The history of the superhero begins with ancient mythic examples whose names we still recognize, such as Hercules and Perseus, as well as folkloric legends like Robin Hood and The Scarlet Pimpernel. In American newspaper comic strips of the early twentieth century, heroes such as Popeye and The Phantom appeared alongside science fiction characters like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Comic strips led to pulp magazine series such as Tarzan and The Shadow. In one such magazine, the term “superhero” was first used in 1937. These publications soon evolved into comic books, first marketed to teens and young adults.
National Superhero Day is April 28, when we honour both real and fictional superheroes. Which is your favourite?
SUPERMAN
In 1938, after many unsuccessful attempts, artist Joe Shuster and writer Jerry Siegel finally had their comic book hero, Superman, published. The popularity of the Superman comic book series inspired a simple board game, The Adventures of Superman, just two years later in 1940. This game was sold exclusively at Macy’s department stores. Milton Bradley brought out its racing game Superman Speed Game in 1941. The hero is seen leaping over skyscrapers on the box cover.
Other Superman board games quickly followed. Transogram produced Calling Superman in 1954, featuring villains on action cards and the Daily Planet building on the game board. Hasbro released its popular Superman board game in 1965. The box cover urged players to “search for Superman’s deadliest enemy,” while an illustration of a Lex Luthor-like villain tortures a Jimmy Olsen character as a bound Lois Lane character cowers nearby. Meanwhile, Whitman Publishing Company produced Superman Flying Bingo in 1966. Players flick coloured discs, attempting to get five matching discs in a row.
By this time, Superman was already a well-known and beloved character. The syndicated television series first ran from 1952 to 1958, and Superman also appeared in colouring books, card games, puzzles, and many other simple board game variants made by several publishers, generally aimed at younger fans. Superman-specific games continue to be produced today for both children and adult gamers.
BATMAN
Hasbro manufactured The Batman and Robin Game, a simple board game focused on the DC Comics superhero Batman, in 1965. Drawn from the comic book series, this early game did not reflect the well-known television series Batman, which premiered the following year. Gameplay was simple, as it was in the similar game, The Batman Game, released by Milton Bradley the same year.
Milton Bradley published the Batman Jigsaw Puzzle Game in 1966, a race to be the first player to assemble one of four identical Batman puzzles. Hasbro released another board game version in 1973 that did include imagery from the television series. Batman, however, began as a comic book superhero first.
WONDER WOMAN
Wonder Woman is a World War II-era superheroine who first appeared in DC Comics in All Star Comics #8, published on October 21, 1941. Hasbro introduced the Wonder Woman Justice League of America Game in 1967. Designed for young children, the board path formed a giant “W” and featured illustrations of villains and the heroine herself.
Hasbro produced another game, Wonder Woman Saves the Amazonians, in 1976, partly based on the television series (1975-1979) starring Lynda Carter. Following the popularity of both the series and the earlier game, the company released a different title in 1978, simply called Wonder Woman Game. In this version, each player took on the role of Wonder Woman, with movement controlled by a spinner and action cards. Recent films continue to inspire new Wonder Woman games for both children and adults.
CAPTAIN AMERICA
Milton Bradley Company introduced a Captain America game in 1966 featuring villains drawn from other Marvel comic series, including Loki from Thor, Molten Man from Spider-Man, and Zemo, the only actual Captain America comic book villain included. The company released an updated version in 1977 featuring Falcon and the Avengers.
There are many more recent Captain America-themed games, including Monopoly: Marvel Avengers (2015 and 2019) featuring the Captain, and Risk: Captain America – Civil War Edition (2016). There are also numerous Marvel Heroes and Avengers-themed card games that include the character. Top Trumps brought out its Captain America card game in 1977.
FUN FOR ALL AGES
In 1985, Mayfair Games produced the first DC Heroes role-playing game series. Since then, both DC and Marvel superheroes have appeared in role-playing games from many manufacturers. Increasingly, each of the heroes mentioned here, along with many others, has also been represented in modern Euro-style strategy games, as well as children’s games such as Memory and simple card games.
Today’s comic book stories and cinematic adventures have only increased the popularity of these heroic characters, both familiar and new. Like comic books themselves, superhero games continue to entertain players through hundreds of interpretations for fans of all ages.
