Countries from all over the world have made their contribution to the modern world of Superheroes. Infinite stories of men and women of extraordinary strength and capable of legendary feats, unusual creatures that ordinary mortals looked up to with respect and awe, sometimes benevolent, sometimes evil, engaged in an endless struggle, populate the legends and myths, recounted from generation to generation, of the rich cultural background and heritage of every country all over the world.
In addition to the mainstays of the American superheroes elite (Marvel and DC), in fact, less mainstream characters, whose origins can be traced back to the more or less ancient cultural, mythological and religious traditions in their countries, have emerged from practically every part of the world: from the mysteries and esotericism of ancient Egypt, to Northern European legends, from the fascinating tales of the Australian ancestral world, to the mysticism and iconography of Hindu myths. And even from the anthropological and mystical influences of the Maya, Aztec and Incas civilisations, all the way through to the animist tradition African and the natives of North America.
Within this global panorama, a conspicuous proportion of superheroes derive from Asian culture, an intensive forge of modern mythology that finds its ideal expression in manga and anime.
Once the Greek-Roman and Norse gods were incorporated into the fantasy universes of Superheroes, the celestial guardians of Egypt, India, Japan, South America, and many other cultures were also called upon by comic writers to play the roles of judges and benefactors (and sometimes nemesis) of a fragile humanity in need of otherworldly protection.
It is interesting to trace and learn about the many cultural contaminations and the links between the ancient and the modern that underlie the birth of some of the world’s more or less well-known superheroes.