Editing Superhero (section)

==History==
{{Main|Superhero fiction#History|History of comics|Superhero film|Tokusatsu}}

===Influences===
[[:wikt:antecedent|Antecedents]] of the archetype include mythological characters such as [[Gilgamesh]], [[Hanuman]], [[Perseus]], [[Odysseus]], [[David and Goliath|David]], and [[demigods]] like [[Heracles]], all of whom were blessed with extraordinary abilities, which later inspired the superpowers that became a fundamental aspect of modern-day superheroes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Coogan|first=Peter|title=Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre|url=http://www.monkeybrainbooks.com/Superhero.html|date=25 July 2006|publisher=[[MonkeyBrain Books]]|location=Austin, Texas|isbn=1-932265-18-X|access-date=March 28, 2020|archive-date=March 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303224707/http://www.monkeybrainbooks.com/Superhero.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20090304%2FREVIEWS%2F903049997 |title=Roger Ebert. Roger Ebert's review of ''Watchmen;'' rogerebert.com; March 4, 2009 |access-date=October 4, 2021 |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209171737/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20090304%2FREVIEWS%2F903049997 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The distinct clothing and costumes of individuals from [[English folklore]], like [[Robin Hood]] and [[Spring-heeled Jack|Spring-Heeled Jack]], also became inspirations.<ref name=packer52>{{cite book| title=Superheroes and Superegos: Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1UopTvWYaYgC&q=%22scarlet+pimpernel%22+superhero&pg=PA52 | first=Sharon|last=Packer| isbn=978-0313355363| publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group| year= 2009| page = 52}}</ref> The dark costume of the latter, complete with a [[domino mask]] and a cape, became influential for the myriad of masked rogues in [[penny dreadful]]s and [[dime novel]]s.<ref name="Ezine">{{cite web|url=https://ezine-articles.com/a-history-of-historical-superheroes-and-masked-vigilantes/|title=A History of Historical Superheroes and Masked Vigilantes|website=Ezine Articles|author=Irvine, Clarke|date=July 4, 2024|access-date=July 5, 2024|archive-date=July 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705171947/https://ezine-articles.com/a-history-of-historical-superheroes-and-masked-vigilantes/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Bell, Karl. "8 The Decline and Demise of Spring-heeled Jack". The Legend of Spring-Heeled Jack: Victorian Urban Folklore and Popular Cultures, Boydell and Brewer: Boydell and Brewer, 2012, pp. 200-222. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781782040392-010 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162357/https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781782040392-010/html |date=September 26, 2024 }}</ref>

The [[Vigilantism|vigilantes]] of the American [[Old West]] also became an influence to the superhero.<ref name="Galaver" /> Several vigilantes during this time period hid their identities using masks.<ref name="Ezine"/> In frontier communities where de jure law was not yet matured, people sometimes took the law into their own hands with makeshift masks made out of [[Gunny sack|sacks]]. Vigilante mobs and gangs like the San Diego Vigilantes and the [[Bald Knobbers]] became infamous throughout that Old West era.<ref name="Ezine"/><ref name="LA Times">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-30-nc-1718-story.html|title=The Wild West : Executions Staged by Vigilantes Marred Justice in the 1880s|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|author=Crawford, Richard|date=April 30, 1992|access-date=July 21, 2020|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807183104/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-30-nc-1718-story.html|url-status=live}} April 30, 1992</ref><ref name="DenGeek">{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/the-punisher-and-the-dark-myth-of-the-real-life-vigilante/|title=The Punisher and The Dark Myth of the Real Life Vigilante|website=[[Den of Geek]]|author=Sokol, Tony|date=January 20, 2019|access-date=July 21, 2020|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807151218/https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/the-punisher-and-the-dark-myth-of-the-real-life-vigilante/|url-status=live}} January 20, 2019</ref> Such masked vigilantism later inspired fictional masked crimefighters in American story-telling, beginning with the character [[Deadwood Dick]] in 1877.<ref name="Ezine"/><ref name="Galaver">Gavaler, Chris. ''On the Origin of Superheroes: From the Big Bang to Action Comics No. 1''. University Of Iowa Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2015). p. 132. {{ISBN|978-1609383817}}</ref>

