1. I. Captain America
1.1. The comic books have been published for the 1st time in 1939.
1.2. The comics are the mirror of the American society, like other artistic forms.
1.3. End of war: publication for girls with Patsy Walker or Millie the Model.
1.4. 1950’s: harder years for the comic books.
1.5. Name: Steve Rogers.
1.6. Created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, in December 1940.
1.6.1. Birth : in comic book “Captain America Comics #1” in December 1940 (Timely Comics) then reappearance in 1963 with Marvel ( new name of Timely Comics) )
1.7. How does he represents the USA ?
1.7.1. American Patriotism
1.7.1.1. Superhero who embodies the american patriotism -> american mascot during the II WW.
1.7.2. Costume
1.7.3. Defender of the free world
1.7.3.1. Defender of the free world against the tyrannies (nazis).
1.7.4. “Captain America… Commie Smasher”
1.7.5. Civil war
1.7.6. Kirby and Simon are Jews and they feel concerned by the situation of the Jews in Nazi Germany.
1.7.7. Films : 1979 (Reb Brown), 1990 (Matt Salinger), 2011-2016 (Chris Evans).
1.8. Powers: -total perfection of the human kind
1.8.1. He represents the total perfection of the human kind physically speaking.
1.9. Abilities: -martial arts
1.9.1. Captain America had mastered the martial arts of American-style boxing and judo, and had combined these disciplines with his own unique hand-to-hand style of combat. He had also shown skill and knowledge of a number of other martial arts. He engaged in a daily regimen of rigorous exercise (including aerobics, weight lifting, gymnastics, and simulated combat) to keep himself in peak condition. Captain America was one of the finest human combatants Earth had ever known.
1.10. Costume + shield
1.10.1. Captain America represented the pinnacle of human physical perfection. Captain America had a very high intelligence as well as agility, strength, speed, endurance, and reaction time superior to any Olympic athlete who ever competed. The Super-Soldier formula that he had metabolized had enhanced all of his bodily functions to the peak of human efficiency. Most notably, his body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-producing poisons in his muscles, granting him phenomenal endurance.
1.10.1.1. Group Affiliations : Secret Avengers; formerly the Avengers, Invaders, Captain's Unnamed Superhero Team, Redeemers; formerly partner of Winter Soldier, Bucky, Jones, Rick, Rick Jones, Falcon (Sam Wilson), Falcon, Demolition Man and Nomad (Jack Monroe)
1.10.1.2. First Appearance : (Captain America) Captain America Comics #1 (1941); (Nomad) Captain America #180 (1974); (Captain) Captain America #337 (1988)
1.10.1.3. Origin : Captain America Comics #1 (1941); Tales of Suspense #63 (1965); Captain America #109 (1969); Captain America #255 (1981); Adventures of Captain America #1-2 (1991)
1.11. Traumatic past:
1.11.1. His father is alcoholic.
1.11.1.1. Story : poor family, alcoholic father, student in arts, writer and drawer of comics.
1.11.1.2. IIWW : he wants to engaged in the army for fighting the nazis. He is reformed because he is too slim
1.11.2. During the WW2 “Project: Rebirth” -> serum “Super-Soldier”.
1.11.2.1. But he’s very determinate and a general sees him and proposes him to participate at a secret experience « Project rebirth ».
1.11.2.2. During the experience successfull, a nazis spie comes in the room and kills the professor Reinstein, who was the only to know the formula of the serum.
1.11.2.3. Steve Rogers is so in the army
1.11.2.4. He is frozen in the arctical waters
1.11.2.5. And awaken in the 60s
1.11.3. 2006 “Superhuman Registration Act”.
1.11.3.1. 2006 : he must declare himself as a superhero in front of the authorities (superhuman Registration Act), he doesn't want.
1.11.4. Civil War
1.11.4.1. he rebels himself during the civil war -> metaphor to the attacks against the individuals liberties in the USA, the war in Irak ans the prison of Guantanamo.
