Superheroes have been around for almost 100 years, taking inspiration from society while also affecting it for future generations.

Superheroes and comic books in general have affected and shaped the culture we see today, characters such as Superman and Captain America, who are moral guides for right and wrong, while other characters like Spider-Man and Batman have shaped pop culture as we see it today.

There have even been real life superheroes, people like Phoenix Jones, people who take inspiration from DC and Marvel, and try to protect and support their communities.

I personally take a lot of inspiration from superheroes. Most of my idols are those who I read and watch, such as Spider-Man, who has taught me to never give up and to always get back up when I get knocked down.

Comic books have also become more inclusive in recent years, heroes like Miles Morales or Kamala Kahn give way to whole new groups of readers who can see themselves in the characters they read about.

Comic books also take as much as they give, taking inspiration from events around the world.

Captain America was created in the middle of World War II, he was a sort of mascot for the allies, a red-blooded American super soldier who beat up Nazis without a second thought.

Stories like Watchmen may have more fantastical elements, but use real past events to build their stories around.

Watchmen bases itself during the 1960’s-1980’s, where it uses real events such as the rising nuclear tensions between the U.S. and Russia or the Vietnam War, but injects superheroes into it, and shows how superheroes, as well as an unfeeling god, could have affected that time period. 

Superheroes and comics, in general, are a case of give and take: giving new aspects to society, while taking other aspects for their stories.