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GMP sends its wordsmiths regular writing prompts, lest our imaginations need a little boost. When I saw this one, mine went soaring!
“If you could create the perfect male superhero, what would he be like?”
I jumped for joy, leaped and then landed with both feet on the ground, doing my best Wonder Woman stance. Some backstory here. For many years, I viewed myself as that force of nature Amazon who could take on any challenge, encourage truth-telling and overcome any foe. I practiced what I called ‘savior behavior’. Unfortunately, it cost me my health as a series of medical crises (shingles, heart attack, kidney stones and adrenal fatigue diagnoses in 2013-2014) kicked my butt and other assorted body parts. Once the heart attack occurred, I decided to at least temporarily peel off the cape and instead began to refer to myself as the Bionic Woman since I think of the stent used to prop open a fully occluded artery as a bionic body part. Since then, I have slowed down considerably and transformed my vulnerabilities into strengths. In considering the creation of superheroes, I hadn’t known of many who didn’t have some kind of challenge, call to action, or supernatural encounter placed them among those lofty circles.
My own she/ro’s journey, based on the concept Joseph Campbell espoused known as the Hero’s Journey, took me into the cavernous depths, facing monumental monsters and reviving myself into a new life with Divine Guidance and sustaining spiritual assistance.
In light of those dynamic changes, it feels appropriate to partner with a man who possesses sterling qualities. I imagine that this psycho-spiritual superhero will, in some ways be like the William Katt character of Ralph Hinckley in The Greatest American Hero that aired in my young adulthood from 1981 to 1983. He came upon his powers by donning a suit provided to him by beings from another planet and took on the mantle of responsibility with a sense of humility and humor since he had lost the instructions for how to use the red and white outfit, so he had to make it up as he went along. Intuition and instinct helped him through his misadventures and crash landings.
As I tap into my own intuition to build this character, I am not hearing a name for him. He is strong, physically, emotionally and mentally, but not in a Marlboro Man manner; knowing that the balance is compassion and gentleness. His laughter lightens the hearts of all he encounters. His x-ray vision helps him see through the eyes of the heart and blast through any physical structure with laser precision. His penetrating gaze melts away lies. He has the gifts of flight and insight; more than leaping over tall buildings in a single bound; there are no limits to how high he can fly. He possesses the ability to heal and revitalize with touch, like the character of Amphibian Man in the Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water and Jeff Bridge’s Starman, who could also speak multiple languages. He uses his superhuman strength to buoy up and not bully down, only to protect and not attack.
He can make himself invisible so that he can witness events without interference and then act as a human lie detector since he can play back what actually occurred, like a video camera. He has a unique ability to bring people together across divides since he can also see into the hearts and minds of others and know what they wish for. If they are positive, life-enhancing desires, he can help them achieve them. If they are only self- serving, entitled and harmful to others, he shows them (like Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Future) the end result and encourages a different path, even though he knows everyone has free will. He embodies courage; a translation from French, meaning to come from the heart. He defends the underdog. He has fears but doesn’t let them be his Kryptonite.
He has the speed of a cheetah, the agility of an ape who can swing vine to vine, the loyalty of a canine, the amphibian ability to breathe under water and on land, and the power of a grizzly bear. He is a shapeshifter who can transform into any of those creatures at will. He has lived many lifetimes and can recall them all.
Humble
Energy-Infused
Resilient
Outside-the-Box Thinker
Together with this man possessing superpowers, we are a greater force for good in the world.
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Photo credit: Getty Images