2. II. The invisible Woman
2.1. First female superhero in Marvel.
2.2. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
2.3. She is a part of the 4 Fantastic and appeared in it in November 1961.
2.4. Created in reaction to the increase of women power and feminism movement in United States
2.5. Her powers are :
2.5.1. Invisibility
2.5.2. Protection
2.6. Traumatic Past
2.6.1. Lost of his mother, Mary Storm.
2.6.2. Depression and alcoholism of his father, Franklin Storm.
2.6.3. He has accidentally killed somebody and is in jail.
2.6.4. She has been raised with her brother ,Johnny, by their aunt.
3. III. Batman
3.1. Created by Bob Kane (creator of Superman) in response to the success of Superman.
3.2. Inspired by a lot of films and researches of Leonard de Vinci on bats.
3.2.1. Inspired of the helicopter, researches on the bat of Leonard de Vinci, films of Zorro, Dracula and The Bat Whispers, but a piece of theatre too which has inspired the film The Bat, in which the principal character is a criminal.
3.3. Character who must have the detective’s qualities of Sherlock Holmes and a great physical endurance.
3.3.1. The color of the costume has changed from red to grey but the appearance of the hero too; he has a hood instead of a simple mask, a cape instead of wings, gloves and other details.
3.4. Name found by Bill Finger (scriptwriter) and which suggest the colonialism era (Anthony Wayne).
3.4.1. It’s the scriptwriter Bill Finger who has found the name of Bruce Wayne. Bruce comes from Robert I. of Scotland and he has searched a last name which suggests the colonialism and he has think about Anthony Wayne.
3.5. Traumatic Past :
3.5.1. Falls into a well when he was young and was “attacked” by bats. Since that episode he was scared by bats.
3.5.1.1. When he was young (his parents were still alive), he fell into a well with no water and has scared the bats, which were here. So they flew around him and went out of the well. As a little boy, he felt attacked and since that he has loathed bats.
3.5.2. Murder of his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of Bruce Wayne when he was a child.
3.5.2.1. His parents have been killed one night when he was young. They were at the exit of a theater/opera, a homeless man has tried to steal them but he took fright and shots the two parents in front of the little Bruce. After that he decided to fight against the crimes in Gotham when he grows up.
3.5.3. Death of his uncle and adoptive father.
3.5.4. Decides to fight against crimes in his city as a revenge.
3.5.4.1. Then he became the Batman and asks to James Gordon, the chef of the police, to join him in the fight against the crimes. Gordon accepts. He has one rule; never killed. He never kills the criminals because he hates weapon because of the murder of his parents.
3.5.5. Had a physical practice which results in surmounting his fear of bats.
3.5.5.1. Even if he has no power, he has a lot of knowledge in Martial arts; he is very tough, has a lot of techniques of fight and has a lot of gadgets. And he has a lot of moral values. He is very intelligent too. He never give in, he is very determinate.
3.6. How does he represents the USA ?
3.6.1. Ra’s al Ghul inspired by Osama Ben Laden. Batman viewed as the savior of United States.
3.6.2. In the 1940s Batman is a dark creature who fights against the Nazis and the vampire.
3.6.3. After the war, his enemies are no more the incarnation of the Evil.
3.6.4. In the 1980s Batman is in presence of real ills, like the Islamism terrorism.
3.6.5. Very good policeman. He fights against the massive crimes in his town -> shows the new crime wave in United States. Batman is here to reassure.
3.6.6. Bruce Wayne represents the American way of life, the American Dream.
4. Introduction
4.1. The comic books have been published for the 1st time in 1939.
4.2. The comics are the mirror of the American society, like other artistic forms.
4.3. End of war: publication for girls with Patsy Walker or Millie the Model.
4.4. 1950’s: harder years for the comic books.
5. Sources
5.1. Captain America
5.1.1. Author : Marion Save
5.1.2. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America
5.1.3. http://marvel.com/characters/8/captain_america
5.2. The invisible Woman
5.2.1. Author : Sandra Chahmaoui
5.2.2. http://www.marvel-world.com/encyclopedie-18-fiche-femme-invisible-la-biographie.html
5.2.3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Woman
5.3. Batman
5.3.1. Author : Clara Meurquin
5.3.2. personal aknoledges
5.3.3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman