Why is that Superheros or Even Villians.....

[Antonio B.]

Don't help humanity in other forms than just saving them from badguys or some cosmic threat?

I mean why don't they cure cancer?
Why don't they fix the hole in the ozone?
Why don't they cure all diseases?
Why don't they share technology (not weapons of war)?

There are several other questions that could be asked and I know they do this stuff at time but it is usually for select people.

Like I know that Mr. Majestic fixed the hole in the ozone while he was on DC Earth. This one really helps everyone.

[Shellhead]

Lazy writing. For superheroes to change the world in meaningful ways would require writers to exercise imagination and intelligence to determine the secondary effects of these changes. Then we would need a better class of editors to enforce these changes across the related titles, because if this change isn't consistent or lasting, it's meaningless. Finally, if big improvements took place and editorial mandate enforced them, writing comics would become harder for writers, because the comic book world would be even more different from our own, and with some major problems resolved, there would be fewer plot hooks to work with, unless there new problems.

[Alan2099]

It seperates the comic world from the real world too much. It's easier to relate to a world where superhuman just show up and fight other superhumans than it is to ahve Superman stopping real life natural disaster and Namor ending WWII by himself.

Plus it trvializes real tragedies. Try telling somebody that 9/11 could have been stopped if Superman was there and see how they take it.

Although if you want to read it, Fantastic Four: Big Town, and the original Squadron Supreme mini both deal with superhumans in a real world setting. Rising Stars is another good one I'm told.

[Darth Joker]

Sword Master - I chalk it up largely to heroes simply being too busy with villians. Reed Richards can only spend so much time trying to solve problems for humanity, when he needs to prepare for his next inevitable conflict with Dr. Doom or Galactus. Batman's time is totally taken up between playing the role of Bruce Wayne, and fighting an almost one-man war on crime in crime-infested Gotham City. What makes the villians truly villianous is that their very existence is making their world worse for everybody. If Spider-Man didn't have to spend time fighting Electro... if Reed Richards didn't have to spend time fighting Dr. Doom... etc... etc... the MU would be much better for it.

Nonetheless, your post gives me a good idea for a story...

Imagine the early parts of a fight between the X-Men and Magneto...

"Eric" states Prof. X, "Why are we wasting valuable energy, resources, and time, fighting one another? In the process, we're causing massive amounts of property damage that hurts the image of mutants in the eyes of humans. Why don't we join forces to do some good for the world? With our powers combined, there is no concievable end to the good we could do for the world! Through our actions, we could truly achieve harmony between humans, and mutants. I know that you don't like my philosophy on human/mutant relations, Eric, but it's worth a try..."

[lonewolf23k]

Don't help humanity in other forms than just saving them from badguys or some cosmic threat?

I mean why don't they cure cancer?
Why don't they fix the hole in the ozone?
Why don't they cure all diseases?
Why don't they share technology (not weapons of war)?

There are several other questions that could be asked and I know they do this stuff at time but it is usually for select people.

Like I know that Mr. Majestic fixed the hole in the ozone while he was on DC Earth. This one really helps everyone.

Well, back during the Golden and Silver Ages, back before comics had to be "Realistic", guys like Superman were always doing good deeds for normal humanity like large-scale public works, fundraising, using super-intelligence to solve world-wide problems, and so on...

Then someone decided that superheroes should be grounded in realism, and they just limited to beating up on super-threats...

[Radical]

It seperates the comic world from the real world too much. It's easier to relate to a world where superhuman just show up and fight other superhumans than it is to ahve Superman stopping real life natural disaster and Namor ending WWII by himself.

Doesn't Watchmen deal with this to some extent? Dr. Manhattan causing us to win Vietnam and stuff?

[Darth Joker]

Really, Marvel/DC US should easily win any war like Vietnam. Superman/Thor alone could solo the opposition, and would be more than willing to do so (Thor due to being commanded to do so by Captian America).

I think that comics fail to take this into account. I remember thinking how cheesy Marvel's 9/11 tribute issue was. While I respected the good intentions behind the move, the simple fact of the matter is that 9/11 would be no big deal whatsoever in an universe where the planet as a whole is routinely threatened by beings like Galactus, and Thanos. Dr. Doom actually shedding a tear in that issue almost made me cry... ;)

[Pariah128]

Maybe they dont feel its right to cure cancer? Stopping aliens is one thing, but cancer is another, people die, they shouldnt be playing god anymore than they already do

[Phrozen]

I mean why don't they cure cancer?


Cancer is a fundamental breakdown in the copying of DNA. It will happen eventually.

Why don't they fix the hole in the ozone?

That seems like a natural process where the hole expands and contracts naturally. "Fixing" it may have some nasty consequences.

Why don't they cure all diseases?

Because new diseases pop up all the time. Not to mention that each group of disease would need different methods to cure.

Why don't they share technology (not weapons of war)?

Technology can be made into weapons easily. You would be surprised how the most mundane tech can be a huge advantage in a war.

[Pariah128]

Technology can be made into weapons easily. You would be surprised how the most mundane tech can be a huge advantage in a war.

The technology from the fortress alone could devastate countless worlds

[Phrozen]

The technology from the fortress alone could devastate countless worlds

No, just simple things like better logistics, transportation, or communication can be huge advantages in warfare and those technologies are decidely non-weapons.

[sharkerbob]

I go with the whole, "grounded in realism" theory.

I mean, lets face it, there is no way in hell, what with all the superheroes living in Mahattan, with all the other disasters they fight, that the 9/11 bombings would have even come close to succeeding in the Marvel Universe, much the DC Universe.

As for curing disease and eliminating crime and war, the god-compex of superheroes has been explored before. Look at the Squadron Supreme maxi-series, where said Squadroners literally took over the world in order to save it. They ended up doing a lot of morally questionable things in order to save the planet, and eventually disbanded when it backlashed on them.

[Mr. X]

Lots and lots of good stuff in this thread. Kudos, guys.

I'll just cite the Solar, Man of the Atom incident. He took an extremely active role in helping the world... And basically helped along the destruction of the entire planet when the goverment got very involved in his life.

Look at all the red tape the Avengers and others have had to deal with from Gyrich. The X-Men are too busy trying not to be lynched, saving their own, just making progress for themselves.

Anyhow, I personally love What Ifs like the one where The Vision took over. We see Thor and Storm in Africa making it rain, among other things. Fixed the entire world, basically. Gruenwald Greatness. :(

[Radical]

It seperates the comic world from the real world too much. It's easier to relate to a world where superhuman just show up and fight other superhumans than it is to ahve Superman stopping real life natural disaster and Namor ending WWII by himself.

Plus it trvializes real tragedies. Try telling somebody that 9/11 could have been stopped if Superman was there and see how they take it.

Although if you want to read it, Fantastic Four: Big Town, and the original Squadron Supreme mini both deal with superhumans in a real world setting. Rising Stars is another good one I'm told.

That reminds me that Vampire: the Requiem has New Orleans for a campaign setting, and some of the players at http://forums.white-wolf.com are arguing over whether or not they should have it for a setting anymore due to Hurricane Katrina.

[snootch]

I think "superheroes" are arrogant because they are willing to fight crime (even though there are police for that kind of thing) and super villians, but they can't be bothered to help other people generally. How often do you see them help out a disabled or old person paint their house or something else which is difficult or helpful for other people. It's like they are action junkies and the everyday help that they could give to a person is below them and their abilities. But this is true of all humans in some ways. There is so much we could do for others, but don't.

Of course nobody wants to buy a Flash comic just to see him helping some lonely old lady with her once-a-week shopping, but he could do that pretty easy. But then, who couldn't? You don't need to fight crime and have superpowers be someones hero.

[Kirayoshi]

I fondly remember a '70s era Superman issue called "Must There Be a Superman?". The story: Superman is recruited by the Guardians of Oa to stop a comet from destroying a neighboring solar system. Badly hurt by the comet(red-sun system or something like that), Supes is escorted to Oa, where the Guardians use their powers to heal him. One Guardian engages Supes in a philosophic debate, over whether or not Superman's presense on Earth is harmful to natural human evolution and development.

The second half of this story involved Supes back on Earth grappling with the philosophical dilemma as he ends up saving a South American village from a natural disaster. He then lectured the villagers on how they should not allow themselves to depend too much on Superman or other superheroes, that they(and all humanity) have to seek their own way. Back on Oa, the Guardians congratulate themselves; by planting the idea in Superman's head that he can't solve all of humanity's ills, they feel that they have made him a better hero. I thought that this story pretty much summed up the idea of superheroes being there to assist humanity, to lead by example and not to force their views on the world.

I also enjoyed Superman: Peace On Earth by Paul Dini and Alex Ross, which showed Superman desperately trying to feed the world for one day, only to fail due to the enormity of the task, or in some cases the acts of dictators and others to stop him. Sobering stuff.

[LtK-Dragon]

In Starman #72, Ted Knight says that he researched ways to use the cosmic energy to benfit mankind.

[Flawless P]

Well Heroes and Villians alike helped out after the 9/11 disater.

[Mr. X]

I fondly remember a '70s era Superman issue called "Must There Be a Superman?". The story: Superman is recruited by the Guardians of Oa to stop a comet from destroying a neighboring solar system. Badly hurt by the comet(red-sun system or something like that), Supes is escorted to Oa, where the Guardians use their powers to heal him. One Guardian engages Supes in a philosophic debate, over whether or not Superman's presense on Earth is harmful to natural human evolution and development.

The second half of this story involved Supes back on Earth grappling with the philosophical dilemma as he ends up saving a South American village from a natural disaster. He then lectured the villagers on how they should not allow themselves to depend too much on Superman or other superheroes, that they(and all humanity) have to seek their own way. Back on Oa, the Guardians congratulate themselves; by planting the idea in Superman's head that he can't solve all of humanity's ills, they feel that they have made him a better hero. I thought that this story pretty much summed up the idea of superheroes being there to assist humanity, to lead by example and not to force their views on the world.

I also enjoyed Superman: Peace On Earth by Paul Dini and Alex Ross, which showed Superman desperately trying to feed the world for one day, only to fail due to the enormity of the task, or in some cases the acts of dictators and others to stop him. Sobering stuff.

Very, very good post.

But, really... All the Guardians have ever done is fuck things up, terribly. :(

[Darth Joker]

I think "superheroes" are arrogant because they are willing to fight crime (even though there are police for that kind of thing) and super villians, but they can't be bothered to help other people generally. How often do you see them help out a disabled or old person paint their house or something else which is difficult or helpful for other people. It's like they are action junkies and the everyday help that they could give to a person is below them and their abilities. But this is true of all humans in some ways. There is so much we could do for others, but don't.

Of course nobody wants to buy a Flash comic just to see him helping some lonely old lady with her once-a-week shopping, but he could do that pretty easy. But then, who couldn't? You don't need to fight crime and have superpowers be someones hero.

The fictional police aren't too competent in many cases. At the very least, they have a horrible record when it comes to holding criminals captive (physically, Joker is just a normal human being... yet Arkham Asylum can't hold him for more than a few months. That's a horrible job that would see people get fired in the real world).

Also, various incarnations of Batman, and Spider-Man, are almost like 'Special Ops' extensions of the police. Captian America officially works for the government - he's almost like a SWAT Team member himself.

[Magneto_X]

The Authority have helped. The Engineer cured some cancer during Millar's run, IIRC.

[jadehorde]

Don't help humanity in other forms than just saving them from badguys or some cosmic threat?

I mean why don't they cure cancer?
Why don't they fix the hole in the ozone?
Why don't they cure all diseases?
Why don't they share technology (not weapons of war)?

There are several other questions that could be asked and I know they do this stuff at time but it is usually for select people.

Like I know that Mr. Majestic fixed the hole in the ozone while he was on DC Earth. This one really helps everyone.

Well for one...some of the techs might be too advanced for general society. It's well enough that you could cure all disease, and nominally that would be great, but society has to be ready for it or you get all kinds of other problems. Look at the rampant overpopulation in third world countries. You have the third world mentality of having 13 children to be farm hands, cause half of them will likely die before 5. Then combine that with access to antibiotics and other medical treatments that greatly reduce the infant mortality. Suddenly you're getting the mean age of the population dropping to 18 and ballooning populations that take draconian measures like in China to fix on any time scale less than in centuries. In western society that isn't a problem, cause after a hundred years or so of becoming industrialized and adding child labor laws, we've learned a simple truth. Children are a nearly $1,000,000 burden. So we don't have many, and in fact, many Western nations have negative population growth outside of immigration.

That episode of SG-1 where the humans were sterilized and indirectly, that Asimov story with the Multivac illustrate the point. Unless we severely curb birthrates (or in some way expand all over the cosmos commensurate with expanding populations)...you're gonna get massive overcrowding.

And this is something as simple as curing disease, let alone something like immortality (which is what the Multivac story described).


Not to say they shouldn't, just saying dropping random tech willy-nilly because it will help people NOW, isn't always best. I mean some are right bastards for not sharing at least some of the basic stuff they have lying around. The fat burning ice-cream Reed made for one.

I think the Onion spoke it best.

"New technological innovation solves problems of previous technological innovation"...or something to that effect.

[jadehorde]

Sword Master - I chalk it up largely to heroes simply being too busy with villians. Reed Richards can only spend so much time trying to solve problems for humanity, when he needs to prepare for his next inevitable conflict with Dr. Doom or Galactus. Batman's time is totally taken up between playing the role of Bruce Wayne, and fighting an almost one-man war on crime in crime-infested Gotham City. What makes the villians truly villianous is that their very existence is making their world worse for everybody. If Spider-Man didn't have to spend time fighting Electro... if Reed Richards didn't have to spend time fighting Dr. Doom... etc... etc... the MU would be much better for it.

Nonetheless, your post gives me a good idea for a story...

Imagine the early parts of a fight between the X-Men and Magneto...

"Eric" states Prof. X, "Why are we wasting valuable energy, resources, and time, fighting one another? In the process, we're causing massive amounts of property damage that hurts the image of mutants in the eyes of humans. Why don't we join forces to do some good for the world? With our powers combined, there is no concievable end to the good we could do for the world! Through our actions, we could truly achieve harmony between humans, and mutants. I know that you don't like my philosophy on human/mutant relations, Eric, but it's worth a try..."


I think Erik would take Charles as either a naive fool at best, or a collaborator at worst. Remember, Erik very much believes he is in a war to prevent genocide. He's seen it once before. The little steps, the little surrenders, the keeping quiet, don't raise trouble, hoping that the rising hate will be overcome by logic. The better part of humanity came too late to save Erik's people and family. He's not going to allow it to happen again...at least not quietly.

[jadehorde]

Don't help humanity in other forms than just saving them from badguys or some cosmic threat?

I mean why don't they cure cancer?
Why don't they fix the hole in the ozone?
Why don't they cure all diseases?
Why don't they share technology (not weapons of war)?

There are several other questions that could be asked and I know they do this stuff at time but it is usually for select people.

Like I know that Mr. Majestic fixed the hole in the ozone while he was on DC Earth. This one really helps everyone.

The High tried that...on a world that SERIOUSLY needed it...unfortunately that world was Wildstorm Earth.

[ocelotrevs]

Cable did go about trying too save the world on a one on one level in Cable and Deadpool but was shut down.
He was going around solving conflicts (middle east), easing pain of people dying, and even setting up a little haven for people
Before that he was teaching the Askani teaching too children (laying the foundations for peace in the future)
But he got shut down by people who got scared he was too powerful, and Reed Richards went and called in the Silver Surfer

But it doesn't make sense, especially when you consider the tech that Xavier has, and with him trying too intergrate, I would've thought he would be sharing all sorts

[jadehorde]

Really, Marvel/DC US should easily win any war like Vietnam. Superman/Thor alone could solo the opposition, and would be more than willing to do so (Thor due to being commanded to do so by Captian America).

I think that comics fail to take this into account. I remember thinking how cheesy Marvel's 9/11 tribute issue was. While I respected the good intentions behind the move, the simple fact of the matter is that 9/11 would be no big deal whatsoever in an universe where the planet as a whole is routinely threatened by beings like Galactus, and Thanos. Dr. Doom actually shedding a tear in that issue almost made me cry... ;)

Well, going by current comics, they weren't around back then. Stark has been retconned to have been injured in the Gulf.

