O.K. here's the deal. I have to write a speech for my communications class (yes college). The subject matter is at my disgression. The first thing that popped into my head was "The Birth and Evolution of the Superhero". I've got decades of stuff to go off of, yet I'm stuck..actually, I haven't even started writing it. The main points would most likely be why and how the superhero was born and why he is what he is today.
No one single super is singled out here, its just in general. This sound like a good idea? Throw me a bone here, my brain isn't wanting to work this out. Any suggestions as far as the subject and sub-points?

if you want to talk about the birth then you have to single a hero out and talk about superman. He was the first spandex wearing joe to be mass produced. then a lot of comics were a mix of pulp stories and horror for years, then came the comic code and then superheroes evolved into the pansy ass everything is fun and happy. batman and robin got battarangs that could do anything and they became extremely silly for years. then the 70's happened and they started to mature with the readers. the code lessened and some companies stopped following it all together. the 1980's continued this trend of making comics for adults and kids. the 90's everything became EXTREME EXTREME EXTREME and over the top, the comic crave happened and more comic readers then ever, so the comic companies decided to go with flash rather then quality. People didn't like it so in the 2000's the went back to a similar strategy of the 1980's

You could take it way back, all the way back to when the children of the gods walked the earth. It's not a coincidence that Thor and Hercules have had their own comic books.

uhm yeah...too far back. I was thinking more along the lines of the first World War... maybe.

How are you going to explain Birth, then Death, then birth, then death and the fact that every cool superhero has died and been resurrected? Just a thought.

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uhm... wasn't going to be like that.... more like the creation of the superhero ...and I think I might take a cue from BioHaz, except explain where the idea for the superhero got its inspiration.

You could watch unbreakable and write down what Sam Jackson has to say

I did something like this in high-school and didn't really do that good at it because the teacher felt that it was too broad, not enough focus on one particular aspect of comics since I was going for more of a history of comics. So, I would caution that you not make my mistake and talk about the changing decades and the code so much as to just try and focus explicitly on the changing of the ideal(s) of super-heroes themselves. However, as has already been mentioned, starting with the gods like Thor or Hercules, and then moving on to Superman is most likely the best approach. Heck, Superman pretty much is an allegory of Jesus, and was created by two Jewish guys.

I agree with darth_paul... don't wanna have it too broad.

It's a communications class? - do you have to do this as a speech in front of class? Might affect your choice. If it's just a written paper, can play on the teacher's expectations and be more intimate about... hell something about superheroine bondage throughout the 20th Century

Possible ideas to narrow the theme...

1) Batman is really just a new variation on Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' basically. This paper theme would blow your comm prof away, but you'd kinda have to know the major themes/concepts of Hamlet. But consider Batman never thinks about his Mom. Alfred has become his mother essentially. Bruce Wayne is the prince who is to inherit the throne of his murdered father. He spends all his efforts to solve murders to find the truth, motivated by his own father's murder, but he never really discovers the truth he searches for even though he solves other (palace) mysteries. Gotham is the palace. If your prof is into literature he/she'd shit a brick. Just go with it and make it up.

2) Was Superman's death the first really popular death of a superhero? Did Superman's death start the trend of killing heroes to sell comics? Could explore that whole concept.

3) I think to the jewish geniuses who created Superman he was Moses, not Jesus. A foreigner taken in as one of THEIR own only to discover he was a chosen of Yaweh... not as exciting unless you're into theology though. Moses is thought to be Egyptian royalty only to show that he is hebrew and then to show the egyptians that he has supernatural powers bestowed upon him... yadda yadda

4) How the 1970's Superman movie saved DC comics from complete collapse as Marvel was taking over the market. This kind of stuff you can do a lot of personal opinion on unless your prof is a comic buff.

5) Single it out to one character through the years, like your initial idea. How has a major superhero's public persona changed over the years? How have different writers/artists portrayed them? Did the last Superman movie REALLY kill him for real? - ha ha. Batman has more of a change to work with though. Consider the folks who love the 1960's TV show Batman and the now very real and gritty Batman... and all the different artists who have worked with Batman... easy paper to write there.

6) Ethnic heroes throughout the years. Milestone, etc.

7) Your personal journey in comics... how you got first interested... how you've followed it through the years... where you are now... how HeroMorph artists render half nekkid beauties that give you wood... wait, no that's my journey - ha ha. But seriously, that's a great angle. Tell your personal journey with comics. What heroes you started out loving... who you love now... why? what happened to them and you... yadda yadda.. good content stuff there.

8)Explain why Julie Newmar is the best CatWoman. I could write a book about it myself

9) This sounds like BS but it will truthfully fascinate most non-comic fans... if you've been to a comic-con... write a paper on the entire experience. Most people have no clue.

10) Write about Heromorph. say how hero comics have some folks so much they spend hours upn hours devoting time to celebrating this stuff. They make 3d models. They recreate the characters. they make fan fiction comics. They create whole sites dedicated to superheroes... well, mainly superheroines... we've grown up and realize witch sex is really the most powerful

11) Beg Jinky to be interviewed... she has a very compelling life story herself.

The superhero today is influenced by the fact that today's youth worships villains more than heroes and that has made for a darker hero. one that can cross the line and kill. Old faves are still in fashion and no one would ever truly get rid of them they are still loved by all. Additionally, the majority of the readers used to be children but now it is adults who dominate the market so the market has to cater to that demographic. Did that help? Additionally The "Suprhero" has been around for centuries do I have to explain hoe old the story of "Jason and the Argonauts" is? Heracles/Hercules is nothing more than pre-1st century Superman. the stories were for children and adults alike. in the 40s the superhero made his comeback with guys like the trench coat crew (The Shadow, Green Hornet, Dick Tracy etc.) Superman gave em tights and he didn't even wear a shirt at the time. Then he donned the cape The lone ranger took up the mask and the rest is history dude along comes Batman (the first themed cape & cowl type hero) and poof allot of heroes from those days are still around (the Phantom) today.