New sci-fi movie ‘Jumper’ stars Hayden ‘Star Wars’ Christensen and Jamie Bell as genetically mutated super-heroes who can jump through worm-holes in space, until they are tracked down by God-fearing bounty hunters. Aside from the slightly ridiculous title(which sounds vaguely like a new ‘Wallace and Gromit’ adventure), ‘Jumper’ is intriguing in that it ushers in a hero more fitting to our times. A hero who uses his power to travel, steal money and get beer from the fridge in a nanosecond. With the up-coming ‘Hancock’ where Will Smith plays a lazy super-human tramp with a laissez-faire attitude to saving the world; and overkill on community-spirited super-heroes, the traditional role of self-satisfying villain and martyred saviour seems to have flipped. Is this new hero a symptom of a selfish world or simply the natural progression of increasingly flawed super-icons?

Super-heroes reflect the prevalent morality, tracing a trajectory back to biblical times and beyond, often derived from Greco-Roman mythology. the super-hero is collectively and personally adored as an embodiment of fundamental good. Freud disciple Otto rank places the super-hero alongside Jesus and Moses as both prophet and demi-God (heroes such as Spiderman are seen as prophets because their power is bestowed, but Superman is a demi-God because he is his power), describing the hero as fulfilling a Messianic prophecy. This prophecy encompasses parental abandonment and a largely ironic ‘call to action’ where the hero gains his philanthropic nature, e.g. Peter Parker failing to stop the thief who consequently murders his Uncle Ben. This is necessary to stop super-heroes from travelling the power mad road of the super-villain. This Messianic prophecy also means sacrifice, of normality, romance, even life and gives the hero a gloomy gravitas as he embraces martyrdom and mourns his normality.

‘Jumper’ on the other hand portrays the atypical super-hero (the protagonist has an abusive father and a ‘call to action’ when he almost dies and discovers his power) doing as any normal person would do and living like a Super-Playboy. A burdened super-hero is an inactive hero and it is simply more fun to watch someone enjoying their gift, especially with the dangerous abyss of power-hunger. With a secret identity even the most Godly of super-heroes shuns humility; and even the most noble quests are selfishly driven. Whether seeking vengeance, resolving familial conflict (e.g. Peter Parker’s patriarchal issues with the Green Goblin) or saving the women they love (Superman spinning the world back in time to save Lois lane), saving the world is a fortuitous side-effect. The people’s hero must endure existential trials stuck between the rock and a hard place of ‘humanity and a capricious universe’ as Neil Gaiman states. However the selfish hero must be punished literally for rebelling against order, for unbridled hedonism. Both must face trials, but the victory is even sweeter if there is a huge reward as opposed to passive appreciation.

It’s a little too easy to say that this re-imagined hero is a back-lash from the influx of American heroes paraded through cinemas post 9/11, but this is not a new phenomenon. Since post-modernist writers such as Alan Moore arrived on the scene, comic books have become more analytical and introspective, characters seen as infallible become flawed and humanized (e.g. ‘It’s a Bird’ where a frustrated writer bemoans Superman’s irrelevance in the banal modern world) and recently a crop of selfish and irresponsible super-heroes have entered the genre. Take ‘Kingdom Come’ where the old Justice League of America have to fight new reckless super-heroes, or ‘Civil War’ where a school is destroyed during a rescue by an inexperienced super-hero. Or take show-boaters such as ‘Booster Gold’ (who exploits his knowledge of the future by time-travelling to save the day), or ‘Watchmen’s Adrian Veidt who wields his heroism with business savvy, achieving his own genetically-modified lynx and arctic palace. With Superman, Batman and Spiderman way into their pensions, (for a literal representation of this see Gilles Barbier’s hilarious ‘Nursing Home’ installation) and the values they embodied and the American dream they fought so hard to keep lying in tatters, a fresh perspective is needed for an apathetic society. This was best expressed in J. Michael Straczynski’s controversial 9/11 issue of ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ where Captain America simply stares silent and helpless at the wreckage.

The most effective irresponsible hero is young, confident and charismatic, without a snivelling oedipal complex, burgeoning cowardice or murderous streak in sight. If the super-hero isn’t wholly moral the audience must still relate to him personally and collectively, and in a society that idolizes vapid, wealthy socialites, it is possible to give this character a sympathetic audience. Of course the simple answer is that, given the opportunity, anyone would use their super-powers to have ‘Jumper’ style fun. The irony is that these super-heroes are being punished for enjoying the liberty that super-heroes such as Superman embodied, even eschewing a secret identity. The unsubtle point of religious zealots denying them this freedom draws obvious parallels with America’s social climate within which America’s traditional heroes have been crushed. In troubled times, with horrific leaders, we are not looking for a God-like saviour, we are looking out for number one, because sometimes a hero with the best intentions can do more harm than good.

Traditional super-heroes mythology is self-perpetuating; as long as the back story is straight, they are a blank canvas on which to project societies neuroses and Hollywood will continue to re-invent them ad-finitum, but their all American morality is inescapable. the selfish super-hero offers a clean slate without the moral burden of their predecessors, but takes into account their evolution. ‘Jumper’ has so far received negative reviews and in spite of inspired location shooting (the Coliseum was permitted, as long as ‘no equipment touches the ground’), it doesn’t appear to be ground breaking material, but there are exciting possibilities for the selfish super-hero. ‘Hancock’ side-steps any moribund political allusions by shifting to the comedy genre, a move that amalgamates the brooding super-hero with the campy fun of Adam West’s ‘Batman’. In spite of the fact that Hancock and the ‘Jumper’s have more in common with their predecessor’s nemeses, the lazy tramp and spoiled playboy super-heroes seem more All-American than ever.

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