===1900s–1939===
[[File:Flame 002.png|thumb|upright|left|[[Fox Feature Syndicate]]'s 1930s–1940s superhero the [[Flame (comics)|Flame]]]]
The word [[wikt:superhero|superhero]] dates back to 1899.<ref name=mw>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superhero |title=Superhero – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary |access-date=October 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008144818/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superhero |archive-date=October 8, 2021 }}</ref> The 1903 British play ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel]]'' and its spinoffs popularized the idea of a masked avenger and the superhero trope of a [[secret identity]].<ref name=packer52 /> Over the next few decades, masked and costumed [[pulp magazine|pulp fiction]] characters such as [[Jimmie Dale|Jimmie Dale/The Grey Seal]] (1914), [[Tarzan]] (1912), [[John Carter of Mars|John Carter]]  (1912)  [[Zorro]] (1919), [[Buck Rogers]] (1928), [[The Shadow]] (1930), [[Lensman]] (1934)<ref name="Denial">{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Roy |year=2001 |title=The Lensman Connection |periodical=Alter Ego |page=24 |volume=3 |issue=#10}}</ref> and [[Flash Gordon]] (1934), [[film serial]] heroes [[Judex]] (1916) and [[The Shielding Shadow|Ravengar]] (1916)<ref>Xavier Fournier, ''Super-héros : une histoire française'', Huginn Muninn, 2014, p. 70-73</ref> and [[comic strip]] heroes such as the [[Mandrake the Magician]] (1934),<ref>{{cite web |title=Who was the first superhero? |url=http://ask.yahoo.com/20070503.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330034735/http://ask.yahoo.com/20070503.html |archive-date=March 30, 2012 |access-date=March 26, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{cite web |date=March 11, 1935 |title=The Adventures of Patsy |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/phanmagi.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525191937/https://www.webcitation.org/66BxT6VRO?url=http://toonopedia.com/phanmagi.htm |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |access-date=March 26, 2016 |website=Don Markstein's Toonopedia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 17, 1936 |title=First superhero ever in the world. Mandrake the Magician Lee Falk Popeye the Sailor Man Superman |url=http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first145.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406091540/http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first145.html |archive-date=April 6, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2016 |publisher=Thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com}}</ref>  [[The Adventures of Patsy|Magic Phantom]] (1935),<ref name=":7" /> [[Phantom (comics)|Phantom]] (1936), began appearing, as did non-costumed characters with [[super strength]], including the comic-strip characters [[Patoruzú]] (1928) and [[Popeye]] (1929) and literary characters such as [[Hugo Danner]] (''[[Gladiator (novel)|Gladiator]]'', 1930)<ref>{{cite news |last=Lovece |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Lovece |date=November 11, 2013 |title=Superheroes Go the American Way on PBS |url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/superheroes-go-the-american-way-on-pbs-1.6239837 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222233700/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/superheroes-go-the-american-way-on-pbs-1.6239837 |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |access-date=November 15, 2013 |work=[[Newsday]] |location=New York / [[Long Island]]}}</ref> and Aarn Munro (''[[The Mightiest Machine]]'', 1934).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Weldon |first=Glen |url=https://www.google.com.br/books/edition/Superman/eoHuEAAAQBAJ?hl=pt-BR&gbpv=1&dq=%22aarn+munro%22+%22jupiter%22&pg=PT25&printsec=frontcover |title=Superman: The Unauthorized Biography |date=2013-02-20 |publisher=Turner Publishing Company |isbn=978-1-118-48382-4 |language=en}}</ref> Another early example was [[Sarutobi Sasuke]], a Japanese superhero [[ninja]] from the Japanese folklore and [[children's novels]] in the 1910s;<ref name="Torrance">{{cite journal |last1=Torrance |first1=Richard |title=Literacy and Literature in Osaka, 1890–1940 |journal=[[The Journal of Japanese Studies]] |date=2005 |issue=31 |page=56 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kLswAQAAIAAJ |publisher=Society for Japanese Studies |quote=Sarutobi Sasuke precipitated a "ninja boom" among the young throughout the country. Sarutobi is an adolescent superhero who, in addition to his ability to chant incantations, appear and disappear at will, and leap to the top of the highest tree, can hear whispered conversations hundreds of yards away, is superhumanly strong, can ride on clouds, is able to conjure water, fire and wind as well as transform himself into other people and animals. |access-date=April 15, 2022 |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162350/https://books.google.com/books?id=kLswAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Vintage">{{cite web |url=http://vintageninja.net/?p=141 |title=A primer on the history of "NINJA" |website=Vintage Ninja |access-date=2011-11-20 |archive-date=October 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018004524/http://vintageninja.net/?p=141 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Yoshimoto |first1=Mitsuhiro |title=Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema |date=2000 |publisher=[[Duke University Press]] |isbn=978-0-8223-2519-2 |page=417 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QizaCOjKs-IC&pg=PA417 |access-date=March 11, 2022 |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162358/https://books.google.com/books?id=QizaCOjKs-IC&pg=PA417#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> by 1914, he had a number of superhuman powers and abilities.<ref name="Torrance" />  The French character [[L'Oiselle]], created in 1909, can be classed as a superheroine.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-04-01 |title=Oubliée pendant un siècle, L'Oiselle, première superhéroïne française, reprend son envol |language=fr |work=Le Monde.fr |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2022/04/01/oubliee-pendant-un-siecle-l-oiselle-premiere-superheroine-francaise-reprend-son-envol_6120153_4408996.html |access-date=2022-04-11 |archive-date=April 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411090000/https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2022/04/01/oubliee-pendant-un-siecle-l-oiselle-premiere-superheroine-francaise-reprend-son-envol_6120153_4408996.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Famany'', the "flying man" of a German comic story of 1937, who uses a winged apparatus to fly over New York and who becomes embroiled in the world of crime, had only one appearance.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kägermann |first1=Andreas |last2=Sackmann |first2=Eckart |title=Superman aus der Gartenlaube |journal=Deutsche Comicforschung |date=2005 |issue=1 |pages=52–55 |language=German}}</ref>

The pulp magazines of the 1930s served as a crucial breeding ground for early superhero concepts through their innovative comic features:

