Why Heroes Fall

The artwork above depicts the legendary fight of Superman against the creature known as Doomsday, which eventually led to Superman's death (in The Death of Superman comic story arc, which is the best selling graphic novel of all time.) Superman dying was, needless to say, the unthinkable that happened and it became a touchstone moment in comic history.
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Why is it necessary for us to know that even heroes do fall, or even die? Simply for a fact that they do. Heroes may be seen as the all-perfect, infallible figure of truth and justice, but everyone has their Achilles' Heel. Weaknesses make us human, and being human we were never designed to be perfect, though how much we strive for perfection. We are the grand product of God's creation and we do remember that the Original Sin made Adam and Eve descend to earth. We do fall. But from there we live, and let live.

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Falling into despair is similar to feeling the comings of doom. The road of no-return is a fear undertaken by even the strongest of us. The Man of Steel and the Man of Tomorrow is no exception. Heroes perhaps expect the world out of themselves, meaning not only they take on the weight of the world on their shoulders, they would not even give in to their faults for fear of failing others or especially their own self.

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Why then do we still look up to our heroes, or still wear the trappings of one for some? If heroes can fall just as much as any of us, then why bother with them? It is because heroes are not mere figures. They are sheer ideals. They sre a symbol of our dire need to know there is Good out there, and that bad times would come to pass. As Superman's father rightfully put it,

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"They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the Light to show them the way... For this reason above all, I've sent them you"

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There must be a hero in and within every one of us. It is a beacon of light as we find our way out of the dark passage of despair. It is the undying symbol of hope. And knowing that it can fall and die like any of us just makes us able to relate to it even more, understanding that the Hero and the Self are not that different after all. They are an inseparable entity. And when it becomes one, we are invincible.

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As such we always do remember, that even heroes have the right to dream. And that even heroes have every damn right to bleed. Especially to bleed.