This Is How Superheroes Would Look If They Had Average American Bodies (12 Pics)
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What do we expect from our favorite superheroes? Well, they should be brave, smart, skillful and strong, as well as having great morals and a desire to fight evil wherever it exists. Of course, they are usually blessed with good looks and perfect bodies too; these cosmetic enhancements are presumably just another characteristic of their ‘superness,’ something else that sets them apart from the average person.
But are these physical exaggerations really necessary? Would you have as much respect for Superman’s ability to triumph over evil if he had the body of, say, Homer Simpson?
Bulimia.com decided to put it to the test by producing a series of comic book covers showing famous superheroes ‘reverse photoshoppped’ to reflect the average American body type.
Batman & Poison Ivy
Image credits: Bulimia.com
“When it comes to accurate depictions of the human body, comic book heroes are hardly realistic,” they wrote. “Whether they’re sprouting blades from their hands or surviving decades in a deep freeze, these characters regularly push the limits of what’s considered possible. But they also depart from realistic human anatomy in a more mundane sense: Almost none of them reflect the typical physique of most Americans.”
Black Cat
Image credits: Bulimia.com
“Today, 33.7% of men and 36.5% of women in the U.S. are considered obese, and more than two-thirds are overweight.1 Weight gain has put millions of people at risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other preventable conditions.2 Meanwhile, comic books depict vastly different figures: men with massive biceps and shoulders and women with toned abs and tiny waists.”
Catwoman
Image credits: Bulimia.com
“So what would they look like if they reflected more typical body shapes and sizes? We’ve Photoshopped several major comic book characters – not to touch them up, but to make the average hero look more like the average American.”
Phoenix
Image credits: Bulimia.com
Back in the 50s and 60s, when caped crusaders first burst onto our TV screens, things were quite different. Kirk Alyn, the first actor to play Superman, looked square and barrel-chested in comparison to the V-shaped, rippling abs of today. Same goes for Adam West’s Batman, who didn’t need molded plastic pecs and abs to be a heroic crimefighter. Male superheroes were, in the beginning, solid, dependable types who reflected the masculine ideals of the day.
Wonder Woman
Image credits: Bulimia.com
By comparison, it appears that female superheroes have always been portrayed in a similar way; slim, long-limbed, and with a tiny waistline and bulging breasts. Bulimia.com’s project treats male and female superheroes in the same way: disregarding society’s ideals, which are projected onto these icons, and giving them the ‘average’ treatment. “As you might expect, the differences are stark,” they explained. “When seen through a more realistic lens, the stick-thin thighs and visible ribcages vanish from the women, while the men’s exaggerated V-shaped upper bodies are cut down to a more reasonable size.”
Storm
Image credits: Bulimia.com
Rogue
Image credits: Bulimia.com
“The extreme body shapes of the originals come from the fictional universes in which these characters reside, and as widespread as these images may be in our culture, this certainly isn’t something that any real person could hope to achieve safely.”
Psylocke
Image credits: Bulimia.com
Power Girl
Image credits: Bulimia.com
“If these characters had a figure more like that of the average person, perhaps more people could look up to their favorite superhero without feeling the need to emulate an impossible physique. Ultimately, what’s truly heroic is respecting yourself, your body, and your health.”
Iron Man
Image credits: Bulimia.com
Captain America
Image credits: Bulimia.com
What do you think? Do you look at superheroes with envy? Do their impossible physiques create insecurity and body dysmorphia? Or are they simply an accurate portrayal of heroes who are supposed to be ‘super,’ physically as well as morally? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Black Widow
Image credits: Bulimia.com
Here’s what people had to say about the project
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This concept is really dumb. Based on the assumption they were an actual thing, superheroes wouldn't have an 'average' body on account of all the strenuous physical activity they do. You'd have to be insanely fit to be a superhero; an 'average' sized person wouldn't stay average for very long at all, they'd be ripped in no time.
Chances are, they'd more likely look like professional athletes. But then, it depends on their powers.
Spider-Man doesn’t have a superhuman body. He’s a skinny twerp and nobody questions it - his powers come from being bitten. These are stories about people who fell in radioactive juice and came out with special abilities. It doesn’t need to be realistic. How is wonder woman’s boob size helping her fight crime?
Upper body strength needed to hurl her shield and lasso to pull criminals several feet away... ;)
Carol Emery - I appreciate the comic book explanation but I've been collecting comics for over thirty years.
When you think of it, it was a bunch of nerds how they imagined being super fit.
I think mainly they should just make the waists bigger - exercising wouldn't make your waist THAT thin. However, I agree completely - they're working out and running around all day, of course they wouldn't have an 'average' body!
Can anybody tell me who Ryk Neethling is?
Google can!
Well stated. Also, look at the actors who portray them (MCU and DCU) - they take the training and diets up a huge notch for their roles. (with the exception of the "original" Batman) most are ripped, toned, and all around superhero-looking!
Yeah this article is dumb to compare superheroes with overweight people. If you are an overweight person and want to be built like Superman or Wonder Woman, don't fantasize about it, do something about it. Go to the gym, eat healthy, don't smoke or drink. Look up to real people like athletes who do take care of themselves. Obese people should not look at comic books and be like, "Gee, I wish my body looked like that so I can stop criminals and super-villains." THIS. IS. ALL. A. FANTASY. Quit trying to ruin fun for people who read this stuff.
