“There’s been a mix up in the lab!” “The experiment can’t be stopped!” “Who’s that on the test field?!” “Are we missing a spider?” “Watch out for that kid!” So many superheroes start their crime fighting careers as accident prone individuals who fall victim to an industrial waste spill or a top-secret experiment gone awry. These accidents could lead to more than just superhuman abilities as toxic torts could mean big bucks for our heroes.
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Every superhero needs a place to retreat and think about a case, lick their wounds after a fight, or even occassionally bring a date¹. Depending on the hero’s means and persona, that place can take many forms: a one-bedroom apartment, a mansion, a cave, a whole building, a satellite, or a base on the moon². From time to time these sanctums are infiltrated so many crime fighters put measures in place to prevent, and even repel, trespassers. What duty do the owners of these hideouts owe to would-be intruders? For that matter, what right do they have to build these hidden fortresses without permits and without paying taxes?
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“Each of you bring something different to the table: strength, speed, stealth,whatever, but we’re all equal in at least one way, each of us is willing to make the sacrifices a hero needs to make, even the ultimate one . . . We can be proactive, we can do some real good in the world, but we’re gonna have to be organized. J’onn¹ will be up here keeping an eye on everything, he’ll be the one deciding who goes where and when. I know a lot of you are used to making those decisions by yourself [sic], but from now on we have to be more coordinated than that. We can’t be cowboys anymore…or cowgirls.” – Superman’s address to the Justice League
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The Batmobile, Ghostrider’s flaming Harley Davidson, and even Wonder Woman’s invisible jet, no crime-fighting gadget is more identifiable or awesome than the superhero vehicle. (Ok, maybe not the jet.) While maintaining a secret identity prevents these heroes from listing their vehicles on an insurance policy, what other regulations are these turbo-charged transports violating as they careen through our streets and fly over our homes?
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