In August 1936, ''[[Thrilling Wonder Stories]]'' published Zarnak by ax Plaisted. In August 1937, a [[letter column]] of the magazine, the word ''superhero'' was used to define the title character.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davin |first=Eric Leif |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZoNDebTvUnsC&q=zarnak+max&pg=PA173 |title=Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926–1965 |date=2006 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-0-7391-1267-0 |language=en |access-date=November 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162401/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZoNDebTvUnsC&q=zarnak+max&pg=PA173#v=snippet&q=zarnak%20max&f=false |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Superhero |url=https://sfdictionary.com/view/172 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123175642/https://sfdictionary.com/view/172 |archive-date=January 23, 2022 |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction}}</ref>  Another groundbreaking character emerged in August 1937, [[Olga Mesmer]], "The Girl with the X-ray Eyes," featured in a single-page comic strip in ''Spicy Mystery Stories''.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Glen Weldon |title=Superheroes!: Capes cowls and the creation of comic book culture |author2=Michael Kantor |page=87}}</ref>
[[File:OutOfTheNightNo11pp34.jpg|thumb|One of Charles Atlas's advertisements.]]
In addition to fictional sources, the superhero archetype may also have been influenced by real-life strongmen such as [[Siegmund Breitbart]], [[Joseph Greenstein]], [[Eugen Sandow]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Darowski |first=John |url=https://www.google.com.br/books/edition/Adapting_Superman/--UzEAAAQBAJ?hl=pt-BR&gbpv=1&dq=Joseph+Greenstein.+superman&pg=PA207&printsec=frontcover |title=Adapting Superman: Essays on the Transmedia Man of Steel |date=2021-06-04 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-7725-5 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Charles Atlas]]. Charles Atlas, in particular, gained lasting cultural visibility through his mail-order fitness program and his iconic advertisements published directly in comic books.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-26 |title=MacFadden & Houdini: Real Life Pre-Precursors to Superman & Batman by Alex Grand |url=https://comicbookhistorians.com/macfadden-and-houdini-real-life-grand-antecedents-to-superman-and-batman/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Comic Book Historians |language=en-US}}</ref>

The trends converged in some of the earliest superpowered costumed heroes, such as Japan's [[Ōgon Bat]] (1931) and Prince of Gamma (early 1930s), who first appeared in ''[[kamishibai]]'' (a kind of hybrid media combining pictures with live storytelling).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://comicsbulletin.com/first-superhero-golden-bat/| publisher=ComicsBulletin.com| title=The First Superhero – The Golden Bat?| first=Zack| last=Davisson| date=December 19, 2010| access-date=November 18, 2014| archive-date=November 9, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109164440/http://comicsbulletin.com/first-superhero-golden-bat/| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/uncategorized/the-early-origins-of-anime-and-manga-traced-to-street-theater-of-japan/ |title=The superheroes of Japan who predated Superman and Batman| work=[[Los Angeles Times]]| date=November 29, 2009 |access-date=November 18, 2014| first=Liesl| last=Bradner| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105055754/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/uncategorized/the-early-origins-of-anime-and-manga-traced-to-street-theater-of-japan/| archive-date=January 5, 2014| url-status=live}}</ref> [[Superman]] (1938) and [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]] (1939) at the beginning of the [[Golden Age of Comic Books]], whose span, though disputed, is generally agreed to have started with Superman's launch.<ref name="pbs.org" /> Superman has remained one of the most recognizable superheroes,<ref name="pbs.org">{{cite web |title=The Golden Age Of Comics |url=https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/the-golden-age-of-comics/ |publisher=www.pbs.org |access-date=January 11, 2018 |archive-date=September 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905025350/http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/the-golden-age-of-comics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and his success spawned a new archetype of characters with secret identities and superhuman powers.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atyQCwAAQBAJ&q=superhero+archetype&pg=PT86 |title=Superhero Movies |first=Liam |last=Burke |publisher=Oldcastle Books |date=2008 |location=Harpenden, UK |isbn=978-1842432754 |quote=If Superman can be credited with the creation of the superhero archetype, then Batman should be recognised for its refinement. |access-date=November 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162353/https://books.google.co.id/books?id=atyQCwAAQBAJ&q=superhero+archetype&pg=PT86&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=superhero%20archetype&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gAPN7Lpxh2UC&q=%22are+superman+(the+S-type)&pg=PA38|first=Stan|last=Lee|author-link=Stan Lee|chapter=The Two Superhero Archetypes|title=Stan Lee's How to Draw Superheroes|page=38|publisher=[[Watson-Guptill]]|year=2013|isbn=978-0823098453|access-date=November 21, 2020|archive-date=September 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162350/https://books.google.com/books?id=gAPN7Lpxh2UC&q=%22are+superman+(the+S-type)&pg=PA38#v=snippet&q=%22are%20superman%20(the%20S-type)&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uyc8BQAAQBAJ&q=%22the+superhero+is+a+concept%22+%22an+archetype+residing%22&pg=PA7 |title=Superheroes and Gods: A Comparative Study from Babylonia to Batman |first=Don |last=LoCicero |publisher=McFarland & Company |year=2007 |isbn=978-0786431847 |page=7 |quote=[T]he superhero is a concept [...] an archetype residing in the human psyche. |access-date=November 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162349/https://books.google.com/books?id=Uyc8BQAAQBAJ&q=%22the+superhero+is+a+concept%22+%22an+archetype+residing%22&pg=PA7#v=snippet&q=%22the%20superhero%20is%20a%20concept%22%20%22an%20archetype%20residing%22&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> At the end of the decade, in 1939, [[Batman]] was created by [[Bob Kane]] and [[Bill Finger]]. This era saw the debut of one of the earliest female superheroes, [[Magician from Mars]], created by [[John Giunta]] and Malcolm Kildale for [[Centaur Publications]] in ''Amazing-Man Comics''.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Nicholson |first1=Hope |date=3 May 2017 |title=The fury and the fashion: comic-book heroines down the years |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/03/the-fury-and-the-fashion-comic-book-heroines-down-the-years |access-date=September 5, 2019 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> She appeared in five issues (#7-11, Nov 1939 to Apr 1940), predating many other Golden Age superheroines. Jane 6ᴇᴍ35, later known as Q-X3,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mougin |first1=Lou |title=Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics |date=2020 |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=9781476638607 |page=17}}</ref> was a hybrid of Earth and Martian origins born on Mars. As a baby, she was exposed to a beam of [[cathode rays]], which, combined with her hybrid physiology, gave her extraordinary powers, including superstrength, telekinesis, illusion creation, and even matter transformation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nicholson |first1=Hope |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9rLUDAAAQBAJ&q=magician+from+mars |title=The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen: Awesome Female Characters from Comic Book History |date=2017 |publisher=Quirk Books |isbn=978-1594749483 |pages=14–15 |access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref>

