Comic book heroes are an inspiration, ingrained in our culture, and like any popular myth, there are things to learn about ourselves in those stories. Since the super hero comic format arose in the late 30s, it has been a constant in our culture, and with so many years of history behind each character, we’ve seen them change with the times, and become more human with each issue. Comic book characters, nowadays, are people in extraordinary situations, and it’s usually this what fuels change in ourselves: having to face situations because no one else will. When the heroes rise to the occasion, they usually deliver a couple lines that gets the fan feeling like they just read something special. This is a collection of some of our favorites.
These are phrases of wisdom you could perfectly use in every day conversations, comic-book related or not, and every time you’re discussing politics, campus/school life, or anything at all. This is Comic Book Wisdom: 10 Phrases For Every Day Life From Comics.
Spider-man
“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”
Okay, we guess technically it’s Uncle Ben’s phrase, not really Spidey’s, but we’re pretty sure the web-crawler has repeated the phrase way more times than Uncle Ben ever could. Because he was shot. And killed. The phrase has since then become Spider-man’s Leif Motif, and is usually what he repeats to new heroes that just discover his powers, in order to inspire them. It’s thanks to this phrase that we have a Spider-man to begin with, so thank you Uncle Ben. Use this line to motivate people!
Rorschach (Watchmen)
“None of you seem to understand. I’m not locked in here with you. You’re locked in here with *ME*!”
One of the funny things about this iconic line is that it doesn’t appear as such in the comic book, but it’s actually something one of the doctors write explaining Rorschach situation while locked down. We guess this was too subtle for a movie adaptation, but it’s still a fantastic line that you should use if your roommate gets obnoxious.
V – V for Vendetta
“I, like God, do not play with dice and do not believe in coincidence.”
This line has many more uses, as it’s a bit more vague. But with a decent twist, it could even be a pick-up line. Users just have to be creative about it! Other contexts where this might work could be a class (a philosophy one would work great), or just any unexpected situation.
Batman
“Sometimes it’s only madness that makes us what we are.”
The Dark Knight has been preaching bone-breaking justice for over 80 years now, and in all that time, a couple lines have stuck with us. This line, from “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On A Serious Earth”, where Batman acknowledges in a way that the divisory line between him and his enemies is not all that clear. The line’s just cool, but you might be better off using it to describe a third party if you don’t want to look crazy.
Emma Frost (White Queen)
“The whole world is watching us now. We must be nothing less than fabulous.”
We like to think of this line as “if you’re gonna do it, then do it with style”. When someone like Emma, with her unique looks and personality says something like this, you’re in for some intense scenes that will surely follow. Keep in mind Emma is a bad girl who switched sides and still has some of the quirks of a super-villain, so don’t take her words in vain.
Iron Man
“Patriotism doesn’t automatically equal conservatism”
Now, with a presidential election coming in the US, and a time where the common people are getting more and more involved with politics, Tony Stark’s phrase might prove more useful than ever, particularly for left-wingers and libertarians. Now, we don’t know about you, but after this, we’d totally vote for Tony Stark, a clear example of the 1% fighting for the 99%.
Wolverine
“You ain’t done makin’ mistakes, bub, not by a long shot”
Wolverine is a cool guy. Not only is he badass, he’s also old (he was born over a 100 years ago!) and wise, but still street-smart, and, in a sort of weird kind of way, understands people better than most. Constantly between turning into a full animal or a noble Samurai, he has the talent to forgive, or to rise up to the situation. Now, careful with this phrase, and how you use it, or it might come off really condescending (as much as we’d like to be, none of us is Wolverine).
Bonus track: ” $#%^ING UNICORNS!”
Yeah, really. We’re sure you’re creative enough to fit this in most of your conversations.
Superman
“You’re much stronger than you think you are. Trust me.”
A key part of being a good leader is knowing how to motivate your team-mates. Let the man of steel (who also happens to be pretty humble) be your mentor. There’s nothing you can’t take on.
The Sandman
“For love is no part of the dream-world. Love belongs to desire, and desire is always cruel. “
Sandman might look like an extreme version of Robert Smith, but as the dream lord, sure has a couple things to say, and boy he’s wise. We talk love, discuss love, sing about love… it’s one of the emotions we explore the most and it’s always a huge part of anyone’s life. Just give it some time, and we’re sure you’ll be able to use this line soon.
Barbara Gordon (Oracle/Batgirl)
“Propaganda. All wars require propaganda. Amazing. Not one of these guys ever paid attention during a history class, yet here they are creating and spreading propaganda”
More political Batman characters, spreading wisdom. Don’t get caught in what the media or anyone says, and always question everything.
To see more comics lists, check out The 10 Lamest Super Heroes and 14 Sizzlin’ Steampunk Renditions Of Super Hero Art.
