One comes from the dark and protects Gotham City. Another flies and stands tall, a stylized “S” shield on his chest. The last shoots webs and uses his “spidey” senses while swinging through New York City.
America has come to love these three superheroes.
Of these three elite guardians, the Miami Hurricanes football team tends to favor the hero who is called by the Bat Signal.
“Batman is so GQ and so smooth with it,” laughed sophomore defensive end Steven Wesley. “I love Batman.”
Batman’s secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy industrialist and ladies’ man. At a young age, Bruce Wayne witnessed the murder of his parents, and this motivated Wayne to groom himself into a figure to fight crime, creating Batman – a hero who emerges from the shadows.
“He likes to come out the dark,” junior safety Ryan Hill said. “His enemies don’t even see it coming. I like to come out of the dark myself.”
But the Dark Knight is unlike most superheroes, as he doesn’t possess any superpowers. He makes use of technology, wealth, physical prowess, intimidation and intellectual detective skills. His all-black Batsuit, the Batmobile and Batcave are his key tools for fighting crime.
“I got to stick with Batman because of the all black,” senior linebacker Glenn Cook said. “That all black is just powerful to me. He steps up with the cap on and you know he is going to do something.”
Said junior tight end Dedrick Epps, “Batman is that man. He knows exactly what to do to handle his villains, especially the Joker.”
Created in 1962, Spider-Man is the youngest of the bunch. Peter Parker was a bookworm who lived an average life until he was bitten by a spider. A bite from that irradiated spider caused a variety of changes to Peter Parker’s body, giving him superpowers. Spider-Man has the ability to cling to walls, superhuman strength and speed and a sixth sense that alerts him to danger.
“I want to experience climbing walls and being upside down just like Spider-Man,” freshman quarterback Jacory Harris said. “I want to shoot people with webs. To me he is more elusive then the others.”
“Spider-Man is a nerd,” laughed senior defensive tackler Antonio Dixon. “He came from nothing to something. He is not rich, he is just a normal guy.”
Different from Batman and Spider-Man, Superman was born with superpowers and was raised as Clark Kent. The oldest superhero of the three, Superman received little support from the Hurricanes football team.
“He is too big of a geek to me,” laughed Epps. “Xavier [Shannon] likes Superman. He has a backpack of him. I really don’t know anyone else who likes him.”
Still, junior running back Javarris James took a different approach to his favorite superhero.
“I like the Hulk,” James said. “He just takes over everything. He is a big dude and everyone scales him for that, but if you catch him with a lady, he is a whole different dude. He has a soft side to him.”
As usual, head coach Randy Shannon remained unbiased on which of the three superheroes he loves the most.
“I watched all of them when I was younger,” Shannon smiled. “All three of them. Every single one of those was my favorite.”