For the second year in a row, Inverse has spent the month of October exploring heroism with its Superhero Issue. Last year, we looked at real-life heroism, and this year, in collaboration with guest editor Roxane Gay, we explored the idea of a superhero and how to challenge it.
I’m Nick Lucchesi, editor-in-chief at Inverse, and this is Inverse Daily. Capes out. Let’s jump off this building.
This is an adapted version of the Inverse Daily newsletter for Thursday, October 21, 2021. Subscribe for free and earn rewards for reading every day in your inbox. ✉️
Science: Cosplay makes you better — Research suggests we're hardwired to seek out tales of heroic adventures. Studies show just thinking about these characters can influence how we feel and act. Here’s a teaser of the story by Becca Caddy:
When I first saw Captain Marvel at the movies, I stepped out of the cinema energized and buzzing with happiness.
I held the door open for someone, had a spring in my step, and spent the rest of the day feeling invincible.
Stories about superheroes have uplifted us feeble humans for millennia, but it’s not just because they’re entertaining. Research suggests we’re hardwired to seek out tales of heroic adventures in order to fulfill many of our basic needs. These movies impart wisdom, inspire us to take action, and promote personal growth by teaching us about love, suffering, and sacrifice.
Related:
- An interview with movie director Nia DaCosta (who is directing The Marvels, the sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel)
The “Infinity Gauntlet,” an oral history — On the 30th anniversary of its release, Brian Vanhooker talks to the creators behind the Infinity Gauntlet — the glove that could channel the power of all six Infinity Stones we see in the Avengers movies — to find out how it became Marvel’s biggest story of all time and changed the industry forever. Here’s a preview:
The six-part miniseries, written by Jim Starlin and penciled by George Pérez and Ron Lim, released its first issue in July of 1991 after months of buildup. The series was a success, with massive sales, several sequels, and a storytelling format that influenced future Marvel crossovers. In recent years, it’s become bigger than ever thanks to its influence on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Jim Starlin, creator of Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet: “I gained a reputation as being a “cosmic” storyteller at Marvel, but part of that was just self-defense. I hate drawing horses and cars, so doing stories in space was the best thing for me.”
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The trippiest superhero movie of the ‘90s — Cyborg superheroes, evil aliens, and Mark Hamill: Writer James Balmont tries to answer why the bizarre ‘90s sci-fi superhero movie The Guyver is so inextricably good for its 30th anniversary. Here’s a snippet:
The early ‘90s were a strange time for superhero cinema.
Yes, Batman was a huge hit in 1989. But despite the comparatively dark tone of this outlier, superhero films of the era were nowhere near the serious-minded gravity of Marvel’s X-Men or DC’s The Dark Knight. Instead, audiences had to pick between a grab bag of camp (Superman III), utter crap (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace), and straight-up weirdness (Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies). How’s that for a mid-’90s identity crisis?
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Her name’s Lynch. Lashana Lynch — Fifteen years ago, Lashana Lynch saw James Bond evolve. Now, she takes his place in Daniel Craig's final Bond film. In this exclusive interview, Lynch speaks with Inverse’s Eric Francisco:
Lashana Lynch doesn’t remember the first time she saw a James Bond movie.
But Lynch, a 33-year-old Londoner, does remember the first time she saw Casino Royale.
It was 2006 when the Bond franchise hit the reset button — hard — with Daniel Craig assuming the role of the secret agent.
Lynch vividly recalls the gritty black-and-white opening scene...
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Read the full superhero issue here — For a complete rundown of all the outstanding stories in this year’s annual Superhero Issue, which began October 11 and runs through Friday, see this special hub page for the entire issue. The above selection of articles is just that, a selection!
Enjoy your browsing and remember the definition of a superhero is up to you.
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That’s it for this Thursday edition of Inverse Daily!
- About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share a story about the time you met an astronaut? Send those thoughts and more to newsletter@inverse.com.
- On this day: October 21, 2021 marks the 80th anniversary of the debut of Wonder Woman, in All-Star Comics #8. (Source: AP). Above is the most recent actress to play the superhero in the movie version of the comic, Gal Gadot.
- Song of the Day: “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters.
