# Super Heroes who are really mentally ill? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137 "2014-01-30T16:56:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/61 "2014-01-31T20:36:54Z")
No way Batman is any kind of a sociopath. He’s primarily motivated by a desire to help people, specifically because he doesn’t want anyone to feel the sort of loss he experienced when he was a child. That’s explicitly why he adopted Robin. A sociopath, by definition, doesn’t care how other people feel at all. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/62 "2014-01-31T21:10:09Z")
**Miller** , you may well be correct. You have to understand, Batman is probably my favorite CB hero. When I assign those characteristics to him (a fictional character who has been reimagined at least a dozen times over 40+ year) I am just trying to fit him to a model. Probably in injury to his complexity. The idea of vigilante is a bit motile, don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/63 "2014-02-01T04:17:20Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > When looking for a superhero with many issues, it is hard to beat Sam Kieth’s [The Maxx](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/TheMaxx?from=Main.TheMaxx) > > Homeless, depressed, with emotional turmoil. And he could jump back and forth to another world. It actually made his condition worse at times as the jumps were against his will. The idea always intrigued me when I heard about _The Maxx_, and I tried to get into it. I really, really tried. But I’ve always thought that Sam Keith is just an absolutely horrendous artist, and it took me out of the story sufficiently enough to prevent me from being able to read it. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/64 "2014-02-01T12:56:12Z")
I think there is a difference between saying a character is the pinnacle of healthy coping, and saying they are mentally ill. I’m not sure Batman qualifies, sure he has coped in a bizarre and probably unhealthy way compared to OUR reality, but in his universe this is much more normal. What if Bruce became a really obsessed and driven cop to deal with his trauma, still mentally ill? ---
**Author:** ![Slade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Slade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slade)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/65 "2014-02-01T17:20:02Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Marvel’s [The Sentry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentry_%28Robert_Reynolds%29) is a Superman-level hero who has regular delusions about being attacked by a creature called The Void. Sure you’re not thinking of Dave Sim? ---
**Author:** ![Slade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Slade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slade)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/66 "2014-02-01T17:24:02Z")
> [@D.E.S.K.Top668](#): > > I believe it was in the non-canon _ **Dark Knight Returns** _ that Batman called him the most dangerous person alive. Remind me: What was Batman’s reasoning here? What’s is it that’s so dangerous about Plastic Man in DKR’s conception of the character? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/67 "2014-02-01T17:27:44Z")
> [@Slade](#): > > Remind me: What was Batman’s reasoning here? What’s is it that’s so dangerous about Plastic Man in DKR’s conception of the character? He is indestructable, can grow muscles to become as strong as superman, can shrink to the size of Batman’s utility belt is pretty much immortal, _and he actually becomes whatever he takes the form of._ ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/68 "2014-02-02T03:25:07Z")
> [@Slade](#): > > Sure you’re not thinking of Dave Sim? Aw SNAP! ---
**Author:** ![D.E.S.K.Top668](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@D.E.S.K.Top668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.E.S.K.Top668)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137/69 "2014-02-05T02:33:13Z")
> [@Slade](#): > > Remind me: What was Batman’s reasoning here? What’s is it that’s so dangerous about Plastic Man in DKR’s conception of the character? Pretty much as Czarcasm said above. in the DKR universe, he just doesn’t change his shape, he can actually become whatever he imagines. If he wants to be an indestructible grinder/toilet, he becomes an indestructible grinder/toilet. If he wants to turn into a super-fast sports car, he IS a super-fast sports car, not just look like one. He can change his size, shape, and mass independently. His only limitation is his coloration. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-heroes-who-are-really-mentally-ill/680137.md?page=3)