===1940s===
[[File:AmericasBestComics1001.jpg|thumb|[[America's Best Comics#History|America's Best Comics #7]] October 1943]]

During the 1940s there were many superheroes: [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|The Flash]], [[Green Lantern]] and [[Blue Beetle]] debuted in this era.

Other pioneering superheroines include [[Fantomah]] and The [[Invisible Scarlet O'Neil]]. Fantomah, created by [[Fletcher Hanks]], was an ageless [[ancient Egyptian]] woman in the modern day who could transform into a skull-faced creature with superpowers to fight evil; she debuted in [[Fiction House]]'s ''Jungle Comic'' #2 (Feb. 1940), credited to the pseudonymous "Barclay Flagg".<ref name="toonopedia">{{Cite encyclopedia |last=Markstein |first=Don |encyclopedia=[[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]] |title=The Black Widow |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/blwidow1.htm |access-date=July 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525215953/https://www.webcitation.org/66vunFgcm?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/clvoyant.htm |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |quote=Fantomah was the first female character in comics to use extraordinary powers in combatting evil. [[Woman in Red (comics)|The Woman in Red]] was the first to wear a flashy costume and maintain a dual identity while doing so. On the other hand, [[Black Widow (Marvel Comics)|The Black Widow]] was the first to do both. }}</ref><ref>[http://www.toonopedia.com/fantomah.htm Fantomah, Mystery Woman of the Jungle] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://archive.today/20240527053351/https://www.webcitation.org/6VxMoDjpg?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/fantomah.htm Archived] from the original on January 29, 2015.</ref>  A few months later, The Invisible Scarlet O'Neil, a non-costumed character who fought crime and wartime saboteurs using the superpower of [[invisibility]] created by Russell Stamm, would debut in the eponymous [[print syndication|syndicated]] [[newspaper]] [[comic strip]] a few months later on June 3, 1940.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://cartoonician.com/not-seen-but-not-forgotten-the-invisible-scarlet-oneil/ | title=Not Seen but not Forgotten: The Invisible Scarlet O'Neil | work=[[Hogan's Alley (magazine)|Hogan's Alley]] | issue=17 | date=May 11, 2012 | first=Tom | last=Heintjes | archive-date=June 12, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612085603/http://cartoonician.com/not-seen-but-not-forgotten-the-invisible-scarlet-oneil/ | url-status=dead | access-date=January 16, 2013 }}</ref>

In 1940,  Maximo the Amazing Superman debut in [[Big Little Book series]], by [[Russell R. Winterbotham]] (text), Henry E. Vallely and Erwin L. Hess (art).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Schelly|first=Bill|date=2013-06-18|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TyurDgAAQBAJ&q=maximo+big+little+book&pg=PA57|title=The Best of Alter Ego Volume 2|publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-60549-048-9|language=en|access-date=November 21, 2020|archive-date=September 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162412/https://books.google.com/books?id=TyurDgAAQBAJ&q=maximo+big+little+book&pg=PA57|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Carper|first=Steve|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&q=maximo&pg=PT259|title=Robots in American Popular Culture|date=2019-06-27|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-3505-7|language=en|access-date=November 21, 2020|archive-date=September 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926162852/https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&q=maximo&pg=PT259#v=snippet&q=maximo&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:WowComicsNo2.png|thumb|left|upright|[[Mr. Scarlet]], the "Red Raider of Justice", a superhero appearing in ''[[Wow Comics]]'' (1940)]] [[Captain America]] also appeared for the first time in print in December 1940, a year prior to the attack on [[Pearl Harbor]] by the Japanese government, when America was still in [[isolationism]]. Created by [[Joe Simon]] and [[Jack Kirby]], the superhero was the physical embodiment of the American spirit during World War II.

