In the case of the Hurricane Heoes, state and fedgov which could not be troubled to aid their citizens had time to thwart the heroes: from trying to down copter pilots, to tearing down tiny homes.
It makes perfect sense that the deep state / entrenched bureacracies would be more interested in rounding up the "capes" than capturing the villains, or helping the stricken.
It must have been, oh, more than two decades ago that I noted bureacracies always go for the soft target.
The Japanese have a lot more faith in their government and society, which is why the heroes in My Hero Academa are under such strict rules. A true Vigilante is more akin to an outlaw in their culture.
On the other hand, if the superheroes grow corrupt it's harder for the government to rein them in if they maintain their independence.
Mind you, it's one of the classic tropes of the genre that superheroes do not grow corrupt. If that trope gets eliminated, we're back to Plato's problem that no one, really, is fit to be trusted with power.
Vigilantes and superheroes are not mutually exclusive, even if their stories overlap. Typically, vigilantes fight crime without the aid of super powers, and superheroes do it with....
In his novel That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis writes of the descent of the celestial powers to Earth, including Venus: "It was fiery, sharp, bright and ruthless, ready to kill, ready to die, outspeeding light: it was Charity, not as mortals imagine it, not even as it has been humanised for them by the incarnation of the Word, but the translunary virtue . . ."
In the case of the Hurricane Heoes, state and fedgov which could not be troubled to aid their citizens had time to thwart the heroes: from trying to down copter pilots, to tearing down tiny homes.
It makes perfect sense that the deep state / entrenched bureacracies would be more interested in rounding up the "capes" than capturing the villains, or helping the stricken.
It must have been, oh, more than two decades ago that I noted bureacracies always go for the soft target.
The Japanese have a lot more faith in their government and society, which is why the heroes in My Hero Academa are under such strict rules. A true Vigilante is more akin to an outlaw in their culture.
On the other hand, if the superheroes grow corrupt it's harder for the government to rein them in if they maintain their independence.
Mind you, it's one of the classic tropes of the genre that superheroes do not grow corrupt. If that trope gets eliminated, we're back to Plato's problem that no one, really, is fit to be trusted with power.
When the supers grow corrupt it then becomes the problem of other supers to rise up to fight them.
True! Then you get problems with other supers who rise up to fight on the *claim* that the current crop is corrupt. . . .
Paul Kersey, call the office...
You spoke of the old west but forgot about the original vigilante: the Trusty Lone Ranger and his horse, Silver.
And there's Zorro.
A good "vigilante" has to be watchful for needs, be willing to help out when the need is there, and to be responsible in how they take action.
Exactly true!
Vigilantes and superheroes are not mutually exclusive, even if their stories overlap. Typically, vigilantes fight crime without the aid of super powers, and superheroes do it with....
It's interesting how many "superheroes" were just humans without super-powers. Sometimes they had "special gadgets" but many times they didn't.
The helicopter pilot is named Adam Smith...light touch of wonderful irony there.
In his novel That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis writes of the descent of the celestial powers to Earth, including Venus: "It was fiery, sharp, bright and ruthless, ready to kill, ready to die, outspeeding light: it was Charity, not as mortals imagine it, not even as it has been humanised for them by the incarnation of the Word, but the translunary virtue . . ."
We literally just finished watching Boondock Saints.