I’m Not a Superhero, I’m Just a Civilian And That’s More Than Enough

By Ben Liew  •  18 Jul 2025 in Last Word

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When I was a kid I used to read comic books that I bought by saving my allowance. Since these were some of my first purchases as a consumer, I devoted a lot of time to the storylines and characters. And of course, at the age of 10, I imagined myself in a cape.

Not just any cape—I picked sides.

In the church of pop culture, there are two great houses: Team Batman and Team Superman. You either identified with the grim resilience of the Dark Knight, or the unwavering hope of the Man of Steel. Batman was trauma in motion. No powers, just pain, wealth, and will. Superman? A literal alien trying to be the best version of a man. Too perfect, too invincible… or so I thought.

Since my Video Editor told me she converted from team Batman to team Superman after watching the latest Superman movie, I started to think about where I stand today and where I was in the past if I were to pick a side.

Most of my youth, I pledged loyalty to Gotham. Batman was human. Flawed. Driven by grief and guilt. He wasn’t born extraordinary—he made himself that way. To a kid trying to make sense of the world, that felt relatable. Batman wasn’t just a hero. He was proof that broken people could still fight for something.

But something shifted.

When I got older, and started leading a team as an Editor, I saw things differently as idealism outweighed cynicism. Suddenly, Superman didn’t seem so boring. Doing the right thing even when no one’s watching? Holding yourself to an impossible standard just because someone has to? That wasn’t cheesy—it was courageous. Hence my Superman era began…

But that didn’t last either.

These days, superheroes have transcended the ink and paper that used to cost me RM3.80 per issue—yes, I’m afraid I’m that old. But I am not fixated with Hollywood blockbusters and A-listers.

Whenever I happen to watch a superhero movie, it’s usually because it’s on the TV somewhere where I have no control over the remote. I’m never really invested, just passing by like the extras in the background. And when I do catch a glimpse of capes swirling in CGI chaos, I don’t see myself as the hero anymore.

I see myself as… a civilian.

That’s right. Just a plain nameless, faceless, dialogue-less civilian. Not Christian Bale, Robert Pattison, Henry Cavill, or whoever’s playing Superman now.

If I were ever involved in a production of these movies, I would be an extra. My character’s sole purpose would be to die on cue and respawn when necessary. Maybe if I’m lucky, I would get to point at the sky and say one line or a word like “Hey!”. On set, the crew would call me Hey-man.

I am happy to be that person and identify with that character now. No, I’m grateful for it.

Because here’s the truth nobody tells you when you’re a kid dreaming of spandex and supervillains: not everyone is born to be the main character. And that’s not a flaw. That’s life. Most of us are not Iron Man or Wonder Woman. We’re not destined for origin stories or endgame battles. We’re the ones who hold the door open. Who make small talk. Who keep going.

No matter how hard we try, things don’t always go our way. We have to live with that. That perhaps, is our greatest superpower–the power of knowing that we are helpless beyond what we can control.

We don’t leap buildings. We get up for work. We pay rent. We listen to friends cry on the phone. We forgive. We fail. We show up again.

In the vast multiverse of humanity, being “just a civilian” is not a downgrade. We might not have superpowers, but we show up anyway.

Maybe our role is not to save the world but to love it while it breaks and heals again.

Maybe our great act of heroism is learning to be at peace with who we are, without the need to be extraordinary.

And maybe, just maybe, being human is the most heroic thing of all.

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