One superpowered character was portrayed as an [[antiheroine]], a rarity for its time: the [[Black Widow (Claire Voyant)|Black Widow]], a costumed emissary of [[Satan]] who killed evildoers in order to send them to [[Hell]]—debuted in ''[[Mystic Comics]]'' #4 (Aug. 1940), from [[Timely Comics]], the 1940s predecessor of [[Marvel Comics]]. Most of the other female costumed crime fighters during this era lacked superpowers. Notable characters include [[Woman in Red (comics)|The Woman in Red]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/womanred.htm |title=Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Woman in Red |publisher=Toonopedia.com |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=May 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240527130911/https://www.webcitation.org/6bb3771bM?url=http://toonopedia.com/womanred.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=675 |title=GCD :: Issue :: Thrilling Comics #v1#2 (2) |publisher=Comics.org |date=January 11, 1940 |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=February 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223121820/http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=675 |url-status=live }}</ref> introduced in [[Standard Comics]]' ''Thrilling Comics'' #2 (March 1940); [[Lady Luck (comics)|Lady Luck]], debuting in the Sunday-[[newspaper]] comic-book insert ''[[Spirit (comics character)|The Spirit Section]]'' June 2, 1940; the comedic character [[Red Tornado (Ma Hunkel)|Red Tornado]], debuting in ''[[All-American Comics]]'' #20 (Nov 1940); [[Miss Fury]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/missfury.htm |title=Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Miss Fury |publisher=Toonopedia.com |date=April 6, 1941 |access-date=March 26, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525211336/https://www.webcitation.org/66nTzorDi?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/missfury.htm |archive-date=May 25, 2024 }}</ref> debuting in the eponymous comic strip by female cartoonist [[Tarpé Mills]] on April 6, 1941; the [[Phantom Lady]], introduced in [[Quality Comics]] ''Police Comics'' #1 (Aug. 1941); the [[Black Cat (Harvey Comics)|Black Cat]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/blackcat.htm |title=Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Black Cat |publisher=Toonopedia.com |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525211456/https://www.webcitation.org/66nxomHOg?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/blackcat.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=1572 |title=GCD :: Issue :: Pocket Comics #1 |publisher=Comics.org |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=March 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301230257/http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=1572 |url-status=live }}</ref> introduced in [[Harvey Comics]]' ''Pocket Comics'' #1 (also Aug. 1941); and the [[Black Canary]], introduced in ''[[Flash Comics]]'' #86 (Aug. 1947) as a supporting character.<ref name=Amas&Nolen-Weathington2010>Jim Amash & Eric Nolen-Weathington, (2010), ''Carmine Infantino: Penciler, Publisher, Provocateur'' p.30-32</ref> The most iconic comic book superheroine, who debuted during the Golden Age, is [[Wonder Woman]].<ref name=WW>{{cite web |author=Curtis M. Wong |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wonder-woman-gay-wedding_55d3924ce4b0ab468d9ebbb4?section=australia&adsSiteOverride=au |title=Wonder Woman Officiates Her First Gay Wedding |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=August 19, 2015 |access-date=March 27, 2016 |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126070535/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wonder-woman-gay-wedding_55d3924ce4b0ab468d9ebbb4?section=australia&adsSiteOverride=au |url-status=live }}</ref> Modeled from the myth of the [[Amazons]] of [[Greek mythology]], she was created by [[psychologist]] [[William Moulton Marston]], with help and inspiration from his wife [[Elizabeth (Sadie) Holloway Marston|Elizabeth]] and their [[polyamory|mutual lover]] Olive Byrne.<ref name=bu>{{cite web|last1=Lamb|first1=Marguerite|title=Who Was Wonder Woman?|url=http://www.bu.edu/alumni/bostonia/2001/fall/wonderwoman/|website=Bostonia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070119055842/http://www.bu.edu/alumni/bostonia/2001/fall/wonderwoman/|archive-date=January 19, 2007|date=Fall 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Malcolm |first=Andrew H. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1DF1539F93BA25751C0A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print |title=OUR TOWNS - She's Behind the Match For That Man of Steel - NYTimes.com |newspaper=New York Times |date=February 18, 1992 |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=February 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214142359/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1DF1539F93BA25751C0A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print |url-status=live }}</ref> Wonder Woman's first appearance was in ''[[All Star Comics]]'' #8 (Dec. 1941), published by [[All-American Publications]], one of two companies that would merge to form [[DC Comics]] in 1944.

[[Pérák, the Spring Man of Prague|Pérák]] was an [[urban legend]] originating from the city of [[Prague]] during the [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia]] in the midst of [[World War II]].  In the decades following the war, Pérák has also been portrayed as the only [[Czech Republic|Czech]] superhero in film and comics.

===1950s===
In 1952, [[Osamu Tezuka]]'s [[manga]] ''Tetsuwan Atom'', more popularly known in the West as ''[[Astro Boy]]'', was published. The series focused upon a robot boy built by a [[scientist]] to replace his deceased son. Being built from an incomplete robot originally intended for [[military]] purposes, Astro Boy possessed amazing powers such as flight through [[Rocket engine|thrusters]] in his feet and the incredible mechanical strength of his limbs.

The 1950s saw the [[Silver Age of Comics]]. During this era DC introduced the likes of [[Batwoman]] in 1956, [[Supergirl]], [[Arrowette|Miss Arrowette]], and [[Batgirl#Betty/Bette Kane|Bat-Girl]]; all female [[:wikt:derivative|derivatives]] of established male superheroes.

