Most of us, especially children and youth, are fond of fictional superheroes like Superman and Batman.
We often watch them, collect toys and souvenirs, and even imitate their signature moves. Do you remember putting on an improvised cape to pretend like flying? Have you attempted to jump from a rooftop? Dangerous, right? Those were the days!
Let’s admit it! Superheroes are fascinating to follow. It is not only because of their powers but because of the inspiration they give us. We can relate to them because they experience the same struggles we do.
The most exciting part, perhaps, is whenever they overcome a tragedy.
Before going any further, let us define a “superhero.” A superhero is an imaginary character possessing superhuman power.
But do you know that the Bible also has heroes? It defines a hero as someone who lived his life in faith and helped his neighbors.
The Most Famous Fictional Superheroes of All Time
Superman the Greatest
Superman is the superhero we consider the strongest. His name implies it.
We identify him with the red, blue, and yellow costumes. His height is 6 feet and 3 inches, while his weight is 225 pounds. His hair is black with a natural curl, and his eyes are blue. He has a rugged body-build and a square jaw, giving him a noble physique.
He has a gentle, kind, and selfless personality. He knows what is right and wrong. Thus, he can act decisively during a crisis. In addition, he can maintain friendships and acquaintances.
Finally, he has superhuman powers that make him invulnerable. He can fly and leap in the air. Having X-ray vision, he sees through walls and other obstructions. It allows him to shoot red beams out of his eye.
Batman the Protector of Gotham
Batman is the superhero in a black and brown costume with the wings of a bat. He claims to be the protector of Gotham City.
His love for his city is probably one of his best qualities. He is intelligent, suspicious, devoted, and determined. He is ready for any challenge. Another good trait is his ability to control emotions and tolerate pain.
He does not have superhuman abilities, but he can do incredible things. He can pick a lock, hack and record mobile frequencies, understand multiple languages, and much more.
Spider-man the Superhuman
Spider-man is the character who does whatever a spider can. He shares almost the same uniform colors as Superman’s uniform.
He is caring, kind, loyal, brave, and intelligent. He uses more of his left brain in assessing situations. However, he has a personality disorder–neuroticism. He is anxious, fearful, jealous, envious, lonely, and frustrated.
Despite those weaknesses, he is notable for his superpowers. Like a spider, he can cling to walls. He has a sixth sense which keeps him alert for possible danger. He can also maintain perfect balance and equilibrium.
The Most Famous Bible “Hero” Characters of All Time
Joseph the Dreamer
Joseph was the second youngest son of Jacob and Rachel.
Since he was his father’s favorite, his brothers envied him. They became angry whenever he shared dreams, telling them that he would someday be their king.
As such, they would always trick him until they finally decided to sell him to Egypt. To protect themselves, they made their father believe Joseph died.
Extremely cruel, were they not?
In Egypt, Joseph became a slave. He suffered for something he never deserved. Nevertheless, God blessed his curse.
He earned the favor of the king by interpreting his dream about the coming famine. Eventually, Pharaoh appointed him governor.
When famine came, his brothers went to Egypt to buy food. They did not recognize him until he revealed himself (Genesis 45:4-5). Soon, he met his father and youngest brother. It was a dramatic revelation and reunion.
Indeed, Joseph’s curse turned out to be a blessing. It not only benefited other people but saved his family who his brothers had once disowned him.
What a hero!
Noah the Ark Builder
Noah, son of Lamech, was a righteous man in his generation. God entrusted him a special mission to save and restore the earth from all wickedness. He was to build an ark.
For 120 years, he preached about the coming global flood. He encouraged people to get into the ark, but they laughed at him–thinking he was crazy.
When the flood came, the people realized they were wrong. They wanted to get into the ark, but it was too late. Thus, they died along with other living creatures. Only Noah’s family obeyed and saved themselves.
Though he was not able to save his generation, Noah was a hero to his family. He became God’s instrument to eradicate all sinful beings and start anew.
Jesus our Savior
And, of course, there has been no better hero than Jesus Himself! Can you believe the Creator and God of the universe sacrificed Himself on our behalf?
He fulfilled this plan by living as a human on earth. God guided His earthly parents in preparing Him for the divine mission. By overcoming sin his entire life, He saved the world by dying on the cross of Calvary.
Indeed, Jesus is the ultimate hero in the Bible. His life, death, and resurrection justified us, giving us the chance to obtain salvation if we accept Him.
Reasons Why Bible Heroes Are Better Than Fictional Superheroes
Bible Heroes are Real
Bible heroes truly existed on earth. Superheroes are just fictional—meaning they are made up.
No matter how much we admire and follow them, superheroes can’t do anything outside our television screens.
On the other hand, Bible characters were real humans who did exist just like us. Genesis 2:7 confirms that God created man from the earth and gave life to it. Verse 27 of chapter 1 adds that He made them in His image.
Bible Heroes Did Not Need Superpowers to Carry on a Mission
Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, and the rest had superpowers. Without such, they could not protect themselves and other people.
Meanwhile, Bible heroes did not have supernatural powers. Faith and prayer were their weapons. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for…” (Hebrews 11:1).
With God as their source of power, they have performed acts that changed the world beyond human understanding.
The Deeds of Bible Characters Never Exemplified Violence
Fictional superheroes have good motives. Saving people from danger is their mission. However, it involves killing and other forms of violence.
In contrast, Bible characters never had to be cruel to bring about change. They just relied on God’s power and let Him move. They did not have to commit any sin that would ruin their moral character.
1 John 3:9 says that a child of God does not practice sinning because God’s seed abides in him.
Take-home Lesson
There is nothing wrong with admiring fictional characters. But to be fanatic about them is somewhat alarming.
It may sound harsh, but the truth is that there is no sense to idolize fictional characters. Superheroes are just a product of human imagination. They do not give us any value more than entertainment.
And so, Bible heroes are the ones worth following. We learn the best moral lessons from them. We can relate well because they were real beings like us. Above all, they lead us to the ultimate hero of all – Jesus Christ. Amen!
Heroes 2: The Game is a Bible trivia game released by the Hope Channel. It is a sequel to the game Heroes which was released in 2013.
The latest game version features:
- New 3D animation
- More challenging Bible Questions
- Comes in four languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French
- Heroes 2 is available on iOS and Android
- Downloadable at the Apple Store and Google Play
CLICK HERE – Heroes II Bible Trivia Game
