I Believe In Superheroes

I love superheroes.
Like, I really love superheroes.
And I'm not entirely sure why.

I was reflecting on it today [I've had Superman on my mind lately-or, to be more precise, his human counterpart(s)] and I was wondering what exactly about it it is that makes me love 'em so much.

I think part of it is that (especially with the more 'recent' superheroes like Iron Man/Tony Stark, Superman/Clark Kent and Batman/Bruce Wayne) is that they're all so deeply flawed, and yet at the same time are out fighting for the good in the world. But all deeply, deeply flawed.

In Iron Man, for instance, Tony Stark is a high roller who doesn't care to much for image- just having a good time. After he's abducted by a terrorist group, he comes back even more scarred than before- because he got in touch with his humanity, only to have seen it wrested away from him.

Superman (especially in Superman Returns) has heavy emotional issues- having to become a savior for humanity while still trying to help them make their own, coming to terms with the fact that he's the last of his kind, and the utter desperation of being destitutly unique. And yet, despite all of this, he's still a 'perfect' man- tall, strong (mentally and physically) and completely immovable from his morals. He's vastly superior to humans, yet treats them as equals, or even superiors, rather than subordinates. Ah! I love him.

And Batman. Okay, if any of you have even seen previews for the Dark Knight you know what I'm about to talk about. While Batman is constantly saving the world and purging Gotham's underworld, and, (no matter how violent,) always doing the Right Thing, he is, essentially, a villain- not afraid of hurting people or destruction, in order to get his way. He, also, has to deal with the problems of being "more than just a man-" and of dealing with all of the whackadoos whose influence and remarks are clearly felt.

So what makes a superhero a superhero? Is it wealth to spend on cool gadgets? Abnormal powers?

Or, maybe, is it being more genuinely human than the rest of us?