And I don't know that Thor would pick one nation over another in a conflict like that...Captain America or not.

[jadehorde]

I think "superheroes" are arrogant because they are willing to fight crime (even though there are police for that kind of thing) and super villians, but they can't be bothered to help other people generally. How often do you see them help out a disabled or old person paint their house or something else which is difficult or helpful for other people. It's like they are action junkies and the everyday help that they could give to a person is below them and their abilities. But this is true of all humans in some ways. There is so much we could do for others, but don't.

Of course nobody wants to buy a Flash comic just to see him helping some lonely old lady with her once-a-week shopping, but he could do that pretty easy. But then, who couldn't? You don't need to fight crime and have superpowers be someones hero.

What are you talking about? I have a dozen comics at hand that has superheroes doing things other than punching badguys out. Emergency relief work from natural disasters, and famine. Saving people from poor construction leading to highrise fires and crane mishaps.

[jadehorde]

Very, very good post.

But, really... All the Guardians have ever done is fuck things up, terribly. :(

I think some of the problem is that they don't follow their own advice. After countless millenia of trying to maintain order...they have yet to inspire in civilizations as a whole an outlook of helping out their fellows. The Manhunters were too militant..the GL's are only just now coming back. They needed to inspire the countless trillions in the universe...not deputy 3600 aliens (even of high moral fiber) to police their sectors.

[Darth Joker]

I think Erik would take Charles as either a naive fool at best, or a collaborator at worst. Remember, Erik very much believes he is in a war to prevent genocide. He's seen it once before. The little steps, the little surrenders, the keeping quiet, don't raise trouble, hoping that the rising hate will be overcome by logic. The better part of humanity came too late to save Erik's people and family. He's not going to allow it to happen again...at least not quietly.

You're probably right, actually... which goes back to my initial point, the heroes simply got their hands full with villians.

[Mr. X]

I think some of the problem is that they don't follow their own advice. After countless millenia of trying to maintain order...they have yet to inspire in civilizations as a whole an outlook of helping out their fellows. The Manhunters were too militant..the GL's are only just now coming back. They needed to inspire the countless trillions in the universe...not deputy 3600 aliens (even of high moral fiber) to police their sectors.

Well, Pre-Crisis they had a pretty valid reason... They live so long and they basically became... different. One Guardian was all aloof, travelling around with Superman trying to solve this problem. He kept talking about how he had been working on a poem of universal ebb and flow for a long time, and it would take hundreds upon hundreds of years to complete.

Immoratality would change most beings. I'd imagine they did a very, very good job for a long, long time.

[thik_3rd]

well the squadron supreme tried it, and look where that got them.

[raoulduke]

This is a topic to be found within the pages of the Planetary. Just check out this conversation between Elijah Snow and William Leather.

http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=elijah16du.jpg

http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=elijah28ho.jpg

[Mr. X]

This is a topic to be found within the pages of the Planetary. Just check out this conversation between Elijah Snow and William Leather.

http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=elijah16du.jpg

http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=elijah28ho.jpg

Good stuff man, thanks.

[CHEYENNE-BLACKBIRD]

i think shellhead is generally right.it really boils down to lazy writing.

[Gumbo Maximillian]

Why don't various heroes try to make the world a better place besides kicking in somebodies face?

Well; Bruce Wayne has a free hospital in Gotham and supplies hundreds or thousands of jobs across the world via his business.

Bruce Banner actually did work for the goverment inventing stuff before he went on the run from being the hulk.

Tony Stark sells/sold weapons, made inventions for shield and did whatnot.

Reed Richards might be too absent minded to bother with engaging business's about selling his product.

Wonder Woman is supposed to be some kind of ambassador of peace when she isn't super heroing.

I suppose Aquaman is busy with running his own kingdom.

Cosmic types like Thor, Silver Surfer or Green Lantern are all over the place, sometimes an adventure accures on Earth; other times it might happen in Alpha Quadrant 13 or some such thing.


The Evil types are trying to conquer the world so they probably aren't going to share, others like the Trapster are just to dumb to actually think of doing anything other than trying to rob banks with their new found "might and power".


Once you get past the super duper intellects or the nigh on cosmic god ones; the rest aren't really good for anything besides kicking in somebodies face.

[Gumbo Maximillian]

Well, back during the Golden and Silver Ages, back before comics had to be "Realistic", guys like Superman were always doing good deeds for normal humanity like large-scale public works, fundraising, using super-intelligence to solve world-wide problems, and so on...

Then someone decided that superheroes should be grounded in realism, and they just limited to beating up on super-threats...


Probably more like they couldn't do that without some kind of after affect in general continuity, basically they had to show the affects of their actions once things being canon started being addressed more seriously.

Though even golden-age, Superman taking down hitler was just a "what-if" type comic, so its all ways been limited to some extent.

[Ayo]

It seperates the comic world from the real world too much. It's easier to relate to a world where superhuman just show up and fight other superhumans than it is to ahve Superman stopping real life natural disaster and Namor ending WWII by himself.

Plus it trvializes real tragedies. Try telling somebody that 9/11 could have been stopped if Superman was there and see how they take it.



No offense to anybody who posted after this, but I stopped reading at this post. Basically, 100% correct.

[Kirayoshi]

Well, Pre-Crisis they had a pretty valid reason... They live so long and they basically became... different. One Guardian was all aloof, travelling around with Superman trying to solve this problem. He kept talking about how he had been working on a poem of universal ebb and flow for a long time, and it would take hundreds upon hundreds of years to complete.

Immoratality would change most beings. I'd imagine they did a very, very good job for a long, long time.
Superman? You sure you don't mean Green Lantern and Green Arrow? One of the more famous runs of any comic was the Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams "Hard Driving Heroes" run from Green Lantern where Ollie called out Hal's politics, prompting Hal and a Guardian to join him on a cross-country trek, to face off against societal ills.

[Sanagi]

No offense to anybody who posted after this, but I stopped reading at this post. Basically, 100% correct.
I agree. If Superman had started solving real problems in the 30's, there'd be planetwide utopia by 1950, and by today the human race would've metamorphosed into pure light or something. Not very interesting reading.

[Taltos]

Don't help humanity in other forms than just saving them from badguys or some cosmic threat?

I mean why don't they cure cancer?
Why don't they fix the hole in the ozone?
Why don't they cure all diseases?
Why don't they share technology (not weapons of war)?

There are several other questions that could be asked and I know they do this stuff at time but it is usually for select people.

Like I know that Mr. Majestic fixed the hole in the ozone while he was on DC Earth. This one really helps everyone.
I take it you dont read Cable/deadpool and you are unfamiliar with Strak inds.

[Paradox]

It's not LAZY writing, it's MANDATED writing. Basically (as was noted), DC and Marvel don't want their mainstream books to stray too far from the "real world" currently. Having the heroes curing all of society's ills would end up with a world that was unrecognizable as "our own". While that has merit and can work just fine (i.e. Watchmen), it's not what they're going for.

[Typo Lad]

While I respected the good intentions behind the move, the simple fact of the matter is that 9/11 would be no big deal whatsoever in an universe where the planet as a whole is routinely threatened by beings like Galactus, and Thanos. Dr. Doom actually shedding a tear in that issue almost made me cry... ;)

Doom is, after all, the guy who launches the fricking Baxter Building into space. heck, 9-11 was right up his alley!

[Mr. X]

Superman? You sure you don't mean Green Lantern and Green Arrow? One of the more famous runs of any comic was the Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams "Hard Driving Heroes" run from Green Lantern where Ollie called out Hal's politics, prompting Hal and a Guardian to join him on a cross-country trek, to face off against societal ills.

Happened in an issue of DC Comics Presents that I read a few days ago as well...

Doom is, after all, the guy who launches the fricking Baxter Building into space. heck, 9-11 was right up his alley!

With a little super powerful magnet none the less. :D

[jadehorde]

I agree. If Superman had started solving real problems in the 30's, there'd be planetwide utopia by 1950, and by today the human race would've metamorphosed into pure light or something. Not very interesting reading.


Or they become cripplingly dependent on their God-hero. Kinda what happened in the Red Son Elseworlds.

