Pro Wrestlers and Superheroes: Two Sides of the Same Coin

What is it that makes superheroes so attractive to the average person? Is it their brightly colored outfits? Is it their quest for justice? Perhaps just the idea of having superpowers is what appeals to people.

It could be all of these things and more, but there is a deeper meaning behind our love of caped crusaders and masked avengers. The real reason we like superheroes so much is because they represent the best possible versions of ourselves.

No matter who you are, there is a comic book character that you can idolize, as well as a pro wrestler.

If you are a proud patriot, you might relate to Captain America and John Cena. If you consider yourself an outcast, you probably like The X-Men and CM Punk. If you are a strong-willed woman, you likely prefer Wonder Woman and many of the women in the Divas Revolution.

You could take the entire WWE roster and match wrestlers up with similar characters in Marvel or DC comic books, and just about everyone would be able to see themselves in at least one of those parings.

The parallels between wrestlers and superheroes don't stop there. In fact, they have more in common than many people may realize.

The Look

Credit: WWE.com

Let's get the most obvious and superficial similarities out of the way. Superheroes and wrestlers are the only people who can get away with looking the way they do.

The majority of the men and women in both mediums are known far and wide for their spandex outfits, face paint and masks.

Their image is how we identify them, and having a recognizable look is an important part of separating from the rest of the pack.

Sure, there are plenty of wrestlers who don't stand out because of their attire, but they are greatly outnumbered by the amount who have signature looks. For every set of basic trunks, five people are wearing something with a trademark design.

Think about Goldust's face paint and bodysuits, or "Macho Man" Randy Savage's memorable outfits. Would you recognize Rey Mysterio without his mask?

Being identifiable at a glance makes a superhero and a wrestler more marketable, and therefore more likely to succeed.

Superman's crest is one of the most iconic symbols in the world. You would have to search for a long time to find someone who doesn't recognize the big "S" inside his trademark pentagon.

Like Clark Kent, many wrestlers have their own symbols. John Cena has his "U Can't C Me" logo, Bret Hart had the skull, wings and heart on his singlets, and the WWE logo is plastered on everything it sells.

Wearing outlandish costumes is one thing, but having a symbol that everyone recognizes is a totally different story.

Let's use Sting as an example. Dressing in all black and sitting up in the rafters would have been enough to make him intimidating, but his Crow-inspired paint and scorpion designs made him scary in the same way that Frank Castle's skull logo put fear into his enemy's hearts as The Punisher.

Being easily identified by an outfit, mask, face paint or signature design is just one way superheroes and wrestlers are one and the same.

Athleticism

Endurance, strength and agility are important traits for any professional athlete to possess, and the same can be said for every non-superpowered superhero.

Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen is a perfect example. The Green Arrow has no powers whatsoever, so he has to rely on his athletic ability and unique archery skills to combat villains who should be able to defeat anyone at the drop of a hat.

Batman is in the same boat, and so are Hawkeye, Black Widow and The Punisher. Like these heroes, wrestlers have to keep themselves in peak physical condition.

Guys like Cesaro and Seth Rollins have to keep themselves in the best possible shape in order to do the incredible things they do.

And it's not just the wrestlers with six-packs. Kevin Owens carries around a keg, but he is capable of doing springboard moonsaults, planchas and tons of other moves you would normally expect from a cruiserweight.

If you aren't at your physical best, you won't last long in the ring or on the streets fighting crime.

Outrageous Characters and Aliases

In both worlds, one of the most common bonds is completely unrealistic characters and aliases. Without these things, these people would be a lot less interesting.

Characters from the comics use aliases to hide their true identities from the public, while wrestlers use them to create entertaining personalities.

These insane characters are entertaining but far from realistic, which is what makes them so much fun.

Batman would be boring without The Joker, Riddler and Harley Quinn, just like WWE would be boring without Bray Wyatt, The Undertaker and Sting.

Both comics and wrestling require you to suspend logic and lose yourself in the ridiculousness of the storylines. It's all about allowing your imagination to run wild.

Kids might be the target audience for these products, but adults need to turn off their brains and let themselves be entertained, too.

Crossing Over

Superheroes and wrestlers obviously have a lot of similarities, which allows for people from either medium to cross over to the other with ease.

Amell is the most recent example of an actor playing a masked vigilante entering the ring. His performance at SummerSlam was one of the best in celebrity wrestling history, and he owes that success to his Arrow training.

However, it's far more common for people from the wrestling world to appear in material adapted from comic books.

Triple H was in Blade 3, Batista killed it as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy and Edge is set to appear in The Flash as Atom Smasher.

Wrestlers have the physique and understanding to play outlandish characters, making them perfect for roles in films and TV shows featuring superheroes.

Wrestlers Can Be Heroes in Real Life

Looking back through the past 20 years, many stories exist showing wrestlers performing feats of actual heroism.

In 2013, Chris Masters found his mother trapped inside a burning house that had been set ablaze by an insane individual. So what did the buff brawler do? He uprooted a tree, smashed a window and saved his mother from a potentially grizzly death.

A similar story involves wrestling legend Bam Bam Bigelow. The man known for his flame tattoos and attire saved three children from a burning house, scarring over 40 percent of his body in the process.

Then there's the story of Davari taking down a knife-wielding maniac on a train who was threatening to kill everyone on board. The former heel jumped into action and subdued the man, instantly becoming a hero to everyone on the train.

Saving people from harm is definitely heroic, but that is not the only thing that can turn someone into a hero.

Diamond Dallas Page devoted his time and resources to helping Scott Hall and Jake Roberts clean up their lives and improve their physical and mental conditions.

John Cena has set numerous records for the Make A Wish Foundation, and many others on the roster have participated in the program to give kids memories that will last all their lives.

We all remember Connor Michalek. After watching the video of his meeting Daniel Bryan and several other Superstars, is there any doubt in your mind that the men and women of WWE were his heroes?

Sometimes all it takes to affect the life of someone else is a small act of kindness. The Superstars and Divas of WWE devote a lot of time to children with life-threatening illnesses, and for a few moments, those kids can forget they're sick.

Good vs. Evil

The most prominent connections between superheroes and wrestlers is the battle between good and evil. Without this story device, we wouldn't have either medium.

The war between right and wrong is as old as time itself and permeates every form of storytelling. We need someone to root for and someone to root against because we like the feeling of knowing good triumphs in the end.

Where would Superman be without Lex Luthor? What about Daniel Bryan without The Authority? The collision of two opposing forces is the basis of every comic book and wrestling match.

Sometimes we like to see two good guys with opposing viewpoints fight, which is why Captain America: Civil War is going to be a huge hit, but in the end, there's always a bad guy to unite against.

The real world may not be as black-and-white as it is in these stories, but that is kind of the point.

Final Thoughts

Superheroes and wrestlers have so many things in common that it's easier to find similarities than differences.

Outfits, symbolism, athleticism, the ability for people to cross from one medium to the other and the war between good and evil are some of the most common bonds between the vigilantes in our comics and movies and the men and women who wrestle every week.

Beyond that, some wrestlers have proved to be real heroes in dangerous situations and to the children they entertain every single day.

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter: @BR_Doctor.