Superhuman in the context of "Eugenics"

A superhero or superheroine, is a character who typically possesses superpowers or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their powers to help the world become a better place, or dedicating themselves to protecting the public and fighting crime. Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially, since the 1930s, in American comic books (and later in Hollywood films, film serials, television and video games), as well as in Japanese media (including kamishibai, tokusatsu, manga, anime and video games).

Superheroes come from a wide array of different backgrounds and origins. Most superheroes (for example, Superman and Spider-Man) usually possess non-human or superhuman biology, while others (such as Batman and Iron Man) derive their status from advanced technology they create and use, but some of them may use or possess objects that have superhuman, mystical, or alien powers (such as Green Lantern and He-Man), or study and practice magic to achieve their abilities (such as Doctor Fate and Doctor Strange). The Dictionary.com definition of "superhero" is "a figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime," and the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the definition as "a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person." Terms such as masked crime fighters, costumed adventurers or masked vigilantes are sometimes used to refer to characters such as the Spirit, who may not be explicitly referred to as superheroes but nevertheless share similar traits.

Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, first appearing in issue #1 of Action Comics, published in the United States on April 18, 1938. Superman has been regularly published in American comic books since then, and has been adapted to other media including radio serials, novels, films, television shows, theater, and video games. Superman is the archetypal superhero: he wears an outlandish costume, uses a codename, and fights evil and averts disasters with the aid of extraordinary abilities. Although there are earlier characters who arguably fit this definition, it was Superman who popularized the superhero genre and established its conventions. He was the best-selling superhero in American comic books up until the 1980s; it is also the best-selling comic book series in the world with 600 million copies sold.

Superman was born Kal-El, on the fictional planet Krypton. As a baby, his parents Jor-El and Lara sent him to Earth in a small spaceship shortly before Krypton was destroyed in an apocalyptic cataclysm. His ship landed in the American countryside near the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, where he was found and adopted by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent, who named him Clark Kent. The Kents quickly realized he was superhuman; due to the Earth's yellow sun, all of his physical and sensory abilities are far beyond those of a human, and he is nearly impervious to harm and capable of unassisted flight. His adoptive parents having instilled him with strong morals, he chooses to use his powers to benefit humanity, and to fight crime as a vigilante. To protect his personal life, he changes into a primary-colored costume and uses the alias "Superman" when fighting crime. Clark resides in the fictional American city of Metropolis, where he works as a journalist for the Daily Planet alongside supporting characters including his love interest and fellow journalist Lois Lane, photographer Jimmy Olsen, and editor-in-chief Perry White. His enemies include Brainiac, General Zod, and archenemy Lex Luthor.

A superpower is a special or extraordinary ability far greater than what is considered normal, possessed by those of superhuman status. Superpowers are typically displayed in science fiction and fantasy media such as comic books, TV shows, video games, and film as the key attribute of a superhero. The concept originated in American comics and pulp fiction of the 1930s and 1940s, and has gradually worked its way into other genres and media.

The Greek Heroic Age, in mythology, is the period between the coming of the Greeks to Thessaly and the Greek warriors' return from Troy. The poet Hesiod (fl. c. 700 BCE) identified this mythological era as one of his five Ages of Man.The period spans roughly six generations; the heroes denoted by the term are superhuman, though not divine, and are celebrated in the literature of Homer and of others, such as Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides.

The Greek heroes can be grouped into an approximate mythic chronology based on the stories of events such as the Argonautic expedition and the Trojan War. Over time, many heroes, such as Heracles, Achilles, Hector, and Perseus, came to figure prominently in Greek mythology.

The concept of a mutant is a common trope in fiction. The new phenotypes that appear in fictional mutations generally go far beyond what is typically seen in mutants in reality, and often result in the mutated life form exhibiting superhuman abilities or qualities.

Superhero fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction showcasing the adventures of costumed crime-fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as supervillains. The genre primarily falls between hard fantasy and soft science fiction in the spectrum of scientific realism, often merging into science fantasy. It is most commonly associated with comic books, though it has expanded into other media through adaptations and original works.

Heroic virtue is the translation of a phrase coined by Augustine of Hippo to describe the virtue of early Christian martyrs. The phrase is used by the Roman Catholic Church.

The Greek pagan term hero described a person with possibly superhuman abilities and great goodness. "[I]t connotes a degree of bravery, fame, and distinction which places a man high above his fellows". The term was later applied to other highly virtuous people who do extraordinary good works.

Samson (/ˈsæmsən/; Hebrew: שִׁמְשׁוֹן, romanized: Šimšōn, lit. 'man of the sun') was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" the twelve tribes of Israel before the institution of the monarchy. He is sometimes regarded as an Israelite version of the popular Near Eastern folk hero archetype also embodied by the Sumerian Gilgamesh and Enkidu, as well as the Greek Heracles. Samson was given superhuman powers by God in the form of extreme strength.

The biblical account states that Samson was a Nazirite and that he was given immense strength to aid him against his enemies and allow him to perform superhuman feats, including slaying a lion with his bare hands and massacring a Philistine army with a donkey's jawbone. The cutting of Samson's long hair would violate his Nazirite vow and nullify his ability.

A superhero or superheroine, is a character who typically possesses superpowers or abilities beyond those of ordinary people; is frequently costumed, concealing their identity; and fits the role of the hero, typically using their powers to help the world become a better place, or dedicating themselves to protecting the public and fighting crime. Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially, since the 1930s, in American comic books (and later in Hollywood films, film serials, television and video games), as well as in Japanese media (including kamishibai, tokusatsu, manga, anime and video games).

Superheroes come from a wide array of different backgrounds and origins. Most superheroes (for example, Superman and Spider-Man) usually possess non-human or superhuman biology, while others (such as Batman and Iron Man) derive their status from advanced technology they create and use; others may use or possess objects that have superhuman, mystical, or alien powers (such as Green Lantern and He-Man), or study and practice magic to achieve their abilities (such as Doctor Fate and Doctor Strange). The Dictionary.com definition of "superhero" is "a figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime," and the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the definition as "a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person." Terms such as masked crime fighters, costumed adventurers or masked vigilantes are sometimes used to refer to characters such as the Spirit, who may not be explicitly referred to as superheroes but nevertheless share similar traits.