When one reads comic books, what makes a hero? Is it the indestructible man who single-handedly fends off a natural disaster and saves thousands? Or is a hero the non-powered man fighting armed thugs in an alley and saving one would be victim? With the various power levels portrayed in comics, heroes come in all shapes and sizes. But is a hero determined by the risk they take in the name of the good fight or by the feats they actually achieve?

When it comes to great feats undoubtedly the first hero to come to many minds is Superman. The super-powered last son of Krypton, Superman has defended the Earth from numerous threats both terrestrial and from beyond the stars. He has stopped wars, averted natural disasters, and fended off alien invasions. As a result of his actions, he has saved literally billions of lives. However, he is rarely at risk. Given the nature of his powers, Superman can freely fly into any given situation content in the knowledge that he will emerge unscathed. Without the need for courage and no risk, is he a hero?

Joining Superman in the category of great feats is Iron Man. The armored billionaire industrialist has achieved many victories in his fight against crime. Iron Man uses his brilliant mind to design various armors that he uses to battle dragons, super villains, and alien armadas. He has been involved with saving the lives of everyone on the planet on numerous occasions. And many times he has done it from the comfort of his own home. Many of his battles have been fought with remote controlled suits of armor. If the suit is damaged or destroyed, he shall remain safe on the other end of the remote. Being a billionaire, he is not even concerned with the cost of the loss. So with nothing at stake, and yet saving so many lives, is Iron Man a hero?

Conversely you have those heroes that are saving lives by the individual, but are doing so at great person risk many times. A prime example of this would be Green Arrow. While stranded on an island, he taught himself to use a bow and arrow and now fights crime as Green Arrow. However, given his non-powered nature many of his battles have included street level threats such a drug dealers and would be attackers. He has battled the occasional super villain but always at great personal risk as he is just a normal human being. He isn’t saving billions of people in one fell swoop and enters a battle knowing that he might not make it out alive, is he a hero?

Which of these heroes is truly the hero? Which other heroes qualify? Is being a hero defined by the numbers of lives one saves and the feats they accomplish? Or is courage and risk the true measure of a hero? Let’s look at the definition of the word hero.

he‧ro  - Show Spelled Pronunciation [heer-oh]
–noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -ros.
1.a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

The definition states a man who distinguishes himself through courage OR ability. That makes risk and feats equally important in determining what makes a hero by definition alone. So whether saving many with no risk or saving one person and risking one’s life, one is equally a hero in both situations. To be serving the greater good in any capacity, is what truly makes one a hero.