In 1957 Japan, [[Shintoho]] produced the first film serial featuring the superhero character [[Super Giant]], signaling a shift in [[Japanese popular culture]] towards ''[[tokusatsu]]'' masked superheroes over ''[[kaiju]]'' giant monsters. Along with ''Astro Boy'', the ''Super Giant'' serials had a profound effect on [[Japanese television]]. 1958 saw the debut of superhero ''[[Moonlight Mask]]'' on Japanese television. It was the first of numerous televised superhero dramas that would make up the ''tokusatsu'' superhero genre.<ref>''Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture'', p. 262 {{ISBN|0-7656-0560-0}}</ref> Created by [[Kōhan Kawauchi]], he followed up its success with the tokusatsu superhero shows ''[[Seven Color Mask]]'' (1959) and ''[[Messenger of Allah (TV series)|Messenger of Allah]]'' (1960), both starring a young [[Sonny Chiba]], a manga adaptation, illustrated by Ippei Kuri (brother of [[Speed Racer]] creator [[Tatsuo Yoshida]]), was serialized in ''[[Bōken Ō]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite book |title=超人画報―国産架空ヒーロー四十年の歩み (Chōjin Gahō Kokusan Kakū Hīrō Yon Jū-nen no Ayumi) |date=November 30, 1995 |publisher=株式会社竹書房 (Takeshobo Co.Ltd.) |isbn=4-88475-874-9 |location=Japan |page=45}}</ref>

===1960s===
It is arguable that the [[Marvel Comics]] teams of the early 1960s brought the biggest assortment of superheroes ever at one time into permanent publication, the likes of [[Spider-Man]], [[The Hulk]], [[Iron Man]], [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|Daredevil]], [[Nick Fury]], [[Thor (comic book)|Thor]], [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] (featuring a rebooted [[Captain America]], Thor, Hulk, [[Ant-Man]] and [[Quicksilver (comics)|Quicksilver]]), and many others were given their own monthly titles.

Typically the superhero supergroups featured at least one (and often the only) female member, much like DC's flagship superhero team the [[Justice League of America]] (whose initial roster included Wonder Woman as the [[tokenism|token female]]); examples include the [[Fantastic Four]]'s [[Invisible Woman|Invisible Girl]], the [[X-Men]]'s [[Jean Grey]] (originally known as [[Marvel Girl]]), the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]]' [[Wasp (comics)|Wasp]], and the [[Brotherhood of Mutants]]' [[Scarlet Witch]] (who later joined the Avengers) with her brother, Quicksilver.

In 1963, ''[[Astro Boy]]'' was adapted into a highly influential [[anime]] television series. ''[[Phantom Agents]]'' in 1964 focused on [[ninjas]] working for the Japanese government and would be the foundation for [[Sentai]]-type series. 1966 saw the debut of the sci-fi/horror series ''[[Ultra Q]]'' created by [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] this would eventually lead to the sequel ''[[Ultraman (1966 TV series)|Ultraman]]'', spawning a [[Ultra Series|successful franchise]] which pioneered the [[Kyodai Hero]] subgenre where the superheroes would be as big as giant monsters (''[[kaiju]]'') that they fought.

The ''kaiju'' monster [[Godzilla]], originally a villain, began being portrayed as a radioactive superhero in the [[Godzilla (franchise)|''Godzilla'' films]],<ref name="Huffington">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-lankes/godzillas-secret-history_b_5192284.html|title=Godzilla's Secret History|last=Lankes|first=Kevin|work=[[Huffington Post]]|date=June 22, 2014|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-date=July 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717085529/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-lankes/godzillas-secret-history_b_5192284.html|url-status=live}}</ref> starting with ''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grebey |first1=James |title=The history of Ghidorah, Godzilla's rival for the title of King of the Monsters |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-history-of-ghidorah-godzillas-rival-for-the-title-of-king-of-the-monsters |website=[[Syfy Wire]] |publisher=[[NBCUniversal]] |access-date=27 May 2020 |date=28 May 2019 |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808005447/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-history-of-ghidorah-godzillas-rival-for-the-title-of-king-of-the-monsters |url-status=live }}</ref> By the 1970s, Godzilla came to be viewed as a superhero, with the magazine ''King of the Monsters'' in 1977 describing Godzilla as "Superhero of the '70s."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Glut |first1=Donald F. |chapter=Godzilla, Saurian Superhero |title=Jurassic Classics: A Collection of Saurian Essays and Mesozoic Musings |date=2001 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-0-7864-6246-9 |page=225 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5znudeYRzEC&pg=PA225 |access-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-date=August 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807023559/https://books.google.com/books?id=O5znudeYRzEC&pg=PA225 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1970s===
In 1971, ''[[Kamen Rider]]'' launched the "Henshin Boom" on [[Japanese television]] in the early 1970s, greatly impacting the [[tokusatsu]] superhero genre in Japan.<ref>{{Cite book |editor=Takeshobo|date=1995-11-30 |script-title=ja:超人画報 国産架空ヒーロー四十年の歩み|trans-title=The Super Heroes Chronicles: The History of Japanese Fantastic Televisions, Movies and Videos, 1957–1995 |publisher=[[Takeshobo]] |pages=85|chapter=BonusColumn「変身ブーム到来!!」|trans-chapter=Bonus Column 'The Henshin Boom Arrives!'|id=C0076 |isbn=4-88475-874-9|language=ja}}</ref> In 1972, the ''[[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman]]'' anime debuted, which built upon the superhero team idea of the live-action ''Phantom Agents'' as well as introducing different colors for team members and special vehicles to support them, said vehicles could also combine into a larger one. Another important event was the debut of ''[[Mazinger Z]]'' by Go Nagai, creating the [[Super Robot]] genre. Go Nagai also wrote the manga ''[[Cutey Honey]]'' in 1973; although the [[Magical Girl]] genre already existed, Nagai's manga introduced Transformation sequences that would become a staple of Magical Girl media.

