If you thought that all superheroes are born with superpowers, think again. According to Marvel’s The Origin Stories — Spider-Man & Iron Man, life wasn’t always ideal for these two Avengers. They are more like us than you can imagine, and this book takes us into their world where we are told how they became superheroes, and why.

In the section highlighting Spider-Man’s origin story, you get to know a lot of things, thanks to the accompanying illustrations. You find out that Peter Parker is an excellent student, but doesn’t have many friends; before he was bitten by the radioactive spider, he was bullied at school; and after he got superpowers, he decided to ease his uncle and aunt’s load by earning some cash as a wrestler. However, it was due to his selfish attitude that he lost his uncle and chose to fight for the right, like a superhero who is still a student.

Iron Man aka Tony Stark, on the other hand, didn’t have financial problems, yet when he was kidnapped from a secret army lab during a demonstration, his heart was left in a bad shape. Asked to create a weapon for the enemy, Tony used his knowledge to create a super-suit for himself that would not just save his life, but also let him escape from the clutches of the bad guys. It was after his return that he decided to become Iron Man and help those who can’t help themselves.

What were the circumstances behind both these superheroes’ decision to serve their fellow humans can be understood easily due to the simple text and brilliant illustrations in the book. One thing that remains common for both the heroes is that they tried to act like superheroes when there was no need to, and that’s what set them on the right path, the path that only leads to greatness.

Are you on the right path? Go through the life story of your favourite hero and try to emulate them, with or without superpowers and you will see the difference.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 14th, 2019