Fit and ripped are two separate things. You can be flabby and fit at the same time. Just look at the Olympic athletes. They are the best of the best and none of them look like superheroes. Except Ryk Neethling - he's the exception.
Which Olympic sport did you have in mind? I've never seen an athlete with a beer belly...aren't people supposed to be fit to be in the level to compete in the Olympics?
Darren Sproles was one of the smallest NFL players out there (5'6", 190lbs, Chargers Running Back,) yet he had one of the most successful careers in the NFL. He doesn't look like a superhero..but he sure moves like one. But real life athletes are not superheroes. Superheroes were never created to be politically correct or to fit into the idea of normal. That was the whole point. Heroes in the face of adversity, refusing to conform to the norm and saving the world while struggling to find a normal life in it. That's why people are engrossed with these stories. Superheroes were strong and beautiful, but still had their emotional problems fitting in making it easier for the average person to relate to the characters.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
A bit pedantic but you know what I'm getting at. I'm afraid I don't know who Ryk Neethling is, apart from the assumption he's an Olympic athlete?
i Don't think people who are that much active physically would have that much body fat. i Don't see Professional athlete with body fat
Yeah. These people are not someone that regularly holds a desk job. They're in the business of always being active. Even if they weren't working out they'd be in better shape than this.
What a out American football and baseball players? Especially the baseball players.
The concept is good, but the execution needs more diversity. Not all women have small boobs and jelly bellies.
Absolutely right. I have big boobs and a jelly belly.
Eheheh high five! Me too. ♥
How you doing
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Diversity? More Woke words please, your virtuousness isn't yet visible to the masses.
This concept is really dumb. Based on the assumption they were an actual thing, superheroes wouldn't have an 'average' body on account of all the strenuous physical activity they do. You'd have to be insanely fit to be a superhero; an 'average' sized person wouldn't stay average for very long at all, they'd be ripped in no time.
Chances are, they'd more likely look like professional athletes. But then, it depends on their powers.
Spider-Man doesn’t have a superhuman body. He’s a skinny twerp and nobody questions it - his powers come from being bitten. These are stories about people who fell in radioactive juice and came out with special abilities. It doesn’t need to be realistic. How is wonder woman’s boob size helping her fight crime?
Upper body strength needed to hurl her shield and lasso to pull criminals several feet away... ;)
Carol Emery - I appreciate the comic book explanation but I've been collecting comics for over thirty years.
When you think of it, it was a bunch of nerds how they imagined being super fit.
I think mainly they should just make the waists bigger - exercising wouldn't make your waist THAT thin. However, I agree completely - they're working out and running around all day, of course they wouldn't have an 'average' body!
Can anybody tell me who Ryk Neethling is?
Google can!
Well stated. Also, look at the actors who portray them (MCU and DCU) - they take the training and diets up a huge notch for their roles. (with the exception of the "original" Batman) most are ripped, toned, and all around superhero-looking!
Yeah this article is dumb to compare superheroes with overweight people. If you are an overweight person and want to be built like Superman or Wonder Woman, don't fantasize about it, do something about it. Go to the gym, eat healthy, don't smoke or drink. Look up to real people like athletes who do take care of themselves. Obese people should not look at comic books and be like, "Gee, I wish my body looked like that so I can stop criminals and super-villains." THIS. IS. ALL. A. FANTASY. Quit trying to ruin fun for people who read this stuff.
Fit and ripped are two separate things. You can be flabby and fit at the same time. Just look at the Olympic athletes. They are the best of the best and none of them look like superheroes. Except Ryk Neethling - he's the exception.
Which Olympic sport did you have in mind? I've never seen an athlete with a beer belly...aren't people supposed to be fit to be in the level to compete in the Olympics?
Darren Sproles was one of the smallest NFL players out there (5'6", 190lbs, Chargers Running Back,) yet he had one of the most successful careers in the NFL. He doesn't look like a superhero..but he sure moves like one. But real life athletes are not superheroes. Superheroes were never created to be politically correct or to fit into the idea of normal. That was the whole point. Heroes in the face of adversity, refusing to conform to the norm and saving the world while struggling to find a normal life in it. That's why people are engrossed with these stories. Superheroes were strong and beautiful, but still had their emotional problems fitting in making it easier for the average person to relate to the characters.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
A bit pedantic but you know what I'm getting at. I'm afraid I don't know who Ryk Neethling is, apart from the assumption he's an Olympic athlete?
i Don't think people who are that much active physically would have that much body fat. i Don't see Professional athlete with body fat
Yeah. These people are not someone that regularly holds a desk job. They're in the business of always being active. Even if they weren't working out they'd be in better shape than this.
What a out American football and baseball players? Especially the baseball players.
The concept is good, but the execution needs more diversity. Not all women have small boobs and jelly bellies.
Absolutely right. I have big boobs and a jelly belly.
Eheheh high five! Me too. ♥
How you doing
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Diversity? More Woke words please, your virtuousness isn't yet visible to the masses.