HIST 3480 - Superheroes and American History

5 credit hours
The superhero is a uniquely American cultural icon. Born amid depression and looming world war, characters like Superman and Batman expressed fantasies of power and hopefulness to a nation on the brink. This course will examine superheroes’ origins and chart the genre’s development from 1930s comic book to the global cinematic blockbuster that dominates our contemporary consumer landscape. Embedded in the history of supers is a conversation about the state and sovereignty, fantasies about the power of whiteness and masculinity, and imaginations of counterpublics built on ideas of diversity and inclusion. At each turn we will ask what a particular superhero adventure tells us about the time period that produces it and how this superhero imaginary has changed over time.