less and friendships can often fall apart. Sometimes we can make amends but it’s important to realise that it’s not always meant to be and at times we must cut our losses and move on, especially if we find that our values are worlds apart.
4. You Can Choose your Friends, But You Can’t Choose your Family
Ok, this one doesn’t take a Marvel Superhero story arc to realise, but it’s worth repeating and remembering all the same.
Thor and Loki are a prime example of brotherly conflict!
Luckily Thor joins forces with the Avengers and has a friendship family instead! Not every family dynamic is as intense as Thor’s relationship with Loki, but I think that everyone can relate in some way to wishing they were born into another family, even just now and then!
What’s important is that you choose your friends and you choose to be good to each other.
You’ll notice that Superheroes are great at banding together and helping each other out (in the end!) – let’s learn from our Marvel Supers.
5. Everyone has a Weakness, But Together We are Stronger
That’s right, even Superheroes have them and it’s the prerogative of Super-villains to exploit these weaknesses for their own downright dastardly purposes (those little scamps!).
Captain America is pretty damn Super (“language”.. sorry Cap!), but a right hook from Thanos still hurts! Iron Man is well-protected in his Mark 50 but take that suit off or expose it to enough power and “oops!”
Hop over to a slightly different Universe and we have Wolverine, but with all of his Super Healing Powers an Adamantium bullet to the head is still gonna leave a mark (even if he can't remember it!).
Even big ol’ Hulk can only take so much punishment before he cowers beneath the skin of poor Bruce Banner.
My point is this – nobody is perfect, and even a Marvel Superhero has some flaws to worry about.
Marvel heroes, however, often team up to combine their strengths when faced with overwhelming odds.
They teach us that it’s important to recognise our own strengths and weaknesses, and to remember that we are facing our own apparently insurmountable odds, we should enlist the help of our fellow teammates.
6. Accidents Aren’t ALL Bad, But it’s Certainly Not Easy Being Green!
Sometimes accidents can present us with opportunities!
Bruce Banner is a mild-mannered scientist who becomes a not-so-mild-mannered green beast, but he manages to become a crime fighting beast whenever possible!
We’re not saying you need to generate an uncontrollable rage and use it for good, but maybe try to take a positive look on situations that look a little bleak!
7. Self-Belief is Everything in Life
Back to the Black Widow again just for a moment. Natasha Romanoff is no doubt a Superhero - but her most important Superpower is surely the belief that she has in her own abilities!
We can all take inspiration from this self-made Marvel mega-hero and strive to reach our full potential and believe in ourselves!
Dr. Strange wasn’t always a Master of the Mystic Arts (or ‘Magician’ as Tony Stark would say!)
After that fateful car accident, he lost all belief in himself and his identity was challenged, but Stephen didn't give up in searching for answers.
The Doctor knew that there must be a way to restore his health and in searching for the answers, Strange stumbled upon another path, which lead to... well, we know the rest!
8. Never Leave a Man/ Woman/ Sentient Being Behind!
Get the tissues out for the bond between Captain America and his best friend Bucky Barnes! Before Steve Rogers becomes The Cap, Bucky tells him “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line”, and Captain America repeats this to him years later, proving how important it is to have each other’s backs!
Whether it’s family or friends, we’ve all got to look out for each other through thick and thin!
9. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Uncle Ben’s dying words to Spider-Man create a code that Peter Parker takes very seriously. Leaders like our Marvel Heroes could easily let their power take on a selfish path, yet they strive to make the world a safer place!
You should probably refrain from swinging from building to building in a tight red suit, but it’s important to use whatever power or influence we have to achieve the most positive results!
10. If You Want Peace, then Forget Prejudice
OK, so we’re not all Superheroes but we can all relate in some way to the prejudice experienced by the X-Men – living in a world that is fearful of their powers and differences.
They could react to the hatred in the worst possible way, but instead a true Marvel Hero rises above the hostility and strives to better the world! Raven hasn't always flown a straight path, but we like to think she made good in the end.
It’s safe to say most mortals have been singled out for being different in some way, perhaps it’s time to embrace your individuality and use it for good...
... But There's More to Superheroes (and Life!) than Just Lessons
I think that's enough of the life-lessons for now. Thanks to the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and especially with Disney at the helm, our collective consciousness is continuously being peppered with those good old fashioned values that stay fresh through the ages.
However, for those of you who'd just prefer to 'Enjoy' their Marvel Superheroes in action without worrying about the 'lessons', you're in for a treat! As you may know, MCU Phase 4 has been mapped out and it looks pretty awesome. I think we're guaranteed many more hours of Marvel-ous entertainment over the next few years and we at Retro Styler cant wait to see what awesome Official Marvel Gifts are created alongside the movies.
Anyway, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Let me know whether you have any life lessons of your own that you'd like to add and what you think of the 10 that I've talked about here...
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