where did the idea of superheroes come from
Superhero The word 'superhero' dates to at least 1917.[6] Antecedents of the archetype include such folkloric heroes as Robin Hood, who adventured in distinctive clothing.[7] The 1903 play The Scarlet Pimpernel and its spinoffs popularized the idea of a masked avenger and the superhero trope of a secret identity.[7] Shortly afterward, masked and costumed pulp fiction characters such as Zorro (1919), The Shadow (1930) and comic strip heroes, such as the Phantom (1936) began appearing, as did non-costumed characters with super strength, including Patoruzú (1928), the comic-strip character Popeye (1929) and novelist Philip Wylie's protagonist Hugo Danner (1930).[8]