The 1970s would see more anti-heroes introduced into Superhero fiction such examples included the debut of [[Shotaro Ishinomori]]'s [[Skull Man]] (the basis for his later ''Kamen Rider'') in 1970, Go Nagai's [[Devilman]] in 1972 and Gerry Conway and John Romita's [[Punisher]] in 1974.

The dark [[Skull Man]] manga would later get a television adaptation and underwent drastic changes. The character was redesigned to resemble a grasshopper, becoming the renowned first masked hero of the [[Kamen Rider]] series. Kamen Rider is a motorcycle-riding hero in an insect-like costume, who shouts Henshin (Metamorphosis) to don his costume and gain superhuman powers.

The ideas of [[second-wave feminism]], which spread through the 1960s into the 1970s, greatly influenced the way comic book companies would depict as well as market their female characters: Wonder Woman was for a time revamped as a [[mod (subculture)|mod-dressing]] [[martial artist]] directly inspired by the [[Emma Peel]] character from the [[Television in the United Kingdom|British television series]] [[The Avengers (TV series)|''The Avengers'']] (no relation to the superhero team of the same name),<ref>"We were all in love with Diana Rigg and that show she was on." Mike Sekowsky, quoted in Les Daniels, ''Wonder Woman: The Complete History'' (Chronicle, 2004), p. 129.</ref> but later reverted to Marston's original concept after the editors of [[Ms. (magazine)|Ms. magazine]] publicly disapproved of the character being depowered and without her traditional costume;<ref>[http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/colloquy/download/colloquy_issue_twenty-four_/matsuuchi.pdf Wonder Woman Wears Pants: ''Wonder Woman'', Feminism and the 1972 "Women's Lib" Issue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217190114/http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/colloquy/download/colloquy_issue_twenty-four_/matsuuchi.pdf|date=February 17, 2016}}, by [[Ann Matsuuchi]], in ''Colloquy: text theory critique'', no.24 (2012); archived at [[Monash University]]</ref> Supergirl was moved from being a secondary feature on ''[[Action Comics]]'' to headline ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' in 1969; the [[Lady Liberators]] appeared in an issue of ''The Avengers'' as a group of mind-controlled superheroines led by [[Valkyrie (Marvel Comics)|Valkyrie]] (actually a [[Enchantress (Marvel Comics)|disguised supervillainess]]) and were meant to be a caricatured parody of feminist activists;<ref>{{cite book |last=W. Wright |first=Bradford |date=2001 |title=Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America |url=https://archive.org/details/comicbooknationt00wrig |url-access=registration |quote=lady liberators. |location=United States |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/comicbooknationt00wrig/page/250 250] |isbn=0-8018-6514-X |access-date=December 29, 2014}}</ref> and Jean Grey became the embodiment of a cosmic being known as the [[Phoenix Force (comics)|Phoenix Force]] with seemingly unlimited power in the late 1970s, a stark contrast from her depiction as the weakest member of her team a decade ago.

Both major American publishers began introducing new superheroines with a more distinct feminist theme as part of their origin stories or character development. Examples include [[Big Barda]], [[Power Girl]], and [[Huntress (DC Comics)|the Huntress]] by DC comics; and from Marvel, the [[Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)|second Black Widow]], [[Shanna the She-Devil]], and [[Tigra#The Cat|The Cat]].<ref>''Alter Ego'' #70 (July 1970): Roy Thomas interview, pp. 49–50</ref> Female [[supporting character]]s who were successful professionals or hold positions of authority in their own right also debuted in the pages of several popular superhero titles from the late 1950s onward: [[Hal Jordan]]'s love interest [[Carol Ferris]] was introduced as the Vice-President of [[Ferris Aircraft]] and later took over the company from her father; [[Medusa (comics)|Medusa]], who was first introduced in the ''Fantastic Four'' series, is a member of the [[Inhumans|Inhuman Royal Family]] and a prominent statesperson within her people's quasi-feudal society; and [[Carol Danvers]], a decorated [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] in the [[United States Air Force]] who would become a costumed superheroine herself years later.

In 1975 [[Shotaro Ishinomori]]'s ''[[Himitsu Sentai Gorenger]]'' debuted on what is now TV Asahi, it brought the concepts of multi-colored teams and supporting vehicles that debuted in Gatchaman into live-action, and began the ''[[Super Sentai]]'' franchise (later adapted into the American ''[[Power Rangers]]'' series in the 1990s). In 1978, Toei adapted [[Spider-Man]] into [[Spider-Man (Japanese TV series)|a live-action Japanese television series]]. In this continuity, Spider-Man had a vehicle called Marveller that could transform into a giant and powerful robot called Leopardon, this idea would be carried over to Toei's [[Battle Fever J]] (also co-produced with Marvel) and now multi-colored teams not only had support vehicles but giant robots to fight giant monsters with.

===1980–present===
In subsequent decades, popular characters like [[Dazzler (Marvel Comics)|Dazzler]], [[She-Hulk]], [[Elektra (comics)|Elektra]], [[Catwoman]], [[Witchblade]], [[Mayday Parker|Spider-Girl]], [[Batgirl]] and [[Birds of Prey (comics)|the Birds of Prey]] became stars of long-running eponymous titles. Female characters began assuming leadership roles in many ensemble superhero teams; the ''[[Uncanny X-Men]]'' series and its related spin-off titles in particular have included many female characters in pivotal roles since the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kristiansen |first1=Ulrik |last2=Sørensen |first2=Tue |title=An Interview with Chris Claremont |website=Comic Zone |url=http://www.seriejournalen.dk/sj_indhold.asp?ID=32 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928040416/http://www.seriejournalen.dk/tegneserie_indhold.asp?art=&ID=32 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |date=May 1, 1996}}</ref> Volume 4 of the [[X-Men (comic book)|X-Men comic book series]] featured an all-female team as part of the [[Marvel NOW!]] branding initiative in 2013.<ref name="vol4">{{cite news | last = Sunu | first = Steve | url = http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=43153 | title = Wood and Coipel Mutate "X-Men" for Marvel NOW! | date = January 14, 2013 | work = [[Comic Book Resources]] | access-date = January 14, 2013 | archive-date = January 16, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130116123717/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=43153 | url-status = live }}</ref> Superpowered female characters like [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer in popular culture|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]<ref>{{cite magazine |author=By&nbsp;Maria Aspan |url=http://www.inc.com/maria-aspan/happy-birthday-buffy-the-original-female-superhero.html |title=What We Learned About Power From Buffy the Vampire Slayer |magazine=Inc.com |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309233235/http://www.inc.com/maria-aspan/happy-birthday-buffy-the-original-female-superhero.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Darna]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anvilpublishing.com/shop/from-darna-to-zsazsa-zaturnnah-desire-and-fantasy/ |title=From Darna To Zsazsa Zaturnnah: Desire And Fantasy « Anvil Publishing, Inc |publisher=Anvilpublishing.com |access-date=March 26, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054539/http://www.anvilpublishing.com/shop/from-darna-to-zsazsa-zaturnnah-desire-and-fantasy/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2479&dat=20030217&id=OlU1AAAAIBAJ&pg=1953,8884472&hl=en |title=Darna ha ha ha! |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=February 17, 2003 |access-date=July 19, 2014 |archive-date=June 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614105223/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2479&dat=20030217&id=OlU1AAAAIBAJ&pg=1953,8884472&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> have a tremendous influence on popular culture in their respective countries of origin.

With more and more [[anime]], [[manga]] and [[tokusatsu]] being translated or adapted, Western audiences were beginning to experience the Japanese styles of superhero fiction more than they were able to before. [[Haim Saban|Saban]]'s ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'', an adaptation of ''[[Zyuranger]]'', created a multimedia franchise that used footage from [[Super Sentai]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grnrngr.com/zyu2/essay |title=Zyu2 |publisher=GrnRngr.com |date=October 24, 2006 |access-date=November 11, 2013 |archive-date=November 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111165339/http://www.grnrngr.com/zyu2/essay |url-status=live }}</ref> Internationally, the [[shoujo manga|Japanese comic book character]], [[Sailor Moon (character)|Sailor Moon]], is recognized as one of the most important and popular female superheroes ever created.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Can Sailor Moon Break Up the Superhero Boys Club? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/09/can-sailor-moon-break-up-the-superhero-boys-club/244648/ |magazine=The Atlantic |access-date=July 19, 2014 |archive-date=November 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122201329/http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/09/can-sailor-moon-break-up-the-superhero-boys-club/244648/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19950214&id=UjRQAAAAIBAJ&pg=6121,3715639 |title=Sailor Moon superhero may replace Power Rangers |publisher=Ludington Daily News |access-date=July 19, 2014 |archive-date=May 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522042716/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19950214&id=UjRQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UFUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6121,3715639 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IDlEHGKj8JgC&q=sailor+moon+superhero&pg=PA711 |title=Sailor Moon (superhero) |publisher=The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic Book Icons |access-date=July 19, 2014 |isbn=9781578591541 |date=January 1, 2004 |archive-date=February 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206163330/https://books.google.com/books?id=IDlEHGKj8JgC&q=sailor+moon+superhero&pg=PA711 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://leslieirl.com/2013/10/17/moon-prism-power-why-sailor-moon-is-the-perfect-female-superhero/ |title=Moon Prism Power! Why Sailor Moon is the perfect female superhero |publisher=Leslie IRL |access-date=July 19, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223101605/http://leslieirl.com/2013/10/17/moon-prism-power-why-sailor-moon-is-the-perfect-female-superhero/ |archive-date=February 23, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Anthony |last=Comella |url=http://www.popmythology.com/grrrl-power-why-female-superheroes-matter/ |title=Grrrl power: why female superheroes matter |publisher=Pop Mythology |access-date=July 19, 2014 |date=March 24, 2013 |archive-date=August 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805220509/http://www.popmythology.com/grrrl-power-why-female-superheroes-matter/ |url-status=live }}</ref>