WW and Supes had done such a good job, that people didn't even bother wearing seatbelts anymore.

[Mr. X]

Or they become cripplingly dependent on their God-hero. Kinda what happened in the Red Son Elseworlds.

WW and Supes had done such a good job, that people didn't even bother wearing seatbelts anymore.

What was it that Superman said in Morrison's JLA? We're here to catch them if they fall, not hold their hands?

Not quite that blunt, but something like that. End of the first arc I think.

[Antonio B.]

I take it you dont read Cable/deadpool and you are unfamiliar with Strak inds.

What happened?

[Antonio B.]

I just read Superman: For Tomorrow Volume 2 and Superman said the following to the Priest;


Priest: Can you cure cancer? (Priest has cancer).
Supes: I don't know. I've never tried and I won't. I'm sorry. If I did people would expect me--
Priest: to perform miracles? But you already do.
Supes: Do you believe I do?
Priest: (Has a yes look on his face).

[StoneGold]

If the Death of Captain Marvel means anything, apparently cancer is completly uncurable in the MU.

[Dizzy D]

Wildcats 3.0 played with a lot of the ideas presented in this thread. The former superhero Spartan inherited a multinational company and decided to use it improve the world. One of the first inventions were battery that lasted forever, but soon it is discovered that these batteries can power cars just as well and Halo starts producing cars that don't require fuel. Which in turn obviously causes some reactions within the government and the car industry to say the least. Sadly the series was cancelled, but with Morrison looking in a revamp I'm having good hopes.

[Mr. X]

If the Death of Captain Marvel means anything, apparently cancer is completly uncurable in the MU.

They actually cured it in one reality. Strange but Mar-Vell in this limbo dimension where time didn't pass and Richards and others worked on him for a good long time.

But, if Strange and Reed spend obscene amounts of time and energy doing that for even a few dozen people, the universe dies.

And its a case of morals anyhow. And, as it's been said, good stories.

[Corrina]

Some of the money people in the DC and Marvel universes do other things than hit bad guys.

Tony Stark, in Mike Grell's recent run, was seen to be funding shelters and free medical care--and then in the run about being Secretary of Defense, a point was made about his weaponry and how it was used. (Grell made this point as well.)

Tony's inventions have affected the Marvel Universe more than his time as Iron Man.

Bruce Wayne, of course, has the Wayne Foundation and any number of charitable organization. Even Selina Kyle got into the act, funding a new community center in Brubaker's run of "Catwoman."

Though the center was funded by stolen diamonds and then was destroyed by Black Mask...so I don't think Selina's too keen on doing that again.

Oliver Queen did a lot with his money. Didn't he give it all away?

So it is sometimes addressed.

[StoneGold]

Some of the money people in the DC and Marvel universes do other things than hit bad guys.

Tony Stark, in Mike Grell's recent run, was seen to be funding shelters and free medical care--and then in the run about being Secretary of Defense, a point was made about his weaponry and how it was used. (Grell made this point as well.)

Tony's inventions have affected the Marvel Universe more than his time as Iron Man.

Bruce Wayne, of course, has the Wayne Foundation and any number of charitable organization. Even Selina Kyle got into the act, funding a new community center in Brubaker's run of "Catwoman."

Though the center was funded by stolen diamonds and then was destroyed by Black Mask...so I don't think Selina's too keen on doing that again.

Oliver Queen did a lot with his money. Didn't he give it all away?

So it is sometimes addressed.
Yeah, but giving out money isn't really the point here. If Iron Man really wanted to change the world, he could literally make loss of limb, or loss of use of limbs, obsolete.

[Gumbo Maximillian]

Yeah, but giving out money isn't really the point here. If Iron Man really wanted to change the world, he could literally make loss of limb, or loss of use of limbs, obsolete.


Actually he does have a factory that is working on robotic limbs, false eyes and the like.

Also one thing to point out is superheroes in their good identites that are Doctors like Cardiac and lawyers like Daredevil.

[DarkSoldier]

If the Death of Captain Marvel means anything, apparently cancer is completly uncurable in the MU.
Captain Marvel was Kree, so his physiology was quite different from a human's.